November 2025 – Clogs and Sneakers

Whenever I visit Amsterdam, I try to do it on a weekday unless I have something special going on. So last weekend was the once a month flea market at the IJ-hallen on the NDSM square, which is marketed as the largest flea market of Europe.
It is big but not for me. The stuff offered this time round was more junk than a good deal.

I was very surprised there were just a few stalls that sold vintage tableware. Items that I am more used to seeing in my local area. If you were looking for a steal of a price on second hand fur or leather coats, than you had a great day. As a plus-size woman, second hand clothing is very rare. And if there are any in the shops or on markets, they are usually snagged up by a seamstress to turn into a pair of gauntlets or two summer dresses.

Getting to the IJ-hallen is fun, you take a free ferry from Amsterdam Central station and within 10 minutes you will have crossed the IJ and ventured in a newly developed area.
I think property is well above wealthy line and the Shell office is the most fugly building I have seen. Skyline polution next to enviromental polution, does this company have no shame.

While I am an early bird my husband is not, so I left at 8am while he joined me after 12. To kill time while he was training it up the North, I decided to have a bit of brunch at Dammie near the Zeedijk. I heard about them from a sandwich tester duo that I am no longer following, because if you follow someone long enough, you find out you do not allign with them politically and I say tax the rich.

The route that I walked was only busy when I followed the Zeedijk. Busy I say, it is nowhere near as busy as walking on the Damrak. I have nothing of interest to see or do there. The food establishments are tourist trappy, let them serve tourists.
When I arrived at Dammie, it was before noon, so the lunch rush had not started yet. A couple of annoying British stag-do men who do not know how to handle weed but that’s life when going to Amsterdam on the weekend.

I opted for a Chicken Melt because I cut down my red meat to once every other week and I wasn’t fancying a Tuna Melt at the moment. They toasted this huge flat bread, filled it with chicken and a massive amount of cheese. I love cheese, but this was a bit too much. I even missed my husband, because the melt was too big and normally we go halfsies on things like this. With a lot of effort I managed to finally finish the melt and move to my next destination – antique bookshop Kok.

I followed the road parallel to the red light district, another tourist trap place which I like to avoid. Sometimes you see tourists bring their kids and then act shocked you see a scantily clad sex workers. What else do you think a red light district is? I am not against sex work, I am against human trafficking. I know the municipality does raids on these locations to check if the girls are working there out of their own will but it still happens that the pimps are not kosher and violent with the women.

I was hoping to find more books about batik or anything else related to Indonesia at Kok but I only found a litho print with people of Asia. They had a woman from Celebus (currently Sulawesi) depicted on there, so I was able to show that to my mum and she recognised the traditional clothing.

My next best bet would be de Slegte, I had checked online and they had some books in stock and I was hoping they wouldn’t be gone by the time I got there. I turned the corner of Scheltema (book store) to make my way down the Rokin that runs parallel of the Kavelstraat and normally is way less crowded than the other shopping street. But not this time. Apparently right next to Scheltema, van Stapele opened up a store and the line was hella-long.

Maybe the cookies by van Stapele are good but it has been overshared by influencers into oblivion and I give it a hard pass. Same as the stroopwafels by van Wondere or the fries by Fabel. The people living in Amsterdam find the lines annoying, they are a nuisance and trash is left everywhere. People sitting and eating at someone eleses porch and blocking their doors. No considiration for the people living there. Me not going there, won’t bankrupt them as they are touristy.

On the way towards the Slegte, I had a wee trip down to Popmart Store as the new Labubu 1 AM series had released that day and if there was a line I would just skip it. There was no line and after 10 mins I was outside with my purchase. Super speedy service once again.

I hit the jackpot at de Slegte. 4 books about batik and wajang dolls. One of those books is mega special with all decorative textile art of Indonesia. So much history to read up on, its making my head spin. Backpack filled with books, 15 kilogram, I found out my husband had made his way to Amsterdam.

