The Netherlands in Time

I arrived in Amsterdam on February 10th. I had spent the previous two months (and some change) in Dublin, enjoying the comfort of a routine and an apartment to myself. I was eager to return to the fast-paced hostel lifestyle that I had grown accustomed to in Asia. I had a whirlwind ten days in The Netherlands with my religious studies lens as my guide. The Netherlands gave me a new perspective on my project, encouraging my to reflect on history for the sake of history. Below are my five most inspiring experiences had in The Netherlands for my project.

1. The Anne Frank Huis

   Visiting the Anne Frank House was at the top of my list for Amsterdam. While I was still in Ireland, I rewatched TV adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank to refresh my memory. I booked the earliest time slot, hoping to beat the crowds. Cities like Amsterdam don't wake up until around 10am. There were quite a few tourists when I arrived but the energy was perfectly somber, invested, and respectful. I absorbed carefully each and every audio clip and plaque.

   
   

   One of the eeriest parts of The Anne House is it's location. It truly is right in the middle of the city. The annex really is hidden in plain sight.

   
   

   Ever since I first learned about Anne Frank's story, the detail that her father was the only survivor has rang in my mind. Otto Frank dedicated so much of his life to telling this story and his hand is all over the museum. He is the reason the furniture isn't there. He's the voice of many of the audio clips. He provided so much information that wasn't included in Anne's diary. The most painful audio clip to hear in the museum was Otto Frank talking about how after his liberation, he was dedicating his life to finding Anne and Margot until he learned from a fellow survivor of how they passed.

   
   

   To experience the Anne Frank House is to face the reality of individualism in mass suffering.

   
   
   

   

   

   

   

   

   
   
   

2. Phuntsok Chö Ling

   Visiting Phuntsok Chö Ling was one of the primary reasons I came to the Netherlands in the first place. When I was in Kathmandu at Kopan Monastery, I made a quick friendship with Aihua. She's a member of Phuntsok Chö Ling, the Tibetan Buddhist Center in Rotterdam. She invited me to visit the center and receiving teachings from Lama Jigmé Namgyal as a part of a refuge weekend. In Asia, I became quite comfortable in Tibetan Buddhist spaces but I had yet to experience it in Europe. Aihua had told me that the center is quite small but the community felt quite tight-knit. Everyone knew everyone and a lot of people even knew about me and that I was coming to visit.

   
   

   The teachings were wonderful and Lama Jigmé Namgyal even offered to give me a dharma name. He taught about ego, the value of knowledge, and the importance of committing to ones practice. He trained us on how to properly do prostrations, something I wish I'd known in Asia.

   
   

   Reconnecting with friends made earlier in the year was joyful and a nice reminder of the connectedness of our small world. Now, I'm off to Germany to reconnect again with a friend made in Malaysia.

   
   
   

   

   

   
   
   

3. De Krijtberg

   De Krijtberg is a large Roman Catholic Cathedral, nestled between businesses, and hosting a Jesuit congregation. When I arrived, I was quickly greeted by a student volunteer who offered to give me a tour. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the symbolism in the art and the construction of the church. The intricacies of cathedral architecture and religious art is on full display at De Krijtberg. Spending time at De Krijtberg had me questioning the history of iconography and decoration in Christianity.

   
   
   

   

   

   

   
   
   

4. Maria Van Jessekerk in Delft

   Maria Van Jessekerk is at the top of my list as the most beautiful cathedral I've ever seen. Unlike De Krijtberg, there weren't any tour guides so, at my own pace, I soaked in the beauty of the space. Beautiful choral music rang in the air. The light from the colorful windows painted shapes on the walls. It is a Neo-Gothic Roman Catholic Cathedral was the first Catholic church to be re-established after the Protestant Reformation. This cathedral is type of beautiful that brings out emotions and asks you to slow down.

   
   
   

   

   

   

   
   
   

5. The Rijksmuseum

   I spent nearly a full day in the Rijksmuseum. Religious literacy is oftentimes essential to understanding art. There, I had the opportunity to see a few Rembrandt's in person, quite the dream come true. I wish that the photos below could encapsulate the beauty only visible in person. The works of art in the Rijksmuseum provide another lens for me to consider religious history. Art is, after all, a medium for expression - especially religious expression.