From Scotch to Sinology

A taxi will arrive at my B&B in little more than three hours (about 4 am!) to take me to Dyce airport. From thence I shall fly to Heathrow, spend a few hours perusing the duty-free shops (buying nothing and unduly annoying all the paid-on-commission folk) or collapsed in a tired heap under a bench somewhere.

From London I fly to Chicago, at which point I have a 36 hour "layover" in South Bend. And then, onward to China. It strikes me just now that this will be the first country I've been to in a long while where I don't speak the language. Heck, I don't know the exchange rate! Or whether or not they use metric units! When will I do all this research? Maybe the Chinese people will notice I'm six feet tall and cut me some slack. Giantesses are a rarity in those parts, I've been told.

It's been a good last day. I ate a full Scottish breakfast (ham, fried egg, hash-browns, mushrooms, tomato (pronounced "toe-mah-toe"), toast and cheese, coffee, apple juice, fresh peaches and (last but not least) baked beans. Then I may or may not have taken a wee nap. Then, off to University for the last hurried day of wrapping things up and so much Heisenberg work that I just don't ever want to think about Heisenberg again. Until September.

Then, mad dash back to the B&B to pack my disaster of a room, good-bye to Evelyn & Charlie, the greatest B&B owners of all time, then off to a late dinner at Guido's house, with another couple who are interviewing for positions at the university. Dinner was fabulous of course, complete with one last "in situ" dram of Talisker (which has really grown on me), hugs from Jenny and Guido, kisses from a sleepy baby Kate, and back to the B&B for a bit of a snooze.

Only I can't sleep. I do love this place, and I am happy to have made good friends once again. I'm quite sure that I'll be able to call Aberdeen "home" for a while, in a while. But I never can settle down too long; my heart feels ready to get on with new things. Wonder if I'll ever be able to sit still...

not likely.

Until Beijing, ciao!

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