Hello there, on 16th March I'm going to visit Amsterdam, I'll be there till Monday 19th when I fly back to Prague. I have a friend over there studying at the university and I plan to visit another friend in Delft on Saturday. So if anyone there would like to meet, we could probably arrange some meeting.

Anyway, if anyone would like to point out some interesting places to visit or stay away, I would appreciate any suggestions.

If you're a foreigner, don't count on smoking anything or eating it either. At the bars I mean.

Well, I guess I'll be safe then, because I'm not really into weed or mushrooms. Actually any drugs except alcohol and caffeine/tein For that instance I think I also skip out of any red light district adventures - I don't need to take something back home

I've had some of the worst life experiences with alcohol and I cannot even suggest drinking hard liquor (5 shots) over a single joint but I guess the cops that keep arresting beligerent drunks who beat their wives and urinate in public are more social (the drunks I mean).

I should be around, the only problem would be that my weekends tend to get eaten by doing stuff for our new house. I might be able to arrange for a free evening though. Perhaps friday would be best for that?

As for things to see - are you a museum person, a city person, or a different type of person again? I would recommend a canal tour (by boat), you get to see a fair bit of the city with some background information. If you do want to go to a museum, decide in advance and get the tickets on-line. It saves you several hours.
The van Gogh museum tends to have nice exhibitions in addition to their regular collection, but is expensive. The Rijksmuseum is renovating, but part of the collection is still on display (including some famous Rembrandt pieces). The Stedelijkmuseum is closed for renovation as far as I can tell. The Maritime Museum has just been re-opened and might be interesting. The Palace (the old city hall; it doesn't look much like a palace, so the queen is never there) should also be open.

You mean "coffeeshops". You won't find "interesting" substances in bars or, indeed, proper coffee shops.

Stick to the prostitutes then, and make sure to check that they are women before you pay

I'll probably be in 'De Beiaard' that Saturday. If you like beer that's a good place to go. It's affiliated to a small brewery. You can also get decent food there, but nothing fancy.
There's some other small museums and a zoo, but I doubt it is of interest to foreigners. The 'Tropen museum' and the archealogical museum 'Allard Pierson' are nice.

I could make it down there as well (altough really, I live in Amsterdam and I have a bike, so any place would be fine from that perspective).

True. The zoo is quite nice, expensive though. It's fun to compare zoos in different cities/countries.

The Allard Pierson is good, but perhaps a bit "generic" (as in, not related specifically to either Amsterdam or the Netherlands); besides I think the archaeological museum in Leiden might be better . The Tropenmuseum is a good call, and it may be worth going now if you're possibly interested. They're cutting the funding, so there's no telling whether it will still be open the next time you have the opportunity...

Of course I neglected to mention the Anne Frank house. I personally find it a bit underwhelming because it's completely empty. It's hard to picture what it was like to live there and (this will sound harsh) the fact that it's huge doesn't help there. The "Verzetsmuseum" might be a better option for a WW2 related exhibition.

Good, I've somehow missed that you've already returned from Canada. I guess that Friday would be good, however mind that I'll be arriving at 1815 at the airport, plus some time to undergo procedures and to get to my friend's place.

Still, I think that Friday evening would be the best time to make some meeting, I'll gently leave place selection up to you or any other attendees, because I'm completely clueless about where exactly to go. Any pub with local beer will be fine though

I'd say different sort of person anyway thanks for the tips, I'll see about that. I'm not much into art, but canal tour seems fine. I'll have my camera with me, so any beautiful places to shoot will satisfy me. However WWII related museums and exhibitions might interest me.

Good thing we have some of the locals then! He might still be able to get the hook up on some controlled substances legally. Is it legal for locals to share with tourists? How about friends from out of town?

I don't know about worst, but yeah, alcohol is pretty horrible. I have a hang over right now, actually.

Being social is not necessarily a side effect of alcohol.

I think you're a bit of an exception there though... most people I know who drink don't do it alone in front of their computer

Oh and on topic, I was in Amsterdam for a day yesterday I didn't see much since I spent most of the time working. One thing I found memorable was all those bikes though. I stepped out of the central station and there was literally tens of thousands of bicycles parked there. Never seen so many of them in one place.

Also the trams are quite dangerous, the one we took from the station to Amsterdam RAI hit a motorbike so hard the tram-car's windshield cracked (and the bike driver was lying on the street motionless when we had to get out and walk on by foot, not sure he survived).

That happens even in Prague and I'd wager in any other city around the globe.

Duh. You never meet the people that do.

*Nobody checks*

I'm guessing that shouldn't take longer than an hour and a half; waiting for baggage is usually the bottleneck. Unless the plane actually touches down on the most remote runway (which is almost in Haarlem), in which case the plane will be at the gate 15 minutes or so after landing.

