Amsterdam Magazine no 15 - November 2011 by Amsterdam Magazine

€4.95

Ye�, I’� ��!

beyond windmills, wooden shoes and weed

m a g a z i n e

A WINDOW

ON THE WORLD

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL Sinterklaas DUTCH SUPERHERO

Dedicated MARIE CÉCILE THIJS

IDFA Programmer: ‘FALL IN LOVE WITH CINEMA’

And: Wet your whistle, Pimp My Bike, Museum Check, Dutch A-Z, Fashion, Made in Holland, Upcoming and more...

FEATURED INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL AMSTERDAM A window on the world

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44 59 75 74 30 50 72 62 7 8 10 17 42 67 69

INTERVIEW

STREET STYLE: This is how Amsterdam dresses MEET THE DUTCH: IDFA Programmer Caspar Sonnen UNLOCKING THE CITY: According to Red District Radio

REPORTAGE

SINTERKLAAS: Turkish bishop becomes Dutch superhero KNOCK KNOCK: Haunted house PIMP MY BIKE: Little Red Corvette

REVIEWED

MUSEUM CHECK: Enter the V.O.C. vessel AMSTERDAM EATS: Uncle Wong WET YOUR WHISTLE: Hannekes Boom

COLUMN

FRAMED: By Thomas Schlijper

FASHION

MATERIAL GIRL

ART & DESIGN

EXPO: Portraits by Marie Cécile Thijs MADE IN HOLLAND: Pressedleathershoe (say what?)

THE GUIDE DUTCH A-Z

THE REGULAR

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR GET SOCIAL! HEADS-UP: News from the city

MORE...

DUTCH TREAT: Frikandel THE SEVEN: 7x free wi�i spots CAPTURED: What you missed last month UPCOMING: Events that mustn’t be missed

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LETTER

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: Wereldwijt Publishing BV Herengracht 423 - sous 1017 BR Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 (0)20 8461690 info@amsterdam-magazine.com www.amsterdam-magazine.com twitter: amsterdammag facebook: amsterdammagazine Publishers: Linda Korver Wouter Wijtenburg Cees van der Steenstraten

Letter from the Editor

Editor in Chief: Mathilde Hoekstra mathilde@amsterdam-magazine.com

Tradition

Art Director: Linda Korver linda@amsterdam-magazine.com

I’m sure you all know Santa. But did you ever hear of the

Proofreader: Johanna Thornton proof@amsterdam-magazine.com

a red coat, same goes for his hat, and pays a visit to our

Advertising Sales: Kris Soehawan kris@amsterdam-magazine.com +31 (0)6 30554599 Editorial Staff: Sarah Moore sarah@amsterdam-magazine.com Tim Hilhorst tim@amsterdam-magazine.com Design: Nicky Falkenberg nicky@amsterdam-magazine.com Fashion Director: Tommy Hagen fashion@amsterdam-magazine.com Finance Manager: Gerard Koelmans finance@amsterdam-magazine.com We’re open to any kind of internships! Email your request to linda@amsterdam-magazine.com Contributors Nicola Bozzi, Severine van Donkelaar, Allison Guy, Brandon Hartley, Se’La, Inge de Lange, Roy Laros, Mike Peek, Anouk Sanders, Thomas Schlijper, Arun Sood, Marieke Verhoeven, Maurice Vermaas Special thanks to Marloes ten Bhömer, De Boekers, Truus Dekker, Edgar, Hugo van Heijningen, Orpheu de Jong, House of Orange, Pascale, Gallery Eduard Planting, Red Light Radio, Anouk Sanders, Casper Sonnen, Marie Cécile Thijs Cover: Courtesy of Pathe Tuschinski 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.

Dutch folk hero Sinterklaas? This guy is a bit slimmer, wears country every December. (Read all about him on page 38) Just like churches, I believe that Sinterklaas is actually a smart institution that helps parents raise their kids. Only ‘good kids’ will be rewarded with candy and presents, just like religious folks will go to heaven. It’s only when children start noticing the obvious – such as his fake beard – that the festivity gets a different dimension. At this time in my life I found myself sitting on the lap of some drunk guy who called me on stage and made me recite a poem to a senior student I was secretly in love with. You can imagine that my respect for Sinterklaas had fallen to a new low and I solemnly vowed never to fool my kids with this deceitful man. Now, 20 years later (ouch!), I find myself telling our firstborn all about his royal holiness. And although she doesn’t quite get it yet, I can’t wait to see her face when she finally meets this icon of Dutch tradition.

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. Distributed for free in the Netherlands

--------------------------------------------------------© Amsterdam Magazine B.V. 2011 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 re�lect those of Amsterdam Magazine or its publishers. Amsterdam Magazine accepts no responsibility, legal or otherwise, for the accuracy of its content. ---------------------------------------------------------

SOCIAL MEDIA

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VIP GIVEAWAY

26 November 2011 Supper & Sound @ Het Bosch Line up: Vika Kova and residents Two entrance tickets, a four course dinner for two, a Muchachomalo boxer shorts package and a fancy watch (triwa-watches.nl). Does that sound like your kind of night? Go to Facebook and Twitter and win!

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Saskia Laroo: Hi Amsterdam Magazine and Kris, nice to meat you last week at Paradiso, hope you liked the songs we played that night. Really jazzy greetings!’ http://youtu.be/ycwpztUsm3M Ann James: Great Cover! Colin Martin: Glad I wasn’t there after taking magic mushrooms

Jay’s Juices> ‘Rather than opt for a packaged smoothie from a supermarket, pay a visit to one of the most comprehensive juice bars in Amsterdam. You might even get more than you initially bargained for.’ 3√ Bitterzoet > ‘Our artist, VJ and talent scout Sjocosjon says: Bitterzoet is great for drinks and a night out too.’ 4√ Cafe Bar De Duivel > ‘Hip-hop cafe Cafe De Duivel has a lot of dope expositions. It’s a real Amsterdam cafe that has been supporting street art since the beginning of time.’ -√

Heads-up news from the city

BY: TIM HILHORST

Museum of the Tropics faces closure

The ministry of foreign affairs plans to stop subsidising Amsterdam’s Museum of the Tropics, which offers ethnographic exhibitions based on non-western cultures. The museum, which will most likely close without subsidies, currently receives up to €20m from the country’s development budget. The cuts will be introduced starting in 2013. The museum spokesman responded to the situation saying officials were currently hunting for alternative revenue. Almost half of the museum’s budget will be cut which means the exhibitions space, theatre and accompanying library might all need to close. The museum contains 175,000 objects and 80,000 historical photos.

Amsterdam

The so-called ‘30 per cent tax ruling’ will change radically in 2012, according to the Dutch government. Expats currently enjoy a ruling that says they do not have to pay taxes on the first 30 per cent of their wages as long as they meet a series of pre-requisites. Expatriates have to prove they came specifically for employment, they have some sort of expertise and that they’re hard to replace with someone in the Dutch market. In 2012 the ruling will also have an income limit of €70,000 and exclude expatriates living within 150km of the border. This change represents a threat to less well-paid professionals in the country such as IT experts, teachers and designers. Source: staffingindustry.com

We’re closed, folks

Cafes and bars will not be allowed to extend their opening times. The majority of the city council agrees with longer opening times for catering services in Amsterdam’s centre, but according to mayor Eberhard van der Laan there are not enough police to account for the adequate safety of patrons if bars were to remain open for longer. The current cutoff point of 1AM on weekdays and 3AM on weekends was to be extended in accordance with the ‘catering vision’ created by parties PvdA, VVD and Groenlinks, but due to safety concerns the plans have been scrapped. Source: nu.nl

Source: rtvnh.nl

Expat tax no more

magazine

National Holocaust Museum for Amsterdam Amsterdam will probably see a national Holocaust museum in the Hollandse Schouwburg, which acted as a deportation centre of up to 80,000 Jews during WWII. With the help of Jewish assets the city will investigate whether it is possible to realise the national museum. Joël Cahen, the managing director of the Hollandse Schouwburg and the Jewish History Museum, said, ‘Because the first generation of war survivors is dying out, the second generation sees that what they want to forget, the next generation does not want to forget. The third and fourth generations want to know everything: what happened with their grandfathers, grandmothers, or family.’ Source: AD.nl

NEWS

Councils get tech savvy

The city council of Amsterdam will be going paper-less with the help of iPads. The initiative started with the Zuidoost District Council, whose council documents can already be accessed through a special app which is also available for the public. Over 100 government organisations will use the app. The plans are supposed to save up to €150,000 per year in paper, printing and distribution costs. The city has bought 68 iPads: 45 for councilors, 18 for fractions and five spares (costing around €74,000). The app the councilors will be using is called NotuBox 2, which is specially designed for meetings and political decision-making. Source: parool.nl

Red Lights dimming The Amsterdam Council is buying up more properties in the Red Light District in accordance with ‘project 1012’ named after the area’s postcode. The idea is to reduce criminal activity in the area by buying available properties. The plans concern gift shops, sex shops and theatres, but not prostitution properties. The purchased locations are then leased to partner organisations like housing associations. The plans to clean up the district have been active since 2007, but according to a report by De Rekenkamer Amsterdam, appear to be unsuccessful as of yet. The council has a two million euro contingency fund to cover the costs if the sale/lease of a property would produce less revenue than it cost to buy. Source: parool.nl

Rent Prices Soar

Nowhere in the Netherlands are rent prices increasing as hard and fast as in Amsterdam, according to a report by rental property platform Pararius. Prices went up by an average of 2.8 per cent in our capital in the last quarter of the year. The increase brings the average renting price per square metre up to €17.30, which makes it the most expensive in the country. According to Pararius the problem Amsterdam faces is a confluence of the widespread availability of social housing and the shortage of privately held properties. Only 27 per cent of residences in Amsterdam are privately controlled, when the national average is well over 50 per cent.

Amsterdam Escapes Recession The economy of the Netherlands will remain in recession while Amsterdam’s economy will keep growing, albeit slowly. Amsterdam’s growth will end up at an estimated 2 per cent at the end of this year, according to research by the ING Economisch Bureau. The economy of the rest of the country will keep stagnating and end up at an estimated 1.5 per cent this year, resulting in a mild recession for the second half of 2011. The capital remains partially unaffected due to well-represented business services, expats and a booming tourism sector. Amsterdam’s economy has returned to the levels it enjoyed before the financial crisis in 2008. Source: Parool.nl

Source: At5.nl

Heads-up news from the city

Amsterdam best for business

Amsterdam is one of the top five best places to have a business, according to the European Cities Monitor by consultancy agency Cushman & Wakefield. Our capital rose two places from 6th last year, to 4th place. The agency answers to 500 of the largest companies in nine different European countries. Cities are judged on 12 different categories, the most important being ‘Easy access to markets, customers or clients’, which 60 per cent of respondents say is pivotal. London, Paris and Frankfurt are ahead of Amsterdam in the ranking, but our capital scored better than its rivals in terms of ‘quality of life’ and ‘spoken languages’.