Earlier I had texted him to meet at Tigris & Eufraat for a Syrian shawarma but because I was stubborn to walk the distance between de Kok and de Slegte I was very late to meet him. I had to walk another 10 mins towards the Rijksmuseum to catch the tram from the Prinsengracht toward the Dappermarkt.
I called him to tell him to buy his lunch while I was on the way because I was still full of melt sandwich and didn’t have to wait long for the tram line 7 to arrive. I had 6 stops to go for my destination and plopped my tired body in front of an old Indonesian woman, smiled at her and joked this bag full of bricks.

What then happended was one of the most wholesome interactions of the day. She said I look tired, gave me a piece of dark chocolate which perked me right up. I gave her a Kopiko sweet (Indonesia coffee drop) and I said my goodbyes as my stop was coming up. She waved at me when I was outside and butterfingers me dropped my public transport card which was picked up by two lovely Maroccan women. You three made my day!

Funny thing was when I turned the corner and ran straight into my husband. Small world Amsterdam lol. He had a great shawarma and I suggested we walk down the road, past the Dappermarket, to Rayleigh & Ramsay Oost for some drinks and bites. If you like oysters, this is a good spot to get them, they are EUR 1 a pop and tucked away from the tourist area. You can pour your own full or half glasses of wine and their IPA’s and kombuchas were really good. We had a set of prawn croquettes which were divine. Love in-house made croquettes.

I wanted to walk along the Dappermarket, it was nearing 4 o’clock to the wares merchants were selling. It is less crowded than the Albert Cuyp but a good selection of street food was available. My husband was still full so we didn’t grab a bite this time.

There was a few more hours to kill before dinner so we walked towards Amsterdam Central again. My husband uses a bong at home but when we are in Amsterdam we either go to The Store or Tyson’s Bar so he can smoke a splif and I have a hot chocolate. The Store is closer to the train station and more visited by locals then next doors Bulldog Cafe. I like the music they play and the stay is super friendly.

When we started to feel the space to get some dinner, it’s always a question where do we eat? I didn’t reserve for dim sum and walk-in is out of the question on the weekend. We didn’t feel like going for ramen or tacos so we wandered a bit into the Haarlemmerstraat which is close to The Store.

My hubby was very surprised the amount of coffee shops to be found at the Haarlemstraat. We have never walked in that street before, out of all our Amsterdam visits. On the other side of the street, the Satay Club caught my attention. We could go for some yummy Indonesian streetfood. And yummy it was, I was blown away by the sambal goreng beans and the peanut sauce with lemongrass and coconut milk. This joint gets my Indo seal of approval.

With our bullies full and our wallets empty, we went back towards the location where I parked my car. Often I would take the train but part of the line was interrupted and busses used instead and which would mean I would had to leave at 6.30am to be on time =_=. No thanks. The P+R is a handy alternative as you park outside the city centre and pay only EUR 6 after you use the public transport, instead of the usual EUR 36 for the day.

In my opinion you can have a fun day in Amsterdam without the tourist stuff. I managed to avoid all the busy main roads, only for a wee small visit to the Popmart Store.
The interactions with the locals, merchants and service staff made our day very relaxing and fun. Of course de Rijksmuseum is a well worth visit, but the Red Light District not. So much more interesting food to eat outside the popular places. And any fresh baked stroopwafel at the mom and pop stores will be worth your money.

In May 2025, a new art museum opened in the port of Rotterdam, focusing on the theme of migration and showcasing how people are on the move worldwide, both historically and today.

The museum covers approximately 15,000 square meters, features a permanent exhibition, and has a space for temporary exhibitions on the ground floor. The museum’s founding initiative stemmed from the desire to tell stories about migration. For decades, from 1891 onward, immigrants departed from Wilhelminakade along the river, across from the Rijnhaven (Rijnhaven), to destinations including America. They crossed the Atlantic Ocean aboard the Holland-America Line.[5] Their primary destination was Ellis Island in New York, which served as the gateway to the New World for immigrants.

