Connecting family

This Internet is a weird and wonderful beast. Last night I received a sad email from relatives who live in the Netherlands, and who I have never met. M’s granddad’s brother (my granduncle-in-law) passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on 14 August. They emailed me to ask me to pass the news on – they must have searched for the family surname, and found me. (I think I am one of the highest profile contemporary Wiebrandses online…)

I immediately called with the news, then I wrote back with a postal address for Opa. Thanks to Babelfish I even included a (probably somewhat stilted) Dutch translation of my reply.They have since emailed me a couple of postal addresses too – I might have to send them a card and maybe a family portrait taken at our wedding when most of the family were there…

It is very strange to think of these family members so far away, grieving. I’d love to visit them some day.

And today’s Mum’s actual birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM! (I don’t think she reads this blog, but still…)

(Now I must pack. I’m off to Sydney this afternoon and will be spending the night there – at this hotel: the Avillion. Thank you ProQuest! Tomorrow I will be university library-hopping (first the University of Sydney’s Fisher Library, then the University of Technology Sydney’s Blake Library) and meeting bloggers! I’m not sure if I will manage any blogging tomorrow.)