Today was another gorgeous day in Amsterdam. People everywhere seemed bubbly, if a bit bothered by the heat. Iced coffee is a welcome reprieve, and we are just rolling out our pour-over drip bar, which is the best way to beat the heat. (Drinking iced coffee lowers your kinternal body temperature, causing your body to react by increasing your temp, or not cooling as rapidly., whereas hot coffee makes you sweat.)
We played around with the Guatemala Santa Clara as SOE (single origin espresso) yesterday and today, and it is amazing. It has crazy spices that remind us of Thai food. Zachary aptly picked out lemongrass... Nearly fennel flavors above a nice body and syrupy sweetness. Super clean witha finish that keeps going and maintaining balance. Yesterday that farm took 17th in the Cup Of Excellence, while another long-term relationship farm, finca el Injerto, took first place for the third time. Unbelievable.
After my shift today, Kris and I wandered the Nine streets to Roem cafe for afternoon lunch, then meandered back toward the BioMarkt, or organic produce store. I picked up tons of dried fruits and nuts to take with me to Paris tomorrow. Then we had a picnic at Seraphati park in the waning sunshine while listening to his infamous coconut playlist of tropical tunes to sway and swoon to. Perfect perfect times.
I am beyond stoked.
I fly out tomorrow and land around 10am... and then will maybe check into my hostel and go to Vilette Park, where a free concert is happening with the likes of The Fuck Buttons, Thee Oh Sees and These Are Powers. Then I have all day Monday and Tuesday to explore the city by myself. I intend to see a few of the flea markets, as well as a number of the renowned quarters or arondissments, the single gluten-free restaurant in Monmarte, and Ariel Pink's concert at Point Ephemere.
I anticipate a sore neck from gawking at the gorgeous architecture. Enough now.
I need to pack and sleep first, though.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
So Busy!!
I have been so busy I don't even know where to start.
Last Sunday I seized the city again at an antique market and local cd store. I've been indulging myself big time, with baubles and albums nonstop.
I guess I'll start by mentioning the big highlights:
Last Wednesday I celebrated an anniversary of significance for me, and went to see Beach House at the Paradiso to celebrate. I went alone, but ran into a regular from the cafe who was great company. The opening band, Isabells from Belgium (as their accents led my companion to believe), played mellow nearly-country rock, including an acapella-acoustic song or two. And Beach House slayed. I didn't know if they'd be able to own such a massive space; the Paradiso used to be a church and now, as Jasper put it, "a proper rock cathedral." The female vocalist gave me the chills... so powerful. I left with an LP of Teen Dream, their latest, and a cd of Devotion, their second album. I can't stop playing the record at the cafe; It's soul music for me.
The days at the cafe pass faster now, with an end barely in sight, unfortunately.
Everyday there are new ex-pats, American tourists who've had us in the states before, friends of our already-regulars, and more coffee professionals from Delft and Rotterdam and tiny towns I cannot begin to pronounce. They're all loving the coffee and begging us to stay. Interacting with soo many people this passionate about our coffee re-inspires me. Everyday I get to drink some of the best and rarest and most well-prepared coffee in the world. I know how entirely spoiled I am. I never forget all the effort that's been invested in the precious coffees gifted into my hands; But having people moan and grin and gush to me every day helps put things into perspective for how great my microcosm really is.
Friday I went to see We Are Wolves, a Montreal/Quebec electro-rock-dance band at this tiny punk dive-bar in the red light district called the Winston Kingdom. The crowd was meager but the band came with it! They were super enthusiastic and had people lilting with their shrieks and ripping guitar and keyboard solos. I couldn't leave without a record and cd of theirs, too.
Saturday, my friend Kris invited me to his friend's birthday party, with a Bollywood theme. We were directed to the India Shop, right outside the Albert Cuyp market, where we each bought rad white Indian formal wear. There are photos circulating somewhere, but you can expect me to rock this outfit all summer long. Mine has long sleeves, with gold embroidery all down the top, and a long flowing white silk skirt. There is a long wide white scarf as well. It breathes and is warm and might just be my favorite uniform. I especially like that it's not form-fitting and is entirely conservative, but makes me feel so glamorous! The party was a small and warm and we were quite over-dressed but it was an awesome time. There were a few other Americans there, as well as Polish, German, Swedish and Dutch folk. Near the end of the dinner party, they broke out the henna ink, and I got my first ever henna tattoos. Kris helped draw a small heart behind my right ear, which now looks barely like a birthmark, and also he wrote the word "lekker" on my left wrist at my request. It means "tasty" or "nice" and of course I connect it with serving coffee.
Sunday was soo rainy, and I made a nice big brunch and read one of my newer books, "The Conformist" by Alberto Moravia.. It is chilling and disturbing and I love it. Aleco, our green buyer, arrived today and the whole gang met up at the Gollem with him later on.
The Gollem is a bar right around the corner from our cafe which specializes in Belgian beers. For me, they have awesome Indian Tonic Water. After a few tonics, Zachary and I headed out for the weekly exclusive gay dance night hosted by a non-profit called De Trut or The Bitch.
We were advised to be there early, as it fills up fast and then there is a long line and a strict one-in/one-out policy. We got there early, about 9:20, and there was already a group of gals out front. In no time, there were over a hundred people waiting behind us, boys doing their hair and makeup, drinking Heinekens and massive mixers, gabbing away until the doors finally opened after 10. We paid only 2 euro and crept down a hallway into the basement room... It was amazing. Signs everywhere posted the clubs 3 main rules: No Cameras, No Cell Phones and No Hard drugs. There was an ante room with coat hangers, a small staircase leading to the main area, then the bar along the dance floor with a closed smoking room and open unisex bathroom along the back wall. Graffiti-esque art smeared the brick walls in pastel and neon colors. Inside, we ran into the friend who tipped us off about the place, Sergio. He runs an awesome boutique in the Jordaan called Rock Paper Scissors. David told us about this place and has since directed a lot of us Stumpies here. I did spend the most I've ever dropped on denim there recently, but I feel like a million in my superfly Nudies and beyond-acid washed jeans.. anyway... Sergio rolled with a posse of super-sweet and gorgeous young men who were great company. Unbeknownst to us all, it was a theme night - Glam Rock. There were awesome dancey covers of Blondie to Black Sabbath, Jet Boy Jet Girl to Ballroom Blitz. It felt strange to be in an entirely new cultural context and hearing music that plays on the classic rock music station at home... also the music I grew up on, Bon Jovi, etc.. We will definitely return. We had an awesome time, but lost out fire while the sport was at its best, so Zach and I had a leisurely stroll home around 1 am. We meandered through the museumplein, and in trying to explore more of the city, I think we found we've already been learning it well.
I do take pride in the fact that, beyond going to the tourist attractions and shopping at the H&M, I have been living here in Amsterdam. I've been lounging in the parks and picking out fruits in the market every day. I've been attempting to pronounce the names of streets I know by heart. Nearly every day I try to get around on new roads and get myself lost, letting my feeling guide me back to the arterials or landmarks I know. Every little brick vibrating through my bike helps anchor this city in my heart a little more.
Monday I finally went to the Amsterdam Historic Museum. I didn't even get to see all of it. The building itself is sprawled across smaller connecting rooms, each emphasizing a different period or aspect of Amsterdam's rich history. I didn't realize it's been around since the 1300's! There were so many little gems and splendid paintings and even maps and scale models!
Here are photos of this amazing set of mini-church bells! Note that the pegs, which you play by pressing down and pulling a string which swings a metal ball against the bells, are aligned like a piano! Most of the buttons still work, including nearly all of B Major... needless to say, I got a little carried away playing with this... But it's in a small room separated from the rest of the museum and it is "for us to enjoy"! I'll go back to finish exploring this museum for several reasons, but also to get rowdy on this beautiful old thing again. A special exhibit within the Historisch Museum right now is "The Hoerengracht". The Herengracht is one of the main canals in Amsterdam, and adding an "O" to its name gives us the "whoring"-gracht (canal.) It contained an installation of psuedo-work rooms like the ones we see in the city. Small rooms with a bed, red lights, and a woman peering out... only all these women, or mannequins, had small boxes with hinged lids hanging open, around their faces. In a video where the artist described her work, she said the boxes were because at any moment they can shut themselves off from the world (by closing the box.) There were also other video artists featured at that exhibit. I really enjoyed seeing voices and faces from the red light represented here. Being such a marginalized, stigmatized, underprivileged group, it is great to see some representation in a reputable place. I have a great deal of sympathy and respect for sex workers.
Tuesday, Zachary and I went to the Paradiso to see Sleigh Bells, a Brooklyn duo with fun dancey, rock beats. As soon as we entered the venue, a wave of hot, humid sweaty air hit us. There were smiling, dripping people walking everywhere. Gogol Bordello, the headliner for the main earlier show, were in the peak of their performance. We watched from the balcony as the 8-piece band rocked our faces into shreds. Awe-inspiring. Electric violin, cymbals, giant drum, hollow-body and electric guitar and drums. Beautiful lyrics and paaaassionate performance. The floor was a sea of mildly-moshing grinning fiends. We got to see nearly 20 minutes as they crescendo'ed into a fake ending with the crowd roaring, then picked up the pieces until the whole place was dancing... and slowly dying and doing it again.. The encore lasted at least 10 more minutes. We missed the beginning of Sleigh Bells because we were so caught up in the magic.
Sleigh Bells did well. I think they spanned a few too many genres for the crowd. They ranged from riot-girl to rock to dance and had awesome theatrics to boot.
So, you know how sometimes you can learn or be told some fact, but it isn't the same as understanding it truly by experience?
