Pictures from the past

Going through one’s past albums can be a therapeutic activity. And from my colorful life, one thing that stands out was the time when I first set foot in Europe. I was 23. relatively young, single, carefree, and very much eager to see the world for what it’s worth. Looking back at my two years’ stay in the continent, I feel bad that I wasn’t able to immerse myself in all the sights (the Stonehenge for one, and all those museums!) However, Holland is one country where I have fond memories. They say a place is simply good by the many things you can associate with it and when you say Holland, so many things come to my mind: the canals, the bikes, the cheeses, all those tall people, the windmills etc. The Dutch countryside is quiet but truly picturesque and beautiful.

A visit to the Keukenhof gardens in Lisse remains one of my most treasured experiences ever. We were toured there by Fr. Willy, a Dutch priest, and seeing the perfectly-landscaped gardens with all those colorful tulips in bloom was the closest thing I felt to being in paradise.No kidding, it simply was.

One of the most popular attractions in Holland, especially during the summer, was Madurodam in The Hague. The place means “Holland in Miniature” and I must say it’s really cute with every tourist spot, including the airport,replicated on a 1:25 scale. One can just imagine the keen attention to detail that went into each piece.

One of my favorite “pa-cute” pictures taken in Delft, the quaint Dutch town famous for its expensive blue pottery. Wouldn’t you be in love if you were in this place?

Holland is famous for its windmills and what better place to view this than at Kinderdijk which has 19 well-preserved windmills dating back to the 1500s.

In England, I had two nice bosses in the persons of Debbie and Ann (bless her soul!) Even though we were not allowed to have boyfriends (he!he!) Debbie wanted me to marry an Englishman so we can be neighbors near her village in Humber Bridge. Hmmm, I just couldn’t tell her that I couldn’t stand the lousy English weather and the food! This pic was taken during our trip to the York Minster. Debbie also made it a point to tour us to London during our breaks where we watched Miss Saigon, posed outside Buckingham Palace etc. I thought one of the best parts was simply hanging out in the houses of Filipinas married to Brits. They were so accommodating, took us around and cooked so well. We were more than glad to partake of these feasts which reminded us of the food back home.

Ligaw na picture! This is a shot of me and my close high school buddy Lei in Brooklyn, 1998. I was only in NY for only three or four days (can’t remember now) but I stayed in three places: the Hotel Intercon in Park Ave., a friend’s spacious digs in Greenwich Village and Lei’s flat in Brooklyn. Being a first-timer in the Big Apple, everything was a big deal to me and I thought, this was my city if only I was single ( I already had my son by this time). Digicams were not yet in vogue and the World Trade Center was still standing. I also had a heyday shopping at Century 21, which is their version of an outlet shop.I couldn’t understand Lei when she decided to relocate to Canada, would love to go back to NY again. Maybe there’s such a thing as being overwhelmed by the city spirit.