Spring
Looks like spring has arrived here in Amsterdam
0800AM Rozengracht looking towards the Dam
At last!
February 8, 2008
December 29, 2007
Amsterdam New Year
FYI I will be DJing on NYE ( 31.12.2007 ) at the Hard Rock Cafe in Amsterdam.
Lots of Funk, groove, R&B, pop and dance music to party on to.
C U There! 2100 > 0100 Free entrance!
HardRock Cafe - Amsterdam
Max Euweplein 57-61
1017 MA Amsterdam
May 15, 2007
Westerkerk carillon - lunchtime playlist
I work in Amsterdam, there is a big church nearby called the Westerkerk (it's near the Anne Frank house), it's recently been brought back to its former glory with a clean up and I've also noticed them playing funky melodies on the carillon. Last week was "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts" and today I got the full title music for "The good, the bad and ugly".
Those crazy Dutch!
I'll keep you updated with any more audio delights!
May 8, 2007
Dutch traffic police -RANT!
So I got nabbed by the police the other month for riding my bike on the pavement to get INTO the train station bike parking?!?!. I received a lovely 30 euro fine for my troubles in the post two weeks later. I tell you what they could have been doing... moving the junkies and making the place safer to walk, it's not a nice place to be in even during the day, with over aggressive beggars and the odd loon shouting his balls out over his crack whore. Oh thats right... they don't have 30 bucks to pay their habit let alone pay a fine, why go after them, when we can have these rich folks money that they earn slogging their guts out everyday to pay our wages.....ARSE! . I mean am I crazy?.. or is it just this place I'm living in?..well apparently I'm not that crazy anyway.
This article, police in Nijmegen fining cyclists using the pavement while the path is under repair.
riding on the pavement when your cycle lane is being repaired...seems like a good idea.
the police think differently me thinks
October 18, 2006
Amsterdam eviction - NOBODY PANIC!
In Holland if a buiding has been empty for more than a year, it is legal to squat it. (well this was the law, and maybe it changed recently). Anyway, this is the way they deal with them over here with riot vans, water cannons, military police and helicopters. The strange thing is the police leaflet the area a few days in advance, so everyone come to see, including squatters from other buildings to cheer things along.... anywho,, heres a pic from the phone.
clickety pop
June 23, 2006
Wuppie shoot em up
A Wuppie is a small fully ball with eyes and feet, created originally by Father Abraham (a crazy Dutch guy who sang tthe Smurf song) . Now its been miniturised into a supermarket give-away for the World Cup, in the traditional colours of Red, White, Blue and of course ORANJE! They are kinda taking over the country with people reporting their cars broken into, all for Wuppies! .. .
Anywho, get your revenge on these evil little marketing tools of the devil (Wuppie stands for "World Unique Promotional Product Identity & Emotion)
(thanks leo!)
March 18, 2006
Schiphol to Utrecht by train
Just an update to an earlier post.
The new trainline between Schiphol & Utrecht is now running!
The train departs at 13 and 43 minutes past the hour from Platform 3
The 1st stop is Amsterdam WTC, next stop Utrecht. It only takes 29 minutes, which is a reduction of 10 minutes (and no change).. NOTE you do NOT have to change trains!.. you just zoom past Duivendrecht..Huzzah!
Single 7,20
Return 13,30
Go check the trains website www.ns.nl for other information
December 3, 2005
xbox green Dom Toren
This week the Dom Tower (aka Dom Toren) has been lit up bright green apparently as part of the campaign for the release of the new Xbox360.
November 25, 2005
lekker vies weer!
Seems as the 'arctic front' has really started to hit here in Holland, as the Dutch say, "nice bad weather", the wind is so strong that it actually stopped me on the bike today while cycling down Kanaalstraat. I think I'll now hibernate for the rest of the weekend until I have to brace the cold Monday morning for my exciting new job in Rotterdam.
anywho, to celebrate the bad weather here's a lovely little song, spelled out quite clearly (although in Dutch) you can view it here or Download FIETS.rar (winrar file here)
music by Henkie - De Fiets
Animation by Michel Mol
The starting conversation goes as follows: "Hey Henkie, lovely cycling weather ay?" (fiets weer), "nice bad weather?" (vies weer), "noo...cycling weather!" and it goes on about how Henkie on his bike that passes correctly by with his tyre, on the wheel....etc etc
sooo...
Mrsmule is in (not so cold) Barcelona, She'll be most pleased to hear how shocking the weather is here I'm sure.
|
Excited???!!!!..LOL
November 20, 2005
Dutch mourn bird killed in domino shooting
Monday 14 November a sparrow knocked down 23,000 dominos during the setup of ' domino D-Day' and an ateempt at the world record.
