Amsterdam

This is a re-post

Written: Sunday, August 15th, 2010

4:43am Amsterdam

10:43pm New York

Completed: Thursday, August 18th, 2010

11:03am New York

5:03am Amsterdam

The three top descriptions I can give of Amsterdam is expensive, attractive and culturally relaxed.

This was my first trip to Europe, not because I could not afford it, I was going to go last year but laziness did not allow me to obtain my passport in time.  In previous years I just put it off.  Amsterdam, Italy, Greece, Russia, or Ukraine were my top choices, in that order.

Amsterdam is a walkable, bikeable, bus, tram and smart car likeable city.  It's commuter friendly without obnoxious traffic.  Most cars there are much like the Nissan Versa or Toyota Matrix.  The SUV or truck like Ford Explorer or Range Rover are rare there.  I only saw one gas station in my entire trip within which you would consider the city radius.  When I unpacked my luggage and stepped outside my hotel room for the first time, I was in culture shock once again, I loved it.  There are taxis waiting to rip you off outside the airport and within the straats of Amsterdam but not as many and not in such a rush/busy way like it is in New York City.  If you ever drove or taken a taxi in Manhattan you know what I mean.  All aspects of catering to a class of retail are separated by long but close "Straats" (Streets) or "Grachts" (Canals).  I learnt to walk, "alot", I never do so here in New York City because I currently drive a BMW and buy Metrocards, it's free to walk.  If you are accustomed to walking or looking to get into it, Amsterdam is great for that, within an hour or so I walked from north to south then visa-versa and then more so.  I took a taxi once, from the Centre to the Southern part of Amsterdam where my hotel was.  I hear it's a little more to and from Schiphol airport.  I took the bus, like the tram, is a few Euros and change one way.  There are shops like Mac Bike that rent bicycles for the day or less by the hour.  They divide Amsterdam into several parts: the Centre, Plantage, South Belt, Pijp, Jordaan and Museum Quarters, each part in my rough estimate the proximity of Central Park.  Don't quote me on that, I am a techie by trade not a geographer.  If you're looking for Amsterdam's immigrant food population, bars, a party, gambling, marijuana, shrooms, herbs, a prostitute or to get arrested you go to the Centre.  The Centre is comparable to a smaller European version of Vegas.  If you want to see animals and windmills to the Plantage, museums and canals to the Museum Quarter, the Jewish population probably to the Jordaan (the Anne Frank museum is here), the Pijp or Southern Belt for shopping.  I went to experience culture in each and every aspect.  I posted some photos on my old deleted Facebook.  It's funny how New York City is full of the very same I used to but now seldom or never attend: clubs, bars, museums, tourist attractions I say "blah" to but when I am a tourist else where, I "wow".

I stayed in a hotel on Stadhouderskade in downtown Amsterdam on the border of the Southern Belt and Pijp, you can compare it close to like staying  at a hotel on Fifth Avenue near Central Park mixed in with tid-bits of each of downtown New York City.  I can only compare.  The hotel is 50 yards from a tiny bridge over a scenic canal that connects only a few feet to Holland Casino and onto Leidsestraat and Leidsegracht.  I am literally a small walk from the Heineken Experience, the Rijks or Van Gogh Museums and upscale shopping stores like Burberry and Louis Vuitton.  Before I did my research or my visit, whenever someone mentioned Amsterdam, I thought five iconic things Amsterdam is known for: it's in Holland: European blondes, weed and prostitution are legal there, canals and windmills.  As a matter of fact, I did not know Dutch is the national language, nor did I know Euros was their currency.  I fount that the canals are beautiful, day and night.  I fount only certain parts of Amsterdam have windmills, it's like only the country side will have corn or cows in America.  Weed is not legal there but "accepted" or "liberal", it's licensed to be sold and smoked in coffeeshops, and you can possess a small amount without being sentenced to a serious violation.  It's like crossing in the middle of the street here in New York City, you can get fined for it because it's not legal, but police will look the other way.  But I read urinating in public gets you in worst trouble, go figure.  They have these smelly partitions in some areas, just thin dividers of metal the size of cardboard in some busy streets to pee.  Licensed prostitution is only available in about ten streets.  Yes, I did tour the Red Light District.  I heard in mid-2000 there was a massive clean up of "doing dirty" like Rudy Guilliani did to Time Square.  The Red Light District is a big tourist attraction.  The area is full of bars, homes, food vendors and shops mixed in right next to the red lighted doors.  Yes, men and women, both, tour the area.  On any given day couples with strollers, maybe even a child or two (not sure why any parent would even bring their kid to such an area, even if just passing by), groups of horny sixteen year old students and of course the mass of guys that tease and really go in.  I admit some of those girls standing there are very attractive, some are guys, some you just want to pass by and then there are these regular looking girls that look like they do it because they need extra cash for food and rent.

