Friends in faraway places

 It seems like just the other day, but in reality it’s many, many months ago, possibly even a couple of years ago, that I started to write a blogpost with the title of the one I wrote now, “Friends in faraway Places.”

Where I am now, on the Isle of Wight, is one of the places I have friends. Two friends, Alfred and Arthur. They both stand in the grounds of the largest equestrian center on the Island, set in 50 acres. “They” are not statues that stand, but are living, breathing, and growing creations of Nature, that we call trees. 

The equestrian center with its welcoming grounds, houses a restaurant and 10 holiday cottages, one of which we were renting on our first visit to the Island. My “friends” stood about 50 yards away, beyond the fenced backyard and past the rock gravel service lane, where we parked our car, and used the backyard gate, to enter into the house from the back. They were in fenced grounds with a play area and other trees. 

One of the trees that attracted my attention and my affection was the taller and larger of the two that stood not far from each other. I thought just of him as my friend, when I looked at it from my first floor bedroom’s window. I liked looking at it, and now thinking about it, makes me smile with joy. “Alfred” I said to myself, that’s the name I have for him, in honor of Alfred Lord Tennyson who lived on the island, and who’s hoise and grounds we visited a day or two earlier. 

Then, a couple of days later, I went down to meet Alfred, wanting to have my picture taken with it. I opened the gate of the fence, and smiling walked towards it. We spoke for a bit, and generally hung out. You could say we spoke in silence, but I also communicated with words. Took Alfred’s photo, said au revoir and then walked to this other tree which stood not too far away, maybe about 10 yards away. Even as I walked towards it, I felt a connection. That’s the thing about attraction and connection, it can happen quite unexpectedly and quite suddenly. Even though “Arthur” was not as perfect. Not in canopy, nor in gait, and definitely not in its roughly ill proportioned  bark, which covered its trunk. 

So that was that. How I thought of Alfred and Arthur today, was because I was trying to plan a visit to see them. That’s when I realized that it’s not just with trees, but with some people too, we just speak in silences. Not necessarily friends, but those that have the potential to be, or not be. And why should they be? Some, you may not want to be friends with, in the orthodox way friendship is thought about. 

There has to be a different perspective when considering friendships. And it can be devoid of any sense of committal. That would be, I think the most satisfying and cordial kind of relationship. No expectations, no possibility of betrayal, and definitely no commitment. That’s a perfect way to define my relationship with Alfred and Arthur. Arthur, honoring Kind Arthur of the round table, by the way, was a fitting name to be associated with Alfred, which invoked the Poet Laureate, Alfred Lord Tennyson. They both, these two friends, stand in an island far away, far from my usual areas of geographical existence, their proximity in my mind is the only place where our relationship exists. 

This geographical proximity can be translated into social proximity in terms of such oddly aligning relationships with other humans. People who move in different social environments. These are people we speak with in glances in passing, and even in silences. Sometimes in casually passing remarks, such as a greeting or nod of the head. Mostly silence, when our paths cross with theirs in some infrequent public setting. While they may be human, we cannot call this a friendship, that’s the complexity of us humans. 

However, I never ever shy from thinking of Alfred and Arthur as my friends. In my heart, I know for sure, neither do they. They certainly don’t complain if I’ve not visited them. 

My other very dear friend, is Bláthnaid, spelled differently sometimes, and meaning ‘little flower.’ She stands on a street in Dublin, right by the river, and across the street from a grove of slightly older trees, but  to old as in mature. Blathnaid on the other hand, was slender and very young indeed, as if she had just come into her prime, and this was her first time flowering, as she was rich with white blossoms hanging heavy on her branches exuded out from her imperfect canopy. I used to watch her from the window of our hotel room on the other side of the river. A bridge was conveniently placed just outside our hotel’s entrance, connecting this side of the river to the street on the opposite banks. Of course, I went to meet Blathnaid, and take a photo with her. I had already take several photos from the hotel room window. 

