Amsterdam Magazine no 6 - Februari 2011 by Amsterdam Magazine

Ye�, I’� ��! €4.95

beyond windmills, wooden shoes and weed

m a g a z i n e

Love , Amsterdam MILLIONAIRE MICHIEL MOL

Brings you to the moon and back

ee in Cit si y de Ma ! p

And: The Golden Keys - Pimp my Bike - Word on the street: Valentines stories - Expo: RED - Museum Check citizenM - Fashion - Confessions - Captured - Upcoming - Framed! - Cocktails - and more...

Romantic Getaways

+Win free tickets!

featured Love, Amsterdam Love in city

interview 16 22 58

Meet the Dutch: Millionaire Michiel Mol Word on the street: How do you spend Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s? import / export: Anna Drijver visits Bandung

reportage 26 30 42 71

Knock Knock: Living in an inner court getting around: Het Gooi pimp my bike: Cycling with Ottograph the golden keys: Tips from the experts

reviewed 21 25 55 73 76

amsterdam eats: Kyoto Cafe Magnified: Unlimited Delicious museum check: Tassenmuseum Amsterdam Sleeps: citizenM hotel Amsterdam Airport wet your whistle: Vesper Bar

Column 57 82

Sex and de Stad: Confessions of a prostitute Framed: by Thomas Schlijper

Fashion 34

Beauty and the beast

ART & Design 19 51

Made in holland: Water Pipe Expo: RED

the guide 62 67

Dutch A-Z Free City Map

the regular 7 8 10

more...

34 4

Amsterdam

letter from the editor spamsterdam heads-up: News from the city

15 68 78 80

magazine

dutch treat: Gouda cheese The Ten: Romantic treats captured: What you missed last month upcoming: Events that mustnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be missed

With 50,000 copies distributed each month, Amsterdam Magazine is the largest free English-language magazine in the Netherlands. Amsterdam Magazine is distributed at hundreds of locations in Amsterdam including many hotels, popular tourist attractions, restaurants, bars and shops. For those on their way home or just passing through Amsterdam with a connecting flight, we are freely available at all four Schiphol airport lounges. Amsterdam Magazine is published monthly by: Amsterdam Magazine BV [map 01-e6] Herengracht 423 - sous 1017 BR Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 (0)20 8461690 info@amsterdam-magazine.com www.amsterdam-magazine.com twitter: amsterdammag facebook: amsterdammagazine Founding Publishers: Linda Korver ♥ Wouter Wijtenburg Editor in Chief: Mathilde Hoekstra editor@amsterdam-magazine.com Art Director: Linda Korver creative@amsterdam-magazine.com Sub-Editor: Karen Loughrey proof@amsterdam-magazine.com Sales Director: Wouter Wijtenburg sales@amsterdam-magazine.com Creative Assistant: Sarah Moore sarah@amsterdam-magazine.com Fashion Director: Tommy Hagen fashion@amsterdam-magazine.com Cover by Fake / fakestencils.com Contributors Morgan Currie, Vincent van Dijk, Michiel Döbelman, Allison Guy, Tommy Hagen, Rosalien van der Laan, Blair Larkin, Evert-Jan Pol, Mike Peek, Thomas Schlijper, Arun Sood, Marieke Verhoeven, Valentina Vos, Lauren Wissot Special thanks to Marcel van den Boogert, Anna Drijver, Fleur, Foam, Linda Hoogeveen, Jasmijn, Marieke de Lange, Michiel Mol, Ottograph, Renske, Severine, Slot Zeist, Tropenmuseum, Coco Michiels, Kathryn Sedman, Ben Voogd Advertise with us! To find out on how you can get your message across to 100,000 international tourists each month, reach us by email at: sales@amsterdam-magazine.com or call our office on: +31 (0)20 8461690. Want to become a distributor? Amsterdam Magazine is published monthly (50,000 free copies). To discuss becoming one of our exclusive distribution locations, please contact us at info@ amsterdam-magazine.com. Printed at Senefelder Misset BV Distributed for free in the Netherlands

Letter from the Editor

The Big L I

f the Big L really exists, how do you recognise it? I didn’t hear any

bells ring when I met my boyfriend. Sure, I noticed that he was awfully

sexy wearing the same Nikes as me (even the size was similar), but that’s about it. I must admit: I’m not a very romantic person. Programmes like The

Bachelor are not made for me. Girls that cry all the time, say ‘I love you’ every five minutes, or exchange rings with a special meaning give me the chills. That doesn’t go for our publisher. This Christmas he whisked his girlfriend to Rockefeller Plaza NYC and got down on one knee. Surely he must have heard some bells when they first met? ‘I wanted a girl within a 5km range of my hometown because my only means of transport was a bike,’ he says. So much for romance! So, it could have been anybody really? ‘No way!’ he says. ‘She was a blonde babe with big boobs who created websites! I promised her we would conquer the world together.’ Aaaah, that’s cute! And then it hit me. Maybe I should go for a breast augmentation, dye my hair blonde and do a special course in web-developing in order to get a

Recycle this magazine by passing it on!

proposal. Because, romantic fool or not, in the end that’s what every girl

---------------------------------------------------------

wants. Now that’s something the producers of The Bachelor understood

very well!

Amsterdam Magazine is a registered trade name and publication. Neither the trade name nor the format may be used and/or reproduced, in any form by third parties. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of Amsterdam Magazine or its publishers. Amsterdam Magazine accepts no responsibility, legal or otherwise, for the accuracy of its content.

Mathilde Hoekstra, Editor in Chief

--------------------------------------------------------Beauty and the Beast Fashion Shoot credits: Björn Bjorg www.bjornborg.com Cacharel www.cacharel.com H&M www.hm.com Jan Taminiau www.jantaminiau.com Laura Dols www.lauradols.nl Marccain www.marc-cain.com River Island www.riverisland.com Ready to Fish www.readytofish.nl SoniaRykiel www.soniarykiel.fr Supertrash www.supertrash.us Ted Baker www.tedbaker.com Vero Moda via www.bestseller.com

SPAMSTERDAM

SP@MSTERDAM WHAT YOU SHARED WITH US...

What do you think of Amsterdam Magazine or Amsterdam in general? Do you love it? Loathe it? Admire it? Don’t bottle it up; share your feelings with us (and the rest of the world). Your fearless attitude might be rewarded...

R! ila. A WINNE es to Nab ’ prize go WE HAVE th n oo! o Z m l a e oy th of to Artis R ’s ‘email ce tickets February ... o entran tw e nt to win iv a w ce u if yo She’ll re up helps g in ck su And yes,

From: Vineet Date: Tue, Jan 18, 2011 at 3:17 PM Subject: would like to subscribe to your magazine To: info@amsterdam-magazine.com Hi I used to live in Amsterdam (on the Prinsengracht) and now reside in Portland, Oregon in the US. On a recent visit to Amsterdam I stopped by your oﬀices on Herengracht but unfortunately you were closed. I would really like to subscribe to your magazine and am of course willing to pay for it. Could you kindly let me know the required amount for an annual or extended subscription including the required postage? I have a close connection with your city and many Dutch friends, so I’d truly appreciate if I could subscribe. Thanks and kind regards, Vineet

Sorry, we are currently unable to send copies to international addresses. But did you know you can read all issues online at www.amsterdam-magazine.com?

From: Hank Date: Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 6:03 PM Subject: Asking for free magazines To: info@amsterdam-magazine.com Dear sir or madam: I have the great honor to send you this e-mail in order to ask you to send me free copies of your magazines. I am currently an English teacher at a secondary school, I would really like to read your amazing magazines and discover all the subjects contained in your magazines to learn as much new English as possible. I would be very thankful for your help. I am waiting your free copies as soon as possible. Thank you very much. MERRY CHRISTMAS

Amsterdam

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From: Nabila Date: Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 10:15 AM Subject: Hello To: editor@amsterdam-magazine.com Dear Amsterdam Magazine, First of all happy new year! I wanted to tell you that I’m really enjoying your magazine. It’s at the Coﬀee Company on Van Woustraat and every time I pass by I read your mag. And, of course, I never miss your editor’s letter. It’s hilarious! Sometimes I feel like a tourist in my own city, discovering new sights and hidden gems. Good luck. Xxxx Nabila

From: Joanne Date: Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 12:38 AM Subject: December 2010 edition To: inbox@amsterdam-magazine.com Hi, I’ve been admiring your magazine for a while now. But the December 2010 seriously impressed me with its report on Underground Amsterdam. As an ex-pat who lives oﬀ Vijzelgracht, I was fascinated by your article on what lies beneath the city. I had often wondered what had caused the building across from me to subside, but now I know, plus much more. Kudos on a magazine that is fun, interesting and relevant Joanne

NEXT MONTH WE’LL READ THROUGH ALL THE SPAM AND SELECT ONE EMAIL OF THE MONTH. SO GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR WORDS, MAYBE EVEN ATTACH A PICTURE OF YOUR STAY IN AMSTERDAM, OR BRIBE US WITH GOUDA... EMAIL US AT INBOX@AMSTERDAM-MAGAZINE.COM FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN GREAT PRIZES!

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faxfang: @amsterdammag Thanks again for the copies and keep up the good work! ChicLeGeek: @amsterdammag Great new magazine! Picked mine up at @CoffeeCompany Kinkerstraat dhezaguilar: @amsterdammag Yes and wondering why there’s no magazine like yours in my side of town. Great issues. TCATAmdy: @amsterdammag I have not seen your magazine for a while and I am blown away by the photography. It makes me want to read it cover to cover.

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heads-up

Heads-up news from the city

By Evert-Jan Pol

Twitter Taxi

Ordering a taxi by telephone is so 2010! Nowadays you can order one via Twitter. Amsterdam taxi driver Dave Kuipers uses the popular micro-blogging site for canvassing. If you’re in Amsterdam and you need a taxi, just send a tweet to @taxiamsterdam and your taxi will be dispatched. Kuipers started tweeting for customers last summer and not without success: on New Year’s Eve he received no less than 15 requests via Twitter. And the tweeting taxi driver is ready for more. So – just tweet and ride! Passengers don’t have to stop tweeting during the taxi ride either; two iPads are waiting for them in the headrests of the front seats. Source: Parool

Amsterdam

magazine

Second food bank in city centre

Best gay bar

The Netherlands may be one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but the country also has its fair share of poor people. In a lot of cities the less fortunate can collect food items from a food bank. In the Centrum district there are now two of these as a second food bank has just opened its doors on the Nieuwe Herengracht. This second ‘bank’ was necessary to meet the increasing need for food parcels. According to coordinator, Annemiek van Bemmelen, more and more young people are coming in. There are currently 12 food banks in Amsterdam. Source: AT5

Gay people who live in, or visit, Amsterdam should go and have a drink at Prik on Spuistraat. Because, according to Gaysite.nl, it’s the best gay bar in the Netherlands! Last year Prik was runner-up in Gaysite. nl’s HomoHoreca Verkiezing (Gay Catering Election), but this year it was the most popular bar among the online voters. The bar will receive a plaque and 1000 euros worth of advertising. Not gay but still want to visit the bar? No problem, because Prik’s slogan is: ‘Queer or not, Prik is hot’. Source: Parool Photo: Prik

Bread from Amsterdam You may have eaten a French baguette or an Italian ciabatta, but have you tried the new typical Amsterdam bread yet, such as the Jordanees, the Damrakker or the Rooie Sien? On Friday 7 January, Mayor Eberhard van der Laan was presented with the first freshly baked loaves. The three multigrain bread varieties were created by 14 bakers, all members of the organisation Typisch Amsterdam (Typical Amsterdam). The Damrakker (extra dark), the Jordanees (with caramel sugar, nuts and raisins) and the Rooie Sien (with pumpkin and sunflower seeds) are currently available at14 bakeries. For locations, visit: www. typisch-amsterdam.nl. Source: AT5 Photo: typisch-amsterdam.nl

heads-up

Crisis affects Tropenmuseum

The financial crisis is still exerting its effects on the economy and the new Dutch government is being forced to economise. Culture is one of the sectors that will be affected by the government’s financial plans. For example: VAT on concert tickets is going to increase from 6 to 19 per cent. And government subsidies will be lowered or cut entirely. One of the first places to be affected is the Tropenmuseum, a leading ethnographic museum. The museum forms part of the Royal Tropical Institute which is going to get €4 million less this year. This means the Tropenmuseum will have €2 million less to spend.

Fly away Schiphol airport is flying its way through the financial crisis. Last year 45.2 million people travelled from the Dutch airport, up from 43.6 million in 2009. Schiphol’s CEO, Jos Nijhuis, expects the recovery to continue this year. Nijhuis also said the ash cloud, which paralysed European air traffic for days, has cost the airport a lot of money, but ‘it also showed that aviation is essential for the Dutch and European economies.’ Source: ANP Photo: Schiphol

Source: RTV Noord-Holland Photo: Tropenmuseum

heads-up

Year of the Rabbit

The Chinese New Year starts on 3 February. The beginning of the Year of the Rabbit will be celebrated all over the world, including Amsterdam. Ingredients: food, fireworks and dragon dances. The Chinese don’t just celebrate the New Year, but the beginning of Spring as well. In China the festivities are called Chun Jie, which means Spring Festival. In Amsterdam the celebrations take place on Saturday, 5 February at Nieuwmarkt. At this time of year it’s a popular custom for children to receive ‘good luck’ money in red envelopes after wishing their parents good fortune. So parents, beware. Kung Hei Fat Choi (Happy New Year)! Source: Youropie.com Photo: SP Veres

The future of coffeeshops

Living in a KLM house

No fewer than 187 of Amsterdam’s 223 coffeeshops will have to close if current government policy toward coffeeshops is implemented. This is according to a survey carried out by the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad. The new conservative Dutch government says that coffeeshops which are within 350 metres of a school must close. The details of this policy are not yet known. It is still uncertain how the 350 metres will be measured, and also whether or not primary schools will be taken into account. Source: simplyamsterdam.nl

If you have ever travelled with KLM you may be familiar with the miniature porcelain houses that the airline gives away to it’s business class travellers. You might even own one. And now you can own one on a larger scale too. Six new houses on the Oudezijds Armsteeg have been modelled on the tiny KLM houses. Architect Kees Doornenbal designed the buildings, which are part of the project ‘Out of the Blue’. The buildings are white, with dark-blue window frames and roofs. The outside walls are shiny, creating a porcelain look.

