Awesome Amsterdam!

Well It has been awhile since I've updated, I spent 4 days in Amsterdam after finding out I had misread the date for oktoberfest (turns out the tourist info had the wrong date, I was right and I missed it -- just another reason why I love french people). The first two days I explored the legality of marijuana. Interesting experience, I'm not exactly a goody two shoes (as you all know) but I wasn't that amazed by it. It was interesting for two days, but I'm not going to repeat it anytime soon. Yesterday was much more amazing! I took a small canal boat cruise which is basically a water bus, stopping at the main tourist attractions. I went to the Anne Frank house which was an amazing experience -- It was so powerful. I toured the office and the secret apartment where all 8 of the "Annexe Family" lived during the 1940s. It was surprising to see and I didn't think It would be all that powerful of an experience. Boy was I wrong! Her Candor, Wit, Charm, and Poignancy has always surprised me, yesterday was no different. That shock left me open to an awesome experience that was as intense as when I went to Dachau -- It was a chilling experience to think about what a great young mind the world lost to the holocaust. I was really moved by a quote from Nelson Mandela saying Anne Frank's Diary was a comfort to many men when they was inprisoned. I will never be able to fully comprehend that Anne Frank was one of six million. 1:5,999,999 thats the ratio, that bowls me over. There was another quote that says thank god we can't fully comprehend the sadness of that loss, because it would surely kill us. In an email to a friend I wrote:

"That was nice but I was more intrigued by the power of Anne Frank's promise. She was a charming, witty, and incredibly intelligent girl. Had she survived the war she may have been one of the greatest leaders in modern times, The Nelson Mandela of the Holocaust. With her smarts and that power of her mental resistance and great suffering - I can't comprehend what could have been but it could have literally changed the world."

That was a really interesting thought to digest.

I left and hoped back on the Canal cruise and went to the Rijksmusuem and enjoyed that pretty throughly. Although I enjoyed the Van Gogh Musuem more, mostly because there was an amazing classical jazz concert there and the musuem was open late. So I got to sit around for almost 3 hours and read a bit and oh man the music was AMAZING! You all would have loved it. It excited a feeling in me to explore Jazz more, I really like what I've heard and I have so little on my iPod. I feel a download frenzy coming on when I get home ;)

I topped it off with a nice walk home since it was 10pm at this point and stayed up way to late reading and writing in my journal.

well as you can see -- I'm having a really horrible trip! God why can't I seem to have a good trip eh? :)

well kids I'm off to the Zilderzee for a little R and R. Apparently the Hostel is actually in a Castle - That sounds pretty sweet! talk to you soon!


Ok i'm going to leave you guys with an awesome idea that you should run out and do asap!
Go into a bank with a pair of gloves and just nudge the person in front of you, when they turn around, start to put on the gloves and say "now would be a good time to leave." hehe sorry I'm listening to Dane Cook again and I can't help myself -- That man is completely insane -- but quite funny!

ps - dont really do that, instead give money to Hurricane Katrina Victims. Do It, its good!

love you guys
Tyler Willis