It's a small world!
Jun 27th 2008 | 3:06 am
#16
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 9,606
Re: It's a small world!
When I was a kid, my parents took me on holiday to Denmark. We went into a shop one day and I bumped into one of my mates from school.
Jun 27th 2008 | 4:01 am
#17
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,464
From: Shawnigan Lake, Vancouver Island, BC
Re: It's a small world!
My smalll world experience.
Way back in 1956, the first time I came to Canada.
We got off the boat in Quebec city and boarded the train for the rest of our trip to Edmonton.
We went down to the dining car for our first meal and the waiter recognized our scouse accents (who couldn't) and asked where about in Liverpool we were from?
My mother answered we weren't really from Liverpool but from Huyton a small town outside Liverpool.
He laughed and said he knew Huyton. Where in Huyton did we live?
So my mother told him Birch Road, he then asked my mother did we know a Annie Riley my mother's jaw dropped and she said that she was our next door neighbour that we had just left.
He replied she was his sister.
Cheers
Steve
Way back in 1956, the first time I came to Canada.
We got off the boat in Quebec city and boarded the train for the rest of our trip to Edmonton.
We went down to the dining car for our first meal and the waiter recognized our scouse accents (who couldn't) and asked where about in Liverpool we were from?
My mother answered we weren't really from Liverpool but from Huyton a small town outside Liverpool.
He laughed and said he knew Huyton. Where in Huyton did we live?
So my mother told him Birch Road, he then asked my mother did we know a Annie Riley my mother's jaw dropped and she said that she was our next door neighbour that we had just left.
He replied she was his sister.
Cheers
Steve
Jun 27th 2008 | 4:08 am
#18
Binned by Muderators
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 11,708
From: White Rock BC
Re: It's a small world!
I’ve got a small world story too.
Mrs. JonboyE comes from Kobe in Japan. Kobe is twinned with Seattle and the schools in both cities arrange exchange visits for children each summer. When she was sixteen her family housed a sixteen year old girl from Seattle called Julie. Although they could hardly speak to each other they both recognized a connection, or bond, that went much deeper than a casual friendship.
At the end of the summer Julie flew back home. There were tears at the airport, and all that girlie sort of stuff, but as Julie couldn’t read or write Japanese and my OH couldn’t read or write English, they knew they couldn’t keep in touch and this was goodbye. However, my OH realized there was a whole world outside of Japan and decided that she wanted to travel and experience it.
I met Mrs. JonboyE in London and we lived there or in the Home Counties for the next 19 years. Our plan was always to emigrate to Australia, where friends had gone before us, but another old friend in Japan suggested we look at Vancouver before making our minds up. I fell in love with the place almost the moment I got off the plane. Mrs JonboyE was less convinced, but came around over time. She said that the more she thought about it, the more she began to feel this was her destiny and that by moving to Vancouver she was completing a circle that she had not realized existed.
Over the first two years after we moved here we had several trips to Seattle for my OH’s work. She would often say, “I wonder what happened to Julieâ€, but had no idea where she lived, if she was still in Seattle at all, or what her name was now.
One day, my OH was having coffee with the mother of a new friend my son had made. As usual the conversation got around to the why did you move here? question. Mrs. JonboyE told her story from the beginning.
“You know, I’m actually Americanâ€, the lady said, “I came to live here because my husband is Canadian. I went to school in Seattle and many of my classmates went on exchange trips to Japanâ€.
“Wow, what a coincidenceâ€, my OH said, “the girl who stayed with me was called Julie Kâ€.
“NOOOO!â€, she said, “Julie K was my best friend at schoolâ€.
A bit of behind the scenes organizing and a visit was arranged. When we got to their house in Seattle the door was opened by Julie’s husband and daughter. Julie was hiding in the kitchen afraid she might not recognize my OH, or it would turn out to be the wrong person, or something would go wrong. However, the moment they set eyes on each other they were hugging and crying and lots more of that girlie stuff all over again.
They are firm friends now and we see each other’s families regularly. Just a couple of weeks ago we were camping and rafting together.
It IS a very small world.
Mrs. JonboyE comes from Kobe in Japan. Kobe is twinned with Seattle and the schools in both cities arrange exchange visits for children each summer. When she was sixteen her family housed a sixteen year old girl from Seattle called Julie. Although they could hardly speak to each other they both recognized a connection, or bond, that went much deeper than a casual friendship.
