Thursday 30 April 2009

欲望都市 - 红灯区和情趣博物馆 *Sex & the City - Red Light District and Erotic Museum (29 May 08)

除了毒品,另一个让阿姆斯特丹扬名国外的无非是他们的红灯区了。我们走了好几条很窄很窄的小街,街边的两旁的玻璃窗里都站着漂亮、性感又火热的小姐。小巷子很窄,人来又人往(多数是男人)。看到玻璃窗里的小姐我会害羞,小姐们的衣着有穿和没穿根本没两样。很可惜游客都不允许在那一带照片。要是你拍了照片,然后又被附近的太保发现了,他们会把你的胶片从相机抽出来,又或者把你相机里的记忆卡删除掉所有的照片。这些太保是小姐们请来的类似保镖。

红灯区的小巷里差不多每一条小巷里都有橱窗小姐。这些小姐坐的坐、站的站、摆动身体、甚至睡在床上的也有,总之各自耍宝引诱顾客。说真的,这些小姐的动作是蛮诱人的!橱窗里很窄而已,只能容下一张床和一个洗脸盆。如果橱窗的窗帘是关着的,这代表小姐们在做生意了。是不是感觉到他们大胆到让我们咂舌?就是这样,生意就在路边做!哈哈!

虽然会有点害羞,但我还是勇敢的跨前一步去看橱窗上贴着的价钱。原来weekdayweekend的价钱不同,7点傍晚之前和之后又不同,各自营业的时间也有差别。不过亚洲的男性们,别想了,窗上也粘着‘only for EU passport holder’,哈!另外,这些小姐们营业后可是得被荷兰政府抽税的哦!

阿姆斯特丹一共有两间Sex Museum。我们只进了一间叫Erotic Museum 的参观,收费一共是5欧元一人。进去里面有两大收获:第一,看到了machanical vibrator,笑死我了!真无法想象到底这怎么用。第二,我们无意中发现原来在Museum里可以拍到对面的一位橱窗小姐。红灯区里被禁牌,在这里拍了人不知鬼不觉,后来一共拍了三张。Erotic Museum是间4~5楼的性爱博物馆。最下一楼卖情趣品、T-shirt之类;楼上展览的都是书本、照片、装饰品、bondage的东西。博物院里可以拍照,但最楼下买东西的精品店是不可以拍照的。

看完博物院后,我们在附近在走走,然后随便选了一间店,看了一场live sex show。前面15分钟是播放成人电影,接下来的是表演脱衣舞秀,最后就是live show。买了票后,顾客在里头呆多久都没关系,即使想重复看多几次也没关系。说真的,台上那场秀没什么特别,也不会有人想再多看多几次。通常进去看的,都是贪好奇新鲜而已。我倒是一直很好奇台上的人到底是以什么样的心情去打这一份工的。其实让我咂舌的不是台上的表演,而是台下的那一场表演!你相信吗?竟然有一对差不多快60岁的uncle auntie 走进场后,竟然在离我和hubby 的座位大概三尺的距离脱裤子,然后当场来了自己做了一场秀!吓呆我们俩了,难道他们是exhibitionist吗?戏没看完他们就出去了,我想是不想和我们一起散场,避开到时候见面了尴尬吧?

Beside drugs, Amsterdam is also well known for its Red Light District. The walkways around Red Light District are mostly narrow. You may be surprised to see many women dress up in sexy lingerie along many narrow walkways. Each of them stayed in separate glass window. These are all legal prostitutes in Amsterdam. You may think: "Wow! This is damn interesting! Let me shot some photos and share it with my friends or relatives!". No no no! Please don't ever do that. These prostitutes are protected, their so called 'body guard' will come to you, snatch your camera/video cam and pull all your film away/delete your memory card! If you happen to see some windows are closed with curtains, this mean the girls are doing their business. Yes! Don't be surprised that they are having sex just next to the walkway!!