Amsterdam

Many chains in Amsterdam are making their establishments cash-free zones; people will only be able to pay using credit or debit cards. Grape District, a wine distributor with five locations in Amsterdam, is one of the first to take their entire operation ‘all plastic’. The shift is attributed to safety; no cash means fewer robberies. Added benefits include not having to account for proper change, no internal revenue discrepancies and faster transaction times. Repercussions could arise for tourists without ‘maestro’ cards, but these won’t be realised until a significantly larger market swaps to the no-cash policy. Source: Parool.nl

Amsterdam’s growing popularity

By 2025 Amsterdam’s population will have grown by 110,000 people, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). The rapid growth is predicted to continue, but the city won’t be able to handle such figures - an extra 60,000 residences are needed to cope with the rise. The centre of Amsterdam counts 80,000 residents and 11 million tourists on a yearly basis. Amsterdam’s popularity has increased nuisance and noise complaints, but residents of Amsterdam are, for the most part, satisfied with their neighbourhoods (giving it an average grade of eight). The number of cyclists has also doubled in the last 20 years. Source: AT5.nl

Source: Amsterdam.nl

Cashing out

magazine

Smart thinking

Residents of Amsterdam can now register for the first car2go project in the world. A fleet of 300 electric Smart cars (with 400 charging stations) will be introduced into the capital. The idea is that after entering a pre-assigned pin code people will be able to unlock the car, drive it to their destination and be charged for every minute of usage. No added costs, free parking everywhere in the city and the possibility of one-way trips make the project an attractive, sustainable option for Amsterdam residents. The cars are silent, have no emission and can drive up to 135km on a single charge. Source: car2go.com

FASHION

FANCY T HAT!

Let’s fa ce when it it, Amsterdam is no Pa comes t ri o three e xceptio fashion. Here s n a re s by: tim to the r hilhors ule. t

Photog raphy: S arah

Moore

SIMPLY RETRO

Grietje Schewis (22)

OUTFIT: Shirt: H&M Skirt: Retro & Chic Shoes: Zara WHAT’S THE STYLE YOU’RE GOING FOR? I don’t know. Not really anything specific. (Laughing) I guess I thought: ‘Let me just put on all the grey stuff I can find in my closet.’ And this is what I ended up with. (Grey, apparently, is not her favorite colour: she prefers ‘old-pink’.) WHAT’S YOUR EVERY DAY STYLE? It varies from the 20s to the 70s, it skips the 80s and then some 90s stuff. The 80s were just too much I think - too much anti-fashion. Although I guess that’s not really true because there are plenty of stylish pieces from that era. WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR THREADS? Markets mostly. There’s lots of great markets and vintage stores in Amsterdam. I love ‘Retro and Chic’ on the Staalstraat, which is by far the best vintage store in Amsterdam. They have so many classic pieces there. Aside from that I really like H&M for your basic stuff.

MR. DAPPER

Stephen (20)

OUTFIT: Shirt: H&M Pants: Velour Shoes: Van Lier, bought them second-hand Socks: H&M Watch: Second-hand WHAT’S YOUR LOOK CALLED? Chic and neat with a twist! I like wearing things that kind of break the uniformity. I always want to look clean and elegant, but not too much. I don’t want to go about wearing a custom tailored suit or anything too raw and unkempt. I wear a lot of blue, black and dark grey. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INTERESTED IN STYLE AND FASHION? I started really getting into clothes and fashion when I was 16. This style has just sort of grown out of that ever since. WHAT’S YOUR SHOP-STOMPING-GROUND? Velour, across from Zipper on the Huidenstraat is really great. Lock, Stock & Barrel is awesome too. I buy a lot at Cos (a chic H&M). I really like minimalism and minimalistic clothing. DO YOU DO THE ONLINE SHOPPING THING? I don’t dare shop online because I want to make sure everything fits well, it’s the most important thing to me. WHERE WOULD YOU GO WITH ONLY 50 EUROS TO SPEND? Zipper, Episode, Lady Day, Laura Dols: all of which you can buy really nice things at really low prices. I stopped buying things at H&M because the quality is just poor. The stitching is often off, it wears very quickly and I just like my clothes to grow old nicely. Like these jeans, they’ve faded but they still look really great.

Amsterdam

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FASHION

HOMEMADE FLAIR

Ilke (22) (from Romania/Transylvania visiting her sister who lives in Amsterdam)

OUTFIT: Headpiece: Homemade Shirt: A vintage shop in London Everything else: Vintage shops in Romania WHAT DO YOU CALL YOUR STYLE? Vintage! Where I’m from that’s really popular right now. YOU LOOK REALLY ORIGINAL, WHERE DO GET YOUR GEAR? I have a shop with my sister on Etsy.com. We make a lot of our own stuff. I find things in Romania, where vintage is much cheaper than here, and sometimes I modify it and then sell it in our online shop. IS IT SUCCESSFUL? We started not too long ago, but we’ve sold some items in the last four months. SO YOU’RE A VINTAGE EXPERT?! (Giggling) I guess so. WHAT ABOUT YOUR KICK-ASS HEADPIECE, DO YOU SELL THAT ON ETSY? No not yet, but I’m going to try. I noticed that these kinds of things are really expensive here. I made the piece using a pair of my old earrings as the centerpiece and the rest is made from an old necklace.

DUTCH TREAT

Frikandel BY: ALLISON GUY

You may have already sampled some Dutch treats. If you’re brave you might have even tried a kroket or salty liquorice. But what about a frikandel?

FRIKANDEL

he kroket and the bitterbal hold the silver and bronze medals of snack foods in Holland, but the frikandel is the undisputed king of deep-fried mystery meat. This skinless sausage surpassed the kroket in 1996 as the country’s favourite option for latenight munchies. A FIXTURE FOR 50 YEARS The frikandel celebrated its 50th birthday in 2006. While the generic term frikadel – no ‘n’ – has been around since at least 1615 to describe a kind of meatball, the frikandel in its current form was invented in the 1950s. Two producers, Gerrit de Vries and Jan Bekkers, both claim to have taken the classic meatball and given it a cutting-edge makeover as a sausage-shaped treat.

Frikandellen are a fixture of automats, that peculiar Dutch institution, where impatient customers can get hot food from a wall-sized vending machine. They can be served in a bun for a broodje frikandel, or cut open and served with mayonnaise, curry sauce and chopped onions for a frikandel speciaal. At Febo or at home, people in the Netherlands consume 500 million each year. That’s enough fried meat to wrap two times around the equator!

Making frikandel at home is a multistep process, but look on the bright side: You’ll know exactly which barnyard animals wind up in your recipe.

S TRY THI ! AT H O M E

FOOD ON THE BRAIN The puzzling ingredients of frikandel have become something of a national joke. Urban legend holds that frikandel factories grind up everything from udders to eyeballs, leading to one-liners like: ‘What’s the difference between a blonde and a frikandel? The frikandel has brains!’ More trustworthy sources argue that the content is actually a mixture of chicken, pork, beef or horse meat, along with eggs, breadcrumbs or potatoes for binder. Foreigners might be put off by the addition of a little pony in their food. If you’ve got a soft spot for Seabiscuit, you might want to steer clear of the snack tray at the next gathering with your Dutch buddies.

INGREDIENTS:

• • • • • • • • • •

450g ground beef 450g ground pork 200g ground chicken 3tsp salt 3tsp onion powder 1tsp each of black pepper, allspice and nutmeg ½tsp cloves and cayenne 170ml heavy cream Oil for frying Optional toppings: Minced onion, mayonnaise, ketchup or curry sauce

Grind the meat with the spices and cream as finely as possible in a food processor. Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Form the frikandel into links approximately 25 centimetres long using a sausage grinder, a Ziploc bag with a large hole cut in it, or your hands. Drop them into the boiling water and let cook for five to six minutes. Drain on a rack. Heat oil in a deep fryer or in a heavy pan until it registers 190C on a thermometer. Deep fry the frikandel for three to four minutes. Drain on paper towels, and serve with the toppings.

Eet smakelijk! (Bon appétit!) 17

Amsterdam

magazine

MEET THE DUTCH

DIGITAL STORYTELLING IN THE NEW MEDIA AGE By: Lauren Wissot

ASPAR SONNEN, A DUTCH PROGRAMMER FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL, KNOWS ALL TOO WELL THAT FESTIVALS ARE WHERE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH CINEMA.

The terms bandied about at IDFA DocLab can make a layman’s head spin. While many of their old-school colleagues are shooting on digital video or – heaven forbid – actual film, the artists at IDFA DocLab employ everything from data visualisation to maps to interactive interfaces. For example, last year’s new media showstopper was Katerina Cizek’s Out My Window, one of the world’s first 360-degree documentaries, which was installed at the Brakke Grond Theatre and Gallery during the festival and played for two months after.

Open Air It’s projects like these that get this tireless curator talking. That, and perhaps caffeine, I gathered as we chatted at a table at Two for Joy – ‘the best coffee in Amsterdam’ according to Caspar – on Frederiksplein. Though he was born in Amsterdam in 1975 and attended University in Utrecht to study film and new media, Caspar,

whose charmingly disheveled looks could have him pass for a character straight out of a Richard Linklater film, struck me as both worldly and insatiably curious. Over strong cappuccinos we discussed not only IDFA DocLab but also the Open Air Film Festival Amsterdam (Pluk de Nacht), the annual event in August that he co-founded and continues to programme.

home to 36,000 people and 13 prisons. It’s also the place where I grew up. Sometimes it takes an international film festival – and a passionate programer with a sharp eye who thinks outside the frame – to remind you of where you came from and where you want to be. Or, as Casper puts it: ‘Festivals are a place where you fall in love with cinema.’

‘Sometimes it takes an international festival to remind you of where you came from’ It came as no surprise that this eclecticminded curator claims to take cinematic inspiration from everything from the work of English director Shane Meadows, to Ira Glass’s This American Life, to the best blogs and online startups. I noted that besides the Czech-Canadian Cizek’s stunning Out My Window, another 2010 IDFA DocLab premiere had nabbed my attention. French co-directors David Dufresne and Philippe Brault’s Prison Valley is an interactive web doc about the jail industry that was shot in Cañon City, Colorado,

In 2005 Dutch programmer Caspar Sonnen joined the International Documentary Film Festival where he launched the New Media department and IDFA TV. Two years later the DocLab was born in order to highlight the many non-fiction projects that were taking advantage of new forms of technology to tell stories in a non-linear way.