Amsterdammer of the Year Quirijn Bolle, 35, has been named Amsterdammer of the Year! Bolle is the founder and manager of the fresh food shop the Marqt, which opened in 2008. The newly appointed Amsterdammer of the Year wants to offer his customers good, honest food. This means products without artificial additives. And his customers seem to appreciate this philosophy; there are now three Marqt stores, employing 140 people. Amsterdammer of the Year is an annual online election. This year 14,130 Amsterdammers voted for their favourite. Source: Parool Photo: Labl.photography

Source: Architectenweb.nl Photo: Stadsherstel.nl

dutch treat

Dutch Treat

Gouda cheese TEXT BY Allison Guy

You may have already sampled some Dutch treats. If you’re brave you might have even tried herring (raw, with onions) or salty liquorice. But what about Gouda cheese?

While the Netherlands adores all types of cheese, it’s Gouda that boasts the most fans by far. The cheese is named after the city of Gouda, which has hosted a lively cheese market for more than three centuries. Even now, Gouda accounts for half of all the cheese produced in Holland each year. At 362 million kilos, that’s enough to outweigh the world’s largest aircraft carrier five times over! Gouda begins life as mild and creamy, and grows harder and full-flavoured with age. Gouda can be made from cow, goat or sheep’s milk, mixed with spices, or even smoked over a hickory fire. Last year, Dutch cheese makers were awarded the EU’s Protected Designation of Origin. NoordHollandse Kaas [cheese from the province of North Holland] is made according to strict guidelines and is generally tastier, and pricier, than other types of Gouda. Goo-duh With so many varieties, Gouda has its own colour-coding system. Green wax designates graskaas, or ‘grass cheese,’ made from the first milk of cows returning to the polder in spring. Jong, or ‘young’ cheese, along with belegen, or ‘mature’ cheese, have yellow or orange rinds. Oude, the most venerable of the lot, is aged for at least 12 months and wrapped in black wax. Don’t be afraid to ask for a taste of Gouda at any of the excellent cheesemongers dotted throughout Amsterdam. Try your hand at the correct pronunciation: English speakers might call it ‘goo-duh,’ but the Dutch call it ‘ghow-duh’ with a guttural ‘g.’ If you don’t get it right, you’ll at least get a laugh.

instructions s Try thi ! at h o m e Gouda Cheese Fondue While Gouda is delicious on its own or in sandwiches, it makes an excellent alternative to Gruyère and Emmental in the traditional Swiss fondue recipe.

Suitable accompaniments: cubed bread, small potatoes – boiled or roasted, lightly blanched broccoli or cauliflower, apples, pears, various cooked meats and sausages. ÌÌ

Put the wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Toss the cheeses and cornstarch together in a bowl.

ÌÌ

When the wine starts to boil, whisk in the cheese mixture, stirring continuously until smooth. Season with nutmeg and pepper, and stir in the Kirsch.

ÌÌ

Serve immediately, accompanied by the bread, vegetables, meats and, of course, long fondue forks for dipping!

ingredients 250ml white wine 350g young Gouda (jong or belegen), grated 120g aged Gouda (oude), grated 2 tbsp cornstarch Nutmeg, to taste Black or cayenne pepper, to taste 1 tbsp Kirsch liqueur

Eet smakelijk! 15

meet the dutch

image: linda korver, Photography: Rosalien van der Laan, Nasa, XCOR aerospace

Fly me to the moon After his Formula 1 adventure, Dutch millionaire Michiel Mol, 41, decided to increase the g-force and build his own spaceship: ‘Aeroplanes will become hopelessly old fashioned.’ By Mathilde Hoekstra

‘

In an hour and a half you’re in Sydney

’

Michiel who? Although some believe that Michiel Mol has his Daddy to thank for his money, he has founded some pretty successful companies on his own. Software developing agency Lost Boys (1800+ people, 15 countries) Guerrilla Games (producer of Kill Zone, sold to Sony in 2005) Online advertising agency Media Republic Games company Vanguard Entertainment Digital agenda service Flogs.com And on top of all that, he’s also one of the main shareholders in the Force India F1 team.

he astronauts on the Virgin Galactic waiting list are almost ready for take off. They’ve experienced a session in a kingsized centrifuge to get used to the 6.5 g-force and are now up for the parabolic flight: a freefall in an aeroplane that causes microgravity, or weightlessness. After these exercises, they’re fully prepared for the launch. Among the lucky few is Michiel Mol. He has paid €150,000 for this three-hour experience. ‘It would be a waste of money to faint,’ he jokes. 3 minutes to space The expedition is a dream come true for Michiel, but it’s also something far less romantic – homework. Together with former army general Ben Droste, F16-pilot Harry van Hulten and entrepreneur Maarten Elshove, he’s one of the founding fathers of a company called Space Experience Curaçao. ‘I’m convinced that travelling through space is going to be the next big thing. One hundred years from now travelling by aeroplane will be hopelessly old fashioned.’ That hasn’t stopped Dutch airline KLM becoming one of the main sponsors of the project. But why would a company with the highest score on the worldwide sustainability index want to join forces with a polluting company such as Space Experience Curaçao? ‘Because travelling through space is far less polluting than people think,’ Michiel says. ‘Within three minutes the spaceship leaves the atmosphere and then there’s no resistance anymore. This makes the trip far less contaminating than trips by aeroplane.’ Bargain price Ultimately, Space Experience Curaçao is not about offering scenic trips, it’s about transporting people from A to Z. ‘In an hour and a half you could be in Sydney. In a world where time has become our most valuable asset that’s big business!’

Unfortunately that’s not likely to happen for another 20 to 30 years. The spaceship isn’t ready, there’s a lot of testing ahead and there are no international laws for outer space yet. So how is Space Experience Curaçao going to support itself in the meantime? ‘Besides the scenic trips to space we’ll offer courses. Think of a Top Gun class that’s taught by a retired astronaut. Along with the centrifuge and the parabolic flight, there will also be a decompression chamber. Aside from that we’ll send satellites up, conduct experiments at the International Space Station and offer flights to future NASA and ESA astronauts. A round-trip to space will cost about €70,000. That’s a bargain for institutes like that.’ Wubbo Ockels knows Sure, but to most of us it’s still a lot of money. ‘Anyone who can buy a Porsche or a second home, can afford a ticket to space,’ Michiel says. According to his research that’s about 20,000 people per year worldwide. By the year 2020 Virgin Galactic will probably be able to serve a couple of thousand and Space Experience Curacao one thousand. In fact, ever since the pre-sale started (in January this year) 11 tickets have already been sold. ‘Not bad,’ Michiel says. ‘If we sell 50 tickets the first year we’ve reached our target.’ At this very moment rocket scientists from NASA and engineers from a specialised company called XCOR are working on the spaceship that’s expected to be ready in 2014. Maybe it’s because I can’t afford a second home or a Porsche, but to me space seems like a dark, lonely and boring place. Michiel disagrees: ‘Ask Wubbo Ockels about how great it is! Just imagine being weightless, floating through space in complete and utter darkness. Did you know that somebody is actually planning to build a hotel on the moon? No need to add any stairs: one jump and you’re on the second floor!’

made in holland

Water Pipes By Morgan Currie

We’ve seen how the power of social media can be used to produce flashmobs, YouTube celebrities and micro-financed politicians, but what if we harnessed the power of the crowd to build a worldwide plumbing system? Jointhepipe.org, a ‘social network of tap water drinkers,’ is undertaking such a project with its mission to construct the world’s longest pipeline for communities needing clean water. This conceptually ambitious, if metaphorical, scheme is making a difference, thanks to Jointhepipe.org’s series of porcelain carafes and durable, BPA-free plastic bottles shaped like water pipes. Created by design firm DWARS Ontwerp, the bayonet system in the top and bottom of each bottle literally connects together to evoke the possibility of a pipeline stretching around the globe. To complete this vision, the Amsterdam-based firm designed tap water stations for parks and public spaces around Holland. One hundred per cent of the proceeds from the sale of these products finances water and sanitation projects throughout Africa and Asia. The bottles bring our attention to inequities of water scarcity, while criticising the use of disposable plastic bottles by communities with access to drinkable tap water. Since the project began in May 2010, Jointhepipe.org has raised enough money to finance water pumps and wells in Malawi, Congo, Central Africa and Bangladesh. Today they estimate that more than 20,000 people have benefited from the scheme. The playful and attractive pipe bottles, meanwhile, won the 2010 Dutch Design Award for Design and Sustainability.

AMSTERDAM EATS

amserdam eats

Kyoto Cafe BY: HUNGRY IN HOLLAND

In pursuit of culinary delights beyond bitterballen and frites, our expat foodie visits Kyoto Cafe: a bustling all-youcan-eat-sushi restaurant.

‘Past experiences with all-you-can-eat sushi have ranged from bad to downright awful.’

yoto Cafe is located in the middle of the busiest street in Amsterdam – the Damrak. The thought of an all-you-caneat dining experience on the Damrak immediately filled me with dread. Past experiences with all-you-can-eat sushi in Amsterdam have ranged from bad to downright awful, but I was assured that this was not one of Amsterdam’s ubiquitous tourist traps. daMRaK GeM As it was early on a Tuesday evening I didn’t bother making reservations, but to my surprise, the eatery was completely packed with locals. Luckily there were a couple of seats left at the long sushi bar where the chefs were busy in action. The interior is sleek but not extraordinary, with a mixture of both tables and floor cushions at the back. There’s also a karaoke machine available for guests interested in an ‘all-you-can-eat and sing’ evening. COMe hunGRy I decided to force temporary amnesia and dive in head first by ordering salmon sashimi along with a few nigiri pieces and maki rolls. The sashimi was surprisingly fresh and tasty and the wasabi was nice and spicy. To my surprise, the often bland California roll was one the highlights, with freshly made sticky rice. The rainbow roll was a bit heavy on the nigiri toppings and the large size made it difficult to consume but overall the quality and variety of sushi was surprisingly good. Alongside sushi, Kyoto Cafe offers an equally extensive selection of hot traditional Asian dishes. The dumplings in the dumpling hotpot were flavoursome, but the soup was a little too salty. My favourite was the saikoro steak. It was cooked to a perfect medium, tender and flavourful with a hint of teriyaki sauce, topped with fried garlic chips. The menu also offers dessert, including a selection of crepes and ice cream in vanilla, green tea, sesame and red bean flavours. The full bar serves traditional beers and mixed drinks, as well as sake and Japanese beers.

The Outcome F Happy Taste Buds? Customer Service Interior Value for money

Final Score:

§§§42 §§§22 §§§22 §§§§§

7.8

Round-Up Cuisine: Sushi, Japanese Neighbourhood: Damrak, City Centre Atmosphere: Busy Price pp: €20 to €30 Open: Daily. Lunch: 12pm-4pm, Dinner: 5.30pm11pm Public Transport: Next to Centraal Station Credit cards accepted: Yes Wheelchair access: Yes

nO deaL BReaKeRs Most all-you-can eat establishments have annoying rules to abide by. Fortunately, Kyoto Cafe is a free for all. I recommend choosing the deluxe option (€25.80), as you can order anything from the menu with no extra charges. The service is quick with servers regularly coming by to clear plates and offer second helpings. There are also no fines or time constraints, making it one of the most laidback all-you-can eat experiences in the city. At Kyoto Cafe, you won’t find seasoned Japanese sushi chefs nor Michelin-star mastery but if you’re looking for conveniently located sushi with a high price-toquality ratio, make a reservation and bring an empty stomach.

What others said:

7.7 Iens.nl: “Very tasty, but the service could be better!” - Proever888 8-

Johannes van Dam “Not one of the best places, but all put together, it’s a good concept and it works really well.”

Kyoto Cafe Damrak 44 +31 (0)20 6255302 www.kyotocafe.nl [map 145-E7]

word on the street

Sebastian (27) and Andrea (26)

From: Bucharest, Romania Profession: He owns a travel agency, she is a judge How do you like Amsterdam so far?

‘We go home for some private romance’

Sebastian: ‘It’s great, we’re sorry we have to leave tomorrow! We’ve been here for almost ten days and also visited other cities, like The Hague and Rotterdam. But Amsterdam is definitely the best, especially the canals. It’s beautiful just strolling along the water.’

What are you doing at the flower market? Andrea: ‘We’re just looking around and buying some souvenirs. We bought tulip bulbs to take back home. We don’t have them like this where we come from. Hopefully they’ll grow as well as they do here.’

By Marieke Verhoeven Photography: Sarah Moore

Word on the street What do red roses symbolise to you? There’s a pretty good chance you’ll think of love and romance. As we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day on 14 February, Amsterdam Magazine offered these tourists a red rose at the famous bloemenmarkt, in exchange for some juicy Valentine’s stories! 22

Amsterdam

magazine

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Sebastian: ‘Definitely! We both have busy jobs, but on Valentine’s Day we leave work on time and visit a nice restaurant. And then we go home for some romance in private... We’ve sent each other love letters in the past, but have never done anything crazy, like serenading under the window. If we were still in Amsterdam, we would go out to dinner and walk along the canals or through the Vondelpark, that’s romantic for sure!’

word on the street

How do you like Amsterdam so far?

‘I can’t really say, because we just arrived! But it’s my second time here and I really enjoyed the first visit. This time I brought two friends who’ve never been here before, so I’m eager to find out if they share my enthusiasm.’

What are your plans for the coming days?

‘We’re going on a canal boat later today and want to visit the big museums of course. We are staying with a Dutch friend who lives in Venlo, in the southern part of Holland. He can show us the interesting spots that are not so touristic. So we’ll probably get to see some cool places.’

‘I’m against celebrating Valentine’s Day’ Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?

‘No way! I’m against celebrating Valentine’s Day, it’s just a commercial circus to me. In Bulgaria it was never very popular, but it’s getting bigger and bigger each year. In my opinion, you don’t need a special day to tell people you love them. You should do that every day!’

Daniela (23)

From: Sofia, Bulgaria Profession: Linguistics student 23

word on the street

Simeon (24)

From: Vancouver, Canada (originally from Russia) Profession: Geology student What are you doing in Amsterdam?

