Monday 17 August 2009

Annemarie's favourite places

I know it is a month since I made my post of Annemie's solace.

I feel bad that it has taken until now to start work on the next three posts - Her favourite places, my imaginary places of Her, and the homage I promised Her.

But I found that traveling did not give me the time to carefully construct the combination of words and pictures.

However now that I am home I can fulfill my promises to you all.

I know of Annemie's favourite places from a conversation I was having with her about her work - she loved talking to me about psychology, sociology, and her career - and I loved listening to her; here we were talking about how she got started as a consultant:

[2009/06/17 16:50] Annemarie Niekerk: they always found me
[2009/06/17 16:51] Olivia Paderborn kisses you
[2009/06/17 16:51] Annemarie Niekerk: then this offer from NBC came
[2009/06/17 16:51] Annemarie Niekerk: and i jumped at the chance
[2009/06/17 16:51] Olivia Paderborn: of course
[2009/06/17 16:51] Annemarie Niekerk: and fell in love with NYC
[2009/06/17 16:51] Olivia Paderborn: so different !
[2009/06/17 16:51] Annemarie Niekerk: yes
[2009/06/17 16:51] Annemarie Niekerk: so vibrant
[2009/06/17 16:51] Olivia Paderborn: what bits do you love the most ?
[2009/06/17 16:52] Olivia Paderborn: yes, I love watching people
[2009/06/17 16:52] Annemarie Niekerk: i love liberty island
[2009/06/17 16:52] Annemarie Niekerk: and ellis island
[2009/06/17 16:52] Annemarie Niekerk: central park
[2009/06/17 16:52] Annemarie Niekerk: greenwich village
[2009/06/17 16:53] Annemarie Niekerk: lots of great places for lesbian women
[2009/06/17 16:53] Olivia Paderborn smiles
[2009/06/17 16:53] Olivia Paderborn: central park is amazing
[2009/06/17 16:54] Olivia Paderborn: I have never explored the village
[2009/06/17 16:54] Annemarie Niekerk: the village is great
[2009/06/17 16:54] Annemarie Niekerk: as is little italy
[2009/06/17 16:54] Annemarie Niekerk: and on rainy days
[2009/06/17 16:54] Annemarie Niekerk: i always go to one place
[2009/06/17 16:54] Olivia Paderborn: oh tell me
[2009/06/17 16:55] Olivia Paderborn: I want to be close to you
[2009/06/17 16:55] Annemarie Niekerk: AMNH
[2009/06/17 16:55] Annemarie Niekerk: have spend days and days there
[2009/06/17 16:56] Annemarie Niekerk: American Museum of natural history
[2009/06/17 16:56] Annemarie Niekerk: always discover new things
[2009/06/17 16:57] Annemarie Niekerk: have got to know the curator
[2009/06/17 16:57] Annemarie Niekerk: so was able to ga behind the scene
[2009/06/17 16:58] Annemarie Niekerk: they only have 2% of their collection on display
[2009/06/17 16:59] Olivia Paderborn: we have such richness and beauty in the world
[2009/06/17 16:59] Olivia Paderborn: can't understand people who seek to destroy
[2009/06/17 16:59] Annemarie Niekerk: no me neither
[2009/06/17 17:00] Annemarie Niekerk: want to have hope?
[2009/06/17 17:00] Olivia Paderborn: yes
[2009/06/17 17:01] Olivia Paderborn: I worry about this time we are in, yes I want hope
======
[2009/06/17 17:22] Olivia Paderborn: I will read the books we have talked about
[2009/06/17 17:23] Olivia Paderborn: I will visit AMNH ... but not wait for a rainy day
[2009/06/17 17:24] Olivia Paderborn: and it reminded me of all the other books we have talked about
[2009/06/17 17:24] Olivia Paderborn: I was looking for them last week
[2009/06/17 17:25] Olivia Paderborn: (probably should just use Amazom)
[2009/06/17 17:25] Annemarie Niekerk: you know these books give me hope
[2009/06/17 17:25] Olivia Paderborn: and then I was thinking of the other pieces of your life I would like to taste
[2009/06/17 17:28] Annemarie Niekerk: which one are those
[2009/06/17 17:28] Olivia Paderborn: :)
[2009/06/17 17:29] Olivia Paderborn: such as AMNH, central park, liberty island
[2009/06/17 17:29] Olivia Paderborn: Elaine took you to a park by the river, so I want to stand there
[2009/06/17 17:30] Olivia Paderborn: the village, and now Ellis Island tonight :)

And then on Her last night we had this conversation ...

