Loyola University Chicago

Bright Lights, Hard City

I have always had a desire to visit Amsterdam because I have heard it is like no other place on earth. Every person I know who has visited told me, "You must experience Amsterdam for yourself." When I decided to spend the last two days of my spring break there, I had no idea what to expect from a city recognized for its red-light district, coffee shops, crazy people, and museums.

I arrived in Amsterdam at 9 p.m. After eight hours on a train, I wanted to find a place to stay and go to bed. As I walked out of Central Station I was excited to see the bright lights of this beautiful city. Hundreds of people were in the streets. After finding my hotel, I dropped my backpack off, and headed out for the rest of the evening.

As I began my walk through the red light district, I was repulsed and scared. Dirty looking men were following me up and down the neon lighted streets offering themselves to me sexually. Lining the streets were store windows where women dressed in their underwear waited for someone to "rent" them. I decided I had better remove myself from the area. Walking quickly and nervously, I felt my heart pounding. I was shocked to see how sex was casually portrayed around me.

Walking back to my hotel, I noticed a man sitting on a park bench sticking a needle in his upper arm. Never in my life had I seen anyone take drugs intravenously. My beautiful impression of Amsterdam was fading because, in the matter of an hour, I had seen prostitution and drug use openly practiced. I felt like I was losing part of my innocence.

When I awoke the next morning I decided to view Amsterdam with a new attitude. After my tour of the Anne Frank House, which was fascinating, I stopped for a cappuccino. I ended up talking to the girl working in the cafe for three hours. She said that Amsterdam is an awful place to live because of the legalization of drugs. Drugs have taught her to ignore her problems, she said. I was surprised to hear someone speak so negatively about their own culture. She assured me that the values learned through her lifetime have been gained through her family. Family was important to her, but she claimed that Amsterdam was no place to raise children.

I appreciated my conversation that day because I learned about different value systems in a conversational way. As much as I did not agree with some of the lifestyle in Amsterdam, I am glad I saw it for myself.