‘I’m currently studying in Canada and wanted to meet up with some friends from back home. But Vancouver was too far for them and Russia too far for me. So we decided to meet somewhere in the middle and here we are!’

How do you like the city so far?

‘Last year was not a big success’

‘I love it, it’s very historic and beautiful. I’ve got lost a few times in these tiny streets that all look the same, but that’s not a bad thing. The only disappointment is that the locals are pretty hard to approach. The Dutch seem kind of suspicious and a bit distrusting. When you start chatting to people out of the blue, they look at you like “what do you want from me?” I’m always interested in meeting locals, so it would have been nice to talk to some of the city’s inhabitants.’

What was your most romantic Valentine’s Day ever?

‘You’d be better off asking me about my most disastrous Valentine’s Day, that list is way longer! I’ve done quite some stupid things for Valentine’s in the past. Last year was not a big success. I was dating a girl and had made plans for a romantic dinner. But she got sick and I ended up spending the evening in front of the TV. That was probably the lamest Valentine’s Day I’ve ever had.’

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KNOCK KNOCK

KNOCK KNOCK THIS IS HOW AMSTERDAM LIVES

BEHIND A SMALL WOODEN DOOR ON SPUI SQUARE LIES A BEAUTIFUL SECRET: ONE OF THE OLDEST INNER COURTS IN AMSTERDAM. FOR WOMEN ONLY. RESIDENT LINDA HOOGEVEEN SHOWS US AROUND. BY MARIEKE VERHOEVEN | PHOTOGRAPHY: SARAH MOORE

isiting the Begijnhof is almost like an Alice in Wonderland experience. Once you’ve opened the wooden gate and passed through the decorated alley, you arrive at an inner court with miniature houses, a church and a beautiful garden. The Begijnhof is an oasis of peace sandwiched between the city’s biggest shopping street and the busy Spui Square. This is one of the many aspects resident Linda Hoogeveen, 38, who works as an audit manager at a financial institution, loves about living here. ‘Coming home from a hectic day at work, I totally calm down once I close the gate.’

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ITALIANS IN THE LIVING ROOM

Linda moved to the Begijnhof about eight years ago, after the courtyard she was living in was sold to the Salvation Army. ‘I first got a small apartment near the entrance and then, after five years, I got this house further towards the back,’ she explains. With many tourists visiting the court every day, living towards the back of the court – an area that is only accessible to residents – has its advantages. ‘In my old apartment I once forgot to close the front door. Before I knew it, some Italian tourists where standing in my living room. They thought it was like an open museum that you could just walk in and out of!’ >

‘This is not a museum’

KNOCK KNOCK

NO MEN ALLOWED The history of the Begijnhof goes all the way back to the 12th century when a group of Catholic women, later called Beguines (Begijnen in Dutch), decided to live together in a closed community, primarily to look after the sick. Even though the rules and vows for Beguines are a lot less strict than those for nuns, there is one rule that still stands: no men are allowed. Visiting is fine, but spending the night is not. Residents can leave the court whenever they please, but are not allowed to live with a man or have children there. So are there never any men around? Linda laughs. ‘Well, I wouldn’t say that. I’ve seen men sneaking out at six in the morning on more than one occasion.’ As for herself, she is currently single and would have a hard time moving out for a relationship. ‘A man would have to be very convincing to make me leave this unique location.’

ALL THE SINGLE LADIES All 100 rental houses are inhabited by single women, aged 30 and above. In spite of what most people expect, only a fifth of the residents are over 60 years old. ‘There are lawyers and doctors, but also women who work in social services or the creative industry. It’s very diverse.’ There is currently a waiting list of seven to eight years, so Linda feels quite lucky to live here. ‘Even with the restrictions and the downsides that come with living in an old house, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.’ The downsides mainly concern the high maintenance that comes with living in such an historic property. ‘I’ve had quite a few leaks and the floors are slanted. But that has its charm as well.’

‘one RuLe sTiLL sTanDs:

no men aLLoWeD’

Even though Linda’s kitchen has beautiful lighting and the living room looks out onto the court’s garden, her favourite part of the 80m2 apartment is the ground floor bar on the street side. ‘When friends come over, I love to sit there and chat over a glass of good wine. I have to order some curtains though, because curious passersby have a tendency to peek in, especially when we’re having a good time!’ Because of the intimate courtyard setting, you would think that residents keep a close eye on each other’s activities. But, according to Linda, that’s thankfully not the case. ‘I have a good relationship with my neighbours,’ she says. She can only recall one occasion when fellow residents interfered with her business. ‘When I moved from the first apartment to this place, it was the middle of summer and very hot. The movers were so sweaty that they decided to take off their shirts. Some of the older women immediately came over to kindly but urgently request that they put them back on!’

getting around

Het Gooi

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getting around

Playground for the rich and famouS

Het Gooi By: Mike Peek Some 120,000 years ago, Neanderthals used to live in the area now known as Het Gooi, thriving on the rich diversity of flora and fauna. Nowadays it’s both the epicentre of Dutch media and a refuge for all its overpaid and weary stars.

n a country as flat as the Netherlands, Het Gooi seems like a mountain range. At their highest point, the sand hills in this area southeast of Amsterdam reach a whopping 36.4 metres. Hilversum is the biggest city in Het Gooi. Most television programmes are produced in the massive studios at the Mediapark, whose 192-metre broadcast mast dominates the skyline. Although Hilversum has some nice architecture, its primary attraction is the Institute for Sound and Vision’s ’Media Experience’, which is every bit as flashy and technologically ‘stateof-the-art’ as the name suggests. Housed in an equally dazzling building, it allows visitors to interact with Dutch media history in various ways. It’s aimed at Dutchies, but will surely impress any media enthusiast.

Chihuahuas in winter coats Leaving Beverly Hilversum behind, birdsong soon replaces the city sounds. It’s easy to see why celebs seek sanctuary in these forest-like surroundings. The villas are all stunning; peaceful just doesn’t begin to describe the atmosphere. And, you’re still only a stone’s throw away from the action at the Mediapark. Towns like Laren and Blaricum were poor farmer’s villages only a century and a half ago, but these days buying a farm here costs a fortune. Entering Laren, I find myself in a gentle world. I pass an enclosure full of contently grazing deer and meet smartly dressed women walking their Chihuahuas (fitted out with winter coats, of course). This is a place where even the rubbish bins have lids and the petrol stations are as pretty as the houses. Even filling up your car has to be done in style, apparently. >

This is a place where even the rubbish bins have lids

getting around

Posh nature Just relaxing in so much tranquillity would be reward enough, but Laren also features the Singer museum, an interesting exhibition space which focuses primarily on artists who have lived in Het Gooi over the past century or so. Laren and Blaricum are historically relevant too because of their still recognisable ‘Brinks’: central squares formerly inhabited by cattle. When agriculture disappeared from these villages, most of the brinks became marketplaces. The one in Laren is a beautiful city park now, surrounded by fine restaurants, exclusive shops and art galleries. The posh nature of Het Gooi is often mocked in the Netherlands, especially by people who can’t afford to live there. Like me. We even had a Desperate

Housewives-esque television series devoted to its inhabitants. Gooische Vrouwen revolved around four women and their daily pursuits: plastic surgery, finding expensive schools for their kids, eating in fancy restaurants and flirting with every man they bumped into. Ironically enough, Gooische Vrouwen was made in Hilversum, by the very same people who often actually live in Het Gooi.

The march of progress My last stop, Huizen, is bigger in size but, in every other way, it’s more modest than Laren or Blaricum. It’s an old fishing village also famous for its cheese, and the lime factories which were closed in the 1980s. Some of the old factory chimneys can still be seen in the harbour, used now as hoardings for a restaurant. And then there’s the Huizer Museum, dedicated to the town’s rich (cultural) history. These symbols of the past can’t hide the fact that Huizen is the only place in Het Gooi which is really concerned with modernisation. New, but old-fashioned looking houses are being built on the waterfront and, in the centre of town, the futuristic library makes a stark contrast with some of the surrounding architecture. But all that progress takes its toll. Just outside Huizen, I suddenly spot yet another villa, next to a busy road. Let me rephrase that: it used to be a villa, nicely situated on a hill. It’s swiftly becoming a ruin though. I imagine that, when the plan to build the road was announced, its owners filed complaint after complaint, but to no avail. Driven mad by traffic noise and unable to sell the property, perhaps they eventually abandoned it; and there it still stands – a symbol of redundant decadence.

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Women’s daily pursuits: plastic surgery, fancy restaurants and flirting 2

How to get there Direct trains run from Amsterdam Centraal Station to Hilversum four times an hour. If you want to visit the Media Experience, catch a ‘Sprinter’ (local train) and get out at Hilversum Noord. From Hilversum, several buses take you to Het Gooi, including lines 101, 107 and 108. Alternatively, get some exercise and rent a bike! You can take it on the train with you outside peak hours (just remember to purchase a bike ticket for €6/day). The route from Hilversum to Huizen is quite beautiful and measures some 12 kilometres. From Huizen it’s easiest to cycle to the train station in Naarden-Bussum (another five kilometres, clearly signposted) and catch a train back to Amsterdam.

5 6

1. Mediapark Hilversum 2. Broadcast mast Hilversum 3. Villa 4. Ruin of a villa 5. Huizen harbour 6. Laren art gallery

Beauy and the beas After spending all his cash in Paris, Willem Adrian (Count of Nassau, Lord of Odijk and Corthene and grandson of Prince Maurits) married a rich Dutch girl and built her a castle: Slot Zeist, 60km outside Amsterdam. Amsterdam Magazine stays over!

Mirror Hall: Here, William Adrian used to throw exclusive dinner parties with carp dishes from his own pond. The walls are sculpted with small pieces of hand-blown glass that create a luminous effect depending the light. The 18th century Flemish/ Brussels tapestry illustrates the story of Ovids’ Daphne who is being chased by Apollo. To protect Daphne and to ensure that she remains a virgin, her father turns her into a laurel oak. Apollo- still in love – makes a garland from its leaves. Sequined jacket: Laura Dols €70 Vest: Marcain €199 Shorts: Laura Dols €25 Yellow suede pumps: River Island €49.95

William’s Hall: This room is named after William III: king and a close friend of the castle’s owner. The 17th century mirror is trimmed with golden leaves of acanthus. You will find identical leaves throughout the castle decorations and in the (original) garden. All-in-one suit: Vero Moda €110 Tiger heels: Supertrash €199

Blue Hall: These damask curtains from an ancient weaving mill in Lyon keep the heat in, while the virgin huntress Artemis (on the chimney piece) keeps you company in the evenings.

Jacket: H&M â&#x201A;Ź39.95 Leggings: Ready To Fish â&#x201A;Ź69 Shoes: Jan Taminiau (price on request)

William’s Hall: Slot Zeist was designed by the French architect Daniel Marot who represented his client in an allegorical way. This castle was one of the earliest residences in the Netherlands. Top: Ted Baker €119 Bracelets: Sonia Rykiel, from €75

Marble Room: This 19th century Louis XIV-style chandelier is the centre piece of the marble room, so-called because of its large marble fireplace and patterned walls. Dress: Cacharel €325 Bra: Bjorn Bjorg €39.95 Heels: H&M €69.95

Photography: Valentina Vos Styling: Renske van der Ploeg @ House of Orange Make-up: Severine @ HOO for MAC Hair: Tommy Hagen @ Tommyztoko.nl for House of Orange Special thanks to Slot Zeist > Like what you see? Check Spamsterdam [p.8] and spend the night there!

pimp my bike

Some people are riding around on a monster of a vehicle. Amsterdam Magazine is here to help them out! text: arun sood photography: sarah moore

Marcel van den boogert, 36

‘I want the pimping artist to finish what I’ve started’

metal. Being a mechanic, he possesses the technical skills required to design, weld and construct his own bikes from scratch. Marcel considers the process as more than a hobby, and takes great pride in each bike he builds. ‘I like to think of my bikes as my pieces of art,’ he says. ‘It’s a great feeling for me to create my own little inventions.’

arcel van den Boogert is passionate about bicycles. When I first meet him, he is sifting through a jumbled assortment of old bike parts in the street. ‘I just love the biking culture here in Amsterdam,’ he explains. ‘Even if I go on holiday for just two weeks, I find myself missing my bicycle. So I decided to combine this passion with my creativity and build my own bicycles.’ Marcel, who also works as a car mechanic, spends his spare time building unusual bicycles out of fresh steel and old bits of

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CUSTOM-MADE CREATION It soon becomes apparent why Marcel is so proud of his bicycles. As he unveils the bike he wants Amsterdam Magazine to pimp, I am pleasantly surprised by its unconventional yet elegant shape. ‘This one took four months to build and is probably the best one yet,’ he tells me. ‘The lowrider-style frame really stands out from the others.’ Rather than the conventional circular bars used for most bike frames, Marcel’s bike is constructed with X-shaped bars of steel, adding a unique angular edge to its appearance.

Ottograph

The Pimping Artist

‘It’s an honour to have Otto paint my bike’

pimp my bike

‘I’m going to feel really proud cycling around the city.’

I become curious as to whether Marcel is nervous about handing over his custom-made creation to someone else after spending so much time working on it himself. But he soon reassures me that it needs to be pimped. ‘It’s true that the bike is my creation, but I still feel that it’s unfinished. I know the pimping artist and it’s an honour for me to have him paint my bike. He will do a better job than I could ever do, and I’m really excited about it.’ CHANGING ATTITUDES With Marcel’s bike in tow, I go to meet the pimping artist at his studio in the east of Amsterdam. Otto ‘Ottograph’ Kruijsen has been a familiar face on the Amsterdam graffiti scene for years, and first began painting at the age of ten. Having been involved in street art since the movement’s inception, Otto has seen it grow from a subversive subculture into the respected art form it is today. ‘I’ve seen people’s attitude towards street art change over the years, but that’s always the way things happen,’ says Otto. ‘I think there are many similarities between art and music in that respect. What starts as an underground movement always becomes mainstream.’ The street is not the only place you might catch a glimpse of

Otto’s work. He also regularly exhibits in galleries and is part of the KMDG artists’ collective - a group of Dutch street artists who have been commissioned to work at various festivals throughout Europe. ‘It started out as a bunch of friends hanging out and painting on Friday nights and it just developed from there,’ explains Otto. ‘It’s still fun, even though it’s turned more business-like in recent times.’

the frame. He becomes hesitant about the project and paces around the room as if looking for new inspiration and ideas. For a while, it looks as though he might refuse to work on the bike. Much to my relief (and Marcel’s), Otto eventually decides to use spraypaint on the main part of the frame and reserve the markers for finer details on the back wheel. He gets to work straight away.

