While I was staying in Aachen, Germany with my aunt and uncle, I decided to make one final last minute trip to Amsterdam, Holland for the day. It was a quick train ride and I arrived to Amsterdam in less than 2 hours from Aachen (almost crazy how fast it took to hop from one country to another). I was in Amsterdam for a total of maybe 8 hours or so. It was literally the 2nd to last quickest roundtrip I've ever taken (Cologne, Germany takes the trophy for a record of a 2 hour roundtrip aka shopping spree). I hate to say that Amsterdam was one of my least favorite cities that I've visited, next to Naples. The city was dirty, crowded with pedestrians and bikers, and aesthetically unpleasing. Granted I was only here for 1/3 of a day, my opinion obviously doesn't hold much weight but I didn't even wish I had more time to explore. Despite everything, I made the most of my time in Amsterdam and actually had an unexpected educational experience about sex-trafficking industry in the city.
This particular row of houses along the canal has to be one of the moments I enjoyed in Amsterdam.
The flag of Amsterdam waves over the city.
One of the main features of Amsterdam is the canals that run all across the city. This is probably one of the most well-recognized images when one thinks of Amsterdam.
And of course, the iconic iAmsterdam letters.
"E" for Elisa.
The most fun and best time spent in Amsterdam. Van Gogh Museum!
Message on a pole that spoke to me..... deep.
I was always a fan of Van Gogh not only because I studied his art as a child, but because my mother was completely in love with his work. My mother is a lover of the arts...Klimt, Renoir and Van Gogh are just a few of her favorites.
This was one of the paintings that hung in my room when I was a little girl. I didn't have any Nsync or Britney Spears posters-- I had Van Gogh on my wall at age 8. lol
The night before I left for Amsterdam, I reached out to Not For Sale, a partner of Freedom and Fashion knowing that they have a program in Amsterdam. I've worked closely with Not For Sale and thought it'd be a neat opportunity to shadow their operations overseas in Holland. Last minute, I got in touch with Saskia, who is the coordinator for NFS in Amsterdam.
And here is my new wonderful friend, Saskia. Saskia gave me a tour of the red light district and shared how many girls here are not working for sex on their own volition. Many girls who are working in the Red Light District are from non-EU countries, like Latin American and eastern European countries...which must mean that they're working illegally under a pimp who is most likely exploiting them. She shared with me how she sees one girl on some days who works 12-hour shifts, which is longer than a normal shift of a prostitute. And this also indicates that she's not there on her own will.
While I was in Cambodia, I saw a lot of suspicious activity that looked like prostitution, but business was relatively covert. Even in Los Angeles, I've never not once seen a prostitute soliciting sex. I wasn't allowed to take any pictures, but in the Red Light District, girls are enticing men through windows of a room that hold one bed and a few pieces of furniture, solely for the purpose of sex. I've never been so shocked and heartbroken during my whole duration in Europe. The Red Light District stretches for blocks and blocks and almost 80-90% of the curtains in the rooms were closed, indicating the prostitute was busy with a client. Just crazy crazy stuff.
Anyhow, I learned a lot from my new friend Saskia. My eyes were exposed to such brutal and explicit sexual corruption that I've never witnessed in my life. It reminded me that sex-trafficking is as prevalent in Europe as it is in South East Asia.
Overall, I didn't love the city of Amsterdam, but still had a great experience. I probably won't be back for vacation any time soon.
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