21January1995

London: 21 January 1995
My dear folks,

I finally sussed how to send letters by email without having them arrive as garble on the far side. Don't sigh: "Oh No! Not more computers!" Just share in my joy at having cracked a very determined nut. Thank you Penny B for confirmation of my success. And for your latest news. I also had a long fax from your Dad. Like him, I find the arrival of faxes on my desk when I return home a great restorative. (Tell him that email gives one an even better buzz!)

And before I leave the subject, let me tell you that I bought the double CD of Gregorian singing that has been selling so well in Europe. I got it at the airport on Friday when I drove Jones out for her return to the Quinta. For the first time that I can remember, she was not actually quivering to go. In fact, she had to steel herself to the expected demands of her Euro-flock. But she sounded quite happy when I spoke to her briefly on Friday night and again this evening. All is well down there.

However, as I was saying, I bought the CD and (having figured out how to play audio CDs on the computer) put it on and then sat down to catch up on some correspondence to the soothing chant of the Benedictine monks of Santo Domingo de Silos. I did a fair bit of Gregorian chanting myself at one time and retain a yen for the sound. It is the first CD player in the house and quite content to play for my pleasure with part of its brain while it absorbs my correspondence with another part. Very clever!

One of the neighbours decided to hold a party until 4am this morning. He is leaving at the end of the month - Allah be praised - for his mother would have done the world a favour by strangling him at birth. So when I got to work at 7am, I was pretty bleary-eyed and not filled with enthusiasm. I spent the day producing 20-min news bulletins, one every hour from 0800 to 1900. I felt as though I'd been on a hamster wheel. There was a note in the Department computer log saying that I had been appointed to the Arab Dept. I was pleased to see that. I hope Allah has a sense of humour. He's going to need it.