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vrijdag 21 november 2014

The Catalogue Bride


They sure were a remarkable couple on the ferry from Hook of Holland to Harwich. He was a very tall, skinny and bald man while she was a very petite South East Asian type. To me this could hardly be something else than a Dutch man and his bride who was found in a catalogue.

I always pity these girls. I realise that they will have escaped a life in poverty, but it must be very hard to adjust to the western style of life and to learn the difficult language that Dutch is.

It really showed that he was very proud of his little spouse while they walked into the restaurant part of the ship. There you can make a choice between already made meals and stir fry.
The cook is making the latter on the spot for you.

The man took a hamburger menu while she went for the stir fry. And so it became clear that she was a Philippine just like the cook. Immediately they started a cheerful conversation that caused quite a lot of laughter from them. To hear him better she leaned halfway over the counter and must have showed more of herself than her husband liked. And he obviously hated it that he could not understand a thing they were saying. Maybe they were even making fun about him!

He muttered something and walked away with his food to a table as far away as possible. After her food was ready, she had to walk to him and ask for some money. He gave it to her silently and she went to the till to pay.

When she joined him he was almost done. She tried to tell him about her conversation but he simply stood up and wanted to leave. It made her to grab his hand and beg him to stay. He did this, but the meal was ended in silence.

We were watching the scene from the bar which she seemed to like to visit too. They already had to pass it and she asked him if they could have a nightcap. He just shook his head, released her hand and walked quite fast past the bar. She almost had to run to follow.


I feared for them that this was not going to be a romantic night on the sea but a long and wordless night.
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