Wij zijn in Amsterdam!

That is Dutch for: We are in Amsterdam!

Hello all! I am terrible. I haven’t been writing to you all lately. I am sorry! I will try to be better! Anyway, I went to Amsterdam this past weekend with my friends from Elon: Karen, Chelsea, Lindsey and Sue Jin. It. Was. Amazing. I absolutely loved Amsterdam. I went there not really knowing anything about it except about the presence of prostitutes, marijuana and other assorted drugs. But, after being there, Amsterdam really is a beautiful city! Because of all its negative PR as the party city of Europe, I have always thought Amsterdam to be a dirty, grungy city with prostitutes and drugs all over the place. But that was definitely not the case. It was such an interesting place! When I was walking the streets I couldn’t stop gawking at the beautiful architecture and bustling city life, I wish I had 3 extra sets of eyes so I could take everything in at once! Another thing I didn’t know about Amsterdam was that it is a canal city–just like Venice. I had NO idea that it had canals; the canals originate from the Amstel River–from which Amsterdam gets its name. The city is completely man-made and is actually almost completely below sea level. The highest point in Amsterdam is, if I am remembering correctly, just a meter or so above sea level.

We went on a tour by a company called New Europe that offers free tours of various cities across Europe. Since the tours are free, the tour guides operate solely on tips, so they try to give the most interesting tours they can so they can get good tips! Interesting concept. Anyway, our tour was from Sydney and he was a really funny guy. He shared a lot of cool facts about Amsterdam. We walked through the Red Light District. Wow, what an experience. The Red Light District is the oldest area in Amsterdam and is infamous for its prostitutes. The area itself is very gorgeous, but it is so strange: you will literally be walking down the streets and there will be a window with a door and an almost-naked-woman sitting behind the class. Inside the room, you can see a bed, bathroom and whatever she needs for the day. The day is considered the sort of “off-shift” so you will see prostitutes of all ages, shapes and sizes. It is really sad to see that these women in these situations. The Dutch government is working, though, to shut down the Red Light District by 2015. They won’t be outlawing prostitution completely, but the industry will be government owned so it can be more regulated. This is to prevent pimps who take advantage of these women and the human trafficking black market.

While we were there we also visited the Anne Frank house which was so amazing. It was such a powerful museum. I couldn’t believe that I was actually walking around in the house that Anne Frank lived in. Her room still had all the pictures and magazine clippings she had taped to the wall; and the kitchen sink was rusted away from all its use during those 2 years of isolation for the Frank family and their friends. We weren’t allowed to take pictures, so sadly I don’t have any from it. Obviously I’ve read her diary and learned/heard her story since I was little, but actually being in the house brought an entirely different outlook to her story. There were excerpts of her diary painted on the walls in each room; it gave me chills to read them and actually imagine her living the situations she described in those quotes. I wish I could have snapped a few to share with you all! But, oh well. Maybe we’ll all just have to go back so you can see it for yourself

We also went to the Heineken factory! Haha! It was my first brewery ever. Can you believe that? I live in St. Louis and haven’t been to the Budweiser Brewery. Anyway, the Heineken factory was really cool. We learned how to properly drink a Heineken. Here are the steps:
1. Take a big mouthful-sip of the beer.
2. Leave the beer in your mouth for at least 7-10 seconds. Swish around if you want.
3. Swallow.
Sounds simple, but here’s the theory behind it! Heineken beer is brewed with 4 ingredients: water, barley, hops and yeast. The barley gives the beer a sweet taste that can be tasted on the tip of the tongue. The hops (don’t ask me what they are exactly because I’m not entirely sure ha. I think they’re like a bean or something?) give the beer its bitter taste that can be tasted at the back of the tongue. So by keeping the beer in your mouth for several seconds before swallowing it, you will be able to taste the 2 distinctive tastes of the Heineken recipe!
Another interesting fact I learned about beer is the importance of its carbonation. Yeast is the ingredient that is responsible for the bubbly goodness of all beers. However, the carbonation does actually have a job. When you pour a beer, hold the glass above you toward the light. You will be able to see hundreds of tiny bubbles underneath the frothy foam that sits on top of the beer. These bubbles trap the taste of the beer in the liquid, making the beer taste more fresh and strong. Interesting, huh? I thought so!

So Amsterdam was an incredible experience. I wish I could have stayed longer! I definitely would like to venture back Anyone want to join?

Tomorrow I am headed to Paris until Monday! I am SO excited. I am staying with one of my sorority sisters who graduated last year; she goes to graduate school there. I’ll write you as soon as I get back! Miss all of you terribly