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Thursday, May 5, 2011

Lest we forget.

Yesterday (4 May) was Dutch Memorial Day . It initially was a day to honour soldiers and civilians who died in WW2, but now it's to remember those who died in other wars (including peacekeeping efforts). Remember Palestine, Southern Thailand, Libya... the list goes on.

We went to the Peace Palace near ISS, where an orchestra played several sombre pieces until 8pm, when everyone observed two minutes of silence. (My first encounter with silent minutes was in secondary school where my mother advised me to recite the Al-Fatihah when marking such a moment.)

Several people placed wreaths of flowers and leaves on the monument. It was the most touching sight to see an old man in his eighties, supported by his elderly daughter, put down some flowers too. Everyone then walked past the monument, putting down bouquets of tulips, stalks of roses, and even a branch of flowers plucked off a tree.



Truly we come from Him, and to Him we return.

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