never-ending nether-lands part 1 of 3

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I knew as soon as I had muddled my way off the regional train,
through the electronic ticket machines,
bumbled german-dutch-english conversations with several nice folks
and onto the local Amsterdam metro line,
...that I had left gemuetlich way, way behind.

in consolation, I gained languages. 144 of them. I think all being spoken in my one little metro wagon. (more languages spoken than in nyc). I gained Africans. lots of them. and lots of other non-africans, not looking at the Africans. not gawking or staring them down which is what I mostly observe on the u and s bahn…and trams. is it becos I’m mostly in the east in Berlin? doubt it...

(will Berlin - will Germany, ever, ever be able to attract such a multi-cultural populace?)

I gained a bunch of other things - in exchange for gemuetlich. and not to be all gestalt on ya', but all things summed of positives in netherlands, will never, ever match the whole of germany.

so...here are some examples and fotos...

I gained heat lamps on breezy outdoor metro stops.

I gained restaurants that make igloos outside their doorsteps, with whimsical punch-outs in them, to let tea candles flicker, inviting you in to drink (they have gluwein here, apparently, too)..

I gained bicycles. exponential increase.

I gained water. I love the spree, I do. I cherish every reflection. but oh, to turn each corner at a canal.
...and oh, to turn each corner, muttering expletives about why can’t every darn street just have a bridge…
...as the eyeline is constantly tricked here - looking as though one can take just a block to reach the next crossing…sometimes leads to 10 minutes, sometimes leads to a dead-end pretty much.

I gained English. way too much of it.

I gained canalhouses. tightly packed. eloquent 17th century facades tilting this way and that.

I gained snowmen. artistic ones.

I gained a new interview style - allowing me to ask questions first. in all of our suits and dress-ups, most was transparent, unofficial feeling.

I gained waldkorn croissants.

I gained an anything-go’s approach. one can start a school, any school. one can start a political party. any political party.

I gained Shetland ponies.

I gained automats.

I gained bicycle lanes. like, thousands of kilometers of them. linking every city, town and hamlet.

I gained spontaneous ice skating. like, pick a slightly frozen body of water, brush away the snow, and on you go!

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but boy oh boy was i happy to be back in Berlin. home. heimat.

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Photos

i gained...
more whimsy in matters of chocolate...

yes, you're seeing this...
left: pedestrian lane, very narrow. textured barrier, then paved bike lane (snowplowed!), then grass barrier, then car lanes. and YES, the bike lane is equal width as the car lane.

nutritional nonsense...
the dutch are nuts for their little crusties. or flakies. or sprinkles. whatever they call them. somehow, sugar and chocolate-covered anice seeds would suit Tony the Tiger for breakfast.

i did not gain...
a better sense of bike safety.... ...................... ......1 adult, 2 kids. 0 bike helmets.

i gained...
cars that actually stop for pedestrians.

not extravagantly more
sex shops....does anyone else find this scene funny? i watched those p-ycats rub and jump and climb all over the mannequins for a good 5 minutes.