Amsterdam News
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Spring in Holland

Spring in the Netherlands. When living in a country like the Netherlands, one learns to appreciate good weather rather than just take for granted.
We know we will pay dearly for it, but let us enjoy the moment.
 
Nice weather, flowers fields everywhere... the tulips are up and the smell in the air... what else do we need?
 
Enjoy it.

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Windmill nearby Bergen

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Economy in recession

Just a glimpse of a photo caught by our photographer representing the current economic slowdown. Amsterdam and the global recession.

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Amsterdam, just like any other city in the Netherlands and EU is subject to major global crisis. Global economy slows down and much real estate property, namely apartments are offered for sale. This is definitely a buyer’s market whereas supply by far greater than demand. Prices of real estate are dropping slowly and we did not hit the rock bottom yet as it appears. We feel the recession in global investments and in number of investments in the Netherlands. Also in shopping when people buy much less, and in the travel industry when people travel less and fewer visitors are coming to Amsterdam. It was a difficult winter for Amsterdam hotels and the other main reasons are thought to be the new smoking law was introduced in July 2008 and the declining of coffeeshops and red light district.

It is this spring that will signal if this year can show any tourism recovery in Amsterdam or we will have to wait for next year.

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Streetwise: Dutch art presented on Pijp streets

In the last few weeks we were surprised to see replicas of famous paintings displayed on street corners in the Pijp neighbourhood in Amsterdam.
 
As you know, some of the streets in the Pijp are named after famous Dutch painters and artist and now, next to the street name one can see a sample of the painter’s work deployed. We have no idea whose initiative was that, but we love it.

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We suspect the City of Amsterdam to initiate or at least consent to this beautiful artistic additive to the famous neighbourhood and they deserve every credit for it.
 
So far, we only knew various names of Dutch artists just because we knew the streets names in the Pijp... now we can make the connection to the actual paintings. I guess that’s what the term Streetwise means.

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Photography: www.dekel.nl

That’s The Way Art Is

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 painting by I.Czekalska

by Cheryl Cruz

A friend and I were walking through SF’s MOMA one day. As animation students, neither of us knew much about modern art. Being there was another excuse to goof off and flirt. And I was beginning to see him as soul mate material until we came across this gigantic canvas covered in gray paint and repetitive white lines which made me feel strangely restless and annoyed—annoyed that my friend had paid good money for me to see this—annoyed that I was devoting so many hours to drawing the human form and all the other things a student of animation had to know.

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Q & A with Johannes van Dam

by Mariah McKenna

ImageJohannes van Dam, journalist and food writer for Het Parool, as well as several other publications, is the well-known author of Lekker Amsterdam (a Dutch food and restaurant guide for Amsterdam) and the recently published English version, Delicious Amsterdam. He is often said to be Holland’s most prominent food writer, and restaurant critic, whose weekly restaurant reviews are both feared and revered.

Being aware that Van Dam is the most well known gastronomic writer of Holland, I looked forward with anticipation to our meeting. Knowing he has had a strong impact on the landscape of Dutch cuisine, I hoped to extract some of his educated opinions about the history and food culture of the city. I was not disappointed.

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Damien Hirst at the Rijksmuseum
Nov 20, 2008 at 01:21 PM

by Luke Strosnider

The line snaked its way up Jan Luijkenstraat, all spectators waiting to glimpse a spectacle: Damien Hirst's ‘For the Love of God’, a platinum-cast, diamond-encrusted human skull (credit Hirst's mother for the title; it was her reaction to his plan to create such a thing). Making its first appearance outside the U.K., Hirst's skull - the latest art world hype juggernaut - is on view at the Rijksmuseum through 15 December.

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Magic Mushrooms
Nov 11, 2008 at 05:08 PM

by Jacqueline Carver

Several papers report that Public Health Minister Ab Klink has decided to implement a total ban on hallucinogenic mushrooms, known as magic mushrooms. Trouw writes that the new measure, which will come into effect on 1 December, replaces an existing law banning the sale of dried mushrooms and now includes fresh mushrooms and the cultivation of 182 varieties of hallucinogenic fungi.

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Fowards to Zero
Nov 11, 2008 at 05:06 PM

by Frank Scimone/RNW

Focus is on the controversy generated by the recent proposal by Pieter van der Geel, leader of the Christian Democrat parliamentary party, to crack down on coffee shops. The Christian Democrats (CDA) held their annual convention on Saturday and De Volkskrant reports that Mr Van der Geel "received loud applause" after saying: "Forwards to zero coffee shops". The left-wing daily comments, "the CDA's attack on coffee shops and soft drugs has seriously annoyed their Labour coalition partner."

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T-shirts to Polish the Police Image
Nov 11, 2008 at 04:59 PM

by Frank Scimone/RNW 

De Telegraaf interviews Labour MP Attje Kuiken, who during a working visit to New York was inspired by the fact that Americans are "so proud of their police that they walk around wearing caps of the FBI and NYPD. We should do the same...We should be proud of our policemen and women. These are the people who protect us, who devote themselves day and night to saving lives." The Labour Party also believes that improving the police force's image among young people "will make a contribution to solving the force's chronic personnel shortages". Police and criminal investigation departments currently have 858 vacancies.

 

Do Gooder Duds
Nov 06, 2008 at 12:21 PM

by  Carmell Marchino

Adorn your luscious wrists and necks with universal good energy… AND, please your own pocketbook by donning the design that works for you!

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A Moviegoer's Passing Thoughts on The City of Ember
Nov 05, 2008 at 03:33 PM

by Cheryl Cruz

Ordinarily, by the time I decide to see a movie, I have a good idea what sort of experience to expect. I would have seen the previews, read a review or two, and maybe heard from friends what they thought of the film. But when my brother took me to see The City of Ember recently, I only knew what little the title gave away and the fact that it starred Bill Murray. And, as I took my seat among an auditorium full of kids and their parents, I also knew it was a kids’ movie which meant it would probably suck. I don’t dislike all kids’ movies, but except for a few exceptional films here and there, most of them just aren’t that good and are definitely not worth paying full price to see.

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