Amsterdam and Back

Well, I survived my trip to Amsterdam! It actually went pretty well. I must say Europe was very different than I was expecting. Everyone seemed to smoke, which surprised me the most. Other than that it was an interesting mixture of new and old. It didn’t feel quite like a new city, but also not quite like an old city. A very interesting experience.

I didn’t do too much sight seeing, since I was there to present at the conference. The one place I did go was the Anne Frank house. It was really amazing. It was a lot bigger than I always imagined. What would have been really hard was the need to be unseen and unheard all the time. Never going outside would have been killer.

I really like the museum because its focus was on hope and changing the world for the better instead of just remembering tragedy. I feel that often when we remember the past we just try to feel bad about it. In contrast the Anne Frank house was all about telling the story of a girl that was able to accomplish her dreams even in great persecution. She hoped that she could publish her journal, and that its words could change lives, and they certainly have. Things were not easy, but she had a goal that she worked through in spit of any challenges she faces.

I also like the story of her father. Even though Otto ended up losing his family he never devolved into a stupor of hate. Instead he just wanted to help the world do better, and not fall again into such hatred. He truly is an amazing man, and one whom I look up to now. It was a really good experience.

On Tuesday I gave my presentation. It went well. The conference itself also went well. None of the rooms were air conditioned, and adding that to my jet lag, it was really hard to stay awake. Really hard! I managed only with the help of afternoon naps.

On Thursday I took off. My shuttle never came (the driver actually lied about trying to come), and so I had to taxi to the airport. The airport was also interesting. The security checkpoint was right at the gate, and I even saw guards walking around with SMGs. It was crazy! Very different. Anyways, here are some pictures from Amsterdam:

My hotel

 

Breakfast. That is a pancake with peaches, mandarin oranges, and vanilla ice cream.

 

They have very intricate balconies for an apartment.

 

American fast food is every where in the world!

 

Cigarettes were everywhere. Smoking seemed to be the national pastime. Young, old, male, female everyone was doing it!

 

The buildings were really cool. Their were also canals running through the city. They were really nice.

 

Even with the crazy security in the airport I was able to make it safely home. I didn’t experience too much jetlag on getting back either. I was very happy with that. The rest of the week nothing much happened. There was a great talk by Elder Holland for the CES broadcast on Sunday though. If you haven’t seen it (married people) you should certainly go and watch it (http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/ces-devotionals/2012/09?lang=eng). It was just great!