A Stupid-Sounding Question...

OK, baseball may not be football, but it is a wonderful sport- it does drag on, I agree, but not like cricket.

 

The reason the Dutch baseball team is one of the strongest in Europe (together with the Italian team if I am not mistaken) is because the Dutch Antilles is still part of Holland officially. There are a lot of strong Antillean players on the team.

 

There have also been a couple of Dutch players in Major League Baseball recently.
Curacao, St. Maarten, Aruba also have darned good baseball players

 

Football as in soccer? I love soccer, not into American football though, nor into cricket haha.

 

Yes, I meant like Eredivisie- and Ajax is not doing so well this year so far

 

I dont really care about Ajax haha, i like the Spanish and English League, but mostly the international games, as in country vs. country.

 

I agree about the internationals as well.
Besides, all the best Dutch players don't even play in the Nederlands.

 

some dude in the NFL is dutch i think, a lineman.


also, i know you will never forget Rik Smits

 

Bas Rutten!

 

Nothing only the fact you can smoke legally with out the assholes you pay theyr jobs "COPS" from fucking you up.

 

Ive been living here for close to a month and i can give you a few reasons which are not pot related

1. Lots of things to do at all hours of the night like salsa dancing,jazz music,cafes

2. all the museums,Van Gogh,Rijks,Rembrandt and Anne Frankhuis

3.Red Light District,interesting to walk around,shows and if you want a little something else you go window shopping

4. The architecture, as an artist i love the look of the city.

5. the women,many beautiful woman from all around the world

6.meeting people from all around the world

7. Frittes met mayonaise ,sounded weird in pulp fiction but i like em after i tried em

8.cheese its delicious

9. Dutch Chocolate see 8

10.That boat with all the cats

11.pedestrianized city

12. Flower market

13.many various types of festivals

thats all i can think off the top of my head

 

It's curious isn't it? Most cities have a tourist industry and you'll always hear complaints from the natives - not all, but it's probably not much different around Europe at least. I'm Irish and I can tell you many cities in Ireland have tourist industries that depend on the visitors they compain about. It's the same in London where I live and it's the same in Italy where I've spent a lot of time. I know it's the same in Amsterdam but it's a positive reflection when people travel the world to see how you live don't you think? Even if you don't necessarily agree with the drugs or feel they give the wrong impression of the city the fact is that many millions of people consider it a positive and liberal attitude - I think the Dutch should be proud.

The other thing I find funny is how the Dutch and English for example complain about the effect foreigners have on their culture - it's conveniently ignoring the history of their own nations. I always joke with people when they ask me why I live in London that the English invaded my country so I'm getting my own back. London and Amsterdam are richer for their immigrant populations and visitors, and they are unique in many ways for the integration of their immigrant populations. I can tell for a fact that other European cities are not as tolerant - even to their tourists.

So, in reply to the original question and to paraphrase someone who posted earlier in the thread; in my opinion Amsterdam is cool cause of the culture - a culture that allows people to take responsibility for their own lives and encourages an even handedness with all. I feel at least that it's a grown up city, at comfort with itself - it's the rest of us that are immature and find the things considered normal there to be salacious. My Dutch friends are possibly some of the nicest people in the world and their friends are just as nice - it would be too much of a stereotype to say everyone is, but there's a friendly vibe to the city.

My 5 pence/cents worth.