Amsterdam (reader discretion is advised...)

 
This weekend I met one of my best friends from school in Memphis, Annie, in Amsterdam for the weekend! We had a great relaxing weekend finding cool eateries and sight seeing.

We went to the Anne Frank Huis on Saturday morning. I had been before when I was ten, it was Annie’s first time. I was really glad I got to go again, I remember a lot of the Anne Frank house from my first visit. I think it is hard at that age (understandably) to truly understand the Holocaust and what was going on in Amsterdam and the world at that time. While after having studied World War II, and having traveled to Berlin and seen many of the memorials there, I felt much more knowledgeable about the time and the chronology of the events that this second visit was much more meaningful for me in that respect. However, I think there is something about visiting the Anne Frank House when you are about the same age as Anne was when she was in hiding there. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to visit twice.

That afternoon we bopped and shopped around just taking in the city. I have to say Amsterdam has a lot of cute local stores, coffee shops, clothing designers, etc. We had a great time exploring!! I was a little surprised how much the streets resembled those in Copenhagen, I felt right at home! Annie was shocked at how early it got dark…I remained un-phased as it was lighter outside than it is in Denmark.

That evening we went on a guided tour of the Red Light District. This is one of my favorite tours I have ever taken in my life (it’s a close contender with the Jack the Ripper Walking Tour in London which I have raved about for years--just for some perspective). The tour is two hours, first you visit the Amsterdam Prostitute Information Center--it is unsurprisingly the only prostitute information center in the world. There we spoke with an ex-prostitute about the history and current situation of the Red Light District in Amsterdam. Then we got to stand in a red-lit window to get a feel for what it looks like for prostitutes in Amsterdam (there were an array of costumes one could choose from but we decided to just stand in our winter coats as to not have a “too real” experience, as it were…)


READER DISCRETION!! You are entering the section of the blog about the RED LIGHT DISTRICT (Grandma--STOP READING NOW.)

Afterwards we walked around the Red Light District, which if you didn’t know is one of the safest areas in Amsterdam. For it’s historic value the real estate there goes for millions of euros just for an apartment. Residents are acutely aware they live in the Red Light District, there are day care centers and small coffee shops, etc that were closed because it was late at night but it was clearly an affluent neighborhood.

The Red Light District itself also has different divisions, there are both window and club prostitutes. Some women prefer to be in a club as it is a more discrete way of doing the job. The window prostitutes also vary in age, size, gender, price, they are all very different. Different sections of the district represent these different demographics. There is a street specifically for transvestites, for example. We also went on the most historic/expensive street in the district which was interesting to compare to the other windows elsewhere, this tour was very educational! Our tour ended up being a really small tour of just five of us, us, a Scottish couple, and a man from Singapore, but our tour guide told us that she always loses a couple people (guys) every time she brings a big group of thirty or so through the most expensive/historic street. It is said that the most attractive prostitutes work on this street. I must say I disagree, they looked quite fake (if you catch my drift). I preferred the transvestite street personally.

They told us a lot of statistics and practical information on the tour as well. It costs about 90 euros/per 8-hour shift to rent out a room, each window prostitute rents her own window, and it has a small room with a bed behind it. The door can only be opened from the inside, the prostitute hand picks her customers, and pretty much all prices are negotiable (except on the expensive street where they really aren’t). The standard price is 50 euros for ten minutes, other “extras” or more time is more money but also negotiable depending on the prostitute. The prostitute will typically advertise with a small sign in the window if she has any special extra things she offers. Our tour guide also told us that almost all the prostitutes are educated--a large percentage are working to pay off student loans. For Dutch girls it is an easy way to make a lot of money. And that is all it is about for these prostitutes. An ex-prostitute in the center said to us there might be some passion in certain encounters, but for the girls it is all about money--and never any love involved.

I must admit I have been pondering my feelings on prostitution--in general and in Amsterdam--after this tour and I feel very conflicted. It is hard I think to understand what makes a person enter this business, but at the end of the day if prostitution is going to happen, at least let it happen in a place where the girls make the decision themselves, have access to a center, a support network, and testing services such as the girls in Amsterdam do. A very historical place and sight I must say this goes down as one of my favorite experiences traveling.

