I travelled heavily in 2018. I was captivated by the beauty of Coron, held breathless by the greens and blues of Batanes, welcomed with a sunny smile by Ilocos, thrilled by the mountains of Sagada, pampered by Pampanga, cooled by Baguio, energized by Batangas, mesmerized by the Great Wall and Forbidden City of Beijing, and impressed by the Gothic architecture of Poland, among others.
This year (2019), I decided to minimize my travels and focus on reading books and writing poems. Also, instead of going to other local destinations, I used my vacation leave credits to go back to my hometown in Bacolod and strengthen my relationships with my family and friends. Two months away from the end of the calendar year, I was informed by the Engagement Principal that I will be sent to Europe for a week-long business trip together with a co-manager. The idea greatly stirred my excitement because it was a great opportunity to shape up my global acumen, technical capabilities, and relationship skills.
Apart from the face-to-face interactions with the client and colleagues from PwC Amsterdam, my soul yearned to experience the Dutch culture. But I was not granted the generosity of time to get immersed so being able to visit the museums and see the canals would, at least, gratify me.
We arrived in Amsterdam on November 30 (Bonifacio Day in the Philippines) with the temperature dipping to 1 degree Celsius. Winter has come. Yes! The dry, cold air was harsh to the Asian skin. The hotel where we stayed was a 1-minute walk away from the Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena station. The location was very convenient to travel to other scenic spots.
To prevent jet lag (or recover from jet lag, in my companion’s case), we explored the area by foot. The reticent appearance of the sun prompted me to spend more time outdoor even though it was cold. On that day, the sun rose at 8:30 AM and set at 4:30 PM so being able to get a “scarce” dose of Vitamin D after a 17-hour plane ride was a necessity. Timely, Sinterklaas was leading the parade and we met eye to eye. I thought he was going to give me a gift when he pointed at me. After all, I have been 70% nice and 30% naughty this year. But all he gave was a wide smile. Oh! What a sweet gesture.
After strolling for an hour, we bought 48-hour transportation passes from the ticket counter and headed without an itinerary to the Central Station.
We exercised our limbs and went further to see the canals and the Light Festival art installation until the evening. Witnessing the canals in person was awesome! Before coming to Amsterdam, I had thought the pictures in postcards were just oversaturated or heavily edited but the canals are as mesmerizing in person as they are in postcards. They’re very different from the canals in the Philippines where the water bears a black pigment and a foul odor, as if warding off anyone who dares to test its waters. In Amsterdam, one could even take a canal cruise!
The next day was a bit more planned than the previous one. We were scheduled to visit Museumplein! As a museum lover, I couldn’t contain my excitement to visit this place. I booked online tickets to the Van Gogh Museum where we stayed for more than 3 hours! But honestly, I needed more time to examine every piece keenly. Inside, one can take pictures only at designated areas. Frustratingly, a lot of tourists can’t follow the simple instructions. The Disciplinary Officer in me reprimanded around 5 persons with the stare of a Bengal tiger coupled with a gentle but wicked voice. Certainly, my senses were fired up!
After eating our meals, we went to Rijksmuseum . It closes early at 5:00 PM and we had only 1.5 hours to explore the several, wide sections of the museum. We employed our consulting mindset and agreed to use a smarter approach: prioritize those stated in the guide’s museum highlights. Johannes Vermeer’s The Milkmaid deserves its world-renowned status. My personal highlight was the Cuypers Library which is the oldest and largest art historical library in the Netherlands. One word: SPLENDID!
After touring the Rijksmuseum, we were greeted by the almost-setting sun. People from all ages were enjoying the skating experience with joyful smiles and laughter.
I was made smart in Amsterdam (I hope you appreciate the anagram in this sentence)— smarter in terms of cultural and historical knowledge. I didn’t visit the Anne Frank House or the Grasshopper or the Red Light District because I feel I’ll visit Amsterdam some time in the future…maybe during summertime so I can also see the tulips in full bloom! 🙂
Losing Grip 
Very informative
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Thank you! 🙂
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