Bonus points if you get
that reference!
So, I'm going to try to
keep this brief because I am behind on the blogs. I bet people love
to come to Amsterdam to let loose and party, that's just not my cup
of tea. However, Amsterdam is beautiful and has an interesting
history.
We went to the Red Light District because why does anyone go
to the Red Light District? THE HISTORY, of course. I'm very much
simplifying this but here is the gist: Amsterdam being an important
and powerful port (via the Dutch East Indies Company) which allowed
for the consistent contact of different cultures and an environment for
sailors in need of prostitutes. This developed in cultural acceptance
and turning an eye to activities with which you might not agree.
Apparently, the Red Light District had become so unsafe in the 70s
that even the police did not venture there due to hard drug-use. The
Netherlands deems all drugs hard drugs except marijuana. In an effort
to reduce hard drug-use police turn a blind eye to marijuana sales
and use, though technically it is illegal to grow it, sell it, etc.
Therefore there are cafes, where you can purchase and smoke
marijuana, not to be confused with a place where you purchase coffee
(these are called coffee houses). Prostitution became legal in the
90s and they also outlawed pimps. Let me just say, that there are a
lot of males window shopping, and it was just a weeknight. Are there
male sex workers? None, it was tried and it failed, not enough
interest. Our tour guide offered his theory: men say no to sex far
less than women, so women and men that proposition a man aren't
likely to need to hire a sex worker.So, today the Red Light District is shrinking because residents are sick of the tourist craziness; by next year the area for the district will become even narrower.
Amsterdam also has a
pretty sweet library. It's unlike any other library we've visited so
far. It's just giant, comprehensive, full of people, and doesn't
smell like urine at all! (I say this with the thought of SF Public
Library, Berkeley Public Library, Oakland Public Library main
branches.) Throughout the library there were several reserved tables
where business and community meetings were taking place.
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| Looking down on the children's section |
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| The various floors of the library |
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| Just a handy-dandy laptop station. You know, so you can feel awesome! |
Interesting Facts:
- Amsterdam was the first city to oppose and fight back against the Nazis on behalf of their Jewish community members. Unfortunately, the Nazis shut them down bloodily. At the Anne Frank museum they interviewed a woman that helped the family hide for 2 years and was imprisoned for it. When Otto Frank approached her to ask her if she would help his family hide she said, “yes, it goes without saying.” That really touched me, I don't know that many people would answer that way.
- Houses are tall and narrow because the wider the home, the more you were taxed.
- Rembrandt, first duck-face selfie in history
- The Netherlands outlawed Catholicism because of corruption but people still practiced in "secret." Well, it was known that people were practicing but as since it wasn't hurting anyone, they let it be.
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| Secret church from the inside |
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| Secret church from the outside |
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