You don't want my opinion since I don't actually drink the stuff, but my understanding is that you don't want the local stuff (which would be Heineken or Amstel) but rather the imported stuff. De Beiaard would be good for that though, they have a wide selection of beers.

The previous Allegro meetup in Amsterdam was at the Irish pub on the Singel, but I've forgot the name (I can find it out easily enough).

Either way, it depends a bit on what's convenient for you. What part of the city are you staying in?

Be sure to catch the historic centre then.

There's tons of memorials and monuments related to that as well. I don't have a list handy (and for most I have only a vague sense of where they are exactly or what specifically they are for) but I'm sure you can find one online.

He shouldn't have any problems getting drugs if he wants to. Hell, a substantial fraction of the people buying the stuff are tourists (who don't know how to keep measure and overdose themselves).
There's been some talk of restricting trade to people with either a valid Dutch ID or a permit, mainly because of troublesome French tourists in the southern part of the country. I don't think anything has been implemented on a national level though, but I haven't payed much attention.

It's amazing how quickly you get used to it. While I was in Canada I would hardly ever see a bike in the street (unless it was my girlfriend's). By now, I'm so used to the bikes again that I no longer notice them.

It didn't make a big headline, but I was able to find a bit of information about the incident: http://www.parool.nl/parool/nl/4041/AMSTERDAM-ZUID/article/detail/3220367/2012/03/06/Snorfietser-en-tram-botsen.dhtml
Doesn't say much though: the guy was taken to hospital with a severe head injury. The implication is that he was alive at the time, don't know what shape he'd be in.
EDIT: another one: http://www.at5.nl/gespot/77255/ongeluk-rooseveltlaan, with pictures: {"name":"3115366b9e4b9eaa0f35092aeaf3f644.jpg","src":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/d\/1\/d1e44416052b9622f418f00cc51b5f62.jpg","w":575,"h":1022,"tn":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/d\/1\/d1e44416052b9622f418f00cc51b5f62"}.

I've seen a collision between a tram and a (normal) bike a couple of years ago. The tram had right of way and rang its bell like crazy, but the guy on the bike was swinging to the sound of his iPod and never saw the tram until he slammed into the side at full speed. It actually looked quite funny (the guy wasn't injured) and honestly, people who pay more attention to their music than traffic deserve what they get in my opinion.

Thanks for finding this, that's indeed the one I was in.

I'm definitely staying away from Heineken, though I think trying foreing beer might broaden my tastes. But any bar/pub will suffice. An Irish pub is ok.

I'll be staying at friend's place which is on Uilenstede 14, apparently that's on the boundary between Amsterdam and Amstelveen. I guess that I could be in the city centre between eight and nine.

Will do, thanks.

I'll have a sister with friend flying over there tomorow, so I'll debrief them before my trip

See, the thing is: most people I know prefer Belgian beers to Dutch beers (maybe some beers from Limburg, but that's almost Belgium anyway ). As near as I can tell, we export the local stuff so that we can buy the good stuff from the revenues.

Technically it's in Amstelveen. It's also a five minute walk from our new house. Anyway, that simplifies things a bit: Amsterdam Zuid is 5 minutes from Schiphol by train and maybe 10 minutes from Uilenstede by tram (5) or metro (51). Either of those (going the opposite direction) will also get you to the city centre.
There may also be a direct bus going to Schiphol from Uilenstede, but I'm not sure.

Perhaps the most convenient place to meet up would be at the Spui tram-stop, we could then head to either de Beiaard or the Irish pub. Unless it breaks I'll be by bike, so it'll need a bit of coordination. I can give you my phone number in case it's convenient.

They are dangerous, and people tend to be idiots around them, assuming they weigh about the same as a car and make about the same kinds of movements, when in reality, they are something like a hundred times heavier, take twice as long to come to a full stop, and simply can't change their direction. So people try to slip through just before a tram, as if it were a car, and then wham!, it's game over. Those scooter types often drive as if they had a deathwish anyway, so this doesn't surprise me a bit.

Anyway, best thing about Amsterdam IMO is the historic city centre. If you can, take a walk early in the morning, before the crowds come rushing in.

If it's beer you're after: avoid Heineken at all cost. If it has to be Dutch beer, try Grolsch or Amstel, those are OK (but taste pretty much the same as lager / pilsner from anywhere else). Belgian beers are much better, overall; Palm, for example, can be had almost anywhere.

And watch out regarding trains: Amsterdam has quite a few stations, and not all trains that go to Amsterdam hit central station ("Amsterdam CS" or "Amsterdam Centraal") - some go along a south tangent, and before you know what hit you, you'll be on a 60-minute detour.

