After reading Goodlife's post today about a chance meeting with former owners of her allotment plots, I thought it might be interesting for all to tell about some amazing coincidences they've had.
Mine: We invited some new friends for dinner and since they are renovating an "ancient" (by USA standards) farm, we invited another couple who live in a 1700s farmhouse which they've been improving also. One mentioned that the man who built their house was killed by a panther (cougar). The other couple's ears perked up and they said, "and that would be the man who is buried in the little cemetery on our farm." Sure enough, it was the same name. All the stranger since these couples live in different towns in Pennsylvania. As they chatted further one said, "I've been in your house! My son bought your used camper about 20 years ago and we came in to pay for it."
Years ago when I was lorry driving I was out in the wilds south of Manchester probably on the A34 and had not seen any traffic for a while at all. Anyway I pulled into a layby to walk my dog for a few minutes and whilst doing so a car pulls in.
I was shocked to find the guy driving it was an old friend from my village near London that I had not seen for a few years.
Yes it is a small world at times!
A few years back a customer asked me to design and make a specific pair of earrings for her holiday , when she returned she was upset at losing one so I remade the lost one , job done everyone happy. One month later the building in which she lost the earring was destroyed it was one of the twin towers - the earring had been one of a pair of aeroplanes.
Quote from: markfield rover on July 04, 2014, 12:48:03
A few years back a customer asked me to design and make a specific pair of earrings for her holiday , when she returned she was upset at losing one so I remade the lost one , job done everyone happy. One month later the building in which she lost the earring was destroyed it was one of the twin towers - the earring had been one of a pair of aeroplanes.
Please tell me she wasn't in the Twin Towers when it went down.
Quotethe building in which she lost the earring was destroyed it was one of the twin towers
I do hope she never loses the other one.
New husband and I were on honeymoon in Thailand (many moons ago now!) and were one of only a few English speaking tourists in a small hotel in Phuket. We decided to go on an excursion to remote islands by motorised boat, and as there were so few of us joined other visitors from other hotels, no one else spoke English but we had a great tour through some mangrove type canals we had to navigate through before hitting the open water.
Another boat containing a load of Japanese tourists started to try and pass us, and the two boats started to race, neither wanted to give way, and our boat shot into the lead, forcing the other boat under some mangrove roots, which meant the tourists in the front were all ducking and screaming as they went in the dark, while the ones in the back were still waving at us and filming us whizzing by.....we couldn't help but laugh (no one was hurt I hasten to add) .
I noticed another couple in the front of our boat trying not laugh and realised they were speaking English, so we went over to say hello.
It turns out they were also on their honeymoon, and had been married on the same day as us. We then realised they were staying in the same hotel as us, but had joined the excursion from another point . Then they asked where we lived.... and it turns out we only lived about 5 miles from us in a small village we knew really well! And there we were in the middle of nowhere in Thailand!
The nice bit is that we have kept in touch, they moved a bit further away but we still see each other occasionally and write at Christmas, we both had two children a boy and a girl, born within a few months of each other.
Me and my friend were in holiday in Italy..went to see Vatican...outside we sat down on ground leaning our backs against one of the monument bases and we were having conversation who to write all the cards we've purchased earlier on. Soooo many tourist and locals around, so much talking going and yet we were over heard saying (talking Finnish) "should we write card for.." We got answer back..." no need for stamp, I'm here!" GOSH... none of us knew about each others travels..it was quickest post sending ever!
Just remembered other one..
My parents were over here in their holidays...and we went to see Robin Hood village..one where Kevin Costner's Robin Hood film was partially filmed. This place is in countryside and there wasn't really any other attractions nearby so not really a tourist kind of place.
It was quiet day and not many people about. We sat outside having our refreshments and this couple walked by trying open pair of heavy doors to the café..but for some reason they were struggling to do so. My dad said (talking to us and in Finnish) "why don't they kick that door..it should get some attention from staff!" His 'suggestion' did get reply back, and in Finnish too..."they might not take that quite kindly..."
Dad's face was worth of seeing..they say "picture is worth of 1000 words"..certainly his surprise was plain to everybody to see... :icon_cheers: He didn't expect to been over heard and certainly not getting answer back. Now my husband keep sayin..there is only few Finns in the world and yet where ever you go...you can be sure to come across at least one of them... :glasses9:
Yes is she is fine. Somebody looked into this subject of coincidences and worked out that something will happen every thirteen years.
I once went on holiday and met a girl and was sure I knew her. She also had the same feeling. So we chatted and tried think where we had met. Then finally we realised that as children we had shared a summer together. I had been staying with my grandmother and her family had rented a house nearby. It was quite extraordinary that we still recognised each other so many years later.
It was a chance remark that matched us up because she suddenly said that her father drove the car in bare feet and he is the only person I have ever known to do such a thing and for some reason it stuck in my mind.
Funny what you say about Finns. My SIL was on a train and some Finnish youngsters were making rude remarks about her fashion sense. She was reading a book in English so they had assumed she would not understand, but were very surprised when she finally had had enough and told them off in her native Finnish.
We had another coindence when we bumped into my daughters French exchange partner in the Alhambra Palace in Granada.
Quote from: Digeroo on July 05, 2014, 09:23:34
It was a chance remark that matched us up because she suddenly said that her father drove the car in bare feet and he is the only person I have ever known to do such a thing
It's clear you aren't American then, Digeroo! LOL
Quote from: goodlife on July 04, 2014, 22:17:43
Now my husband keep sayin..there is only few Finns in the world and yet where ever you go...you can be sure to come across at least one of them... :glasses9:
That is quite true ! When I was a child, our neighbours were Finnish! Actually for years I always thought their family name was Finn as everyone just called them 'The Finns across the road' ! LOL. Actually their name was Henttinen, I realised much later.