A - Anne Frank, an Inspiration

Hello, fellow A to Z challenge bloggers, new readers & loyal friends! :)

This is my second year at participating in Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.

If you are curious you could check it here: my Blogs from A to Z April Challenge 2011.

I begin my first entry to my, People, Places  & Things of Inspiration in the Netherlands theme for this blogging event by sharing a previously (7 months ago) published blog, I wrote under my pseudonym, Paper at an anonymous blogging site.

I shall not remain insignificant. I shall work in the world for mankind…I don’t want to have lived in vain like most people. I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living, even after my death. - Anne Frank

I read The Diary of Anne Frank, after seeing the film, when I was around 9-10 y.o.. If my recollection is correct, I borrowed a copy in our school library.

A year or a couple of years before, my paternal Aunt and godmother, married my German Uncle, whom she met in California during her world travels for the company she worked for. He was from the former East Germany, and escaped in the early 80's by swimming in the Baltic Sea.

During my early childhood, I've seen my father read books regarding the second World War, and his fascination for this time period awakened my interest as well.

All these details, were somehow tiny puzzle pieces that led to my fascination of Europe.

I won't be able to go on writing a proper story about how Anne Frank has inspired me at a very early age, and how she indirectly empowered me in travelling and living in Europe. But I thought I could make (again!) a blog I can come or link back to, when I have peace, and more time to write about it. A simple blog of scattered thoughts.

When I was a child, and feeling lonely, I would often think of Anne Frank, and somehow she was one of those reason I turned to keeping written journals of my life.

I've longed of visiting the place, Het Achterhuis, where they hid during the time of the Jews persecution; I'd imagine it before I fall asleep.

15 years after I read the book, I finally was able to realise the vision of seeing the place I read many times before for the very first time. It was a hurried and squeezed in visit, in a time my life was changing without my complete awareness.

Now in hindsight, it symbolised how my life was back then: rushed to do what I love, and completely unaware I was making decisions that will change my life completely.

Nonetheless, I was glad that I had the opportunity to be there, and I bought a copy of the The Diary of Anne Frankat the bookstore, which you end up in at the end of the guided tour.

Last year in July, we found the video clip of my first visit to Amsterdam. P helped me photographed some scenes of myself, while we played the video on the wide television screen.

1997/1998 ?

My second visit to Anne Frank's House, coincided with my meeting P. We came almost at closing time at the end of a very long day, and had enlightening talk after the shared experience.

I share the image taken on that day, 8th of August, 2007 , a precious memory I hold very dear.

8th of August, 2007

The "third visit" was last , 27th of August, 2010, after I left the Felix Meritis building at the conclusion of the ceremony giving out our completion certificate for attending the Summer Dutch intensive course.

I wanted to share my certificate with Anne Frank. It was like a completing a circle, which I could only close with being "beside" her. In this case, her statue, her memorial.

If it would not have been completely weird, I would have hugged her statue! But I was tired after a very long day of examinations. My usual courage for doing the not very usual got swallowed by my exhaustion. I was carefree enough though, to ask a pair of young tourist couple to take a picture of tired self, in my whimsical baggy pants (my "school bag" casually thrown on the side).

27th of August, 2010

I plan to visit again, and this time buy another copy of Anne Frank's book, this time in Dutch, the language she originally wrote her diary.