3-28-11 (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
My friends and I decided to take advantage of our four-day weekend and travel to Amsterdam. I was a little skeptical at first, thinking it would be too seedy or dirty, but I must say that my attitude has been completely changed. First off, Amsterdam is one of the most unique and beautiful cities I have ever visited. The slanted buildings, unique architecture, and endless canals give this city a charm that is simply unbeatable. Second, the Dutch are amazing, happy, and tolerant people. They have excellent customer service and go out of their way to make you feel welcome as an outsider. Everyone spoke good English and there was never any struggles of overcoming a language barrier. As a consumer-based city, the competition between the bars, restaurants, and shops made it really fun. Owners would come outside to help draw you in, show you pictures of their menu items, etc.
I know the subject on everyone's mind is about how I felt about the Red Light district so I'll describe it now. Most surprising to me was how relaxed I felt in this area despite the traditional vices like drugs and prostitution being very, VERY, prevalent. It is amazing how one's attitude can change just by acknowledging the fact that these things are legal. Competition between store owners and between the prostitutes has made everything feel "cleaner" some way. I think it is because none of it comes from off the street. People know what they are buying or getting into. These businesses are market-regulated as well as state-regulated.
Prostitutes: Red Light prostitutes are, for the most part, pretty attractive in that trashy way only whores can pull off. There were definitely girls there that would qualify as being a 10/10 in terms of looks. I'm glad I was traveling with one female friend because it made walking down in the red light seem less perverse. In fact, I'll admit to even having fun seeing all the girls and how all the people down there conduct business. In case you are wondering, no, I didn't engage in any "services."
Drugs: Marijuana, mushrooms, peyote, and some other plant-based drugs and things are available in coffee shops in Amsterdam and they are not all confined to one area. People would smoke pot outside, in the streets, in bars, in coffee shops, in the park, etc. Ill effect on society? I didn't see any. Most everyone was really friendly, relaxed, and happy. The weather was nice and you just got the feeling that people were just trying to chill, forget their problems for a while, and have fun. Nothing wrong with that.
Absinthe: This was probably the highlight of my trip to Amsterdam. I love herbal/anise flavored liquor so I was definitely excited about drinking some legit absinthe. The whole ordeal of lighting the sugar, lighting the drink, mixing it, watching the flames, and adding the water is super cool. I like that there is a drink that takes some effort and theatrics to enjoy. I drank the 140 proof absinthe and it pretty much just tasted like strong pastis/ricard/raki/ouzo. Very good though! Nice , relaxing feeling were enjoyed thoroughly.
In summary, Amsterdam is a beautiful city with lovely and unique architecture and sights. The canals are charming and the people are warm. While the red light district is what comes to mind when people think of Amsterdam, the city has much more to offer than just sex and drugs. It is a fun place, a tolerant place, and should be a model to other cities in terms of drug and sex laws. Crime was minimal and I felt genuinely safe walking around different parts of the city. Lesson learned from this visit? Just chill.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Cool Concert in Paris
4-15-11 (Paris, France)
Went to the Espace B venue tonight to see a band from Portland, Oregon called Blind Pilot. Definitely some very chill music with a lineup that included a trumpet player. I would say that over half the crowd were Americans or other English speakers. It was really nice to be surrounded by US culture and music for an evening. It kind of reminded me of seeing live music back in Austin, Texas. I also met a nice couple from the Northeast part of the US (Vermont and Philadelphia). Good times were had by all and there were some very nice looking American girls to boot ;)
3 Rounds and a Sound by Blind Pilot
Went to the Espace B venue tonight to see a band from Portland, Oregon called Blind Pilot. Definitely some very chill music with a lineup that included a trumpet player. I would say that over half the crowd were Americans or other English speakers. It was really nice to be surrounded by US culture and music for an evening. It kind of reminded me of seeing live music back in Austin, Texas. I also met a nice couple from the Northeast part of the US (Vermont and Philadelphia). Good times were had by all and there were some very nice looking American girls to boot ;)
3 Rounds and a Sound by Blind Pilot
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Booked my flight and first night in DUBLIN!
3-10-11 (RM, France)
Our April break is coming up soon and I am really excited about my trip to Dublin, Ireland. Being in an English-speaking country with a pub-centric culture will be a refreshing change from French life. Extra cool news is that my brother, Michael, will also be joining me on holiday there.
