First I ran into DIRK. He is married to my cousin Ingrid and lives in Ninove, Belgium. He has two beautiful children. I don`t remember exactly, when we started chatting every day, while he is having a sandwich , during lunch break, in his office in Brussels. But I know, that at that time, I still had a lot of questions about computers and his knowledge and attitude, solved many a beginners` problem.
Although I had met Dirk occasionally before, I hardly knew him. Understandably, since there is a gap of two generations between us. But that changed dramatically. The computer erased the generation gap. Now I feel more like a brother to him, than a distant relative. Dirk is setting up the VAN DER MEEREN Family tree, with a dedication , as if there is no tomorrow. I think, he enjoys teasing his old uncle in Canada, to whom he refers as... PHIL AMERICAIN....Do you get the connotation ??
FRANZ VAN NIEUWENHOVE is my next E mail buddy. I stumbled upon him by answering a call over the net, via the News Service, from the university of Ghent, to send a birthday card or wishes for his wife Andrea. I found that such a good idea. Since then, we have been in contact almost daily. Franz is a guy, who really goes overboard, when he senses, that you need help. He has been in computers for years and knows all the crannies of the PC. Moreover he has an inexhaustible bag of jokes, which he uses effectively, when you need to be jacked up a little bit.- A visit to his website will give you a more complete picture of my friend.- Franz lives in Brakel, Belgium.-
Then, there is BETTY LOVEDAY, whom I met through Franz. Betty lives in Thunder-Bay, Ontario, but her roots are in Sint-Martens-Lierde in Flanders, not far from Brakel. Her letters are full of country life. Reading them is like sitting next to the calming waters of a creek. She is very interested in gardening, computers and traveling. They just bought a new mobile home. She shares her recipes. Her website gives you a good idea of their cozy homestead on the outskirts of Thunderbay, on lake Superior.-
And last but not least, there is EVELIEN PATTIJN, my niece`s daughter from Denderhoutem, Belgium. Evelien expressed a desire, at the start of the summer vacation, to chat over the net, to improve her English.-I discovered rather quickly, that I have to be very careful in expressing myself in English, because she relishes finding errors and shoving them down my throat.-She is a relentless teaser, but a wonderful young friend.-Now that classes have resumed, we will necessarily have less contact.-
