Amsterdam can be a pretty crazy place for someone from Canada. You’d expect the Dutch to be organized and orderly, and they are, but they also have their wild side. It was my last day in Amsterdam and for the last couple of days, I had enjoyed walking around and enjoying the sights of this orderly city; but today was different, it seemed that everyone was wearing a red Ajax football jersey. It was the Europa League final between Amsterdam Ajax and Manchester United and it seemed everyone in the Netherlands decided to come to Amsterdam and be part of the experience. The football game was held in Stockholm but there were huge screens showing the game in the parks, not to mention all the bars.
The most craziness though was to be found in the Red-Light District. Even in the early afternoon before the game, whole areas along the canals and bridges were packed with groups of friends drinking beer from cans and bottles and chanting Ajax cheers. Empty cans and bottles littered the streets and floated in the canals; it was a strange site seeing people milling about drunk, on beer, and on the anticipation and hopes for their team. The police were also nearby, standing in groups; but they seemed to let events unfold; I guess they would only intervene if something serious happened.
Later in the afternoon, as the red jersey crowd was still milling about; the normal business of the Red-Light district was progressing as usual and I took advantage of this to explore and take a few pictures. There were the many sex shops selling S&M paraphernalia, and of course comical condoms were on offer… there was even a sign in a window saying, “Something for the Weekend, Sir?”.
These sex shops were fun and it was something I’d seen before in Montreal; but the thing that really pushed the boundaries for me, was the artist, Denise Rosenboom’s studio window where she was selling her hand crafted “Pussy Pendants”. As a guy, I found these to be both erotic and terrifying… I can understand the former, but I was mystified by the latter’s effect on me.
Reeling from this confusion, I found myself walking down some of the narrow lanes fronted by empty store windows with curtains drawn; but every once in a while, I’d come across one with its curtains open and a “business woman” in her shop window, dressed provocatively, discretely showing off her feminine attributes.
Yes, I was intrigued and yes, I made the circuit a few times. Some women would be busy in their cubical, on their cell phones ignoring the world, while others would actively try to entice you with a sexy nod of their head, or a wink and a smile… and yes, they would do it every time I passed. One even opened her door and crooked her finger in a “come on” gesture with a big smile. It was strange; it was exhilarating and intimidating at the same time. I felt like a deer in the headlights.
I then happened to look up, and there was a beautiful woman sitting on a window sill on the second floor. She smiled and winked, and even pouted her lips with a head tilt as a come on. Her enticements were quite strong and I felt emboldened; so, I had to ask the question foremost on my mind.
“How much?” I silently mouthed. She smiled and mouthed back, “Five”. At first, I didn’t understand what she meant. Was it 5 Euros? No that’s not possible, and if it was 50, then she would have said 50. I finally realized that it was 500 Euros, or $750 Canadian.
I used to make a self-depreciating joke that I could resist anything but temptation… I guess I can’t use that joke anymore… I smiled and moved along.
It was getting close to game time so I walked back to the Leidseplein and found Café Lux, beside my hotel. It was busy when I arrived, but I found a stool by the bar and bought a beer and settled in to watch the game. As game time grew closer, the place became fuller and fuller, till, with no exaggeration, it was wall to wall people talking, yelling, chanting… and drinking beer.
Once the game started, the noise level dropped, except when Ajax made a great play, or a shot hit the goal post. Manchester scored first, and though that put Ajax in a tight spot, optimism for the team was still very high.
Myself, not being a rabid or even committed Ajax fan, I left at half time and went back to my hotel to pack and finish watching the game there. Unfortunately, Manchester outperformed Ajax and a goal in the second half sealed Ajax’s fate.
I was very surprised at what transpired in the aftermath of the game. In Canada, after Vancouver lost the Stanley Cup final, normal, polite Canadians let the raw, unrestrained beast within escape and rioted breaking windows and overturning cars. In Montreal, after the Canadians won the Stanley Cup final, same story, they rioted. In Amsterdam, after Ajax lost the Europa League final, there was no riot, they just cleaned up the party detritus and moved on.
So, I had to ask myself my favourite question, why? Why can the Dutch allow these risky behaviours like drinking on the street, entrepreneurial prostitution, widespread marijuana usage; without worrying that it will lead to complete chaos and social breakdown? What is their secret?
My simplistic opinion is that Dutch society has the “raw, unrestrained beast within” well tethered and fettered. The almost 400 years of communal perspective and responsibility, (as illustrated in the famous Rembrandt painting “The Night Watch” which depicts a volunteer militia company preparing to fight for independence against the King of Spain), has strongly fostered pro-social and self-restraining behaviour in Dutch society.
In general, a society makes laws to restrain the “raw beast within” and prevent bad things from happening; but if you have self-restraint, the laws can be relaxed and the bounds of what is permissible can be expanded without fear of social chaos. This, I believe, is the Dutch secret.
Author’s Note: The Bredero sculpture in the first picture is a monument to the Dutch Golden Age poet and playwright, Gerbrand Adriaensz Bredero, who’s work often depicted the seedier side of Dutch society in the early 1600’s. He lived all his life in and around the streets now comprising Amsterdam’s Red-Light District.
This was interesting and informative at the same time. Thank you for sharing.