A few weeks ago, my mother mentioned her eagerness to visit this museum, also referring to her own migration background, having left her homeland Indonesia as a young girl in the 1960s. Her family was among the last to arrive in the Netherlands because life in the Republic was fraught with obstacles such as daily discrimination and human trafficking.
I’m currently working on finding peace with my heritage. I don’t feel purely Dutch or purely Indonesian, but rather a blend that enriches my life. Instead of continuing to feel the pain of not being considered Dutch enough by a native Dutch person, I want to continue to embrace my difference through batik art and culture.

My mother is 72, and even though the nearest parking garage is a six-minute walk away, it’s far too far for her. That’s why I chose to rent a wheelchair to make the visit possible for her. There were times when she wanted to push the wheelchair herself, and we found the day educational, inspiring, and emotional.

Skyline of Rotterdam with the Erasmus Bridge peeping through the high rises. — Wilhelminakade, departure and arrival of many migrants. In the distance you see the Erasmus Bridge

Below information is from the website of Fenix.
Fenix is housed in a historic harbor warehouse dating from 1923. Once the largest transshipment warehouse in the world, it was designed by architect Cornelis van Goor and built for the Holland America Line. At that time, the warehouse was still called Warehouse San Francisco and is 360 meters long. In recent years, the warehouse has been restored and transformed into a museum. At the heart of the building, architect Ma Yansong added the Tornado: a double, spiraling staircase that spirals upwards to a viewing platform above the roof.

A turbulent history
During World War II, German troops blew up the quays. The warehouse was severely damaged. In 1948, a fire destroyed part of the building. Like the mythical phoenix, the warehouse rose from the ashes. The building was rebuilt, but as two separate structures. These were aptly named Fenix Warehouse I and Fenix Warehouse II.

A place of comings and goings
From the Fenixloods, you look out over the quays where millions of people once departed by ship. Just as many people arrived in the Katendrecht district and in Rotterdam, seeking a new home. This history inspired Ma Yansong of MAD Architects. He was the first Chinese architect to design a museum in Europe.
He designed a futuristic addition to the more than century-old warehouse: the Tornado. A work of art and observation deck in one. Two staircases, with a route of their own choosing, lead visitors to a panoramic deck above the roof. The Tornado’s rounded shapes make it appear as if in motion. The design thus reflects the bustle and history of the quays, where the lives of millions of men, women, and children changed forever.

Restored for the future
Over the years, the warehouse has served a variety of purposes and has been renovated several times. Various styles and elements that complemented each other or the building were added. Based on the advice of Bureau Polderman, the historic harbor warehouse was carefully restored. The facades and window frames were restored to their green color. The tranquil rhythm of the original design, with its concrete columns and characteristic windows, was reinstated.

Stories of the people who helped build it
Hundreds of engineers, welders, and carpenters are working together on the restoration and construction of Fenix. Behind every bolt, screw, and plank is a person with a story. For example, meet Asgeir, who came from Norway to the Netherlands for love. Or discover the story of friends Alan and Remsley. While Remsley longs for his life as a fisherman on Curaçao, Alan has found his new home in Rotterdam.

Tornade as seen from the
inside. You can either walk to the top on the 2nd level or take the elevator. — Stainless steel tornado construction

All artworks tell their own story. Whether it’s an artwork made of plastic bags (degeneratingly called a “Turkish suitcase”) or a giant embroidered tapestry depicting the artist’s family history, these works reflect a personal connection or experience with the topic of migration.

People migrate for various reasons: a better future, war, or natural disasters. It’s not a contemporary movement. Unfortunately, migration also encounters considerable resistance and misunderstanding. No one will simply leave their homeland, and in the current negative political climate surrounding migration, it’s wise to show understanding for the migrant’s situation.

An image of a migrant made from plastic bags, sometimes called a Turkish suitcase. — Turkish suitcase man

A man draped with a yellow cape traveling through marshlands. The yellow is so vibrant that it makes the cape look like he is someone royal. - The Mexican — The Mexican travels through swampy terrain to reach America. The blanket he wraps himself in looks like an expensive cloak, making him appear like a king.

