I found my future home!

It's 1:30 am, and I finally got home 2 hours later than expected. le sigh. but it's okay because I had an awesome time in Amsterdam today!

Jules and I took the train at around 8:30 am to get to Amsterdam by 11:30 am, and we immediately headed for the (in)famous Redlight District. It consists of two canals surrounded by lots of stores related to sex and marijuana. It was a little shocking at first to see so many large signs advertising live sex shows and large, full length windows with scantily clad women behind them. And it smelled like marijuana everywhere! I don't think I'm a prude really, but I was a little taken aback by all the dildos, boobies, penises, sex toys seriously EVERYWHERE. And the the prostitutes in the windows weren't all very hot either. Some were large and talking on the phone while slouching on a stool. I'm guessing she wasn't really in the mood for work today. There was even a lady wearing just a thin strip of black to cover her nirples and a thong. Eeps. Doesn't leave much to the imagination.

There would be ladies standing where the curtains are, and I wanted to take pictures of some but we weren't allowed to and I didn't want to get yelled at by a prostitute.

And there was a sign that advertised live porno that listed the options of "girl and girl," "girl and boy," (no "boy and boy" though, so I'm guessing they're not quite ready to include the gay scenarios), and "banana show." I have no idea what the last part meant and not quite sure if I want to know.

I wonder how the Dutch regard sex then--I imagine they must be really kinky since they are so open with sex that they must be bored with the regular versions. Good thing they have strap-ons and whips so readily accessible to the public!

There were also marijuana products everywhere--hemp cookies, hemp biscuits, marijuana lollipops, hemp chocolate (of both milk and dark varieties), even mushroom tea. I think I saw e too. I bought myself a pack of hemp chocolate! It tasted the same as regular chocolate, pretty much. I don't think it had much of an effect on me mentally though.

After the initial shock of seeing prostitutes so close (not going to lie--I was a little scared, but I'm not sure why), I saw how pretty Amsterdam was outside of that. There are canals on every other street, and EVERYONE rides a bike. It makes me really want to bring a bike to school when I get to Rutgers again. And Amsterdamers dress so well! They look so put together all the time. The houses are really cute, but I think the fact that almost all of them are along the water (of the canals) makes them ten times nicer.

We then ventured over to see the Anne Frank house, and the museum just made me so so sad. I can't imagine how her father must've felt when he came back to find that he was the only surviver of his entire family. We almost decided not to go to the museum because the line was so long, but I'm really glad we decided to stick it through even though I was really depressed by it. We got to see her actual diary and the actual photos she stuck on her wall to brighten her room up as she was hiding. But I was just so sad by the entire thing. How terrible it must be to live a life without purpose as she did while she was hiding and in camp. I guess you could say the purpose was to survive, but that would soon disintegrate once one realizes t hat survival is useless without something for which to survive... and then that purpose becomes a moot point.

But my depression was cut off quickly--as soon as we stepped outside, we w ere greeted by a 20 piece orchestra that was performing in the streets! It was so entertaining and uplifting, and they looked like they were having so much fun dancing and playing.

It reminded me of my good ol' band days, and that was the point at which Jules and I decided that we were going to live in the Netherlands. The place is so cool! The bikes, the canals, the Dutch style... it's all so intoxicating. It's hard to explain why they're so cool. They just have such cool things, like this store of super cool stuff that we discovered:

We probably spent like 45 minutes in there just staring at things. The Dutch designs are just so eccentric but cool at the same time.

They also had this other cool band that we found earlier performing on the streets. A group of percussionists were standing in a circle in shiny sequined blazers and bell-bottoms, and ladies were in big feather costumes dancing around them.

I think it was all just for kicks too!

We then went on the mission to find the "I AMsterdam" sign, and it took ages. Good thing this super cute, tall boy at the Apple store gave me directions heeheehe. And good thing I w as able to basically hear what he was saying as I stared into his beautiful hazel eyes. HAHA oh how pretty people distract me. Oh that's another reason why I want to live in the Netherlands--Dutchies are so pretty! Their level of attractiveness as a whole race is just outrageous compared to Americans.

So then our last mission was to go smoke. I never smoke, but how could I pass up the opportunity if I was in Amsterdam? I feel like I just had to since I was there so I could say, "Why yes, I smoked in Amsterdam!" So a hunt was deemed necessary to find a bar in the Redlight District, and there was a nice touristy one called "The Bulldog."

I got a pre-rolled joint for 3 euro and smoked one as I had a delicious cappucino/hot chocolate. It burned my throat, and then my head started to feel drunk-y and then my reactions got a lot slower. All I wanted to do was sit there and zone out! It was really odd. My friend kept laughing at me and saying that she never saw anyone move as slowly as I did haha but I felt like I was just... existing. I didn't have any marvelous thoughts or feel music running through my body or anything crazy like that. I just felt... there. I still don't get why people do it--if I were to take any drug, I'd want one that would make me excited and happy, not like I'm just a body. That's weird.

And after that, we hopped on the train to get home, but we got in an hour late, so the metro was closed by the time I got home. Good thing I knew how to take the night bus home!

I am going to live in the Netherlands when I grow up. SERIOUSLY. I will make it there one day!