A field guide to getting lost in Amsterdam
Archive for Going out
April 14, 2009 at 4:45 pm · Filed under Cinema, Going out, Socializing, concerts
Shown at Overtoom 301’s cinema “Rok ďábla” (Year of the Devil, Czech Republic, 2002, 88 min.) is a comedic music documentary direct by Petr Zelenka, starring real-life Czech folk-rocker Jarek Nohavica as a fictionalized version of himself. The following musicians act as themselves in the movie: musicians and poets, Jaromir Nohavica and Karel Plihal, Czech folk music band Čechomor, and British musician and composer Jaz Coleman.
The movie won six categories at the 2002 Czech Lion awards.
The plan of the movie
Dutch documentary film maker, Jan Holman, goes to the Czech Republic to make a film about curing alcoholism. In an alcoholics anonymous clinic he meets a mysterious, silent man named Jarek Nohavica who becomes his friend. When Karel Plihal, writer and player of Nohavica’s arrangements, starts to suffer a weird psychological-disease and becomes mute, Jarek decides to go on tour with a funeral band called Čechomor (Czech-Moravian Musical Society) in order to cure his friend and to relieve alcoholic people’s suffering. Jan Holman follows the band with his camera and many inexplicable events take place along the way.
“The greatest attention is attracted by Jaromír Nohavica himself… While all the others continually are seeking something, a kind of absolute knowledge of themselves, whether through God, ritual, music or alcohol, Nohavica is the only one not trying to explain anything. He is striving for nothing, only existing on the screen, perhaps because he discovered this sense within himself long ago and hid it within his songs, which themselves form the impulse for the others to start their own searching. He becomes the symbol and the indication of nearly everything metaphysical that transpires in the film” (reviewer Martina Muziková, Literární noviny, July 22, 2002).
April 5, 2009 at 10:07 am · Filed under Art, Going out, Music, Rerlax, Sauna, Social Center, Socializing
“Binnenpretje” is a dutch expression not easy to translate in other languages. It could mean something like “laughing inside” or “having an happy feeling inside”..
The Binnenpret is a social center in South-west of Amsterdam, close to the Vondelpark.
Originally it was an horse tram station which was closed in 1920. Then different private workshops and small factories until the spaces were abandoned at the end of ’70’s. Since 1984 the building have been reused for social and artistic activities.
The place consists of three different buildings and a nice, cozy garden in the center, with a lot of different uses: The Occii, concert hall, cine forum, bar; the MKZ, the popular restaurant; a theater; a music practice room; an info cafe’; a sauna; a bike workshop. Some artist’s ateliers and residence.
You can pass by during the afternoon to have a cheap coffee’ or beer, a bit of relax in the sauna (very cheap, 9 euro for the entire afternoon and evening or 4 euro from 10 pm. to 11 pm. with a bar inside where you can eat a snake or drink a tea). Have a cheap and good dinner, enjoy some gigs or performance. Speak with people from everywhere or just enjoy a book in the calm of the garden.
March 31, 2009 at 12:43 pm · Filed under Going out, Shopping
During closing time in Albert Cuypmarkt, dozens of herons come by to seek some food left overs. Foto tokyorama
One of the biggest outside daily market in Amsterdam is located in De Pijp District in Amsterdam Oud-Zuid. The street and the market are named from Albert Cuyp, a painter from the 17th century.
This market began by the free initiative of a bunch of street vendors with hand carts, since when in 1905 the municipality decided to establish a free market to regulate and organize the business. Originally it was running only on Saturday until 1912 when it was decided to open it 6 days por week. Actually it’s still going from Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. with 268 market stalls on both side of the street where is possible to buy anything: food, clothes, cameras, souvenirs, gadget, tools.
more info: www.albertcuypmarkt.com
Address: Albert Cuypstraat
Transport: Tram 4, 16 stop at Albert Cuypstraat, 24 stop at Albert Cuypstraat, 25 stop at Ferdinand Bolstraat.
Bus 356, stop at Van Woustraat
Open: 9.00 am-5 pm Mon-Sat
March 31, 2009 at 12:41 pm · Filed under Going out, Socializing
Squatted in 1999 by a group of artists, OT301 is now a well recognized multimedia cultural center, located in Overtoom 301. Many activities are organized throughout the week at OT301: an ‘organic cultural kitchen’, movie projections, dance, yoga and trapeze classes, parties and the Tuesday’s Ping Pong Night.
As the official website states: ‘This night combines the best of two worlds! Sports and drinking beer, great isn’t it. Come down to check it out for yourself. We have 3 pingpong tables so everyone can play some games. We also have simple bats and balls. If you prefer a professional bat you should bring it yourself. The perfect night out on tuesday.’
A notable thing is the timer which plays a sound every 10 minutes, letting new people to play. A helpful tool to avoid arguments between players.
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