D2 Unexpected friend, Catherine

12/14 Sunny
Amsterdam

 

I had prepared nothing for Amsterdam, the reason I came here was that people recommend this place to see and visit so that I changed my plan, spent 2 more days in Ams. The host of hotel, Roy gave me a city map and instructed me the major sights in the city, since it is not a huge city, every sights are close to each other, walking or bicycling-riding are the best ways to explore.

Catherine

My plan was visit at least Anne Frank Huis, the Heineken museum and the Van Gogh museum. So that in the first morning, I walked about 30 minutes to the Heineken museum in the morning, 10am. It was not yet opened so that I turned to the Van Gogh museum.

I was excited to see the famous “I amsterdam” sign stood on the plaza of Rijksmuseum. So that I asked a random girl to take photos for me. That’s the chance I met Catherine from Greece.

I amsterdam

Catherine was in Amsterdam with her friends, but they visited Rijksmuseum and she had been there before, so that she’s walking alone. I asked her to take a photo for me with the big sign and unexpectedly she asked me to take one for her, WITH MY CAMERA. Then she gave me her mail address and ask me send that photo to her. I said yes and then heading for the Van Gogh museum. 3 minutes later she ran into me and asked my plan of the day. I’ve got no plan but wanted to visit at least the 3 sights I mentioned before. She asked me if she could accompanied with me coz she’s separated with her friends.

Catherine and me outside of Van Gogh museum

She told me that she also had been to the Van Gogh museum, but she could wait for me. It’s kind of interesting, I think my camera has its own charm. As a lonely traveller, accompanied with a young girl was unexpected reward. I said yes and let her wait for me for 1 hour. Then turned into the museum.

Van Gogh museum displays tons of paintings of the prestigious painter Van Gogh. The museum make the paintings chronically, we can observe the improvement of Van Gogh in different periods. I was astonished by the paintings, the emotion were fiercely protrayed by observing the color and brushwork on the canvas. I bet Van Gogh was looked like a weirdo at the time but he made so many masterpieces, so don’t despise your weirdo friends.

My favorite painting was not-that-famous, The pink peach tree (De rozeperzik boom), Van Gogh coloered the sky with think light blue, just fit the color of sky in my dream world. I’d drown in the happiness blue color.

(Van Gogh)

Catherine caught me after the museum, she asked me where to go next, she’d like to visit the windmill and Anne Frank Huis. We plan the route together and decide to visit the windmill firstm then the Anne Frank Huis. She did some homework about Ams and the windmill village, which completed my journey. I never think of visiting the windmill village before.

The canal and the windmills

Me and Catherine

After the lunch break, we knew each other more and more. She’s from Greece, visiting a northern city of the Netherlands for a seminar, the association paid her 70% back of her travel expenditure. So that her friend and she visit Amsterdam for 3 days. She’s the youngest child in her family, two sisters above, from the largest island of Greece. She’s 18 years old, studys European national affairs or something in Athens. That’s her basic information.

On our way to the windmill, she always asked me to take pictures for her, even in the wheats, on the trees or in an anonymous street with canal. I was sure that she liked my camera very much ;)

As if she’s a model

She took this shot for me in return.

Windmills are one the the most significent spot in the Netherlands, after marijuana and red light district. I have no guts to try the first two, but was satisfied with the spetacular views of windmills.

Amazing blue sky, thanks to my camera

We visited a small cheese house next to the windmill. It is also called “Catherine”, which made my new friend very happy. I’d like to buy some souvenior for friends but Catherine persuaded me not to but there “It’s a tourist place, price might be expensive.” What a rational girl.

Nice cheese!

Fed the goats.

after the windmills, we went back to city center. Then she asked me to transfer the files for her, I wondered if I should go back hotel that early. So she invited me to her hotel. FOR TRANFER THE PHOTOS. We were naive, okay? She gave me a olive soap in order to appreciate my contribution of taking photos. It was so nice of her!

Then we were heading for the Anne Frank Huis, I believe almost everyone who had been educated in any systems has had heard of this book “The Diary of Anne Frank” She’s a jew and her family were hidden in Amsterdam during the 2nd world war. Kept away from the SS. The museum is located the exact site where Anne and her family hide 50 years ago. It’s hard to imagine that living in such a small room and not allowed to make any sound after 8 o’clock, just in order to make a living. The war was crusial and the human were ugly, but when we looked back the history, we would know the direction fo the future. I felt quite tired after visiting the house, I had the same feeling after I visited Dachau concentration camp. I failed to explain to Catherine what is concentration camp.

Catherine and I separate after we went back to the city center, the DAM, she said that there’s a friend await in the hotel, so we said goodbye to each other. It was nice to have her accompannied with. I didn’t know where to go next, so that wandered on the street without any direction. Then I saw a museum looked funny, so that I paid 4 euros to enter.

Sex museum

It was the first time to see so many manikins making love at the same time. But there’s not only sex but a wide range collection of sexuality in different culture. They introduce sex issue from the Roman empire to nowadays. I was impressed that back in the 18th century, the camera were rare and expensice, somebody even paid for shooting sex actions.

Shooting calendar girl

There’s one scene caught my eyes, when a photographer shooting calendar girl, there’s a bottle of JACK DANIEL’S on the table. I laughed for a while, Jack Daniel’s is everywhere.

Then I went to the red-light disctrict, where people were forbidden to take photos. Or you will be punched by prostitudes or bodyguards. Urban legend said there was a Japanese guy took one photo of the district then a whore went out the window to the guy, kicked his balls and throwed the camera in the canal. The other version was that a guy from south America took one shot and argued with the whore, the woman was so mad that she use a knife to kill the man. This version is not that belivable, since there’s not more place to hide a knife from a whore, they barely wear clothes.

Premire of a movie, LOFT

I felt that I must trained myself to walk in the night, so that I walked in the dark street by the canal and saw there’s something happened. A premire of a movie with annonymous local stars. That’s kind of bored, I’d rather shoot the stars by myself.

Night view with stars in the light