Foreign Friday

By -
John Hedberg, Nancy Vandenberg, Peggy Vaughn
Hong Kong
December 1979
John, Nancy and Peggy were also teachers in Misawa, Japan for the Department of Defense, and we travelled together over Christmas break in 1979. The tour covered several countries and cities - Hong Kong being the last. Most of the tour group became ill with the flu in Hong Kong and were confined to the hotel. I was fortunate and did not get sick, so I wandered the city alone for a couple of days.

John and Nancy were married and were a real hoot. They had an agreement that either could purchase whatever they desired on a trip, but whatever it was they had to carry it. John would see Nancy admiring something and would not so subtly remind her that she had to "carry her own brass lamps." It is a phrase that I now use whenever I go on trips with my sister. We each have to "carry our own brass lamps."

Comments

  1. reganNovember 30, 2012 at 8:35 AM

    I love that.....and I'm going to use it! lol

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  2. fancystitchingNovember 30, 2012 at 9:32 AM

    But I married HIM to carry my brass lamps for me! I no longer change the oil in my car or clean the fish (although I can do both) because those are "his" jobs! HAHA! And he does manage to "carry my brass lamp for me" on the very-seldom-occasions I can drag him shopping with me. He also pushes the shopping cart, and often runs over my heels because he is so busy looking around. I guess I must take the bad with the good!

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  3. UnknownNovember 30, 2012 at 10:51 AM

    Very good story. I like the idea that one must carry one's own brass lamps! Ha. Christmas in Hong Kong must have been interesting, to say the least.

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  4. SissySeesNovember 30, 2012 at 11:00 AM

    I love it. I'm glad the Knight doesn't read your blog though. He's sometimes a grumpy pack mule, but he's cooperative just the same.

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  5. PumpkinNovember 30, 2012 at 7:37 PM

    I've heard Hong Kong is a very interesting country, I hope to see it one day. That is also a memorable phrase!

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  6. RURAL December 1, 2012 at 8:34 AM

    Now that's a deal, after all if you really love something, it's not that heavy.

    Jen

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  7. Far Side of FiftyDecember 1, 2012 at 10:24 PM

    Merry Christmas is in English! :)

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  8. KatherineDecember 2, 2012 at 12:49 PM

    I plan to share your story with my granddaughter when we go shopping. She will be "carrying her own brass lamps" in the future! Haha!!

    ReplyDelete

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