AMSTERDAM EXPLORED

Indie S

unlocking the city

tyle!

Allow our clued-up Dam dwellers to help you unlock this city! In this issue, music enthusiasts Orpheu de Jong and Hugo van Heijningen of Red Light Radio give us the inside scoop on indie Amsterdam. By: Sarah Moore

Where can you go and see great indie music? For live indie bands, the OCCII is the best and in the last couple of years, the ex-squat OT301 has put on a great program. They’re great with mixing genres, one night it can be metal and then electro the next. Café Belgique is a little Belgian bar, but they have great DJs every Tuesday spinning more experimental, forward thinking music. It’s great when a bar really pays attention to their music. What about fun indie parties and events? The guys from Subbacultcha host great parties with live indie sets from emerging international bands. Their parties are often in De Nieuwe Anita, a funky club in the West. Colours also hosts a great monthly DJ set at Club Trouw. They focus on a new English wave of base music and blend it with house and techno. The Dek Mantel DJs have been throwing parties for years now, focusing on the quality side of techno music with their main venue at StudioK. They have really consistent programming and they always have a nice vibe at their parties.

Orpheu de Jong [29] & Hugo van Heijningen [29] FOUNDERS OF RED LIGHT RADIO

Amsterdam

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How does the indie scene in Amsterdam compare to other cities? Different genres seem to interact and blend better here since it’s such a small city. The indie ‘scene’ here is really broad, it really goes anywhere from live bands to a house DJ, to experimental

electronica. It’s not uncommon to see the same faces at a live indie rock show one night and then an experimental set the next. It’s a small town with a lot of venues so if you want to do something, it’s easy to start and get connected. Is there a great neighbourhood for indie lovers to hang out in? You can get around Amsterdam by bike in a few minutes so there isn’t really a specific area for indie types. Cool venues are scattered throughout the city. I’m starting to see our neighbourhood, the Red Light District, coming out with interesting spots. There are the Red Light Fashion designers nearby making amazing stuff. W139 is one of the best art venues in the city and their openings are actually great parties. It’s still quiet here, but it would be great to see it grow. Red Light Radio is an online radio station broadcasting from a former prostitution window in the Red Light District. To hear their daily shows, visit redlightradio.net.

MAGNIFIED

La Savonnerie shop

HERE’S SOMETHING STRANGELY ALLURING AND SATISFYING ABOUT GOOD OLD-FASHIONED SOAP.

WHAT? ENTER LA SAVONNERIE AND FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF.

By Arun Sood

It’s a pleasant and slightly unusual experience to wander into a room filled almost entirely with soap. Let’s face it, how often do you see proper soap nowadays? With the exception of your granny and grandpa, most consumers have turned to shower gels and other bottled liquids to stay fresh, clean and smelling of flowers. Yet, there’s something strangely alluring and satisfying about good old-fashioned solid soap, as I recently found out upon visiting La Savonnerie. For a start, the smell inside this quaint little shop is better than any modern perfumery. It’s a natural, uplifting smell that’s not overpowering unlike many similar shops that sell chemicallyscented products. Then there’s the bright array of soap colours to choose from. In

fact, part of the shop’s charm is that all the products are as beautiful to look at as they are delicious to smell.

Soup tulips

Owned by soap enthusiast Turid Nilsen, La Savonnerie is named after the French style of soap-making by which all the products are made. Turid uses only natural plant oils (palm and jojoba) to create over 50 fragrant varieties, and makes all the soap herself in the open area at the back of the shop. The scented flavours range from standard shea butter to the more unusual ones such as raspberry and peppermint – which are unsurprisingly packaged in vibrant, bright colours. The twee attention to detail in the shop is remarkable, and it’s the smaller products that often catch the eye (and nose). The tiny ‘soap tulips’ look and smell close to the real deal, and make for a great gift for tourists to take home to loved ones.

High standards

Having worked at the shop for over seven years, Martina Visser says one of the best

parts about her job is the sheer diversity of customers she meets. ‘Tourists from all over the world come to have personal soaps made for them,’ she says. ‘It’s actually surprising how well known such a small shop has become. We are particularly popular with Japanese tourists who tend to be fond of our smaller, kitschy designs.’ In addition to learning La Savonnerie’s traditional soap-making techniques, Martina also accompanies Turid on trips to various product fairs in a bid to find new scents, colours and styles of soap all over Europe. ‘We have become experts now and tend to know straight away whether we like a product or not,’ she says. ‘We went to a fair in France recently, took one sniff, and walked out the door! I think we have become extra fussy because our standards have risen.’

La Savonnerie Prinsengracht 294 +31 (0)20 4280323

THE AMBASSADOR

Amsterdam

magazine

FEATURED

A WINDOW ON THE WORLD Want to broaden your horizons? Be sure to visit IDFA from 16-27 November. It's the biggest documentary festival in the world, offering the very best in non-fiction film. BY: MIKE PEEK

he International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) opens its 24th edition with The Ambassador by Danish satirist/filmmaker Mads Brügger. If you think of documentaries just as ﬂyon-the-wall accounts of reality, think again. In his new film Brügger poses as an international diplomat and travels to the Central African Republic to become an ambassador for Liberia. His official mission is to start a factory and create jobs for the local community. What he really wants however, is a piece of the lucrative diamond trade. Using hidden cameras, Brügger infiltrates a world of corruption and shows how westerners play an important (and often dubious) role in Africa’s power structure.

ARE NOT

DOCUMENTARY

FILMMAKERS

JOURNALISTS THEY ARE ARTISTS

Brügger not only went undercover, but actually created reality by participating in the local hustle and bustle. That’s not what a ‘good’ journalist would do. But documentary filmmakers, IDFA stresses, are not journalists. They are artists. What is a documentary? A classic definition comes from film historians David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson: ‘A documentary film purports to present factual information about the world

Amsterdam

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A DOCUMENTARY FACTORY IDFA is not just a showcase festival; it’s also the most important industry platform for discussing documentaries and a breeding ground for new talent. IDFA academy offers aspiring directors a three-day training program to develop their skills, while slightly more advanced �ilm makers can participate in the IDFA-Mediafonds Workshop. This seven month course ahead of the festival teaches them how to turn an idea into a practical plan of approach. The best candidates get funding to actually make their �ilms, which will be shown at a later edition of IDFA. Other sections, like FORUM and Docs for Sale, are aimed at bringing creatives and �inanciers together. You could say IDFA is a documentary factory, covering the whole process from early idea to �inished �ilm. Several awards are given out to the best documentaries each year. IDFA takes places on and around Rembrandtplein. Check idfa.nl for the festival program and more information.

FEATURED

MEET THE FOKKENS Martine and Louise Fokkens spent more than 40 years in Amsterdamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Red Light District. They worked as prostitutes, ran their own brothel and eventually set up an informal union for ladies of the night. Meet the Fokkens tells their life stories.

outside the film.’ Note that, according to Bordwell and Thompson, a documentary does not need to be an objective report. It can’t be. Any director has to make basic choices: what do I show and what do I leave out? Those choices alone are a form of manipulation.

DIRECTOR’S

CHOICE: WHAT TO SHOW AND WHAT TO LEAVE OUT? Some take it much further though. Remember Bowling for Columbine? Michael Moore employed animation in his film to show the relation between US history and gun ownership. This cartoon segment ridiculed loose gun laws and thus helped Moore sell his point to viewers. Although very unconventional, he still ‘purported to present factual information’.

IDFA IDFA mostly shows documentaries (both feature-length and shorts) in which its creator interprets reality from his or her own perspective. Take last year’s festival hit Into Eternity, for example. Finland is currently building an underground facility to safely store its nuclear waste for the next 100,000 (!) years. That fact moved Michael Madsen to make a documentary heavily reliant on atmosphere and philosophical questions about the effect of our actions on future civilisations. Madsen uses refined camera movement and sound design, two style elements usually associated with fiction films, to tell a very urgent, yet personal story. In other words, IDFA documentaries may be windows on the world, but the director’s description of the view from a particular window is more important than the view itself. 

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FEATURED

YOU BETCHA! In Sarah Palin – You Betcha! director Nick Broomfeld heads for Alaska to �ind out who that crazy politician lady really is. He speaks with relatives, friends and random locals. The outcome? Well, let’s just say even Alaskans have their doubts about a potential Palin presidency...

PARADISO MON AMOUR Paradiso Mon Amour portrays Amsterdam’s most iconic music venue through exclusive archive footage and interviews with both artists and visitors. What makes Paradiso so special? What do musicians hope and fear for when they climb the stage?

BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest is an emotional portrait of A Tribe Called Quest, one of the most in�luential hip-hop bands of all time. This documentary is part of the (new) IDFA Music Competition. The band will perform live at De Melkweg on November 18.

PHOTO: JAMES CHUTTER

MATERIAL GIRL CHANNEL MADONNA WITH THIS COLLECTION OF BLACK-ON-BLACK HOSIERY, SEXY SLIPS AND SKIN-REVEALING ENSEMBLES

PHOTOGRAPY: SE’LA (SELAHOLKESON.ORG) PRODUCTION: TOMMY HAGEN

ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHER: SIMONE HOANG STYLING: INGE DE LANGE MAKE-UP: SEVERINE VAN DONKELAAR FOR MAC @HOUSE OF ORANGE HAIR: TOMMY HAGEN @HOUSE OF ORANGE MODEL: ANOUK SANDERS @DE BOEKERS

SPECIAL THANKS TO: JEROEN LEEUWENS @SAVILLS

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FASHION

TOP: WOLFORD STOCKINGS: EMILIO CAVALLINI FIRENZE

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Top : Guinea Pig Galore

TOP: GUINEA PIG GALORE

TOP: GUINEA PIG GALORE JEANS: ONE TEA SPOON STOCKINGS: EMILIO CAVALLINI FIRENZE PUMPS: TOPSHOP

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BODY: VALISERE PANTS: JAN BOELO

TOP: VERA MONT SKIRT: MONKI BRA: MARLIES DEKKERS PUMPS: TOPSHOP

SINTERKLAAS LATER THIS MONTH YOU MAY RUN INTO AN OLD GUY WEARING A WHITE BEARD, CRUISING AROUND AMSTERDAM ON HIS HORSE. DON’T PANIC. IT’S ONLY SINTERKLAAS. THIS IS THE UNLIKELY STORY OF AN ANCIENT TURKISH BISHOP WHO BECAME A DUTCH SUPERHERO. BY: MIKE PEEK

