Amsterdam Destination Guide

Amsterdam is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, famous for its beautiful canals, top art museum and cycling culture. Here are some of the key points to remember as you plan your trip to Amsterdam.

Must-See Attractions

Most visitors begin their Amsterdam adventure in the Old Centre, which is full of traditional architecture, shopping centers, and coffee shops. Don’t miss the Dam Square and the areas around Spui and Nieuwmarkt. You’ll also want to check out Amsterdam’s Museum Quarter in the South District, which is a great place to buy souvenir gifts for family back home at the Albert Cuyp Market and having a picnic in the Vondelpark. If you have time you should try to explore the Canal Ring, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was originally built to attract wealthy home owners and is a pub for celebrity spotting and nightlife today.

Transportation

Travelers should be aware that Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is one of the busiest airports in the world. This airport is located about 15 kilometers southwest of the city center. You’d better catch a train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Central Station, which has many connecting routes (路线). It’s typically not a good idea to drive a car to the city center because traffic is crowded and parking is difficult to find. Cycling is quite popular here, and it’s easy to find cheap bike rentals around town.

There are some differences between American English and British English. Some differences are quite interesting.

When my friend Lily from London used the word “larder”, I didn’t know what it meant. Realizing I didn’t follow her, she used another word. I finally knew she wanted to find something to keep some food. The next word came up when we were planning a lunch date. She jotted down the date and time in her diary, while I marked my calendar. If she called me on the phone, she would ring me up. But if the line was busy, she would say the line was engaged.

Most times, I can know what Lily means. Last week, she regretted sending her boys to watch an early morning tennis game without their fleeces. I thought that she meant without their jackets or something like those. Other times, we have to ask each other. She recently told me a funny tale about a woman who was pissed. I wondered what had made the lady angry. It turns out that pissed means drunk.

Here is one more example. My British friend Jane was filling out a ticket at the grocery store recently. She asked the young man if he had a rubber. When she noticed he didn’t follow her, she quickly asked for an eraser, which, in England, is often called a rubber.

In order to communicate well with the British, we Americans should learn some words that the British use differently. And I think people who learn English as a second language should also realize that there are differences between American English and British English.

Two years ago I was very lonely and didn’t talk with anyone about my feelings. At the time I didn’t have many friends. I wanted someone to share my experiences and secrets with. I wanted someone to understand me. I started to imagine this friend and often imagined our conversations and what we would do.

Some weeks later we started a new project in school and I was working with one of my schoolmates. We had never worked together before but we got along well. After the project we started to spend some time together in school. One day we decided to take a walk. Ever since that walk we’ve been best friends. We listened and really understood each other.

I had wished for a best friend, but the universe gave me so much more. I have met one of my soul mates. We can sense each other, and it just takes one look and we know what the other is thinking. I didn’t think our friendship could grow much stronger. But now we have known each other for two years and our friendship is growing all the time.

It hasn’t only been easy. We have gone through both easy and hard times. But I’m thankful for the hard times, because they have forced me to grow and taught me a lot. My best friend has changed me. She has made me believe in myself. And I am now focusing on achieving one of my biggest dreams. Without her I wouldn’t even have realized what my biggest dream is.

I know there are soul mates out in the world for you. I am so thankful to have met one of mine. Believe in them, and your paths will cross!

On the day the tornado hit, my husband, Jimmy, 67, and I, 65, came around at 9 p. m.. The first warning is from some text on the TV Jimmy was watching. He ran upstairs to find me in our third-floor bedroom, and we changed the channel from the national television to our local Pensacola, Florida, station.

Soon the tornado was on top of us. It was the loudest thing I had ever heard. The house shook, and the power went out. And the wind began to roar (咆哮) through the house, most likely through windows and the door to our garage. Everything was moving. And the back wall of the house came off and flew into the darkness outside. We had three flights of steps to get to the storeroom down there, the relative safety of the first floor.

I didn’t know how or if we would make it down the steps. It felt as if there was no floor as the wind lifted me off my feet. As we finally reached the last flight of steps, our front door blew open. Suddenly, a three -foot-long tree branch (树枝) flew over our heads, missing us by inches.

By the time I reached the storeroom, the tornado had been over us for about a minute, Jimmy pushed me down to the storeroom floor, but he couldn’t get inside himself because of the wind. I held Jimmy’s arm as the tornado blew the door open. My knees were full of glass, but I felt no pain. If I had let go, Jimmy would have flown right out of the house.

All of a sudden, Jimmy lifted off his feet. I thought he was gone. And then everything stopped. He landed on his feet. In those first quiet moments, I couldn’t believe it was over. Our neighbor said the storm lasted four minutes. In that time, four of the twelve town houses in our unit were completely destroyed. Luckily, none of us were seriously injured.