Stanziliëri

This month my old secondary school turned 50. Reason enough for a little party.

I attended secondary school from 1992 till 1998. In those years many many things happened. Many things I wished to forget. So after having finished there, I moved straight out of town not to return to that place or any of the people I knew there. Until yesterday.
10 years on, going back there and having a ball with old familiar faces seemed like a great idea. And it certainly was!

The day started with a ceremony in the nearby church (the 'Victorkerk') for those who wanted to. It was a beautiful service in remembrance of those students and employees who had already departed this life. Most often a bit too soon. Astor Piazzolla's music (beautifully performed by piano, accordion, violin and cello) is always a great tear-breaker.
I noticed many old familiar faces there. And I mean 'old' as in 'from teachers'. From many I didn't even know the names anymore, but it was nice walking around there.

The next part was the real reunion at the main school building. It looks still so familiar, even though it's heavily extended and modernized now. The same stairs. The same bathrooms. The same lunchroom.

After having cruised through the building, searching for familiar faces and not finding any fro my year, I stumbled down the stairs again and bumped into the first one. And then as if by magic within seconds they appeared from everywhere. Giliam Kerkhoff (steen!), Georg Ruff (hoofd!), Anne Cnossen, Charlotte Crockett (Lotje!!!), Meike van der Leij, Marieke van Wezel, Marie-Louise Doek, Majelle Rutenfrans, Claire Tempelman, Thijs Biezeman, Carlijn Wolters, Tjarda Kroese, Inger Storm, Merel van der Lande, Esther Pragt, Astrid van Zelst, and many more that I don't remember the names of rightnow.

There were many names missing as well. Faces I would have liked to have seen (Annerike Gorter, Anne-Wil Stegeman, Anne Hemrika, Jasper van den Hout, Dave Zijlstra, and many more) and some that I didn't care too much about :)

A good long drinks and dinner session in the town center of Apeldoorn finshed the day in a great way. Just in time for the next 10 years to start...