Advice for enjoying my self-graduation gift from law school

[Blademaster]

Guys!! I'm about to graduate from law school! WHOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I'm ready to join the ever growing blood sucking pool of sharks where the sharks will give me professional courtesy. Hopefully, Glyn will make a tasty meal. Just joking.

Hopefully, I will get a job with the Public Defender's Office. I thought about going into State Attorney's office but I'm more inclined to be a public defender although sex cases is something of a taboo to me.

Anyway, I plan to gift myself with a trip to Western Europe. I have saved quite a bit of money and plan to use some of the graduation checks given to me by friends and family to enjoy the trip. I plan to tour all the beer drinking sites and the beer factories.

So I plan to go to England (yeah i know I'm not a fan of the British but at least I can learn what made the British the rulers of the world. That one is for you Glyn ;) ), Belgium, Netherlands (mostly in Amsterdam but i hope to tour the countryside. I heard it is really beautiful), Germany, and Denmark. I'm pretty much skipping France except for a possible stopover in Paris. I'm not much a wine fan and France is notorious for its crappy beers.

I need advice on where to stay for the night since I have a limited budget and don't really want to stay in a rat infested dirty place. I'm not looking for anything fancy, just a room with clean not infested linens and pillows. I am going by myself. Imagine that: a deaf Indian American roaming around Europe.

I will be touring Western Europe for about 4-5 wks. What I need to know is how do I organize my luggage? How do I do laundry? How do I budget? What kind of shoes should I wear? what clothes I should bring for touring Europe during daytime, pubs and nightclubs at nighttime, and most important of all, what is the secret code in picking up hot European girls and spend a glorious steamy night with them?

Any advice or tip is greatly appreciated. I will be going to Europe in the beginning of August.

By the way, there is a possibility I may end up visiting Australia as long as John Howard doesn't lock me up for being Indian.

By the way, Officer of Engineers, I am not sure if it is possible for me to stop over in Canada but I will do my best. I will talk to my travel agent and see if it is possible.

[Officer of Engineers]

Go to Eastern Europe. Flash your passport at the prettiest thing there ... and get slapped in the face for what you're thinking.

[Blademaster]

Go to Eastern Europe. Flash your passport at the prettiest thing there ... and get slapped in the face for what you're thinking.

And then again, it might be construed as an open invitation. ;)

[JBG]

Congrats on getting through. The learning now begins in earnest so travel, carouse and drink as much as you can.

Public Defender? Here it is the Legal Aid Commission, many senior members of which I know well, sharing a building with their HQ and main office here in NSW. Whilst my role is mainly admin etc, part of my role is prosecution. Don't underestimate the satisfaction of nailing a scumbag and taking them out of circulation for a while. Anyway, horses for courses, hopefully you will find your niche.

And yes the sharks are more friendly, mostly, but remember that the public thinks that you eat your children.

PS, down under is a good place to go if you want to drink and party in a familiar legal system.

Jonathan

[Debbie]

Congrats!!!! Pack lightly, go with one bag if you can and sturdy - well broken in shoes for lots of walking. Clothes that can be rolled up or folded without getting wrinkled - polo shirts, t-shirts, khakis, that sort of thing. Pack enough for 8 days. That means you can normally wear the same shirt/pants 2 days in a row. So you will be packing 4 or 5 shirts and 2 - 3 pairs of pants. Do yourself a favor and pack 8 pair of underwear - trust me on this. On the 7th day do laundry - the locals will tell you where. As women, we care that you spend money on us, are polite and mannerly at least in the beginning and smell good without half a bottle of cologne and your teeth are brushed. As women, a killer smile and self confidence in a man is a never miss. We do not like men in wrinkly clothing, that is why you do not pack anything that needs to be ironed. The lodging accomodations - hostels are hit and miss, it's a tough call and safety/security can become an issue. Other than that - you will have a great time - enjoy!

[Debbie]

The money thing - go ATM card. I have an ex-workmate cavorting around the european/asian countryside who swears nothing beats the ATM.

[entropy]

For The Netherlands:

Famous Red Light District in Amsterdam. Famous coffee shops if you're that sort of guy.
(warning: if thinking about trying Magic Mushrooms sold at a smartshop, please be very informed about the effects and stay safe. A site like Erowid might be helpful)
Not much else to see, windmills, dams, and the flattest contry in the world. No hills, only dunes at the beach.

Belgium: not much to see here. Antwerp is a dirty city, but the coastal cities can be nice. Good food. The weather is unpredictable due to the climate change. It can be very hot sometimes, sometimes you have tropical rain. Averages of 20 degrees and cloudy. In fall, weather is not predictable either, but an average of 15 degrees in early fall and 10 degrees later on can be expected.
Not many hotels, but I do know a derelict house. The owners left 2 years ago, if you shove the spiders aside it's liveable :P

France: they only speak French, and have a nasty tendency of starting to surrender if they hear German. If in Paris, stay out the banlieus. If you wander in one of these slumquarters and feel threatened, start singing a hiphop song and throw off a gang sign or two. They will leave :D

Denmark has good beer, good seafood and good cartoonists. The weather up there is more chilly due to the location.

In Germany they only speak German, but they have the best beer in the world, and good, simple food too. More hotels than here in Belgium, and better roads as well. Visiting Bayern is a must. The nature there is beautiful, and the climate tends to be a little more continental. And do not mention the war :p

As for girls: they are more relaxed than in the states, but please do not behave like a conservative American. Leftist opinions are in charge here.

[Ironduke]

Blademaster,

I'd recommend Bob's Youth Hostel when you go to Amsterdam. It's near the Centraal Station which is where you'll get off if you come in from Schiphol or from a train out of country. It seems it's expanded a bit since I was there in 2000, 144 beds... I remember about 25-30.

Bob's Youth Hostel Amsterdam Netherlands - Hostel Reviews & Ratings

If I were going into law I'd try my hand at being a prosecutor.

[soutie]

he he Paris for one night ,i went for 1 day with my mates in the eurostar got pissed missed the last train back to londen ,700 euro,s later that was booking us into a 3 star hotel no brekkie no coffee.Een the Germans complained that the french ripped them off in paris during ww2 ,still best night of my life though Amsterdam is great , seeing you graduated from law school u can go those coffee shops and get stoned Every one in Holland speaks English come to spain its great ,flipping hot everyones on the beaches
and its not that expensive ,europe is warm this time of the year though france and england has been having crappy weather ,dress accordingly ,you will have a blast ,just for security sake do not carry alot lot of cash as the nice lady said ATM cards ,but watch out for bank charges in spain ,they call it a commission some can charge up to 12 euro,s per withdrawel,smile at the girls and they will smile back ,except in Paris ,they will just tell you to F off,there is a nice bar of the chan ce ley my spelling ,last time i was there it was run by a canadian you will see a huge Canadian flag outside the pub ,he was resposible for me getting pissed ,and you will pay something from 8 to 15 euro,s for a pint of lager,have a good one