Well, I had been told that the Dutch were the tallest people in the world, but it never really rang true until the show at the Paradiso last week, where I found myself standing in a crowd where the average height was half a head taller than me. Now, I'm not the tallest gal around, but in the states I don't have to hunt for an optimal position in a crowd. Funny, the little things.
Today I almost overslept for my closing shift, but hosted an awesome cupping for a barista from Taylor St in the UK! I hope to visit London soon, but might have to come back in the fall for a proper tour of the cafes et cetera.
So, that bring us to tonight. One thing that motivated me to come here to Amsterdam is that the idea was a little scary. It's hard for me to step outside my comfort zone and press myself to explore and take risks.
So I decided to just challenge myself a little more, and commit to getting out of Amsterdam for a weekend. So tonight, I bought tickets to Paris and a few nights at a hostel, near Villette Park where they'll be a free concert on Sunday featuring
* KING MIDAS SOUND
* FUCK BUTTONS
* THEE OH SEES
* WASHED OUT
* THESE ARE POWERS
* MAGNETIX
I am planning on visiting Pere Lachaise cemetery (the one where Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison are buried) as well as a number of other sights.
I'll be there Sunday-Wednesday morning, and I'm open to suggestions if anyone has advice.
I should really get to bed now.. it's late and I work early... and when every day is full and to be savored, proper rest is essential. Wow, I am loopy...and giddy. It's 2:30.
Goodnight!
Last Sunday I seized the city again at an antique market and local cd store. I've been indulging myself big time, with baubles and albums nonstop.
I guess I'll start by mentioning the big highlights:
Last Wednesday I celebrated an anniversary of significance for me, and went to see Beach House at the Paradiso to celebrate. I went alone, but ran into a regular from the cafe who was great company. The opening band, Isabells from Belgium (as their accents led my companion to believe), played mellow nearly-country rock, including an acapella-acoustic song or two. And Beach House slayed. I didn't know if they'd be able to own such a massive space; the Paradiso used to be a church and now, as Jasper put it, "a proper rock cathedral." The female vocalist gave me the chills... so powerful. I left with an LP of Teen Dream, their latest, and a cd of Devotion, their second album. I can't stop playing the record at the cafe; It's soul music for me.
The days at the cafe pass faster now, with an end barely in sight, unfortunately.
Everyday there are new ex-pats, American tourists who've had us in the states before, friends of our already-regulars, and more coffee professionals from Delft and Rotterdam and tiny towns I cannot begin to pronounce. They're all loving the coffee and begging us to stay. Interacting with soo many people this passionate about our coffee re-inspires me. Everyday I get to drink some of the best and rarest and most well-prepared coffee in the world. I know how entirely spoiled I am. I never forget all the effort that's been invested in the precious coffees gifted into my hands; But having people moan and grin and gush to me every day helps put things into perspective for how great my microcosm really is.
Friday I went to see We Are Wolves, a Montreal/Quebec electro-rock-dance band at this tiny punk dive-bar in the red light district called the Winston Kingdom. The crowd was meager but the band came with it! They were super enthusiastic and had people lilting with their shrieks and ripping guitar and keyboard solos. I couldn't leave without a record and cd of theirs, too.
Saturday, my friend Kris invited me to his friend's birthday party, with a Bollywood theme. We were directed to the India Shop, right outside the Albert Cuyp market, where we each bought rad white Indian formal wear. There are photos circulating somewhere, but you can expect me to rock this outfit all summer long. Mine has long sleeves, with gold embroidery all down the top, and a long flowing white silk skirt. There is a long wide white scarf as well. It breathes and is warm and might just be my favorite uniform. I especially like that it's not form-fitting and is entirely conservative, but makes me feel so glamorous! The party was a small and warm and we were quite over-dressed but it was an awesome time. There were a few other Americans there, as well as Polish, German, Swedish and Dutch folk. Near the end of the dinner party, they broke out the henna ink, and I got my first ever henna tattoos. Kris helped draw a small heart behind my right ear, which now looks barely like a birthmark, and also he wrote the word "lekker" on my left wrist at my request. It means "tasty" or "nice" and of course I connect it with serving coffee.
Sunday was soo rainy, and I made a nice big brunch and read one of my newer books, "The Conformist" by Alberto Moravia.. It is chilling and disturbing and I love it. Aleco, our green buyer, arrived today and the whole gang met up at the Gollem with him later on.
The Gollem is a bar right around the corner from our cafe which specializes in Belgian beers. For me, they have awesome Indian Tonic Water. After a few tonics, Zachary and I headed out for the weekly exclusive gay dance night hosted by a non-profit called De Trut or The Bitch.
We were advised to be there early, as it fills up fast and then there is a long line and a strict one-in/one-out policy. We got there early, about 9:20, and there was already a group of gals out front. In no time, there were over a hundred people waiting behind us, boys doing their hair and makeup, drinking Heinekens and massive mixers, gabbing away until the doors finally opened after 10. We paid only 2 euro and crept down a hallway into the basement room... It was amazing. Signs everywhere posted the clubs 3 main rules: No Cameras, No Cell Phones and No Hard drugs. There was an ante room with coat hangers, a small staircase leading to the main area, then the bar along the dance floor with a closed smoking room and open unisex bathroom along the back wall. Graffiti-esque art smeared the brick walls in pastel and neon colors. Inside, we ran into the friend who tipped us off about the place, Sergio. He runs an awesome boutique in the Jordaan called Rock Paper Scissors. David told us about this place and has since directed a lot of us Stumpies here. I did spend the most I've ever dropped on denim there recently, but I feel like a million in my superfly Nudies and beyond-acid washed jeans.. anyway... Sergio rolled with a posse of super-sweet and gorgeous young men who were great company. Unbeknownst to us all, it was a theme night - Glam Rock. There were awesome dancey covers of Blondie to Black Sabbath, Jet Boy Jet Girl to Ballroom Blitz. It felt strange to be in an entirely new cultural context and hearing music that plays on the classic rock music station at home... also the music I grew up on, Bon Jovi, etc.. We will definitely return. We had an awesome time, but lost out fire while the sport was at its best, so Zach and I had a leisurely stroll home around 1 am. We meandered through the museumplein, and in trying to explore more of the city, I think we found we've already been learning it well.
I do take pride in the fact that, beyond going to the tourist attractions and shopping at the H&M, I have been living here in Amsterdam. I've been lounging in the parks and picking out fruits in the market every day. I've been attempting to pronounce the names of streets I know by heart. Nearly every day I try to get around on new roads and get myself lost, letting my feeling guide me back to the arterials or landmarks I know. Every little brick vibrating through my bike helps anchor this city in my heart a little more.
Monday I finally went to the Amsterdam Historic Museum. I didn't even get to see all of it. The building itself is sprawled across smaller connecting rooms, each emphasizing a different period or aspect of Amsterdam's rich history. I didn't realize it's been around since the 1300's! There were so many little gems and splendid paintings and even maps and scale models!
Here are photos of this amazing set of mini-church bells! Note that the pegs, which you play by pressing down and pulling a string which swings a metal ball against the bells, are aligned like a piano! Most of the buttons still work, including nearly all of B Major... needless to say, I got a little carried away playing with this... But it's in a small room separated from the rest of the museum and it is "for us to enjoy"! I'll go back to finish exploring this museum for several reasons, but also to get rowdy on this beautiful old thing again. A special exhibit within the Historisch Museum right now is "The Hoerengracht". The Herengracht is one of the main canals in Amsterdam, and adding an "O" to its name gives us the "whoring"-gracht (canal.) It contained an installation of psuedo-work rooms like the ones we see in the city. Small rooms with a bed, red lights, and a woman peering out... only all these women, or mannequins, had small boxes with hinged lids hanging open, around their faces. In a video where the artist described her work, she said the boxes were because at any moment they can shut themselves off from the world (by closing the box.) There were also other video artists featured at that exhibit. I really enjoyed seeing voices and faces from the red light represented here. Being such a marginalized, stigmatized, underprivileged group, it is great to see some representation in a reputable place. I have a great deal of sympathy and respect for sex workers.Tuesday, Zachary and I went to the Paradiso to see Sleigh Bells, a Brooklyn duo with fun dancey, rock beats. As soon as we entered the venue, a wave of hot, humid sweaty air hit us. There were smiling, dripping people walking everywhere. Gogol Bordello, the headliner for the main earlier show, were in the peak of their performance. We watched from the balcony as the 8-piece band rocked our faces into shreds. Awe-inspiring. Electric violin, cymbals, giant drum, hollow-body and electric guitar and drums. Beautiful lyrics and paaaassionate performance. The floor was a sea of mildly-moshing grinning fiends. We got to see nearly 20 minutes as they crescendo'ed into a fake ending with the crowd roaring, then picked up the pieces until the whole place was dancing... and slowly dying and doing it again.. The encore lasted at least 10 more minutes. We missed the beginning of Sleigh Bells because we were so caught up in the magic.
Sleigh Bells did well. I think they spanned a few too many genres for the crowd. They ranged from riot-girl to rock to dance and had awesome theatrics to boot.
So, you know how sometimes you can learn or be told some fact, but it isn't the same as understanding it truly by experience?
Well, I had been told that the Dutch were the tallest people in the world, but it never really rang true until the show at the Paradiso last week, where I found myself standing in a crowd where the average height was half a head taller than me. Now, I'm not the tallest gal around, but in the states I don't have to hunt for an optimal position in a crowd. Funny, the little things.
Today I almost overslept for my closing shift, but hosted an awesome cupping for a barista from Taylor St in the UK! I hope to visit London soon, but might have to come back in the fall for a proper tour of the cafes et cetera.
