The windows of Amsterdam have a completely different connotation than most places. Naturally, there are those that most people associate the Dam with, the windows of the Red Light District. From all hours of the morning until all hours of the night, tiny alleyways are lit up, lined with pink and purple lights. The purple clue you in, informing the street dwellers that the ladies inside are not actually not women. Within each, you will find women of all shapes, sizes, and colors, decked out in the skimpiest of lingerie. They perch on stools chatting on their on their phones or they press themselves against the glass, leaning themselves in prime- viewing stature. Their gaze remains focused, looming over the mixture of tourists strolling through for the spectacle and distinguishing their victims. They lock eyes with you, extending their fingers and urging you to let them open their windows for you. They are on the hunt, preying upon the horny men and women of the streets. But there is...
Here I am, just a few days shy of my two-month mark living in Anguilla. Sitting in my favorite spot on Rendezvous Bay, I stare out at turquoise water, sailboats and yachts, passerby tourists who attempt to freeze this paradise in still frame before returning to retrospective winters, villas of the rich and the plastic, and the glorious mountains of St. Maarten. Moments like this make me question reality. Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla Actually, most of the moments I spend on this 17-mile-long, 3-mile-wide island nestled between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, cause me to question my reality. Living in Anguilla is like living in an alternate universe. In short, this place is something special. I often boast about my balls of steel, but that's not to say they didn't shrivel up when presented with the opportunity to move to an island I had never heard of. Being stable for so long, studying, slinging drinks, and schmoozing with the family and friends who know me inside a...
Mark Twain again? You bet. He knew what he was talking about... especially when it comes to riding a bike in Amsterdam. Cycling: It is a way of life here in the in the Dam. It is the most efficient and prominent way of getting around the city. It is a must do while spending your days breezing by canals, stuffing your face with stroopwaffle, stopping in the shops along the way. It does, however, come with heart palpitations and shortness of breath upon learning. You may sport a size-too-small spandex and have a helmet collection but that does not mean you are equipped for the Amsterdam bike lane. I've been forcing myself to cycle a bit every day. Get to know the tricks of the trade and flow of the traffic. Each day I hop on Meester Hercules. He is a beauty, a gem, my companion. ...
Comments
Post a Comment