The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Sept. 24/16 – “bus”

PHOTO PROMPT © Ron Pruitt

When we first got married, Him Indoors and I visited the Philippines. We flew to Bicol, one of the provinces in the north of the Philippines and on the way back, flights were cancelled. Instead of waiting for the next flight which could be the next day or the next week, things could be very flexible in the Philippines. Anyway, we decided to take the bus to Manila. Everyone seemed to have the same idea. The bus station was full of people, chickens, pigs, children, cargoes, you name it, they were there, chaos! We ended up being in a decrepit, no air-con bus. We had to stand the first couple of hours. Did I mention that the bus was so full, people were literally hugging each other, not forgetting all the chickens, pigs, baskets of fruits and vegetables, etc. There was a stop – wheel fell off. We waited 3 hours for the man to get nuts in another town. We stood by the side of the road in the middle of the night. People started getting out, so we were able to sit. Then we stopped the second time – puncture on one of the tyres. Another wait. After that, the driver raced another bus along the motorway with a horse and a cart in the slow lane. Never again, we promised. Such a bus experience!

For: The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Sept. 24/16 by Linda Hill

B&P’s Shadorma and Beyond – August 20, 2016

rolling hills
and tea plantation
landscape pure
foggy mist
fun adventure in a jeep
with rough roads and all

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: B&P’s Shadorma and Beyond – August 20, 2016

Thekkady Jeep Safari

Hello everyone! One of the best experiences I had when we were in India was the Thekkady Jeep Safari. The jeep safari to Gavi, picturesque land, is the major off-the-track destination ideal for a wilderness retreat replete with trekking, birding, canoeing and facilities for boarding. This biological garden, with hills and valleys, tropical forests, tea farms, sprawling grass lands, sholas, cascading waterfalls and cardamom plantation, is home for many endangered species like lion tailed macaque; nilgiri tahrs etc. . It was a three hour tour and we were not disappointed, though a bit shaken and bruised from the bumpy ride, but it’s all worth it. Wonderful view from start to finish.

For: Jo’s Monday walk : Scarecrow fun in Kettlewell

Charlecote Park

Charlecote Park is a grand 16th century country house, surrounded by its own deer park, on the banks of the River Avon near Wellesbourne, about 4 miles east of Stratford-upon-Avon and 5.5 miles south of Warwick, Warwickshire, England.

Charlecote is approached through a long path that leads under an impressive Tudor brick gatehouse. Behind the house is a small formal garden terrace, beyond which is a large deerpark designed by Capability Brown, where a herd of deer still roam.

One of the most interesting features of Charlecote are the ornate Tudor chimneys (best viewed from the rear of the house). The house interior is largely Victorian, and visitors can go ‘below stairs’ to see what life was like for the servants who kept Charlecote running. There are numerous outbuildings on view, including a kitchen and cider press.

Queen Elizabeth I is known to have visited the house, and stayed in the chamber that now serves as the drawing room. A contemporary portrait of the queen is on view.

The Lucy family came to England as supporters of William the Conqueror, and the family has owned land at Charlecote since 1247. Sir Thomas Lucy (1532-1600), the builder of the current house, was a magistrate under Elizabeth I. In the course of his duties he was responsible for prosecuting local families with Catholic sympathies, including the Arden family, William Shakespeare’s maternal grandparents.

Charlecote is a delight to visit; the location is superb, and the house and gardens are well worth an extended exploration.

For: Jo’s Monday walk : Strolling in Kraków, Our World: 13 June 2016 and Tuesdays of Texture | Week 25 of 2016

My Part in the EDSA Revolution 1986

Two nuns were kneeling down in front of a soldier. One nun was holding her rosary tightly, urging the soldier not to shoot them or just reciting her prayers loudly. The other nun was in a contemplative mood, one hand touching her chin, the other arm crossed under her chest. In front of them was a soldier brandishing a belt of bullets, his M-16 rifle held at slope arms. The contrasting image of the nuns and the cold, harsh rifle of the soldier was the focus of this photograph. A huge crowd was behind the nuns. They were ordinary street Filipinos, men and women, parents and children, students, employed or unemployed, rich, middle-class or poor. I was part of this crowd – more people coming and going, military tanks and cannons with their soldiers greeted with flowers and food, burning tyres, activist flags and streamers, vendors, vehicles, portable radios, foreign correspondents and religious altars everywhere.

