Had a Christmas party in my advisor's house with colleagues and research assistants. Came back and opened my mailbox. It's my Christmas gifts from Jess, my Scottish friend.
I'm used to not buying calendars. Every year, I got calenders from Jess and Claire. Claire is my pen pal in Teesville, Northern England, since when I was around 15.
I don't remember how old Jess is. Around 85 I suppose. Every time when I hear from her, I will be very happy. More than just happy. Then I cry. I can never be sure if I can hear from her again. She has heart problems.
The summer when I first went to Scottish border to visit Ann and Bert, the three of them saw me off in the Berwick-up-Tweed train station. Jess has hearing problems. A few days before I left, she changed her hearing aid and was adapting to it.
You know the British trains. Never on time. Always late for two hours or more. At one point, Jess asked if the sound was the bird singing. We said yes and she was so happy to hear that.
The second time I went to see them again before I left the UK, I don't remember where and what, maybe it's the time when they took me to a wet market and they're looking at some Christmas cards. I asked why they have the bird for Christmas.
They said, it's a robin. It's a little bird and when winter comes, the feathers on their chest turn red. The robin is then used to represent Christmas because people said the red feather is Jesus's blood. I actually saw a robin before I left Scotland.
Last year when Ann and Bert stopped in Hong Kong on their long long long long and long journey to Australia to see their sister, they brought me a robin glass craft. Yes, glass, all the way from Selkirk Glass, where they went to have tea nearly every day.
http://www.selkirk.bordernet.co.uk/selkirkglass/
I also got a fountain pen from Jess. Well, I don't know where I can find the ink. Need to check it out in the bookstore tomorrow... I have never had a fountain pen. No idea how to use it...
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