The Escher image of doves turning black to white, or white to black, should have been a fair warning of what was to greet me in Amsterdam. My bucolic impression of Dutch milkmaids, wooden clogs and languid windmills are far removed from the realities of 21st century Netherlands. But being popularly known as the “second best city to live in,” it is not doing too shabby. After collecting our luggages and finding our way to the hotel, our coordinator coaxed us into going to the city center to plan for the next day’s tour. As we asked for directions from the hotel lobby, we were told that there were a lot of people, short of mayhem, because it was going to be the finale of the gay pride parade. Not knowing what that meant, we proceeded to the train station, which, luckily was just in front of the hotel.

BASKING IN GAY PRIDE AND A LITTLE RED LIGHT

We finally reach Amsterdam’s city center and even before we can get out of the subway station, we can already hear music blaring out like a maniac. We were all wondering about the party atmosphere, until we remembered the info given us from the hotel. After finding out that the tourist center was closed for the day, we decided to make the most of the time and walk the streets of Amsterdam, to find out about the commotion. We saw boats on the river cruising to and fro with people in all forms of costume, or none, playing music, beer at hand and toasting to the occasion of the gay pride. Some boats even bore themes. The most popular symbol of course was the rainbow flag as it bedecked the boats, with people in them wearing multicolored wigs.

It’s as if we imbibed the crowd’s devil-may-care attitude as we braved the side streets of the Centrum district. We perused the shops of the Centrum or the (in)famous red- light district. There were pizza parlors, restaurants, ice cream stands, and before I can even blink, I suddenly realized I was looking at a cannabis ice cream freezer. More than delighted, I was amused at how liberal the city is. Soon, more stores started to command my attention. There was a paella restaurant that we were to go back to for dinner, inns, laundromats, and of course, sex shops. Yes, they are all legal and out on the streets open to anyone who needs anything, and for a jaded 50-something Asian, these were unchartered waters.

Getting out of the Centrum, we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of a humongous street party. There was a stage where the music was coming from, and at the opposite end of the square, in front of what looks like a medieval castle, are kiosks selling alcohol. And in the middle of the square where the party was taking place, people just milled around, danced to the music, kissed three times (that’s the Dutch way) and just had a good time. We decided to stay and stand our ground to experience more of the revelry, first-hand. As we people-watched, we were treated to a slew of fetishes, especially of the S&M kind. And as the music continued blaring, we saw a guy dancing inside a fountain in full mermaid costume. Unbeknownst to us, in front of him is another guy, but this time in a sea monster get-up, also with an S&M flair. None of us have ever been to a gay pride festival, and to say that the Amsterdam version we just witnessed was fun is an understatement. And it doesn’t stop there, for across this particular square was another square, the more famous Dam Square with another street party.

TAKING THE HOP-ON-HOP-OFF

The following day, we took the easiest way to see the city: the hop-on-hop-off bus. And since this is Amsterdam, as expected, our first stop was a diamond cutting facility. We got off at Gassan Diamond.

Diamond is one of the best- known products of Amsterdam. This started way back in the 16th century with the Serphadic Jews who first established it here. In Amsterdam, we were able to see an actual diamond being cut into perfection. Of course, we were also given a short lecture on the development of the different cuts and how the brilliant cut came into being. It was just amazing to see how this is all done by someone. On the way out, I had to go through a cabal of jewelry and a watch store, all trying to vie for my attention. The former costume jewelry designer in me was simply amazed.

Moving on, our next stop was the famous Rijksmuseum. Probably one of the most famous and important museums in Amsterdam, it is famous for one particular painting: “The Night Watch”. But the Rijksmuseum is so much more than this one painting by Rembrandt. Some say the displays number at 8,000 objects. It’s quite impossible to see it all, much less appreciate them all in one quick go. So with a cursory survey, I had to zero in on what to me were the important pieces. Of course, “Night Watch” was at the top of the list. But the way they situated it was brilliant. As I moved up the second floor where it is located, the museum first whet my appetite by showing classical pieces from various Dutch artists like Van Gogh and other masters like Lautrec. There are also the delft wares, considered a gift by the Dutch to the world. One of the more interesting pieces I found in the collection were the busts of William and Mary Stuart, done it delft ceramics.

