Wicus, Home editor, is currently in Amsterdam, Netherlands, for the annual Woonbeurs Expo. Here is his first diary entry: 

Hello! Or as the Dutch say, Dag!

I’m staying in a houseboat on the Prinsengracht, one of the many canals in old Amsterdam’s city centre. From here it’s a five-minute walk, then onto the tram, and then two more train rides to Woonbeurs, an expo that is a cross between SA Homemakers and the Design Indaba. This year the organisers expect 70 000 visitors! As a member of the media I was able to get a sneak preview this morning. Let’s just say: It’s an experience on all fronts.

The Woonbeurs Expo opened this morning, and it was in real African style – two drummers launched the expo and then a sea of sequins fluttered from the roof. I was already impressed, as the Dutch say: Hartstikke leuk! (Very nice!) – but what I encountered inside the conference centre was simply breathtaking. Décor, furniture, fabric, wallpaper, paint – there are beautiful things, everywhere. (I’ve already started taking photographs, and can’t wait to share my favourites.) The one thing I will be bringing home in my suitcase is magnetic wallpaper. Yes, you better believe it!

On the corner opposite the houseboat is a typical street café where one can enjoy a cold Dutch beer in the afternoon. The neighbourhood is known as De Negen Straatjes (The Nine Streets). There are restaurants, bakeries and shops everywhere, and the architecture has real old-world charm!

I learned two things today: In the Netherlands there’s always time for coffee, and if you’ve ever wondered where the use of diminutives in Afrikaans originate? Well, it’s from the Dutch!
Groetjes… (Greetings…)

 

 

Words: Wicus Pretorius

Images: Wicus Pretorius