The Dutch are a beautiful people.  The iconic look: blonde and blue eyes, it's true, they exist.  I had the privilege of socializing with someone of the iconic look.  Not everyone in Amsterdam, Holland is blonde and blue and that's beautiful also.  Besides the smidgen of sin like laxed weed usage and legal prostitution, the people and city are beautiful.  I heard some people can be racist, I did not witness such on my trip.  Amsterdam seems to be a harmonically open cultural city.  The people of Amsterdam love to be an audience to anything out of the ordinary such as: unordinary tattoos, transvestites or modified cars.  I saw four cross dressers walk down a street and attention they got, here in New York City, they would have gotten a look, a giggle and walked away ordinary but there focus and the cameras came out.  On a straat called "Nieuwe Vijzel" this old Cadillac rebuilt sleek and flashy got so much attention like if it were the new 2011 electric Mustang.  I am Chinese with tattoos in odd places, I got a little attention.  One of the center with a monument of what looks to symbolize an erection has several of these popular people in costumes like Freddy Kuger or a Monster.  A picture with them probably cost a Euro or two, they get attention.  I guess the Dutch or their tourist came to see something unordinary.  The city seems to be open to immigrants.  While in Amsterdam, there are streets of several Chinese, Thai, Middle Eastern and Argentinean restaurants.  Food and non edible products in Amsterdam are expensive.  One morning pastry from a bakery cost me three Euros, it looked like one of the Boston Cream donuts at Dunkin' Donuts that cost ninety cents, but when I bit into it, the dough was airier and cream smoother, like an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond on his trip to Italy where he was sick but a local Pizza shop opened his sense of wonder.  When I say expensive, I compare the same product for the same value you would get in New York City, Manhattan.  The price on items bought in Amsterdam with Euros comparing it to the prices in Manhattan bought with the dollar, Amsterdam is more expensive.  The local pharmacy was selling a nail clipper, to keep my appearance appropriate, for four times what I could get it in New York City.  A bottle of 20 once Cocoa Cola or their Spa bottled water from most vendors is two Euros.  A slice of pizza is close to three Euros, they dare call it New York style pizza, looks plastic and sitting there for days.  The popular pancakes cost about seven to eight Euros and an average beer is five Euros.  My average tasting rib eye steak about eighteen Euros (An Argentinean Restaurant: forgot the name but it doesn't matter, because the quality of most will be of the same, maybe there will be one or two exceptional ones but almost all have some form of the country's name in the restaurant's name).  Unlimited spare ribs cost twelve Euros (At an Al Argentino Restaurant Steakhouse the host and decor felt like I stepped from the streets of Amsterdam into Argentinean gaucho country, there's more than one: the one I went to served it not too bad but rustic and very meaty.  The host, though nice, said I could only order two racks because I did not order a side, what a gimmick, that's not as advertised but I could not eat more), I downed my two racks.  I know my ribs.  I've tried them in many styles and places, like: if they were really good like from Blackjack's Southern BBQ in South Carolina/Jim 'N Nick's in Georgia or Big Wong's Chinese style in Chinatown New York, I could maybe go for thirds).  Cannabis coffeeshops are everywhere (many parts of the city smells of it, it's pleasant for someone like myself who appreciates such an aroma in the air occasionally, especially on an un-sunny/warm day).  Recreational usage is not bad at all but that's where it should stay, the problem is when it becomes a habit or an addiction.  Don't get me wrong, I like the stuff. My opinion is cannabis should not be legalized in America beyond medical use because the effects of people abusing cannabis would outweigh the revenues and reduction of criminals illegally selling it.  It would create open access to it and would increase availability.  It would increase fatalities and cause more psychological problems.  I believe the advocates of legalizing cannabis are the addicts/close to, for profit or have not thought the side effects through.  Nothing wrong with a beer or a shot of Jack Daniel's after work but look what alcohol abuse does and a non-drug like cigarettes affects healthcare cost.  Maybe we should legalize it beyond medical use only to be allowed for sale or used in coffeeshops in designated areas of Northern California.  It would probably lax crime by sending those who really want marijuana isolated to that area.  Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said: "No, it's not time for that (legalizing marijuana), it's time for a debate."  The side of me that would vote in favor of Proposition 19 is only relevant because I believe in freedom but with too much freedom, there's room for bad things.  Americans are not like the tourist or people of Amsterdam.

I read gaining employment is easier if Dutch is spoken along with English.  I also read owning property has government controlled rules.  The government, the people that run it are smart: to contribute to the economy, tourism to Amsterdam is about three to four million people annually.  But New York City is estimated to get 47 million.  The tourism is not the only economic upturn. Along side tourism is the corporate, finance, and technology sectors, their export of Dutch products and beers like Amstel and Heineken also contribute.  The country itself came as a runner up in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, losing in the championships to Spain but by just one point.  Did I mention blondes, male and especially female?  Amsterdam's flag or symbol is XXX.  I like Amsterdam, and have a positive likely hood to return.  But it lacks products and culture that New York City has.  Visa Versa.

(Edited From Original)