Pieter a Former Motorcycle Guy ALWAYS Remained one at Heart!

 When we were on vacation in Florida we did stop at the Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass and visited Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5th...

Pieter LOVED this soft as butter motorcycle jacket!

Sharp looking at almost 93...

And this $ 1,400 jacket was on sale for $ 199... a steal and size Medium fit perfect!

Nice look together with shorts; don't you think?

Both of us were SHOCKED by seeing the stores so poorly stocked...

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH OUR ECONOMY?!

No, we did not bring this jacket home.

Pieter's former Dutch A = Motorcycle + C = Car Driver's License + E = Trailer

In Italy he had the very same for Motorcycle and Car except for a trailer = E

Norton WWII motorcycle like husband Pieter rode 1947... together with brother Toon who went as a Marine to Indonesia in 1948.

This is NOT Pieter's Norton but it is very hard to find an image.

It was a very rickety motorcycle from WWII and Pieter had it only for a brief period...

BSA that husband Pieter and brother Toon rode in early 1950s. Jan Rutgers helped them tune it up.

Pieter also served in the Dutch Military from 1950-1952

Motor Scooter "Rumi Scoiattolo", 1953 - one that my husband Pieter rode till mid 50s and he also went to the University in Wageningen on it.

Again, not a photo from his Rumi...

This one was manufactured by Rumi in Bologna, Italy. A 125 cc two-stroke motor with two cylinders, 5 Hp and 4 gears.

When husband Pieter lived in Bergen in 1956 he rode a Heinkel (NOT RED!). It was a 4-stroke engine.

That was the time when Pieter was a Dutch Government extension service officer, to help develop the horticultural industry, in the southern part of the Netherlands.

From then on Pieter rode a new Fiat 600, as his boss managed to secure mileage compensation for a motorcycle with sidecar and that helped pay for the mini car!

Pieter did not drive this: {2013 Fiat 500 versus Fiat 500 Topolino}... previous post.

Have any of you driven a motorcycle?

Related links:

{The Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass} | previous post by me

{Outlet Scores} | previous post by me

Floriade 1992 on a Cold and Windy Day after Earthquake in Limburg

So, on April 11, 1992 we arrived on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in Amsterdam, with our 92 kilos of luggage, coming all the way from Jakarta, Indonesia.

No problems checking in with our courtesy cards in regard to Maximum Baggage Weight...

The customs inquired about the boxes and upon showing once again the photos from the robbery and explaining that all that was left we bring home, they let us pass.

Putting things in the locker and then traveling once more by rail to the South where my Parents lived.

This is husband Pieter posing in front of the tulips at my Parents' place.
Keep in mind that all our clothes got robbed; shoes and everything. Except what we had on our back and inside our luggage, coming from work in India...
We gave away both our hightop shoes to the people working in the hot compost, barefooted. You find link below post from previous adventures.

On April 13, during our 2nd night at my Parents' in my former bedroom, we woke up at 3:22 AM by an earthquake! The rattling and shaking lasted for 20 seconds.

Pieter said very calmly: 'Now THAT is an earthquake!'... Wow.

~

Yes, in my Province of Limburg... With 5.5 on the scale of Richter!

The above article appeared in the then bi-lingual Dutch/American newspaper the Windmill, a bi-weekly publication.

On April 15, I had my hair cut, the LONG braid got snatched off with the hairdresser's scissors. See post below about it where I show it being framed.

Happy at home and with short hair!

The weather is still inclement and rather cold.

We enjoy a nice Easter weekend and on April 20, on 2nd Easter Day we went to the Easter Concert of Dad's choir with a youth choir; very well. 

On Monday we went to the city for buying a Sharp microwave for Mom & Dad as a gift.

We went to brother Piet's birthday on the 23rd.

On Saturday, April 25, we went with the early train of 6:30 AM to Zoetermeer for the Floriade. The biggest international Garden Exhibit that the Dutch hold every 10 years.

But oh, it was such inclement weather and cold and miserable...

We did not have the clothes for it, aside from our newly purchased leather jackets from the Leather Garment Factory in India.

Above, I'm admiring Begonias.

Cape violets...

I'm happy for being indoors in an orchid greenhouse and out of the chilling wind!

Wearing my newly bought sandals from Malioboro, Yogyakarta/Indonesia...

