yesterday i had class and a paper due by midnight, and david and i got into a big fight, so my day was destined to kind of suck. but i wanted to get out of the center for at least a little while, so i went to the imperial war museum with one of the political science classes here. i went through a ww1 and ww2 exhibit, and learned a lot about the causes of war, trench warfare, advances in warfare technology, etc. there was a huge, really obnoxious group of french high school students visiting the museum too, and in my attempt to remove myself from their proximity, i lost my own group, and so i went through the holocaust exhibit by myself. which was a huge mistake.
the holocaust exhibit was something i was looking forward to. i know that it's a weird thing to look forward to, but the holocaust is fascinating to me. mainly just because i don't understand how humanity could sink that low. it started off explaining how jews have been persecuted because their people killed Christ two thousand years ago. i read about how hitler used the jewish people as a scapegoat for Germany's loss of ww1, and i read about how slowly, they began to lose their freedoms. i wasn't allowed to take pictures there, but they had this really interesting timeline showing how over time, the loss of freedoms turned into persecution, and ultimately into genocide. i'm not going to go into details of the things i saw in that exhibit, mostly because i don't want to go back there in my mind, but it was a heart-wrenching and sickening experience. i left feeling very heavy and solemn. if you are planning on going to the holocaust exhibit, don't go by yourself, go on a sunny day, don't get in a fight with your boyfriend, and eat a large ice cream cone with sprinkles after.
i have a huge english test today that i am only semi-prepared for. which means that today all i will be doing is studying. no fun. i just might venture out for that large ice cream cone.
4 comments:
when you were telling me about your experience at the holocaust exhibit through blackberry messenger, i started to cry. had to sit there for a minute and compose myself. for some reason the horrible atrocities of the holocaust are mind boggling to me, and affect me in such a way i cannot contain myself. probably because over the years i have witnessed the intense patriotism your grandfather has shown by serving his country in ww2, at such a young age. hits close to home for some reason, maybe too, because i know and dearly love our jewish friends next door, and if i had to think of anyone who exemplifies true Christianity, it might be them...i know, kind of a weird concept...hope i am not offending cheryl if she ever reads this.
Even though it was upsetting I'm glad you went.
And I think getting an ice cream cone would be a perfectly good way of celebrating your freedom.
I'm glad you went to the museum and allowed it to sink in. I agree it's not a great idea by yourself. You should also go the the Air Force museum. It's a bit to the north of London, but easily accessible by tube. (I can't remember the stop). It puts a lot of the German war movement into perspective.
Enjoy the ice cream and above all, ENJOY Paris
Aunt Marilyn
I just checked, and the RAF museum is near the Colindale tube stop. I think it's the Northern Line, but it's been about 10 years since I was there, so maybe I have the wrong line. The Women at War exhibit is good.
Marilyn
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