Is there a chance that after 28 years and roughly100 meals together, a holliday and lots of evenings playing Risk and/or Black Jack, weddings and a funeral this group of friends will not come together anymore due to my leaving for a life in Thailand and so turning this dinner we had saterday the 20th of September at my house in Delft into a kind of Last Supper?
I hope not! Thats the simple and direct answer to this question about a group of friends who never stopped meeting since Erik (in the picture the guy most on the right) and I organised a 4 day trip with a tourbus and 25 people to the European Parliament at Straatsburg France in the spring of 1980. We organised that trip on behalf of the Dutch Young Liberals and during the long busride to Straatsburg and back via Germany, we, 4 guys, played a lot of Black jack, or "21-en" as we call in in Dutch. These guys were the earlier mentioned Erik, Aad (on the picture next to Erik) and Floor, the guy in the middle with the long curly hair.
After those days on the bus we decided it had been so much fun playing cards together we went on doing so when we came back home. During the years that passed since, our respective partners joined in and so our group grew to 8 all in all. Aad, as well as myself have had some changes in their partners, but Els, the wife of Floor and sitting on his left, and Ria, the wife of Erik and in this picture sitting next to Els, are as steady as participants as the original group of four!
I have allways enjoyed getting together with this group of friends, exchanging our life stories at times and troubles, but also sharing highlights together.
As such we sang together at the wedidng of Erik en Ria, after our Wintersport holliday, ergo we had ski hats on and ski's with us, even though it was a warm summer day. They all sang at my earlier wedding when I got married to my ex-husband Eric, Aad en I flew out to New york for a weekend in the eightish when Floor had to spend a series of months in Chicago, USA and enjoyed NY and a musical together. Erik at the time was unable to join on that really fun trip!
While some of us moved away out of the region of Delft, we all kept on comming together for our 3 monthly dinners, because by that time we had stopped playing games and only shared a home cooked meal together at our respective houses, where ever that house might be. So, there were years when we all had to drive long distances and stay overnight to make it all work, but we did with lots of joy and fun!
Well, I don't think us meeting will end though as our "dinner-club" as such, but the frequency will go down for sure. At least if you want to see the whole original group together. Because they allready decided to go on in the same frequency but that I simply will be excused due to the long distance to attend every time, haha, how considerate :-) But am happy because of it, thats for sure. It also means that when I know I'll be in Holland, we will all meet to continue our traditional meals together and exchange whatever there is to exchange! To follow what the respective children are doing and to support eachother when needed.
I am also convinced that I will see them all in Thailand, maybe not all at once, though they are crazy enough to do that as well one year, but individually I am very sure to be allowed to welcome them all in whatever house I might live in!
Els and Floor allready announced and decided that they are going to attend my wedding with Kik in Si Bun Ruang, Ria en Erik will only be able to decide if they are sure they have arranged their children to be taken care of in a good way. Aad is not sure yet, but then again he just has returned from a holliday with his children and boyfriend to Indonesia and Malaysia so it might prove to be too much in such a short period for him.
Whatever happens, I believe that this group of friends will only have a Last Supper when we don't know it to be as such, and thats because one of us moves to higher spheres were we can not just visit.....haha, otherwise we might go on for ever with our little dinner club without pretentions.
One advantage though by moving away to the other side of the world: we will enjoy a lot of quality time when together, and as such thats a bonus, as all people know who have moved really far away and are receiving their friends in their new homes. One never drops by for just an evening but will stay for at least several days and as such turn it into quality time together..... really look forward to these visits!!
Well for Kik this was his first time, and he was not only introduced and warmly welcomed in the group, they all really enjoyed a specially prepared vegitarian Thai meal! And believe me, they would have said otherwise if they would not have enjoyed it, because such is our group, haha, I hope!
Well, but first we will all see eachother again on the 8th of October at our wedding here in Delft! Less then 3 weeks to go.....
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