Oh and Amsterdam has delicious Indian food. yummy yummy!!

 

 

 

 

the streets of Amsterdam

 

mmmmmmm coffee

 

Anne Frank Huis

 

Annie getting a feel for what it's like to be in the window

 

The Red Light District

 

 

Holidays...more like HoliNIGHTS...

So some of you may have heard….Denmark gets pretty darn dark in the wintertime. Initially I was nervous that I was going to miss my vitamin D and get a little seasonal depression, but that hasn’t happened at all which I’m thankful for! It is light outside from about 8:30am until around 2:30-3:30 pm when it gets real dark outside.

I’ve taken to playing a little game on my twitter where I tweet a picture and ask “What time is it in Copenhagen?” Most of the time if your answer is anywhere from 4pm-8am the next day you would be correct.

Denmark is actually very good at compensating for this darkness and cold. All the cafes and restaurants are really cozy with fires and hot drinks. The streets are lined with Christmas lights and decorations, and today it even snowed!! Everything is screaming holiday cheer include the Danes so the darkness hasn’t been too shabby. My only problem is I get SO tired. When it’s been dark since 3pm I find myself sitting around my room doing homework and yawning at 7pm like “Can I go to bed yet??” But I don’t let myself go to bed until 9pm most nights so I have some semblance of a normal sleeping schedule. My friend Jenny remarked the other day, “I’m incredibly well rested, but it is so hard to stay awake!” and that is the truth of it.

My Danish professor told me that the Danes really are accustomed to the dark if not need it. She said she loves the dark because she needs that more “depressing” climate as it makes her that much more excited for the light that comes in April. It helps remind you what is truly important and appreciate the light when you have it more. I mean, the Danes are the happiest people in the world so who am I to argue!

I’ll take a hot chocolate and a blanket, snuggle up and take the dark for what it’s worth!

My apartment building at 3pm (ish)

Nyhavn (the New Harbor) decked out for the Holidays!

 

my street this morning

how I love snowy Copenhagen...

 

Thanksgiving(s) in Denmark!

 

Let me tell you a little story….

My first Thanksgiving away from home was this year while I was in Denmark. Our Danish friends don’t really eat turkey the way we do. We learned we might have to pre-order a turkey. Thinking that would be such a hassel that no one would want to deal with, I made a passing comment, “If y’all find and buy the turkey, I will cook it.” I ended up spending my first Thanksgiving on my own stuffing and cooking a ten pound turkey for seven people, and guess what…..IT WAS DELICIOUS!

I was so proud of myself and probably had 10 panic attacks in between seeing the frozen turkey defrosting on my roomate’s floor until it was stuffed, cooked for 3 hours, and came out of the oven all lovely brown and delicious.

We turned my room into a dining room, I turned around my bookshelves, made my desk a make shift dining table, some festive napkins and tea lights and a smorgasbord of thanksgiving traditionals and we were in the money! It certainly wasn’t the same without our families but I have to say I think I can speak for us all when I say it was very fun and definitely a great substitute on this favorite American holiday.

Jonas, our resident Dane at thanksgiving, put up with us going around the table saying what we were thankful for, and he even got seconds--that’s how good my turkey was! (recipe cred goes to Grandmom Phyllis, it was her stuffing recipe!)

 

the table!

nom nom turkey!

a little blury...but you get the picture!

the aftermath

Thanksgiving Part Two:

Then I had a second Thanksgiving on Sunday with my Danish mommy and brother! My Danish brother, Sebastian, decided that the Sunday after Thanksgiving is now called “Crazy Thanksgiving Christmas Day” because we ate thanksgiving food (we just went with a stuffed chicken--turkey is a real commitment) and made Christmas decorations, it was really fun, I am definitely going to miss them!! A good thanksgiving was had by all!

 



me and my Danish brother, Sebastian making Christmas candle arrangements (it's a Danish thing)

Denmark is into non-traditional gender roles so I cut the chicken

christmas decorations!!

