SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 862 Title : Correspondence from Canada: Letter 14 - 23.10.81 Author(s): 852 Copyright holder(s): Name withheld Text The Maggie 23rd Oct. Dear Maw & Paw, Thanks for your letters - sorry that I haven't had time to reply before now. I've been kept fairly busy, mainly by my first batch of grammar exercises, which I had to correct and hand back for today. Prof. [CENSORED: surname] was fairly pleased with them and I'm getting more on Monday. In a week or so I'll start handing the exercises back to the class myself, and I'll discuss errors. That should be fun and games. Otherwise not a terrible lot has happened since I last wrote. I applied for and received my American visa, so it's all systems go for Christmas. Only two months off now - it's hard to believe. Time is shooting by. Mark, my room-mate, has been acting strangely lately. After the Engineers' Lady Godiva fiasco last week, it's been the Foresters' turn to be silly. Mark was up and out at 2 o'clock this morning painting green Paul Bunyan feet all over campus. Paul Bunyan is a legendary 20-foot logger of Canada's dark past who is famed for going through forests like a combine harvester. He is the Foresters' mascot, and a bunch of them were painting the huge footsteps last night to publicise the Woodsman's Competition tomorrow. So Paul Bunyan walked again last night - until stopped by 2 squad cars and half a dozen campus police!! Mark got back around 4am. He's up at 6.30am tomorrow again to do his lumberjack bit in the competition. I misread the [CENSORED: surname]'s letter - it's not actually 3000 miles to Philadelphia, altho' it's a fair haul. I hope the 25th anniversary of the kirk went well and that you gave Bill [CENSORED: surname] & Iain [CENSORED: surname] and families my regards. You were taking a bit of a chance, Dad, getting Nick [CENSORED: surname] even to take a reading. You'll deserve your "retreat". Are you taking your hat with you? I hope you both enjoyed your weekend at Aunt Anne's. I haven't been in touch with Anne yet at all. Thanks for sending me the photos of Drew's wedding. I'll write to him soon. He does look terribly young. I've received 3 letters from Carole in the past 3 days, but she still hasn't mentioned anything about the Sadat assasination. Either she hasn't heard yet - which is unlikely, but possible considering she was studying for her German exam - or she's waiting to see how things develop. From what I've read, the situation in Egypt is still unstable, but Mubarak seems a strong enough leader to get things back under control. I've been talking to a student here from Alexandria who believe it won't take long at all for things to calm down. But I'm keeping my eye on the state of affairs. I see Scotland's made the World Cup again. Jock Stein for Prime Minister! Is Ted Heath really trying to make a comeback? Will the SDP take Croydon? Will Maggie T. last the year out? I read more U.K. current affairs than I did at home! Mainly from outdated copies of the Times and the Observer - Canadian papers just don't seem real somehow. What's the local radio station like? Interesting or "hame-knitted"? Maybe you'll switch on some time and hear Nicky [CENSORED: surname] as resident D.J! Well, I'd really better get to bed. Mark's snoring across the room. I don't envy Ali her tutor - Mr [CENSORED: surname] is rather useless to be honest: one of the worst lecturers there. She's got enough ability to see her through 1st year by herself, though, and at this stage the tutor isn't too important. I hope you enjoyed entertaining the massed [CENSORED: surname]s, and that the house-painting is at last finished. It's becoming more like the Forth Rd Bridge - you won't have stopped till it's time to start again! I'm afraid my presents haven't arrived yet - they should come next week. Take care, regards to all, Love, [CENSORED: forename] This work is protected by copyright. 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Information about document and author: Text Text audience Adults (18+): Audience size: 3-5 Writer knew intended audience: Text details Method of composition: Handwritten Year of composition: 1981 Word count: 687 Text medium Other: airmail Text publication details Part of a longer series of texts: Name of series: Correspondence from Canada Text setting Private/personal: Text type Correspondence/letters: Author Author details Author id: 852 Gender: Male Decade of birth: 1950 Educational attainment: University Age left school: 17 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: University Lecturer Place of birth: Ayr Region of birth: S Ayr Birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Bridge of Weir Region of residence: Renfrew Residence CSD dialect area: Renfr Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Insurance Broker Father's place of birth: Auchinleck Father's region of birth: S Ayr Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Dental Receptionist Mother's place of birth: Ayr Mother's region of birth: S Ayr Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: In most everyday situations Language: Portuguese Speak: Yes Read: No Write: No Understand: Yes Circumstances: When trying to communicate with my in-laws Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: In domestic/activist circles; reading literature