Remember ALL shoes got stolen. Those leggings were certainly not warming me much!

We both decided then and there to stock up on some warmer clothes, shoes and, all for keeping in The Netherlands...

Pieter was not as cold, even though wearing a short sleeved shirt was also not sufficient...

So typically Dutch with red tulips and lots of fragrant hyacinths.

Being indoors was a lot better, I see that here I swapped my sandals for shoes!

But we certainly enjoyed being there for the Floriade.

~

On April 26, brother Harry treated both of us and Mom & Dad on a dinner to celebrate his belated 12.5 year wedding anniversary. 

Brother Harry on the left, with his wife and their three little ones...

It was very special, together.

We also celebrated Pieter's Birthday with family on the 29th.

That year, we'd come to The Netherlands early February, en route to our work to Indonesia, for celebrating my Birthday with my Parents and family and next day brother Harry's and also Mom's Birthday five days later.

So now fate had it, that due to our early leaving from Indonesia, also Pieter's Birthday got celebrated in our birth country.

Very special time this visit, for being with family and friends!

On May 1, on Friday, we go by train to the airport.

We had dropped off all the excessive luggage the day before, by car, and placed it in a locker.

There we go on May 1, with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines finally going home to Atlanta, Georgia/USA

We've come a long way with the remnants from our Life in Indonesia as baggage... Our Exodus!

BUT we sure got a Royal treatment with an upgrade to Business Class on our Courtesy Card with KLM

Menu card reads: Inspired by 'Floriade', the greatest flower show on earth.

Our lunch menu

Cold meal

KLM's Wine Cellar in the Sky

Wine

Champagne and wine...

Liquors and Aperitifs

Discover Holland flowerland... at Floriade 1992! The World Horticultural Exhibition is the most colorful and breathtaking event of the year. A unique show of flowers, plants, trees, vegetables and fruit. Held only once every ten years, Floriade will greet the world from April 11 to October 11 in Zoetermeer near The Hague.

KLM Royal Airlines is main sponsor and official carrier of Floriade 1992.

They sure did carry us back home in a very comfortable way with our upgrade to business class, thanks to the courtesy card we each had. We felt quite pampered in the upper deck.

A very appropriate way for sealing off our Life in Indonesia..

Related links:

From Singapore to Jakarta and SURPRISE upon arrival at our Villa | previous post by me

Adventure in Madras India, now Chennai | previous post by me

{Did I loose my strength?... Like in Samson and Delilah?} | previous post by me showing my long braid

Pieter's Favorite Lambskin Leather Jacket Made New Again... | previous post by me

Adventure in Madras India, now Chennai

Yes, we had now worked, high in the mountains of South India, for Pond's India in their mushroom plant. This was during our four weeks off, after living/working two months in Indonesia.

Our first day, February 21 of 1992, driving up to the plant, we had a driver that had to hold the door shut with one hand, while driving in the mountains. So we swapped taxis!

Pieter had fallen on February 24, with one foot inside the goody pit... the entire day being smelly from those anaerobic bacteria. We stayed in a guest bungalow and washed his jeans, socks and hightop shoes, and dried it in front of an electric stove.

On February 25, we bought our leather jackets, from their Leather Garment Factory.

On February 28, we go one final time to the mushroom farm and received a silk chain stitch embroidered wall hanging, each of us the very same. 
They also proceeded to make a professional video about my Techniques for Harvesting Quality Mushrooms. Today, September 15, just received the converted version on a memory stick and will post it some time later...

Both of us had left our hightop shoes at the Pond's mushroom farm, for those poor workers that have to work in the hot (50-70°C) compost with bare feet. That was far easier than having to clean them up for packing inside our luggage. 

We drive back to Coimbatore, and from there we board a night train to Madras (Chennai).

We have a 1st class sleeping coupe with air-conditioning. 

This time, I slept in the top bed...

February 29, after a ten hour shocking and rattling ride, we arrive in Madras and we slept well.

We got told that we should keep the sliding door of our cabin closed, but having to wash up in the bathroom early morning, of course we opened it.

How in the world could we know that before arriving at the Madras station, a giant of a guy had jumped on the riding train and entered it!!!

He stood there, and grabbed our two suitcases and placed them on his head... Those are mine!