Although I am a biy shy, I still stepped forward to check out what was the paper pasted on the window. Well, it was the price list. Look like clients will be charged differently according to different time and day. The price will be cheaper in week day compare to weekend, and day time is slightly cheaper than during night time. It is also stated: "only for EU passport holders". Haha... sorry to non-EU men, don't ever think of trying, cause you can't!!! :)

There are two sex museums in Amsterdam, we only went to one of them, which is called - Erotic Museum. Surviniors were selling at the ground floor (no photo is allowed), pictures and books were exhibited on the 1st floor, and the rest of the floor (2nd-4th) exhibited other materials relating to sexuality. Two things attracted me most in this museum: 1. The machanical vibrator. It was the earliest vibrator invented to this world. Haha! Just couldn't understand how the machine works (see the picture below, you will definately laugh as well)! 2. Although we couldn't take pictures in Red Light District, we still managed to shot a few from inside the museum, as the window prostitution was just right opposite the museum! Thanks to my X10 zoom camera!!

It didn't take us very long to finish touring the whole museum. We went for a live sex show later in the evening. Adult movie was scrolling during the the first 15 minutes, followed by a strip show, then the live sex show. You could stay in the theater as long as you want, you could even keep on viewing the repeating show, no one will chase you out from there. Most audiences will leave after finding out what is all about the show. Frankly speaking, what happened on the stage did not amazed me much. I had culture shock when an old man and an old lady went into the theater, sat 3 feet away from us, pulled down their pants, and were having sex while the adult movie was scrolling! I was thinking, are they exhibitionist? That was the biggest culture shock I have ever experienced!!


Holland is a country that stays under the water level. The government created a long line of coastal dunes to protect the country from getting flooded. Due to it is surrounded by water, you may find small streams (like in the picture) every where in Amsterdam. (this makes Amsterdam a beautiful city).





For the past few centuries, people from Holland used to stay on the water and boats were their home. Today, what you can see are just sample of boats for displaying, some were modified to become museum.




There is always a China Town in every where. China Town in Amsterdam is quite big, you could find all sorts of SEA food here. Behind my parents is the biggest Buddhist Temple in the whole Europe and it is situated at Amsterdam's China Town. No matter where I go in Europe, I realised that unhealthy social activities are always around the China Town, and same thing happens in Amsterdam.





These are some of the toys exhibited in Erotic Museum.


















Take a wild guess... what is this? Haha! This is the mechanical vibrator I mentioned earlier... it's fuuny, isnn't it?



This is a 'replica' of how the real window prostitution looks like in Red Light District.



Bondage... hmmm... look weird to me!






This is the anime section, there was a TV showing adult cartoons.



This is the real window prostitution. It was just opposite the Erotic Museum.



Basically the space is very narrow, it could only fit in a bed, a sink, a chair, a prostitute and her customer. She will pull down the curtains when her customer walk-in.



This is one of the cartoon characters drew on the wall. I think it is quite funny!

Tuesday 28 April 2009

欲望都市 - 花市 *Sex & the City - Bloemenmarkt Market (29 May 08)

阿姆斯特丹的花市是个能让人很开心的地方。也许你会问,就只是看花而已,有什么好兴奋的?在这里,只要一踏进他的范围内,花香扑鼻,心情真的会很快转好。说是花市,当然少不了各种各样的花儿及花的种子,其中也包括了荷兰最有代表性的木屐,木做的郁金香,小风车,几各样的荷兰纪念品。

最刺激的是给我们发现了Cannabis (大麻) 的种子。以前在泰国金三角看过Poppy 的花和种子,cannabispoppy 真得很不同,一个是花,一个好像是叶子。在Bloemaenmarkt那一带有很多档口,其中一些路边的店口是卖春药啊,各种提炼过的毒品啊,香烟啊等等。有一个小角落有放着一些样品给顾客尝的,只要把鼻子一靠近,用力一吸,保你high到姓什么都会忘记!也第一次看到西班牙苍蝇 (spanish fly) 还有蘑菇 (LSD)。

除此,路边也有很多咖啡店。来到阿姆斯特丹可别进错咖啡店哦!这里有两种咖啡店, 一种是那种普通的咖啡店,另一种是卖含有毒品的咖啡。不懂是不是那一天经过了太多这一类的咖啡店,还我整晚和妈咪都睡不着,一直讲话讲到2点多才睡,而且情况是前一晚还睡眠不够呢!


