After awaking early to begin the long journey back to the United States a portion of the group were shocked to realize we had another day coming in the European Union. Today was a day where most of us went from sadness over the trip ending, to excitement to getting retell our stories to loved ones. However, in the end of the emotional roller coaster, we were left with a feeling of acceptance and understanding.
After leaving Munich and saying our goodbyes to friends both old and new, a group of eight of us were left, stranded in Amsterdam. We arrived in the Netherlands airport to realize our flight is leaving the next day at eight in the morning.
Some were angry, some were shocked but everyone was slightly lost. We made our arrangements (provided by the airline for the inconvenience) to stay in a nearby hotel and provided meal vouchers.
After letting the new opportunity to discover (a little bit) of a new country, some of our rag tag bunch set out to discover the city that is Amsterdam.
With time running short, we all decided to hop on a train and head to the only place we had all heard of about Amsterdam:
The Red Light District.
This was an interesting experience as both marijuana and prostitution are illegal in the United States, but are common place here.
It still strikes me as weird to see women offering themselves for a price. It just seems so strange that someone would subject themselves to that, but I understand that it is their choice to do it. However, it does leave me with many questions that I would like to ask these women, the most prominent one being: how did you get into this job?
2 comments:
I'm so glad that we got to see Amsterdam Justin. It was a good thing that we had already mastered riding the subways in Germany because it made it so much easier to get around in Amsterdam. I can't believe that we actually saw the Red Light District and a marijuana coffee shop! What a crazy trip.
Some of us joked about visiting the Red Light District as another media appointment, this one about "self promotion." Although we coined the appointment joke in an effort to possibly earn extra credit during our extra day in Europe, it was actually a very interesting and informative night in the streets of Amsterdam. The Red Light District is not that much different from the rest of the streets in Amsterdam or Germany for that matter. Restaurants and shops crowd the bottom level of all buildings. Big windows show off what is inside and there are many places to take a seat and enjoy a nice meal. In the district,the windows showcase women rather than manikins and the coffee shops sell marijuana rather than coffee.
Most women in the windows don't seem shy or angry. They play along with the "window shoppers" and its actually hard not to watch. The prostitution ring in the district is supposedly well organized and clean. The women are tested regularly. Even so, I personally find the occupation disgusting. These women take hold of the advertising adage "sex sells" and seem to be doing well.
Had we actually planned our stay in Amsterdam it would have been extremely interesting to ask these women about their incomes, competition, and the impact of the crisis (the European recession). Although it was disturbing, we witnessed a group of men buying some time with the prostitutes. The men seemed to be a group of friends and chanted loudly every time the deal was sealed for one of their friends. The purchase seemed so routine for the woman, and it was evident that this truly is a way of life that she has become accustomed to. She did not seem embarrassed, but rather excited about her profit.
Although I feel also feel bad that these women are caught up in this lifestyle, I did learn that it is their choice, at least in the district. I hope that someday they will realize their worth, but for now it was a good lesson on "self promotion."
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