FLABBERGASTED Looking forward to seeing Otto in action, I ask him if he has ever worked on bikes before. ‘I’ve pimped a lot of bikes man!’ he tells me smiling. ‘I’ve painted bikes, motorcycles, boats, and even computers! I’ve pretty much pimped everything there is to pimp!’ With a sense of anticipation, I present Otto with Marcel’s bike but am unexpectedly met with a sullen reaction from the artist. ‘I’m flabbergasted man. I’ve never seen a bike like this before. I’m not sure if I can work with this at all. I just don’t know what to do.’

FIT FOR A PIMP After a few hours of intense painting, Marcel’s bike is finally transformed and stamped with Otto’s trademark street art style. Despite the initial hitch, he manages to pull off a vibrant and colourful design. The combination of Otto’s artwork and Marcel’s uniquely shaped frame makes for a bike most certainly fit for a pimp. ‘I love what Otto has done,’ beams Marcel upon seeing his newly pimped set of wheels. ‘It’s an amazing piece of art and the colours make it look fast and sleek. I’m going to feel really proud cycling around the city.’

While Marcel’s X-shaped frame may be aesthetically pleasing, it’s also an artist’s worst nightmare. Otto’s original idea of drawing illustrations on the bike using markers is no longer possible due to the unusual angles of

Would you like to have your bike pimped completely? Email us at info@amsterdam-magazine.com and we’ll see what we can do!

FeATUReD

Love, Amsterdam 46

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FeATUReD

Love, according to Wikipedia, is “the emotion of strong affection and personal attachment.” Ugh, really? That sounds about as romantic as taking your date to McDonald’s. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, let’s warm our hearts a little, shall we? By: Mike Peek

hen you’re musing over true love at a party, there’s bound to be at least one cynic present trying to spoil your fun. ‘True love is a myth,’ he’ll say (it’s

always a he), ‘a western fabrication just a few centuries old.’ While the guy clearly lacks some basic social skills, he does have a point. The idea of passionate romance has only been around since the Middle Ages and in some cultures it’s still unheard of. Marriages there are economical bonds negotiated between families. It’s nice if both parties get along, but certainly not a precondition. Before you pop a Prozac though, consider this: studies in neuroscience have shown that when people fall in love, various chemicals are released that have a profound effect on their pleasure centre. Symptoms include an increased heart rate, loss of appetite and a general feeling of euphoria. This fountain of butterflies eventually dries up, but is sometimes replaced by other brain reactions. If that happens, you may have found your soulmate. While all this science talk might not sound very idyllic, it does warrant a satisfying conclusion: true love exists. It’s just not always allowed to blossom.

Rembrandt painted The Jewish Bride (Het Joodse bruidje) in around 1667. The work only acquired its title in the early 19th century though, thanks to an art collector from Amsterdam. He thought the picture depicted a Jewish father giving his daughter a necklace on her wedding day, but this explanation is no longer accepted. There have been many suggestions as to the couple’s identity, such as Amsterdam poet Miguel de Barrios and his wife, or Rembrandt’s son, Titus. But many believe it shows a couple from the Old Testament – Isaac and Rebekah, as described in Genesis 26:8, who also appear in one of Rembrandt’s drawings. You can see The Jewish Bride at the Rijksmuseum.

FeATUReD

FAMOuS LOVE Countless tabloids and websites are devoted to the rise and fall of celebrity couples. We yearn for pictures of their first kiss, swoon over their wedding and cheer with joy when they announce a pregnancy. Well, most of the time. Sometimes we’ll fantasise about a certain star so much, we’re actually kind of disappointed about them getting married or having a kid. Yes, I’m talking about YOU, Natalie Portman.

Valentine’s Day

Just remember, Nat: if it doesn’t work out with that dancer dude, I’ll be more

So, what to do? You could go old school

than happy to raise your future child as

and opt for a romantic dinner cruise on

my own.

the canals or LOL at the jokes of the Boom Chicago comedians. In for a culinary

‘Love is more important than life itself’

experiment? Restaurant Stout (“naughty”) at Haarlemmerstraat 73 is a free-spirited joint breaking all the rules and combining �lavours that shouldn’t mix, but do. Like chocolate? Create your own cacao heaven

Of course, there are very few celebrity marriages that last. The whole world seems to be tracking ‘Brangelina’ right now, but nobody expects them to stay together forever. And we’ll probably enjoy all the dirty details concerning the split as much as their romance. For evidence of eternal love, we often turn to fiction. Entire forests were cut down to provide women with tissues for the happy end for Carrie and Mr. Big in the Sex and the City series finale.

during a bonbon workshop at Unlimited Delicious on the 12 or 13 February. If you’re funky and you know it, get ‘married’ for one day at Wed and Walk on 13 February. Wedding dresses, rings and music are all provided. The best part: you’ll be a free (wo)man again once the party is over! For a more serious outing combining romance and history, head to the Dutch Resistance Museum. It has a temporary exhibition Museum. (through 10 April) called Love in wartime,, which is pretty selfexplanatory. It focuses on a neglected human aspect of the Second World

The classics are perhaps even better,

War: unexpected

although they do have a tendency to

love stories made

end in death. Think about it: Romeo

possible by

offs himself when he believes Juliet is

unimaginable terror.

gone, although she’s only sedated. Ju-

Whether you have been in

liet wakes to find her lover is dead and

love for three days or forty

kills herself for real. And what about

years, there are countless

Orpheus? After the death of his beloved

ways to enjoy Valentine’s Day in

Eurydice, he travels to the underworld

Amsterdam.

and gets a rare chance to revive her.

Amsterdam

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Wed and Walk

FeATUReD

‘Love’s biggest enemy might be its seductive twin: lust’

Opening Lines

Practising your Dutch? Here are a few opening lines you can use, guaranteed to get you laid. Or beaten with a barstool.

Ken ik jou niet ergens van? The only precondition: he can’t look at her until they’re both in the land of the living. Orpheus almost makes it, but

Translation: Don’t I know you from somewhere? Verdict: The mother of all pick-up lines, known

not quite. He turns around just a tad too soon and has to

to cause rolling of the eyes in all but the most

watch poor Eurydice being dragged back to eternity.

desperate love seekers. If you can pull this one off,

Unfortunate events, to say the least, but there’s an incredibly romantic message in these (and many other) stories:

you’re probably not even single.

Met jou wil ik wel een beschuitje eten.

true love transcends death and is more important than life

Translation: I’d like to have a crispbread with you.

itself.

Verdict: A real Dutch classic, although it sounds rather stalker-like in English. Very clichéd, but

REAL LIFE LOVE Real love stories will always mean more to me than fiction because they’re, well, real. In 1978, my father was 28 and

you’ll probably get a laugh out of it by trying to pronounce beschuitje.

Goh, wat zit je haar leuk. Neuken?

my mother 17. They married that year, much to the dismay of my mother’s family, them being aware of my father’s reputation as a player. The age difference didn’t help ei-

Translation: Gee, I like your hair. Wanna fuck? Verdict: Oh boy.

ther. Convinced his love was real, my mother ignored their pleas to dump him. At the wedding she even read a selfwritten poem with a very clear message: fuck you very,

Heb je een plattegrond voor mij? Ik verdwaal steeds in jouw ogen.

very much. Four years later they had a beautiful baby boy. They’re still together now. And happy, as far as I can tell.

Translation: Do you have a map? I keep getting lost in your eyes. Verdict: Only for hardcore romantics. Aka: people who have seen The Notebook more than ten times.

Lust

Ik zou eigenlijk een smoes moeten bedenken, maar ik wil gewoon graag met je kennismaken.

Love’s biggest enemy might be its seductive twin: lust. Amsterdam

Translation: I should probably come up with

is of course well-known for its Red Light District De Wallen. The city

an excuse, but I would just really like to get

has started to clean up the area though. Criminal pimps are being

acquainted.

forced out to put a stop to the forced prostitution of mostly Eastern-

Verdict: Pretty good. Flash those puppy eyes while

European girls. And the famous Yab Yum brothel, located at the Singel, was closed entirely in 2008 after suspected illegal activities. The biggest brothel in the city is now Club LV at the Middenweg 144.

you’re saying it and only a stone cold bitch will turn you down. Hitting on a man? Even better. No dude, straight or gay, has ever resisted this line.

Hoi

Some claim that Amsterdam is Disneyfying itself and tourism will collapse if De Wallen disappear. But that won’t happen anytime soon.

Translation: Hi.

Walking through the district these days, there are still plenty of

Verdict: Believe it or not, research has shown

options for those looking to pay for ‘love’. It’s probably a little safer

this to be the most successful opener. When you

now and most of the girls working the windows do so of their own

meet someone for the first time, it’s not what you

free will - and that can only be a good thing.

say that matters. It’s showing them that you are interested.

FeATUReD

My folks had it easy though, when you compare them to Liu and Xu. Liu was a 19-year-old boy when he fell in love with Xu, who was ten years his senior and a widowed mother. We’re talking 1950s China

‘Speed dating can make you feel like you’re at a meat market’

here and it wasn’t exactly acceptable back then for a man to be with an older woman. Let alone a mother. To avoid the condemnation of their family and friends, they fled to the mountains and lived in a cave together for more than 50 (!) years, until Liu passed away in 2008. Liu and Xu did not have electricity in their love nest, and getting enough food was always a challenge. They had each other though; and their seven children. Over the

Gay Amsterdam As you are probably aware, gay marriage is legal in the Netherlands. It has been for almost ten years. Since 2009, gay couples have of�icially been allowed to adopt children as well. The reality is still dif�icult, because many other countries do not allow homosexuals to adopt, limiting their options mostly to the domestic ‘market’.

years Liu created 6,000 hand-carved steps from a nearby village right up to the cave, so Xu could get down the mountain easily. She rarely used them though. And who can blame her? A stairway to heaven should not be descended. STILL SINGLE? If you’re ready to meet your Lui or Xu, you can subscribe to a dating site or do things the old-fashioned way and go to a club or bar. If you’re a bit of an arty-fart, you’ll find likeminded spirits at Café Weber (Marnixstraat 397). Or dance the night away at Bubbels (Lange Leidsedwarsstraat 90). Do you like suits? All yuppies gather at Vakzuid, located inside the Olympic Stadium. There are other options. Highly popular

Amsterdam has a long tradition of being not only the nation’s, but the world’s gay capital. In 1987 the Homomonument at the Westermarkt was unveiled, urging visitors to remember gays who were prosecuted because of their sexuality, or who had to hide their identity for fear of repercussions. And the yearly canal parade during the Gay Pride festival attracts homosexuals from all over the world. It’s an extravagant spectacle, drawing massive crowds (both gay and straight) to the canals. Unfortunately, the city has seen an increase in violence against homosexuals recently. Municipality vows to take strong action against offenders, but most gays are far more cautious about publicly displaying their affection than they were in the 1990s. Nightlife has suffered as well, although there are still plenty of options left. Last month, Prik (Spuistraat 109) was named the best gay café in the Netherlands. A real classic is ‘t Mandje at the Zeedijk 63. Lesbian Bet van Beeren established the bar in 1927 (!), making it one of the oldest (openly) gay cafés in the world. It closed in 1982, but was reopened three years ago by Van Beeren’s niece.

right now is speed dating. Here is how it works: 20 men and 20 women of about the same age gather in a café. You talk to each

Various companies host speed dating events.

person for about three minutes, which may

Check out www.speeddaten.nl for example, if

seem short, but it’s enough to get a first

you speak a little Dutch. Speed dating can make

impression. Afterwards, you tick the ones

you feel like you’re at a meat market, but does

you would like to see again on a form. Let’s

have some advantages over simply stepping into

assume you fancied four candidates and

a bar: you don’t have to worry if that cute guy/

two of them fancied you back. That means

girl is single, because everyone is available and

there are two matches! A few days later

looking. Yes, even if they claim they just want to

you’ll receive the corresponding phone

“see how it works” or ”have a laugh”. Seriously,

number(s) and off you go!

you’re not fooling anyone.

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The White Widow by Inez van Lamsweerde

expo

RED

Like red? Then don’t miss the ROOD (RED) exhibition at the Tropenmuseum. Discover how photographer Inez van Lamsweerde handles themes such as mourning, suffering and death, and marvel at the sight of Belgian artist Walter van Beirendonck’s striking erotic costume! Is romance more your thing? No worries – as the collection will prove, red can be as romantic as it is deadly…

expo

Erotic Costume by Walter van Beirendonck

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North American Headdress

expo

TropenMuseum Until 8 May Open: Daily 10am-5pm Linnaeusstraat 2 +31 (0)20 5688215 www.tropenmuseum.nl

MUSEUM CHECK

museum check

Tassenmuseum By Allison Guy

The Tassenmuseum belongs in the category of ‘things your mum would like’. Situated behind one of the imposing facades of the Herengracht canal, the Tassenmuseum is the world’s largest museum devoted entirely to the handbag and its history.

For more than 35 years Hendrikje Ivo, the founder of the museum, has been amassing suitcases, satchels and chatelaines. Her collection of more than 4,000 bags eventually overflowed its original space in Amstelveen. Aided by a donation from an anonymous businessman (and apparent bag devotee), the museum moved to its current regal digs in 2007. The building itself has an illustrious past, befitting an institution so concerned with historical context. It was constructed in 1664 for Cornelis de Graeff, a prominent merchant in the Dutch East India Company and ten-time Lord Mayor of Amsterdam. A Woman’s World Since so many museums are temples devoted to the hairier sex, it’s a welcome change to find a space given over largely to women’s possessions and obsessions. Men are equally represented during the medieval era, but once internal pockets were invented, man-bags disappeared from the picture.