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FEATURED

The year was 1989. Sinterklaas and his helpers (‘Zwarte Pieten’ or Black Peters) just brought me a sack full of awesome toys, like they always did on December 5. But as I unwrapped the Nintendo video game Duck Hunt and showed it to my father, I saw him exchanging looks with my mum. He scratched his throat. ‘Mikey, there is something we have to tell you. Sinterklaas... he, well, he doesn’t exist. We bought you those toys. We have always bought you those toys.’ I didn’t believe it at first. How could there NOT be a rich guy who lives in Spain and travels to the Netherlands by steamboat every year to give children their well-deserved presents? I had seen him with my own eyes! But Sinterklaas was an actor. And that Zwarte Piet who always pounded on our front door when he delivered my toys, but never showed his face? Turns out it was our neighbour. My parents had lied to me. It took me a few years to see the beauty of that lie. THE MAN. THE MYTH. THE LEGEND My father failed to mention that ‘Sint-Nicolaas’ (Saint Nicholas) had once been a very real person. A bishop in fact, born around 280AD in the village of Myra, Turkey; then part of the Roman Empire. A young religion called Christianity spread through the region and Nicolaas became one of its most loyal messengers. He soon built a reputation for himself as a miracle-worker who could allegedly be in many places at the same time. One of the legends surrounding Nicolaas tells of a man unable to afford a dowry for his three daughters. No dowry meant no marriage in those days and the sisters seemed destined to become prostitutes. When

the bishop heard of this looming catastrophe, he sneaked into their house at night and left enough money to ensure no pimp would ever get to those girls. As Christianity conquered Europe, the stories of Nicolaas’ selfless behaviour made him a Saint. He was widely worshipped until the Reformation came along and protestants put a stop to veneration. In most countries the celebrations on Nicolaas’ dying day in December vanished or were greatly reduced. But the Dutch are cocky. We just kept at it even after the religious significance disappeared. Sinterklaas (his name evolved as he was no longer considered a Saint under protestant rule) became a children’s myth. If they behaved well, this mysterious figure would buy them presents.

Zwarte Pieten are not negroes The modern Sinterklaas celebrations started in 1850, when writer Jan Schenkman released a book called Sint-Nikolaas and his Servant. Schenkman added several elements to the story. The most important one: Zwarte Piet, the servant. Zwarte Pieten are black dudes dressed in exotic clothing. They help Sinterklaas deliver all the gifts. In my childhood Zwarte Piet also had a rod to whip naughty children with. If you behaved really bad, he would put you in his sack and take you back to Spain. These days he’s mostly a jolly fellow who hands out candy and does silly dances. I’ll get to the obvious racial implications of Zwarte Piet in a minute. First, let’s take a look at the festivities! g

SINTERFACTS OUTFIT: His out�it closely resembles a Bishop’s. From the red robe and signature miter to the elegant crook and white gloves: Sinterklaas is dressed to impress. CANDY: There’s a lot of special Sinterklaas candy, so popular supermarkets stock up as early as September. You can’t leave the country without trying some ‘kruidnoten’. MEDIA: Sinterklaas has his own news program on TV and plays the lead in no less than two feature �ilms that are released in cinemas this month.

FEATURED

REAL-LIFE FAIRYTALE The entry of Sinterklaas into the Netherlands is broadcast live on national television in mid-November. The script never changes: the steamboat with Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Pieten was supposed to arrive ten minutes ago, but it’s nowhere to be seen. The local mayor (he arrives in a different city each year) and the television host are very, very concerned he may not come at all. Then, out of nowhere, the boat shows up! Sinterklaas gets on his horse and children start singing classic Sint songs in celebration. Dozens of them, as popular now as the day they were written. And that’s just the start. Leading up to the big finale on December 5, there are other traditions like ‘Je schoentje zetten’. Children put one of their shoes near the fireplace before going to bed and add a drawing for Sinterklaas or a carrot for his horse. At night, the animal carries his owner over the rooftops and Zwarte Pieten climb down the chimney to deliver a small toy or candy. Trust me, it’s an incredible sensation for a four year old to wake up and see that your carrot has been replaced by chocolate. Sinterklaas is every kid’s superhero. Until that dreadful moment comes: you figure out he isn’t real. Or, if you’re a little slower like me, your parents have to break the news. It made sense in hindsight. All those presents for all those children would never fit in one steamboat. And how could Sinterklaas be in so many places simultaneously? By the way: we didn’t even have a fireplace. For seven years straight, I put my shoe near the central heating installation. How the hell was Zwarte Piet supposed to get in? The loss of faith in his existence doesn’t mean the end of Sinterklaas though. Lots of teenagers and adults get together with friends to have Sinterklaas parties. They buy gifts, wrap them in spectacular packages (so called ‘surprises’) and read poems to each other while handing them out. And when they have children of their own, the cycle starts again. Sinterklaas is a real-life fairytale, celebrating children’s ability to believe the unbelievable. ‘THAT’S RACIST!’ I know what you’re thinking. ‘A bunch of black dudes serving some holy white man? That’s racist!’ For your own safety, don’t try to convince us. Sinterklaas celebrations are sacred in the

Netherlands and any attempt to undermine that tradition will be explained as an attempt to undermine our entire culture. Which is already under attack from Islam and other foreign influences. So hush and listen. When Schenkman introduced Zwarte Piet in 1850, slavery was still common practice in Dutch colonies like Suriname and the Antilles. No one thought much of him at first. It wasn’t until the 1960s when the first immigrants were arriving in the Netherlands, that people started to voice their concerns. The debate intensified in the 1980s. Folks came up with well-intentioned, but often silly alternatives. Suddenly, some Pieten (almost always played by whites) were coloured blue instead of black. Unfortunately, that only freaked out the children. Remember, this was well before the movie Avatar, when the idea of blue people was still ridiculous.

This miracle-worker can allegedly be in many places at the same time To this day, the arguing continues. ‘Wait a minute’, Pieten proponents (around 96 per cent of all Dutchies) will say. ‘Zwarte Pieten are not Negroes. Their skin is black because of the soot. They have to crawl through chimneys all the time to deliver presents. Well, not really, but that’s the story we’re selling, right?’ Others are sure to object. ‘Fair enough, but how come Pieten are already black when they get here? Do they have practice-chimneys on the steamboat? And how about a nice hot shower once in a while?’ Obviously, most people here just don’t think of Zwarte Piet as a racist symbol. When they apply the make-up and put on their costumes, they’re out to have a good time and entertain the kids. There is no malevolence in it at all. But maybe, just maybe, it’s time to realise that, despite our good intentions, a black servant sends the wrong message to minorities in a multicultural society. SINTERKLAAS IN AMSTERDAM Can’t wait to meet Sinterklaas? You’re in luck because Amsterdam, like most sizeable cities, has its own parade to welcome him. On November 13, things kick off with a boat parade on the Amstel River at 10.45AM. Around 1PM, Sinterklaas mounts his horse for a street tour, accompanied by no less than 700 Zwarte Pieten. He makes a pit-stop at Dam Square and speeches at Leidse Square later in the afternoon. Three hundred thousand spectators typically cheer him on along the route. 

7XFREE WI-FI BY: Renata Harper

These places and spaces are the pick of the bunch, whether you need to update your Facebook status, catch up on emails or check in with the office (it happens, we know). Plus we’ve made sure you get to see some of the city’s highlights while you’re at it!

<wi-fi spot 1> CAFÉ THIJSSEN Brouwersgracht 107 Wrapped around the corner of Brouwersgracht and Lindengracht, this café is a charming introduction to the Jordaan area and quiet enough (in the mornings) to get really productive. The café is named after educator, author and socialist politician Theo Thijssen and on the little square outside you’ll find a statue of him. Take a seat at the window for a gorgeous view and better lighting. Hours: Mon–Thurs 8AM-1AM; Fri 8AM3AM; Sat 7.30AM–3AM; Sun 8AM-1AM. Cappuccino: €2.20 Plug points: Here and there Clear your head… and stretch your legs by walking the full length of the Brouwers – regularly voted the most beautiful canal in Amsterdam.

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<wi-fi spot2> BAGELS & BEANS Keizersgracht 504 Perched on Amsterdam’s widest canal, this café is unique to the coffee chain in that it’s housed in a typical 17th-century house. Plonk yourself at the communal table or secure a spot at the window overlooking the canal (or on the terrace if it’s dry outside). Just round the corner you’ll find the tourist and nightlife hotspot, Leidseplein. Hours: Mon–Fri 9AM-5.30PM; Sun–Sat 10AM-6PM Cappuccino: €2.70 (small) Plug points: Charge up beforehand If you’re lucky… you may see revellers or boatsmen ordering their bagels from the water!

<wi-fi spot 3> RESTAURANT-CAFÉ IN DE WAAG Nieuwmarkt 4 Not far from the Gelderskade, Zeedijk (better known as the city’s Chinatown) and the Red Light District, this building is something of a historical treat. Inside you’ll find an impressive space with massive candlelit chandeliers, as well as the Theatrum Anatonicum – the location of the public dissection pictured in Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp (alas, to see the painting today, you’ll have to go to the Mauritshuis in the Hague). The terrace looks out onto the Nieuwmarkt square, where you’ll find an organic market on Saturdays and a flea market on Sundays. Hours: Mon–Sun 9AM-10.30PM Plug points: Limited Cappuccino: €2.45

SPOTS

<wi-fi spot 6> CAFÉ FLAMINGO Eerste Van der Helststraat 37 Café Flamingo looks out onto the Albert Cuyp market, the Netherland’s longest street market and by far Amsterdam’s most famous. The vibe of this bar-café is typically De Pijp: eclectic and relaxed. Sit on the mezzanine to enjoy the non-stop energy of the market without being distracted by it (and finish off with one of the local beers on tap, if you so wish). Hours: Sun–Thurs 10AM-1AM; Fri–Sat 10AM-3AM Cappuccino: €2.20 Plug points: Here and there There’s not a plastic flamingo in sight. According to staff, owner Robert Ros chose the name to fit into the otherwise coincidental theme that has arisen in the area: nearby you’ll find Het Paardje (The Horse), Pilsvogel (The Beer Bird) and de Groene Vlinder (The Green Butterfly).

<wi-fi spot 4> CAFÉ DAUPHINE Prins Bernhardplein 175 In the heart of the business district is this café-restaurant, where you’ll find many a business meeting going on throughout the day… and into the evening. The large, sweeping salon – a mix of functional and stylish design – allows for both company and privacy. Hours: Mon–Fri 9AM-1AM; Weekends: 11AM-11PM Plug points: More than enough Cappuccino: €2.60 Expect a more formal working environment and clientele during the week as well as some chilled-out locals and tourists on the terrace when the sun’s out.

