| 10-02-01 I love Amsterdam. As I've mentioned before, living in Amsterdam is one of my dreams. I've been fortunate enough to have had three chances to visit the city. It's incredible - my favorite city in the world. It's gorgeous; the architecture tastes like the finest wedding cake. Everyday buildings are hundreds of years old with ornate woodwork, elegant yet simple. Narrow buildings with tall, winding stairways. Many top floor balconies have a pulley hook projecting from the eaves of the roof that can be used to bring furniture upstairs; the stairways are far too narrow. But everything isn't old; you can also find the most fabulous high modern design in Amsterdam, especially interiors. The Dutch are particularly famous for their contemporary designs, yet they are never wasteful of space. Amsterdam is built around numerous canals that are restful and especially beautiful in the morning. Public transportation makes it simple to get anywhere quickly and cheaply. The city is small enough that you can easily get around on a bicycle; you certainly don't need a car, although they do have plenty of those teeny-tiny Smart Cars that are about the size of a Go-Cart. Above all, Amsterdam is an International city. There are people from every corner of the world, living, working, on vacation. And it's easy to meet people - just hangout at a Brown Café (coffee-shop that sells weed) and conversations will spring up The decriminalization of marijuana - you'd think it would be just a small change, but it looms huge in the mind, a giant mental shift, a feeling of freedom like nowhere else. You can meet very amazing people. Tomorrow I'm going to write about my experiences with people and the culture of friendship in Amsterdam. In-con-thsheeee-vable. |
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