SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 885 Title : Correspondence from Canada: Letter 37 - 30.03.82 Author(s): 852 Copyright holder(s): Name withheld Text The Maggie 30 March. '82 Dear Mum & Dad, Still well, alive, and kicking. Still extremely busy. I'm on the desk tonight, I'll be at the Beach Boys tomorrow night, I've a lecture on Petrarch (and party) on Thursday night, and on Friday Carole arrives. She phoned me Sunday to confirm the time: about 9pm. Mark's running me out to the airport. She's arriving on the evening of the final house dinner, so her first impression of the Maggie will probably be of a crowd of groupies encircling the evening's hired folk singer! Real cool, man. Talking of temperatures, spring is upon us again, after a temporary lapse - -20°C the other day, and a wind that would cut you in half. But it's way, way up to +10°C today and joggers in shorts are a common sight, weaving their way among the snowdrifts. The snow is fast melting though and we can see areas of GRASS for the first time in ages. I stayed up till 1.30am this morning to undergo yet another N. American Cultural Experience: namely, watching the Oscar awards live, all 3½ boring hours of it. Still, it was worth it to see "Chariots of Fire" get best film and best screenplay. Colin Welland was in fine jovial form picking up the latter, and Sheena Easton sang "For Your Eyes Only". No one laughed at Roger Moore's jokes, and Jane Fonda accepted her Dad's Oscar with tears in her eyes and a speech that went on forever. I'm surprised I stayed awake. I'm sleeping well these nights - probably thanks to this fitness programme. I can now do 20 sit-ups and 12 press ups and if I sprayed myself silver I might just become a star. I didn't do much this weekend - I've been kept busy with coursework and marking. I'm making slowish progress because I keep being dumped with more essays to mark and more seminar reports to research. And if I'm not finished by April 25 or so, then I don't get my summer supplement. So, altho' I don't have too much work to finish once seminars stop in a week or so, I'll have to do some when Carole's here. I'll just have to study a few hours per day, though. And that's about the end of courses here! When I think about it, this term's shot by, although it seems a long time since last September. I trust that you all at home in l'il ol' Britain are in fine fettle and good spirits. This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. 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: 1982 Word count: 446 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