At the end of the summer Julie flew back home. There were tears at the airport, and all that girlie sort of stuff, but as Julie couldn’t read or write Japanese and my OH couldn’t read or write English, they knew they couldn’t keep in touch and this was goodbye. However, my OH realized there was a whole world outside of Japan and decided that she wanted to travel and experience it.
I met Mrs. JonboyE in London and we lived there or in the Home Counties for the next 19 years. Our plan was always to emigrate to Australia, where friends had gone before us, but another old friend in Japan suggested we look at Vancouver before making our minds up. I fell in love with the place almost the moment I got off the plane. Mrs JonboyE was less convinced, but came around over time. She said that the more she thought about it, the more she began to feel this was her destiny and that by moving to Vancouver she was completing a circle that she had not realized existed.
Over the first two years after we moved here we had several trips to Seattle for my OH’s work. She would often say, “I wonder what happened to Julieâ€, but had no idea where she lived, if she was still in Seattle at all, or what her name was now.
One day, my OH was having coffee with the mother of a new friend my son had made. As usual the conversation got around to the why did you move here? question. Mrs. JonboyE told her story from the beginning.
“You know, I’m actually Americanâ€, the lady said, “I came to live here because my husband is Canadian. I went to school in Seattle and many of my classmates went on exchange trips to Japanâ€.
“Wow, what a coincidenceâ€, my OH said, “the girl who stayed with me was called Julie Kâ€.
“NOOOO!â€, she said, “Julie K was my best friend at schoolâ€.
A bit of behind the scenes organizing and a visit was arranged. When we got to their house in Seattle the door was opened by Julie’s husband and daughter. Julie was hiding in the kitchen afraid she might not recognize my OH, or it would turn out to be the wrong person, or something would go wrong. However, the moment they set eyes on each other they were hugging and crying and lots more of that girlie stuff all over again.
They are firm friends now and we see each other’s families regularly. Just a couple of weeks ago we were camping and rafting together.
It IS a very small world.
Jun 27th 2008 | 4:14 am
#19
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,464
From: Shawnigan Lake, Vancouver Island, BC
Re: It's a small world!
I’ve got a small world story too.
Mrs. JonboyE comes from Kobe in Japan. Kobe is twinned with Seattle and the schools in both cities arrange exchange visits for children each summer. When she was sixteen her family housed a sixteen year old girl from Seattle called Julie. Although they could hardly speak to each other they both recognized a connection, or bond, that went much deeper than a casual friendship.
At the end of the summer Julie flew back home. There were tears at the airport, and all that girlie sort of stuff, but as Julie couldn’t read or write Japanese and my OH couldn’t read or write English, they knew they couldn’t keep in touch and this was goodbye. However, my OH realized there was a whole world outside of Japan and decided that she wanted to travel and experience it.
I met Mrs. JonboyE in London and we lived there or in the Home Counties for the next 19 years. Our plan was always to emigrate to Australia, where friends had gone before us, but another old friend in Japan suggested we look at Vancouver before making our minds up. I fell in love with the place almost the moment I got off the plane. Mrs JonboyE was less convinced, but came around over time. She said that the more she thought about it, the more she began to feel this was her destiny and that by moving to Vancouver she was completing a circle that she had not realized existed.
Over the first two years after we moved here we had several trips to Seattle for my OH’s work. She would often say, “I wonder what happened to Julieâ€, but had no idea where she lived, if she was still in Seattle at all, or what her name was now.
One day, my OH was having coffee with the mother of a new friend my son had made. As usual the conversation got around to the why did you move here? question. Mrs. JonboyE told her story from the beginning.
“You know, I’m actually Americanâ€, the lady said, “I came to live here because my husband is Canadian. I went to school in Seattle and many of my classmates went on exchange trips to Japanâ€.
“Wow, what a coincidenceâ€, my OH said, “the girl who stayed with me was called Julie Kâ€.
“NOOOO!â€, she said, “Julie K was my best friend at schoolâ€.