It was very fortunate that I went to Dublin three times that year, and each time stayed in the same location. Blathnaid was there. Our bond grew, as on my subsequent visits I looked forward to spot her as soon as my taxi turned the corner to arrive at the hotel. I remember exclaiming in joy as my happiness would be evident on my face. 

Had a great dinner as always, at The Red Lion in Freshwater. Joe the 5th Banga, had joined us for part of our vacation. Had come for lunch on Sunday, the day after arriving. It’s our favorite eatery on the IOW, and has kept its Michelin status for the last 10 consecutive years. Joe heads back stateside tomorrow due to his earlier commitments, while we continue our vacation for the rest of the week. It was an early birthday dinner, just so we could bring Joe to The Red Lion again. And we will go one more time before concluding our vacation this summer. 

After dinner we walked on the seafront of Colwell Bay, along the promenade lined with brightly painted Beach Huts. The sun had already set, and the sky reflected the hues of a satisfying summer’s day. Soon, the orange hued apricot steaks in the sky, with it’s blues of various hues, gave way to dusk, as the lighthouse twinkled in the distance on the mainland which is clearly visible from this point of the Island. A few kids were fishing at the far end of the promenade, the Needles with their whiteness bravely holding its own in the fast gathering darkness. A couple of girls were in the water with phones in hand. From a little further away, music and voices partying were heard from a boat moving further out to sea. It was a perfect end of a lovely day. 

In the morning I had sat outside admiring the different flowering plants, with honeybees buzzing away, drinking the nectar and I wondered where and how far their hive would be. This cottage is set in beautiful woods, with a pond almost around the corner. Yesterday, I saw a duck there, a mallard I think. Came back to our cottage and mucked around a bit. Came down to get some water, as was feeling sleepy. Then remembered my friends and started to write. It’s almost 1:00 am and at midnight my Birth Day started. I’m not sure I’ll  e up to see the sunrise, as I had wanted to. Maybe I will, except the bedroom window looks out west. We shall see. Meanwhile, Happy Birthday to me.

Veenu Banga

May 27th, 2026

12:57 am @ the IOW 

Hectic days and MV St Clare

 Hectic days indeed. Was too exhausted to continue the writing streak. KLM cancelled our flight and instead of returning on the 21st, came back on the evening of the 22nd. Cut it so close, as we were to take the ferry to the IOW on the 23rd. Which meant no short break in Portsmouth as originally thought, rather straight to IOW. So little time to pack and such. The delightful surprise of this time coming over on the MV St. Clare:  https://www.wightlink.co.uk/facilities/ferries/st-clare And this happened by mere chance, as we missed our intended ferry time, by a minute I may add, as there roadworks, car breakdowns, and traffic as people took advantage of the long weekend. We saw the ferry Victoria of Wight https://www.wightlink.co.uk/facilities/ferries/victoria-of-wight leaving port. I realized that we have made six trips on Victoria! 

Not complaining, as we got to be on the St Clare, our first time on board this vessel! It’s different all right, and perhaps nicer? 

Our cottage is in Godshill, on the grounds of a 500 year old Manor House. The stone cottage we’re in is 400 years old, and nicely retrofitted, with everything we’re likely to need. It is surrounded by gardens, and the owner saw me sitting outside reading a book, and came over and showed me the grounds. Nice herbs growing too. Rosemary, Mint, Thyme, oregano, and sage, all just outside the kitchen door. What fragrance. 

There is a mature bay leaf tree, other fruit trees, such as apples, pear, cherry, which had tiny cherries fruits on it, still green, and very firm. There’s also plum. One of the apple trees has also already started to bear fruit. We’ve of course, missed the blossoms. 

I asked the Lady of the house if they have laburnum, and they do. It was my grandfather’s favorite tree, and one stood right outside the front gate of the house. By default, my favorite tree too, and we saw it blossoming profusely around the island as we drove in. The one in the grounds here is flowered and done, and going to seed. The only one Laburnum I’ve seen in Orlando, is on Beatrice Drive in the Kingswood Manor area.  

