Amsterdam and Collision, Two Ways

Last Saturday I'm in Amsterdam - it's my first trip back to the city since our family vacation there 5 years ago. We spend the day touring the canals, which are much bigger and grander than those in Leiden, and probably most of the Netherlands in general. On the way, we stop to check out the
 apartment we stayed in on our first trip (third picture), which is high and narrow, and I remember the tiny spiral staircase we used to brave each day.  We also visit an old canal house, which has been reconstructed according to its traditional style and houses a nice collection of Dutch Renaissance art.  It was interesting to see some of the strange architectural details of the house - for example, in the master bedroom a false door is placed into the wall design to create symmetry when the room is closed!  After that, we head over to Nieuwkerk, which is holding a special exhibition on ancient art from Afghanistan (you may have guessed this, but the Dutch aren't very religious; they tend to find other used for their churches).  The exhibit has drawn a huge crowd, and I can see why - it's an excellent display of pottery, carvings, and jewelry ranging from 3000BC or older to around 1000AD.  The intricate designs on the jewelry, recovered from ancient crypts, are especially splendid, and overall it was well worth braving the crowd.  

We head home after the church and get dinner at an Indonesian restaurant I've been dying to try in Leiden (since any place that's over $10 for a complete meal is generally out of our price range, my friends and I tend to stick to the elegant simplicity of a good cheese sandwich - and, of course, falafel).  I'm not disappointed - the food is great - but I have to admit, I sometimes find myself longing for a nice plate of Thai food.  In any case, no sooner do I return to my apartment than I get a call from George, Hole in the Wall's infamous front man, who is in Amsterdam!  I knew he was coming at some point with his friend G.I., but I didn't realize it was this weekend; of course, I need to see him while he's here, so I make plans to head back to Amsterdam the next day.

Sunday, I meet George and G.I. at the station.  They are, not surprisingly, extremely hungover from the night before, but they've definitely been having a good time and they're in good spirits when I arrive.  We get a quick lunch (George, at first claiming he wanted to try something "new, and really Dutch," orders a plain cheese sandwich and then complains that it's boring - good to see George hasn't changed a bit) and make a plan for the day.  Most of the museums are closed on Sunday, which is a shame because I had hoped to take them to the Van Gogh museum, but I find some options in the "Alternative Amsterdam" section of the day trip book my dad has lent me.  First stop?  The Erotic museum, which is 5 floors of erotic art and oddities, including a wall of drawings by John Lennon (which are pretty much exactly what you would expect erotic art by John Lennon to look like, if you have an idea).  At under 3 euro per person, it's a good value if you have any interest in the subject.  We then check out the Marijuana Hemp museum, which is mainly a collection of photos, posters, and magazines relating to "cannabis culture" and the uses of hemp.  There's also a room filled with marijuana plants in various growth stages, with an employee on hand to explain anything you'd want to know.  Overall, it's a fairly interesting museum, but not altogether riveting.  At this point, George and G.I. are ready to hit the bars, so after a quick coffee (you can't leave Holland without some good Dutch coffee) and a stroopwafel (I brought them with me - you can't leave Holland without those, either), I say goodbye and let them experience that side of Amsterdam without me.

So there you have it, Amsterdam two ways - overall, definitely a good weekend.  Now, you may be wondering - what about collision?  Don't worry, collision comes, but not until Tuesday.  I'm out on my bike early, heading to the post office to mail some things back home.  It's a beautiful day, if a bit windy, and I start thinking about how it's only a matter of time before I crash my bike.  I know, you see, that it's impossible for me to make it a whole semester here without crashing it at some point, and this is what I'm thinking as I turn off the street towards the post office, hit the sidewalk the wrong way, and sprawl to the ground, much to the surprise of several onlookers.  I'm fine (I have a very high pain threshold), but the fall must have looked pretty bad, and it's some time before I convince the good samaritans around me that I really am ok.  By far, the worst part of crashing your bike, apart from any serious injury, is dealing with those who see it.  But as far as crashes go, this is a relatively mild one, and in a way I'm relieved to have gotten it out of the way.

This is what I'm telling my friend Alex in class later, and he laughs and tells me he hasn't had any serious crashes yet, but he does tend to bump into the stone poles which block off pedestrian streets with some frequency.   I head out for my night class a few hours later, thinking that although I may have crashed my bike, at least I haven't run into any poles.  No sooner do I think this, of course, than I smack directly into the pole in front of me, making (I must admit) quite an impressive noise.  I sort of jump into the air about a foot before amazingly landing on my bike, and steadying myself against the wall next to me, I escape this crash without even falling down.  And, after assuring the two startled girls in front of me that everything was fine (they turned when they heard the noise, and were probably as surprised as I was to see me half-standing, half-leaning against the wall but otherwise ok), I'm back on track.  I think the moral of the story is: if you start to think about something going wrong, it definitely, definitely will.

So there you have it: Amsterdam and collision, two ways.  For sure, there are many more ways to experience each of these, and while I plan to enjoy the former several more times, I'd like to think I'm done with the latter, at least for awhile.