Excerpts from Dory’s journal

Photo captions by Stephanie

Day 14, 12:19 AM, July 9th, 2024

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Hello! I have repaired my watch, gotten refills for my fountain pen, and purchased a new fountain pen, all in the span of 60 minutes! Goodbye!

Yours,

Dorrel

Watchme Amsterdam is the place to go for watch repair in Amsterdam. They replaced the battery, plus they had a wide selection of bands to replace the fake leather one. While we waited for 30 min, we went around the corner to HEMA, a budget department store. (photo: Stephanie)

Admiring his watch on the tram ride back. (photo: Stephanie)

Tasting Dutch herring, a series.

A view out the front doors of the Stedelijk Museum. (photo: Dory)

Day 14, 4:16 PM, July 9th, 2024

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Hello! I am on a bench at the moment. I am in the Stedelijk, a modern art museum. I feel crapped out and ready to go to the apartment. However, my dad wants to see a bit more pornography that barely classifies as “modern art” and the NSFW “performance artist” (illegible) torture lover Marina “Artiharm” Abromovic exhibition. Honestly, it is a “exhibit” that will break your virginity in half, and tap dance on it, by the time you finish the “exhibition”. I hate it with all my heart that is not corrupted by all the imagery. It was surprising, but not in a good way. Almost everything here is NSFW. I warn all the virgins out there to stay away from this museum if they want to keep their virginity. I don’t know how people like this stuff!

Shockingly still yours,

Dorrel

Note: OK, so maybe taking a 12 year old to a Marina Abramović exhibit was not the best idea. But in all fairness, she is a legendary, groundbreaking artist, and nudity is in art from all the centuries (we certainly saw plenty in the Rijksmuseum the day before). Dory and I were in this gallery for about 5 minutes, and when he said he really wanted to move on, we did. For anyone interested in learning more about Maria Ambramović, I’ve incuded a TED talk below. -SSH