Happy on the Road (Again)

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May 21, 2003

We're on the train to Schipol from Groningen. We packed this morning, and Ron went off to his conference. I set out for a half day of exploring.

But first I needed my coffee at the Kosterie. Today, I talked with the waiter for several minutes. He waited on us on Sunday, and again on me on Monday. White blond hair, very cute, great English. Today, I had the Grote Markt Tosti - a grilled Brie and pineapple sandwich. I am delighted that the grilled cheese sandwich (tosti) is a Dutch national dish.

After my cheese sandwich and coffee, I headed out to the Internet Cafe, but it was closed, so I decided to walk the perimeter of the Centrum, which is encircled by a canal, and marks the Old City walls. The walk took just over an hour, and took me through several different neighborhoods. I did not see alot of the northwest part of the Centrum, but visited extensively the rest of it. The northwest part is the university. It's amazing how compact the Old City is, and it remains a vibrant place to live and work.

There really is a marked contrast between many of our American cities and Amsterdam and Groningen. The size of the cities means you can walk or ride a bike. Of course, the fact that these cities are absolutely flat is a big plus. It's nice being in a place where you don't worry about being run over by cars, although I admit the cyclists can kill you if you aren't looking.

We are in Amersfoort and switched trains. This train is crowded so that Ron and I are not able to sit together. Groningen is not a particularly easy place to get to or from.

Tonight we are staying at the Sheraton Amsterdam Schipol. I don't know if we will go back into the city one last time. I certainly wouldn't mind it, although I'm very tired, and tomorrow will be a very long day, probably 19 or 20 hours. This overseas travel is no way to treat a sleep deficit.

I keep coming back to the conversation with Dik. The questions of immigration, assimilation, and toleration are all very important, and deserve lots of public discussion.

I think our country should be tolerant of immigrants. They are changing the face of our society, but they don't need to change its underlying values. I think assimilation of immigrants should be one of the goals of our immigration policies.

Immigrants should know that our country has respect for cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity and toleration for differences while respecting the rights of people to pursue their own happiness. Assimilation should include learning English, American history, and civics. Our society should develop strategies and policies that actively promote our country's values among immigrants.

Of course, some of this means that some religious and ethnic groups inside our own culture may need to learn a little toleration and respect, too. No doubt about it that a crazy streak rides wide and deep throughout much of the US society and culture. Somehow this all sounded much more reasonable in the bathhouse after sex.

May 22, 2003

So now we're on the plane back to the US. We stayed at the Sheraton, Schipol Airport last night, and did not go back into Amsterdam. We explored Schipol fairly thoroughly, had dinner at the Dakota Cafe, and went back to our room. Both of us were tired.

I had a lamb and goat cheese sandwich that was very tasty. Ron stuck with grilled salmon. That wacky Dutch cuisine! Dutch meals come with a salad, potatoes, and vegetables. I shared Ron's au gratin potatoes. Love that kaas! I could really come to love this place....

This morning, we had breakfast at the hotel restaurant, a very nice complimentary buffet that featured Dutch specialties. Lots of men in suits here. I felt positively undressed for breakfast, but then, I'm usually undressed for breakfast. Big spread, good food, eat!

Security is pretty thorough at Schipol. I'm not sure how effective it is, but it is thorough. We had our travel documents checked four times. In addition, my carryon was completely unpacked. Obviously, I look Arabian or something. Actually, they got a little excited about my Palm keyboard.