Returning home to celebrate D's matriculation...19 6 11 (7) 25 2 3

Six weeks is a longer time than usual to spend on one's annual vacation, but then it appeared long enough to see some things about my life in a totally different light, so that all in all I can only see benefits for me personally, though maybe my wife for, example, might see the thing in a less upbeat way, to the extent that if I choose to take such a long vacation again next year I shall endeavour to take the part of it on my own at its start rather than at its end.

This year we had to depart earlier around the 26th April instead of our more usual 3rd May so that I could return home for a party my wife had promised to put on for our youngest grandson, D, because last year she had arranged a party for his older brother, A, and wished to extend the niceties for him also.

These parties are to do with children leaving school in my adoptive country and follow the traditions of my wife's family in the sense of how she and her brothers and sister all matriculated, which is to say stayed on at school to do what in the country of my upbringing are called A-levels, or advanced level subjects at age 18, after completing their full secondary education. But in my family no-one stayed on in secondary education beyond the age of 15, though exceptionally I collected the various prerequisite subjects to secure University entrance qualifications once I had left school to enable me to top up my part-time further educational studies in Chemistry, my chosen field, and finally gain a Graduateship of the Royal Institute of Chemistry, as it was then, to become fully fledged with the equivalent of a so-called upper 2nd class, division 1, of an honours BSc course, which in UK is where most people consider themselves to be University educated.

Once married in my own family then everyone sat and took University courses, including my wife E, who during the time we lived in UK also attended college to get her BA, or Bachelor of Arts degree, our two sons in the fullness of time also gaining their Bachelors, one of Arts like his mother, the other of Science like his father, and later studying further to gain an MA, and MSc respectively, by taking their bachelorships to the higher levels of Masters. But although they also sat examinations in their schools, first to General Certificate of Education at first O, for Ordinary level, and subsequently A, for advanced level, Britain doesn't have the same traditions of students being presented with a white student cap as part of the proceedings, after the traditions of Germany and the Scandinavian countries, which meant my wife only got to celebrate these traditions with her grandsons who received their secondary education in her own country, my adoptive country.

So whilst we started our family holiday a week earlier this year so my wife could return in good time to stage this occasion, I stayed on after she departed for home on the 17th May to return on the 5th June to join her with her final preparations: trimming the extensive hedge running the perhaps 50 metres along the side of our house and gardens to the north which front onto the nearest road, collecting the fallen pine cones from our Scots Pines which crowd the entrance drive to our house, together with shopping to ensure people would have sufficient wines, beers, or non-alcoholic beverages, for the 20 to 25 people who were invited to attend. In the event another nice occasion for me too though yet again I missed the first party to celebrate the occasion which was held first at his school, one of the top Secondary Schools in the capital, and later with a party held in his honour at his parents' home. Unfortunate because as I found upon my return, D was his school’s star pupil with, exceptionally, distinction grades in all the subjects he took...

The story of my progress collecting another 3 Munro summits in mist and rain on the 3 days I collected new summits in Scotland will have to wait, but for now I will simply say I too am proud of the fact that despite these 3 hills requiring what amounted to a total of 9 days walking and camping and staying several nights in bothies, I came through the experience feeling enriched… Have a good day everyone and thank you for keeping my BlogSpot warm in my absence!