For: Writespiration #85 Snippets of You by Sacha Black

Summer Tollwood

This week’s photo prompt is provided by S. Writings. Thank you S. Writings!

What we did last summer
We had some fun, cycled, hiked
Had some grill in the garden
Went to parks and beer gardens
Also ate tons of ice-creams
Best part was the summer Tollwood
At Olympiapark with lots of concerts
“It’s a matter of attitude” that was the motto
Tom Jones, Joan Baez, Patti Smith – cool
Their concerts were smashing
Cosy markets with different handicrafts
From India and other parts of Asia
I bought a scarf and a frilly summer dress
Then there were these vibrant painted cows
Two cow sculptured from old car parts
Painted and were centre pieces of Tollwood

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: FFfAW – Week of 3-29-2016 by Priceless Joy

Fearless – Decuain

The Decuain (pronounced deck•won), created by Shelley A. Cephas, is a short poem made up of 10 lines, which can be written on any subject. There are 10 syllables per line and the poem is written in iambic pentameter.

There are 3 set choices of rhyme scheme:

ababbcbcaa, ababbcbcbb, or ababbcbccc

This year is a fearless year for us both
Thirty years of being married, that’s one
We’ve seen each other and perhaps our growth
What we’ve done, have a son and some more fun
We ask, like, who really wears the apron?
Or who wears the trousers in this household?
Doesn’t really matter, it’s just a pun
Have some adventures and we’re getting bold
We don’t bargain, challenges we don’t shun
We go through life together and we’ve won

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: Fearless

five minute friday :: alive

Have you ever been in a situation where you feel trapped?
Where you were abandoned by your company for the last three months?
Where you have no salary, no food in a remote island of China?
Where you and 21 others are sharing the same fate and no one seem to care?
Where your family – wife, children, parents, siblings are also affected?
Where all you need now is to be able to go home?

This situation is real, and is happening to my brother and his fellow seamen. Since December 2015, their company went bankrupt and basically left them there, in the island. They were not given any food, nor salary, nor exit visa. The crew is getting desperate and frustrated as the days pass by. They just would like to go home to their families. This morning they tried to escape to another island where the nearest Philippine Embassy is. But the immigration police caught them and were taken in detention for three hours, all 21 of them in a small room. Then they escorted them back to their ship. I hope the Philippine Government help them by giving them exit visa, then they can go home to their families.

For: five minute friday :: alive by Kate Motaung

March 23: Flash Fiction Challenge – Adventure

as close as possible

I left the Philippines and have ventured in different things in different countries. I first went to Switzerland and became a Secretary to the Ambassador of Ethiopia. Then I did some laboratory training in BASF Company in Ludwigshafen, Germany. That’s where I met Him Indoors. I also worked in California, USA as a Cashier and in Nottingham, UK as an Assistant Statistician in their Research Department. I finished my Masters in the UK and now I’m a freelance Business English trainer in Munich. I love adventure – swimming, blogging, snorkelling, zip-lining, animal safari, horse riding and travelling to different countries.

For: March 23: Flash Fiction Challenge

#SoCS March 12/16 “ball”

To start the ball rolling, here’s me greeting you all. Hope your weekend is lovely! Well, to be honest, I’m not a ball person, I don’t play or watch football, volleyball, cricket or rugby. Him Indoors and HRH the son are the football fanatics, so today they’ll be glued to the telly watching their games.

I’ve just rang my mother. She was telling me about her new gym and she enrolled herself to Zumba. Also, their group, the Mother Butler Group, is going on a road trip to one of our provinces. They’ve hired a van for this trip. Glad she’s on the ball. And still a ball of fire!

Talking of keeping one’s eye on the ball, I’m curious as to the outcome of the UK referendum on whether Britain stays or leaves Europe. Hopefully, we stay in Europe. We’ve been living in Germany for more than 20 years, so we consider ourselves European. HRH the son lives in England, and he’d be able to vote. The ball is now in his court.

That’s it from me. Keep the ball rolling…

For: Stream of Consciousness Saturday