of all the aspects of this trip that have struck me strangely, so far, it was the sheer amount of american english that i've overheard.
from a quick look at the crowds, amsterdam is a well-visited destination for both single-types and families, and it seems that english is quickly becoming the new lingua franca of the world.
Brian and i queued to visit the Anne Frank House yesterday, which unsettled me .. if not in a "good" way, then in a moral, meaningful way. [1]
it made for an interesting foil against the backdrop scent of pot in coffeeshops and the slightly aggressive gait of young men on the lookout for a good time.
[1] it was a surprise to me that, in her lifetime, ms. frank edited and rewrote her diary with the intention of an audience in mind. (apparently, in several BBC broadcasts during the war, the Allies recommended that everyone save their diaries for historical posterity .. which is surprisingly prescient for a governmental institution!)
from a quick look at the crowds, amsterdam is a well-visited destination for both single-types and families, and it seems that english is quickly becoming the new lingua franca of the world.
Brian and i queued to visit the Anne Frank House yesterday, which unsettled me .. if not in a "good" way, then in a moral, meaningful way. [1]
it made for an interesting foil against the backdrop scent of pot in coffeeshops and the slightly aggressive gait of young men on the lookout for a good time.
[1] it was a surprise to me that, in her lifetime, ms. frank edited and rewrote her diary with the intention of an audience in mind. (apparently, in several BBC broadcasts during the war, the Allies recommended that everyone save their diaries for historical posterity .. which is surprisingly prescient for a governmental institution!)
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