<wi-fi spot 5> FRIDAY NEXT Overtoom 31 This high-quality interior, fashion and design store, complete with café and trained baristas, is both inspired and inspiring. It’s perfect for anyone looking for a more intimate setting and big creative inspiration. Check out one of their regular in-house exhibitions (see fridaynext. nl) and then let the creativity begin… Hours: Mon–Fri 9AM-6PM; Sat 10AM5PM; Sun 12PM-5PM Cappuccino: €2.50 Plug points: Just enough…

<wi-fi spot 7> HET CONCERTGEBOUW CAFÉ Concertgebouw (Amsterdam Zuid) Round the corner from Museumplein – but without the crowds – this café is a fairly recent addition to the famous concert hall, which first opened its magnificent doors in 1888. Brunches and lunches are hearty but fresh and there’s also the option to do some wine tasting. Avoid early evening (unless you’re seeing a show), as the place becomes packed with theatregoers. Hours: Mon–Sun 8AM-11.30PM Cappuccino: €2.20 Plug points: Come with battery charged Bonus! Catch a free 30-minute concert every Wednesday at 12.30PM. For show details, see concertgebouw.nl.

Het Scheepvaartmuseum (THE MARTIME MUSEUM) RECENTLY RE-OPENED AFTER A FOUR YEAR RENOVATION, HET SCHEEPVAARTMUSEUM IS THE SECOND LARGEST MARITIME MUSEUM IN THE WORLD, AND UNDOUBTEDLY THE MOST FUN.

By Allison Guy Rising out of the Amsterdam bay like a grand country estate, this formal naval storehouse is now devoted to 500 years of Dutch ships, shipping and outsmarting the sea. SEXTANT APPEAL Though landlubbers might dismiss a museum stuffed with sextants, don’t be fooled. The rooms devoted to navigation and globes are filled with enough touchscreens and gadgets to put an Apple

Saskia Janssen Netherlands

Amsterdam

The middle – the roof – is great, especially for pictures. There’s so much light in this museum. It’s beautiful with all the stars and the zodiac signs in the instrument room. I particularly like the architecture of the building and the views outside. €15, for so much to see, I would pay it. I can understand it seeming like a lot of money, but I think it’s worth it.

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store to shame. After strolling through four centuries of nautical paintings, take a load off in The Photo Albums. It features fascinating reproductions of personal albums from the early days of onboard photography, and dangerously comfy chairs that narrate the photos via hidden speakers. Looking for some context for these ancient nautical artefacts? Past the vast interior courtyard lies the Amsterdam, a (nearly) exact replica of a gigantic 1749 Dutch East India Company (VOC) ship that’s moored on the museum’s own

It’s like Little Mermaid on acid

Guido and Joris Müller Netherlands

I think the museum is very nicely done. For a little guy like Joris, it’s a bit too complicated, but for my boy of ten, it will be okay. Overall it’s a very nice place to visit, especially on a Monday. [Joris,as translated by his dad] The whale was my favourite. The hunters who were getting the whale were very impressive. I liked the pirates. Meet Me in the Golden Age was not my favourite.

dock. Stoop through the captain’s quarters, hold your nose at the imagined stink of 300 unwashed sailors and marvel at how the cook managed to make food for all of them in a space no bigger than the average shower stall. Though life aboard a merchant vessel was more a walk off the plank than a walk in the park, Meet Me in the Golden Age shows that it did have its benefits. Aimed at teens, it’s a great introduction to Holland’s most opulent era, populated by ‘paintings’ straight out of Harry Potter. Styled after Vermeer’s works, these projections feature characters like a newly minted VOC captain and an English ambassador who sniffs at his rough surroundings: ‘There was never a country that traded so much and consumed so little!’

Silvia Corchero Spain

It’s very nice here. The most interesting thing is the globes and the ships in the other room. The whales were also very nice, it was interesting to see how they were hunted. I liked the simulation where you could walk inside the whale. I have the I amsterdam card, so the price was reasonable.

REVIEWED

JONAH AND THE PLASTIC WHALE Younger kids are well catered for at the museum, and with Sal & Lori and Circus at Sea, they get the Little Mermaid on acid. The psychedelic play space is illuminated by black lights, strewn with plush neon fish, and strung with day-glo corals. Downstairs another kid’s exhibit, The Tale of the Whale, charts the transformation of whales from food to friend, and features an enormous plastic example complete with squishy tongue. At times the museum’s playful spirit can tip over into the surreal. The timed-ticket Voyage at Sea is a mashup of time periods, narratives, and some creepy gas mask jellyfish. Though adults were perplexed at this Dadaist journey, their kids went gaga for the bombast and bright lights. ANCHORS AWAY (FOR A DAY) Golden Age on the outside, Information Age on the inside, Het Scheepvaartmusuem restores a sense of wonder to parts of history that normally make landlubbers head for higher ground. Even if the educational components can feel submerged by the curator’s tricks, there’s no denying its whiz-bang entertainment value for all ages and interest levels. Like Holland’s drive to conquer the sea, the Maritime Museum is as big and bold as it gets. I staggered out after five hours, wondering if I would ever find my land legs again. Het Scheepvaartmuseum (The Maritime Museum) Kattenburgerplein 1 hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl

VALUE FOR MONEY: 4/5 ENTRANCE: €15 for adults. €7.50 for children 5-17, for adults 65 and over, and for the Stadspas, CJP and CKV. Free for children under 4, and for the I amsterdam card, the Museumkaart, and the Rembrandt Society. The courtyard, restaurant and library do not require admission. COMMENTS: A massive museum in every sense of the word, Het Scheepvaartmuseum covers 500 years of Dutch maritime history. No expense and no special effect has been spared in its remodelling. The exhibits are gorgeously lit and filled with interactive components. Highlights include See You in the Golden Age, the Amsterdam, a massive re-creation of a VOC ship, and the huge interior courtyard, covered with a canopy of glass and steel. Unless you’re a part-time pirate, some of the objects on display might not be the most scintillating, but the presentation more than makes up for it. There is a gift ship with a large section for

children, and bright restaurant that looks out on the Amsterdam harbour. The library, one of the most extensive nautical collections in the world, is open to all visitors. ENGLISH FRIENDLY: All exhibits are dual-language. Voyage at Sea and Sal & Lori are in Dutch, but they’re light on dialogue. CHILD-FRIENDLY: Two exhibits, Sal & Lori and The Tale of the Whale are geared towards young children, while See You in the Golden Age and is for older kids. Even the non-kid bits have enough special effects and interactive components to keep the preteen set engaged. WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY: The museum is completely accessible, and the VOC ship is partially accessible. Wheelchairs are available upon request. MUSEUM HOURS: Open seven days a week, from 9AM to 5PM. Closed on December 25, January 1, and April 30.

REPORTAGE

KNOCK KNOCK THIS IS HOW AMSTERDAM LIVES

AFRAID OF DARK, SMALL SPACES? THEN IT MIGHT BE WISE TO STAY FAR FROM EDGAR’S APARTMENT. AMSTERDAM MAGAZINE DARES TO ENTER HIS BLACK MINI MANSION. BY: MARIEKE VERHOEVEN | PHOTOGRAPHY: SARAH MOORE

he steep and narrow stairs that lead to Edgar’s apartment on the Czaar Peterstraat are the first indication that this might not be the biggest house in town. But no one would suspect what’s behind the top floor door, covered with pictures of half-naked women. For one: everything is pitch black, except for one off-white coloured wall. The second thing that strikes you is the use of space. The 30-square-metre apartment lacks furniture, but instead features a raised sitting area in the front, a swing made out of black karate belts in the back and a partly open ceiling that leads to a tiny office space and bedroom. How on earth did this place come about? >

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‘I THOUGHT: “OH MY GOD, HOW CAN I EVER LIVE IN THIS HOUSE?”’

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL Well, it started with Edgar, 34, moving in about eight years ago, after finishing his degree in architecture. ‘The first thing I did was sit down on the floor and critically look at the space. What could I do to make it bigger? I didn’t have a lot of money back then, so I just started working with cardboard, tape and rubber.’ To make the space optically bigger, Edgar lined out the floor diagonally. Another radical decision he made was to break through the ceiling into the two-level attic. The first level now features a small workspace, the top level serves as the bedroom. ‘There are two ways to get up there,’ Edgar explains. ‘I always pull myself up on one of the wooden beams. But you can also use the tunnel.’ This secret tunnel starts from the middle of the room and leads all the way up to the bedroom. It’s just

big enough for a person of average height and weight to fit into and instead of steps features handlebars. Edgar’s girlfriend Pascale jokes about the lack of light. ‘There used to be light at the end of the tunnel, but now it’s broken.’

COSY BLACK It definitely took Pascale some time getting used to the place when she moved in about four years ago. ‘I thought: “Oh my God, how can I ever live in this house?” I hate black, my old apartment was in retro style, with lots of brown and red. But somehow I got used to it.’ So the big question is: where does this fascination with black come from? ‘It’s not so much the colour itself that I like,’ Edgar says. ‘It’s more what black does. I love the contrast with the white wall. And artificial lighting comes out beauti-

‘THERE USED TO BE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, BUT NOW IT’S BROKEN.’ fully when you use black.’ When asked if a black house isn’t a tiny bit depressing, Edgar acts surprised. ‘Not at all! Look at the leaded light and the round windows in the front, that’s really cosy.’ Pascale bursts into laughter. ‘Well, I don’t know if anybody would ever describe this place as cosy, Edgar!’ As for guests, they just have to get over a few things, like the see-through window in the bathroom and lack of furniture. But some visitors have found their own solutions. Edgar: ‘My parents hate the fact that I don’t have a couch. So they always bring their own folding chairs.’ Since the whole street is undergoing renovation, Edgar and Pascale will be forced to leave their customised apartment soon. ‘I will have to bring it all back into its original state,’ Edgar sighs. ‘That will be quite a task...’

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DEDICATED PORTRAITS BY MARIE CÉCILE THIJS

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EXPO

DUTCH PHOTOGRAPHER MARIE CÉCILE THIJS USED TO BE A LAWYER BEFORE SHE DECIDED TO BECOME A PHOTOGRAPHER. GOOD NEWS FOR US!

DEDICATED PRESENTS AN OVERVIEW OF HER WORK.

