Trouble

Madrid.

Posted on by laynenthecity

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Jessi, Ali, and I decided last minute to change our plans and go to Madrid. We had heard some not so great things about it so we were unsure at first if we really wanted to go. The trip was free if we went with our school, so we threw in the towel and wanted to find out for ourselves.

Early Friday we dragged our tiny suitcases to the train station to meet our school tour guides. While people were grabbing food at McDonalds I had ran into my friends from class. As we were about to leave to get to the train, CEA gave us stickers for our assigned seats like we were in kindergarten. The high speed train was actually very enjoyable and I will never complain about getting a couple extra hours of sleep.

When we got off the train the 50 of us sighed and dragged our luggage when we were told we had to walk to the hotel. The 10 minute walk was made a lot more comical when we noticed a group of 10 East Coast girls grab cabs.

We started the tour at Reina Sofia, which I was excited about because Guernica and Garden of Earthly Delights are there. When we got there Ali realized that the older woman at the counter was wearing the same shirt that she was from Forever 21. She was so embarrassed that she threw on Jackie’s huge winter coat while it was about 74 degrees outside. To her it the sweat was worth it. The only time Jessi left the hotel room was once for lunch while everyone was at the museum. We weren’t quite sure why she came considering she doesn’t like going to museums and after she started dating her now boyfriend she doesn’t like to go out…

The next day I met new friends from the group and we continued our own tour on foot walking through Plaza de Oriente to the Royal Palace. My mom had told me before I had left for Madrid that the Royal Palace is a must see. I brought my GoPro with me, so naturally I had to take all the photos you’re not supposed to, and I may or may not have been yelled at a few times…

The plan for the night was Teatro Kapital the infamous Madrid club. After we were done getting ready we started to leave the hotel and it started to pour outside. When we got there we found out we had to pay to get in which we were not very happy about, but at least it also got us two drinks.

The place was massive as it should be due to its 7 stories. Jessi didn’t go out for who knows what reason, so Ali and I decided to explore each level both nights. It was amazing because each floor was something different which in turn had a different crowd on each level. Strangely enough, Ali and I loved the Spanish floor. After a couple hours of exploring we realized everyone in the group had gone home and so should we.

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Amsterdam.

Posted on by laynenthecity

On Thursday, February 26th, I flew from Spain to Amsterdam. I met up with three of my friends that also go to Texas with me but are studying abroad in other countries. Sarah is studying abroad Sweden and Allyson and Suzanne are in Prague.Thursday night, I was the last one out of the four to arrive to Amsterdam by about 30 minutes but once we all met up it was wonderful. We went to the bar downstairs and within 5 minutes of us all being together again we were laughing so hard that we started crying.

Then Friday rolled around….we started the day at the Van Gogh museum, and afterwards we went to The Pancake Bakery we were told we must go to! Honestly both the museum and the pancakes were amazing and so underrated. I ordered the “Mexican Pancake”, Ally had the “American Pancake”, and then the four of us shared the dessert pancake, and wow was it all unreal!

Of course, my friends and I had to check out the Red-Light District. Which could only lead to trouble for us four. As my friend Ally explained “Just four young college girls, walking through the red-light district checking out the other girls who actually work there”. Its Friday night and the party-goers are getting ready for a night of craziness. After walking around for a couple of hours, I began to wonder about the controversies pertaining to the women under the red fluorescent lights.

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I am unclear if the debate about these working women is the similar in Amsterdam as it is in America. In the United States, many people believe that the requirements and uniforms at Hooters are inappropriate, degrading, and that the restaurant is sexist towards the women that work there. Obviously, the women’s jobs in Amsterdam are more intense than the jobs the women carry out at Hooters. But it is best example I have personally come across in the United States with similar arguments following. I know that in America there have been hundreds of protests regarding the attire that the women wear at Hooters are required to wear. Noticeably, the women’s outfits in the red-light district are wayyyyy more revealing compared to the Hooters uniform.

It has been rumored that Hooters has certain requirements for the women working there. Starting from a woman’s outer appearance down to how much she weighs.

On one side of the debate, people believe that the outfits are embarrassing, shameful, and demeaning. They think that women should never be told what to wear to work, especially not this outfit. Where the tops are tighter than tight and the short shorts are very short. Together with, the g-string underwear and the barely there bra. Although the intentions of both are different the debate is the same. On the other hand, these women know what they are getting themselves into and the requirements for the job when they apply. Hooter_NewLogoTankTop2

Is it acceptable to objectify women if they are okay with being objectified?