Helen, eldest, left this week for six months study at the Copenhagen Business School. It explains part of the reason why I have been so distracted.
Taken at the airport from left to right, Denise North, Clare Belshaw, Helen Belshaw, Jim Belshaw.
Jeremy, Helen's friend, bought the flowers for Dee.
Both girls were born in Armidale, making them third generation New Englanders by birth, fourth by location. Both retain an Armidale connection, but are also heavily involved in Eastern Suburbs Sydney.
I have often written of the New England diaspora, for to be born in New England is usually to leave it. We bleed people to the point that, like the Greek islands, the number of people with New England ancestry far exceeds the number still living there.
I have always seen part of the purpose of this blog as a small link between the diaspora and their home country.
My own daughters live very much in the present, the life around them now. In the crowded present, none of my family actually reads much of what I write. Still, I do know that that the fact that I write, the connections that come from that writing, provide a link to their New England past.
14 comments:
Now you have a great excuse to vist wonderful Copenhagen, gotta love any country that you can buy beer at a petrol station.
You daughter is very lucky to be going there.
I would love to go Mark. I fear that cash constraints mean that only my wife can go! Helen is really looking forward to it.
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Hi Jim,
Congratulations on a fantastic blog.
I'm a fourth generation New Englander; my direct family line having settled in the region in the 1850's particularly around the Tamworth and Armidale areas.
Much of my family and extended family are still in the region and although sadly I no longer call New England home I am however a frequent visitor to the area.
Keep up the good work, you've earned a regular reader here.
Regards,
Andrew
Andrew, I took much pleasure in your comment. Mind you, I am not a republican! Still, that's another issue!
I really value feedback like yours because it tells me that that I am trying to do is of value to readers and especially the diaspora.
haha! Well we all can't be perfect Jim. Maybe the Republic will one day go the opposite way of New England statehood.
Hopefully I won't be a New Englander in absentia for too much longer, your blogs are making me rather home sick.
Cheers!
Home sickness is a problem, Andrew. My problem is to try to dig my daughters out of Sydney!
Ah, could there be a fate worse than being a Sydneysider.
My condolences.
Sydney's actually not bad, Andrew. A great place to visit and quite often. Living there? Yuck!
I totally agree my monarchist friend. I used to live in Sydney and still am an infrequent visitor. It's a city that makes us justifiably proud but for my mind any more than 24 hours in-city has me yearning to leave.
I would go for a little longer than that, Andrew! I could, I think, be a very effective publicist for Sydney if I didn't have to spend so much time campaigning to get out from under the place!
Unless there was a good round of sports in Sydney over a weekend then I would be content to put up with it. In any event my work forces me to stay for longer up to a week - for my mind an almost unbearable prospect. However I find the quant little village atmosphere ringing the inner city, particularly Darlinghurst, Woolloomooloo, Surrey Hills and of course the Rocks an irresistable draw-card to explore. Sydney's 'almost' hidden little gems.
Luckily for you at least the digital age could have you working wherever you please (from home); maybe you need to revise your direction of campaigning.
I like Sydney's little gems too. As to direction of campaigning, not sure there.
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