As I moved from one collection to the other zones, eagerly awaiting “the painting,” I had to leave this area and end up in an open space. After admiring the stained-glass wall and figuring out how and why the figures were chosen, I suddenly see a glass door in the middle of the hallway. From the glass door I saw “the painting.”

THE HEAVENLY HEINEKEN EXPERIENCE

Our second day started out with a tour of the Heineken Museum. Dubbed the Heineken Experience, it was a half-day’s worth of learning about Amsterdam’s signature drink. Just a little backgrounder, in the olden times, because of pollution, it is said that beer was safer to drink than water, so even the children were given beer to drink.

The Heineken Experience was so hefty it deserves its own write-up, but let me just highlight some of the portions that were most memorable to me. After going through a series of presentations of Heineken’s history and the raw materials used in beer brewing, I was fascinated by the hologram of the current chairwoman as she welcomed us inside the old brewing station of the company. The big copper vats that still exist were totally charming; it reminded me of the Great Gatsby era when there was much decadence and joie de vivre.

After the vats, we went to the stables where the Clydesdale horses are cared for. From what I remember, there were six stables but there were only two horses. Apparently, the other four, two pairs that is, were in town pulling beer wagons as part of their promotion. I think they hardly need any promoting. Anyway, the next part which was also spellbinding was the audio-visual presentation, where we were hauled into a room, and all of sudden, the walls, floors and ceiling started showing grains pouring in, bubbles swirling around, and a conveyor belt trusting us on an assembly line, as we were “bottled” and were now ready to be delivered.

The next phase was party time. It showed the many locations in the world where Heineken is served. After this, everyone was given a small glass with a shot of the famous beer. What I found funny was when the toast master excused himself from drinking because he was afraid that we would end up veering away from his spiel as the day wore on. That elicited a whole lot of chuckle from the audience.

After the toast came a series of interactive activities where the audience was an essential part of each one. Some of the most memorable were the video booth with two stationary bicycles, and as people cycle on, the background will have you cycling through Europe and different parts of the world, and you can hug and kiss and do all sorts of what-knots as you pass by the different landscapes. I also remember the screen where I moved my hands to create drawings on the screen. Behind it was an actual disco complete with moving graphic lights and dance music. And just when we thought we have seen it all, there was a bar where give your token, get a glass of beer, and in the other end, you can keep refilling until closing time.

A CANAL CRUISE

After the Heineken Experience, we made our way back to the city center yet again, and just about when we were heading for the tram station, in the canal, we saw a boat with a bar and a line of people waiting to get it. Of course, we had to get in as well.

After settling in, the skipper did the initial introduction and the boat started to cruise. For some reason, this ride was more intimate than the one we had the previous day. While telling stories about the places we were cruising by, the lady bartender was busy making and serving drinks.

The ride amidst the canals and bridges was uniquely memorable. We were ducking and touching the bridges when the opportunity presented itself. In fact, both skipper and bartender encouraged it. They pointed out the dancing houses; indeed, they looked like they were dancing, they went askewed because the soil was too soft to keep them straight. Each house had to have a piece of wood with a hook jutting out from the top in order to lift items that cannot be carried through the stairs, because of how narrow the houses where and how the taxes have prevented them from building wider houses. The guides pointed out the legend of the skinny bridge, how a father tried to keep two sisters close to each other. There are just so many stories that will make you fall in love with Amsterdam and its people. But alas, as it is said, all good things have to come to an end. Soon we had to say goodbye to Amsterdam.

On our flight to Geneva, the KLM Flight attendant asked me what my impression was of Amsterdam. I had but one word for her – fluid. Amsterdam struck me as a city that is in a constant state of flux. Wooden clogs next to sex shops, Rembrandt next to Mondrian, canals next to bicycles. It was not chaos, but it certainly was not straightforward either. It will let you examine yourself, examine others, accept others, and most of all, accept yourself. And just like Escher’s doves, nevermind if it was turning white or black, as long as it stays in harmony with each other, it will not be long before Amsterdam becomes the best place to live in, if it isn’t yet.