Today I make my first entry again using my trusty Toshiba laptop after an absence of a week. Monday the 31st of July I flew to Amsterdam to visit my family on account of my sister Els being terminally ill of cancer. She and I had decided by phone that sooner was better than later and I therefore booked a flight for the week just passed, returning just afternoon yesterday. I did make handwritten entries in my Celestial Coptic bound note book which I call “Road Notes” for each of my days away from my desk here in Mission, 23rd Ave SW at 330. Maybe I’ll try to scan them in with my fancy new Canon four in one documenter.
Honour your parents the Bible admonishes, you don’t have to love them! This has always surprised me even as a youth, when I first realised this ethical rule.
Beginning with yesterday morning at six am in Zeist, NL., which time I got up, I’ll relate my trip and home coming quickly. Jan drove Tien - my sister - and I to Station ‘Driebergen/ Zeist’ to catch the early train at 8:12am to Schiphol - Amsterdam. Being in plenty of time we had a coffee and sorted out where I had to go for my check-in. That was departure hall 3, check in #20 for Air Transat. At security Tien and I said good bye to each other. I advised her to honour her husband Jan whose mental abilities are now diminishing. Honour your parents the Bible admonishes, you don’t have to love them! This has always surprised me even as a youth, when I first realised this ethical rule.
The trip it self I report in my ‘Road Notes’ and supplemented that record with the pictures I took, when the cloud cover allowed me. At the Canadian end Calgary Airport appeared almost deserted compared to the many hundreds of passengers at Schiphol with at least sixty gates for just our departure hall!
At Immigration I needed to scan my passport, as in Schiphol, which was followed by a quick look at the manned booth and then on to the baggage carousel. Since I’d opted for the ‘option plus’ my baggage came out early with its ‘priority' tags on it, while customs being absent and I just walk out. There Elisabeth had spotted me right away and welcomed me back to our own town cum city. We chatted as she drove to my place and we agreed to meet up later when I’m more rested after my nine hour flight and this twenty two (22) hour journey.
I certainly appreciate the welcome of my friends Elisabeth and Michelle, because a human needs to relate its experiences to welcoming friends.
Once home I unwound by unpacking and sorting; I reoriented my self also by means of a short shopping trip to Safeway for milk, bread, yogurt and icecream! Cooking my first own super again also helped me to find my footing again. Michelle stopped by to return my keys as she had been so kind to take care of my plant and the mail. We chatted quite a while about my trip as she is familiar with its reasons. She also has a strong interest in travel experiences and the way other nations function.
I certainly appreciate the welcome of my friends Elisabeth and Michelle, because a human needs to relate its experiences to welcoming friends. This I have become aware off over the years ever since the fall of 1961 when I’d passed my Engineering Physics first year Christmas exams and there was no own to celebrate with. Over the years this experience taught me that we humans need to celebrate significant events with fellow beings, be these event joyous or sad.
So, thanks hereby to my good friends Elisabeth and Michelle, besides whom I have other friends and family as well who care about the course of my life. I am thankful about all of that!
<9:14am~