Bunnin Monkey Amsterdam Special (21st January 2008)

It is my pleasure to announce that INQ has now gone international! A great joint venture has been set-up in France across the entire nation with the “Excuse My French” crew, and I have just returned from Amsterdam, a whole load of magazines lighter! Having met some great people in the Dutch city, I am very confident INQ’s presence will grow over there, and some great collaborations will be emerging over the year ahead.

Having spent 4 great days in ‘the Dam’, it seemed only right to reflect on my short time there. Now this isn’t The BunninMonkey Guide to Amsterdam Coffeshops (write to me separately for that! ;-) ) so don’t get to excited!? It’s more a very brief look at another side of the City of

There’s something about the place that really appeals to me (and it’s not the coffeshops!)…but I’ve had to reassess exactly what it is. I thought it was the laid-back attitude and approach to life. But having looked more closely, it’s not actually that relaxed. The people seem relaxed & happy enough, but they do move with some speed! Sitting having some lunch, I lost count of how many tables of people came and went, while we sat there for what seemed to me, not very long at all. But maybe our conversation was just more interesting?!  And then there’s the streets! I had memories of having to look left and right 6 times, whenever I wanted to cross the road…this turned out to be a bit of an exaggeration on my part, but there is just constant movement everywhere- pedestrians, bicycles, trams and cars, all vying for their bit of space, and somehow not physically interacting with each other in the process. Well at least not as often as you’d expect!?

There seems to be a very healthy and creative street-art scene in Dam, a hub of which is Club 11, which is located in an area of redevelopment near to the Central Station and the Nemo museum. What appears to be a neglected high-rise building houses a varied collection of street-art on the ground floor, and hides a great bar/restaurant on the top (11th) floor, with great views of the Amsterdam skyline. From this height you can spot loads of interesting buildings around the city, and see the ease with which old and new styles blend together. That’s assuming you can drag yourself away from the art on the way in.

Amsterdam also has an art and exhibition scene, which considering the size of the city rivals that of London. And it was in this scene that I found the latest INQ collaborators – the Parachut Artists. An international collective of artists, currently holding an exhibition at the Art Place (Rokin 112, Amsterdam) called Is The World Flat? Which looks at the effect of globalisation on art, through the minds of 11 creative souls, with 11 unique viewpoints. Some of it is thought provoking through it’s hard-hitting political imagery; some of it is thought provoking from its frivolity and surrealness. If you happen to be in Amsterdam before the 10th Feb, then go check it out- if you get there soon, you can grab a copy of INQ ;-). Otherwise, check out there website - . And watch out for further features/updates on this collective in INQ.

At one point, I got into the ol’ “Grass is greener” debate, having declared that I could happily live in Amsterdam (even tough I’ve only been there twice). Obviously Amsterdam has its problems, as do most European cities, and most cities around the world (if there is a perfect place to live, they’re keeping it a secret! – we should do a poll…). And Holland as a nation has it’s fair share of issues too: there is a political party gaining support (and with seats in the government) whose main policy is to remove Islam from Holland…well nothing original there then!? A slightly more unique idea is the political party whose manifesto includes lowering the age of consensual sex from 16 to 12! Much more original than kicking Muslims out the country! But disturbing in a completely different way…you may be surprised to hear that this party, known colloquially as the “Paedophile party”, does not have much support. And whatever you’re personal views on the subject, you have to appreciate that democracy and freedom of speech are being practiced and stretched to their limits!

But rather than thinking the “grass is greener”, for me it’s more a case of if everywhere has it’s problems, then you may as well find a place that has the least problems for yourself. And one that benefits you the most by being there. Amsterdam seems to me to allow its citizen’s to get on with there daily lives with a greater degree of ease and comfort. And I felt this the most with their public transport system. I’ve already mentioned how busy the roads are…but they’re busy like roads in London, full of traffic. The bikes, trams and cars operate in a harmonious relationship, each having an awareness of the other that has become second nature, and more importantly is courteous. There are certainly accidents, but these tend to be concentrated in hotspots, and involve stupidness like jumping red lights. When you’re riding a bike, with someone seated on the back, you don’t feel like you’re gonna get licked down by a bus! The trams system is so useful, taking you across town easily and frequently, and the underground is clean and efficient. And you can take your bike on it! There is a ferry that crosses the river to the north side of town. 3 ferries to be precise, each going a slightly different route across the river…and they are free! Free! Can you imagine any form of transport being free in London?! And when you purchase a “travelcard”, more than one person can use it, it lasts more than a day (until you’ve used up all of the segments), and it I was actually in shock everytime we used it as I couldn’t believe how useful it was! Surely this helps to encourage people to use public transport?!

I never thought I’d get so excited about a “travelcard”, but it happened. One thing I didn’t like was how ‘touristy’ the tourist areas were (on the way down to Dam Square from the station being the main one). At times it resembled a shady seaside holiday city more than the fine city it is, but this can easily be escaped, and the true beauty found.

So it’s completely possible to go to Amsterdam and not visit the red light district, a coffee-shop, or a sex show, and still have a great time. Maybe an even better time. Which is fantastic…and possibly essential, as there is news that from next year there will be no more Red Light District, and the coffee-shops will be replaced by city-run hash bars. This is no doubt due to EU pressure, and is most likely a first step in removing the weed smoking aspect from the city completely. This would be a massive blow to pro-cannabis campaigners all over the world, who hold Amsterdam up as a shining example, as well as people defending freedom of choice of all kinds. We’ll have to wait and see…

So if you haven’t been to Dam yet, you better hurry up…before it just becomes a city of beauty, culture…and entercation!

Peace and blessings…

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