GALLERY EDUARD PLANTING 22 October – 17 December 2011 Open: Wednesday to Saturday: 1–6PM Eerste Bloemdwarsstraat 2 +31 (0)20 3206705 www.eduardplanting.com This gallery will also participate in the Amsterdam Art Fair PAN (RAI, hall 8) from November 20 to November 27

BOY WITH WHITE COLLAR AT TABLE

GIRL WITH WHITE COLLAR AT TABLE

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EXPO

CAT WITH WHITE COLLAR I

ANGEL BOY DOG (SERIE HUMAN ANGELS)

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REPORTAGE

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

FABIO TIRITICCO, 30

‘MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A FLAMBOYANT RED MUSCLE CAR FROM THE 1970S!’ 2007, Fabio Tiriticco has grown extremely fond of his bike and is not ashamed to admit it. Having just returned from a six month tour around the world, Fabio even claims that the one thing he missed most was his beloved bicycle. ‘I missed my bike a lot when I was on holiday,’ says Fabio. ‘I work as a software engineer in Amsterdam and my morning and afternoon rides have grown essential to my well-being and lifestyle.’

t’s not uncommon to become a little attached to your bicycle in Amsterdam. Joined at the crotch at all hours of the day, Amsterdammers ride to work, through parks and over canals with their trusty twowheeled companion. One could even say that most people spend as much time with their bike as they do with loved ones. All things considered, surely it’s only natural that a bond is formed! EASY ROUTES Since moving to Amsterdam from Rome in

One of the most appealing things about Amsterdam for Fabio is that everything is within reach by bike. It’s an aspect of the city that contrasts greatly with his hometown. ‘In Rome, it’s hard to make the most of the cultural opportunities simply because everything is too far and public transport is not good,’ says Fabio. ‘But in Amsterdam every location is thought out with cyclists in mind, making it really easy to get around’. NAKED RIDE Fabio’s fondness for his bike is perhaps the result of his participation in Amsterdam’s ‘Naked Bike Ride’ in 2010. Organised to raise awareness about the effects of exhaust fumes on the environment, the bike ride aims to promote cycling by inviting participants to race

THE NAKED BIKE RIDE CREATED A FUNNY BOND BETWEEN ME AND MY BIKE

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‘LET’S GO FOR TARANTINO’S MOVIE DEATH PROOF’

around the city wearing… nothing at all! ‘The atmosphere was really fun and almost liberating,’ says Fabio. ‘And I must say that the event does actually create a funny bond between you and your bike, whose mechanical nudity is never hidden anyway!’ Given Fabio’s feelings towards his two-wheeled companion, Amsterdam Magazine decided to give his bike the full pimpin’ treatment. When asked if he would like a particular theme, Fabio opts for a blend of flamboyance and masculinity. ‘My bike has cruiser-like handlebars that give it a road-ruling attitude,’ says Fabio. ‘So I’d like to showcase that even more and go with the theme of a flamboyant red muscle car from the 70s!’ ARTISTIC INFLUENCE This month’s artist, Jovana Tokic, is originally from Serbia and moved to Amsterdam last year to complete a Masters course at the prestigious Film Academy. While Jovana hopes to continue working in film, her artistic background is extremely varied having worked on widely differing projects. She continues to work on graphic design projects, illustrations and 2D animations.

Jovana finds inspiration for her work in everyday occurrences, but feels it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what influences her decisions in the artistic process. ‘Everything I see, hear, feel, read, touch and do probably manifests itself in my work,’ she says. ‘Someone once said: “Making art is a decision making process”, and I think we can’t ever be fully aware of what actually influences our decisions. Our brains are collecting huge amounts of information every second and making art could be just sorting through the pile.’ RETRO-NON-RETRO Upon hearing about Fabio’s idea for a muscle car-themed bike, Jovana is delighted and unsurprisingly looks to the film world to generate some ideas. ‘The first thing that crossed my mind was Tarantino’s movie Death Proof,’ says Jovana. ‘Not only because of the muscle cars, but also that nice atmosphere that combines the spirit of 1970s and the current time. We could call it retro-non-retro.’ With the help of her friend Duki (an expert on bike mechanics), Jovana first takes Fabio’s bike apart and sprays the frame with a gleam-

ing red base coat. After a short drying process, she then begins to intricately hand draw graffiti-style designs and patterns on selected areas. She then adds a few mean, yet stylish ‘muscle car’ accessories including two rear-view mirrors that fit perfectly with the bike’s wide, cruiser handlebars. ITALIAN MUSCLE When Fabio comes to collect his newly pimped bike, he beams with delight and is keen to ask Jovana all about the process. ‘I really love the way it has turned out,’ he smiles. After considering the paint job for a little longer, Fabio notices something that makes him even happier. ‘I think there has been a lucky, but accidental colour combination,’ laughs Fabio. ‘The colour of the frame is red and green with added white stripes in some places… it’s my country’s flag!’ Happy with his new Italian ‘muscle car’ machine, he rides off for more adventures with his beloved bicycle.

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

REVIEWED

amserdam eats

Uncle Wong In pursuit of culinary delights beyond bitterballen and frites, our expat food visits Uncle Wong: De Pijp’s happening Chinese joint. BY: HUNGRY IN HOLLAND

hen it comes to Chinese cuisine, diners mostly head towards Zeedijk, Amsterdam’s (tiny) Chinatown for a range of affordable pan-Asian restaurants in one convenient spot. Many tourists aren’t aware there are other neighbourhoods popular for ethnic cuisine. Once a working class area in Amsterdam, De Pijp has gradually morphed into a melting pot of interesting bars, cafes and restaurants and the clientele who frequent them. Sandwiched fittingly between a plethora of Indonesian, Surinamese and Indian eateries is Uncle Wong. LUCKY DUCK With wide, modern red booths and high ceilings, entering Uncle Wong transports you away from historical Amsterdam and into another era. Having dreamt of duck all day, I immediately order the Hoisin Duck wraps. To my surprise, this little appetiser was the highlight of the night. The crispy duck skin and tender meat wrapped in delicate pancakes and of course the special hoisin sauce is the perfect combination. The vegetable spring rolls were just passable, out-shined by the star appetiser of the evening.

Final Score

7.9

Cuisine: Chinese Neighbourhood: De Pijp Atmosphere: Casual Price pp: €15 to €25 Open: Tues-Sat 12PM-10PM, Sun 2:30PM-10PM, Mon closed Public transport: Tram 3, 12, 16, 24 Credit cards accepted: Yes Wheelchair access: Yes

The only real disappointment came when I was handed the menu. Prepping my appetite beforehand, I had scoured their offerings on-

With generously portioned dishes between eight to 12 euros, the price to quality ratio is excellent line and my stomach was resolutely set on the noodle soup with peking duck and vegetables, one of my favourite Chinese dishes. The soup was nowhere to be found on the restaurant version of the menu. Fortunately my other love, Mapo Tofu, a spicy minced meat with tofu, was on offer to distract me from my loss. The silky tofu and minced beef was a great mix with just the right amount of spice. The Chinese curry chicken was a nice accompaniment to the tofu. It was a tad on the sweet side, but still offered big satisfying chunks of chicken simmering in a creamy curry base.

RED BEAN, SESAME, OR BOTH After holding up the waiter with my indecision over the sesame and red bean ice cream, I finally chose to share a bowl of sesame. The waiter promptly returned with a pleasant surprise - two smaller scoops, one of each flavour. Thoughtful, friendly and attentive service like this is exactly what’s needed in Amsterdam dining. With generously portioned dishes averaging between eight to 12 euros, the price to quality ratio is excellent. Next time I’ll head straight for the Peking duck and try the fried squid. It’ll probably be sooner rather than later.

WHAT OTHERS SAID: Iens.nl: “Even the tea was wonderful” -Proever81867

Albert Cuypstraat 66 +31 (0)20 6790606 unclewong.nl

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.

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!

A Ajax Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax, also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax (after the legendary Greek hero), is a professional football club from Amsterdam. They won the 2010-2011 Dutch Eredivisie cup, one of the most important leagues in the Netherlands.

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 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!

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.

Cheese 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!

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

Boerenkool [see Stamppot for more info]

C Canals Amsterdam is sometimes referred to as ‘Venice of the North’. One hundred kilometres

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

Bitterballen

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 that 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 done to prevent the country

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, deepfried and often eaten in a bun

DUTCH A-Z 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.

(broodje frikandel) or at least with a mixture of sauces. A frikandel speciaal is quite a popular variant; chopped onions, mayonnaise and ketchup (or curry sauce) are 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.

I Ice skating

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 boterham (toast) with hagelslag.

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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 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 and find some Hollandse Nieuwe catch between May and July; this is the best type of herring.

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].

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

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

Kibbeling

If you’ve never heard of Heineken, you must have been living under a rock. This brand of beer is world famous and originated in 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 be quite hard, because most

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

K Kaaskop

Heineken

word ‘lekkerbek’ can also imply a person who really appreciates food.

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.

L Lekkerbek Lekkerbek is deep fried cod and literally means ‘tasty beak’. The taste is quite similar to kibbeling [see Kibbeling for more info]. The

Nieuwjaarsduik (New Year’s Dive)

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

P Pannekoeken (Pancakes)

These Dutch pancakes are slightly different than 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 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.

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].

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]

V VOC

(Dutch East India Company) 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.

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

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.

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 Water management 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.

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 1,200 windmills that still survive today. The largest collection of windmills are located at Kinderdijk in

(Black Pete)

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.

CAPTURED By: Betribes

ACE OF KINGS THE SAND, AMSTERDAM

OCTOBER 22 > Organisation: Ace Agency

Photos: Martijn Klijmij

A selection of the finest Dutch DJs

PARTY PICS

DAVID GUETTA The number one DJ!

THE SAND, AMSTERDAM

< OCTOBER 21

Photos:Nelson Peterson

Organisation: David Guetta

SUNNERY JAMES & RYAN MARCIANO @ADE

Rising stars Sunnery and Ryan filled the Passenger Terminal with thousands of fans PASSENGER TERMINAL

OCTOBER 22 > Photos: Nelson Peterson

Organisation: Alda Events

Betribes is the biggest party website in the Netherlands. You can ďŹ nd a lot of free tickets, an up to date party calendar and the latest news. Check betribes.com for more info.

BY: NICOLA BOZZI

/NOVEMBERGIGS TUESDAY 1

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL AMSTERDAM Did you know that Amsterdam hosts the largest documentary film festival in the world? Having reached its 24th edition, the IDFA places a strong emphasis on creative documentaries, which showcase a filmmaker’s viewpoint in an innovative, cinematic way. It is set to take over the city centre for almost two weeks, with screenings, workshops and other fun surprises. The festival features an astounding 327 titles, 88 of which will premiere at the festival. Many of these will compete in ten award categories, including the highly coveted VPRO Award for Best FeatureLength Documentary. Among this year’s big contenders, When: November 16-27 keep an eye out for Danish Where: various locations satirist Mads Brugger’s The Admission: varies according to category and venue Ambassador, a tragic-comic idfa.nl look into the complicated world of African diplomacy.

