Going Dutch

I'm proud of my homeland; the Netherlands is a beautiful and inspiring country. And yet I hesitate at times to tell people where I'm from. Inevitably I am faced with the following: "How's the Red Light District?" "Smoke a lot of dope?" "What do your parents do?"

It frustrates me that the first thing people jump to is the seedy stereotype of Amsterdam, which I will have you know is vastly overstated. I may have only been a child while growing up in A'dam, but I go back regularly. The tourist industry booms every season, rain or shine, and it saddens me that so many people who visit have a singular purpose.

There is so much art and culture in the Netherlands, so much history and beauty in such a small country and I wish that when I told people I'm from Amsterdam their response would be "Wow it's so beautiful there!" "Have you seen Rembrandt's work at the Rijksmuseum?" "What is the food like over there?"

My brother-in-law, Timo, who is visiting with my Sister from the Netherlands just asked me what I was writing. "When people ask me 'How is it living in Amsterdam' I tell them it's like biking through a fairytale every day."