So, that bring us to tonight. One thing that motivated me to come here to Amsterdam is that the idea was a little scary. It's hard for me to step outside my comfort zone and press myself to explore and take risks.
So I decided to just challenge myself a little more, and commit to getting out of Amsterdam for a weekend. So tonight, I bought tickets to Paris and a few nights at a hostel, near Villette Park where they'll be a free concert on Sunday featuring
* KING MIDAS SOUND
* FUCK BUTTONS
* THEE OH SEES
* WASHED OUT
* THESE ARE POWERS
* MAGNETIX
I am planning on visiting Pere Lachaise cemetery (the one where Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison are buried) as well as a number of other sights.
I'll be there Sunday-Wednesday morning, and I'm open to suggestions if anyone has advice.
I should really get to bed now.. it's late and I work early... and when every day is full and to be savored, proper rest is essential. Wow, I am loopy...and giddy. It's 2:30.
Goodnight!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Rijks, Boeke Markt, Cupping, Boerenmarkt,
It has been a busy couple of days! The weather has gotten nice, so not as many people were coming into the cafe off the street, but we've still had tons of the local coffee community members coming in.
On Tuesday I had dinner with a friend at a nearby Thai restaurant, The White Elephant. My delicate lemongrass galangal curry was incredible, and the staff spoke great english and could accommodate my allergy easily. It had been weeks since eating any thai food, so the endorphin rush was lovely.
I started my weekend on Friday morning with a massive potato-spinach scramble and booked it to the Rijks Museum. I bought a museumcard, so I can see multiple museums, or the same exhibits again and again, for the one-time fee. The Rijks was incredible. My ex-boyfriend Trae was an art-history major, and exposed me to so many wonderful artists and periods, so I had some context for the Dutch masters, but nothing could have prepared me truly.
I was literally moved to tears - twice. Once by Willem Heda's "Still Life With Gilt Goblet", of which I had seen photos in books back home.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Willem_Claesz._Heda_005.jpg
The second unexpected reaction was to Rembrandt's "Stone Bridge," which was a tiny, unassuming little piece, but the use of light and the simple beauty was beyond breath-taking. I won't even fight the urge to stop into this museum every time I pass by it with 15 minutes to spare.
Lucky for me, there were prints of both of these pieces in the gift shop, so I can admire them back home and wax to friends about how they don't compare to the real ones at all.
During my short time in Amsterdam, I've developed a great respect for the pride the Dutch people have for their coffee culture, and visiting the Rijks help remind me of the centuries of deep history their culture has in the arts and the scale of their empire at one time. There is a great history and culture in the blood of these people. It makes me want to appreciate my own American history more deeply.
After the Rijks, I dropped my prints off at the cafe and got an espresso, which was excellent and super-sweet as usual. I then set off toward the city centre near Spui and found the every-Friday book market. The market consists of 1/2 a city-block's length of tables on two sides, with an aisle in the middle. All the vendors had a variety of books, with many antique volumes which I dared not endanger by shipping across the Atlantic in my luggage. Many of the books were in Dutch, but there were many English options too. What soaked up most of my time were the lithographs! All sorts of hand-colored illustrations from Dutch expeditions and scientific books of birds, reptiles, fish, people and architecture... I spent a bit here, getting prints of: Cockatoos, Paradise birds, Deep-sea fauna, crystallization patterns (!!), and ~30 different Native American tribes-people's faces illustrated. Included in the Native Amercians were the Blackfeet tribe, which was especially poignant for me as it was my Dutch ancestors who, in crossing to the West of America, fell in love with the Blackfeet and led to the creation of me, a darker-skinned taller-than-average girl. Of course I have a lot of other blood in me, but the Mayflower-Blackfeet-Cherokee-Choctaw-Dutch aspects are alive and beaming right now.
Friday night we had an employee meeting where we Skyped with the Portland office for a bit, and then cupped the newest arrivals!! Inlcuded were the Costa Rica Verde Alto and Guatemalan Puerta Verde. Both were incredible, bursting with lovely complexity of higher-elevation fresh-crop coffee. The CR had remarkable grape-like acidity, almost like an apple/grape jolly rancher or fresh watermelon, and the new Guat was intensely sweet and balanced.. The Burundi Kinyovu still was so crisp with honeydew melon and white grape; It's hard to enjoy something when I know its almost gone... best to celebrate it while it's still here.
The cupping was the first cupping of us all together in a while, and we followed it by all heading over to the Gollem afterwards. This bar specializes in Belgian beers... many of which I drank back in the states long ago. I had two bottle of Indian tonic and felt loopy, as I can get when in the company of drinking people. They are known for their cheese plate too... which everyone seemed to enjoy.
I ate an entire bag of sweet and sour candies which I had been keeping and felt crazy.
Saturday, Katie and I had off together, and decided to go to the Saturday markets. We came upon the Waterlooplein market which had tons of antiques, records and clothes. We spent a while with the records and I found some gems... Like a Fats Waller tribute; a Phillip Glass album feat Laurie Anderson,et al; 2 Hall & Oates live (guilty pleasure); Chick Corea live concert and...
5 The Nits records for my Uncle Scott and T-Martha!!! 3 of which are 45's... (Yes, I do love you guys)
We headed back to the cafe to drop off our precious cargo and get some tasty espresso... The sun was shining and people filled the cafe for iced lattes and shade during the cupping and brew demo. We enjoyed a short rest, and then biked back to the Boerenmarkt, or Farmer's market of organic produce.. There were tons of different vendors here too, of books and records, new clothes to vintage and antiques.. There were lots of cheese, meat, fruit and veg options. I had a lunch of amazing olives with pickled garlic cloves, and some spicy local salami... We picked up lots of fruit and ran into Robyn and Zach, who had gotten off work early. We all finished shopping and met at a nearvy cafe who had chairs spilling out on the sidewalks... As the market closed down, the foot traffic was steady along the canal, and we sat in the warm shade sipping fresh mint tea and languidly chatting and eating our fresh fruit. After an hour or so, we made a wandering bike parade back toward home, but got separated in the "tush hour" traffic of a few more cars and even more aggressive cyclists. Zach, Robyn and I decided to dash into the BioMarkt, or organic store... and there, as promised, were gluten-free goodies!! I got 3 kinds of cookies, pasta, cereal, and rice milk. I loaded it into a wooden fruit crate that I poached earlier to strap on my bike, and we rode further in toward home... and decided to stop at the cafe to visit David and get more coffee!
We enjoyed our espressos and saw Dana, who lives with us, and her friend. We then finished biking home and unloaded our goods. After a snack, Zach, Robyn, Katie and I headed across the street to a stretch of grass along the canal which was still bathed in light... we cozied up inside a duvet cover we found in the house and laid quietly... and then got quite giddy.. a video of our silliness might make its way to Katie or Robyn's blogs soon... We stayed up late, planning on going out to some club, and decided to stay in after all...
Today, Sunday, is the day we all have off together. We collectively slept in, and the last breakfast is being finished now, at 12:30.
I made a massive breakfast and have broken my plans to go to the Nieuwe markt, or go for a run. The day is gorgeous, and later tonight, the whole house is going to have a family meal, including Duane, Hillary, baby Pearl and nanny Dana.
I've been researching what shows are happening in barcelona and berlin in the upcoming weeks, and am trying to plan to get out of town... but there is already so much to do here!
wherever I am, whatever I'm doing, I'm savoring every second of being here... and secretly planning my return... Barcelona for a music festival.. London for music in the fall?.. I've got vacation hours to spend... I want to visit my family in Pennsylvania and Massachusettes, Zeb's family in Montana too..
We might all go for a cafe-crawl through amsterdam today after brunch... It's the hottest day of the week today, and it shouldn't be squandered inside.
On Tuesday I had dinner with a friend at a nearby Thai restaurant, The White Elephant. My delicate lemongrass galangal curry was incredible, and the staff spoke great english and could accommodate my allergy easily. It had been weeks since eating any thai food, so the endorphin rush was lovely.
I started my weekend on Friday morning with a massive potato-spinach scramble and booked it to the Rijks Museum. I bought a museumcard, so I can see multiple museums, or the same exhibits again and again, for the one-time fee. The Rijks was incredible. My ex-boyfriend Trae was an art-history major, and exposed me to so many wonderful artists and periods, so I had some context for the Dutch masters, but nothing could have prepared me truly.
I was literally moved to tears - twice. Once by Willem Heda's "Still Life With Gilt Goblet", of which I had seen photos in books back home.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Willem_Claesz._Heda_005.jpg
The second unexpected reaction was to Rembrandt's "Stone Bridge," which was a tiny, unassuming little piece, but the use of light and the simple beauty was beyond breath-taking. I won't even fight the urge to stop into this museum every time I pass by it with 15 minutes to spare.
Lucky for me, there were prints of both of these pieces in the gift shop, so I can admire them back home and wax to friends about how they don't compare to the real ones at all.
During my short time in Amsterdam, I've developed a great respect for the pride the Dutch people have for their coffee culture, and visiting the Rijks help remind me of the centuries of deep history their culture has in the arts and the scale of their empire at one time. There is a great history and culture in the blood of these people. It makes me want to appreciate my own American history more deeply.
