I Am Sterdam

The hedonistic capital of the world (maybe), which for me meant a few too many Jugermeisters, 1 spicy falafel and a new watch. Clearly I do not have the head for sexual excess and mind altering drugs that Amsterdam has to offer.

For me it was all about the vibe, the people, the tension and seeing friends from Cape Town who are now in Europe.

We went into a shop called Daba and had a chat to the salesman there about mushrooms, he was a good guy or salesmen depending how cynical you where. He sold me on the idea but following the advice he gave the other customers, on the effects just stimulating any existing emotions I realized it was not a good idea for numerous reasons.

On a cultural note we went to Anne Frank house. For things like this I also like to be prepared else I get bored. Not being overly prepared 2 days before we go I decide I want to read the book, accepting that I was not going to read it that quickly I got the audio book and played it on my ipod on the bus to work and the flight to Amsterdam.
This was brilliant as it put me on the higher ground with lesser mortals who had not read it (or not read it for 23 years, I have not even been able to read for 23 years.... sorry for the cheap shot and the in jokes..)
Really after having listened to the book it put the whole thing in a better perspective. The book was very different from what I expected, full of irony. I was amazed at how progressive the family and its dynamics where.
In the house after we had walked through the levels there was a video clip with Anne's friend who last spoke to here in Auschwitz and throw packages over the fence, this cut the deepest, really choked me up and was in contrast to the confident way the diary comes across.
I did not take any photos, as this is not something you need to take photos of to remember.

On the way out is a quote from Mandela, which I hoped as a group of South Africans we where able to appreciate.