The Kids are Alright: Coolspotting in Netherlands

In the fortnight I've been in Holland, its rained at least once each day. Thankfully the clearest skies graced the days we attended cultural Street Festivals. One of the fun things of hitting a new city is making the type of connections you'd make as if you planned to live there. Befriending locals, nominating your "spots", it comes especially handy on rainy days.

i) Cafe de Duivel, Amsterdam

I found Cafe De Duivel on a night time walk towards Holland Casino in Amsterdam. It grabbed my attention as everyone outside was rocking J's. It was opening night for an Art Expo by 'Pasha' and not surprisingly they played HipHop. That night I met some lekker dings, girl-next-door types. By that I mean they were from Melbourne, dancers for MG's (Gentleman's club) visiting a friend who was spending a year living in A'dam.

More importantly I made a Dutch vriend after commenting on his "Stat NY" shirt. I got the 411 on the best spots to find pick-up games and got on court on a rained-out night soon after. This spot is my go-to hang out in Amsterdam. Listening to good hiphop, being around leuke meisjes and hanging out with Dutch Ballers.

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ii) Ill Streetwear, Utrechti

Utrecht is a pleasant student town, unfortunately it rained everyday I was there. No matter, as I met plenty of cool kids with the help of Couchsurfing. I also found 'Ill' streetwear store. They were my personal 'OnTourism' bureau, dropping knowledge, letting me hang and even offering their couch to crash on. I checked in with these guys each day, it was only later that I realised I was one of the many "Ill groupies" and "regular homies" who paid the boys a daily visit. Good people.

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iii) Kunst Liefde, Utrecht

Bookstores, streetwear stores and Art Galleries, my usual go-to moves. Kunst Liefde was a dope Art Gallery right near my hostel. This amazing piece was mesmerising, genius in its simplicity. I could stare at it for hours, it was like a living graff piece. I could only imagine how captivating it would be after a Dutch coffee shop.

Aqua Morgana, Liquid Files, 2011

... Three shallow trays filled with aquatic life are exposed from below. Mirrors at an angle of 45 degrees show the vibrant fields of water parallel to the wall.

The trilogy contains aquatic life from different places in London: algae, water plants, water fleas, insects, snails, leeches and so detached from the gravity and with sufficient oxygen surface fields continue to develop during the exhibition.

The Kids are Alright

- Coolspotting in Frankfurt and Barcelona
- Coolspotting: Subculture in the South of Spain
- Coolspotting in Netherlands
- Coolspotting in Netherlands Pt II
- Coolspotting: Nerding out in England - Comics, CosPlay, Video Games and Wrestling
- Coolspotting in Berlin
- Coolspotting in Istanbul
- Coolspotting in Sydney
- Coolspotting in Melbourne