After the Rijks, I dropped my prints off at the cafe and got an espresso, which was excellent and super-sweet as usual. I then set off toward the city centre near Spui and found the every-Friday book market. The market consists of 1/2 a city-block's length of tables on two sides, with an aisle in the middle. All the vendors had a variety of books, with many antique volumes which I dared not endanger by shipping across the Atlantic in my luggage. Many of the books were in Dutch, but there were many English options too. What soaked up most of my time were the lithographs! All sorts of hand-colored illustrations from Dutch expeditions and scientific books of birds, reptiles, fish, people and architecture... I spent a bit here, getting prints of: Cockatoos, Paradise birds, Deep-sea fauna, crystallization patterns (!!), and ~30 different Native American tribes-people's faces illustrated. Included in the Native Amercians were the Blackfeet tribe, which was especially poignant for me as it was my Dutch ancestors who, in crossing to the West of America, fell in love with the Blackfeet and led to the creation of me, a darker-skinned taller-than-average girl. Of course I have a lot of other blood in me, but the Mayflower-Blackfeet-Cherokee-Choctaw-Dutch aspects are alive and beaming right now.
Friday night we had an employee meeting where we Skyped with the Portland office for a bit, and then cupped the newest arrivals!! Inlcuded were the Costa Rica Verde Alto and Guatemalan Puerta Verde. Both were incredible, bursting with lovely complexity of higher-elevation fresh-crop coffee. The CR had remarkable grape-like acidity, almost like an apple/grape jolly rancher or fresh watermelon, and the new Guat was intensely sweet and balanced.. The Burundi Kinyovu still was so crisp with honeydew melon and white grape; It's hard to enjoy something when I know its almost gone... best to celebrate it while it's still here.
The cupping was the first cupping of us all together in a while, and we followed it by all heading over to the Gollem afterwards. This bar specializes in Belgian beers... many of which I drank back in the states long ago. I had two bottle of Indian tonic and felt loopy, as I can get when in the company of drinking people. They are known for their cheese plate too... which everyone seemed to enjoy.
I ate an entire bag of sweet and sour candies which I had been keeping and felt crazy.
Saturday, Katie and I had off together, and decided to go to the Saturday markets. We came upon the Waterlooplein market which had tons of antiques, records and clothes. We spent a while with the records and I found some gems... Like a Fats Waller tribute; a Phillip Glass album feat Laurie Anderson,et al; 2 Hall & Oates live (guilty pleasure); Chick Corea live concert and...
5 The Nits records for my Uncle Scott and T-Martha!!! 3 of which are 45's... (Yes, I do love you guys)
We headed back to the cafe to drop off our precious cargo and get some tasty espresso... The sun was shining and people filled the cafe for iced lattes and shade during the cupping and brew demo. We enjoyed a short rest, and then biked back to the Boerenmarkt, or Farmer's market of organic produce.. There were tons of different vendors here too, of books and records, new clothes to vintage and antiques.. There were lots of cheese, meat, fruit and veg options. I had a lunch of amazing olives with pickled garlic cloves, and some spicy local salami... We picked up lots of fruit and ran into Robyn and Zach, who had gotten off work early. We all finished shopping and met at a nearvy cafe who had chairs spilling out on the sidewalks... As the market closed down, the foot traffic was steady along the canal, and we sat in the warm shade sipping fresh mint tea and languidly chatting and eating our fresh fruit. After an hour or so, we made a wandering bike parade back toward home, but got separated in the "tush hour" traffic of a few more cars and even more aggressive cyclists. Zach, Robyn and I decided to dash into the BioMarkt, or organic store... and there, as promised, were gluten-free goodies!! I got 3 kinds of cookies, pasta, cereal, and rice milk. I loaded it into a wooden fruit crate that I poached earlier to strap on my bike, and we rode further in toward home... and decided to stop at the cafe to visit David and get more coffee!
We enjoyed our espressos and saw Dana, who lives with us, and her friend. We then finished biking home and unloaded our goods. After a snack, Zach, Robyn, Katie and I headed across the street to a stretch of grass along the canal which was still bathed in light... we cozied up inside a duvet cover we found in the house and laid quietly... and then got quite giddy.. a video of our silliness might make its way to Katie or Robyn's blogs soon... We stayed up late, planning on going out to some club, and decided to stay in after all...
Today, Sunday, is the day we all have off together. We collectively slept in, and the last breakfast is being finished now, at 12:30.
I made a massive breakfast and have broken my plans to go to the Nieuwe markt, or go for a run. The day is gorgeous, and later tonight, the whole house is going to have a family meal, including Duane, Hillary, baby Pearl and nanny Dana.
I've been researching what shows are happening in barcelona and berlin in the upcoming weeks, and am trying to plan to get out of town... but there is already so much to do here!
wherever I am, whatever I'm doing, I'm savoring every second of being here... and secretly planning my return... Barcelona for a music festival.. London for music in the fall?.. I've got vacation hours to spend... I want to visit my family in Pennsylvania and Massachusettes, Zeb's family in Montana too..
We might all go for a cafe-crawl through amsterdam today after brunch... It's the hottest day of the week today, and it shouldn't be squandered inside.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Even more action
Zachary has an amazing eye and has gorgeous documentation of every luscious detail our our collective Amsterdam adventures.
His Flickr is
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zacharycarlsen/
Witness: My first coconut! It was truly refreshing and satisfying.
Me and Kristoffer from Sidlee with looming cat
His Flickr is
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zacharycarlsen/
Witness: My first coconut! It was truly refreshing and satisfying.
Me and Kristoffer from Sidlee with looming cat
Monday, May 17, 2010
Underground Farmer's Market
Instead of spending the weekend in Utrecht with some local coffee community, I decided to stay in town and focus on healing. I'm sorry that I missed out, but it was a better decision and now I'm fully recovered. I spent my weekend cooking big nutrient-dense stir-frys and warm salads and handling errands. Saturday I made a massive breakfast like almost every other day. (The eggs here are so good and such a deep orange color, which I had only ever seen from actual farm chickens only once before. This is yet another detail which makes me somewhat sad for my homeland's state.) I dropped my laundry off and then leisurely biked around the city under the auspice of clothes shopping: retail therapy is a real thing. On my way back from the city center, I visited Vondel park and found a perfect picnic spot on the trunk of a willow tree over water. I read in the park until the sun disappeared behind clouds and then went to the market for dinner supplies.
In the brief two weeks of being here, I've already developed a few nice routines, like taking the time to get to work early to drink espresso and hang out before my shift, and visiting the Cuyp Market fruit and veg vendors almost daily. It has been great to leave behind all the hectic distractions of my former life. I feel like I had the right priorities in Portland, but I still didnt have the pace I do now. Every night, I'm taking the time to create great dinners and prepare for big breakfasts. I'm normally a serious snooze-button abuser, but here I've been giving myself so much time in the morning to get dressed, cook, even put on makeup occasionally... It's been awesome to restructure my habits so drastically.
Sunday I tagged along with Zachary and Katie to the first ever Underground Farmer's Market in Downtown 75, a gallery on Rokin near de Dam.
http://www.talkinfood.nl/weblog.php
(Is a list of all 30 vendors)
Up the stairs, and down the red hallway....
To Katie and Zachy about to slow-brew your face into a wild grin
This woman sold chickens for 10 Euro! Awesome signage of happy pigs..
There was everything from antique wares, lemon curd, savory cornbread cupcakes, pies and sausages, chocolate truffles, seaweed desserts, artisan salts, and our very own slow bar!
We made over 50 cups of pour-over for folks. I have been a barista at many different events, but usually I'm manning an espresso machine - my natural setting compared to preparing cup after cup of melitta! It was my first time working a slow bar, and was fun and fast. As with working a busy bar, there is a rhythm to be found, where proper multitasking and prioritizing mean noone waits too long for their precious cup. Of course communication is invaluable, and Zachary and Katie made it flow nicely. We chose to make Guatemala Santa Cruz for most of the day, because as pour-over, it makes a balanced smooth cup with enough body and sweetness for the average Dutch consumer (we felt), but it also has a wonderful tropical citric acidity that can helped but be noticed by any layman's tongue! People didn't know what to expect but were blown away. A lot of folks took home beans.
So many people came up laughing and taking pictures, saying that our pour-over was so "old fashioned." They marveled that this old traditional way of making coffee which they had seen for generations was the method we were choosing to showcase our coffee that day. I think you can evaluate people's response to your coffee by their cups. Our cups were allllll empty, just like they've been in the cafe.
I left the farmer's market with 3 new cookbooks (SE Asia seafood, Two Fat Ladies, Sweet Potato Queen's Big Ass Cookbook), some portugese red pepper sauce (Piri-piri), Harissa from Hell and a sweet chili jam, smoked sea salt, and a tea set of 5 mach-sized cups, 6 saucers, one teapot and sugar bowl ... all GOLD!! Such precious cargo...
We came home from the farmer's market at almost the exact same time as the Frankie's, who were visiting for the weekend. The Frankie's are Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo, who run Frankie's Spuntino, a few renowned Italian joints in NYC. They rolled in with grocery bags full of goodies to make their famous meatballs and gnocci.
Of course, they started with the red sauce, since it needs the most time. While it began, they made the meatballs, complete with pinenuts and raisins. Then they started making the gnocci by first pressing boiled potatoes through a little sieve from our kitchen. They were laughing at this, because at home they'd certainly have a ricer or other tool; you would never make it like entirely by hand in a restaurant. The meatballs were browned, and then put into the oven. Finally, they finished pressing the potatoes (after recruiting Katie as sous-chef) and combined them with flour, more pecorino and seasonings. They rolled this into snakes and then cut into tiny gnocci which cooked quickly. Truly, being part of this dinner, smelling the marinara develop and helping roll out meatballs, took me back to my childhood, of spending all day with my mother, or my Italian step-gramma as they made "gravy." I was shocked by how nostalgic and heart-warming the whole evening was. This apartment already had a family feeling, but this evening solidified it even more.