Two people from Pond's met us at the railroad station, and after a fierce dispute with the giant, he ignored them and only hollered: 'I have to feed a family of seven!' He then was so brazen to carry our suitcases on his head, at a rapid pace down the stairs. We had a hard time to keep up with him!

Finally the two people from Pond's located their car and the giant put them down, he got paid and left.
What a zoo...
That guy would be the perfect player in David and Goliath!

This Image from Chennai Central, formerely Madras Central, was created by User:PlaneMad.
We both were wide awake now
~

They bring us to Hotel Chola Sheraton at Cathedral Road.

Now it is called the Welcomhotel Chennai.
After a fresh shower and breakfast, we got picked up by 10:30 AM for a meeting with the manager from Pond's India in Madras.

We visited their Leather Garments Factory and found a better size for our leather jackets, so we swapped them.

On March 1, we wake up at 4:00 AM and depart from this 5 Star Hotel for the airport and our flight to Singapore.

We place our suitcases in a locker and go by taxi to the our Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre. 

We walk to Centrepoint for some shopping.

March 2, we are early, and by taxi we go to the Alberts Centre for reparation of our Rado watches. 

From there we went to the airport and picked up our suitcases from the locker.

As usual, we shop around at the airport and always did stock up on reading material.

My eyes turned BIG however when I found the Malay version of Times magazine and our boss was mentioned on the cover... Not looking good financially!

To be continued...

Related link:

Pieter's Favorite Lambskin Leather Jacket Made New Again... | previous post 

{Our DEEPER Reach In Bedroom Closet} | previous post showing the silk chain stitch twin embroidery

Pieter's Favorite Lambskin Leather Jacket Made New Again...

Feeling quite proud for having tackled this task!

Pieter's favorite soft and supple lambskin jacket that he got from Pond's India from their upscale Leather Garments Factory.

Pieter patting a Wallaby in Healesville Sanctuary, Australia on September 27, 1992
Probably the photo with the most NEW lambskin jacket... as he got it in February of 1992.

This is taken at The Spa at Norwich Inn on April 20, 1997 when we did consulting work and stayed at one of their Villas.

This is taken on February 9, 2002 when we were on the bus to Beatle Mania!

Over the years, the upper part in the back got faded and also on one shoulder...

With black leather dye I did touch it up... from LeatherNu click it

For quite some days I had to wait for finally being able to make a photo with good light!
This got taken on January 5.

The back side... this photo is not lightened or whatever.

Perfect for wearing end of January together with Pieter's wool Fedora hat...

Yes, we both have one, mine got ordered here in the USA.
Wearing it with my black Escada jeans and scarf with my rib cord newsboy cap...

Related posts:
Visiting Healesville Sanctuary in VIC, Australia | previous post by me
Darling Harbour Cruise in Sydney for Surprise Birthday Party | previous post by me

Husband Pieter's DANGEROUS Trip back from India

Well, DANGEROUS it would be, even more than that...

On Monday, November 30 of 1992, I did drop Pieter off at the Atlanta airport for his solo flight to India, due to specific problems in which I could not consult.
So he flew on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to Amsterdam, The Netherlands and on Tuesday he stayed at the Ibis hotel.
On Wednesday, December 01, Pieter flew non-stop to Bombay, now Mumbai, on this new flight.
He was seated in seat 9B, just behind Royal Class - our Courtesy Card always yielded good seats and often an upgrade!
Pieter also had booked the flight for Dad in March, with 10% senior discount for fl 1,074.00.
He arrived around 23:30 in Bombay and had to wait rather long before his red-white-blue banded suitcase appeared on the luggage carousel.
They did drop him off at the luxury hotel Centaur, Airport in Bombay, India.

Formerly known as Centaur Airport Hotel it is now renamed Hotel Sahara Star Mumbai, India click link.

What a luxury!
But on the way from International Airport to the hotel, Pieter did for the 1st time see Asia's most densely populated slum area...
India has such STARK CONTRASTS!