GlasGO

 

My next excursion took me to some friends in Scotland! The past few summers I have worked at a summer camp for girls outside St. Louis, Missouri. Each year we get about 10 international staff who come through an organization called Camp America which helps foreigners find summer camps to work at in America and vice versa. This summer I became very close with two beautiful Scottish lasses, Linsey and Nicole, and was lucky enough to have them show me their home outside Glasgow, Scotland!

We had an eventful weekend and it was so nice to have someone else plan my adventures! The first day we went to Loch Lomond which has some of the most beautiful lochs in Scotland. Right on one of the lochs is a an absolutely gorgeous hotel called the Cameron Inn, we went there and had some hot chocolate by all of the cozy fires and tartan carpeted halls. We happened to be there at the same time a famous football player was having some lunch with his girlfriend, (of course I had no idea who he was but Linsey told me!). That evening we went to a Ceilidh! A ceilidh is a traditional Scottish party where you drink and do traditional Scottish dances! Each song would begin, they had a little band with a fiddle, and we would get up and get in lines, they would give you a quick overview of the dance, and you would just have to do it! We were all flung about the room by massive men in kilts and one grandma (who flung us harder than any of the kilted men). We met a really funny pair of British twins and it was a great night! I was forewarned that ceilidhs sometimes result in arm bruises from all of the dancing, but I left unscathed. However right as we left the ceilidh I fell on the pavement and got a bruise on my knee, good nights out in Glasgow J

The next day we kept it casual and just walked around downtown Glasgow, we saw George Square as well as some of the famous shopping streets and landmarks, including the man on the horse outside the modern art museum with a traffic cone on his head! That evening we just relaxed and watched movies. On Sunday before I left Linsey’s mom made me a “proper fry up” with eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, the works and it was delicious.

Such a funny weekend with friends, I swear my abs hurt from laughing so hard. Not to mention it is so fun after you have hosted some friends over the summer to get to go to their home and visit with them--such a rewarding experience! I could also fill up another two pages full of our inside jokes, but I won’t bore you to tears, so much fun with Linsey and Nicole, I know we will see each other again soon J !! xoxoxo

 

Loch Lomond, most beautious countryside known to man

 

Linsey's so cozy!!

 

nom nom hot coco!!

 

the beautiful Cameron House!! If I ever for some strange reason get married in Scotland...it will be here, so gorgeous!

 

we're ready to ceilidh!!

 

dancin time! (I think I'm dancing with one of our favorite british twins here--quality gals)

 

swinging Nicole around Scottish style!!

Venezia

(view outside the window at my hotel)

 

I took a short little trip to Venice during one of my breaks. Very laid back and relaxing, the days events included, sleeping in, having a traditional Italian breakfast, then wandering around Venice (mostly getting lost) until dinner time. Although I will say that the Peggy Guggenheim collection is quite possibly the most fantastic art collect I have ever seen. I also stayed at a little bed and breakfast run by an adorable Italian couple who had a little 10 month old baby named Maria Sola. She was a cutie and they were so sweet.

 

St. Marc's Square

 

There was quite a bit of flooding on the news, but I didn’t encounter anything except some large puddles like this one in St. Marc’s Square. But all of the stores were selling thigh high goulashes which was pretty funny.

Rialto Bridge

inside the fantastic Guggenheim Museum

(outside the restaurant with the best seafood linguini ever)

 

I also found this cute little restaurant (pictured above) that had the most delicious food I have ever had, the entire trip was worth it just for their seafood linguini. I was walking by and a man stopped me and said in a heavy Italian accent, “if you looking for a good food, eat here” I listened to him and was not at all disappointed.

Istanbul

...Where to begin. Last week I went to Istanbul, Turkey along with 55 other sociology students and saying it was an amazing experience is a total understatement. We arrived on a Saturday and we whisked off to the most delicious dinner I have probably ever eaten in my life (this pattern continued throughout the ENTIRE week--so much good food!). Our hotel was right behind Taxim Square and adjacent to Istagal which is the main pedestrian street (comparable to Copenhagen’s Stroget for my avid readers J .) and this is where we spent most of our time. Istanbul is just alive, there’s no way to really convey the feel of the city but it’s bustling in a way that is overwhelming in it’s subtlety, (if that makes sense at all). The first day we were in the huge group and did the big sights = Hippodrome, The Blue Mosque, Ayasofya, and Topkapi Palace.

