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Monday, April 23, 2012

ABC WEdnesday: O for overseas

My Bonnie lies over the ocean, my bonnie lies over the sea. My dad used this song to teach us what Overseas means. In Sarawak, many of the kids aspire to go overseas. My Dad was one of the very early students to go overseas to England. I was privileged to get my parents' scholarship to go overseas to Canada and New Zealand. It was fate that the water engineer chose to go overseas to New Zealand and we were to meet so many years ago.

In this photo, I met overseas guests from New York and Japan. We met in Jurong bird park. I invited them home for a cup of tea. They accepted. At that time, we had a very small car Mazda 323. I don't know how we fitted everyone in the car. There were 9 of us, and the man ws a tall man. The two African kids are my nieghbours from Ghana.

For the Save the world meme, I believe in saying Hi to total strangers, and they become your friend. When Ann and Bunt Burkhalter went home to Long Beach New York, they sent the girls some home made toys, including Oscar in a rubbish can. It is a coicidence, today, I met two women from Japan at the Auckland Domain. I played host to them for a while. My newest overseas guests, Saya and Kaye frpom Okinawa.
From overseas in Ghana is Dorothy who now lives in England and Normah French from USA. She always liked to clarify that her name is French, but she is not French.


My wonderful friends gave me a surprise baby shower when I had my son. Because he came 3 weeks early, the shower was held after he was born.  All of these ladies had lived overseas.


In 1990, after 13 years in New Zealand, the water engineer got a job lecturing at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. We came to this campus  where people came from all over the world. We lived in the campus accomodation like htis. My daughters and I were enriched with living with them. My neighbours came from all parts of the world, includig remote areas of Nepal, Fiji, Ghana, Ukraine. We were like minded, some of us organised the Charity for the Deaf in Kenya, the rest contributed and supported. It was the best time of my life with these sisters.

http://youtu.be/dCtC2_IF8Ms
http://youtu.be/YHxycdSF_uU

Lyrics to My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean :

My Bonnie lies over the ocean, my Bonnie lies over the sea,
My Bonnie lies over the ocean, O bring back my Bonnie to me.

Chorus:
Bring back, bring back, O bring back my Bonnie to me, to me:
Bring back, bring back, O bring back my Bonnie to me.

Last night as I lay on my pillow, Last night as I lay on my bed,
Last night as I lay on my pillow, I dreamed that my Bonnie was dead.

Repeat chorus

The heater is blooming around me,
The blossoms is spring now appear
The meadows with gree’ry surround me
Oh, Bonnie I wish you were here

Repeat chorus

The winds have blown over the ocean
The winds have blown over the sea
The winds have blown over the ocean
And brought back my Bonnie to

Repeat chorus…3

Bring back, bring back, O bring back my Bonnie to me, to me:
Bring back, bring back, O bring back my Bonnie to me. Bring back, bring back, O bring back my Bonnie to me, to me:
Bring back, bring back, O bring back my Bonnie to me. Bring back, bring back, O bring back my Bonnie to me, to me:
Bring back, bring back, O bring back my Bonnie to me.

(Merci à Marc CURRAT pour cettes paroles)

[ These are My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/ ]

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11 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

Gosh, you are really a world traveler! And treating others who are of different nationalities means you are a world ambassador, too! I remember this song very well.

Felisol said...

I love the story about your open heart and mind. By embracing "overseas people" you have become blessed yourself.
The old song was the first English song I learned.I guess we ended the last chorus with "brought back". Such the song got a happy ending.

Unknown said...

This post just makes me smile! Are you familiar with Thich Nhat Hanh? He promotes peace and it seems to me that you promote peace with a smile and gracious attitude! Thank you, Ann!

Reader Wil said...

Lovely post Ann! It's great to have visitors from overseas. I had some in the past few years and before.( Australia, South Africa, England, Japan, Philippines, India,USA.)It's so important to communicate with the "world".
Thanks Ann! Have a great week.
Wil, ABC Team.

Roger Owen Green said...

ONE of the OPTIMAL things about you, Ann, is that you are so OPEN to new things, and OPTIMISTIC about the OUTCOME.

ROG, ABC Wednesday team

Gattina said...

Very nice post ! I love to be in contact with other nationalities, you always learn something new !

Al said...

Great post. I've moved overseas twice - once from England to Holland, and then to the U.S.A. where I am now. I'm looking forward to your bridge photos!

Sushma Harish said...

Over seas is real experience- cant over see it:-)
Cheers
Sush

Martha said...

I have never been overseas, but my daughter went on a trip to Indonesia last year. I think I enjoyed her experience almost as much as I might have if I had gone myself! :)

Kay L. Davies said...

World travel really teaches us that all people are equal, doesn't it, Ann?
You are fortunate to have so many bonnie friends around the world.
I really enjoyed this post, and this song takes me back to early childhood. Thanks!

K

Penelope Notes said...

What a wonderful post, Ann! Travel does give us a chance to learn about other cultures and cement friendships with people that in earlier times would have been impossible to meet in person. What a great reminder, too, that we are all very similar in the end. :)