We watched a repeat of the domino toppling on TV, it was most amusing.On the train from Rotterdam we we're taking about the newspaper article, and people around us were joining in the laughter at the thought of some supersharp shooter taking out sparrow among 4 million dominoes.
anywho if you heard about this, here's the dead sparrows website (which is also reportedly being hacked) and carries a book of condolence, should you wish to pay your respects.
dodemus.nl
and here's a news article
reuters
and here's a tree sparrow yesterday
November 12, 2005
Utrecht Fotos
Huge collection of social/urban daily photo life in Utrecht to be found at www.kwark.org
looks like it is updated weekly with random colourful images
found via GeoURL
November 1, 2005
TIKKY update
TIKKY has a lovely new update, as promised it was launched today 01.11.2005. Nice new look!.. I await the lovely new content now.
Lots of lurvley graffitti pics to behold!
woOt!
September 19, 2005
Dutch artist value - by QEE
Recent online charity auction for ToyExpo & the Dutch masters.
Here are the results of the auction - listed in Decending order of final bid price.. with linky goodness!
DHM - €195,00 - 14 bids
Bfree - €149.50 - 8 bids
Two Things - €122.50 - 7 bids
Krusty the Skull - €122.00 - 8 bids
Menno Schenk - €114.00 - 10 bids
Cirque de Pepin - €103.49 - 8 bids
Ckoe - €102.50 - 3 bids
Wood - €96.50 - 7 bids
Keitai - €86.50 - 5 bids
Arjen de Jong - €81.50 - 8 bids
Out of Order - €81.50 - 7 bids
Freakin Sitnie - €71.50 - 4 bids
Tiquestar - €70.00 - 7 bids
Playskewl - €67.00 - 4 bids
Delicious Ink - €66.50 - 5 bids
ATTI - €61.50 - 5 bids
Ottograph - €61.50 - 3 bids
Eelco van den Berg - €50.00 - 3 bids
Ewos - €46.50 - 2 bids
Mamacita - €40.00 - 1 bid
Hypnoteis - €40.00 - 1 bid
Juice - €40.00 - 1 bid
Boxie - €40.00 - 1 bid
September 14, 2005
BFREE exhibition
THE NEVER EVER EVER - new work by BFREE
Where: SIXTEEN/EIGHTEEN GALLERY
Haverstraat 16, Utrecht
When: Saturday 17th Sept - 16th Oct
LINK
BFREE does some wicked caricature work, his friendly curly people and grinning monsters... it's like a Monty Python and Playschool mad mashup.
Mr BFREE is also a very friendly chap from the 'stickit' posse, so you see his work all over Utrecht.
Another note about BFREE is the sale of his 'custom designer Qee', which is currently setting a record price on Ebay!! LINK
August 17, 2005
aciiiiid party
Saturday 17th September is the 030303 Acid Party
Where: Oudegracht a/d Werf 155 (KSJOT) - Utrecht
23:00 - 04:30
more.... www.stickit.nl/acid
August 7, 2005
gay pride
me n mrsmule went to Gaypride this weekend with friends Wayne and Donnetta :)
Go checkout mrsmule website at www.projectorange.nl/blog for some pics and Waynes video of the stunning GaySwim team!!... sweeet!
February 20, 2005
Legitimate profession?
For a long time I have wanted a pic of this van I have seen in our neighbourhood.
Can they really advertise like that?
September 9, 2004
Pokernight
If you didn't know your ever friendly mrmule is an avid poker player.
We try and have a home game at least every month. We play Texas Hold 'em rules, with a €1 stake.
Players bring drink/snacks to enjoy during the evening.
I have recently signed up to be Organiser of the Amsterdam Poker Meetup Group. Although some of the meetups are in Utrecht, which makes things easier!
If you are a poker player, sign up and come join us for an evening!
August 25, 2004
Shops in Utrecht
We have a great shop here in Utrecht called 'Lilith | Ravings of a Mad Woman'
Popped into the shop yesterday after a tip off that they have started selling all manner of designer toys *GULPS*
Indeed they do and have a small selection of Qees, Speaker People, Monsterisms and Ci boys. They even had some Dave Kinsey Ltd edition T-Shirts.
Well worth a look in you're in the area!
They also gave me some stickers for the Graffiti Bike.. HUZZAH!
July 22, 2004
Misty morning
Snapped on the way to work
?
Waiter, waiter, there's a dragon fly in my mayonnaise!