And watch out for cyclists, and never walk on the cycle paths. If you do, chances are a local will try to hit you, and they will not brake. Really, they won't. I've seen it happen. So when you cross a cycle path, treat it as just another road.

Ok, we'll see there are just two things I'd like to avoid: Heineken and drinking Czech beer in a foreing country, I've got plenty of it around here, so time to enrich my tastes.

Well, that would probably be for the best - certainly decrease a chance of getting lost. I'll PM you my number as well. I'll either use roaming, or friend's phone. Still some time to settle this.

Damn straight.
The first time you hit a tourist it's embarassing. The second time it's annoying. The third time you just try to hit them where it hurts most.
Tourists on bikes are arguably worse than tourists on foot though.

Anyway, why don't you come and join us too?

/me imagines Adam Sandler in The Netherlands

De Beiaard actually serves some Amsterdam beers that are quite nice.

Hi,

I'm currently based in Amsterdam, and should be available for a meetup on whichever evening we decide to do the meetup on.

I would have recommended the Stedelijk Museum, but that's been under renovation for ages. I think the exhibits were moved to a temporary location at some point. Not sure how open the Rijksmuseum is these days, but last time I checked, I still wasn't allowed to ride my bike underneath it. Apart from things already mentioned, there's also the Willet Holthuysen museum which is an old patrician house with lots of exhibits. And then there's the Museum Vrolik which is an Anatomic Embryological Museum, but unfortunately, that seems to be closed too (somehow, this seems to be a trend for the Amsterdam museums).

Actually, if you're using the train to enter Amsterdam from Schiphol, then going along the south-tangent would be the better option to reach Uilenstede. Just get of at Amsterdam Zuid (one stop from Schiphol) and take either the 5 or 51 tram heading south. Both trams also go to the Central Station as well, but the journey to Uilenstede is longer. The 199 bus is a more direct route from Schiphol to Uilenstede but takes more than twice as long. Also, the number 5 tram stops at the Spui tram-stop (although that's nearer the Central station than the South (Zuid) station).

AE.

[EDIT: Here's a link to the previous Amsterdam a.cc meetup in '06 - http://www.allegro.cc/forums/thread/574916 ]

Well, I'll have a friend waiting for me at the airport, so I think I'll be fine with getting to his place. But thanks anyway. Oh, and well, great to see that there'll be more people showing up I guess I should brush up on my English conversation then

According to a friend who has just returned from there (stayed at the same friend's place I'll be staying) I should be at the friend's place around 1900, so I'd guess that 2000 somewhere in the center is a safe. I'll be meeting Evert at the Spui as it seems, so you can meet us there or at the centre (or wherever are we heading).

And here it is courtesy of Google Maps.

So, the time is nigh. Just to wrap it up: tomorrow an Allegro meet-up in Amsterdam held at place of choosing by gentlemen Andrei Ellman and/or Evert (most likely an Irish pub or de Beiaard). The only variable is time. I think that it is safe to assume that I can be at 1930 at the Spui tram station to meet up with Evert.

Is that OK?

Possibly.

My constraint is that I need to have dinner first and then have time make my way down and at the moment two people at home have a cold/flu/something similar. I will try to be home and fix dinner at sixish, so that we have time to put the kid to bed at sevenish. That should give me enough time, but it leaves little margin for error.

Alternatively (if we're possibly going to end up there anyway) we could meet up at de Beiaard at 20:00, which gives me a little more time to get there and allows who ever gets there first to sit down and have an early drink.

I'd say you can recognise me by my Allegro t-shirt, but it's not warm enough to wear just a t-shirt, so it'd be covered up by my sweater anyway.

Apart from my goatee, I look more or less the same as I did in '06, but even so, I'll be wearing a geeky T-shirt (possibly one with an Atari logo on it).

AE.

Allright then, 2000 at de Beiaard, that should get rid of most possible moments. I should be wearing red-bleck checkered shirt. Friend of mine is almost hard to miss in a crowd, blonde hair and almost always red faces I'll be looking forward to seeing you.

Off-topic... but where did you get one?

Make sure to take some pictures, I want to know what that t-shirt looks like

Of course, pictures or it didn't happen I'll try to get some.

It's a souvenir from my meetup with Matthew.

I'll bring it anyway.

I just returned back home from Amsterdam. It was a fabulous weekend and I definitely have to return there. Oh, by the way the Conterto music store is absolutely awesome

Anyway, on Friday me and my friend met at De Beiaard with Evert and Andrei. It was a nice evening, I was glad to meet you guys in person. And of course, pictures:

Me, Evert and Andrei (left to right):
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My friend Jan, Evert and Andrei (left to right):
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Why has no-one bought Evert a cold beer??

We're not all alcoholics.

You didn't drink Allegro Brew?