A bit of behind the scenes organizing and a visit was arranged. When we got to their house in Seattle the door was opened by Julie’s husband and daughter. Julie was hiding in the kitchen afraid she might not recognize my OH, or it would turn out to be the wrong person, or something would go wrong. However, the moment they set eyes on each other they were hugging and crying and lots more of that girlie stuff all over again.
They are firm friends now and we see each other’s families regularly. Just a couple of weeks ago we were camping and rafting together.
It IS a very small world.
Mrs. JonboyE comes from Kobe in Japan. Kobe is twinned with Seattle and the schools in both cities arrange exchange visits for children each summer. When she was sixteen her family housed a sixteen year old girl from Seattle called Julie. Although they could hardly speak to each other they both recognized a connection, or bond, that went much deeper than a casual friendship.
At the end of the summer Julie flew back home. There were tears at the airport, and all that girlie sort of stuff, but as Julie couldn’t read or write Japanese and my OH couldn’t read or write English, they knew they couldn’t keep in touch and this was goodbye. However, my OH realized there was a whole world outside of Japan and decided that she wanted to travel and experience it.
I met Mrs. JonboyE in London and we lived there or in the Home Counties for the next 19 years. Our plan was always to emigrate to Australia, where friends had gone before us, but another old friend in Japan suggested we look at Vancouver before making our minds up. I fell in love with the place almost the moment I got off the plane. Mrs JonboyE was less convinced, but came around over time. She said that the more she thought about it, the more she began to feel this was her destiny and that by moving to Vancouver she was completing a circle that she had not realized existed.
Over the first two years after we moved here we had several trips to Seattle for my OH’s work. She would often say, “I wonder what happened to Julieâ€, but had no idea where she lived, if she was still in Seattle at all, or what her name was now.
One day, my OH was having coffee with the mother of a new friend my son had made. As usual the conversation got around to the why did you move here? question. Mrs. JonboyE told her story from the beginning.
“You know, I’m actually Americanâ€, the lady said, “I came to live here because my husband is Canadian. I went to school in Seattle and many of my classmates went on exchange trips to Japanâ€.
“Wow, what a coincidenceâ€, my OH said, “the girl who stayed with me was called Julie Kâ€.
“NOOOO!â€, she said, “Julie K was my best friend at schoolâ€.
A bit of behind the scenes organizing and a visit was arranged. When we got to their house in Seattle the door was opened by Julie’s husband and daughter. Julie was hiding in the kitchen afraid she might not recognize my OH, or it would turn out to be the wrong person, or something would go wrong. However, the moment they set eyes on each other they were hugging and crying and lots more of that girlie stuff all over again.
They are firm friends now and we see each other’s families regularly. Just a couple of weeks ago we were camping and rafting together.
It IS a very small world.
how truly wonderful for your wife 
Jun 27th 2008 | 4:24 am
#20
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 9,606
Re: It's a small world!
Come to think of it, when Souvette was posted to the Canadian High Commission in 1996, one of the first people she encountered was a woman she'd been friends with at high school in Montreal about 20 years earlier and who had subsequently emigrated to the UK.
Jun 27th 2008 | 4:48 am
#21
Moderαtor Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 30,771
From: Upstate South Carolina
Re: It's a small world!
Today the phone rang and out of all the people working I answered - I had to check for a size for a customer, I found the item and was passed onto the customer - the very English sounding customer, so we did the usual oh where did you come from....Bedfordshire, Oh really where abouts, Ampthill Oh my god I used to live there too........
Jun 27th 2008 | 5:22 am
#22
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 10,630
From: Red Deer, Alberta
Re: It's a small world!
And people wonder why I don't miss England all that much
Jun 27th 2008 | 5:23 am
#23
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 10,630
From: Red Deer, Alberta
Re: It's a small world!
Wow there a some cool 'small world' stories out there, thanks for sharing.
Jun 27th 2008 | 5:51 am
#24
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,234
Re: It's a small world!
Hmm I was housed in a 'Staff House' so not there from choice. (I worked at the Flying Horse Beefeater on the Clophill roundabout). Moved to Flitwick when baby came along and then was re-homed in Biggleswade by the council.
And people wonder why I don't miss England all that much
And people wonder why I don't miss England all that much
Jun 27th 2008 | 5:56 am
#25
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,234
Re: It's a small world!
