i WAS amsterdam

so after 1.5 years in Amsterdam i have lots of great memories and many infamous moments...
* being refused a mobile phone contract because my bank statement was printed in portrait and not landscape format
* looking at more than 15 apartments before i found "the one" - along the way meeting very random people like "the mattress guy" and the "don't make too much noise during sex" guy
* being invited out to dinner by guy i used to date, more than 6 months after we stopped seeing each other, and him asking me to pay the bill because the last time we went out for dinner he supposedly paid for it
* receiving home visit by people from the city hall registry office who were FBI wanna-bes, flashing their IDs around, and telling me that if i didn't register with the city hall if my apartment was on fire the firemen would only look to save people that were on the registry list
* going for Hep A and Hep B vaccines and being warned by the doctor that just because i have had these vaccines, it doesn't mean i can just go and have crazy wild sex randomly
* being able to keep the same bicycle for the whole time - although once someone unlocked it (without key), moved it to another spot nearby and then relocked it!

inspired by Lucy Dodd's similar reflection about her time in Brazil, i wrote this poem about my experience in amsterdam - hope you enjoy!

I was Amsterdam

I’ll miss the old leaning buildings, but I won’t miss the crazy narrow stairs or the toilet shelves
- endless fascination and slow getaways

I’ll miss cycling through the city on sunny days, but I won’t miss the summer tourist season
- sustainable freedom and bicycle magnets

I’ll miss Saturday food shopping at the Noordmarkt, but I won’t miss cheese sandwiches for lunch
- local organic interaction and gluten nightmare

I’ll miss the sun and moon kissed canals, but I won’t miss the rain
- aqua serenity and dampness

I'll miss free ATM withdrawals and internet banking, but I won't miss the customer dis-service
- financial efficiency and eternal frustration

I’ll miss Amsterdam alive on Queen’s Day, but I won’t miss the organ grinder on Saturday mornings
- colourful connections and aural abuse

I’ll miss the cafes and restaurants, but I won’t miss the waiters specially trained to avoid eye contact
- gezellig global kitchens and impatient hungry waiting

I’ll miss the Dutch practicality and ingenuity, but I won’t miss the lack of empathy
- put it on your bike, legalise it and complain

I’ll miss constant exhibitions and festivals, but I won’t miss advanced diary planning
- intellectual interest and entertainment but little spontaneity

I’ll miss the diversity in Amsterdam, but I won’t miss the divisions
- gay parade in burkas and limits of tolerance

I’ll miss my friends
- laughing, discussing, sharing, eating, singing, cooking, Ikea-ing, belly dancing, painting, sailing, biking, exploring, picnicking, forro dancing, watching, mud-walking, being – together

but I won’t miss missing them.

I was Amsterdam.