I don't like beer.

I'll buy you a cold beer!

Also mind that the pictures were taken couple of minutes before we all left the place and headed to our homes.

They haven't got any left

Gah! Only just remembered the Allegro brew stickers.

I'll buy you a Pepsi(TM)(Nectar of the Godz) and you can put a beer label on it to shut these guys up. Win-win!

Actually, I don't like cola either (wouldn't be good for me either). Besides, it's not my problem if other people have a problem with me not drinking beer.

Damn you Evert, damn you and you're non-beer drinking ways.

No problem. Somebody has to drink it if you won't.

It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.

I volunteer for drinking all the coke.

OICW: You look so... Czech.

gnolam: you mean I've a backup parachute always with me? I'm working on that Other than that I don't seem to get it

I don't really know Czech stereotypes, but perhaps he means how serious you look in the picture? Your face is just straight and tense.

Well, that's the problem with me, either I look serious or like a total idiot when I try to laugh. That is the main reason I like being on the other side of the camera

I don't know about anyone else but seeing photos of some of the 'legends' of a.cc was a little thrill for me...who votes for a 'photo of me' thread?...Specter? Wanna slam that idea and tell us all about a time when you strangled a puppy or how you wish you were dead or anything?

I just mean that you look stereotypically Czech.
If I would be asked to imagine a Czech Person, I'd pretty much imagine you. Well... ok... you with a mullet.^*

... oh, and your friend's name being "Jan" doesn't help your Czechness. That pretty much leaves you with "Pavel", "Václav" or "Jaromír" for your own name.

^* Yeah, I know Czechs don't all have mullets anymore. Despite what I saw with my own eyes at Masters of Rock.

I don't know about Czech specifically, but Eastern-European I would have guessed. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but there are some clear differences between people from Eastern and Western Europe (where perhaps I'm mostly thinking of Dutch and Germans since the French and English look different again). I can probably work it out if I try.

Actually, Jan is a normal Dutch first name too. Of course, we don't pronounce it "Honza".
Actually, OICW's name (by the way... where does the screen name come from?) is also a normal Dutch first name. Going by first names alone, all of us at that table could well have been Dutch!

Oh, well, in that case I guess I'll have to live with that (not that hard by the way). Oh, you mean the haircut; well, I haven't seen a barber for some quite time, because I usually sport short hair as it's more comfortable. Trying to grow them requires going through phases when the haircut looks pretty strange and I guess I'll pay a visit to a barber very soon as the hair are getting on my nerves

Anyway, I don't think that the haircut would be some kind of Czech or middle/east-European stereotype, but I'm not quite the right person to say.

Well, actually my real name is Martin

That's a long story I used to be an adventurer, but... avid player of TacticalOps when I joined the forum. By that time I used "OICW" as the screen name in the game, so it was quite natural I've made a login everywhere using this name. It comes from the advanced weapon program, at that time it sounded cool to me, so I used that.

Time has passed, the nickname stayed and it became cumbersome to change it, because everybody around here and other places knew me by it. Actually the worst problem is that some of my friends here try to use it in spoken language and it wasn't chosen with spoken language in mind...

Hmm... that'd turn into something like "Oikweh" if I tried. Indeed not what I'd name my child.

Though if you're Czech you must have ideas for how to pronounce unpronouncable words, right? Or does it have too many vowel sounds for that?

That sounds like a hybrid between a pig and a Jewish deity. Any relation to Magic Oink?

Or even better if we had a page on the Wiki with meetup pics ... and for that matter, a page with a spider-diagram of who's met who IRL.

AE.

Yep, I usually read it as it stands, though I pronounce "w" as normal "v". The problem is that Czech language has cases for nouns (just like German does) and there are seven of them, each used in different situation (Who do you see? With whom are you? Who are you talking about? etc.) and this is where "fun" begins.

That's where you realise that the nickname wasn't designed for spoken language, because it becomes cumbersome to use and people start to invent new variations to pronounce it better and it gets weird.

The main problem is that I've never had any real nickname^[1] among my friends that I could use online, among my friends and other people. It's hard to come up with something and push it to common use.

I never understood why people use nicknames in the internet.

Well, if you feel the urge to post embarrassing content that you don't want traced back to you I can see it.

Or just generally keep your private life more separate. Of course the real solution is to just not post private stuff on-line if on some level you really don't want to. Otherwise it'll e traced back to you eventually.

I couldn't be bothered to think of a screenname when I signed up here.

The pimply little 98 pound weaklings want to sound like badasses somewhere, even if not in real life, hence names like WarLord and DeathZero etc.

Or Exterminator - this one I used before

Hey, don't make fun. Some of us have been born in vengeance, trained in war, found in love, released in death and given purpose in death!