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Amsterdam: A travel journal by Jay Langhurst

Back to basics, daily life in Amsterdam

07-13/09/2002
Amsterdam


Shopping is much more difficult when you can't read what you're buying. Therefore, apples are about as safe as any food to purchase when you're not certain what's what in a new grocery store. I accidentally bought a very bad sandwich that I thought was ham and cheese because it said "Bacon Ei" which I thought was either bacon or ham. I was right about the bacon, but the Ei was actually boiled egg and wasn't exactly what I was looking to buy. These apples and most everything else I buy is from Albert Heijn, the grocery store just up the street on Liedsestraat. I actually feel lucky, because it's open until 22:00 Monday through Saturday (Maandag - Zaterdag) and 19:00 on Zondag! Compared to most businesses in Amsterdam, those are amazingly flexible hours.
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Yes another safe food, and very US-oriented, the M&M
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The only english-speaking Church in Amsterdam is quite a ways to the south, about a 20-30 minute tram ride to just inside the A10 highway. The composition of the parish is about 2-3% caucasian, 80% African, and 17% from the Philippines/Asian
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A nice little square along the way to the Holy Trinity Church on Zaaijersweg
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A nice brick pattern along Stadhouderskade near the Rijksmuseum
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A view of a sunset from the the GE offices in Amsterdam
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This is a video-event marking the one-year anniversary of 9-11 in Amsterdam. It was a rather odd event, with live video intermixed with edited news footage and very Amsterdam-like mood/surroundings. Quite the european-slant to the programming being shown, or perhaps just not as conservative as most coverage in the US.
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A couple pauses in front of a fountain at Liedseplein in front of the American Hotel
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Bikes parked along Prinsengracht
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Flowers for sale along my way to work on Runstraat. Speaking of the way to work, a strange story. I was on my way back from work during the first few days, and after getting off the tram (one stop early on accident) I walked to the crosswalk, and as I was approaching, a man turned and spit away from the intersection, hopefully just by coincidence I was in the way of his spit, which landed on my shirt. Now, when one is still jetlagged and consumed with trying to figure out which way is up and down, you don't really need the added stress of being spit upon. I really wasn't quite sure what to say, considering I didn't want to quite get in a fight in a new country and couldn't say much anything and guarantee he'd understand anyway. I suppose realizing he had spit upon me and based upon my lack of response didn't know Dutch, he said "Stupid English." Which either means one of two things: 1) He thinks people who only speak English are stupid, which I can live with -OR- 2) He assumed I was British and was insulting the British, which I can live with more than I can a stranger insulting Americans. In either case, I assumed he didn't spit on me on purpose and went about my walk back home trying not to think about the spit on my shirt.
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A bike parked along Trompenburgstraat near work
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A cute alteration to a VW bug along Vondelpark on Amsterveense Weg
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One of the most remarkable sights, at least for a car-obsessed American like myself, is the equivalent of a garage for Centraal Station for bikes, 3-4 levels high and packed solid with bicycles
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Same...could be tough to remember "where you parked" huh? At least the price is right, free.
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Bikes, water, boats, and Amsterdam
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Yes, there are lots of bikes
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Ok, so I liked the big bike garage
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