Moving to Amsterdam

2.30am, I quietly slip into the hostel dorm after my first night shift, there are 3 bunks with 6 beds, 3 of which are occupied. My bed is number 1, right on top of someone that is fast asleep and breathing heavily. Right so I say to myself, I won’t disturb anyone and just crash here in the free double bunk. It’s late now and probably nobody else is coming. But my God is it hot, these lunatics have the heating on full whack. I strip to my underwear and settle down to listen to the breathing pattern of 3 strangers in complete darkness. What’s that? A bump, a key rattle, someone is laughing outside the door. I drag myself from my deep sleep, shit, I’m in one of their beds. I better go to the door and greet them in hushed tones so as not to disturb everyone. A black guy and his friend (possibly Moroccan) look at me dumb founded in the half light. I whisper frantically "Hi lads how’s the going, sorry I didn't think anyone was occupying those beds, misunderstanding, one of ye can take the top bunk there?" The black guy suddenly looked very anxious...” There is a naked guy in my bed! Why are you naked?" "Shhh, I’m not naked, see, I took your bed by mistake, simple mistake" "Oh my god, man, I don’t know what’s going on, why is there a naked guy in our room!" He doesn’t know whether to enter the room, run away screaming, or attack. This is quickly escalating to disastrous proportions, I’ll soon be either in a fight or a jail cell. I’m fast to gather up my things and move to the other side of the room. By now everybody is wide awake and probably a little worried. I settle down again as the two lads calm somewhat and talk to eachother in whispered Arabic, probably about the sex pest that gets his kicks out of waiting up in the dark to greet stoned people in his underwear. Eventually the black guy comes over to my bed..."Hey, naked guy, this your phone? Cool, no worries take it easy" I laughed myself to sleep, a funny first night at work in Amsterdam. The next day was Kings Day, The Netherlands version of St Patrick’s Day, only as I was soon to find out, twice as mental. After smoothing things over and laughing about the whole situation with the lads I went to meet a new friend of mine that had promised to show me around for the afternoon. The city was already chockablock busy, awash with a melee of orange people, banners and balloons. I met Lars for coffee before we started our adventure. Music and weed in the air, people were smiling and having their first beers...