Europe Memoirs, Part 1: AmsterDAMN!

Original Post Date: August 2, 2009

My European adventure is coming to an end soon, and I have had alot to think about and write about... so here is the first part of my memoirs from this trip... I have a lot more to say, so be prepared and, stay tuned! I thought I would start off with the city which I originally was not too keen on visiting, but I somehow ended up here, and decided to make the most of it. It ended up being quite an interesting experience, and I am glad I made the stop.

Arrived in Amsterdam early in the morning via an overnight train from Zurich. Frankly, my first impressions of the city were pretty negative. The landscape of all of the Netherlands is as flat as a pancake, and the weather was dull and gray. It is very depressing looking, as basically the entire country is farmland/dikes, with the occasional small town which pops up in between. Furthermore, when you first see the city of Amsterdam, all of the buildings seem to be made of brick and mortar, which almost makes the city seem as if you have arrived in a prison in the midwestern USA. The Dutch language itself is a bit funny... it seems to be a combination of German and Nordic Languages, and kind of sounds like the people are grunting and gargling from the back of their throats in short, loopy bursts, with every 3rd sound being a "sh" (The Dutch pronounce 's' as 'sh').

The Dutch are an odd bunch. They REALLY know how to relax. Apparently no one works past 4PM and 8 weeks of vacation a year are quite normal. While the Spanish and the French are flamboyant and passionate about partying, and the Swiss and the Germans are a bit more orderly and classy when they relax, the Dutch are just chilled out, about being chilled out. Nothing seems to phase them, and they judge no one.

People are absolutely obsessed with bicycles. They have a parking garage for bikes and not for cars right beside Amsterdam Central Station. You are far more likely to get hit by a bicyclist than a car here. I guess it makes sense with the land being so flat and all. Some other interesting quirks I noticed... these people have really weird toilets with very little water in them, which basically forces you to inspect your business, after you have conducted your business. Also, they seem very keen on eating healthy. Dutch cuisine is a bit bland, and if you order french fries, expect to pay extra for your ketchup/mayonaise on the side.

Anyway, dropped my bags off at the hotel, took a shower, and headed out early in the afternoon on a tram to explore the city. Before I left the hotel, I had an interesting debate in my mind... what should I wear? I decided to go a bit formal and wear a pink shirt with a sweater... the pink turned out to be quite appropriate. I did not plan this at all, but by chance, that day was the gay pride parade in Amsterdam. I discovered this while walking to the city center and I noticed huge crowds lining the sides of one of the main canals. I asked what was going on, and someone in the crowd told me that the parade floats were about to come down the canal... imagine that... Sudip from Surrey standing bemusedly on the side of a canal as hundreds of drag queens, drag kings, and queers in general gyrated to techno music as they floated down a canal, while tens of thousands of Dutch enthusiastically cheered them on with cans of Heineken in their hands... I actually had to pinch myself when one of the floats stopped right in front of me, the mayor of Amsterdam climbed on board, and conducted the marriage ceremony of two gay Jewish men from the USA. Beside me someone held a huge sign which read, "Dutchify the world... gay rights for all..." Quite the interesting start to the Amsterdam experience.

Marijuana use is quite rampant and accepted. Interestingly, I don't think the Dutch get stoned as much as tourists from abroad do. Weed is sold upto 30 grams at once in small 'Coffeeshops' which are located in almost every block of the city. Most are pretty chilled out, but the ones located in the city center were filled with some pretty freaky looking stoners... People pretty much go in, get high, and then come out as if its part of the normal routine. Although smoking in public is prohibited, I went to a place called Vondelpark, where I noticed many youngsters smoking joints as they chilled out along the side of a lake... and of course, drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes in public are totally acceptable.

The Red Light District is something else all together... in fact it is not that big, only about 4 city blocks. However, what was amazing to me was how much a mainstream part of life it is. It is only about 5 minutes from the Central Train Station, and tour groups, families with kids, and party goers happily stroll along, admiring the sights and 'pleasures' which are being openly offered within...

Amongst all the wildness, there are also some nice museums here... the Rembrandt Museum, Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House are all here. I really wanted to see the Anne Frank House, but unfortunately, it was closed due to the parade.

I'm not sure about how nice it would be to settle here, and some of the things I saw were sort of a shock. But I think if you are mature enough, you should definately come here once just to experience the incredible aura the place has. I don't know if Amsterdam is representative of all of the Netherlands, and may just be more of an experiment. In fact, Rotterdam and Den Haag were an absolute bore in comparison. While the Dutch may in fact be very conservative in the personal lives, (I'm not sure, as I amen't here long enough to pass any judgements), the way they are willing to live and let live is admirable, and I am impressed by how they refuse to judge absolutely anyone...Coming up soon... Hiking in the Swiss Alps... stay tuned!