I had an incredibly lazy day today. There was nothing left that I really needed to see or do, so I decided to take it easy. I started off my morning with a leisurely breakfast, and then I read until noon in the Vondelpark. On the way back to my hotel, I re-took some pictures in the Museumplein and found a great art store that had a couple prints I just couldn't go without.

After that, I needed a break from the sun/heat, so I read a bit more in my room. Rejuvenated, I went shopping for a couple of gifts for my grandparents, wandered around a bit and took some pictures (I'm up to like.... 183 now) and then answered some e-mail. This took me to suppertime, which ended in disaster.

I decided to try out the restaurant in my hotel, since they have pizzas that seemed to be a good meal size for 5 euros. So I took my lactaid, and had a pizza. But I was a bit disappointed and still hungry afterward, and since there was barely any cheese on the pizza, I decided that I could risk an ice cream. It turned out that my body did not agree with me, and the ice cream didn't stay with me long, but it sure was the best ice cream I ever had while it lasted.

The evening was then a bit shot, because I wasn't feeling very well at all. But, I'm done Augusten Burroughs' new book, Possible Side Effects, and it's amazing--buy it. You'll laugh. I also watched Sarah Silverman's Jesus is Magic for a a second time. Buy that too--unless you're a midget or asian, you'll laugh. You'll probably laugh even if you are a midget or an asian. But probably not if you're a nazi. I've never really known nazis to be big laughers, though.

My evening ended with a wander around for some food to re-fill my emptied stomach, and now, bed. I have to wake up early in the morning to head to Enschede for my conference. I'm excited, although a bit sad to leave Amsterdam. I definitely want to come back.

I've never been anyplace where drugs were so easy to come by. And I'm not talking about weed. Walk down any street around Dam Square/the Red Light District, and you're going to run into a least... I dunno, but a lot, of guys who whisper "pst! coca? ecstasia?" It's crazy. It's not intimidating/sketchy at all, and they're not at all pushy (haha, non-pushy pushers).

It kind of makes me wonder about boundaries. Soft drugs are very well accepted here--not legalized, but legitimized, and I really respect the philosophy. Basically, the theory goes (and it seems to work quite well) that by giving people safe, non-stigmatizing access to weed and hash, you're removing the needs for the large group of basically harmless recreational drug users from having to interact with the sketchy criminal element, and drastically reducing the demand for an illicit marijuana trade and saving huge amounts of police money and time.

My question is: is it a slippery slope? Do drugs dealers just go away if they've lost the marijuana market? Or do they turn to harder stuff? I'm sure somebody's answered this question--I wish I had Internet access (I'm writing these posts offline, because my hotel has no wireless). I'm tempted to think that the police resources saved by not cracking down on soft drugs would make room for more effective enforcement on the harder side of the spectrum. And easy access to some drugs could reduce the demand for harder/riskier to acquire substances--particularly since the drug dealers who sell marijuana in other countries wouldn't be good businessmen if they didn't try to upsell to more expensive and addictive product. Maybe marijuana isn't a gateway drug itself--it's more the way it's marketed and sold in most countries (read: illicitly). But... I don't know. Anyway, in summary: I think it's an amazingly good policy.

The other Dutch policy that I think is great is their recognition of the sex trade. It makes so much sense to make something that is going to happen anyway safer for everyone involved. I'd give some stats if I had Internet access, but I'm sure that the Red Light District and protection/regulation of the sex trade has had amazing effects on the spread of STDs and the risk sex workers face. It also makes a pretty neat neigbourhood to wander around in the evening!

Oh, and everyone here rides bikes. All the time. Add that to my earlier comments about the use of public space, and basically, this is the best place ever. Expensive, but great.

In summary: Holland is a great place. Live here. I haven't checked out this site yet, but apparently it helps non-Dutch find jobs here (I saw it on a bike taxi)--www.undutchables.nl).

My Saturday
Anyway, what did I do on Saturday... Hmmm, well, first off, breakfast in the hotel. It was Dutch style. Which means ham, salami, cheese (which I did not eat), yogurt, hard boiled eggs, and toast. Oh, and Nutella. Yummmmm.

After a leisurely eat, I wandered around town a bit. I checked out the Homo-monument--pretty neato. The story is pretty neat (find a link), and what's neater--it's in the plaza of a church. Then I checked out Anne Frank's house. I would have gone in, had there not been a huge line. So I decided just to move on. Then I tried to visit the Royal Palace, but it was "closed due to circumstances"... Sooooooo, I checked out a cool church, the Waterlooplein flea market (such a weird mix of stuff), and then the zoo.

I was really tempted to go into the zoo, because I'm all about zoos lately, but once I got there, I found out it was 16 euros. Since I had no evidence of the presence of giraffes or elephants, I decided that I couldn't justify the expenditure. So again, I moved on. After a bit of rest, I headed for the Museumplein. The Rijkmuseum (which is where Rembrandt's work and the National Collection are housed) had another huge line that I chose to skip (the gallery was being renovated, so only a limited selection was on display). Skipped the Van Gogh museum too--basically, it was a day of not going to major tourist attractions.

In the evening, I had a few drinks with some people from my hotel in the bar, then had dinner at an Argentinean steakhouse and watched the France vs Brazil game. After that, a wander around the Red Light District, and a drink at a neato bar. Then I got tired. And here I am :) Sleep time! Bye. Oh, and happy Canada Day!