INDIA, the SLUMS of MUMBAI (BOMBAY) seen around the AIRPORT and after take-off, incredible views! Just click the link for a video...
At the time it were 2,000,000 people living in shanties on 1.5 square mile.
We all cannot realize enough how fortunate we  are for enjoying such preferential treatment in this world!
~
It has changed our lives forever... and we both have great difficulty each year when the Holiday Shopping Frenzy starts... All about $$$ and WANT!
And click here: Death-trap toilets: the hidden dangers of Mumbai's poorest slums.
On December 2, Pieter woke up early due to time difference and he did travel that day by plane to Coimbatore and than on by car into the mountains to Ooty.
With such a direct, non-stop flight to Mumbai, travel was a lot more relaxed!
That was Thursday...
Sunday, December 6, Pieter went very peaceful to a Catholic Church in Ooty.
But in the north of India this would turn into a Barbaric Sunday... with the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.

  Rioting also had spread to Bombay, as published in our Dutch/US bi-weekly paper The Windmill

By Thursday, December 10, the Indian Government halted ALL traffic! 

Plants and offices had to close...
They were trying to calm the whole nation down! So far hundreds of dead from the clashes between Hindus and Muslims.

Pieter got instructed to remain inside the hotel, people from Pond's India staff, came to him, walking for still getting some work done and problems solved.
It was a scary situation!

Pieter was unable to call with the USA... So he was forced to try via The Netherlands to leave a message for me with my Parents.
The female switchboard operator tried time and time again, finally she got through! Only to hear my Dad hang up on her, as he thought it was a wrong connection.
She tried again and Pieter could take over, so Dad recognized his voice and Pieter than explained him about the dangerous situation he was in.
Dad in turn called me in Dublin, Georgia/USA with the message that Pieter was stuck in the South of India and couldn't travel and that it looked rather dangerous...
Finally, Pieter managed to get through with a call to the USA and informed me that on Friday morning by 5:00 A.M. (which would be still Thursday evening here in the USA, 18:30 the staff would try to move him out to Coimbatore, even though driving a car was still prohibited! 
But he desperately needed to leave the country!
The airlines in India were all on strike and also the trains...

The evening of December 10, 1992, I had to go to a Ladies Night from Pieter's Rotary Club.

I'd handed the Rotary Club's President a note, requesting prayers for Pieter, who would be on the road at that time, trying to get out of India, somehow!

Pieter was in danger... and they sure did pray for him!

When I came home that night, I had a hard time to go to bed.

Next day on Friday, December 11, for keeping my sanity, I did drive all the way to the Atlanta Antique Show... and then I stayed up.  Read all the magazines I had to still read, writing letters and stayed up with burning eyes till 2:30 on Saturday...

Calling once again with my Parents, but they had not heard anything yet... so I went to bed exhausted.

Then Mom called at 4:15 on Saturday, December 12, to tell me that Pieter had arrived at the railway station in Horst/Sevenum, The Netherlands and Dad was on his way to pick him up.

Pieter made it out of India SAFE!

By 5:15 Pieter called me and told me his incredible story.
Brother Martin gained a beautiful black lambskin jacket that Pieter had bought for him from Pond's Leather Garment Factory, just like his one from an earlier trip in February 1991. For only Fl. 200.00 quite a bargain!

~

Pieter had gotten the instruction to NOT talk at all, while they were driving the 2.5 hours down to the city of Coimbatore.
The driver, a courageous staffer from Pond's, would handle all the talking!

They got stopped by military a dozen times but each time they let them go on...

Also they passed through a rather dangerous area, where quite some turmoil was going on.

So they reached Coimbatore  airport, but of course no flights and no trains either.

In such a situation it proves valuable for working under the umbrella of a big and good company such as Pond's, a subsidiary of Unilever. They have power in such a case!

Via the grape vine they learned that a high ranking military guy had to fly from Coimbatore to Bombay in a usual 2.5 hour lasting flight.

It took a lot of money for getting Pieter, together with some more stranded business people working for Unilever (from Great Britain and the US) on the same flight with that military guy!

It was a small plane and they'd bribed a pilote for flying from the military airport to Bombay.

But all was not clear yet, due to the domestic airport being completely shut down, they now needed approval for landing at the international airport!

With numerous phone calls, that got cleared as well.

When Pieter landed in Bombay, it made him instantly feel almost home because soon he would be under the wings of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and he would really be leaving!

Instead of the usual combi-jumbo for half freight/half passengers, used for this stretch, KLM had sent a full passenger plane because so many people got stranded in India during these riots.

What a grateful feeling for getting out SAFE!

The death toll had risen to 1,400...

