All the buzz about Amsterdam

September 10, 2009 04:54

Nieuw Dutch herring at Jimmy's No 43, June 2009.

Just a few weeks ago, I was not sure if I would be able to participate in the job swap. I could not find my passport (which was lost and expired). There were business events, meetings, dealings too numerous to mention. And I was reluctant to leave my wife and 7 year old daughter.

Quickly, everything came together. I was able to get a 24  hour passport renewal. Business stabilized. and my family encouraged me to travel to Amsterdam alone.
Klaas emailed that he had planned quite an interesting week for me as well. (If you are in Amsterdam, please visit me at cafe Welling next Tuesday and Wesdnesday.)

We will also visit a Dutch brewery, and a small distillery. maybe a soccer match with team AJAX, Klaas? There must be culture and history, as well! (please submit your suggestions to me!) So far, I plan to visit the Van Gogh Museum. maybe Anne Frank's house.

What work did we do today? for me, more meetings. It was also the first day of school for my daughter, NYC public schools, baby! We are part of small school in Tribeca, in Downtown Manhattan. Mostly a day of regrouping before the big weekend. Even though he had the day off, Klaas still came to Jimmy's No43, chatted with the staff, and ate a braised lamb shank!

The major dutch tv network, NOS, canceled an afternoon film shoot today. I had lined up quite a few friends to gather at the bar. There is  a weekly farm drop off (csa) at Jimmy's No 43 on wednesdays as well. So there would have been a lively bar scene for the cameras.

They had also asked me to lead them on a tour of my favorite places in the East Village, which include:  Porchetta (Italian style roast pork sandwich shop with celebrity chef Sarah Jenkins), Abraco ( a boutique coffee shop whose owner is from San Francisco), and East Village Meats (a local Ukrainian butcher shop).

My good friend Umit, a Turk who had gone to private school in Amsterdam, was one of several friends who came by for the cameras this afternoon. He was not happy that NOS had canceled. But, I bought everyone a round of beers. We drank noblesse, a Belgian blond ale. The perfect afternoon beer!

The Job Swap is an initiative of the Henry Hudson 400 Foundation and BKB, in cooperation with the NY400. The Wildcard contest is organized together with newspapers Het Parool (Amsterdam) and AM New York (New York).