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!
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