True to the tradition we have created for our IOW vacations, our fourth now in two years, we went for Sunday Roast lunch at The Red Lion in Freshwater. Met up with all our favorite people. They had a great Mushroom vegetarian Sunday Roast dish, which was exquisite, and included a vegetarian pie, besides their other offerings, and of course the Yorkshire pudding to pour the gravy into, which I forgot to do! There were two new desserts on the menu, and I chose the Strawberry, and included basil sorbet. Chef Sean is a Master. No wonder they’ve maintained their Michelin rating for 10 years! We were their first guests at opening! 

After a sumptuous lunch headed next door to the All Saints Church, which is small and lovely, and I like visiting it. K the curious had walked around it before and discovered the Tennyson family crypt where Alfred Lord Tennyson’s wife, son and grandson are buried. Wonder if should visit his estate again. “We have but faith, we do not know..”

The Needles were our next stop, and while everyone walked up the hill to the vantage points overlooking the ocean, I took a welcome nap in the car. Joe, the 5th Banga has joined us on this vacation, and it was his first time here. He’s enjoying the narrow country roads, the tree tunnels and the large vistas with the horizon’s boastful views, often 360 degrees around! Checked out the Alum Bay glass factory shop, and other shops around the area. 

I was up for sometime by the time the others came back down. It was 30C degrees today, and while it was hot, with 31C expected tomorrow. Not complaining, because there is always a gentle breeze, cool because of the nearness of the ocean. 

Came home and sat outside, having, tea and snacks and of course my comfort food butter-toast with tea. Absolutely delicious French Butter on a Granary loaf slice. A big mug of tea. Then read some, did my less, and looked by some book related stuff on the internet. Aka, surfed Abebooks.co.uk and saved books in the basket. Will decide later which ones to buy. 

Now going to head up to bed. Looking forward to see the stars in the night sky, as we are surrounded by woods and fields, with no lights. Saw the stars last night, as I closed the curtains. It is such a comforting sight. My gaze rides up towards the night sky riding on the moon beams, a perfect half waxing moon. Can there be a better ending, than this thought of riding on moonbeams, and starlight, on a starry, starry night? 

Veenu Banga

24th May 2026

11:35 pm

In Godshill, @the Isle of Wight. 

Showing up!

 It’s past midnight already- yes, again! Was a busy, eventful and hectic day. Met up with Tina at Gelderlandplien. She had little gifts for me, cheesy and cute. She wanted photos of us, so got that. And I had something for her. Brought back a pizza from Albert Heijn, and it was sooo good, loaded with veggies and Pesto base. I had forgotten how good it was. 

Couldn’t stay very long to talk with her as had a class with Master Rong. Anyway, “ let’s start from the very beginning, a very good place to start…”

Had attended a webinar in the morning organized by Queen Bee Julie. It was very good, more like a meet up. Four other American ladies, one Dutch lady, the British host, Julie, and me. It was very uplifting despite the trials some of the women are going though. Uplifting, because each of was trying to uplift the others and I could sense a genuine camaraderie. 

Just too tired today, dear blog and we have an early start tomorrow, so will you please forgive me for not going into more details? Thank you. 

Oh yes! I shampooed my hair, and did not use a hair dryer. Can’t recall when that was last the case. And also…drum rolls please! Tried K’s bike. It became cooler too towards evening. Days becoming warmer from tomorrow. Woohooo!

Now I really must sleep. Goodnight and wish me (and you, blog!) a comforting and restful sleep@! 

Veenu Banga

20/05/2026

A very mixed kind of day, changing color moment to moment. :

 I don’t remember when last there was this kind of day. I suppose it’s a residual effect of what’s been going on, and mixed with how I use my day- it all lends itself to one’s internal and external environment. 

The kind of day when feelings are up and down, painful raw and then suddenly exuberant, till finally the oscillation becomes too exhausting to hold up any longer, and one just melts into submission. There was nothing to submit to, but the moment. And mental and emotional exhaustion is far worse than physical exhaustion. Plus the weather did not help, still gray days. The nicer moments were with the cries. Feeding the birds, and planting mint from stalks that remain after the leaves are neatly plucked, leaving just a few at the top, for the plant to get its nutrients from the sun. 

