End of the School Year

In keeping with the oddity that is the British academic calendar, today was the last lecture of the semester. All of you out there who are either just starting or finishing Spring Break and expect to attend classes through the end of June, read it and weep. Actually – don’t weep. Be very, very glad that you don’t have to take comprehensive exams at this point. See, it’s not that the school year ends here and now (check out the Academic Calendar). No, it’s just the end of revision week, which is the review of all the work from the whole year, and after next week’s Spring Break, Glasgow students return to write exams — by hand — for days and days and days, starting with things they allegedly learned in September, and moving on, day in and day out, all the way through June. Exams continue for a month, with some Saturday exams as well. Campus is understandably a bit more subdued these days.

The important bit of the last lecture business, so far as we’re concerned, is that D. is done with giving lectures for the year, and can concentrate on his own research from now until the end of the Summer. He has a few more meetings to attend, and that’s it for the year, really. All done, no more having to trudge up to the University several times a week, leaving us to contemplate staying home, cozy and dry, for days and days and days … yes, these are the thoughts which are dear to the Hobbit. Never have two more comfort-loving souls gone overseas! However, the weather promises — at some point — to clear and warm, and we shall perambulate further afield… soon.

We’ve thought the perambulations would begin a week ago — we had a few days of what felt like spring, with the temperatures up as high as 13°C / 55°F. That actually went on for about two weeks … only to fall apart and lapse into rain again, with really cold winds. So much for gadding about too far afield just yet. Can’t complain, though – this is Scotland, land of moody weather, after all. Only summer means we get to put our hats, coats, gloves, and scarves away. *Maybe.*

We’re looking forward to starting our travels in early April with a day trip to Culzean Castle (pronounced Kuh-leen, apparently), on the South Ayrshire coast. The castle is a property run by Scottish Heritage, but once again, D. has finagled his way into being allowed to take photographs inside — this time because one of his professors — a historian — actually published the history of the property, and has written ahead to inform them that one of his protégé is on his way! T. looks more forward to the cliffs and the sea, as all the castles have started to run together for her, but D. still is enthused enough about architecture to be excited. Both D. & T. look forward to the extensive caves and walled gardens and antique fountains for which the castle is well known.

For the last days of March, our main priority is packing up and getting out of dodge. T. is especially eager to go, simply because with all of the digging and road work going on, the dirt in the water, which the water company warned us about, has finally started to show up. T. poured herself a glass of water, and after sipping then looked faintly queasy as she took note of the cloudiness and the grit that had settled at the bottom of the glass. We’re really a part of Glasgow now, it’s in us… for better or for worse. Ugh.

We’re looking forward to finally buying a bed long enough to fit all of D. onto, and generally wondering whether we’ll have enough boxes for our belongings, or can actually recycle some this time (we kept them from last time). We’ve been gradually letting go of things; books, of course, clothes, tablecloths and the types of things that once upon a time we had need for in our lives, but just don’t anymore. It feels odd to keep shedding so much of ourselves. In a way, we’ve shed so much that we’ve become a little nihilistic. Occasionally T. decides that possession have no real meaning — and then D. gently restrains T. from giving away things we actually need… Eventually we will find a halfway point between being students and taking a vow of utter poverty! (Or is it the same thing?)

We find out by the 31st (hopefully – they’ll be sending paper letters in the mail – post) whether D. will receive funding for this next year, or whether it will be a matter of taking out yet more student loans. We’re truly hoping for the funding, but have no way of knowing until next week. If he’s funded, that would cover his tuition entirely. We’ll see.

T. is doing the final touches of a novel revision, with the idea of wrapping it up before her agent comes back from Italy, where he is at a book fair selling publication rights to international publishing houses (hopefully). We’re also trying to plan out when we need to travel back to the U.S. for T’s next book launch, and whether we need to be in New York for part of the time, or whether we’ll be able to keep it to a smaller event in California only. We’ll see. It’s rather a larger book this time, so she might need to spend some more time signing her name or something, the thought of which brings her out in hives.

That’s about it from us for now. It’s been nice to get back in touch with so many of you, and we’ll keep you all informed about things, but now that we’ve got a deadline to us getting out of this flat, packing must really take priority for a while! The pictures may be sparse, and the words more sparse still, but we promise to post plenty of photo essays, so you at least know we’re still alive.

– D & T

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