June 27, 2004
The Tempest drowns Utrecht
Last night we went to see a FREE outdoor version of The Tempest at the Dom Tower in Utrecht. They had reconstructed the central part that collapsed during a storm centuries ago, and so with this years 750th Anniversary of the Dom, it seemed quite fitting.
It started after the football (of course).. we managed to find a good spot to watch, at the back of the posh seated area, stood on the decking, about 4feet higher thsn everyone else.
It played like an scene from Towering Inferno, with firemen chucking water around and soaking everyone! But the most impressive was the lighting and the sound, for the first time in ... ooo how long the Dom tower was not lit up with the normal flood lights, but with projections of actors and theatre lights.. pretty good visuals! Cries and screams filled the small streets of Utrecht ... gpeople who didn't know about the event must have wandered WTF was happening?!
As you can see by the time on the clock, we were in town until way after midnight, but it's a friendly place... specially when Holland has just won a footy match!
June 23, 2004
Friends Names on Food
Cooking up a storm tonight in the kitchen, (chicken curry BTW) looking over what other random stuff I can throw in with the tinned pineapple I just found, when my eye catches a name.... a familiar name.
This ones for you Stef!
If I find any more...
.. you'll know where to find 'em!
March 31, 2004
Dutch Dog Dunny
Dutch dog owners can soon throw away their pooper-scoopers and plastic bags and instead walk their furry creatures to their very own toilet.
The developer of a new "doggy toilet," a small fenced-in patch of artificial grass, hopes the self-cleaning device will help rid towns of the mess left behind by man's best friend.
The first toilet is being tested in Zaltbommel, a small town in central Netherlands, but the developer has already been approached by government officials from as far away as London.
"This is only a pilot program, but we hope to roll out 200 to 300 of these toilets in one year," Hans van de Pos, who has patented the device.
January 15, 2004
Rotterdam webcam
great webcam high in the Rotterdam sky, updated every second.
"Now we can see if anyone jumps..." NWarns 2004
January 1, 2004
Dutch public looses faith in Prime Minister
Dutch public looses faith in Jan Peter Balkenende
12/30/2003 16:24
According to both polls, Jan Peter Balkenende came out as the worst politician of the Netherlands. The public seems to have enough of the Prime Minister who won two elections in a row. Balkenende has lost all his credits in the two years he was prime minister of the Netherlands.
November 20, 2003
pixels at Albert Heijn
AH Werk - AH Werk - Albert Heijn Check out the pixel artwork kicking off on this site for the Dutch equivalent of Sainsburys.. It's just too lush!
October 22, 2003
Schiphol to Utrecht by train
UPDATED!!!!
see latest post for Schiphol to Utrecht by train
Schiphol to Utrecht by train
Arrive at Schiphol
Follow signs for trains (do a right and a left)
ticket office
get a single to Utrecht Centraal (changing at DUIVENDRECHT)-fare �10,40
Ask the ticket cashier which platform, they're dead friendly and speak English very
well.
1st stop is Amsterdam Zuid WTC
2nd stop Amsterdam RAI
3rd stop is Duivendrecht - GET OUT
You'll arrive downstairs follow the masses and the suitcases upstairs (blue signs for
Utrecht). You'll probably find that a train arrives for Utrecht Centraal, but no-one
gets on it??!.... this is because its a 'stoptrein'. Wait 5 minutes and catch the
'sneltrein'.
Stoptrein = slow (stops at all the stations)
Sneltrein = fast (limited stops)
If you get the 'SnelTrein' to Utrecht Centraal and it's your 1st stop.. YAY
TOTAL TIME 37 MINUTES
If you get on a 'stoptrein' at Duivendrecht, fear not you'll just have to stop at
these stations:
Amsterdam Bijlmer
Abcoude
Breukelen
Maarssen
Utrecht Centraal is the 5th stop
TOTAL TIME 55 Minutes
If all has failed and nothing looks familiar you may have got on the 'stoptrein' at
Schiphol, you'll be doing all these stations:
Amsterdam Zuid WTC
Amsterdam RAI
Duivendrecht
Diemen Zuid
Weesp
Naarden-Bussum
Bussum Zuid
Hilversum Noord
Hilversum
Hilversum Sportpark
Hollandsche Rading
Utrecht Overvecht
Utrecht Centraal
TOTAL TIME 1 HOUR 10 minutes
You can also catch a train from Schiphol to Amsterdam, then change for Utrecht, it's
probably just as easy except that Amsterdam CS is very big.
For train times and online planner hit the NS website at:
http://www.ns.nl/domestic/index.cgi
Travel safely and may the force be with you
October 14, 2003
coffeeshops in Utrecht
get more information from our ::projectorange:: blog