Amsterdam

So last weekend I took a trip to Amsterdam. It was a 7 hour bus ride from Paris to Amsterdam, I know that sounds pretty bad but It was actually really relaxing. I was able to see part of the French Country side, and our bus also stopped in Brussels and Antwerp. It was nice that we were able to walk around a little, and although we did not see much of the cities, it was still nice to have some exposure.

When we got to the Station we had to take a short train ride to our Hostel. Well, I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but I completely forgot that they speak Dutch in Holland. I was all ready to start speaking French to ask directions and advice at the information center, probably because I have had to do that for the last 2 months in Paris. It was really interesting to be in a place where I was a little dumbfounded. I could not understand the language at all, and reading the signs was just as complicated. Luckily, Amsterdam is one of those cities where pretty much everyone speaks English and everyone was very friendly and willing to help lost tourists.

So after getting settled into our hostel, my friend and I decided we wanted to explore the city a little and we found our way to the Red light district. I must say it wasn't easy. We laughed the entire way just trying to find the right streets  and struggling with pronouncing the names. Streets like Recht Broomssloot and Jodenbreestraat, kept us pretty entertained for the night. It was really beautiful though, there were a lot of house boats in the area we were living in, they were legitimately log cabins floating on water. Then when we got to the Red light district it was definitely nothing like I expected. There were sex shops on every corner, coffee shops to buy and smoke marijuana, and prostitutes were on display in the windows. Definitely a different culture than I was used to.

I thought it was really interesting that although in the US we see  marijuana, prostitution, and drinking, as being very controversial it was nothing special for locals in Amsterdam. Even casinos and gambling is pretty controversial in Massachusetts because people are afraid that it is going to attract the "wrong type of attention". However, in Amsterdam for the few days I was there I did not see one homeless person, and no one said I had to watch out for pickpockets or scams. In fact, everyone was extremely nice and welcoming, the minute my friend and I pulled out our maps someone would stop and ask if we needed help. It really makes me wonder why in the US we fear these things like marijuana and prostitution (I am not advocating anything, just making observations).

We expect them to bring corruption to society, when maybe what we should really be worrying about is why we have homeless people living on the streets in the first place and why there is nothing being done to change that. How can a society that fosters all of this "corruption", be the city that is the cleanest, friendliest, and clearly the happiest I have ever seen? Clearly the people in Amsterdam are doing something right. I don't know enough about their political or economic system to justify any of this, but it was definitely interesting to see the contrast.