In the mid morning, there was a short respite from the gloom of the day, literally and figuratively, as I listened to an episode of the Healing Connection, and just enjoyed hanging out with a voice I’ve grown to respect and love. Tuning in to the Energy of Masters and friends as they all gather together to learn how to heal, and be healed. It feels nice, this thinking of folks who are like that. 

Wasn’t a very productive day, and I made no effort to turn things around. 

Haven’t seen the big fat brown furry cat out and about these past few days. I suppose the weather is keeping her indoors as well. The crows came around again in the evening, and just a little further away, was what looked like a duck. Probably a resident of the canals near by, who has wandered away, as I haven’t see him before. I say him because he had a nonchalant air about him. 

Did all my stuff that I do each night, in good time. Started the blog earlier too, but didn’t want to write what I felt and wanted to; and also didn’t remember, what I had wanted to write when I was mentally musing over earlier in the day. 

Enjoying a hot cup of water with the cinnamon stick. No lemon peel in it today. Luckily get very nice organic lemons here, so I can use the peels, which I did in water today, along with mint. And yes, had made mint rice for dinner with split yellow moong. Sort or like a kid hid, but more of a pulao. It was really nice. 

Finished the apricots, pomegranate still to go. Trying to finish the food in the fridge before we fly out. Oranges and asparagus still require eating. The cinnamon water is nice and comforting. Well, that’s another thing to be thankful for. So I think on this note, I’ll stop my banter with you blog. Some days I should be forgiven for being do blah! On that note, some days I should be rewarded, for just showing up. Yes, same day. Had both aspects to it, dark, light, Ying, yang, and so it goes. “…And so must I,” to quote Gretl in “The Sound of Music.”

Veenu Banga

05/19/2026

11.43pm.

What can I say, it’s already past midnight!

 Well, actually I can say a lot, but will I? 

I did well with the 10 things to be grateful for. With a little help of course, from Master Jaci. It was one of the movements today as part of the Qi party. And I had a lot to deliver, which I did. Otherwise, the day had been pretty melancholy with the overcast skies getting to me. Just like the UK, which A says has been the same. Supposed to get better the day after tomorrow. In both places. 

Duo lingo reminded me just in time to do what I do, so I was able to save my Streak of continuity, and even earned Legendary status, except forgot to take a screenshot of that. 

K made the most delicious Japanese noodles, with oodles of veggies and generous portions of crunch white asparagus, and the Japanese greens such as Bok choy. 

Had started feeding the crows and the pigeons, and now they come regularly. Glad they’re not getting familiar yet, as it’s better they not get too close because the pigeons especially, can be quite messy with no sense of toilet hygiene. The crows are different. Love that they are always looking out for their kind, and the rest appear out of nowhere, as soon as the one caws on first bite. Actually, they come out of that tree  which keeps watch over me, the First Time Dancers poem tree. I haven’t named it yet. It has a lovely canopy, no flowers though. 

Had tea at 11:30pm and sleepy now. I’m one of those rare specimens that can sleep after drinking tea at night. My tea has to be hot or I can’t enjoy it. 

Well, I think I’m going to head to bed. At least it’s not as late as yesterday. Now today’s and yesterdays just mingle together as one. Loving that, “mingle together as one,” the Sun and the Moon, day and night, or rather uniting in the Emptiness, in the darkness of midnight, (except in summer in places like Sweden) one day merges into the next, knowing and trysting, that the Sun, devoted friend of the Earth, will come again and again and again, brin7Life giving rays of light and warmth for the welfare of all of Earth’s children. What devotion, what commitment, it must be love. And the Earth never doubts. It surrenders to her Faith in the Sun, knowing that together they nurture humanity. 