The feast fed everybody in the house (12), except me. If I had anything less than a severe gluten allergy, I'd have gorged myself until I was distended and plesantly moaning, like everybody else. All day today, everybody's been raving about the meal. Folks had meatballs for breakfast and finished off the rest for dinner. They're coming out with a cookbook in the next month! It will contain the amazing meatballs and other secrets, and is supposed to be very reasonably priced. I desperately need to make a gluten-free version this week.
http://www.frankiesspuntino.com/
I opened the cafe today, which started busier than previous Mondays. We already have so many regulars and now have a Mayor, from Four Square! The coffee was about a week old today, but so killer! I've always loved the Hairbender at 3, 4, 5 days when it has lots of pop, with citrus and floral aspects to balance the carmel and milk chocolate... but it ages so gracefully. If anything, the less acidic coffee aligns better with (what I'm being told is) Dutch preference for sweet, chocolately smooth espresso.
It's fun to be making coffee a little differently. Away from home, rather than have a static blend of 3/4, 4/5 day old coffee, we're getting to pull the same batch day after day and really appreciate its changes and experiment with it. I'm surprised at the dose and volume I'm using with this older coffee. I'm surprised how great it is every day. And so many people are so stoked on the coffee, raving about their shots and ordering more under the giddy madness of espresso inebriation. As is the trend, today's cupping was attended by another local coffee professional desperate for community and quality focus and an educated customer base. This couple owns a little shop outside Antwerp which also sells ice cream. I wish I could pronounce the name to remember it better.
Everyday, we polititely interrupt customers to invite them to cup and people are always willing to join the ritual. I love provoking them to share their impressions and favorites. So many people here like the gamey Indonesian Gajah Aceh! They love a "bold" coffee you can nurse for hours, where every sip tastes "memorable" and "powerful". It's very funny to me. I totally understand liking a full-bodied heavy coffee. I enjoy a stiff brew now and again, but usually only when I improperly use my mazzer-mini to grind for french press at home. I look forward to shifting some people's bias towards subtle, clean coffees. This is already happening.
I got off work and wandered in a local park with Zachary. We got frites and then sat at a local cafe, sipping cola and sparkling water in the afternoon sun, watching herons fight over scraps from the market. I will never tire of majestic herons as ubiquitous as pigeons in this city.
I biked home with a backpack full of fruit and a little fillet of white fish (zoot-something), and attempted to recreate a Portugese fish-potato dumpling I had at the underground market on Sunday.
I boiled 500g potatos while frying fish over low heat, then mashed the potatos and gently flaked in the fish. I added a small diced red onion, 3 cloves minced garlic, a little salt, pepper, basil and a good bit of chili pepper, and 2 eggs. I formed little dumplings and fried them in vegetable oil. After resting on a paper towel to remove excess oil, I added a few drops of lemon, some piri-piri sauce (red pepper, lemon, garlic, onion blended with vinegar) and salt, with a sprinkle of raw red onion for garnish.
The attempt was a success, and these little fish-latkes will probably be in regular rotation now.
I am too full and have rambled with these happy hands too long. Just one more pot of ginger tea before bed.
Another week of vacation-work begins.
In the brief two weeks of being here, I've already developed a few nice routines, like taking the time to get to work early to drink espresso and hang out before my shift, and visiting the Cuyp Market fruit and veg vendors almost daily. It has been great to leave behind all the hectic distractions of my former life. I feel like I had the right priorities in Portland, but I still didnt have the pace I do now. Every night, I'm taking the time to create great dinners and prepare for big breakfasts. I'm normally a serious snooze-button abuser, but here I've been giving myself so much time in the morning to get dressed, cook, even put on makeup occasionally... It's been awesome to restructure my habits so drastically.
Sunday I tagged along with Zachary and Katie to the first ever Underground Farmer's Market in Downtown 75, a gallery on Rokin near de Dam.
http://www.talkinfood.nl/weblog.php
(Is a list of all 30 vendors)
Up the stairs, and down the red hallway....
To Katie and Zachy about to slow-brew your face into a wild grin
This woman sold chickens for 10 Euro! Awesome signage of happy pigs..
There was everything from antique wares, lemon curd, savory cornbread cupcakes, pies and sausages, chocolate truffles, seaweed desserts, artisan salts, and our very own slow bar!
We made over 50 cups of pour-over for folks. I have been a barista at many different events, but usually I'm manning an espresso machine - my natural setting compared to preparing cup after cup of melitta! It was my first time working a slow bar, and was fun and fast. As with working a busy bar, there is a rhythm to be found, where proper multitasking and prioritizing mean noone waits too long for their precious cup. Of course communication is invaluable, and Zachary and Katie made it flow nicely. We chose to make Guatemala Santa Cruz for most of the day, because as pour-over, it makes a balanced smooth cup with enough body and sweetness for the average Dutch consumer (we felt), but it also has a wonderful tropical citric acidity that can helped but be noticed by any layman's tongue! People didn't know what to expect but were blown away. A lot of folks took home beans.
So many people came up laughing and taking pictures, saying that our pour-over was so "old fashioned." They marveled that this old traditional way of making coffee which they had seen for generations was the method we were choosing to showcase our coffee that day. I think you can evaluate people's response to your coffee by their cups. Our cups were allllll empty, just like they've been in the cafe.
I left the farmer's market with 3 new cookbooks (SE Asia seafood, Two Fat Ladies, Sweet Potato Queen's Big Ass Cookbook), some portugese red pepper sauce (Piri-piri), Harissa from Hell and a sweet chili jam, smoked sea salt, and a tea set of 5 mach-sized cups, 6 saucers, one teapot and sugar bowl ... all GOLD!! Such precious cargo...
We came home from the farmer's market at almost the exact same time as the Frankie's, who were visiting for the weekend. The Frankie's are Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo, who run Frankie's Spuntino, a few renowned Italian joints in NYC. They rolled in with grocery bags full of goodies to make their famous meatballs and gnocci.
Of course, they started with the red sauce, since it needs the most time. While it began, they made the meatballs, complete with pinenuts and raisins. Then they started making the gnocci by first pressing boiled potatoes through a little sieve from our kitchen. They were laughing at this, because at home they'd certainly have a ricer or other tool; you would never make it like entirely by hand in a restaurant. The meatballs were browned, and then put into the oven. Finally, they finished pressing the potatoes (after recruiting Katie as sous-chef) and combined them with flour, more pecorino and seasonings. They rolled this into snakes and then cut into tiny gnocci which cooked quickly. Truly, being part of this dinner, smelling the marinara develop and helping roll out meatballs, took me back to my childhood, of spending all day with my mother, or my Italian step-gramma as they made "gravy." I was shocked by how nostalgic and heart-warming the whole evening was. This apartment already had a family feeling, but this evening solidified it even more.
The feast fed everybody in the house (12), except me. If I had anything less than a severe gluten allergy, I'd have gorged myself until I was distended and plesantly moaning, like everybody else. All day today, everybody's been raving about the meal. Folks had meatballs for breakfast and finished off the rest for dinner. They're coming out with a cookbook in the next month! It will contain the amazing meatballs and other secrets, and is supposed to be very reasonably priced. I desperately need to make a gluten-free version this week.
http://www.frankiesspuntino.com/
I opened the cafe today, which started busier than previous Mondays. We already have so many regulars and now have a Mayor, from Four Square! The coffee was about a week old today, but so killer! I've always loved the Hairbender at 3, 4, 5 days when it has lots of pop, with citrus and floral aspects to balance the carmel and milk chocolate... but it ages so gracefully. If anything, the less acidic coffee aligns better with (what I'm being told is) Dutch preference for sweet, chocolately smooth espresso.
It's fun to be making coffee a little differently. Away from home, rather than have a static blend of 3/4, 4/5 day old coffee, we're getting to pull the same batch day after day and really appreciate its changes and experiment with it. I'm surprised at the dose and volume I'm using with this older coffee. I'm surprised how great it is every day. And so many people are so stoked on the coffee, raving about their shots and ordering more under the giddy madness of espresso inebriation. As is the trend, today's cupping was attended by another local coffee professional desperate for community and quality focus and an educated customer base. This couple owns a little shop outside Antwerp which also sells ice cream. I wish I could pronounce the name to remember it better.
Everyday, we polititely interrupt customers to invite them to cup and people are always willing to join the ritual. I love provoking them to share their impressions and favorites. So many people here like the gamey Indonesian Gajah Aceh! They love a "bold" coffee you can nurse for hours, where every sip tastes "memorable" and "powerful". It's very funny to me. I totally understand liking a full-bodied heavy coffee. I enjoy a stiff brew now and again, but usually only when I improperly use my mazzer-mini to grind for french press at home. I look forward to shifting some people's bias towards subtle, clean coffees. This is already happening.
I got off work and wandered in a local park with Zachary. We got frites and then sat at a local cafe, sipping cola and sparkling water in the afternoon sun, watching herons fight over scraps from the market. I will never tire of majestic herons as ubiquitous as pigeons in this city.
I biked home with a backpack full of fruit and a little fillet of white fish (zoot-something), and attempted to recreate a Portugese fish-potato dumpling I had at the underground market on Sunday.
I boiled 500g potatos while frying fish over low heat, then mashed the potatos and gently flaked in the fish. I added a small diced red onion, 3 cloves minced garlic, a little salt, pepper, basil and a good bit of chili pepper, and 2 eggs. I formed little dumplings and fried them in vegetable oil. After resting on a paper towel to remove excess oil, I added a few drops of lemon, some piri-piri sauce (red pepper, lemon, garlic, onion blended with vinegar) and salt, with a sprinkle of raw red onion for garnish.
The attempt was a success, and these little fish-latkes will probably be in regular rotation now.
