Don’t think me a unrepentant Europhile. I know a bit about the stagnant economies, the old and new racism, the sometimes insufferable boredom of the continent. However. Every once in a while you’ll see something that is just so humane, so kind, so… progressive, that you really have to wonder what the hell is wrong …
Author Archives: Nathan
Some Stats about Bikes, Death and the Dutch
I was, as usual, mouthing off a bit yesterday with my statements of affection for (largely helmet-less) Dutch bike and cargobike culture. But DadWagon friend and colleague Carly brought up a fine point: are there any statistics? Yes, there are. Amidst the many blogs devoted to the Bakfiets, the traditional Dutch cargobike, there are some …
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Asia de Amsterdam: Bikes, Bikes, Bikes
I’ve written recently about the sweet, sticky smell of peace around Amsterdam (now that they are wholly post-empire). But I should say that Amsterdam has other outstanding qualities, one of which involves their ever-astonishing modes of transport. Let’s start with the fact that there are two types of motorbike licenses: blue and yellow. The blue …
After the Fall
I’ve got a few free minutes here in Amsterdam–it turns out my daughter likes to watch Olivia cartoons even when it’s in Dutch. Dank je! says Olivia. Natuurlijk! say her pig parents. Dalia, knowing nothing but the picture, laughs. I’ve actually been somewhat in-the-moment here, actually waking and sleeping with the family, and spending all …