Saul Williams, Bitterzoet This American writer, actor and musician, famous for his successful blend of poetry and alternative hip hop, is touring his most recent album, Volcanic Sunglight (2011). 8PM, €15

Wicked Jazz Sounds Club Night, Sugar Factory End your week in style with an exciting mash-up of DJ sets and live performances that cover jazz, funk, soul, hip hop and much more. Every Sunday. 11PM, €9.50

WEDNESDAY 2

MONDAY 7

Zucchero, Heineken Music Hall Throughout his 17-album career, this Italian icon has sung with just about anyone who’s anyone, from Eric Clapton to Luciano Pavarotti. Go boogie to his raw blues and gospel-inspired soft rock. 8PM, €45

Wild Beasts, Melkweg (Oude Zaal) An adventurous English quartet whose second album, Two Dancers (2010), was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize. Be transported by the dreamy piano sequences and subtle drumbeats to the land of perfect dream pop. Support from Dutch Uncles. 8.30PM, €14 + membership

Miles Kane, Melkweg (The Max) Known as the ex-frontman of The Rascals, he has also collaborated with Arctic Monkey’s Alex Turner on The Last Shadow Puppets project. His critically acclaimed debut, Colour of the Stairs, nods to British 1960s pop without losing his contemporary appeal. 9.30PM, €15 + membership

THURSDAY 3

TUESDAY 8

AMS Mofo’s, Pacific Parc Pure, simple, rough-around-the-edges rock’n’roll from this local band. 11PM, free

Smashing Pumpkins, Heineken Music Hall This is a legendary alternative rock band that’s no stranger to internal turmoil and messy break-ups. All its founding members, save for frontman Billy Corgan, have left the group. Expect a mix of old tunes and a sneak peek into the new formula’s future LP, Oceania. 8PM, €48.40

Thursday Tunes Jam, CC Muziekcafé This pretty much does what it says on the tin, with some pop, rock and blues jammin’. 8PM, free.

FRIDAY 4 God Is An Astronaut, Bitterzoet Electronic landscapes populated with guitar walls of sound. That’s where these poetic Irish post-rockers are trying to take you, Greek Music Night, CC Muziekcafé You can’t break plates at this cozy De Pijp live music outpost, but you can sure make Zorba jealous with your epic dancing skills. Opa! 8PM, €3

SATURDAY 5

AMSTERDAM FILM WEEK f you’ve missed this year’s Oscar faves, fear not, because the first edition of Amsterdam Film Week brings them all back. In addition to award-winning movies, such as Persian masterpiece A Separation and David Fincher’s thrilling account of the Facebook story, The Social Network, you can enjoy previews like the upcoming Hysteria, a cheeky Victorian era romantic comedy about the invention of When: November 1-6 the vibrator, or check out what Where: various locations indie flicks made waves at Admission: €10-€11 the most recent Tribeca Film amsterdamfilmweek.com Festival.

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Monday Match, Bimhuis Every first Monday of the month, unlikely mixes of dancers and musicians come together to improvise performances in front of a live audience, followed by an afterparty DJ-ed by Philippona. 8.30PM, free

Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth, Bimhuis This drummer, a modern jazz pioneer whose career spans no less than six decades during which he played with all the greats, takes to the stage accompanied by Jaleel Shaw (sax), Martin Bejerano (piano) and David Wong (bass). 8.30PM, €28

SUNDAY 6 Shantel & Bucovina Club Orkestar, Paradiso (Grote Zaal) The driving force behind the Bucovina Club Orkestar, Stefan Hantel (aka Shantel), is a German-born DJ and producer with Romanian roots. He’s taken the European scene by storm with his Balkan-inspired, electronica-tinged beat. Don your most colourful outfits and dance till it hurts. 8.30PM, €18.50

One Night Only, Paradiso (Kleine Zaal) Brit outfit whose smash hit, Just for Tonight, became an unofficial anthem for the 2008 European Football Championships. They’ve now graduated to their second album, which features trademark up-tempo, guitar-pop. 8PM, €15 + membership Karnatic Lab, Muziekcentrum de Badcuyp (Concert Zaal) Regular concert series devoted to elements taken from Karnatic music (aka classical music from South-India), such as advanced development of rhythm, microtonality and use of ornamentation. 8.30PM, free

WEDNESDAY 9 Kaiser Chiefs, Heineken Music Hall Hailing from Leeds, these indie rock superstars show no signs of slowing down on their high-octane live performances as they revisit the Dam to promote their latest album, The Future is Medieval. Needless to say, we predict a riot. 8PM, €34.00 Clannad, Melkweg (Rabozaal) A Grammy award-winning Irish band that always treads the line between folk, rock, traditional Celtic music and New Age vibes. Enya left this family affair to pursue a now legendary solo career, but her siblings and uncles are still going strong after four decades in the biz. 8.30PM, €42.50 + membership

EVENTS

THURSDAY 10 Little Dragons, Melkweg (The Max) Dreamy electro pop with a 1980s feel from this Swedish outfit. 10PM, €15 + membership Thursday Tunes Jam, CC Muziekcafé This pretty much does what it says on the tin, with some pop, rock and blues jammin’. 8PM, free.

FRIDAY 11 Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura, Bimhuis Critics laud this husband and wife Japanese duo as true originals of contemporary jazz. Don’t miss Satoko’s powerful piano improvisations and Natsuki’s adventurous trumpet playing. 8.30PM, €18

SATURDAY 12 Switchfoot, Melkweg (The Max) They may be one of Christian rock’s most prominent bands, but this San Diego quintet makes guitar-driven tunes with a universal appeal. 9PM, €20 + membership

SUNDAY 13 Chase & Status, Melkweg (The Max) These London lads return to Melkweg after a smashing gig last year and prove once more that drum & bass is still alive and kicking. Check out new songs from No More Idols, an album that has drawn some favourable comparisons with Pendulum and The Prodigy. 9.30PM, €18 + membership Wicked Jazz Sounds Club Night, Sugar Factory End your week in style with an exciting mash-up of DJ sets and live performances that cover jazz, funk, soul, hip hop and much more. Every Sunday. 11PM, €9.50

MONDAY 14 My Morning Jacket, Paradiso (Grote Zaal) Essentially a rock’n’roll band at heart, this quintet gives dedication a whole new meaning; they even performed a whopping four-hour set at Bonnaroo festival in 2008. The group’s latest effort was recorded in one of their hometown’s churches and aptly meditates on growing older and wiser. Support from The Head & The Heart. 7.30PM, €32.50 + membership Gabriel Iglesias, Melkweg (Rabozaal) Comedy Central brings this kind of adorable standup comedian to Europe for the first time. Prepare for some hilarious personal stories, voice parodies, sound effects and his famous catchphrase, ‘I’m not fat...I’m fluffy’. 8.30PM, €22.50 + membership

TUESDAY 15 Dave Holland and Pepe Habichuela Flamenco Quintet, Bimhuis If you ask Dave Holland (who has played bass with jazz great Miles Davis) and third-generation flamenco guitarist Pepe Habichuela if jazz and flamenco go together, they’d probably say ‘like peas in a pod’. 8.30PM, €32

Yelawolf, who’s working with Eminem on his first studio effort. 8PM, €35 Boyce Avenue, Melkweg (The Max) Florida brothers Alejandro, Fabian and Daniel closely followed YouTube’s slogan, and broadcasted themselves covering global superstars like Coldplay, Lady Gaga and The Killers in a stripped down fashion. Support from Tyler Ward. 8PM, €17.50 + membership

THURSDAY 17 The Wombats, Paradiso (Grote Zaal) Turn off your brain and let your feet do the thinking while this Liverpool group delivers some pure, sharp indie melodies. Support from Viva Brother. 7.30PM, €18 + membership Thursday Tunes Jam, CC Muziekcafé This pretty much does what it says on the tin, with some pop, rock and blues jammin’. 8PM, free.

FRIDAY 18 Oh Land, Bitterzoet Brooklyn-based Danish singer-songwriter with a knack for experimental electro pop and zany dance moves characteristic of many Scandinavian acts, but still original enough to set her apart. Support from The Good Natured. 8PM, €12 TV Buddhas, Pacific Parc Garage rock trio from Tel Aviv who found out the hard way that conquering the American music scene ain’t as easy as it seems. Luckily, they turned their misfortunes into Band in the Modern World, a documentary that shows them struggling in the empty clubs of remote towns. Who thought indie could be so lonely? 11PM, free

NEXT NATURE POWER SHOW What is Next Nature, you ask? It’s the nature caused by human culture. This initiative tries not only to design and build it, but also understand how we can live in it. After three successful editions, two of which took place in Germany and the US, this intellectual spectacle returns with 20 visions of ‘next nature’. Top of the bill is American Sci-Fi writer Bruce Sterling, dubbed ‘the sharpest observer of our media-choked culture’ by Time magazine. Allow yourself to be dazzled by live performances, physical experiences and some seriously wacky-yet-genius ideas, such as body architect Lucy McRae’s attempt to When: November 5, 7:30PM-10PM create a swallowWhere: Stadschouwburg able perfume that Admission:€20 (students) and €25 (normal) works through your nextnature.net own perspiration.

SATURDAY 19 Ben Saunders, Paradiso (Grote Zaal) This British-born, Hoorn-based tattoo artist absolutely nailed his 2011 Voice of Holland audition, eventually winning the show by a landslide. He may look tough, but he’s a big softie at heart, with a soulful voice to boot. Support from Lenny Keylard. 7.30PM, €19.50 + membership The Babies, OT301 Lo-fi, Velvet Underground-inspired act that features Cassie Simone, of Vivian Girls fame, and Woods bassist Kevin Morby. Support from local garage rockers Apneu. 8.30PM, €8

SUNDAY 20 Soweto Gospel Choir, Royal Theatre Carré Nelson Mandela’s favourite choir sold out last year’s performance in Carré and now they’re ready to conquer the hearts of Amsterdammers once again with their traditional and popular gospel. Expect perfect a cappella harmonies and a lively back-up band. 3PM, €15-€39 Wicked Jazz Sounds Club Night, Sugar Factory End your week in style with an exciting mash-up of DJ sets and live performances that cover jazz, funk, soul, hip hop and much more. Every Sunday. 11PM, €9.50

WEDNESDAY 16

MONDAY 21

Wiz Khalifa, Heineken Music Hall American rap sensation presents his debut album Rolling Papers, featuring the Billboard Hot 100 number 1 single, Black and Yellow. Support from

Neon Indian, People’s Place Indie synthpop project that founder and vocalist Alan Palomo started in the form of a song apology to his then girlfriend for missing a drugfest.