It also reminds me of one of my maternal grandfather, Bauji’s, favorite verses. The one he recited for me, when I was just 20, and had just experienced my first nervous breakdown. I remember it now as if it’s a rite of passage all girls are entitled to at age 20. When it happened, everyone who loved me was hurting more deep, and it fell upon my grandfather, to salvage the broken bits and make them whole again. My grandfather, and time, and the wisdom of the poets. In this case, it was Lord Alfred Tennyson’s verse from In Memoriam: 

“We have but Faith, we do not know

For knowledge is of things we see

And yet i\we trust it comes from Thee,

A beam in darkness, let it grow.”

I have often shared these lines with those in my life, when they have needed them, like I once did.  My grandfather drilled them into me, with repetition, with examples, with loving elaboration, with his arms around my shoulder as we went for our walks, and sat in the middle of the Mandi House roundabout, while the traffic went around us, and my grandfather identified the flowers and trees for me, as the gardeners tended to the neatly laid beds, and several of the concrete benches in the garden remained vacant. In those days New Delhi did not have so many cars, and crossing the Road around the roundabout wasn’t much of a challenge. This part of New Delhi was sprawling with dignified buildings, well kept gardens. The stately Sapru House, Sangeet Bharti, where mummy had enrolled me for classical dance class, Triveni Kala Sangsm that came up later, the grand homes further down on Barakhamba Road, the FICCI building, across from it, and so on. On the other side was Lady Irwin College, my first Nursery school, before I joined Convent of Jesus and Mary, starting with Kindergarten. So many memories. All possible because, Life moves forward, inherently we know this. 

“We have but Faith..” just as the Earth has Faith, and the Sun keeps its promise, day after day after day. Human beings do not. We are betrayed, and we betray in turn. We do so, because we know. We we know that Nature does not betray our nurture, we have that Faith, and that we take for granted, and yet we complain, forgetting, that “ beam in darkness..” we should grow with that, looking to that. Just as an acorn on the forest floor, looks beyond the thick canopy, with Faith in that one beam of light that it catches, latches in to that hope, that it will see it through to growth. We, foolish mortals embrace darkness, and dark deeds. If the acorn, returned to the darkness of the ground, it would never grow into a tree. Why don’t we trust the light? I think we know, but we let that go, we let go of our faith, when that’s the only thing we need to hold on to. Why do I forget this, when melancholia overtakes us? Life and its loops of time, power, station? Karma? Or just a lack of Faith? Distraction, shallowness of thought, of vision. I don’t have answers, and Bauji is not here, so who can I ask? 

Veenu Banga

19th May 2026

1:25am. 

Walking the streets..

 …of Amsterdam, I heard myself say to myself, and then I smiled, thinking maybe I should title the blog, Street Walker? Simply because of its scandalous connotation, I thought with amusement! Ha, then the realization came, not in this city. They don’t have to walk the streets or haunt street corners. They have a street to themselves, nay, a whole districts of streets in fact. And I remembered passing through there on my last visit, and smiling and waving to the ladies who stood looking out their windows. Lovely ladies, and two of them waved back in response to my friendly gesture, one did not. She scowled. Why could she not see the sincerity in my heart, but the other two could? So it’s not me, it’s what was going on with her. Still, I felt sad that I couldn’t brighten her day. 

All the people I admire, including the dearly beloved Swami Jyotirmayananda, (last living disciple of Swami Sivananda,who my grandfather followed) and my Master Lin, (and Mummy and Bari Aunty, and Joginder mama) say that we must see ourselves and see God, in everyone. And I love doing that, it makes life so easy. I practice it on the street with strangers, and especially some people more than others need our compassion. 

That was a long digression, and certainly not what I had in mind to say when I started to write here. Why did I start, rather return to my blog today? Several ‘signs’ that kept tugging me, like microphones directing my small voice to make sure it’s heard. So what were these microphones? Oh, too many. One was the fact, that I love writing and with the blog, when I come back to read my old posts, it brings back those memories to relive them again, mostly a lot of fun, and I enjoy that I’ve written them because reading them again gives me pleasure. Not all of them, mind. Not the ones I’ve not written with sincerity, or written with an awareness that someone might read them, and I don’t want any voyeuristic views into my thought process or experiences. But the ones that I’ve written for myself, I love coming back to. 

