On
vases, first drinks, and decorated bikes
*** Life
in Amsterdam ***
by Kate Robbins
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US$1 equals
DFL 2.17
I find that
it's better to let people get their fascination with Amsterdam's seedier
side out of their system right away. After a few hours of red-light tourism,
during which they stare at bored, scantily-clad women sitting beneath red
lights, they're ready for something new. Then I get the chance to show
them what Amsterdam is really like. You see, there's a lot more to the
Netherlands and the Dutch people than prostitutes and pot. Here are a few
things you should know if you're considering a move here.
The secret
of the first drink
When you move
into a new house in the Netherlands, it's important to invite your neighbors
for a borrel (drink) to introduce yourself. If you simply say you'd
like to meet somewhere for a drink sometime, you might very well never
hear from them again. I waited for three months before someone let me in
on the secret.
It was also
a bit of a shock to learn that my Dutch neighbors weren't particularly
excited about having “foreign” neighbors. The Dutch are used to foreign
tenants coming and going. Don't take it personally. They're friendly people,
who will feed your cat, inform you if you've left your car lights on, and
translate strange letters about water rates - but for a foreigner, it's
difficult to get beyond the niceties and make a really close friend of
a Nederlander.
The only
transportation you need
Cycling, as
you probably know, is a Dutch habit. But also realize, it's a serious mode
of transportation, not just a way to exercise. My visiting friends soon
learn that traveling at a snail’s pace and stopping every two minutes to
consult maps will get them verbally abused by a steady stream of bell-ringing
Dutch men, women, and children. And be careful with your bike. In Amsterdam,
15,000 bikes are stolen every month. Bike thieves will stop at nothing
to get what they want. The many brightly-colored, graffiti-decorated bikes
are not just an expression of individuality - they are theft deterrents.
Another Dutch
joy for me, even after five years of living here, is buying flowers. The
Amsterdam flower shops and markets are testimony to the Dutch people's
obsession with flowers. When I did eventually invite my Dutch neighbors
to my house for a formal introduction, they all arrived with elaborate
bouquets of lilies, irises, and sunflowers. I had no other option but to
plunge these arrangements into an assortment of unattractive plastic buckets.
My second lesson in Dutch social etiquette: Great care must be given immediately
to arranging, watering, and displaying in order not to offend. I now own
eight vases.
Calculating
normalcy: What's fair is fair
The Dutch
have a thing about being fair. And nowhere brings this national trait out
more than a restaurant. “You're not leaving that big a tip are you?” cried
one Dutch friend in horror when I left 10% of the bill. “I've worked out
the bill,” said another. “OK, I owe 30 guilders and 27 cents exactly. You
owe FL29.52 and you FL31.78.”
Everything
in Dutch life must be fair - which explains why calculators appear at restaurant
tables (and why the service in restaurants in the Netherlands is so appalling).
This obsession with saving money can have its advantages. I was on the
tram one day and asked the driver for a ticket. “A ticket?” he asked. “Well,
I wouldn't buy one on a tram that's this crowded. Look, there's not even
a place to sit.” I saved three guilders.
To rent
or to buy: real-estate resources
The areas
of the Joordan, the Staatsliedenbuurt, and South Amsterdam, around Beethoven
Straat, are my favorite residential areas in Amsterdam.
For rental
accommodation, contact Briefcase Hometip, Sarphatistraat 484, 1018 GW,
Amsterdam, the Netherlands; tel. (31)20-625-4443, fax 20-625-7098, E-mail:
hometip@xs4all.nl, Web site: http://www.hometip.com/.
Hometip has
properties to rent from $364 to $2,914 per month. A three-room furnished
apartment near the central Vondel Park is currently for rent for $1,521
per month. On the city outskirts, a similar three-room apartment costs
$900. The average cost of a three-room furnished apartment in central Amsterdam
is $1,200 per month. For information about properties for sale, contact
real-estate broker Peter Bruin, Valeriusplein 22, 1075 BH, Amsterdam, the
Netherlands; tel. (31)20-673-3322, fax 20-673-3325, E-mail: peter-bruin@nvm.org.
What it
costs to live here
Compared with
their cost in other major European cities, clothing and footwear are cheap,
but they are more expensive than in the United States. The Netherlands
is one of the world’s leaders in electronic goods (Philips) and multimedia
(Polygram), so prices in the domestic-supplies category are among the most
competitive in Europe. Transportation is expensive.
Rules for
residency
If you plan
to stay for more than three months, you must apply for a residence permit
before leaving the United States. If you don't, you can apply to do this
within eight days of arrival at the Aliens Police office. These permits
are renewed annually.
• The Aliens
Police, The Hague; tel. (31)70-360-9879
• U.S. Consulate
General, American Citizen Services, Amsterdam; tel. (31)20-575-5309
• Embassy
of the Netherlands, Washington, D.C.; tel. (202)244-5300, Web site:
http://www.netherlands-embassy.org/
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Article
by by Kate Robbins |