LONDON CALLING Twice a year, Paradiso tempts us with three days of new bands from the UK and US, many of which have yet to break into the Dutch market. To give you a taste of what to expect, in its 19 years of existence the festival has seen massive acts take the stage. Do Bloc Party, White Lies, Florence & the Machine and Franz Ferdinand ring any bells? Now it’s time for a new crop of British and American talent to knock your socks off. If you’ve never heard of Hard-Fi, for instance, do When: November 11-13 yourselves a favour Where: Paradiso (Nov 11 and 12) and De Balie (Nov 13) and go find out why Admission:€20 + membership they’ve been one (day ticket at Paradiso), €17.50 of England’s most (day ticket at De Balie), €35 + membership (passe-partout) beloved indie rock londoncalling.nl groups for the past six years.

EVENTS

/NOVEMBERGIGS Pitchfork obviously loved Should Have Taken Acid with You and the rest is hipster history. 8.30PM, €14

MUSEUMNACHT Nab this perfect chance to get your culture fix in a festive atmosphere, either cycling from event to event or hopping on and off buses and trams that you can ride for free thanks to your magical ticket. We suggest starting early with a few performances (like sonic architecture at Het Scheepvaartmuseum or light projections at Rembrandthuis), taking a break for some yummy food (how does tequila and tacos at the new Amsterdam Tattoo Museum sound?) and then raid the streets for some brainy party tunes from DJs and live bands alike. As many as 226 exciting activities await you, so you better sketch When: November 5, 7PM-2AM out a battle plan in Where: 45 Amsterdam museums advance - you can make Admission: €17.50 up your own schedule n8.nl online.

Electric Six, Melkweg (The Max) Don’t take this genre-blurring, Detroit-based group too seriously as lead singer Dick Valentine admitted that most of their rockdance-metal-funk-disco hybrid songs are about, well, nothing. We’d add: nothing but a good time. 7.30PM, €16.00

TUESDAY 22 Dosh, Paradiso (Kleine Zaal) Martin Luther King Chavez Dosh (nope, not kidding) understandably goes by his surname only and experiments with multiple instruments as a one-man band who oscillates between post-rock and indieelectro. 10PM, €10 + membership

WEDNESDAY 23 Meshell Ndegeocello, People’s Place Hailed as a major catalyst for the neo-soul movement, this American singer-songwriter can go from smooth to funky faster than you can say her adopted last name, which, by the way, means ‘free like a bird’ in Swahili. 8.30PM, €22.50 Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw & Antonio Ciacca, Bimhuis The orchestra will be interpreting the work of this Bologna-born, New York-based pianist and composer who arranges swing and bop in a contemporary, yet timeless fashion. 8.30PM, €20

THURSDAY 24

ROCKET CINEMA: ROBBERY VS. BUCHNER & D’ARLES Old movies with new music is the basic recipe for Rocket Cinema, now taking over Amsterdam’s iconic station. Robbery (1967), a classical train heist film from Peter Yates, features one of the most spectacular car chases in cinema history and, as of now, a brand new soundtrack courtesy of Amsterdam-based electronic band Buchner & d’Arles, which provides a cool contrast to the film’s English retro style. If you want to catch a glimpse of what you’re in for, do visit the Cuypershal of the Central Station (next to Hema), block out the noise with a When: November 19, 8.30PM pair of headphones and Where: Grand Café 1e Klas, immerse yourself in an Amsterdam Central Station abridged version of the (Platform 2B) The General with a new Admission: €15 soundtrack by musician rocketcinema.nl Pitto.

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Portugal. The Man, Bitterzoet Portland-based psychedelic rock outfit that has been around since 2004, launching six albums thus far. Their music sounds like MGMT and Yeasayer had a baby and raised it on Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. 8PM, €12.50 Thursday Tunes Jam, CC Muziekcafé This pretty much does what it says on the tin, with some pop, rock and blues jammin’. 8PM, free.

FRIDAY 25 The Kills, Paradiso (Grote Zaal) This rock duo of Allison Mosshart and Jamie Hince, also famous for being the hubby of supermodel Kate Moss, makes loud garage rock dripping with sexual tension and dark guitar riffs. The Good Ones, indeed. 8.30PM, €20

SATURDAY 26 Gabby Young and Other Animals, Podium Mozaiek Ride along on this theatrical rollercoaster, through a head-spinning mix of gypsy, folk, rock and jazz. Think burlesque, cabaret, Vaudeville and a fiery redhead who used to be an opera singer. 9PM, €13-€18 Six Million Dollar Men, Pacific Parc Amsterdam’s very own raw and rough rockers who, under the moniker of LAME, used to open for acts like TOOL, Beastie Boys and Henry Rollers. 11PM, free

SUNDAY 27 Wicked Jazz Sounds Club Night, Sugar Factory End your week in style with an exciting mash-up of DJ sets and live performances that cover jazz, funk, soul, hip hop and much more. Every Sunday. 11PM, €9.50

MONDAY 28 Il Volo, Royal Theatre Carré Basically Il Divo for the Justin Bieber generation. Three Italian tenors aged 16 and 17 have been breaking both Italian and American teen hearts, as they’ve become the first act from the peninsula to sign with Geffen Records. Expect classics like O Sole Mio. 8PM, €55-€61

TUESDAY 29 M83, Melkweg (Oude Zaal) Own the sky with Antonio Gonzalez, the brain behind this 80s pop and Krautrockinfluenced project. Electronica doesn’t get more cinematic or epic than this. 8.30PM, €15 + membership Fleet Foxes, Heineken Music Hall Indie folk heroes who have made it big after the debut album ended up on all major ‘best of the year’ lists. Heavily influenced by the 60s and 70s, they liberally mix folk, rock and pop and top it off with a psychedelic twist and vocal harmonies that put wannabe R&B groups to shame. 7.45PM, €34

WEDNESDAY 30 Mariachi El Bronx, Paradiso (Kleine Zaal) Mariachis used to be just The Bronx, a hardcore punk band. They’ve traded menacing riffs for suave Spanish guitars, thrown in a trumpet and a violin, and started putting out summery, danceable tunes with Mexican and polka vibes. Support from Tim Kasher. 7.30PM, €12 + membership

DESIGN

MADE IN HOLLAND

Pressed Leather BY: ALLISON GUY

Designer Marloes ten Bhömer recently added Pressedleathershoe to her series of conceptual footwear, a line that includes fibreglass shoes and heels printed from a rapid-prototyping machine. While she has produced shoes that obscure the foot in polyurethane pods or leather-covered boxes, her newest design finds ten Bhömer getting back to the basics. NOT A CLICHÉ Pressedleathershoe is produced by soaking three pieces of leather in water and then pressing them between a mould. The parts are dried, cut and then re-assembled into an angular wedge, using a method the artist has named leather-lamination or leather-maché. The judicious use of material and the choice of understated black leather call attention to the shoe’s innovative construction. The result is a wedge that is instantly recognisable as such, but that manages to evade the clichés of women’s footwear. By repurposing unusual techniques, or outright inventing her own, ten Bhömer is able to create designs that dispense with stereotypes like ‘girly’, ‘athletic’ or ‘glitzy’. Pressedleathershoe has a powerful outline, with an attention to craft that recalls highend handmade shoes, and a pre-fab assembly that could have rolled off a factory floor. The result is a product that is just as at home on the shelves of a store as it is on display in a museum. www.designdrift.nl

COLUMN

Framed!

BY THOMAS SCHLIJPER

OCTOBER 11, 2011 SINGEL, AMSTERDAM

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. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a sneak preview!

Dutch actress Truus Dekker used to walk her own dog, but he passed away. Now she gives other dogs in her hood some extra attention.

BAR REVIEW

Hannekes Boom Once the economy collapses and the world comes to an end, we’ll all be spending our Friday nights hanging out at ramshackle joints that look a lot like this one. Let’s get started early! By Brandon Hartley

n an unseasonably warm autumn evening in Amsterdam, a man well into his sixties is lighting a wooden pipe. It’s just past sunset and his match glows like a firefly in the twilight as he gazes across the Dijksgracht at NEMO. He’s dressed in a jumpsuit and his backpack is overstuffed with climbing gear. A brimmed hat with a feather jutting out of the top covers his long, grey hair. Against the backdrop of the science museum, which itself resembles a UFO, he may as well be a weathered space cowboy taking a smoke break during an exploration of some strange, alien metropolis. Meanwhile, I’m sitting over at a picnic table nearby, trying to decide if I want to order chicken sate or seafood stew for dinner. It should go without saying that the views at Hannekes Boom are fantastic and its patrons are more unusual than the crowd you’ll find at more traditional city hotspots like Escape. Here you’ll encounter aging hippies, artists, scenesters and just about anybody in town with a boat. This restaurant, bar and exhibition space opened its doors earlier this year and has quickly drawn rave reviews for its eccentric design, unusual location and convenient, dockside parking for Amsterdam’s water rats. THE COOLEST SHACK IN TOWN Constructed out of salvaged materials on a spot across from Amsterdam’s sleek Central Library, Hannekes Boom sticks out among its glossier neighbours. The exterior looks like a mad combination of Tank Girl’s hideout, a Louisiana swamp shack and the hipster bars in Austin’s South Congress district. Tin shutters hang over its long windows and a portion of one wall is built out of what appears to be a lingerie billboard from the 1960s. Out front, underneath a patchwork of pipes covered with snaking vines, there’s 20 picnic tables all decorated by

local artists. Aside from the post-apocalyptic vibe of Hannekes Boom, the real drawcard here is the views of Amsterdam and some of the city’s most recognisable icons like the VOC ship. A few centuries back, the spot Hannekes Boom currently occupies was used as a guard station to protect Amsterdam’s canals from pirates and other ne’er-do-wells. Called ‘booms’, stations like these served as strongholds to control the coming and going of ships. Every night and during emergencies, guards would lower gates made of chains and logs into the adjacent waterway to help ward off intruders. A CULTURAL HUB Hannekes Boom still lives up to that old modus operandi. Instead of pirates though, the staff these days is more concerned with protecting Amsterdam’s citizens from sobriety and grumbling stomachs. The rotating menu is organic and made fresh every day with veggies and herbs grown from the rooftop garden during the warmer months. The beer and wine offerings are a bit limited, but there’s a full bar as well. They’re currently in the process of coming up with ways to prepare the building for its first Dutch winter. Hannekes Boom would make a great spot for a bonfire party come January.

Weathered space cowboys, hippies and artists unite

Hannekes Boom Dijksgracht 4 +31 (0)20 419982 hannekesboom.nl

License no. ASD 3728 D

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