Intersting Stories

[gbsean]

SW has a few and I have some also...so lets start them off here..does not have to be a story but also a reflection on different upbringings or school systems or anything that you wish to post...I will start

When I met Queen Juliana of the Netherlands

I was living in Holland in Vlaskamp staying in an apartment complex...acro ss the street was the Royal residence with an expansive park. There were a lot of English people living in these apartments most employed by Shell as well as other English that were employed by American companies...my Father was Employed by Addressograph-Multigraph http://stampedout.net/information-022-am_his.html although the website says the name was changed in 1978 in Europe it was known as AM International as I was there for the name change ceremony. My Dad started as an apprentice Engineer for AM when we lived in Hemel Hempstead in England. He worked his way up to become a Instructor and was asked to head up the Dutch Branch...but I digress...even though I have stories and pictures of his visit to the US in the late 60's and his Trip to Russia during the same time. back to my story...A group of us were riding our bikes in the park were the queen lived...there were no security precautions even though there was a police presence...you could ride your bike up to the front door. So we were cruising around when we heard a Helicopter.... at it landed in front of the House...The Helicopter (think it was a Sea King) shut down and we we rode our bikes over and the Queen got out....We were standing 100' from her...We knew who she was and she approached us and the guys bowed and the girls curtsy she asked us in Dutch how we were doing...we responded in Dutch that were were well also telling her that we were English,,,she then responded in perfect English asking us were we lived and what we were doing...We were looking for Chestnut trees so we could play conkers...afte r about 5 mins of conversation an aide came up to her and she bid farewell...I still remember the pea gravel where helicopter landed...and the cropped bushes...up next ..Birthday and Christmas parties at various Embassies during my stay in Holland as I attended The British School in the Netherlands and various Ambassadors sent their children to the school...

[ULYCYC]

I guess statue of limitations for petty crime are past  :rolleyes:

I was around 13yrs old and went to the movies with a bunch of friends. I'm sure it was some B-horror movie that got us all fired up. At the time the balcony was closed for repairs, so we found a way up there. We decided to take our king size sodas and bomb the ushers below. I zeroed in on female usher who tried to kick us out earlier and got her square on the head. I laughed so hard I gave us all away. The whole staff came us and dragged us into the office. The female usher wanted to pressed charges of assault against me and they called the police. We were held until our parents showed up. On the report my friend the female usher was none other the Barbra Streisand. My mother signed a agreement that I would never go to that movie theater again and stay away from Barbra if seen in the street for one year or I would get a JD card. I wanted to send her message on her website but I'm sure she would try and get me arrested.   :rofl;

[Steve Wood]

Amazing story, Sean...and amazing how open the Dutch royalty was/is.  Perhaps that is why the family has always been so well thought of.

Ed, perhaps Barbara will send you a gift in remembrance... or perhaps she will deny she was ever an usherette

[daveismissing]

When Sean said he met a Queen thats not where I thought the story  was headed at all...

[DCEPTCN]

I've got a considerably lengthy story that I guess I could type up...but I'll start a new thread as opposed to taking up too much room here.

[gbsean]

I've got a considerably lengthy story that I guess I could type up...but I'll start a new thread as opposed to taking up too much room here.

post it up...

Difference in Schooling and Culture Shock

I came to America in Jan 1979 age 13. My parents had no idea what grade I should go into...8th grade or Freshman in High School. We were lucky that the company AM International was used to sponsoring Foreign Nationals and we had a person assigned to us to adjust to living in America..Our Furniture had been loaded onto a container ship and sent across the Atlantic to the St Lawrence Seaway to be off landed in Buffalo and trucked down to Chicago. We were put up in an apartment until our Furniture arrived which was 5 mins from where my Dad worked but about 30 mins from where my parent bought our house...
Then the Sea way froze and we did not get into our house until April..We had a house but no furniture or clothes beside those that we could put in suitcases to fly over. We arrived about 2 days before the big 79 Blizzard. My first impression of America was coming into land at O'Hare and seeing these huge billboards and the Marlboro Man and all the snow. We were met at the Airport with a limo and my Dads friend and co-worker who we had met in Holland who was American. My first meal was deep dish Chicago style pizza and all the coke I could drink...Now in England we had Soda but were only allowed to drink it on special occasions. I was in Heaven...So back to going to school...so we went to the High School...Hoffm an Estates High School and took the 8th grade test and I tested 3 grades above "normal"  so I could of started as a sophomore in Jan at 13....My parents had to make a choice...enter me at grade level or enter me at social level... they chose the later which for my benefit socially but I became lazy on a mental level as I had been there done that... thats enough for now...will continue if anyone is interested about my first day in an American School

[DCEPTCN]

Of course we're interested!