I am too full and have rambled with these happy hands too long. Just one more pot of ginger tea before bed.
Another week of vacation-work begins.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Dutch Barista Championship Final blast
What a weekend. I spent my days off recovering from this damn cold! On Friday I made potato leek chicken soup and forced myself to stay inside and eat the whole pot while streaming a Dexter marathon, drinking bottomless ginger tea and doing my nails. I know how to best restore myself.
Sunday, which would normally be a day off, the whole Stumptown gang spent the day practicing and perfecting different brewing methods. Zachary invested a lot of time to improve our consistency for brewing by weighing our water. The gram itself is based on a metric unit of water, so 1ml= 1g... So we can zero our scale after applying the Clever or Aeropress and coffee, and make the perfect cup with great repeatability. It's so reasonable and basic.
So we just drank soo much perfect coffee and played with brewing different coffees multiple ways, including some Square Mile Coffee that the crew brang for us on their visit Friday, while I was bed-ridden. The coffee was complex and memorable, even through my clouded sick palate.
That day I had to admit to myself that I have a big bias towards acidity. I love an overdosed, low-volume chemex of Burundi Kinyovu or a brighter Central American coffee... but that's not what is most balanced or appealing.
Monday's cafe shift flew by. It was the morning of the Dutch Barista finals, so many coffee people were in town from Belgium and outside of Amsterdam. There were so many great people and fun conversations. I finished at 2 and dashed into the Cuyp market for tons of fruit, and then Zachary and I trammed it to Central station, caught the ferry across, um, a canal.. and then were greeted by a beautiful sailor-costumed girl who pointed us toward a smaller boat which took us to the competition venue. This man steered the boat. I don't think I'll ever get tired of all these beautiful, austere Dutch people.
The competition was truly great. I honestly didn't expect the level of expertise to be as high as it seemed. I only wish I understood Dutch better so that I could have understood more of the presentations, but the cognates for flavors were plentiful! I caught the jist of most competitors and took down some notes of my impressions. Here are just a few thoughts:
For the ten finalists (which is different in that US competition has only 6 finalists... but we also have regional competitions prior to our national event) there was only 1 flight of judges (and half of them had been in to our cafe the day of or prior!) For this reason, I assume, there were spit cups. I understand forsaking the fuller gustatory experience.. they'd each have consumed 30 shots by the end!
The machines were 2 group lineas, with 1mm groupjets, from the look of it. It makes sense, since that is the stock specification, but I was still surprised nonetheless. Many of the espressos seemed to drop so quickly!
At least 5 of the competitors used a washed Ethiopian SOE, or blends with Ethiopians as the dominant component. The competitor from Illy, who won, used a Sidamo for his espressos, and a blend of Yirgacheffe, Brazil and Costa Rican coffees for his capps and sig. The new champ (who will compete in Colombia next year) was Yakup Aydin. This guy seemed like a crowd favorite. I was told he had competed for a couple of years, but things always went wrong in his past presentations, like last year when he served his sig drink without espresso! He was cracking jokes before his comp time and seemed at ease and professional. His signature drink's presentation was pretty incredible.. I snapped some photos of the empty glasses afterwards.
As you can see, his espresso (with raw javanese palm sugar and chocolate cream expressed by whip container, fresh grated lime zest on top) was served in the top glass, which had a pointed base like a broken martini glass. It rested in a round glass with a display of the ingredients: Lemongrass, lime (candied slivers), chcolate and beans.
Most everybody had minimal elegant presentations, and nothing seemed too over-the-top.
Sander, the 2009-2010 Dutch champ, had a digital photo frame showing scenes of his coffee's farm, I believe, as well as a complicated sig drink with dry ice and 13 drops of passion fruit to compliment his coffee.
There was a wide array of cold-holding jackets and devises for milk.
Frans van den Berg was the youngest competitor at 15 years old! I loved his miniature waste can. He was shaky but sure of himself as he poured 4 perfect tulips. He was one of several competitors who observed a ladies-first order of pouring waters, which is different than what's encouraged in America.
Some competitors were not leveling, some were. At least 3 people did this leveling where they "patted" the coffee while vaguely scooting it into a mound without eliminating any. I do dislike this. After 6 years of being a trainer, I've reached a point in my coffee-etiquette OCD where improper or nonsensical techniques, like crazy tapping or improperly stretching milk, cause a visceral reaction in me: I actually get nauseous seeing it...But anyway..
Most espressos were served two at a time, same with capps
At least 3 of the competitors worked with professional assistance. Sander worked with a chef to develop his signature, and Yakup and third place, Kunst, both trained with a man named Yost.
The biggest difference between US competitions and Holland's came with the announcement of the finalists. These girls -
(please note their headbands of beans!) were the greeters at the competition and were part of the final ceremonies. All the judges, the runner Jonatan (a sweet coffee lover), and the competitors received boquets of flowers and kisses (cheek-cheek) from these gals.
There are so many things we Americans can learn from the Dutch. We should perhaps start by having a slower pace of life, more cheap fresh produce and socialized health care, but we should work our way up to flowers and kisses for everybody!
One other noticeable difference was the presence of alcohol. The venue had a bar, and after a few competitors, folks began drinking beer. There was at least 1o minutes between competitors at times, and the event stretched from 3pm until almost 9 (15:00-21:00 actually.) But no one was trashed or rowdy. People were behaved. In America, these events are always separate from drinking, but I feel everyone races from the competition to the parties or bars. Perhaps if we were to be less conservative in some respects, we could have a society capable of better moderation.
I should mention that I got to meet Kees van der Wessen, the designer of the espresso machines we use in our cafes. I was so star-struck I stammered out a shy introduction and was too embarassed to ask for a photo! It's nice to feel like a silly little girl sometimes. I don't know if he meets many people who get as choked up and awkward as I did. I hope he received it as a compliment.
In this cold grey weather, yesterday and today were not as busy in the cafe, though there were still plenty of new faces and return customers. Tuesday is my day to host the 13:00 cupping and 14:00 brewing demo. Yesterday a coffee and tea professional came with his family, and so just he and I played for that while, just chatting and nerding out. Getting to have so many quality interactions with awesome members of the Holland coffee community is such a treat. I look forward to fostering even more coffee community in Utrecht this weekend at what I can only call a barista-jam type series of events.
I should be out dancing at the Midnight Juggernauts show right now, but as I was getting all dolled up, I made the right decision to stay out of the cold tonight. I'm still under the weather but almost recovered.
Stuffy noses are the worst. When I can't smell or taste, it feels like the world is lost to me. It robs me of the joys of coffee and my generally hedonistic life. My friend Maki put it best once, saying that she and I are "mouth people." I live to eat and drink, and am happy to have my senses returning.
I will eat and drink my way through Amsterdam and Utrecht soon.
One of my next stops, besides fab cafes: formocha.nl
A salon, whose owner imports fine chinese oolong teas and serves them gong-fu style! An awesome tip from a coffee friend.
ta ta for now
Snakes mark a canal bridge near our apartment
Outside the cafe at night, when the busy market has banished. The garbage strike has been happening for a little while now, so the streets are littered and becoming fragrant.
Sunday, which would normally be a day off, the whole Stumptown gang spent the day practicing and perfecting different brewing methods. Zachary invested a lot of time to improve our consistency for brewing by weighing our water. The gram itself is based on a metric unit of water, so 1ml= 1g... So we can zero our scale after applying the Clever or Aeropress and coffee, and make the perfect cup with great repeatability. It's so reasonable and basic.
So we just drank soo much perfect coffee and played with brewing different coffees multiple ways, including some Square Mile Coffee that the crew brang for us on their visit Friday, while I was bed-ridden. The coffee was complex and memorable, even through my clouded sick palate.
That day I had to admit to myself that I have a big bias towards acidity. I love an overdosed, low-volume chemex of Burundi Kinyovu or a brighter Central American coffee... but that's not what is most balanced or appealing.
Monday's cafe shift flew by. It was the morning of the Dutch Barista finals, so many coffee people were in town from Belgium and outside of Amsterdam. There were so many great people and fun conversations. I finished at 2 and dashed into the Cuyp market for tons of fruit, and then Zachary and I trammed it to Central station, caught the ferry across, um, a canal.. and then were greeted by a beautiful sailor-costumed girl who pointed us toward a smaller boat which took us to the competition venue. This man steered the boat. I don't think I'll ever get tired of all these beautiful, austere Dutch people.
The competition was truly great. I honestly didn't expect the level of expertise to be as high as it seemed. I only wish I understood Dutch better so that I could have understood more of the presentations, but the cognates for flavors were plentiful! I caught the jist of most competitors and took down some notes of my impressions. Here are just a few thoughts:
For the ten finalists (which is different in that US competition has only 6 finalists... but we also have regional competitions prior to our national event) there was only 1 flight of judges (and half of them had been in to our cafe the day of or prior!) For this reason, I assume, there were spit cups. I understand forsaking the fuller gustatory experience.. they'd each have consumed 30 shots by the end!
The machines were 2 group lineas, with 1mm groupjets, from the look of it. It makes sense, since that is the stock specification, but I was still surprised nonetheless. Many of the espressos seemed to drop so quickly!
At least 5 of the competitors used a washed Ethiopian SOE, or blends with Ethiopians as the dominant component. The competitor from Illy, who won, used a Sidamo for his espressos, and a blend of Yirgacheffe, Brazil and Costa Rican coffees for his capps and sig. The new champ (who will compete in Colombia next year) was Yakup Aydin. This guy seemed like a crowd favorite. I was told he had competed for a couple of years, but things always went wrong in his past presentations, like last year when he served his sig drink without espresso! He was cracking jokes before his comp time and seemed at ease and professional. His signature drink's presentation was pretty incredible.. I snapped some photos of the empty glasses afterwards.