On the bow is written Mashallah – ‘What God has willed.’

I was very intrigued by the tapestry above, made by Thania Petersen (South Africa 1980).

With this tapestry, Thania Petersen tells her family history, which begins in Indonesia. At the top, she embroidered nutmeg, a precious Indonesian spice that played an important role in trade. The medieval monsters depict European sailors. 150 years ago, they shipped Petersen’s ancestors from their homeland to Cape Town, recognizable by Table Mountain.

I previously wrote that while the enslaved people of Suriname are more widely known in Dutch history, the enslaved people of Southeast Asia receive almost no attention when discussing the horrors of colonization. And that saddens me. This piece gives me hope that their stories will also become more widely known.

Various figures in a row, all have been denied entry to the US at one point in history — Who will be next?

These figures are carved from wooden Railroad ties and represent groups of people who have been denied entry to the United States throughout history. They include Africans, Jews, Japanese Americans, and Muslims. The figure in the front, still unknown, symbolizes the next group barred from entering the Land of the Free.

This art installation gave me an ominous feeling. Many of these groups have had serious consequences. The first figure is an African woman with a child, symbolizing those who were not transported to America as free men. Then came the Jews who wanted to flee Nazism in Europe. Antisemitism wasn’t limited to Europe; Hitler had many admirers in America.
During World War II, America targeted a new enemy: the Japanese Americans. They were imprisoned in camps, and their property was destroyed or stolen.
9/11 brought the next enemy into the Americans’ sights: Muslims. Every Muslim had to answer for the actions of a small group of extremists.
The final figure is still unknown, the next group to face America’s wrath. For me, it’s the Latins. Every day, groups of people are dragged from their cars or homes and locked up in detention centers as if they had committed a crime. Their only crime is being Latin and wanting a better future for their children. Whiteness isn’t the foundation of America; First Nations people were already there. But with their nationalistic preaching, they want to make white people the ultimate deity, at all costs.

On the ground floor, a suitcase maze has been built using suitcases donated by migrants. An audio tour guides you through migration stories about love and farewell, about coming home and feeling at home, about homesickness and longing.

This part of the museum became the most emotional part for my mother. She recognised the suitcase she had when packing up a select few items to take with her to the Netherlands. The smell of leather brought her back to her old room in Makassar and brought her to tears.

I still remember the story of how she had a table clock in her house, and when it became known they were emigrating, her neighbor bought it. From that moment on, she heard the clock’s mechanism ticking on the other side of the wall, and she realized she would leave everything in the house behind. A thought that made her very sad as a child.

When my mother dies, she won’t die on the land where she was born. And that brings her a great sense of loss.

Two books about migrant stories and the descendants of the colonized

I bought two books in the museum shop. “Suitcase Stories,” which tells the stories of 10 migrants. For me, it’s important to read the stories of other migrants as well. Because every journey is special.

“The Blue Book” is a reflection on colonization. “The Colony Strikes Back” – On White Arrogance and Progressive Insight: A reflection and reading journey.

The wounds inflicted by forced displacement, Western expansionism, and divide-and-rule politics have not yet healed. Europe is under scrutiny, the worldview dictated by white power is shifting, and the descendants of the colonized are raising their voices. Adriaan van Dis—born in an Indonesian background—has been following the postcolonial debate at home and abroad for years. A reading and thinking experience that ultimately prompted him to look at this era differently.

I think it’s good that people are coming to different insights, because the Dutch East India Company era brought the Netherlands great wealth, but at the expense of people overseas.

I highly recommend this museum. It’s best to go on a dry day, as the Tornado is easy to climb. Visit the café and try delicious international dishes like hummus and kofte. And be sure to check the calendar; they offer workshops and you can dine with the neighbors.

Month: November 2025

Can you still enjoy Amsterdam without the touristy bits?

Fenix – Rotterdam