The second was that I purchased 5 notebooks yesterday, (05/16/2026) with Vermeer’s “The Milkmaid” on the cover, at the Shop after we saw the “From Vermeer to Van Gogh Dutch Masters” Immersive experience, at Fabrique Des Lumieres, as part of the Holland Festival presently going on in Amsterdam. On Thursday, 05/14/2026, when we were ‘Walking the Streets’, (after a lovely surprise lunch K pulled on me, at Ottolenghi’s restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental) we wandered in to my favorite shop near Centraal, called Flying Tiger Copenhagen. I was just going to look at the ‘things’ there, and ended up with almost €50 worth of stuff, among them two boxes of pen sets, and what else, but notebooks! And a nice head massager! Really nice. One of those things one doesn’t need, but are nice to use. It’s a bit whimsically designed, and all one needs is one or two massages with its spindly arms of black coated steel, and multicolored ‘massager’ dots at their ends. Also a cardboard box with drawers.

Past midnight already, so technically going forth, I’ll be talking about yesterday! Always tell myself I’ll sleep early, and then, I don’t. Even when I was already sleepy around 9:00pm! However, today I did get done with my late nightly routine of that thing I’m doing earlier, just so could write. Had thought I’ll restart on my blog today, because I’ll get some help from Nature, it being the day of the New waxing moon. Mummy always said things you start or attempt, including and especially planting seedlings, grow with the waxing moon. So I’m hoping the moon, which watched me every night of my life, and knows all of my shortcomings, will support me to write. 

Another reason to go back to my blog, is that much as I love putting pen on paper, I can’t carry my notebooks everywhere- and they fill up fast- so I have no access to them. But the blog I can read anywhere, and whenever I have done so, it’s taken me back and I’ve looked back with joy and gratitude. That’s the other thing to do. 10 things to be grateful for, fill my days with those intake for granted. Including a good appetite and access to good produce, varied cuisine and finding friends in unexpected places. 

Which brings me to the third ‘sign’, the microphone my small voice, (with the aid of the universe) employed to tell me to write. It happened at the Amsterdam Bos Markets today. Which is the number 1 thing I love about the Netherlands, the Markets. Anyway, so after eating (and buying some to go) pies from Matias the Pieman https://piemanbakery.nl/ who has become a regular Market friend, and picking up Honey from a new vendor, a sauce from someone we are acquainted with, desserts from the lovely Surinamese lady who is the Best Baker in all of Amsterdam, and who remembers K as “my customer”as she had also ordered my birthday cake from her two years ago another bottle of Sunflower honey from Romania and Ukraine (I know, know, I know, how can it be two places?) we stopped at a double stall selling sauces, and other jars of all vegetarian products, how could I resist. I opted to pick up a pasta sauce made from sun-dried tomatoes, to have with the most delicious fresh pasta we get at Albert Heijn. After our purchase, the lady handed me a note pad with her business name on it, https://www.wijzijnoogst.nl/ A notepad! Big sucker for notepads, notebooks, drawing pads, diaries, journals, all things paper- it’s in my blood-another story, for another day! So that was the third (or have I lost count?) ‘sign’ to write, woman, write! So here she is, yours truly, writing, band loving every minute of it. Talking my heart out to my iPad, in the quiet night, with The Tree outside (my First Time Dancers poem tree) watching over me through the large wide windows. I have a feeling we will be buying their product again. 

