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Note: just click the thumbnails for larger images.

This was my first ever adventure/vacation with ‘strangers’ . Why ‘strangers’? Because she1, she2 and I only met online, chatted online, exchanged e-mails, done the usual internet buddy stuff yaddy yadda. Sure we’ve seen each other’s faces but only on pictures, webcams..that’s it. Meeting someone in person makes a whole lot of difference.

Cheerfully saying that after spending days with them, these ladies are no longer just strangers to me.

She1 and I talked about meeting up in Greece last year but unfortunately, it didn’t happen due to some circumstances. But she1 really needed a vacation so when she finally got the chance, she changed her itinerary and decided to come to Holland instead and visit its neighbouring countries. UK was the last leg of her tour. With she1′s constant “sige na tekla, ‘sama ka na sa UK” (c’mon thess, join me in UK), one day I finally gave in since gusto ko din makapamasyal at makapag-shopping, window shopping lang ha. She2 , whom I met via she1 was joining the UK trip as well.

Thus this was the start of my adventure/vacation with strangers-no-more.

She1 arrived first in Holland on April 12. I was of course excited cge na nga, excited na cos I was about to finally meet my skype blah blah yakkity yakkita daldal friend. Plane has touched down minutes earlier than scheduled but she was nowhere to be found. I was watching her big red suitcase (I knew it was hers cos I saw a picture of it before) going ’round and ’round the belt at Schiphol Airport but the owner was nowhere in sight (later I learned that she followed a bunch of japanese who were also naliligaw at the airport, juicekoh! :crazy: ) While waiting, I saw one of my favorite british cooks probably waiting for his ride. I wanted to ask him if I could take a photo together but changed my mind since I was afraid I’d miss she1 when she turns up. tsk tsk, isinakripisyo ko nga naman oh *lol*. But to make a long story short, I finally saw her collecting her suitcase and pointed to her the door leading outside. Uy ha, beauty ang tita, magkamukha kami! was my first impression ang umangal, sasapukin koh! Took her home, showed her her room and there she jumped and jumped like a little kid. She was so happy to see me. kasi nga magkamukha kami, natural beauty! mwahahaha

Second day, she2 arrived from Switzerland, picked her up from the train station and we proceeded to the lukaret’s mansion. There shes 1 & 2 stayed until monday evening. That was where they enjoyed the great german wursts, museums, Rijn (Rhein) trip and of course plenty of blah blahs .

Tuesday we went to Antwerpen, Belgium. There we went to Ruben’s Huis (museum) sat in the terrace and had lunch, window shopped, visited the famous Antwerp Cathedral, sung to she2 my Charlie’s song (she2 gamely obliged and spin around jus like Charlie whenever he hears this song) and took lots of photo.

Antwerpen Cathedral …. my most favorite part of the day was this—->belgian waffles!! <—Roger, a kababayan selling the waffles ‘wish I had his job, he he.

The following day we visited Kinderdijk, that’s a small village near my place where Circa1740, 19 windmills were built…at present they are still in good condition & functioning.

We also went to Madurodam (miniature cities of Holland in display, a popular tourist attraction) just like them, it was my first time to visit the park. Of course photos here and there were taken.

Such as this—->

or this where 2 burukas mimicking she2′s famous pose

or this when I so wanted to touch the baby seagull who was calling for its mum

finally, mum regurgitating itsy bitsy foodsy for baby

Between these short tourist trips, she 1 and she 2 also helped around the house, see the following images as proof

<—-Ellen cooking sinangag

<—-Syempre si Sofie ba, papatalo? :cute:

note: may the last 2 images serve as warning to fellow bloggers who wish to stay @ my place during their holland visit. you will be required to clean the house, wash the car, do the ironing and laundry as well. :hehe: :peace:
their last 2 days in Holland was spent in Amsterdam where they met with 2 other bloggers from UK and France (both pinays.)

UP next: Trip to Bath, UK (that includes Stonehenge, Avebury, Coltswold ,Tetbury and She1′s 13th bday )

I’m taking a short vacation and will be back beginning of May (and then I’ll be gone again in May for a trip and will be back in June.) No, my blog isn’t dead though it feels like it and probably most of you are wondering why I revived this site when I’m scarcely here…answer: dunno :hehe:

On this vacation, I, together with 2 girlfriends (she and she), will take an adventure trip to UK. An adventure because it’ll all be our first time in UK and maps/ navigator will be our guides around….and so hopefully the next time I blog there’ll be stories to tell , like perhaps my lunch date with the young Prince Harry or our Stonehenge visit or our visit to the places where Jack the Ripper left those poor gutted women or simply the adventure of finding our hotel in London!

Wish us a sunny weather, please? hyeah: ..and have a fab weekend you all!

“When a fire finishes burning through the material it feeds on, it goes out. Similarly, when gossip reaches the ear of someone who will not repeat it, it dies.

Gossip like other sins, is like “tasty trifles” (Proverbs 26:22). We like to heat it and share it with others because it “tastes good”. Gossip is rooted in our need to feel good about ourselves. As we bring others down, we gain the illusion that we are moving upward.

That’s why spreading gossip is so difficult to resist. It takes prayer and God’s grace to bring us to the point where we refuse to pass it on or even hear it – even under the guise of personal concern or a request to pray for a sinning friend in trouble.

We must ask God for the wisdom to know when to speak, what to speak and when to simply keep our mouth shut. For ” in multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19).

It is often wise to be quiet and speak few words. But if we must speak, let’s talk of those things that encourage and move others closer to God, not those things that will discourage and hurt them.

“The tongue of the wise promotes health.” (Proverbs 12:18)

I took this from today’s reading in Our Daily Bread 2007 … which really struck me that I had to pause and think back what my thoughts were, what has come out of my mouth the past days or weeks. No, let me rephrase that, I should say… what’s been coming out of my mouth on a daily basis.

I wrote this to remind myself that I don’t need to gossip to feel good about me, cos let’s face it, we do feel good about us when we gossip, right? Oh c’mon, if you’re honest, you’ll nod your head in this one. Thus today’s reading is a good reminder to me (and I think to those who will read this.)

I simply am guilty of gossiping from time to time. My husband would often tease me whenever my voice changes (it’s tone) when I’m on the phone talking to a friend or chatting online – he’d say “ah, you’re gossiping again, eh?” Husband says that I’ve a gossiping voice. Horrible, isn’t it?

I think everybody is guilty of this. Women, men (oh, don’t you find it funny when men are gossiping?) young and old. To be honest, this is one sin that I am most afraid of because of its nasty way of getting back at you, that when it happens, you don’t know what hit you. Does it always boomerang? I say, almost always. That’s the law of karma.

So what am I to do? —–> I guess there’s no other way. It’s hard to do but doable. I don’t get a kick from hurting other people’s feelings. I really should check my tongue and thoughts before I utter a word. Because I want to have that really good feeling about myself, that I’m not just illussioning about it.