I went to Istanbul on a package holiday thingy. There was a woman on the same trip hotel who worked in the same garage my BF used to work in, and, AND, a man who's father was my cousin's godfather.....
We all got trashed on red wine, raki (sp??), and Glenfiddich. I had the worst hangover of my life the next day, when we had to go on a stinky coach to get to the stinky boat to "cruise" up the Bosphorus.
Great place Istanbul.
We all got trashed on red wine, raki (sp??), and Glenfiddich. I had the worst hangover of my life the next day, when we had to go on a stinky coach to get to the stinky boat to "cruise" up the Bosphorus.
Great place Istanbul.
Jun 27th 2008 | 9:59 am
#26
Canadian Wet Coaster
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 758
Re: It's a small world!
since i came to canada i'm not really looking out for my fellow expats - in my opinion the daily dose of my native language at work is already enough (but that's a completely different story).
there are quite a few of those guys around here in the comox valley, many of them in a handful of "typical" professions. who wonders that every year one of them organises the party on "our" national holiday. and somehow i usually get invited as well and don't find an excuse for not going which would be polite enough. and actually, there is no real reason to p... them off - all nice and friendly people and you never know, you might be in the situation of being glad to have someone from "back home" at hand...
so the first time i went to that gathering of patriots about 30 people sat out in the garden, had a nice chat in two languages (some of them have married canadians) and i got to know some people i hadn't met before. and as always the question "listening to your accent you must be from the eastern part of the country (as well). which region are you from?"...
it got kind of weird when that guy with that very special pronounciation of certain words started to ask very specific questions - not about the valley, but the town were i've grown up, the company i made my apprenticeship... turns out he's the son of one of my co-workers at that place. and he had just brought his parents to the airport.
there are quite a few of those guys around here in the comox valley, many of them in a handful of "typical" professions. who wonders that every year one of them organises the party on "our" national holiday. and somehow i usually get invited as well and don't find an excuse for not going which would be polite enough. and actually, there is no real reason to p... them off - all nice and friendly people and you never know, you might be in the situation of being glad to have someone from "back home" at hand...
so the first time i went to that gathering of patriots
about 30 people sat out in the garden, had a nice chat in two languages (some of them have married canadians) and i got to know some people i hadn't met before. and as always the question "listening to your accent you must be from the eastern part of the country (as well). which region are you from?"... it got kind of weird when that guy with that very special pronounciation of certain words started to ask very specific questions - not about the valley, but the town were i've grown up, the company i made my apprenticeship... turns out he's the son of one of my co-workers at that place.
and he had just brought his parents to the airport.
Jun 27th 2008 | 10:16 am
#27
Sawdust making harpy
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 11,291
From: Alberta
Re: It's a small world!
Apparently we are only 7 people away from knowing everyone in the world - or something like that
Jun 27th 2008 | 10:35 am
#29
Whatacomplete Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,527
From: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Re: It's a small world!
My smalll world experience.
Way back in 1956, the first time I came to Canada.
We got off the boat in Quebec city and boarded the train for the rest of our trip to Edmonton.
We went down to the dining car for our first meal and the waiter recognized our scouse accents (who couldn't) and asked where about in Liverpool we were from?
My mother answered we weren't really from Liverpool but from Huyton a small town outside Liverpool.
He laughed and said he knew Huyton. Where in Huyton did we live?
So my mother told him Birch Road, he then asked my mother did we know a Annie Riley my mother's jaw dropped and she said that she was our next door neighbour that we had just left.
He replied she was his sister.
Cheers
Steve
Way back in 1956, the first time I came to Canada.
We got off the boat in Quebec city and boarded the train for the rest of our trip to Edmonton.
We went down to the dining car for our first meal and the waiter recognized our scouse accents (who couldn't) and asked where about in Liverpool we were from?
My mother answered we weren't really from Liverpool but from Huyton a small town outside Liverpool.
He laughed and said he knew Huyton. Where in Huyton did we live?
So my mother told him Birch Road, he then asked my mother did we know a Annie Riley my mother's jaw dropped and she said that she was our next door neighbour that we had just left.
He replied she was his sister.
Cheers
Steve
I know some people off the St Johns estate Steve. Me Dad used to date a woman from there when I was in me teens.
