Amsterdam

I have found the glitch in the Universe where Heaven and Hell collide. It is called Amsterdam. There is a tangible electricity in the air, noticeable upon first exiting the airport, and the entire city looks like a fairytale land. The buildings are colorful and cute with perfectly pointed roofs and artsy architecture. (Yes, that alliteration was intentional. I couldn’t help myself.) Whether one is there to take advantage of the legal drugs and prostitutes or not, just knowing that one can creates a feeling of freedom. The group I was there with was having a conversation about how Amsterdam was like a magical world of wonders, and one person mentioned the unfortunate lack of gelato (These people are currently studying abroad in Italy, and have grown quite accustomed to it.), when all of a sudden, a gelato shop came into view. In this way, Amsterdam seemed to be the land of plenty: flowers, art, gelato…

And then there’s the Redlight District. At night, the cobblestone streets are lit up by the fluorescent lights of the shops and brothels, giving the entire area an eerie greenish glow.  There are some strange people that walk about, some amusing, some terrifying, some obviously extraterrestrials. The prostitutes are lined up in their own store windows, bordered with black lights, so their neon bikinis glow in the darkness, illuminating the only parts of their bodies in which people are actually interested. This seemed so strange to me, the fact that they were literally lined up on display, trying to outsell each other. The windows through which they leered could be covered with a curtain if their respective merchandise had been purchased, and the customer would be taken to the bed right behind the veil. It really is a very creepy concept.

But more on the Heaven part of Amsterdam. I was only there for two days, which flew by, but  managed to make it to a beautiful flower garden with the most amazing tulips (obviously), and my favorite part of the trip, the Van Gogh museum. After identifying more with my inner artist since studying in Glasgow, I was even more fascinated by Van Gogh’s work than I ever have been before. I’ve even seen his actual work before in other museums, but this time it was different. Instead of just admiring the beauty and skill of his work, I tried to actually imagine his subject in real life, then figure out his process of translating that in his mind to an abstracted image, then using his specific talents and techniques to bring the image back into existence, but in a completely different way. This transformation seemed almost unfathomable to me, and I appreciated the work so much more. It was a surprisingly emotional experience, and more personal than I would have imagined.

The entire experience was made even better by the fact that I was there with a good friend, Danny, who I have known for almost my entire Chapman experience, which feels like way more than just two short years, and was able to make new friends as well. Danny is studying in Italy this semester, and brought his four roommates/fellow students/friends. They are a great group of people, and were endlessly entertaining. I would definitely like to go back to Amsterdam and spend a little more time there than I was able to on this trip.