[2009/06/25 17:10] Olivia Paderborn: it is okay my darling
[2009/06/25 17:10] Olivia Paderborn: it is okay to let go
[2009/06/25 17:11] Olivia Paderborn: I am wth you
[2009/06/25 17:11] Olivia Paderborn: I am walking central park with you
[2009/06/25 17:11] Annemarie Niekerk: cant let go
[2009/06/25 17:11] Annemarie Niekerk: cant
[2009/06/25 17:11] Olivia Paderborn: holding you close
[2009/06/25 17:13] Annemarie Niekerk: lets dance pls
[2009/06/25 17:14] Olivia Paderborn: the balls are here
[2009/06/25 17:15] Olivia Paderborn: come into my arms
[2009/06/25 17:15] Annemarie Niekerk: yesss
[2009/06/25 17:16] Olivia Paderborn: you are with me
[2009/06/25 17:16] Olivia Paderborn: and I am with you
[2009/06/25 17:18] Olivia Paderborn: I am standing with you in the foyer of the Natural History museum
[2009/06/25 17:18] Olivia Paderborn: looking at those dinosaurs
[2009/06/25 17:18] Annemarie Niekerk: yes
[2009/06/25 17:18] Olivia Paderborn: marvelling at their sizes
[2009/06/25 17:18] Annemarie Niekerk: so impresive
[2009/06/25 17:19] Olivia Paderborn: reading Teddy Roosevelt's words on the walls
[2009/06/25 17:20] Olivia Paderborn: simple words to guide us in a complex world
[2009/06/25 17:20] Annemarie Niekerk: he is my favourite president
[2009/06/25 17:20] Olivia Paderborn: forever sitting there looking over the park
[2009/06/25 17:21] Annemarie Niekerk: yes
[2009/06/25 17:21] Annemarie Niekerk: park is so beautiful
[2009/06/25 17:21] Olivia Paderborn: I walk with you through the park
[2009/06/25 17:21] Olivia Paderborn: past Strawberry Fields
[2009/06/25 17:22] Olivia Paderborn: the Inn in the Park
[2009/06/25 17:22] Olivia Paderborn: so we can sit on the grass
[2009/06/25 17:22] Olivia Paderborn: and watch the squirrels
[2009/06/25 17:22] Annemarie Niekerk: Strawbarry fields forever
[2009/06/25 17:22] Olivia Paderborn: forever
[2009/06/25 17:25] Olivia Paderborn: forever strawberries
[2009/06/25 17:25] Olivia Paderborn: forever champagne
[2009/06/25 17:25] Olivia Paderborn: forever sunshine on you
[2009/06/25 17:25] Olivia Paderborn: keeping you warm
[2009/06/25 17:26] Olivia Paderborn: forever the sweet smell of mown grass
[2009/06/25 17:26] Annemarie Niekerk: lying on my back
[2009/06/25 17:26] Annemarie Niekerk: watching the birds
[2009/06/25 17:27] Olivia Paderborn: listening to their songs
[2009/06/25 17:27] Annemarie Niekerk: yes
[2009/06/25 17:27] Olivia Paderborn: the blue sky through the leaves

So as I promised Her, I went and tasted some of Her places ... and took these pictures to bring them and Her closer to you ...

I showed Liberty Island and Ellis Island in my previous post,
and will show them again in my next posts.

The entrance to the Village park ...


... with all the fun of people watching:~


Being taken by Elaine to the parkway ...


... alongside the Hudson River ...


(she must have loved the boats, so like Her's in Ozland).

Of going to Central Park ...


... sitting in on the lawns gazing at the sky and the birds ...


... taking champagne at the "Inn on the Park" ...


... watching for squirrels ...


... looking towards at the skyline of the Upper West Side and ...


... thinking of walking to the American Natural History Museum ... and so going past "Strawberry Fields" ...


... and the John Lennon Memorial ...


... and approaching the AMNH with President Teddy Roosevelt's statue on the outside ...


... with the dinosaurs inside ...


... surronded by Roosevelt's words:~


In particular I was taken by these words - whilst written more than one hundred words ago - and for a different audience - to me they reflect Her spirit.

She certainly:
  • lived up to Her ideals
  • always tried to succeed
  • had daring and courage
  • was full of iron endurance despite Her misfortune
  • tried to make this world and all of us a nobler type of person, and
  • always embraced both the joy of life
  • and the duty of life - such is the role of a great Mistress

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