On December 14, I could finally pick up my flying Dutchman at the Atlanta Airport!

END of a dangerous journey...

Consulting for Pond's (India) Limited Mushroom Project

So here we are...
On Monday, February 18, 1991 we both started our first day of consulting at Pond's (India) Limited Mushroom Project.
Even though our night rest was not good, due to my bronchitis, we were early for breakfast in our room at 8:00. Dr. Ram picked us up for riding to the farm.
Mr. Balu welcomed us again in the traditional Indian way and we started our rounds.

The sign at the entrance for Ponds (India) Limited

Looking down onto the compost preparation area, Pieter always loved to climb to high grounds for getting an overview.

From a different angle showing more the insulated growing sheds.

A lot of excavation work got done for building this plant at an altitude of 2,100 m or 6,890 ft.

Excavation here as well

Building high in the mountains where the ideal climate is, does come with construction problems...

A chute for the straw... Straw is being dumped by truck at the top level and it goes down the chute.

Overview of the compost slab with the pasteurization rooms in the back.

On the compost slab

The compost turning machine.

Men mainly bare footed!
Our work as International Consultants did open our eyes.
There are so many people far less off than we. Especially during the over-commercialized season of Christmas, which has evolved into a MASS CONSUMPTION PERIOD, we think about others!

Bagging machine for the spawned and pasteurized growing substrate.

Bagging area.

Insulated growing sheds.

Some damaged covers as they need to be sturdy and above all UV-resistent.

Inside the growing room with the air handling duct and air distribution tube.

No aluminum shelves as in my mushroom harvesting movie from 1980, but all locally grown bamboo.
Mushroom harvesting movie: 1980 Mushroom Harvest BLUES
In the back there is a harvester...

Me on the catwalk at the top... Nice first brake!

Ended up going to the local hospital for my severe bronchitis and the medication helped me.
A representative of the Pond's leather garments factory in Madras (Chennai) happened to stop by on Tuesday, February 25. That yielded for both of us a leather jacket. A black lambskin for Pieter and for me a suede leather jacket.

It is quite rewarding to receive something like this...
Given to me on our final day of the two week training period.
~
We thank our teacher for the training you gave us to do our job better.
See you soon. With love,
All their names written...

Makes one feel good!
~
Dated till the world ends 
1. A few friends in this world whose love is fond and true, when you count those Please count us among the few.
2. We are not rich, nor we have so much Power.
The only rare gift we can give you is our friendship towards you.
3. As the night follows the day our love with you will stay for as near you may be we will keep you in our heart.
~
Very touching and it made me emotional...

Some of their names, top 4 written by me and bottom written by them, except the word cannery that I added.

A very nice team to work with!
It always is hard to leave such a warm group...
We traveled to the planes again for our flight to Madras (Chennai) from Coimbatore.
On February 28, we did rise early at 3:45 in our Trident hotel, Madras for an early flight to Delhi.
The person from Pond's was there in time to pick us up and dropping us off at the nearby airport, only 5 minutes by car.
In Delhi we end up again at the Taj Palace Hotel where our Pond's contact person dropped us off and picked us up again around 14:15 for a little shopping tour. We visited the State Emporia Complex for a good range of fine products at good prices.
We also did shop at the shopping gallery of the Taj Palace Hotel.
On March 1, early rising at 4:15 and we went to the International Airport for our flight to Jakarta, Indonesia where we lived and worked at that time...
This is by far not a vacation or a sight seeing tour but we always loved doing it, helping so many people getting a better living.
Fond memories brought home, gifts and bought gifts and above all, those inside our hearts!

Thanks for your visit and comment!

Related links:
My 2nd trip to India - Consulting Together with Husband Pieter | previous post by me
Brindavan Gardens Mysore with Luxury Heritage Hotel | previous post by me

Lalitha Mahal and Maharaja Palace Mysore | previous post by me
Chamundeshwari Temple and Chamundi Hills in Mysuru India | previous post by me
Trip from Ooty to Mysuru through Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary | previous post by me
Wearing a Saree for ONE Day and Lending my Jeans | previous post by me
Pond's (India) Limited Mushroom Project | previous post by me
My 1st Trip to India - Consulting Together with Husband Pieter | previous post by me
Husband Pieter's ADVENTUROUS 2nd Trip to India | previous post by me showing the Qutb Minar