Inside Amsterdam's 'coffee shops'
On the Warmoestraat, it's easier to find a coffee shop selling cannabis than an actual cup of coffee. There's a hive of scum and villainy like this street in every major European city, a dirty, dodgy avenue lined with seedy hotels and run-down bars, tacky souvenir stands and neon lights, drunk tourists and overpriced kebab stores.
But the Warmoestraat has that little something extra mixing with the distinctive stench of decay and old booze: the unmistakable aroma of hashish.
Grazing the side of the Red Light District like an open sore, the Warmoestraat is the gateway to the area. For the average tourist, the Red Light District is more voyeurism than vice, a seedy sideshow glimpsed with wide eyes by people wanting to see, but not necessarily be seen. For others, it's a place to pick your poison: casual prostitution, a sex show, or soft drugs.
As lovely as the UNESCO listed canals and dozens of world-class museums are, there's no doubt a large percentage of international visitors flock to Amsterdam largely because of the free availability of marijuana.
Costume predictions: what you'll probably see on the streets this year
This year could be described as one big, colorful collage of potential Halloween costumes. From over-the-top outfits to unexplainable behavior, summer Marvel blockbusters, two weddings dubbed "the wedding of the century" and the death of Osama Bin Laden, there is no doubt that this Halloween will be full of great pop culture references.
For the guys
1. Charlie Sheen
Dress up as Charlie from "Two And A Half Men" by donning a Hawaiian T-shirt or an ugly collared short-sleeve button up with cargo shorts. Or dress up as the real Charlie and sport a white shirt (unbutton the top few buttons) with a fedora and sunglasses. To go over the top, get two girls to be your "goddesses" and carry around a bottle of tiger's blood.
2. The Hangover Crew
Although "The Hangover Part II" didn't live up to the original, it's still a great group costume.zip up
3. Justin Bieber
The teen heartthrob broke the hearts of millions of teenage girls when his pictures with Selena Gomez surfaced. But that didn't jeopardize his fame, as he's still one of the hottest celebrities of 2011. Wear a purple American Apparel zip-up over a white V-neck T-shirt, fitted dark blue jeans, some Nike dunks, a flat-brimmed cap and Greek Neon sunglasses — you'll be breaking hearts in no time.
There's a hive of scum and villainy like this street in every major European city, a dirty, dodgy avenue lined with seedy hotels and run-down bars, tacky souvenir stands and neon lights, drunk tourists and overpriced kebab stores.