Filling two floors, the collection is grouped mostly by material, from sand-sized glass beads to crystal-cut Lucite from the 50s. Highlighting bags from Europe and America, the exhibits kick off with the late medieval period and continue right up to the present day. The accompanying descriptions maintain an entertaining balance between informative and pithy. In the packed cases, however, it can be hard to concentrate on any one bag: the museum’s most ancient artefact – a clasp in the shape of a gothic tower – receives no special treatment, and is tucked away among similar objects. The collection enters the 20th century on the second floor. It’s here that handbags reach new levels of whimsy – from a purse made from the tanned hide of armadillo (head and paws included), to a vinyl number that is both bag and functioning telephone. Among the wall of ‘designer’ bags you’ll find the obligatory Sex and the City shout-out in the form of a cupcake-shaped purse that appeared on the show. Sarah Jessica Parker, cupcakes and status bags: I can see men fleeing for the entrance immediately. The Day in a Bag Downstairs from the main galleries, visitors will find a temporary exhibition space currently featuring contemporary bags made using traditional crafts. The museum’s café has cushy seating in period rooms that boast a gilt mantelpiece and frescoed ceiling. Some tables overlook a tidy garden, which features a handbag sculpture, of course. For what it is, the museum does its job exceptionally well. That said, even the power of Louis Vuitton will not convert a fashion philistine into a fanatic in the space of an hour. If you see little distinction between a sharkskin clutch and an Albert Heijn carrier, save your money for a less dainty attraction.

photo: Luuk Kramer

Tassenmuseum Herengracht 573 +31 (0)20 5246452 www.tassenmuseum.nl [Map 32 - F7]

THE VERDICT

Laura van Rooij (18) Netherlands It’s a very cosy museum. I like the fact that there are a lot of different sorts of bags. My favourite part was the designer bags. Yes – I was already a big fan of bags before I came here! I’m 18 and a student, and I found the price reasonable. Nothing could have been better about the museum. I’d recommend it most of all to girls. We are from art school, and would also recommend it to people who are really into design.

Henriette Sleeswyk (67) Netherlands

I have visited the old museum in Amstelveen two or three times before. I have the museum’s book about bags at home. I’ve never been here before, though. I read about the special exhibition in the newspaper, about the small things that women keep in their bags, and that’s why I came here today. I especially liked the mix of objects from different periods, both old and modern. It’s an okay price to get in. I’ve noticed the first floor would be the perfect place for a tea party with friends – I might do that for my birthday!

Jan Bakker (66) & Betty Baker-Hoeve (68) Netherlands

Our favourite were the art-deco bags. We were very impressed. Jan liked the historical, medieval parts. It took us an hour and a half to go round, including the tearoom. We’d recommend it to our friends – particularly the ladies!

Value for money: 3,5/5 Waiting time in line: Minimal Entrance: Adults €7.50. €6 for students, adults 65 and over, and children 13-18 years. Free for children 12 and under. €4 for groups of 10 or more. Free

designers. Wheelchair-friendly: The whole building is wheelchair accessible.

well-lit, and offer engaging, sometimes surprising,

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pricey, shunning big names in favour of independent

Comments: The Tassenmuseum is an immaculately century canal house. Exhibits are well laid-out,

Amsterdam

shop features bags both cheap and staggeringly

for IAmsterdam card and Holland pass holders. presented collection of hundreds of bags in a 17th

offers high tea each afternoon for €24.50. The museum

English-friendly: All information is in both Dutch and English.

descriptive text. Husbands and boyfriends may find the

Opening hours: Open every day from 10am-5pm.

historical aspects interesting, but people with no eye

Closed on 1 January, 30 April and 25 December. Open

for accessories will want to steer clear. With its period

until 4pm on 24 and 31 December. The café closes at

furnishings the café is particularly welcoming, and

4.30pm.

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Sex and de stad

Confessions of a Prostitute What’s it like to be a working girl? Lauren, an Amsterdam professional, reveals her deepest secrets.

This issue: true love - By Lauren Wissot -

While Valentine’s Day may be great for florists and chocolatiers, it’s bad business for those of us who rely on sex to make a living. The truth of the matter is that most well-paying johns are married men who – like most hetero men in committed relationships – couldn’t care less about the holiday, but have to spend it with the segment of the population that does. Those florists and chocolatiers would go broke if wives and girlfriends suddenly stopped desiring expressions of love.

‘My clients are clueless when it comes to the “big L”’ Quick fix g But what kind of love are these couples celebrating? That’s the question that always haunts me at this time of year. While my clients rarely confuse lust for (and often friendship with) a sex worker with the ‘big L’, they seem to be clueless when it comes to the real deal. Ironically, even while hitched johns frequent prostitutes as an escape from their significant others, a vast majority of them spend their paid dates complaining about those very same wives and loveless marriages. Sometimes the relationships are indeed beyond repair, but more often they’re just missing that shiny new thrill called romance. What these guys don’t seem to get, though, is that this endlessly sought romantic state is simply love at its immature stage. It’s gorgeous and

exciting, and a useful launching pad into a relationship – but it’s only the beginning. So why is it so necessary for our society to recapture that first step? Wouldn’t it be interesting if we had a holiday that celebrated the sexy deepness that comes with knowing another’s body as well as your own after years of sleeping side by side, rather than the quick fix of a soon-forgotten first kiss? Red lace lingerie fades along with teenage dreams over time. But then my business is selling fantasies, so who am I to tell my clients that, if you adjust your focus, present-day reality can be every bit as hot as the remembered past?

Ultimate orgasm g Besides, they might start wondering about my past, and perhaps ask if I’ve had firsthand experience with the ‘big L’. And that’s my own dirty little secret. While I’ve never been the type to look for love, it’s certainly found me. I’ve always prided myself on being a sexual pioneer, a connoisseur of one-night stands, but in all honesty the hottest trysts I’ve ever had were with a man I didn’t so much want to be involved with as couldn’t figure out how not to be involved with. The same lover who once fed me the clichéd line, ‘You’re like a fine wine, you get better with age.’ But then this partner of six years turned genuinely serious, following it up with, ‘How do you do that?’ And that to me is a genuine expression of real love – the ultimate orgasm – because it’s such a mystery. No bonbon or chocolate kiss could ever taste so sweet.

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By Anna Drijver Anna Drijver (28) studied at the Amsterdam Theatre Academy. besides theatre she has starred in several ﬁlms, including bride Flight, Komt een Vrouw bij de dokter and Loft. she wrote the novel Je blijft and is currently a contestant on Wie is de Mol? (Celebrity Mole).

When Marieke de Lange steps into the café it doesn’t go unnoticed. This blonde babe is one of the founders of the Ubuntu Theatre Organisation and I’m about to pay a visit to her project in Bandung, Indonesia. I wonder what I’ve gotten myself into. Everybody knows that western interference isn’t necessarily a good thing. ‘That’s true,’ Marieke says reassuringly. ‘If westerners start a project, the local community is easily tempted to think: ‘They’ll take care of the street kids. It’s no longer our problem.’ But by using theatre they get to know the kids and this creates more awareness. It wakes the people up and provokes a reaction. It’s not about raising money, it’s about taking responsibility. People tend to look at it as a given fact that there are homeless kids on the streets. They see them as dirty little criminals. We want to change this idea. Western interference it is! We work with local organisations, so it’s their project too. We want to light the match and the local community has to keep the fire burning. Why use theatre? Our theatre organisation helps kids tell their story through dance, song or play as a way to combat the stigma. All of a sudden people see that these kids are capable of doing something. The theatre gives them back their dignity and in places like Namibia or Honduras our audience is on the streets so that’s where we take our plays. It’s an easy way to reach 500 people with a serious message: kids don’t belong on the streets.’

And then you take your ﬂight back to Amsterdam? Yes, but the project doesn’t end there. Changing people from within takes time. That’s why we make multiple visits to each location. With each visit, the local directors assume more responsibility. When the interference of Ubunto has become superfluous, it’s time to start another project. When is that? For example, in Honduras, kids in a street programme had nothing to do after school. They used to hang around and sometimes play soccer, but some of them were addicted to sniffing glue. Ever since our project started there have been drama classes, rehearsals and dance lessons. Now the kids get asked to do gigs all over Honduras. They have an identity. Before ubuntu came into their lives they lacked identity? If you’re nine years old and live on the streets, your concerns are to avoid being killed and to find food. That’s no base for an identity. So because they’re performing and dancing right now, they’re safe? Because they’ve changed as people, they’re more motived to go to school and not get involved in criminal activities. Local organisations support them with housing and money for school. This, combined with performing, gives them a better life. They even recorded an album and made a music video.

import / export

Is theatre more important then medical help? I wouldn’t say medical help isn’t important, but we invest in a new and different type of therapy. If a boy walks off the stage and feels that he’s actually capable of doing something he becomes a different person. This changes his life, even if only a little bit. Acting is comparable to playing in a band, or singing together. It’s an incredible feeling and you won’t forget it for the rest of your life.

‘There’s human trafficking, prostitution and drugs’

Is that your own experience? And theirs. Anyone can see that in their sparkling eyes! Of course medical help is necessary to stay alive, but Ubuntu works on the quality of life.

Why Bandung? We were invited by the local Bathera foundation to bring our expertise to the project. Four months of practise and rehearsals led up to this play. According to the government there are no street kids, because education is free. On the other hand, a number of kids are forced by their parents to work and beg on the streets at night. Children are vulnerable, especially the girls on the streets. There’s human trafficking, prostitution and drugs.

Do people actually donate to improve well-being? By working together with other organisations like the 1% Club and Get It Done we reach a new group of people to raise funds. On social media sites we keep everyone posted by showing pictures, videos and documentaries. Everybody knows what happens with their €5 or €10 donation. It’s transparent and direct. How did you start doing this for a living in the first place? My first project ‘Zula to survive’ in Namibia was mind-blowing. The boys were aggressive and unable to focus. During the project they became gentle, sweet and they turned out to be natural performers. The audience was awestruck. I could actually see them thinking: ‘Are these the same kids that we push away in front of the supermarket?’ That moment I knew: this is what I want to do for a living! How did you get your funds? When we started there used to be a governmental programme. Now companies, foundations and individuals support us. We throw a big party twice a year, with an auction, bands and cocktails to raise money for our projects. Why did you call your organisation Ubuntu? Ubuntu means ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’. Being is something we have to do together. Now, there’s something to think about! I’ve seen kids that were able to be children again. A boy came up to me and said: ‘I didn’t think of sniffing glue in the last hour!’ That’s thanks to all of us. What will I find in Bandung? You’ll meet a group of 23 girls, aged 9 to 14 who are having the premiere of their first play. They’ll be nervous, loud and giggly.

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How does Ubuntu change that? Ubuntu is not going to change that. The girls go to school in the morning, but still go begging at the windows of waiting cars at night. That change takes time. Working together with a local organisation is great: the girls get education, we give them joy, dignity and confidence.

66 Marieke de Lange and Renske Hofman founded Ubuntu in 2006 and have completed projects in Namibia, Honduras and Indonesia. 66 This year Ubuntu aims to work with 240 children in several countries. 66 Bandung has 5 million inhabitants, and 5,000 of those are street kids. Marieke (32) studied in Amsterdam and graduated in Theatre in Education. Renske (34) studied Drama Education and Anthropology. They started out as drama teachers and directors, but they decided to combine their knowhow in theatre with their passion for travelling in order to reach their goal: to help homeless kids improve their lives.

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Dutch a-z North’. One hundred kilometers of canals (or grachten in Dutch) divide the city into smaller islands, connected by beautiful historic bridges. The most famous canals are the Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht. A canal tour is a great way to view the city from a different angle. The canals were created centuries ago and were often used for transporting goods.

Every issue Amsterdam Magazine covers the whole alphabet to help you understand what the Dutch are all about.

* 11 Cities Tour Although the Dutch love to complain about cold winters, they forget all about their grudges once the canals and lakes are frozen over. Let the ice-skating begin! [see Ice skating for more info] When the ice is thick enough (15cm), the largest speed ice-skating competition can take place. The ‘11 Cities Tour’ (Elfstedentocht) is a rare event because most winters are not cold enough. The last tours were in ‘85, ‘86 and ‘97. The tour is held in the Friesland province and the 200km course goes through 11 historic cities.

What’s Holland without cheese? Being the largest exporter, Holland offers many varieties of this yellow delicacy, such as Gouda, Edam, Maasdammer and Boerenkaas (farmer’s cheese). Make sure you take some of that gold back home!

12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world.

B Bicycles Some claim that there are more bicycles than people in the Netherlands. In Amsterdam, you will often see cyclists weaving nonchalantly between pedestrians. Renting a bicycle in Amsterdam might be a great idea to explore the smaller streets, but be careful if you’re not used to riding one!

Bitterballen Quite similar to the Kroket [see Kroket for more info], these little snacks are often served on special events such as birthdays, sport events or during business meetings. Of course, a beer perfectly complements this hot snack. Make sure you dip it in mustard before eating!

Clogs Ask anyone; “What’s typical Dutch?” and they often say wooden shoes. These shoes, also known as clogs, are actually no longer worn by the Dutch, but are still a popular souvenir. Originally, the wooden shoes were worn because of their protective features and were actually quite warm to wear since they were lined with hay.

If you’re searching for a hot, steaming coffee don’t be fooled; coffeeshops in Holland offer their customers something totally different. These coffeeshops will sell you (small) amounts of grass and you can smoke a joint on the premises, but only if there’s no tobacco inside, since the smoking of tobacco inside public places is banned. A small fact: it is actually illegal to sell weed, but not punishable, making it quite easy to get your stash.

D Delftware A Amsterdam Amsterdam is the capital and the largest city in the Netherlands. The city has a population of 1.4 million - quite impressive considering it began as a fishing village. In the late

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Boerenkool [see Stamppot for more info]

C Canals Amsterdam is sometimes referred as ‘Venice of the

Drop Black candy, it doesn’t sound nor look attractive, but the Dutch love it! Also known as liquorice in English, Dutch drop comes in hundreds of flavours and shapes. Most varieties will taste sweet, but some can be quite salty, so beware, it’s an acquired taste.

Dutch Treat

Coffeeshops

3 kisses In most cultures it’s common to greet a friend with a kiss (or two). The Dutch however, like to add one extra. These three kisses are actually air kisses; the lips should not touch the other person’s cheek. Oh, and to avoid akward situations: men don’t kiss eachother!