A well at the Hippodrome.

Inside the Blue Mosque (formally the Sultan Ahmet Mosque).

 

Me inside the Blue Mosque (photo cred: Lucy Gleysteen)

 

Outside the Blue Mosque with Jenny, Kris and Ben!

Inside Ayasofya, absolutely breathtaking and this building is 1,500 years old...

The symbols for Allah and the Prophet Mohammad and in between? Oh thats Mary and Jesus.

Ayasofya was originally a church during the time of Constantine and after it was converted into a mosque under Ottoman rule out of respect the Ottomans didn't deface any Christian symbols, they covered some up and left some where they are like this depiction of the virgin and Jesus. (Hmmmm could there be a lesson in here America?? In a country that borders Iran, Iraq and Syria these two religions co-exist...cough cough...)

Topkika Palace: the Sultan's Harem

Bedroom in the Harem

Exhibit on religious symbols at the Palace--quite possibly the coolest thing I saw in Istanbul.

This exhibit had parts of the original Kabba (that big ol’ square thing in the center of Mecca), as well as relics of different figures in Islam including a cemented footprint of the Prophet Mohammed (along with some pieces of his beard). I couldn’t take pictures inside but when I saw the gold trimmed ledges from the Kabba I was just blown away without words as I was in the presence of something so sacred to Islam, and seeing this while being in a country that’s 90% Muslim made the experience even more moving. Verses of the Koran were being sung in Arabic in the background of the exhibit and it was just amazing.

The vast majority of our time was spent hearing lectures and academic visits. We were divided into groups based on our areas of interested and had academic/cultural visits accordingly. My group, “Political Islam”, heard many lectures concerning toleration, the potential for Turkey to become a presidential system, education reform, minority issues, etc. And we were able to meet with the AK Parti Youth Branch (The AKP or Justice and Development Party is the current party in power under Prime Minister Erdogan, very controversial party at the moment as they are conservative and preach secularization under the umbrella of religious freedom and reform and are very much criticized for an ulterior agenda for increased Islamization in Turkey).

As far as the people of Istanbul I will readily admit I have never seen so many burqas in my life. The dress of the Turkish women was about 1/3 by demographics. A third were in the full burqa with a niqab covering everything but their eyes. Another third wore the hijab covering their head but not their face. The last third was in total western dress. It was by no means overwhelming we were obviously foreigners.

Another experience that I have no photographic evidence of is going to the Turkish baths. This was quite an experience. Before it’s development Turkey’s water was under control of the central government and privatized water systems didn’t exist and no water or plumbing existed in homes. People would go to public common baths and these baths are still up and running today as a symbol and a traditional Turkish experience. Now more of a spa you can go and pick from a list of services such as massages and facials. But the real experience is in the scrubbing…

You go to the baths and men and women are separated (Sorry you cannot go with your gay friend, I tried.) You are sent upstairs where you get a locker and a changing room. You are given a pair of bikini bottom type swim pants, and that’s all. In your topless state you go downstairs and a nice Turkish mama ushers you into the main room of the bath. Steamy and sauna like the room is very spacious with a dome at the top and large raised stone in the center. You are with several other women and you lie on the heated stone for 20 minutes and soak in the relaxing atmosphere. After a couple minutes you even forget everyone is topless and lie on your back on the hot stone and let your back muscles just unwind. Once you have been there for your twenty minutes you receive a friendly (but firm) slosh of water across you--this is your Turkish mama’s signal it is time for your scrub down. You lie on your stomach, then back, then sit up, as a large and in charge women in a bra and underpants scrubs off your first layer of skin. My Turkish mama even tapped me on the shoulder so I could look down and see all the dirt she was scrubbing off…so kind. Then you are taken over to fountain where your mama rinses you off and shampoos your hair. After this additional 20 minute experience you go into a little side room with large heated pools of water where you can sit and relax even more. After this you are encouraged to sit in the waiting room for another 20 minutes and let your body adjust from being in the hot rooms. There are showers and blow dryers in your changing rooms and you can sit and have a cup of tea or go as you please there is no time limit.

