A-Dam Love

So, I touched down in Amsterdam on the 26th at the beautiful Schiphol Airport and for some reason, I am intrigued by airports and their grand sizes. Anyway, I'm here visiting my best friend as she is studying abroad here. Because her program has made arrangements for her, she lives with a Dutch host family: a mom, dad, daughter and son, all who have welcomed me with open arms. We took the train and the tram home from the airport and that was an experience in itself but I did have an opportunity to see some of the city at night. We got home, settled in and came up with a list of things to do and see. You know, Red Light District, the I am Amsterdam sign, museums, markets, clubs, blah blah!

Well, because the Leidseplein is the hub for tourists, shoppers, club goers and those who just want to have a great time, I spend a majority of my time here since it's about a 10-15 minute walk from the host family's house. Frugality has become my middle name so I decided to just sightsee and get to know the city a bit. As a result, I can navigate around a little and I must say, the independence rocks! It's so cute here. The architecture is amazing and I'm falling in love with all of its quaint little alleys filled with hidden treasures such as boutiques, Thai restaurants and Coffee shops! Walking along the three canals, acronym HKP, you're surely in for a treat! Because the city is quite small, everyone rides bikes; adults, children, even grandparents!

As for nightlife, there were a couple of options and my best friend and I guestlisted any option we could come across. Unfortunately, guestlist doesn't equal free so we still wound up paying 10 euro to attend Club Home. We arrived around 11pm which is early for Dutch clubbers as the DJ himself hadn't even arrived! We walked around for a bit and headed back around midnight. All wasn't bad as we did get complimentary shots on the house and I'm pretty sure my best friend enjoyed drinking both since I don't drink. LOL. The club was pretty comfortable and the music is well, typical European club mixes. Occasionally there was a little E-V-E "Who's that girl?" and Snoop Dogg "Drop it like it's Hot" but the remainder of the night was devoted to techno and house music. Creepy men seem to follow me (and the company I keep) ANYWHERE we go and this club was no different. I always seem to get the foreign men and this time, they were Dominicans! Once I was able to break free of his conversation, I proceeded to dance the night away and before I knew it, it was 5 am and time to go home.



Of course the tourist in me reared its ugly head and I wound up visiting the I am Amsterdam sign. After walking around, my best friend and I actually discovered that there were TWO signs in different locations! Aside from that, of course I had to visit the Red Light District. Unfortunately I don't have any other picture than this one because it has been rumoured that people will take your camera and throw it into the canal soo I decided against taking my precious camera! It was pretty interesting. There were women in window displays, scantily clad, vying for men's attention and most importantly, their money.


Then there is the sex museum. It was .. interesting! The figures were a little distorted and scary looking but a lot of the artifacts - yes - real artifacts were cool! There was a Greek (possibly Italian) plate found in Pompeii that depicted a Greek man and woman doing the dirty. I thought it may have been a phony BUT I have seen similar artwork techniques and styles in art history books or museums but none like this. I'm a little big on art history so the geek in me came out for a few! LOL. Other than that, there was a replica of the most well known sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe. The display included a recording from Monroe's "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" performance and also a written biography of her many affairs and marriages including Marlon Brando and Arthur Miller. She was so GORGEOUS yet scandalous! There were some cool, hands on exhibits and two statues of a large penises and a butt mold. I had a blast at the sex museum and it was also cool to learn about the history of sex through sculptures, videos, photographs and paintings.

Oh yeah, here's the answer for the million dollar question: no. No I did not smoke any marijuana but I did smell a little as I ventured through the city. Most of it was contained in local coffee shops. I didn't visit any museums because I feel like the Brits stole all of the good stuff and I have access to it all in London but there was the ... sex museum. Hehe. My experience was very personal due to my personal tour guide best friend and host family's amazing hospitality. All in all, I had a great time but there's nothing like the big city. After all, I am a big city girl - always have been, always will be!

A-Dam, I bid you adieu but I will be back to visit you <3