F E L I N E R S

Last weekend I talked Peter into hiring a bike for the day to go around Amsterdam. I of course sat side-saddle and we had fun for a while before my ass started hurting like crazy! It is not an experience that I would recommend for more than 30 minutes. Man, I really need to go to bike school, I feel like an idiot.

I cannot forget the bike rental guy's bewildered look when I told him that I don't want to take the bike he's recommending because well, I simply cannot cycle. He said, "...but everyone knows how to cycle. You must know how to cycle!"

I feel like landing a kick in his groin and telling him, "Yea dude, of course you know how to cycle if you spent your entire childhood reading dumb American novels indoors and going to Mandarin classes because your mom thinks that they're 'good for you'. And unlike other normal family, she works in film production 24/7 and your dad lives separately, across the South China Sea. On top of that, you have no friends because your mom strictly believes in studying, not playing. I'm sure then, you'd know how to cycle." Grrr.

I then proceeded to google the statistic of people who cannot cycle. I didn't find anything, of course. People who can't swim are obviously more normal than those who cannot handle a bicycle. Bummer. I found this instead:

Learning to ride a bicycle is one of life's most enjoyable milestones. The fun can start from the age of about 3 years old and can carry on for the rest of your life. Every child loves to cycle because it gives them independence and control. For parents and guardians it can be wonderful watching your child cycling for the very first time without help and it can lead to great family or group days out together.

Double bummer! Teaching my kid how to ride a bike will definitely be on my must-do mommy list.

Anyway, back to the main subject. We rode around Amsterdam and ended up in Vondelpark (pronounce as fondle-park) for an afternoon of relaxation and utter tranquility. Vondelpark is not only the largest city park in Amsterdam but certainly the most famous one in The Netherlands. Basically Vondelpark is what Central Park is to New York City.


It was originally open to public in the 17th century as a horseback riding and strolling park named Nieuwe Park. The name Vondelpark was adopted later on when a statue of Dutch poet Joost van den Vondel was situated into the park.

The architect of the park, L.D. Zocher designed it as an English landscape, using vistas, ponds and pathwways to create an illusion of a natural area.

I told Peter that I feel like we're in a painting, being surrounded in all that lush greenery. Haha.

Now that we are sort of based in Amsterdam, we rented this apartment from this couple through homeexchange.com. It is situated in Jordaan, at the intersection of 2 canals - Brouwersgracht and Prinsengracht. It is an amazing find!

The view is wonderful, the location simply perfect and the apartment is in a historic building that is considered a monument, as according to the owner. It has brick floors!

It used to be an industrial space and still invokes that feeling - in olden days these spaces were used to stock barrels I suppose? I wonder if it passes for gezellig (gezellig is used to describe a kind of cozy-convivial atmosphere, I think). I need Dutch friends.

What is it that you keep asking me, Puss? Un neuken de keuken? Did I get that right? Well, here's to knowing that there's space in the kitchen hahaha.

There is even an old-school jukebox machine that I have yet to figure out how to work.

Houseboats on Brouwersgracht

Sunset from the apartment

Meanwhile, here are some other photos of Amsterdam. I must admit I haven't been taking a lot of photos here, mainly due to the fact that there are so many tourists around and I just don't feel like jostling with them. I'm sure it will all be less crowded again after summer has passed, and since we will be around for a few months, maybe I'll show more of Amsterdam then.

Johnny Jordaanplein (few basic descriptive Dutch so you guys will understand my post better -plein means square as in plaza/open area eg. Leidseplein, Rembrandtplein and -gracht is canal eg. Henrengracht, Brouwersgracht, Prinsengracht). Johnny Jordaan was a Ducth folk singer and was well-known for his songs about the Jordaan district.

Houseboat museum next to Jordaanplein. Houseboats are a big thing in Amsterdam and a visit to this museum would give you an insight to what it is like to live permanently on the water.

On sunny days, which are not many seriously, Amsterdammers flock outside. We did the same.