Serendipitous

I've just discovered the coolest thing: a wonderful link that connects me back to my grandfather, my father's father. I made a great friend in India last year. I was doing my MA field work and she was in Delhi working as an intern for some NGO that promotes corporate social responsibility. We met serendipitously and hung out together for several months.

Two weeks ago Suraiya sent me an email... She's coming to Vancouver and by the way, our grandfathers knew each other well. Basically my granddad, a Canadian living in Vancouver, and her granddad, a Filipino living in Manila, worked for the same company. When her granddad decided to immigrate to Canada, my granddad helped them out and suggested they live in his house as he was going traveling. Later, two of Suraiya's aunts lived with my granddad when they were students. And this is why Suraiya calls my granddad lolo Paynter... that's Tagalog for grandfather Paynter!!

We had lunch last week and remembered his pineapple-carrot cake, scotch mints, loving humour and the old granddaddy clock on the mantle that chimed on the quarter, half and full hour.

How amazing that we are long lost cousins!

My granddad name was Laurie Paynter. He was a wonderful father and grandfather and definitely did not deserve to be one day, unexpectedly left with three children by his wife who eloped to the Gold Coast (present day Ghana). Born in small town Saskatchewan, he worked hard, was always honest and spent his retirement traveling around the world mostly on a shoestring, always smiling.

serendipity (serendipitous)- se rEn dI pih ti DEFINITION

PHOTO: Suraiya, Ankita and me at a restaurant in New Delhi.