We also discovered another new vendor selling the most delicious olive oil! They were sampling two of them, an Italian olive oil, and a Spanish olive oil, one a pale yellow and the other a not so pale with its richness showing in the fresh green of its color. Both the kind one can SA our with a simple fresh cooked pasta, or a plump ravioli, drizzled with just the olive oil, and nothing else but a dressing of fresh basil. The Italian Oil is produced by the Pisicchio Family of Bari, PUGLIA. The olive variety is Coratina, with an October 2025 harvest date. 2% acidity, and notes of freshly cut grass, green banana, artichoke and arugula. I’d say they are spot on, and even have pairing suggestions, one of which being my favorite for pasta, pesto! The oil had a perfect balance of fruitiness and bitterness, so one could tell it had been treated with respect for its natural tendencies. I think we will have a relationship with this vendor as well, the Grovehood Collective. https://grovehoodcollective.com/

After meeting with our regular vendors, we moved on from the garlic guy as had enough garlic at hime, and were well stocked on my favorite fermented black garlic. The garlic guy was swamped and despite his double storefront there wasn’t room to stand around him. We stopped and said hello to the Dadi Nani pickles and chutneys lady. 

Our Sunday Markets surprise wasn’t over yet. Finally, sat and ate our pies as they were freshly baked, hot and ready for us. The new asparagus with ricotta is awesome! Just as we were finishing up, the clouds couldn’t hold it in much longer, let out with a loud thundering noise. Off we scampered to the far end where the tables and benches had a covered roof over them. The six people at the first table scuttled in further and both of us at the ends made up a cosy party of eight. We had barely settled in when the gentleman at the far end proclaimed loudly, “we meet again!” Indeed we did. 

We had shared a table with them the previous Sunday at the Amstelpark Markets, which are much larger and more convenient to get to, so those we rarely miss. We ate at that table, and I had a vegetarian Greek Gyro, which was fabulous by the way, and K relished her oysters. These two sat next to each other and finished a bottle of wine, and the taller and grungier of the two, went to fetch another. The other guy got chatting with us, and as I sat squinting my eyes and shielding my head and face with my hands, he had offered me his hat. He said he never leaves home without it. Normally, neither do I, but it had been overcast and I thought it wouldn’t be needed. 

Today the two bottle buddies were sitting across from each other, and the hat guy raised his glass towards us, across the Brazilian tourists between us, and offered to buy us wine. I declined, and he said to me, “but you were drinking last time, I saw you!” To which I instantly replied, “you were too drunk so you were seeing a lot of things!” He laughed. Some more banter, and the other guy this time joined in and insisted they saw me drinking last time e we met, and some more banter and sudden a certain cordiality prevailed, enveloping the people sitting between us, as the rain continued to beat down loudly, with a steady stream of bubbling and bugling water running around us. 

Other notable events on my visit so far- the most anticipated was the World Press Photo exhibit in its old venue, De Nieuwe Kerk on Dam Square near Centraal. I had seen it here in 2024, but missed it last year. Before that I think we saw it in Den Haag. I think i’ e seen only these three in the NL,  it recall seeing it in Sydney as well. It’s always very sobering to watch. I think this time, it may have been a shorter exhibition but not by much. The most painful for me was the project out of Argentina where farmhands are getting sick using the pesticides on crops of soy, and how children are born with birth defects. There were similar stories in previous years with flower growers. Every project had its poignant protagonists whose lives project the pain of the subjects and subject matter. The one uplifting story which offered a new sense of hope was the story out of Morocco. Women horse riders breaking into a men’s only arena. 

It’s been cold, overcast, windy and infrequently wet, unlike previous years at this time in May. Met more strangers and new friends and old. Susan from Albert Heijn, and Tina, with whom I have so much in common as far as life journeys go. Uncannily common- the themes of our lives. How unexpectedly discovered. Thanks to her being a self proclaimed chatterbox, I think I may have met my match. 

On this note, even though there’s more, I must end dear blog. A girl (at heart) needs her beauty sleep. So, I hope you will help me blog and invite me to write sooner in the evening. As I had resolved to do, I’ve already liberated a few posts from drafts to posts. That should please you. I really shouldn’t be up so late, so going to say adieu for now, because look at the time. No decent hour for a lady to say goodnight. Hope to see you tomorrow, and you too, should t be up so late! Dank je well, Blog! 

Veenu Banga

18th May 2026

2:03am

Monday.

Can only be a good thing..

 https://youtu.be/zawL5IjjPI8?si=UQluNl6Rcp1D8FGx  Bhajan Clubbing

In my drafts, dated March 17th.