As you can see, his espresso (with raw javanese palm sugar and chocolate cream expressed by whip container, fresh grated lime zest on top) was served in the top glass, which had a pointed base like a broken martini glass. It rested in a round glass with a display of the ingredients: Lemongrass, lime (candied slivers), chcolate and beans.
Most everybody had minimal elegant presentations, and nothing seemed too over-the-top.
Sander, the 2009-2010 Dutch champ, had a digital photo frame showing scenes of his coffee's farm, I believe, as well as a complicated sig drink with dry ice and 13 drops of passion fruit to compliment his coffee.
There was a wide array of cold-holding jackets and devises for milk.
Frans van den Berg was the youngest competitor at 15 years old! I loved his miniature waste can. He was shaky but sure of himself as he poured 4 perfect tulips. He was one of several competitors who observed a ladies-first order of pouring waters, which is different than what's encouraged in America.
Some competitors were not leveling, some were. At least 3 people did this leveling where they "patted" the coffee while vaguely scooting it into a mound without eliminating any. I do dislike this. After 6 years of being a trainer, I've reached a point in my coffee-etiquette OCD where improper or nonsensical techniques, like crazy tapping or improperly stretching milk, cause a visceral reaction in me: I actually get nauseous seeing it...But anyway..
Most espressos were served two at a time, same with capps
At least 3 of the competitors worked with professional assistance. Sander worked with a chef to develop his signature, and Yakup and third place, Kunst, both trained with a man named Yost.
The biggest difference between US competitions and Holland's came with the announcement of the finalists. These girls -
(please note their headbands of beans!) were the greeters at the competition and were part of the final ceremonies. All the judges, the runner Jonatan (a sweet coffee lover), and the competitors received boquets of flowers and kisses (cheek-cheek) from these gals.There are so many things we Americans can learn from the Dutch. We should perhaps start by having a slower pace of life, more cheap fresh produce and socialized health care, but we should work our way up to flowers and kisses for everybody!
One other noticeable difference was the presence of alcohol. The venue had a bar, and after a few competitors, folks began drinking beer. There was at least 1o minutes between competitors at times, and the event stretched from 3pm until almost 9 (15:00-21:00 actually.) But no one was trashed or rowdy. People were behaved. In America, these events are always separate from drinking, but I feel everyone races from the competition to the parties or bars. Perhaps if we were to be less conservative in some respects, we could have a society capable of better moderation.
I should mention that I got to meet Kees van der Wessen, the designer of the espresso machines we use in our cafes. I was so star-struck I stammered out a shy introduction and was too embarassed to ask for a photo! It's nice to feel like a silly little girl sometimes. I don't know if he meets many people who get as choked up and awkward as I did. I hope he received it as a compliment.
In this cold grey weather, yesterday and today were not as busy in the cafe, though there were still plenty of new faces and return customers. Tuesday is my day to host the 13:00 cupping and 14:00 brewing demo. Yesterday a coffee and tea professional came with his family, and so just he and I played for that while, just chatting and nerding out. Getting to have so many quality interactions with awesome members of the Holland coffee community is such a treat. I look forward to fostering even more coffee community in Utrecht this weekend at what I can only call a barista-jam type series of events.
I should be out dancing at the Midnight Juggernauts show right now, but as I was getting all dolled up, I made the right decision to stay out of the cold tonight. I'm still under the weather but almost recovered.
Stuffy noses are the worst. When I can't smell or taste, it feels like the world is lost to me. It robs me of the joys of coffee and my generally hedonistic life. My friend Maki put it best once, saying that she and I are "mouth people." I live to eat and drink, and am happy to have my senses returning.
I will eat and drink my way through Amsterdam and Utrecht soon.
One of my next stops, besides fab cafes: formocha.nl
A salon, whose owner imports fine chinese oolong teas and serves them gong-fu style! An awesome tip from a coffee friend.
ta ta for now
Snakes mark a canal bridge near our apartment
Outside the cafe at night, when the busy market has banished. The garbage strike has been happening for a little while now, so the streets are littered and becoming fragrant.
Friday, May 7, 2010
more photos
My co-amsterdammers are amazing photographers and writers:
groverdoesamsterdam.tumblr.com
(Robyn's)
Whoacup.tumblr.com
(Katie's)
groverdoesamsterdam.tumblr.com
(Robyn's)
Whoacup.tumblr.com
(Katie's)
Head cold
I woke up yesterday from a night of not really sleeping, as my sinuses were beginning to painfully fill up. I have a head cold. My shift was difficult because arounf 9:30-10am, it started getting busy and didnt really stop. We already have several regulars. There have been the same coffee professionals attending our cuppings multiple times already. So many folks drink multiple courses of drinks, and we just memorize and settle their tabs at the end. It has been a rad challenge to give perfect service, memorizing who came to the counter first, and make every shot perfect. Perfect latte art with the crazy local milk isnt too hard; especially when people still melt and freakout over it. This hard-looking goth-punk couple came in, off the street by random they said (we'll occassionally ask how people heard about us, and most read mags, or tweets!). They were stoic until their capps came out, and they started giggling and broke out their camera.
A local Portlander, M Ward, who I didnt recognize, came in for coffee yesterday as his band She & Him were going to play the Melkweg, one of two decent venues in A-dam. Later the band stopped by during our employee meeting, and we made them coffee before they performed. They were all so excited for a taste of home. They put us on the guest list, so after our meeting, the 6 of us rode 4 bikes over to the show.
It was great; beautiful pop-rock-country. Jazzy at times too. It was a nice surprise. I rallied my body for a second wind to go, even though I felt like collapsing. I got home before midnight and slept until 2pm. Today, Friday, is my Saturday.
I feel so guilty about staying at home, but every time I stand up I get a huge headache and can barely stand the pressure in my head. My throat is raw and I can barely speak.
In addition to the cold I am still dealing with the gluten-exposure; dizziness and headaches, sluggishness. I'm just mapping out places to go over the next 2 days I have off. Although Sunday, the only day the cafe is closed, we're going to each practice doing multiple brewing demos while clearly explaining the processes and unique properties of each, as we'll be doing for folks soon. Already, yesterday's brewing demo hosted around 10 people, and it was only our 4th day open!
It's a true fact that coffee in Holland will never be the same now. Every day on bar I hear baristas gasping and saying "I never thought to do that" at things like flushing the grouphead or wiping a portafilter basket. It's pretty exciting.
But for now, it's ginger tea and rest... It's so hard to stay in bed when there's a whole city to explore!!
A local Portlander, M Ward, who I didnt recognize, came in for coffee yesterday as his band She & Him were going to play the Melkweg, one of two decent venues in A-dam. Later the band stopped by during our employee meeting, and we made them coffee before they performed. They were all so excited for a taste of home. They put us on the guest list, so after our meeting, the 6 of us rode 4 bikes over to the show.
It was great; beautiful pop-rock-country. Jazzy at times too. It was a nice surprise. I rallied my body for a second wind to go, even though I felt like collapsing. I got home before midnight and slept until 2pm. Today, Friday, is my Saturday.
I feel so guilty about staying at home, but every time I stand up I get a huge headache and can barely stand the pressure in my head. My throat is raw and I can barely speak.
In addition to the cold I am still dealing with the gluten-exposure; dizziness and headaches, sluggishness. I'm just mapping out places to go over the next 2 days I have off. Although Sunday, the only day the cafe is closed, we're going to each practice doing multiple brewing demos while clearly explaining the processes and unique properties of each, as we'll be doing for folks soon. Already, yesterday's brewing demo hosted around 10 people, and it was only our 4th day open!
It's a true fact that coffee in Holland will never be the same now. Every day on bar I hear baristas gasping and saying "I never thought to do that" at things like flushing the grouphead or wiping a portafilter basket. It's pretty exciting.
But for now, it's ginger tea and rest... It's so hard to stay in bed when there's a whole city to explore!!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Remembrance and Liberation
My reading spot by a canal bridge
"Seven Bridges" the only identical, aligned 7 bridges in A-dam
Our captain steered with skill on a big wheel
I dare say all views from the canal are breath-taking Everyday in the cafe has been incredible. Nearly everyone who's come in is in the coffee industry, or are major coffee fans. There have been so many Americans, largely from the northwest. Some of the people drove 1-2 hours just to get to us! What's really incredible is that almost every group is ordering multiple flights of drinks. They come and each drink an espresso, then a cappucino, then a small (kleinchen) latte. There have been a number of bloggers, and home coffee geeks. Every barista is conspicuous with their observation and happy to engage in conversation, asking about our 45ml 20g style. Today "Venue" magazine (which covers cafes and bars around amsterdam) and dutch Glamour came in. They both took tons of photos... I really hope to be in Glamour, or at least have them send me some of the shots they took of me.
After closing the cafe early, we had an evening with the folks who work in the design agency who host our cafe.
All together we observed the 2 minutes of silence for Rememberance Day, in honor of the fallen veterans of WWII and other wars. It was an awesome thing to be in a large group of people and stand, heads bowed, in complete silence for a moment. The city was silent, with only a few bikes passing by. It was said, and evident, that cars pulled over during this time.
We then walked 2 short blocks to our canal tour! We had a beautiful 1890 wooden boat, completed refurbished inside. For 2 luxurious hours we motored through the canals. It's said that the best views are from the canals and though we didnt see too many private backyard gardens or lurid scenes, it was spectacular. I couldn't help but be glued to the glass windows - the architecture here is so stunning. Each quarter seems to hold buildings from slightly different eras with unique aesthetics and embellishments. No photos can do justice, especially as the setting sun reflected off buildings. We ended reluctantly and group-stumbled down thr street to a local watering hole, Eddy's, to continue bonding in one of the few bars where smoking indoors is still allowed. There were still orange flags strung around the bar from Queen's Day.