There were many women in the baths, some locals, some foreigners and all different shapes and sizes. Probably the best part of the experience was lying on my hot stone as a couple, then a couple more, then a couple more, sociology majors trickled in until there were about a dozen of us (all topless) chillin’ in the Turkish baths. The boys were (and still are) extremely jealous of what we all have seen to say the least. At first it was a little awkward but then as time passed and you realized that no one around you was at all miffed at the “state of things” I began to relax and thoroughly enjoyed my Turkish baths experience, it was needless to say one of a kind.

Here are some more pictures from the trip of different things!

Lamps at the Grand Bazaar

Supposedly one of the nails from the cross at the Greek Patriarch Church

(yes, the Greek Patriarch is in Turkey not Greece..)

Panoramic view from atop a tower, you can see the Bosphorus (water between Europe and Asain sides of Istanbul!) Topkapi Palace on the tip, then Ayasofya, then the Blue Mosque next to that!

So many incredible views!!

daily activity = tea and hookah

 

I tried to upload a video here but it didn't work so I will put it on my facebook! It is me walking out of a restaurant and hearing the call to prayer from the Blue Mosque for the first time. It is absolutely unreal. The traditional Muslim prayers happen five times a day, (at sunrise, after lunch, before dinner, after dinner, and before bed). The Mosques typically call the middle three and we got accustomed to what time it would happen and we would all rush outside or throw open our windows at each call during the day and just stand in awe of it's beauty.

 

My trip to Istanbul was so moving and thought provoking. I found myself jounaling on the regular about everything going on around me. I will leave you with this story and thought about my experience. While visiting with the AK Parti Youth Branch and young man said to us "Can I say something to you about Islam in America?" to which we all without question told him he could. He looked into all of our eyes and said, "I know there are many Americans who hate Osama Bin Laden, but I promise you Muslims in American hate him 10,000 times more because he ruined their lives [as well as all the victims and their families of Sept. 11th]". Tears welled up in my eyes and I have been haunted/thinking about this comment ever since. An unforgetable experience.

 

Nerd Alert = Post about Sociology

For those who might be at all interested I’m going to do a post about what I’ve been studying while I’m over here. If you don’t read it…I will not at all be offended. It’s mostly for my parents/similarly minded nerd friends.

PREFACE: Danish academia does not have the focus American academia does of being polite or “politically correct”. They tell it how it is and the situation with integration in Denmark is far from perfect. This post is not meant to be my opinion on the situation or paint the situation in any particular light. Merely to give a better picture of what it is I am studying to my friends and family so if you read this and find yourself bubbling over with anger at my interpretation of the information--keep it to yourself. Haters gonna hate…potatoes gonna potate…I don’t want to hear any negativity. J (I mean this in the nicest most polite and politically correct American way)

The first half of the semester my core course, titled “Cultural Diversity and Social Capital” focused on issues with Muslims and integration in Denmark and the second half on Turkey and issues with integration amongst the Kurds, Christian/Jewish minorities, and other IDPs (Internationally Displaced Peoples). This second section we have just started so I will do another post with more info on that once I get back from Istanbul next week J

Integration in Denmark--Background Info = post WWII reconstruction, Scandinavia saw a huge influx of Middle Eastern guest workers, meant to come rebuild some roads and go home, of course many of these guest workers ended up settling, emigrating to Denmark, Sweden, etc. and later bringing their families. So a culturally and ethnically homogenous country (and has been for 1000s of years) is now confronted with the reality they are now the home to thousands of Muslim immigrants. Their ability to integrate these minorities into Danish society has been a bit of a struggle. Basically Denmark upholds high values of equal opportunity and social services for all citizens as seen in their welfare state with free healthcare, education, etc. The Danish pay high high taxes (50-60%) in order to provide these social services and thus can be a little xenophobic (very understandably) when it comes to others coming into the country and benefiting from these services for which they pay half their income to provide. Danish culture is also of fundamental importance and the high focus placed on gender equality and secularization isn’t always compatible with conservative Islam.

This puts Denmark in a bind, if a country that preaches tolerance (which they are very much so of the minorities having lived in Denmark a long time, also providing extensive foreign aid, etc.) is tolerant of Islamic social practices such as arranged marriage, oppression of women (or liberation depending on how you view it) through wearing of the hijab and niqab etc., does that make Denmark intolerant by proxy?