Cheese

done to prevent the country from flooding? Well the Dutch are very skilled at water management [see Water Management for more info] and dykes are one of those solutions. A dyke is a long wall or embankment which prevents water getting from one side to the other.

This is typical blue and white Dutch pottery that originated in the city of Delft. The original tinglazed pottery was made from the 16th to the 18th centuries.

Dykes A very large part of the Netherlands is actually below sea level, so what can be

Ah, the Dutch Treat; we all use it from time to time. Being known as penny-pinchers, the Dutch prefer to split the total bill at a restaurant and only pay their part. The Dutch Treat is also known as Going Dutch or the Dutch Date.

E Efteling Why go to Euro Disney when the magic is right here in Holland? The Efteling is Holland’s largest theme park, with fairytales around every corner. You can meet Little Red Riding Hood, trolls, elves and creatures you’ve never even seen before. There are also plenty of adrenaline rides, so it’s fun for the whole family. The Efteling is located in the south of Holland (Kaatsheuvel). Go to www. efteling.com for more info.

F FEBO Got a sudden craving for a crispy kroket or frikandel? [see Kroket or Frikandel for more info] Find a FEBO outlet and make sure you’ve got some coins on you. The FEBO is a fast food chain of automatiek restaurants, where you can buy your snacks from a wallmounted vending machine.

Frikandel This typical Dutch snack is shaped like a large sausage, but it’s rather different to the average sausage. It’s made from minced meat, deep-fried and

often eaten in a bun (broodje frikandel) or at least with a mixture of sauces. A frikandel speciaal is quite a popular variant; chopped onions together with mayonnaise and ketchup (or curry sauce) is placed in a frikandel that’s been cut open. A frikandel can be bought in a snack bar (fast food restaurant) such as a FEBO [see FEBO for more info] and is a typical party snack.

boterham (toast) with hagelslag.

Haring (herring)

G G (the pronunciation) Notable in the Dutch language, is the pronunciation of the letter ‘g’. Non-natives often struggle with this strange gurgling sound. In the northern and western parts of Holland, the letter ‘g’ is pronounced louder, a so-called ‘hard g’. In the other parts a ‘soft g’ is more common.

Gay marriage The Netherlands legalised gay marriage back in 2001, making it a popular destination for gay couples due to the tolerant attitude. Every first weekend in August, the popular Amsterdam Gay Pride event is held, attracting hundreds of thousands of gay and straight visitors. The most interesting part of this event is the canal parade, where a variety of themed boats sail along the canals.

Gezellig The Dutch word gezellig cannot be translated in any other language and is used in various ways. It means something like cosy, friendly or nice, but can also refer to time spent with loved ones or being very sociable. Things that can be gezellig are; hanging out with friends, a bruin café, drinking coffee with the neighbour or even a nicely decorated room in the house.

Going Dutch [see Dutch Treat for more info]

H Hagelslag Cloggies eat a lot of bread. They eat it at breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner. Hagelslag is a typical Dutch chocolate topping that is sprinkled on toast (preferably white) with a thick layer of butter. Children in particular are quite fond of

This typical Dutch scenario is often quite repellent to outsiders: a raw shiny silver fish, covered with chopped onions, is held by its tail and is dangled over to the open mouth. With head tilted back, the fish is eaten (again, raw) and often a second one will follow. Yes, the Dutch love fresh haring every once in a while. A haring in a white bun is also quite popular. If you’re brave enough to try, go out an find some Hollandse Nieuwe catch between May and July; this is the best type of herring.

Heineken If you’ve never heard of Heineken, you must have been living under a rock. This brand of beer is world famous and originated the Netherlands. In Amsterdam you can visit the Heineken Experience to get to know everything you could possibly want to know about this golden liquid.

HEMA This Dutch department store with favourable prices has become quite hip in recent years. With more than 400 stores in the Netherlands, HEMA (Hollandse Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam / Dutch Standard Prices Company Amsterdam) offers everything from homeware to clothing, office supplies to delicious sausages (rookworst) [see Unox for more info about rookworst].

Hyves Ever tried to find a Dutch friend on Facebook? This can

dutch a-z be quite hard, because most of the Dutch are already quite busy maintaining their social networks on Hyves.nl. You might want to sign up there if you want to stalk that Dutch chick or dude.

I Ice skating Ice skating is a popular winter activity in Holland. Though the Dutch love to complain about cold weather, once the ice is strong enough, they will get their skates out and take to the ice. In larger cities, small skating rinks will be created to offer a safer alternative to natural ice. These small rinks are often quite gezellig [see Gezellig for more info] and you can enjoy a hot cocoa and other delicacies at the rink side. Speed skating is also a very popular sport in Holland [see 11 Cities Tour for more info].

[see Kibbeling for more info]. The word ‘lekkerbek’ can also imply a person who really appreciates food.

M Mayonnaise This emulsion of oil, vinegar, lemon juice and egg yolk is often served as a dipping sauce for fries or chips.

N Nachtwacht (Night Watch)

The most famous Dutch painting, by Rembrandt van Rijn in 1642 [see Rembrandt for more info] is actually called The Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch. The picture is a group portrait of a division of the civic guard and is renowned for its size (363 x 437cm). You can see the Nachtwacht in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum.

J Jonkie This Dutch gin (also referred to as Genever) is a strong (35%+) liquor made in Holland and Belgium. There are two types of Genever; old (oude) and young (jonge). The difference is not in age, but in the distilling techniques.

K Kaaskop

Kibbeling Cloggies are fond of fish and often treat themselves to a little fish snack. Kibbeling consists of deep fried chunks of cod topped with spices. These nuggets are served with specific sauces and taste quite similar to a lekkerbek [see Lekkerbek for more info].

Kroket The Dutch may not be famous for their haute cuisine, but they sure know how to snack! When you’re near a snack bar or a FEBO, go grab yourself a kroket; a crispy, sausage-shaped meat roll filled with (hot!) minced meat. The taste is quite similar to bitterballen [see Bitterballen for more info] and should be served with mustard and, if preferred, in a white bun.

Lekkerbek is deep fried cod and literally means ‘tasty beak’. The taste is quite similar to kibbeling

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Nieuwjaarsduik On January 1, thousands of people take a dip in the icy sea at Scheveningen, wearing nothing but a bathing suit, to celebrate the start of the new year. Afterwards, a hot pea soup provided by Unox [see Unox for more info] is truly a well deserved treat.

O Oliebollen

Known in English as the ‘Dutch doughnut’, Oliebollen are traditional Dutch treats that are especially popular around New Year. The deep-fried dough is often covered in powdered sugar and comes in different varieties. In the holiday season, oliebollen stands pop up around the country to satisfy the winter dessert cravings.

Orange

L Lekkerbek

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P Pannekoeken (Pancakes)

These Dutch pancakes are slightly different then the American ones; they’re thinner and larger in size. Also various ingredients may be added to create surprising flavours. You can eat a basic pancake with ‘stroop’ (sugar beet syrup) or powdered sugar or go for the traditional ‘spek’ (bacon) pannekoek.

Poffertjes These mini pancakes are a traditional treat and taste quite similar to pancakes, but have a firmer and spongier texture. Typically, poffertjes are served with powdered sugar and butter, but other toppings are also available.

Prostitution

(New Year’s Dive)

Kaaskop is a (not so nice) nickname for a Dutch person. It literally means ‘Cheesehead’.

When visiting Holland during the European Cup and World Cup football, or on Queen’s Day [see Queen’s Day for more info], the streets and people will be wearing their national colour with pride.

Orange is the national colour of the Netherlands. The association originated from the name of the royal family ‘Oranje-Nassau’.

Holland is a very open-minded country and legal prostitution is not hard to find. Brothels and red light districts are often touristic sights. In these red light districts, women are displayed behind windows, where you can pick your favorite and negotiate the deal. Typically, red light (or purple light for darker ladies) is switched on to show the passerby that there is sex for sale. When in Amsterdam, ‘de wallen’ area is a must-see. [see Wallen for more info]

Q Queen’s day Queen’s Day celebrates the birthday of the Dutch queen and is held on 30 April (unless that’s a Sunday, in which case it’s celebrated the day before). It’s not actually the birthday of the current Queen Beatrix, but her mother, Queen Juliana, but the tradition remains. This day is known for its ‘free market’ (vrijmarkt), where everybody is allowed to sell things on the streets. The streets and the people are coloured orange [see Orange for more info]. It’s probably one of the most gezellige [see Gezellig for more info] times in Amsterdam.

R Red Light District [see Wallen for more info]

Rookworst A typical Dutch sausage, made

with ground meat, mixed with spices, which is stuffed into a casing. While it literally means ‘smoked sausage’, it’s not truly smoked. This sausage is a typical ingredient of stamppot [see Stamppot for more info] and is often bought from HEMA [see HEMA for more info] or the supermarket. Unox is also a popular brand of rookworst [see Unox for more info].

S Sinterklaas While Christmas is widely celebrated in the Netherlands, children generally look forward to Sinterklaas more. This yearly Dutch feast is celebrated on December 5 and holy man Sinterklaas (who has a lot of similarities to Santa Claus) is the central character. The holy man and his helpers the ‘Zwarte Pieten’ [see Zwarte Piet for more info] will sneak through the chimney and leave behind jute sacks filled with presents for wellbehaved children.

Stamppot When it’s getting chilly outside, the Dutch like to eat stamppot for dinner. Stamppot is a mixture of boiled potatoes and vegetables topped with gravy and served together with meat such as rookworst [see Rookworst for more info]. Popular stamppotten are Boerenkool (farmer’s cabbage), Andijvie (endive), Zuurkool (Dutch sauerkraut) and Hutspot (potatoes mixed with onion and carrot).

T Tulips If you come to the Netherlands in the spring, you can’t miss the tulip fields in the countryside. The Dutch love their flowers and the tulip is their most prized possession. Home to the world’s largest tulip garden, Keukenhof is a nice place to see the colours and varieties of tulips.

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U Unox This consumer product brand is presented as something typically Dutch. Their rookworst [see rookworst for more info] is often eaten during winter times and Unox is a prominent sponsor of the 11 cities tour [see 11 Cities Tour for more info] and the nieuwjaarsduik [see Nieuwjaarsduik for more info].

V VOC

in Amsterdam. It is a network of alleyways and canalside buildings where approximately 300 windows are used by prostitutes [see Prostitution for more info]. The prostitutes sit behind a window in a room with a red light. This is a major tourist attraction in Amsterdam and the area also includes a number of sex shops, peep shows, and a sex museum.

(Dutch East India Company)

Water management

The VOC (Vereenigde OostIndische Compagnie) was a chartered company established in 1602. It was the first multinational company and the first that handed out shares. For decades this monopolistic concern dominated the global spice trade, transporting spices using large ships (you can see a replica ship at the Scheepvaartmuseum in Amsterdam). The VOC representatives used violent methods to gain respect from the native population. In the first years of the 1800s the VOC slowly fell apart.

Since large parts of the Netherlands are below sea level, the Dutch have become very inventive when it comes to keeping the water out. Their systems are utilised globally and range from dykes and dams to well-engineered automatic floodgates.

W Wallen De Wallen is the largest and most famous red light district

Windmill The Dutch are famous for their windmills and have a long tradition of using windmills for land draining, corn milling, saw milling, and more. There are currently 1200 windmills that still survive today. The largest collection of windmills are located at Kinderdijk in South Holland. The 19 historical working windmills are on

the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list and are among the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

Wooden Shoes [see Clogs for more info]

Y Yiddish Many words from the Amsterdam dialect originate from the Yiddish language. Examples are mazzel (lucky), mesjogge (crazy), nebbisj (unlucky person), achenebbisj (poor, messy) and koosjer (in order, all ok). Before WWII, Amsterdam was home to a large group of Jews whose mother tongue was Yiddish.

Z Zwarte Piet (Black Pete)

X xxx You might presume that the triple X sign represents the erotic scene in Amsterdam. Well it could. But when you ask a Dutch person what XXX means, they will probably say three kisses [see 3 Kisses for more info]. The XXX is quite similar to the American xoxo (hugs and kisses). These three letters are also to be found everywhere on the streets of Amsterdam, such as on amsterdammetjes (steel bollards). In that case the crosses are part of the city’s crest, and are actually Saint Andrew’s Crosses - not that sexy, but of historic value.

Sinterklaas’s [see Sinterklaas for more info] companions are loved by children. The funny looking characters with colourful costumes and blackened faces are subject to much debate. Foreigners are often shocked by their appearance. While it is a very old tradition, the fact that their faces are covered in black make-up and they are Sinterklaas’s helpers is unacceptable to some.

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FR EE CITY MA P

the ten

Romantic Treats Text and Illustrations by Sarah Moore

With its old world architecture and maze of canals, Amsterdam offers a romantic charm that withstands the dead of winter. Not convinced? Check out our ten romantic treats!

Candlelit dinner Amsterdam offers many cosy and scenic spots for a romantic dinner for two. Check out De Compagnon, a classic French bistro at Guldehandsteeg 17, or RED – a cosy candlelit lobster and steak eatery situated on a scenic corner of the Keizersgracht canal.

Chocolates are a must on Valentine’s Day and Amsterdam offers several delicious chocolate boutiques. Check out Puccini Bomboni at Singel 184 or Jordino Chocolates at Haarlemmerdijk 25.

.3 .2

Flowers

Movies

Amsterdam is full of old-fashioned arthouse cinemas, perfect for a romantic date. The Movies, located on Haarlemmerstraat 161, includes a nice restaurant and offers three-course dinner and movie packages.

Amsterdam

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Sweat Treats

The Dutch are known for their obsession with horticulture, making it easy for you to find the perfect bouquet for your lady this Valentine’s Day. For a large selection of flowers, check out the famous Bloemenmarkt, a floating flower market located on the Singel canal.

Pamper and be pampered If you’re craving warmth or just want to sit back and relax, visit one of Amsterdam’s many wellness spas. The Zuiver Spa located in the Amsterdamse Bos forest is the newest and biggest spa offering saunas, steam rooms, aromatherapy baths and massages. They even have heated waterbeds where you can have sushi and dim sum served to you! (www.spazuiver.nl)

the ten

Cruise like a princess Take your date on ride through the cobblestoned city centre by horse and carriage. The scenic trip will take you back in time. Contact Karos Citytours to schedule a ride. (www.karos.nl)

Canals and Cobblestones Amsterdam is always scenic, but when night falls and the old-fashioned street lights are reflected in the canals, the city is transformed into a romantic backdrop. A walk through the famous Jordaan district is the most picturesque route.

