Of Lethargy and Amsterdam

To tell the truth, I am not entirely sure what was it the compeled me to Amsterdam. I've never been obsessed with smoking pot that seems to permeate most California university campuses and the only thing I really liked about the Netherlands were tulips and the art. Of course, after walking around the Northern Europe section in the Louvre, and the National Gallery, and the Getty, I feel like I have gotten my heart's content in terms of that area. So why go you wonder?

Probably because I am a college student and I figured I would do what most college students would dream of doing during Spring Break. So time spent in Amsterdam: 2 days.



And I stayed away from the "coffee shops," which did not sell coffee but rather pot by the joint, brownie, or smoothies (I don't want to know). The wonderful thing about walking by coffee shops was that you always knew which ones were coffee shops and which ones were "coffee shops." To differentiate, look at the clientele (older folks reading newspapers for the former) and use your nose. Apparently, a popular chain is the Bulldog.



So, when you are not in the mood for pot but still want Amsterdam culture, then there is always a little bit of history (albeit sad) at the Anne Frank House. I have not been to a Holocaust monument since the Museum of Tolerance (and that gave me sleepless nights for days) but it's amazing when 40 years after, despite the fact that I do not come from that background of people who were any way connected to it, seeing such a place can still move you enough to tears. Not to mention that walking through the house, through those small rooms that housed 8 people, and almost tripping up those narrow stairs that led to the Secret Annex, you cannot help feeling both moved and have your hair standing on ends from the ghost of decades past. I wonder how it would feel to visit Poland...


I found the sight of people posing and smiling in front of the house just a bit inappropriate.

Then, there was the Rijkmuseum, which housed an impressive collection of Dutch art...so I am told. They closed down half of the museum for renovation so all you could see were the highlights. Which would have been a decent sample if they did not charge the full 11 euros admission price to get into what amounted to only a quarter of the museum. Even though I finally saw Rembrant's impressive "Night Watch," as a student, 11 euros was too much to charge for seeing it. Not cool, Rijkmuseum, not cool at all.


Pretty courtyard though.

And there was a very interesting walk through the red-light district with its heavily perfumed rooms that you can smell as you're walking past and its church that is ironically located at the very end of it. I wonder how many confessors and tithes the church gets on a daily basis...



Finally, my favorite part...


Tulips


Lots and lots of tulips sold at the Westermarkt...they even ship them worldwide!

All in all, Amsterdam was basically a place to casually stroll around and maybe take in a sight or two if you were really motivated. But I felt that the majority of the time we spent there was just lethargically strolling around. There was something about the air that made you feel tired even if you had been sitting down previously. Suffice to say, I was glad I went but it probably won't be a place I'll want to come back to.

And now for something completely random while we were there, the carnival!


That sold the largest stick of cotton candy I have ever seen, which took the strength of two girls and one guy to finish.

Amsterdam, the photo album