That being said, the Danes have recently included some interesting topics in political discourse suggesting a desire exclude Muslims/religious minorities from the political scene. Discussing gender equality, a ban on male circumcision, and increasing protective laws making it harder to emigrate to Scandinavia. Even the far far right political party the Danish People’s Party (who have campaign videos that blatantly preach how Muslims are living off the welfare state, damaging to Danish society, and the country needs to put a stop to Muslim integration, etc) have banners saying “TOLERANCE” in big ‘ol letters on the platform that they are tolerant of all, and if Muslims are intolerant of ________ (women, equal job opportunities, drinking, fashion, whatever), then Denmark would be intolerant and this is something that cannot happen.

A very very interesting (at least to me) situation. Both sides have legitimate points. The Danes that they have a very successful secular welfare state and that inhabitants of their country should contribute to the community and common good as everyone else does. For the Danes it is not freedom OF but freedom FROM religion, they thrive in their secular sphere and do well in this religiously low state. But Danish Muslims are then forced to either a) abandon their culture assuming a Danish one or b) be ostracized from social circles for their incapability of being secular, “tolerant”, or effectively their inability to be Danish--and this is quite a bind.

Statistics show that integration is improving in Denmark. There is constant talk of ways in which the situation can be improved, government initiatives, cultural education of youth and parents on Islam, etc. I have interviewed many Danes (both ethnic Danes and Danish Muslims) on the subject and there is little xenophobia and prejudice among most Copenhageners (a lot of the Danish People’s Party resides in Jutland), and even less among my generation. The future is very hopeful and bright but fascinating especially effectively being an immigrant myself (I guess I am 6^th/7^th generation Slovenian/German American--I don’t even know for sure--Granmom Phyllis any input on this front?) and coming from a country of immigrants, not that the United States is necessarily a model for world integration, but we have been doing it a little longer (We’ll give ya that ‘murica!)

So this is what I am learning/thinking about eating/breathing while I have been here. I find the entire situation incredibly fascinating and I'm really excited to bring this information and ideas back to Rhodes in the spring!!


I hope this didn’t bore you to tears, I already know which of my family/friends will probably read this post so I hope y’all enjoy it!

NEXT WEEK (leaving in 4 days) = ISTANBUL. I can hardly wait!!

Oslo

This weekend I took the “booze cruise” to Oslo. So lovingly named as there isn’t any tax on international waters so they have a very well stocked duty free store. Unfortunately everything else on the boat costs an arm and a leg but my friend’s Ben, Kris, and I planned ahead and went to the grocery store and lived off peanut butter and jelly for the weekend and got to see Norway the cheap way.

While in Oslo we saw the Opera House, Cathedral, National Theater, National Gallery, Palace, City Hall, and the Nobel Peace Prize Center. The National Gallery was quite cool with a lot of retro art from the 60s-70s and also some really interesting sculptures. Probably my favorite was the Nobel Peace Prize center as right when we arrived it just so happened that the head of the Prize Committee was giving a press conference on the most recent Nobel recipient--the European Union. We got to sneak in the back and watch--it was pretty cool!! There were also some really cool exhibits of recent recipients including three women: two from Liberia (including the current president), one from Yemen who jointly received the prize for their efforts to end conflict in their respective countries.

We left Friday night had an overnight boat ride, spent the day Saturday in Oslo, and returned to Copenhagen on another overnight ride Sunday morning. It was a great way to see a city quick and fairly cheap. Not to mention the disco club on the boat had stellar people watching!

Enjoying the view from the top deck!

Oslo Cathedral

Yay Fall!! (although it felt pretty winter-like)

Nobel Peace Prize Press Conf. nbd...

Peace Prize Recipiants Room: real cool.

Each recipiant has their own small digital screen with a photo, the year they recieved the prize and their reason for recieving it.

Holla for (3 of) the ladies of the Nobel Peace Prize!! The most recent recipiants save President Obama and now the EU.

Oslo Harbor

Someone had a little too much booze cruise...hehehe.