Today I got to the cafe, expecting the cleaning lady to have disarmed the security system. I had forgotten it was Liberation Day, when most of the city shuts down. Within 30 seconds of unlocking the door, the alarm went off. I ran toward the rear of the cafe, where the SidLee offices were, calling for the woman in charge, and promptly set off a second, louder alarm. I went outside and waited for my second barista, Zach and our manager David. After Zach arrived, the police did. I am so glad that the security system's officer and 1 police lady spoke fluent english. Nevertheless, my name and info are now in the NL Politie's files.
Today, our third day open, was even busier than the days before. Because people didn't have to work today, plenty of people came for coffee. A few of them are already becoming regulars, bringing their friends as well. I can't explain how much fun it is to meet someone and share the excitement of explaining the unique properties of a chemex or dutch historical preferences for coffee, import taxes... So many nerds! These are my people! And the espresso continues to taste excellent. I pulled coffee from 4/29, with most best shots at 24-25 seconds at a higher volume in our demi's (45-50ml). People love sweet balanced shots. Supposedly, the dutch are not fans of acidity, or as they or any uneducated palate might say, sourness. The people are turning quickly. It's so fun to have people begging us to stay, asking for more cuppings, requesting single origin espressos. It's awesome that my primary purpose in the city aligns with my passion, and it is so rewarding to be serving coffee to people who appreciate it so much.
I can admit, it never gets old pouring latte art for people who freak out. It seems most Dutch have never seen decent latte art, let alone perfect rosettas or tulips or multiple hearts.
Geek love in broken english, focused on the same love - coffee.
I'm excited for another day on bar. It will only get busier and busier. I wish we could have the luxury of long conversation with everybody as we do now, but the reality is that this will be a brutal bar soon. And I'm stoked.
After work, I biked home to eat and bathe, then went back to the market for veggies and leggings, new skivvies and sneakers. Basics. I biked home and then to my reading spot below a bridge along a canal. I came home to write here, and ended up playing with Pearl, a one year old precious little girl who is quickly learning how to operate a laptop and can easily manipulate my iphone. Crazy smart, this little one. We watched youtube videos of Yo Gabba Gabba, who hosts artists like Chromeo and the Shins.
I should stop rambling now and get to bed.
Every day is another joy, and I keep reminding myself to snap into the now.
I did get a little exposure to gluten last night (shaking hands with pizza eaters) and consequently have had a little headache and depression today. But biking through the beautiful streets of this city, it's hard to stay trapped in my own head.
Don Juan said something about not ever getting angry with people or their actions, because that would mean that they were important, which they are not. My mood swings are far from permanent, and this life is too awesome to do anything but be in it all the way!
It is hard to sleep every night, I'm so excited to keep exploring!
But tomorrow is my friday, and then I have Friday, Saturday and Sunday off.
Goodnight
Monday, May 3, 2010
Opening Day
16 century paintings from the Old Catholic Church in Amsterdam
Busy
About to open with David and Derek
Saturday, Zachary, Derek and I walked down into the Centrum, meandering back through Jordaan section of town. When we got home, my legs were aching but I was so excited to absorb more of the city while the weather was still good. I spotted a black austere steeple from our apartment and set out to find it. Along the way I found a lovely little staircase down to a dock of concrete and brick along a canal bridge. The little cove faces west and was baked by the afternoon sun. I sat on the edge with my feet barely above the water and started reading Carlos Castenada's "The Teachings of Don Juan." I look forward to many more afternoons sitting in the sunshine in my hidden spot. As the sun moved, I migrated closer to the church, then back to my basking spot until my stomach took me back home.
Sunday, we all set up the cafe. We practiced our brewing methods and multi-tasking to do multiple methods at once, such as syphon, French press, melitta and aeropress. We polished every inch; We pulled shots until it felt like our home bar. We felt ready.
Today, Stumptown Coffee Amsterdam opened for its first day of business. David and I arrived at 7 and I git the grind dialed to be as shockingly sweet, complex and beautiful as it is back home in Portland. Our first guests came from the design agency SidLee, followed by Katie of Counter Culture and Zachary at 8:15. We had, as we will every day, a rush of the SidLee staff, but then throughout the day, many people came. Coffee industry people, enthusiastics... all of them absolutely shocked by the latte art (every person gasped and complimented) and all of them pleased with the coffee. Everyone stayed in the cafe to drink, and I asked how their coffees were as I collected their empty cups. There were so many surprised and pleased people. We had our first cupping at 13:00 (no am/pm here) and several folks showed up. They're already asking if we'll have daily cuppings, when we'll be serving brewed coffee, and on and on.
I left at 2pm to shop in the Albert Cuyp market which surrounds our cafe. I bought a ridiculously cute dress and tons of fresh veggies for dinner. I stopped back into the cafe around 3 and it was slammed. Every table was full and there were lines from customers and Sidlee folks. Today was our first day open, a Monday, and it was terribly cold and rainy... and plenty of people came. I expect it'll be crazy from here on out.
There were several instances during the day where I felt like I was just working at a cafe as usual, and suddenly a customer would order in broken English or simple words, and reality would snap back into place. It's so exciting. Every drink is wowing and being appreciated. People are coming just for the coffee!
I walked home with my groceries through the bitter rain and made potato leek chicken soup. I ate too much and attemped a bike ride to an old church near the center of town. Out of range of any internet, my iphone's map function was somewhat useless and I could not find it. I rode my bike around for 45 minutes, asking police officers and clerks for directions. After a short while, I gave up my silly frustration and enjoyed a bike ride home. It wasn't yet dark. I biked through so many winding cobwebs of bricked streets along canals. The houses are so unique, with the occasional rooftop tilting out over the street or at a sharp angle against its neighbor. It was fun to try to let instinct guide me for a few blocks, then consult a map and backtrack and feel it out from there. I look forward to better learning this town and being able to pronounce and remember the crazy street names. By necessity, I'm learning both old and new amsterdam words, because some of the streets are labeled 4 different ways in as many blocks. Thank god there are a lot of English cognates.
On the way home I stopped to buy a few more groceries and some candy.
It was such an exciting day for not only me, but so many of the people to whom I served coffee. Nearly every person had been anticipating our arrival and was wishing we were staying forever. I cherish people who love good coffee.
I work every day until Friday, then get 3 days in a row off!! Sometime soon, I'll have to travel to Berlin or Barcelona for a weekend.
I am so excited it exhausts me. I am so grateful to be alive and healthy and feel supported in so many ways.
I feel silly going to bed early, but there will be plenty of music to see, places to go to, things to eat for another day!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Queen's Day
I do love military hats.
Tweewieler
NL's in Queen's color
David George with backdrop of people pouring in from the tram.Today Amsterdam celebrated the queen's birthday with endless tables and blankets of yardsale and flea market items. Mixed in with the expected worn clothing and useless knickknacks were brilliant old dishes and ornate antiques. I restrained myself from buying dozens of demitasse sets and painted wooden coffee grinders throughout the day. I left early, buying a military hat a block from home. All day long, many older men saluted me. I returned to get Robyn and Katie and we set out around 10, just as the rest of Amsterdam arrived, slowing every block to snail's pace - just perfect for perusing. I stopped to buy killer black cowboy boots and lost them in the crowd. I now also own a mid-eastern rug, Lou Reed live and Roxy Music records, James Baldwin and Carlos Castenada books, a wooden toy snake and a bike! By the afternoon, the rains had subsided and the sun began to shine, just as tram after tram began dumping people outside our apartment, beyond which the streets were almost entirely blocked off. The crowds were quite decorated in orange hats, bandanas, boas, and rubber overalls, singing
and shouting playfully to others while drinking beer from cans and bottles.But as the afternoon wore on, what shocked me the most was the composure of the people. No one seemed belligerent, and there wasn't any fighting or stumbling. People were pleasant and amiable with each other. However, the streets are littered with cans and smashed bottles and crumpled orange hats. Orange feathers dot the bushes and sidewalks. Boxes of unsold clothes and shoes and electronics pile near trashcans. Our neighborhood has gone silent as the Queen's partiers move toward other districts with more bars.
It was wonderful to tramp around the city seeing smiling happy people and chatting in broken english with older folks trying to peddle their collectables.
Another great surprise for me has come from the grocery store. Being allergic to gluten and dairy, I expected to struggle finding anything to buy beyond fresh fruits and vegetables. But here, all the labels at the grocery store have PICTURES showing the allergens not contained!! My tamari, fruit juice, cashew butter, etc are far cheaper and consistently safer than in America.
I am well fed, well-shopped, and feeling peaceful. It'll be hard to rally, but there are tons of parties tonight.
Only the occasional funny siren dopplers past, making me think a James Bond movie is playing in the background. Party boats float past our window on the canal blasting techno and covered with dancing people.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Arrival
The reality of where I am hasn't quite set in yet. I'm still in the delerium of timezone change, enthralled with the ornate and detailed architecture of every building. The tap water tastes sweet and rich with unfamiliar minerals. There are many strange birdsongs, and familiar cherry blossoms, wisteria, horse chestnut. I am equally exhausted and ecstatic.
Tomorrow is Queen's Day, where not only does the whole city celebrate the Queen's birthday, but since it is the only day when its legal, they all have garage sales. All over Amsterdam, squares are chalked and taped off, with names marking the territory as "gereserved".
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