Amsterdam, Nurseries and Then Some…..

And we have lift off! October 5th was the day when we finally got internet connection at home. I feel liberated and at one with the outside world (again). Also, it gives me an accessible and cheap window to communicate and keep in touch with loved ones and friends.

As I had blogged earlier, my family and I went to Amsterdam on the 23rd September. That was the Saturday after my husband’s classes ended and before the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. We decided to let off some steam by going out of Delft. It was drizzling as we walked to the nearby train station. Little that we know the ticket fare would be pricey. It cost us each Euro19.70!!!!! (And as told later by a friend, Tita, children under the age of two travel for free on public transport).

The ‘snelltrain’ (snell=fast) took about one hour to Amsterdam. Unfortunately, there was no direct nonstop train from Delft to Amsterdam. Tita also kindly informed me that we’d have to take the train to Den Haag (The Hague) first if we’d want to catch the ‘intercity’ (direct) train to Amsterdam Centraal. Further, if we hold a discount card (valid for a year), we’d be able to pay 40% off the normal fare.

The long journey also translated to a restless 7-month old baby Sadia becoming noisy and irritable half-hour into the ride. Luckily, we had snacks handy to pacify her.

As we got off the train at Amsterdam Centraal, we were met with a throng of tourists and locals departing to and arriving from their own ‘spoors’ (platforms). The frenetic scene repeated itself outside the station where hundreds of tourists milling about the streets, on top of the clanging of trams and other vehicles passing by. It was sheer havoc. Then, it occurred to me that I have acclimatized to the quiet, suburban lifestyle of Delft that Amsterdam’s raucous environment came as a shock. It is, after all, a tourist haven.

The infamous sex museum was a stone throw away from the train station as well as along the same street where we sat down for halal ‘doner’ (turkey) kebab. Since the weather was mild, we were seated outdoors whilst big Turkish guys wearing chunky chains served our food and drink. Considering its touristy price and big portion, the doner was quite delicious (‘lekker’) and filling.

Thereafter, excitably, we entered our first department store in the Netherlands – the upscale De Bijenkorf (don’t ask me how to pronounce it). Strong perfume greeted us after we came through the revolving doors. The place smelled of luxury and (ka-ching!) money. We went up the escalators – floor upon floor – in search for that coveted relaxing café to rest our feet and mollify Sadia’s temperament. She doesn’t like long trips away from home, away from her reclining position in bed. The café’s décor was rather old-school with wood interiors and complementary wooden chairs, benches and tables. A huge mirror was mounted on one corner of the room to make it look bigger than it actually is. Yellow ceiling down-lights were quite minimal, giving the café a smoky effect. Perhaps it was the smoke drifting from the smoking area or the small uncomfortable seating arrangement that cramped us to those at the adjacent table, but I find the café uncongenial and somehow dingy. The only redeeming feature was the fact the place has free WI-FI.

Gratified by our cappuccinos, we walked out to Dam Square which situated just outside the store and where the smell of cannabis was fresh in the air. People were loitering on the Square and the nearby National Monument – a memorial where two stone lions stood to commemorate Dutch soldiers that fought in World War II. Also, crowds were lining up outside the Madame Tussauds Museum off Dam Square.

The weather got chilly so we took a welcoming sanctuary inside Magna Plaza, touted to be Amsterdam’s great mall. Our expectations were high that it’d be as big as the ones back in Malaysia. However, this was not the case. Filled mostly with boutiques and an assortment of garment stores, it’s even smaller than Pertama Complex!

But it houses MNG (Mango), a few stores selling Americana merchandise, and last but not least the famous ‘Sissy Boy’ brand. Don’t let the name fool you – the clothing line is nice and expensive. It reminds me of Abercrombie & Fitch mixed with JCrew. Also, I was amazed to discover along the mall corridor on the second floor, a small tent cum kiosk giving head and back massages, reminiscent of the Thai massage parlor tents that grace Malaysia malls (minus the pungent massage oil, that is).

We later trudged back inside De Bijenkorf again since (1) Sadia was acting up, (2) we wanted to check our emails for free at the store’s computer section and, (3) bathroom and nursing break.

We had the impression that De Bijenkorf, being called the Dutch Harrods in tourist guidebooks, would boast a fantastic restroom and cloak area, much like the Harrods in London. Much to our dismay, the cloak area is a mere small closet and the bathroom is quite a condensed space that put it to shame compared to the ones in Malaysia or Harrods, for that matter! There is only enough room for one person to stand in between the bathroom stall and the sink. And with the toilet being crowded during weekend, I was miffed by the invasion of personal bubble. For a snazzy department store, De Bijenkof should consider sprucing up its restroom area. Is it because the management is afraid that the public might abuse the toilet privilege? At Euro0.20, the paying price for the bathroom doesn’t live up to a classy De Bijenkorf experience. Moreover, to hinder any misuse, the ‘warenhuis’ can fix a higher price to enter this private domain, outfitted with friendly staff handing out paper towels and toiletries, which in turn mirrors its exclusivity. Okay, enough ranting about toilet for now.

Let’s move on to nursery. Now that we travel with a baby, a commendable nursery cum diaper change room is a highly sought commodity. Having a copacetic, baby-friendly nursery is a matter of great import. In our checklist, it’s top priority during shopping outings. So, when De Bijenkorf offered us a small grimy room which was replete with small boxes of toilet supply on its floor and reeked with infant urine due to improper ventilation, we were ‘seriously injured’ and appalled. The poorly-lit room was not conducive for changing diapers and one uncomfortable plastic chair in the store-like space was not the inducement I needed to nurse Sadia. It made KLCC spacious nursery room looks like a 7-star palace in comparison. Also, when I tried nursing Sadia at this cushiony bench closer to the toilet, I was asked to leave since it was quote-unquote a private area for their furniture showcase. But earlier when I was in the area, another mom did nurse her baby there, albeit with bottled formula milk, but she wasn’t shooed away. Racism or lack of propriety/discretion on my part?

Since we are nursery treasure-hunters, we had ventured to locate them in Delft soon after arrival. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to find any. It was not until last week – first week of October – that we stumbled upon (like we usually do) a nursery at an H&M branch in town. Yippee-yay-yay! But it’s under lock and key – so we don’t know how it looks like but it’s comforting to know in case such an occasion arises. So far, nothing of the sort has happened. Maybe the Dutch has short and efficient shopping trips that do not entail a diaper change break or their houses are within walking distance from the bevy of cobble-stoned stores. The latter seems more logical. After all, who want to be out for so long in this weather condition where temperature hovers around the lower teens (in Celsius), gusty wind and erratic, icy rain?