Private boat tours

Cook for your lover Even more romantic than a fancy dinner is cooking for your loved one. If you’re visiting Amsterdam, take a cooking course together! Check out De Vliegende Kok where they offer cooking classes for a variety of different dishes and cuisines. (www.devliegendekok.nl)

Take a romantic boat tour of the city. Amsterdam looks completely different when viewed from the water! If you’d like to be in the driving seat, you can rent your own boat at www. boaty.nl, or book an upscale private tour at www.privateboattours.nl.

.10

Walk on the beach Escape the bustling city and take a day trip to enjoy nature with your loved one. A short train ride takes you to Bloemendaal, where you’ll find a beach with beautiful dunes to walk along.

THE GOLDEN KEYS

The Golden KeyS Are four or five star hotels a little beyond your budget? Don’t worry – here’s some five star advice from a TOP AMSTERDAM CONCIERGE.

OCK UNL TY CI THE

BY: SARAH MOORE

Ben Voogd Concierge at Renaissance Hotel for 19 years Advises 48,000 guests per year

I’m on a family vacation. Can you recommend a good place to take the kids? Outside Science Centre Nemo is Amsterdam’s replica Dutch trading ship. Here, you can learn about how people lived on these boats and survived. Kids love it!

Each month Amsterdam Magazine interviews a hotel concierge associated with Les Clefs d’Or. Les Clefs d’Or members have dedicated many years of hard work and training to the concierge profession. They are experts on their cities. Whether requesting something simple or complex, you can be sure they are a trusted resource to business travellers and tourists alike. More information: www.hotelconcierge.nl

I’m in the mood for a good steak. Where should I go?

I want to get away from the tourist crowds. Where should I go?

Toro Dorado next to our hotel is delicious. If you want to go a little bit further afield, Piets de Leo on the Noorderstraat is also a very good steakhouse.

Zuiderzee museum. This is where most of the locals interested in their own culture go to see the traditional Dutch way of life. Consider staying in the village of Enkhuizen – a beautiful fishing village that’s frozen in time. Every time I send people there they really enjoy it.

I love jazz music. Where’s the best place to listen to live jazz? Bourbon Street is a nice venue with a friendly atmosphere. Bimhuis is very nice too; I go there often. You can smell, hear and taste jazz there.

Where can I go for a good selection of famous Dutch gin (genever)? De Drie Fleschjes behind the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) is a great place to go if you want to taste traditional genevers. If you’re looking for great beer, check out De Wildeman. They have 260 different varieties of beer, and at least 16 beers on tap.

I hear Amsterdam is known for its great markets. Which one is your favourite? The Albert Cuypmarkt is an obvious choice, but I love it. The other is a book market at the Oudemanhuispoort, near Kloveniersburgwal. The sellers are their own best customers, always out there reading. On Sundays there is also an art market on the Spui. You can find beautiful paintings, sculptures…just about anything.

amsterdam sleeps

citizenM Hotel Amsterdam Airport Every night trend-watcher Vincent van Dijk sleeps in a different hotel. His goal: to find out how (and if) Amsterdam is sleeping. This Issue: citizenM Hotel Amsterdam Airport

Amsterdam

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amsterdam sleeps

Shhh... aMSTERDAM SLEEPS

If you’re looking for affordable luxury accommodation away from the arrival and departure halls of Schiphol,

citizenM offers a perfect place to stay. The rooms are small but comfortable and there’s a vibrant bar and lounge area. Not sure if it’s cosy, but who cares about that if your flight is leaving at 6am?

‘Beam me up, Scotty!’ Flashy I follow the signs that lead me to the modern hotel building where a computer screen recognises my name. A man offers his help, but I manage to activate the plastic card myself. A minute later my room number rolls out of the printer. So much for the personal approach. As I enter the room, the lights colour the ceiling. A transparent rain shower capsule and a milky glass toilet cylinder fill the space. A revolving stainless steel frame with a hairdryer and international sockets turns out to be a mirror. Flashy! ‘Beam me up, Scotty,’ I say to myself, standing in the shower. ‘Back to the future.’ Stuffed animal The television starts playing a romantic song. I plug in my laptop and my smartphone and feel at home immediately. Symbols on the remote control refer to different moods. I push the ‘love’ button and the lights change to purple. I notice a stuffed animal staring at me from a red chair in the corner. I take the ugly creature in my lonely arms and start dancing a slow tango. Honestly – this is not quite the company I was hoping for. What about that vibrant bar I read about?

It’s supposed to be open 24/7. And it is. ‘You need a drink,’ the bartender says as she pours me a glass of wine. The bar is pretty quiet; two gay guys sipping cocktails flirt with me, a senior couple reads a magazine and two business boys are in deep discussion over a Japanese beer. Birds in the mist Maybe it’s time to go to bed after all. ‘Never drink in odd numbers,’ the bartender says, ‘even numbers bring you luck.’ She gives me another Malbec. ‘My name is Vincent. I am an alcoholic,’ I whisper to her as I take the glass upstairs. The alarm clock turns off the lights and the television. A female voice is counting slowly. 1, 2, 3, 4… Sweet dreams, Vincent. The next day I open the window screen with my remote control. The first thing I see are the planes; motionless birds in the mist. It’s about time I head back to the present. But not without a nice little breakfast – a croissant, an apple, a yoghurt and an orange juice, served in a take-away bag.

citizenM Jan Plezierweg 2 +31 (0)20 8117080 www.citizenmamsterdamairport.com Room Rate: From €69

magnified

UNLIMITED DELICIOUS By Arun Sood

shop

n e v i si t t o U n limite d De lic i o u s c a n m a k e e ve n the m o st c a u t i o u s e ate r br an c h

o u t and t r e at t h e i r ta s te bud s to s o m e t h i n g t r u ly u n i q ue .

Situated on Haarlemmerstraat, Unlimited Delicious is a cute and sophisticated sweet shop where innovation and experimentation are highly valued. ‘Our aim is to make innovative and unusual chocolates that offer something different to most other chocolate specialists,’ says shop assistant Judith Bloemendaal. ‘We like to incorporate a range of herbs and spices that you might not expect to find in chocolate.’ Upon hearing about the unusual array of chocolates on offer at Unlimited Delicious, I must admit I wasn’t entirely convinced I would actually like any of them. With treats such as balsamic vinegar bites, rosemary bonbons and pine-flavoured white chocolate, Unlimited Delicious certainly take chocolate to another level. But that’s not to say that taste is sacrificed for experimentation. The tomato balsamic chocolate is a delicious blend of sweet and sour, the subtle tomato and vinegar flavours serving to enhance the soft milk chocolate. ‘Although some people find the chocolates a little strange at first, they almost always end up asking for more,’ says Judith.

Indulgent Afternoon

Even if you don’t like some of the more experimental offerings, Unlimited Delicious are convinced that good chocolates come in small bite-sizes, so you can sample several flavours while you’re there. The quaint coffee bar at the back of the shop provides the perfect place to relax and spend an indulgent afternoon chocolate-tasting.

‘They almost always end up asking for more’ They also serve a unique seasonal hot chocolate between November and March which they are particularly proud of. Made from a blend of dark chocolates, vanilla and a variety of spices, it has proved to be one of the most alluring attractions of the shop. ‘We have customers from all over the world who come back every year especially for the hot chocolate,’ says Judith. ‘The problem is we only serve it during the winter months, so we have a lot of disappointed customers in spring and summer!’

Melt a Heart

If tasting the diverse array of chocolates isn’t enough for you, the shop also offers workshops on Saturday afternoons that show you how to make their weird and wonderful sweet treats. It’s about as close as Amsterdam will ever get to having its own Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, and the best part is you get to eat your own little creations at the end of the day. With Valentine’s day fast approaching, a trip to Unlimited Delicious just might be the perfect way to melt a heart this month.

Unlimited Delicious Haarlemmerstraat 122 +31 (0)20 6224829 www.unlimiteddelicious.nl [Map 141 - D5]

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wet your whistle

wet your whistle Looking for a cosy boutique bar where afternoon cocktails are encouraged? Then look no further than the Jordaan’s sophisticated Vesper Bar.

vesper bar By Sarah moore

he problem with drinking in Amsterdam is not the scarcity of bars but rather the scarcity of quality cocktails. The recently opened Vesper Bar is not only raising the standards of Amsterdam’s cocktail scene, but also inventing interesting ways to enjoy a casual drink. One such way is their Vesper High Tea, involving copious amounts of quality cocktails and snacks on weekend afternoons.

High Booze Tea Located just off the trendy Haarlemerdijk, this charming cocktail bar has been attracting a mix of locals and expats in the neighbourhood for almost a year. Initially a late night lounge, the owners began noticing the crowds of people passing by on Saturday afternoons to shop at the weekly Noordermarkt. Rather than miss out on a horde of potential customers, they came up with the idea of serving ‘high tea cocktails’ to attract the afternoon shoppers. The interior is kitschy and sophisticated, giving the bar both a fun and upscale atmosphere. James Bond memorabilia is sandwiched between fine liqueurs, and ornate teacups actually have stems like martini glasses, playing on the high tea cocktail theme. We kicked off with fresh Bloody Mary shots and a fruit and vegetable platter. The bartender then served a double-tiered platter of freshly baked brownies and rolls, paired with a Raspberry Mimosa, consisting

of Dutch vodka, cranberry juice, and prosecco topped with a basil leaf garnish. The drink tasted fresh, wasn’t overly sweet and was a refreshing change from a regular Mimosa. To my surprise, the bartender frequently returned to our table with a large teapot offering top-ups in our teacups. After the first pot emptied, he prepared round two. The second concoction, a summery citrus mix including lemon juice, freshly grated cucumbers, green tea and vodka was paired with a round of simple smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches. He explained that, because the bar doesn’t have its own kitchen, all the food on offer is supplied by local businesses such as Jordino’s Chocolates, Toscanis and Small World Catering.

Ladies’ Outing While a group of men having high tea together should not be considered strange, this event, like traditional high tea, seems to attract the females in droves. The other parties in the bar were mostly groups of women with a few men dotted among them. Though the snacks offered weren’t memorable, both rounds of cocktails were tasty and definitely strong enough to leave a nice afternoon buzz, ultimately making it worth the €30 per head. There is currently no outdoor seating but they are considering adding a terrace in time for spring. The ice-cold cocktail high tea would make for an ideal afternoon in a warm, summery setting. But for now, just enjoy the cosy atmosphere inside with your cocktail loving friends. The small interior fills up fast so be sure to call ahead.

‘The bartender frequently topped up our cocktails with a large teapot.’

Vesper Bar Vinkenstraat 57 Open Tues-Thurs: 8pm-1am, Fri-Sun: 8pm-3am, High Tea: Sat & Sun from 2pm. +31 (0)20 8464458 www.vesperbar.nl

[Map 142 - D3]

captured

Ome ko

If there’s a party going on, special reporter Michiel Döbelman is there. Make sure you don’t miss out next time!

CAPTURED By Michiel Döbelman/Savage Productions

RAUW Uplifting, underground, now, urban and hip: legendary DJ Joost van Bellen hosts his own night, joined by guest DJs from all over the world. A must-go if you like experimental and new uplifting house music, or if you’re just looking for a smashing ‘out of your head’ party! TROUW

14 JANUARY 78

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Ome Ko (Uncle Ko) is a new monthly party night that takes place around Amsterdam’s famous Leidseplein. Ome Ko will host different parties at different venues and you can expect pure entertainment with an eclectic music style that ranges from electro and disco to techno and old skool smartlappen. (www.ome-ko.nl) Sugar Factory

8 january

Luela club night A party for new creatives and fashion icons with a fierce dress code. Theme changes every month. Playing pop, R&B and hip-hop in the white room, and deep house, tech-house and disco in the red room. supperclub

14 january

Michiel Dรถbelman has deep roots in the Amsterdam nightlife scene. His company Savage Productions has organised events for Amsterdam Fashion Week, Armani, BlackBerry and others. www.savage-productions.nl

upcoming

By Blair Larkin

Photo: Peter Griffin

chinese new year

When: 5 February Where: Nieuwmarkt and Chinatown Admission: Free

This year Chinese New Year falls on 3 February, and to kick off celebrations for the Year of the Rabbit, festivities will take place around Nieuwmarkt and Chinatown on Saturday, 5. The main celebrations will be from 11am to 5pm and will include parades, lion and dragon puppet dances and a lot of fireworks. Head to Chinatown in the evening to enjoy various shows and music performances.

/FEBRUARYGIGS Tuesday 1 The Script, Paradiso 20:30, €18 + membership Klerkx & The Secret, Paradiso Album release party. 20:30, €8.50 + membership Shel Riser (Sonnyboy), Paradiso Expect a mix of rock, funk, soul and hip-hop and everything in between from this diverse American artist. 22:30, €8 + membership Mark Zandveld, Badcuyp (Music Café) 20:30, €4

Wednesday 2 The Vaselines, Melkweg Scottish alternative rock band. 20:30, €15 + membership William Fitzsimmons, Paradiso American folk and folk-rock singer/ songwriter. 20:00, €12 + membership Not Another School Concert with Tetzepi, Bimhuis Dutch big band/jazz collective Tetzepi are joined by students from three Amsterdam high schools. 19:30, €10

Thursday 3 Lola Kite, The Secret Love Parade, La Sera, Paradiso 20:00, €7 + membership Yoon-Jeong Heo Solo Tori Ensemble, Bimhuis Innovative Korean composer Yoon-Jeong Heo joined by her Korean trio and three jazz musicians from New York. 20:30, €18 Ti-Coca and Wanga Nègès, Tropentheater Haitian musician Ti-Coca and his group Wanga Nègès pay tribute to Toto Bissainthe. 20:30, €17 Danny Malando and The Malando Orchestra, De Meervaart Theater 20:15, €27.50 David Golek Trio, Badcuyp (Music Café) 20:30, €6 Extencionisers & Tettero / Van Kessel and the Headliners, Badcuyp (Concert Hall) 21:30, €10

Image: Van Gogh Museum

Picasso in Paris, 1900-1907 In 1900 nineteen-year-old Pablo Picasso arrived in Paris. Over the following years, he grew as an artist and developed several different styles. From his sombre Blue Period to his more cheery Rose Period, which paved the way for Cubism and changed the direction of twentieth-century painting. Starting this month the Van Gogh museum will be holding an exhibition that will explore the development of Picasso’s style from his arrival in Paris until 1907.