[gbsean]

ok I will continue...it is either this or tend to my farmville farm...lol

My parents knew we would be in the apartment for a few weeks and had packed clothes for me as well as I had packed toys. Now in England I did not own a pair of Jeans or a T-shirt..my Play clothes as well as all my friends were our worn out school uniforms..with leather patches on the knees and elbows. So my first day of school my mother drove me and my sister to school and I was wearing my School uniform...dres s pants...collar ed shirt with tie my v-neck sweater and blazer and dress shoes...oh and I wore thick rimmed glasses...tota l geek...lets add to the visual that in England we used a brief case for our school work...so here is me going into Homeroom...wit h my Beatles Haircut...and a thick English accent...boy did I take some crap for about 3mos...to hamper the problem...the money transfer from England America took about 2 weeks so my parents had very little cash available...th e company had forwarded my dad a paycheck but we had to buy food and gas and get a car so there was nothing left for clothes. For 2 weeks I went to school in my uniform.  As soon as the funds transferred my parents took my sister and I to K-Mart to get clothes the other kids were wearing and sneakers... My Savior from this situation was I was English and could play football...sor ry soccer... and I joined the local travel team as a goal keeper...now in England I was way below an average player and did not even make the 3nd string team at school...but in America I was like Pele...our Travel team was undefeated and I only had 1 goal scored on me...until I went out for a save and broke/dislocated my ankle...this was then end of April...Welcom e to the US health-care system...I was in Hospital for a week before I was released...I was out of school for the rest of the semester but because I had passed the 8th grade test I was allowed to graduate...in Crutches with leg still in a cast. So that takes me up to High school and my fingers hurt...more to come..my wife says I should write a book or something so that my kids can read about their dads life...some day

[ULYCYC]

They made soccer uniforms in husky?

[gbsean]

They made soccer uniforms in husky?

and I call you a friend my nickname in High School was scrawny Seany when I graduated I was 130 lbs...then I discovered beer

[ULYCYC]

They made soccer uniforms in husky?

and I call you a friend my nickname in High School was scrawny Seany when I graduated I was 130 lbs...then I discovered beer

I was about the same. What happened to us :rolleyes:

[Just a Six?]

Since the statute of limitations has run out I will take some time & type out a few quick ones. I have been told by many to write a book but as you all know in most cases I stay pretty private. I have been called the Car Whisperer by Big Mike!
I have stuff that you will say, He is a LIAR, but when I do type it out it will be to the 100% BEST of my Knowledge without every detail involved. Steve had interesting stuff but mine is all on the bad side of the law in most cases when I was younger.
From 15-20 I did some Crazy Shit! I have only completed grade 9 but got my grade 12 GED later on in life. I wasnt stupid & had a B+ A- average but its a long story.
My Dad had grade 3 & ran the Hudsons Bay for 20 years!! Was a pastor of 2 churches & owned a Christian Retreat with hotel & Motels, fishing, boats, skiing etc in Detroit Lakes Minnesota & thats when I split!!
That was ENUF FOR ME!!!!
Maybe he instilled something into my genes when I was a twinkle in his eye!!  :supz:

I have to really think about it before I decide to share a lot of what I did as some will Frown on me & some will say Wild Stuff!

Honestly, I dont even know why I am saying this for all to see & have thought about it a lot many times. Maybe I just need to get it off my chest but my family knows & suffered Greatly at times. THIS is why I NEVER had KIDS!! I couldn't take the chance they would be like me! Not sure how I would deal with it?
Maybe I should just STFU!!

[DCEPTCN]

Unless you're a kid-toucher I'm sure it will all be entertaining.  

[gbsean]

David...post em up...I have criminal stories too...like the time I was locked up for 12 hours in Chicago's south side and the time I got busted for jacking car stereos

[DCEPTCN]

I threw a rock at a bald eagle once.