Here are a few things that I want to do while I'm visiting Dublin:
1) Take part in a good old fashioned pub crawl
2) Visit and drink Guinness at historic pubs
3) Meet interesting people while staying at a hostel
4) Take the tour and drink a beer at the Guinness Storehouse
5) See the Jameson Whiskey distillery
6) Maybe some non-pub related activities???
Our April break is coming up soon and I am really excited about my trip to Dublin, Ireland. Being in an English-speaking country with a pub-centric culture will be a refreshing change from French life. Extra cool news is that my brother, Michael, will also be joining me on holiday there.
Here are a few things that I want to do while I'm visiting Dublin:
1) Take part in a good old fashioned pub crawl
2) Visit and drink Guinness at historic pubs
3) Meet interesting people while staying at a hostel
4) Take the tour and drink a beer at the Guinness Storehouse
5) See the Jameson Whiskey distillery
6) Maybe some non-pub related activities???
Thursday, March 3, 2011
The End of Polite Society in France (not really, but it grabs your attention)
3-3-11 (RM, France)
You would think that all the stereotypes about the rude or boorish American would put me off this subject, but I felt that something needed to be said about the inconsiderate nature of some young people in France and their reaction to random acts of polite behavior. Here are two scenarios which will highlight some of these points:
Scenario One: I was walking with a group of my classmates and we were about to enter the building. I grabbed the door and opened it, standing beside the door to let all my friend in before me. Rather than thanking me however, two of my friends stopped to ask me why I had done such a thing. They told me that I was already elected class representative and I didn't need to "campaign" anymore. I told them that I was simply being polite and holding the door open so that everyone didn't have to stop and open it for themselves. I also told them that, in fact, this was a common courtesy that I performed on a regular basis back in the US.
Scenario Two: Our class was invited to hear a short series of lectures at the International Energy Agency a few days ago. The room was arranged in a large circle with multiple TV screens showing the power point presentation in the middle of the room. Being in a circle, it was easy for everyone to see the lecturer and for the lecturer to see everyone else. To my surprise, many students thought it was appropriate to talk, laugh, and banter back and forth during each of the presentations. I thought that this behavior was extremely unprofessional, rude, and immature. I mentioned something after the presentation to a few of my friends about what I expected from master's level students in terms of their behavior. Instead of agreeing with me, my friend asked me why I felt the need to be so polite all the time. I told him that it was because we were in a professional setting and that I was trying to make myself and my class look good. Not only this, but it was just common courtesy to yield the floor to a speaker who is taking time out of their day to spend with students.
Stephen Fry: Most Polite Man in Britain
You would think that all the stereotypes about the rude or boorish American would put me off this subject, but I felt that something needed to be said about the inconsiderate nature of some young people in France and their reaction to random acts of polite behavior. Here are two scenarios which will highlight some of these points:
Scenario One: I was walking with a group of my classmates and we were about to enter the building. I grabbed the door and opened it, standing beside the door to let all my friend in before me. Rather than thanking me however, two of my friends stopped to ask me why I had done such a thing. They told me that I was already elected class representative and I didn't need to "campaign" anymore. I told them that I was simply being polite and holding the door open so that everyone didn't have to stop and open it for themselves. I also told them that, in fact, this was a common courtesy that I performed on a regular basis back in the US.
Scenario Two: Our class was invited to hear a short series of lectures at the International Energy Agency a few days ago. The room was arranged in a large circle with multiple TV screens showing the power point presentation in the middle of the room. Being in a circle, it was easy for everyone to see the lecturer and for the lecturer to see everyone else. To my surprise, many students thought it was appropriate to talk, laugh, and banter back and forth during each of the presentations. I thought that this behavior was extremely unprofessional, rude, and immature. I mentioned something after the presentation to a few of my friends about what I expected from master's level students in terms of their behavior. Instead of agreeing with me, my friend asked me why I felt the need to be so polite all the time. I told him that it was because we were in a professional setting and that I was trying to make myself and my class look good. Not only this, but it was just common courtesy to yield the floor to a speaker who is taking time out of their day to spend with students.
Stephen Fry: Most Polite Man in Britain
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