When: 18 February - 29 May Where: Van Gogh Museum Admission: €14 (€5 extra for audio tour) www.vangoghmuseum.nl

Photo: Reggae Holland

Amsterdam reggae festival

When: 12 February Where: Heineken Music Hall Admission: €45 (VIP tickets: €85) www.reggaeholland.com

Amsterdam

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Less than six months after the last edition of this event, the Amsterdam Reggae Festival takes place again this month at the Heineken Music Hall. The last event sold out and, with a line-up like this, it is likely to happen again. The line-up includes Mavado, Jah Cure, Morgan Heritage, Capleton and Mr Vegas from Jamaica and locals Kalibwoy and Punky Donch.

Friday 4 Sleeze Beez, Paradiso Dutch glam metal band. 20:30, €20 + membership Krach, Paradiso Dutch electro-rock band formerly known as With Ice. 22:00, €8 Nosso Trio, Bimhuis Brazilian jazz trio joined by singer Jesee Koning, pianist Hans Vroomans and cello player Daniel Pezzotti. 20:30, €16 Stephanida Borissova and Wang Li, Tropentheater A night of traditional shamanic music. 20:30, €17 Michiel Borstlap, De Meervaart Theather 21:00, €19

Saturday 5 The Cult and Masters of Reality, Paradiso Eighties British post-punk and hard rock band The Cult joined by American hard rock band Masters of Reality. 20:00, €39 + membership Attack Attack!, Melkweg American metalcore band. 20:30, €12.50 + membership Bow Wow, Melkweg 21:00, €35 + membership Clazz Ensemble, Bimhuis ‘Small big band’ Clazz Ensemble joined by

composer Jacob Ter Veldhuis. 20:30, €15 Gaby Moreno, Podium Mozaiek 21:00 €18

Sunday 6 Azure Ray American dream pop duo. 16:00, €10 + membership Ahmed Soultan, Paradiso Moroccan singer who fuses traditional Arab music with hip-hop and soul. 20:30, €17.50 + membership Gangrene, Bitterzoet Hip-hop duo consisting of MC/producer heavyweights Oh No and The Alchemist are in Amsterdam to promote their new album Gutter Water. 21:30, €15 The Rosenberg Trio, De Meervaart Theater The Rosenberg Trio are joined by some special guests to pay tribute to Spain; the birthplace of guitar music. 20:15, €25 Jazz Session, Badcuyp (Music Café) 14:30, Free Brazilian Jazz Session, Badcuyp (Music Café) 20:30, €5

Monday 7 Adler’s Appetite, Melkweg Original Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler and his band play a mix of originals and Guns N’ Roses covers. 20:30, €17.50 + membership The Airborne Toxic Event, Paradiso American indie rock group who use string instruments and keyboards alongside standard rock instruments. They are playing at Paradiso every Monday this month. 20:00, €9 + membership

Tuesday 8 Gregory Page, Paradiso 20:00, €10 + membership Richard Thompson Band, Paradiso 20:30, €25 + membership Mazgani, Paradiso Portuguese singer/songwriter. 22:00, €9 + membership Karnatic Lab, Badcuyp (Concert Hall) 20:30, Free

Wednesday 9 A Day to Remember, Melkweg American rock band, known for fusing metalcore with pop punk. 20:00, €20 + membership Freelance Whales and Broken Records, Melkweg American indie rock band Freelance Whales are joined by Scottish indie fold band Broken Records. 20:30, €12 + membership Hesta Prynn, Paradiso 20:00, €8 + membership Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and The Charmax Band Reggae legend Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry is still touring at the age of 74. 20:30, €25 + membership Ebo Taylor, Paradiso Ghanaian composer and producer whose music ranges from jazz to highlife to afrobeat. 22:15, €15 + membership

Thursday 10 Anna Calvi, Paradiso Anna Calvi plays a unique blend of dark atmospheric romantic pop and is known for her mesmerising live performances. 19:30, €10 + membership

upcoming

Tomatito, Paradiso, Spanish Romani flamenco guitarist. 20:30, €45 + membership 22-Pistepirkko and You/Me, Bitterzoet 20:30, €10 Pieter de Graaf Trio and Captain Hook, Bimhuis 20:30, €15 Trio Arto Tuncboyaciyan, Tropentheater 20:30, €19 Anglea Groothauizen and Band, De Meervaart Theater 20:30, €21.50 The Hot Notes invite Born Sanders, Badcuyp (Music Café) 20:30, €6 Great Eyeballs, Badcuyp (Concert Hall) 21:30, €8

Friday 11 Citizen Cope, Melkweg 20:30, €12 + membership Tomatito, Paradiso, Spanish Romani flamenco guitarist. 20:30, €45 + membership

Saturday 12 Amsterdam Reggae Festival, Heineken Music Hall See feature. 19:00, €45 (VIP €85) Esben and the Witch, Paradiso Three-piece indie rock band from England who recently released their debut album Violet Cries. 20:00, €10 + membership Hawksley Workman, Bitterzoet 20:30, €10 + membership Kim Hoorweg & Houdini’s, Bimhuis Backed by The Houdini’s, Dutch singer Kim Hoorweg pays tribute to Peggy Lee. 20:30, €16 Olah Gypsy All Stars, Tropentheater Hungarian gypsy music from this group of 15 musicians and dancers. 20:30, €25

Sunday 13 The Gypsy Queens & Kings, Melkweg Twenty of Europe’s best gypsy artists. Starring Esma Redzepova and Mahala Rai Banda. 20:30, €37.50 + membership Ouled El Bouazzaoui, Tropentheater An afternoon of Moroccan music with Ouled El Bouazzaoui. 15:00, €19

Monday 14 R&B Valentine, Heineken Music Hall A night of R&B with performances from Black Street, Mario, Bobby Valentino and more. 20:00, €45 Wire, Paradiso 20:30, €20 + membership Family of the Year, Paradiso American indie band. 20:00, €8.50 + membership The Airborne Toxic Event, Paradiso See Monday 7. 22:00, €9 + membership Caitlin Rose, Bitterzoet 21:00, €9

Tuesday 15 Iron & Wine, Paradiso Samuel Beam aka Iron & Wine plays a mix of folk and folk rock. 20:30, €18 + membership Bloodshot Bill, Paradiso One-man band plays guitar, bass drum and hi-hat all at the same time. 22:30, €7.50 Twin Shadow, Paradiso Alternative new wave pop from the fourpiece band led by George Lewis Jr. 22:15, €9 + membership

Wednesday 16 All Time Low, Melkweg American pop-punk band All Time Low come to town to promote their

upcoming album Dirty Work. 20:00, €21 + membership Cold War Kids, Melkweg American indie rock band. 20:30, €14 + membership Joan As Policewoman, Paradiso Indie rock singer/songwriter and violinist Joan Wasser. 20:30, €16 + membership Funeral Party, Paradiso New band Funeral Party are making waves on the indie rock scene. 22:00, €9 + membership

Thursday 17 The Paradiso Orchestra, Paradiso The Paradiso Orchestra presents Beethoven’s fifth. With visual animation by VJ Aineko. 20:30, €20 Boulevard, Melkweg Progressive music festival that originated in Morocco. 20:30, €15 + membership Young VIPs Tournee 2011, Bimhuis This year’s annual Young VIPs Tour features the Clemens van der Feen Band and Dutch Jazz Competition 2010 winners the Castel/ Van Damme Quartet. 20:30, €15 Sofiane Negra, Tropentheater Traditional Tunisian Ud player. 20:30, €19

Friday 18 Tony Joe White, Paradiso Swamp rock from singer/songwriter and guitarist Tony Joe White. 19:30, €22.50 + membership Erik Friedlander, Jen Shyu and Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone, Bimhuis A mini-festival with three concerts from these prominent contemporary musicians from New York. 20:30, €15 Sam Pari, De Meervaart Theater Country and bluegrass from Sam Pari and her band. 20:30, €14.50

Saturday 19 Stateless, Melkweg English electronic alternative rock band whose second album Matilda is scheduled to be released this month. 20:30, €12 + membership Lee Fields & The Expressions, Menahan Street Band and Charles Bradley, Paradiso A night for lovers of soul, funk and afrobeat. 19:30, €20 + membership Stefano Bollani, Bimhuis Italian jazz pianist Stefano Bollani and his four-piece band. 20:30, €18 Perquisite, Podium Mozaiek Dutch hip-hop producer who is best known for being half of the duo Pete Philly & Perquisite presents his new live band as well as several vocalists. 21:00, €18 Leticia and Vasile Nedea, Tropentheater 20:30, €14 Slagerij van Kampen, De Meervaart Theater A percussion ensemble with instruments that light up as they are played, creating a light show. 20:15, €25.50

Sunday 20 La Troba Kung-Fú, Paradiso Spanish band La Troba Kung-Fú play an interesting mix of Spanish influenced dub, rock and hip-hop. 20:30, €11.50 + membership Lenny Kuhr, De Meervaart Theater 14:30, €19.50

Monday 21 Janelle Monae, Melkweg 20:00, €18 + membership The Airborne Toxic Event, Paradiso See Monday 7. 22:00, €9 + membership Konrad Koselleck Big Band & Izaline Calister, Bimhuis

Eighteen-piece band with singer Izaline Calister from Curaçao. 20:30, €14

Tuesday 22 Monotonix, Paradiso Garage rock band from Israel. 22:15, €12 + membership

Wednesday 23 Band of Horses, Paradiso A mix of indie rock and alternative country from the grammy-nominated band. Support from Mike Noga & The Gents. 19:30, €20 + membership Kensington, Paradiso Dutch indie rock band whose 2010 debut Borders received rave reviews. 20:00, €8.50 + membership Tutu Puoane Quartet & Marcus Wyatt and Tony Paco, Bimhuis South African jazz and soul singer Tutu Puoane is joined by fellow South Africans Marcus Wyatt on trumpet and percussionist Tony Paco. 20:30, €18

Thursday 24 White Lies, Heineken Music Hall 20:00, €29.50 Turbulence & Warrior King, Melkweg Two Jamaican reggae greats hit the stage. 20:30, €20 + membership Po’ Girl, Paradiso Canadian urban roots band whose style derives from folk, country and jazz. 19:30, €12 + membership Ben L’Oncle Soul, Paradiso Ben L’Oncle Soul is a nu-soul singer from France. 20:30, €16 + membership Pien Feith, Paradiso Dutch singer Pien Feith celebrates the release of her debut album Dance On Time. 21:45, €8 + membership Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, Bimhuis Conductor, composer and arranger Jurre Haanstra leads the award winning Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw. 20:30, €18 Balkan Meets Brasil, Tropentheater Brazilian singer sings Brazilian folk. She is joined by Russian-Moldavian accordion player Oleg Fateev. 20:30, €17 Gare du Nord, De Meervaart Theather Dutch/Belgian lounge duo. 20:15, €25

Blast, Bimhuis Free jazz with an electro-acoustic flavour. 20:30, €15 Zarbang Quartet feat. Matthaios Tsahouridis & Banafsheh Iranian and Afghan percussionists perform with Greek string instrument player Matthaious Tsahouridis. 20:30, €19

Sunday 27 Paulusma, Paradiso Ex-member of Dutch rock band Daryll-Ann presents his third studio album Up On The Roof. 15:30, €9 + membership Ólöf Arnalds, Paradiso Icelandic singer/songwriter Ólöf Arnalds is touring on the back of her recently released second album Innundir skinni. 18:00, €8 + membership Adrian Belew, Paradiso Renowned American guitarist performs with the Metropole Orchestra lead by Jules Buckley. 20:30, €22.50 + membership Vinnie Who, Paradiso 22:00, €9 + membership The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Bitterzoet Indie pop band from New York. 21:00, €12 Alessandra Leao, Tropentheater 15:00, €23

Monday 28 Maroon 5, Heineken Music Hall 20:00, €42 BLØF, Paradiso Dutch rock band.19:30, €28.50 + membership The Airborne Toxic Event, Paradiso See Monday 7. 22:00, €9 + membership Peter, Bjorn and John, Bitterzoet Swedish indie rock band. 20:30, €15

Friday 25 Skunk Anansie, Heineken Music Hall 20:00, €37 Go Back to the Zoo, Paradiso 20:30, €10 + membership Jonny, Paradiso Psychedelic pop from the British duo. 20:00, €8 + membership Cosmo Jarvis, Paradiso 22:00, €9.50 + membership Junip, Melkweg Melodic and intimate songs featuring organs, synths, drums and guitars from the Swedish trio. 20:30, €16 + membership Matana Roberts’ Coin Coin, Bimhuis New York-based saxophonist. 20:30, €16 Farhod Qori Halimov Trio & Mavrigi Bukhara Ensemble, Tropentheater A night of music from Uzbekistan. 20:30, €19

Saturday 26 Zakk Wyle & Black Label Society, Melkweg 20:00, €27 + membership Bintangs, Paradiso Dutch rock band Bintangs celebrate being together for 50 years. 20:30, €17.50 + membership The Vaccines, Paradiso 20:00, €10 + membership

something raw Ten years ago Something Raw started as a festival that presented unfinished, rough work. Today, the festival continues to do so by providing a platform to present innovative ideas and visions that stray from the norm. The festival will feature dance performances and discussions. When: 15-19 February Where: Frascati and De Brakke Grond Admission: Varies www.theaterfrascati.nl

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Framed!

BY THOMAS SCHLIJPER

Brouwersgracht, 17 December 2010 The best thing about snow isn’t its ability to turn a dark city into a brighter place...it’s the magical, muffled sound it creates, magnified by the absence of cars and bikes. Even the few courageous pedestrians around remain silent, as if they’re too busy concentrating on their steps.

Amsterdam

magazine

Every day Thomas Schlijper takes a picture. Check out his blog at www. schlijper.nl and see what the beating heart of Amsterdam looks like. Here’s a sneak preview!