It feels a bit like I'm on the Grand Tour, except that I'm supposed to be the teacher not the travelling, privileged student. Tomorrow I go to the University of Graz, Austria, to give a lecture at their Canadian studies institute. Yesterday I received an email inviting me to give a similar talk (in truth, it will be the same talk) at the University of Osijek in Eastern Croatia. There is a rumour that I'm going to be invited to Serbia--or was it Slovenia? I'm saying yes to all of these invitations because travel is good, because it's all in the name of inter-cultural exchange, because that's why I'm here. The Visiting Professor must VISIT and consult and distribute and discuss. I'm rather enjoying it.
The weather has changed. A colleague said that here Spring "cracks open" all of a sudden. I like that metaphor. Today there is sun; it's warm; people are sitting outside; I opened my coat and took off my scarf. I'm in my office with the window open. I swear every time I look outside the grass seems just a little bit greener.
Ah, bright wings!
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