I had a great time while visiting Bloemenmarkt Market in Amsterdam. Bloemenmarkt is the biggest flower market in Holland. This place is full of all kinds of flowers. We went in May last year and May is the season where tulip starts to blossom. Here, tulips come in different colors and the one that I love most is black tulip. The whole market was full with very pleasant aroma, it really makes me feel more relax and happy once I enter this place! You could find very nice surviniours/gifts from Bloemenmarkt with a few penny cheaper than any where else (such like fridge magnets, all sizes of clogs, wood-made tulips, windmills, lighter and etc.).

We were so excited when we first saw Cannabis seeds selling in Bloemenmarkt. I have seen poppy flowers during my first visit to Thailand many years ago, it was absolutely different from cannabis. Unlike poppy flower, cannabis is just an ordinary green plant. While walking and doing some shopping in the market, we also saw a few drug shops along the opposite shophouses. Some drugs are legal for use in Amsterdam. You will be able to find all kinds of stimulants and aphrodiasiac from these shops. There are also samples of drugs displaying on the desk and you could take a sniff if you want, it's free! Also saw spanish fly and LSD which was also known as 'the mushroom'.

There are two kinds of coffee shop in Amsterdam, one is the normal coffee shop where you could sit down, take a rest and have a cup of coffee or two, with some very nice home made biscuits. Another one, looks like normal coffee shop as well, they serve almost the same food, one thing that makes it special is most food and beverages are added and served with drugs. Surprise huh? I wonder how biscuit and coffee with cannabis taste like?



Holland is welknown for producing wood clogs. Look at this pic! Clogs are hanging at every corner of the shop in Bloemenmarkt.

These are dried flowers, it's also for selling.










I don't know what this flower is called, it looks like cat's tail! So nice!!



Haha! The seeds of cannabis! If I am not mistaken, one shall apply for license if he/she wants to do cannabis mass planting in Holland. Don't ever try to buy this back home, because you won't be able to cross the border with this!



These are tulip's seeds, look like onions, isn't it? :)









Behind my parents are just a portion of flowers seeds, there are more.....






Buying some key chains as one of the surviniours.






These toy houses look exactly like the real houses in Amsterdam.






Mum wanted to buy the first door bell, I was planning to buy the third one for myself. However, it was too heavy and we were afraid our laggage might be over weight.



Orchids.



Nice drawing on plate for display.



Cactus. This reminds me of Cameron Highlands in Malaysia.






The 'evolution' of clog. Hehe...





This is one of the drug shops I mentioned. Here, you could find all kinds of stimulants and aphrodiasiac.





You could also find items for decorating garden in Bloemenmarkt.






Houses in Amsterdam really attracted lots of my attention. I just don't understand why most houses were built a bit sloppy to the front. Is this done intentionally? Or with purpose? Did you notice there is a hook on the most top of each houses? As these houses are built tall and narrow, the hook is built to help people who stay on higher level to pull their furniture up. What a brilliant idea!!



Later in the noon, we had our coffee at this coffee shop. This coffee shop serves no drug! :)


郁金香 *Tulips

刚到Leeds的第一个春天 也就是我第一次看到郁金香的时候

含苞待放的郁金香最美

很可惜我这几天都蹲在家里 没什么出门 错过了它最美的时刻

去年五月去了荷兰一趟

那时候才算见识了郁金香真正的美

荷兰是郁金香最大的出产地 那里的郁金香好多、好多

各式各样的颜色 让人眼花缭乱

但我最爱的 还是黑色的郁金香













因为是春天的关系,最近很多树上都长满了粉红色和白色的花朵,桃花也开得满满的,可以媲美日本的桃花树
























大风一吹,树上的花朵就会随风飞,最后铺在地上,成了粉红地毯。












一个和自己的影子跳舞的小女孩。A girl who was dancing with her own shadow.