Teresa loves the land of no thanksgiving and christmas lights in november...

I do not really care for thanksgiving... maybe because as soon as I learned american history beyond the 3rd grade level I realized that it's pretty stupid.  Pilgrims and Indians my ass eating together in harmony my ass.... was that right before they slaughtered them and forced them onto the least desirable bits of land.. until of course those bits became valuable and they were moved again...  read a people's history of america please!!!! well don't if you enjoy your happy sugar coated version of american history. . . . but I'm a rebellious college student living in europe, what can I say.  So anyways I don't really like thanksgiving, don't like turkey, don't like football.. sure family is cool but there are other times you can see them.. I don't need a holiday as an excuse to be thankful.  anyways.............. since it is an American holiday they of course don't have it here.  SO christmas lights/ decorations go up way sooner!  YAY.. this is especially wonderful since it gets dark at like 4 here.... anyways I find this extended christmas season much more enjoyable.  And think thanksgiving is really lame for keeping americans from being able to enjoy it too.  

anyways I was in Amsterdam this past weekend.  And I had the wonderful opportunity of seeing a foreign city NOT as a foreigner.  My boyfriend has spent three semesters studying in Amsterdam, speaks Dutch.. and knows the city obviously... I went with him and we stayed at one of his friend's apartment.  So here is what I observed as a tourist disguised as a local...

1) lots of water.. canals.. all so beautiful!!!! 2) really beautiful old buildings... just overall really REALLY beautiful.... 3) lots and lots of bikes.. it's a way of life there.. separate bike paths (much bigger and better kept then any american bike path) so much healthier way of life and paired with really good public transportation.. the city is so clean.. god the europeans know how to live.  4) the Dutch are really tall 5) the dutch are also as a rule really attractive.. maybe it's all the biking and clean air.  6) most dutch speak english... really well.. but they appreciate you speaking dutch if you can of course.. but they do enjoy practicing their english.  7) the dutch kiss... one cheek.. other cheek.. and then back to the first cheek. 8) the entire city is totally walkable, a nice walk too  9) I'm sure i'm forgetting things... ummmm there are nice days there and the sun was even out on thursday  10) STEEP STAIRS, lots of steep stairs.. dear mother i think the person who constructed our cottage was from amsterdam... because every staircase is like the ones at the beach!!!! 11) christmas lights and night are so so so beautiful... 12)  most of their beer is beligian .. although they might not appreciate your bringing that up :) 

It was overall a beautiful city, weekend, etc.  I met some beautiful people and pretty much had the time of my life... and no i didn't do any drugs that are illegal at home... I didn't have to... it was more then wonderful all on it's own!

-Teresa