Well, I arrived back in the US a few days ago after spending eight nights in Amsterdam. Obviously these are two very different places in many ways. First off, Amsterdam is a city and where I live here is a suburban area. If you leave your window open here at best you’ll hear a car infrequently drive by, if you have good hearing and it’s a quiet night you might even hear some animals on the lawn in the summer. Over there, where I was anyway, it was very busy. You could hear church bells, people, cars, motorcycles/scooters, coughing from the coffeeshop on the first floor, and more at almost all hours. The architecture of almost all the tall, some crooked, buildings is completely different; obviously a much older style that what we have here. It’s cool how even things like supermarkets blend in with the rest of the homes and businesses on the block. I don’t know how many times I walked past the supermarket by my apartment before I realized what it was. Many of he streets have canals along them, Amsterdam actually has more canals than Venice, Italy, with boats and houseboats docked along many of them, I was fortunate to have an apartment with a view of one although the view wasn’t anything spectacular (lots of trees in the way, I could see the canal, a bridge, a women’s clothing store, and a headshop).
I was in a place where several drugs and prostitution are legal and done in the open at legitimate stores and windows. I must say that this minor aspect of he Dutch culture really impresses me, their view just seems so logical in contrast to that of most of the rest of the world. They realize that these things are basically harmless compared to many other unhealthy things people can do legally and that fighting it is pointless because history has proven that these are things that there is enough demand for to keep people making it available, at the risk of their freedom in most places; hell, prostitution is commonly referred to as ‘the oldest profession in the world’. The whole situation with drugs and prostitution here in the US just seems to be driven by greed (I got busted with a dime bag in college and it wound up costing me $850…) veiled by disinformation. I never really understood what I did that was so wrong back in college that it would prompt someone to take the time to report me as their suspected (and, obviously, correct) culprit.
I’ll stop whining about the laws now, it’s pointless. (as are they…) and their penalty is not something I need to worry about because I stopped breaking them some time ago. I’m just glad I have the means to take a trip somewhere better every year or so (my 2nd time there, a 3rd is definitely in order and will probably be my next vacation!) and that this place exists. If this stuff is your thing and you want to go and check it out then I highly recommend it, I really doubt you will be disappointed if you do your research beforehand. If sex and drugs is not your thing or offends you then I also recommend it. These things are but a small fraction of what this awesome city has to offer (tons of restaurants, café’s, and bars, nice parks, famous museums, scenic streets, casino’s, and lots more…) however I am not ashamed to say they are a very big part in my attraction to it as my vacation spot! The only thing I don’t like about this is that when I tell people I’m going there I usually get some smartass comment with a reference or innuendo towards either the Red Light District or the marijuana. If it’s from a friend then it’s fine and welcome (assuming the right place and time) however if it’s just from some acquaintance at work then it is not at all appreciated. I don’t care if you’re “just trying to be cool” or funny, you’re not, that shit’s illegal here and there’s no guarantee that what you’re saying aloud might reach the wrong ears and result in a piss test I’m going to fail when I get back. Outside of work is fine, I don’t care who you are, but that’s just not cool there.
In conclusion, I really miss that place and wish I was still there right now. You have no idea how depressed I was on my last day! (I, of course, made the best of it though... :))
