Hoi! Ik ben Kim en ik werk bij Koentact. Ik ben private program en content coordinator, maar ook een
geboren en getogen (born and raised) in Amsterdam, and I’d love to share some of my favorite
Amsterdam tips with you.
Voting
Did you know that a lot of internationals can also vote (stemmen) for the
Amsterdam municipal elections (gemeenteraadsverkiezingen) on March 16? Everyone who has an EU
passport, or has been living in The Netherlands legally for over five years, has the right to vote for the
municipal elections. To do so, you only have to be registered as a resident (inwoner) in Amsterdam.
Take a look here to check if you are able to vote.
Swimming
If you really want to feel Dutch (read: get cold, kou vatten) then, before going to work, take a
morning dive into the outdoor pool (buitenbad) for a couple km of swim laps (baantjes trekken).
Buitenbad? Yes, buitenbad. The only sport locations that didn’t close down during the lockdowns
were the skating rink (schaatsbaan) and het buitenbad, and even though it’s still winter and
lockdown is over, the outdoor pool decided to keep their doors open. It sounds a bit crazy, but the
feeling of feeling very Dutch afterwards is really worth it. The water is 20 degrees, so I promise you
won’t freeze 😉
Cooking
I’d also love to share this tip with you about an initiative (initiatief) that’s meant for people who’d
like to get in touch with their neighbors, and at the same time try new food. It’s called
thuisgekookt.nl. This is a digital platform where people can search for a home cook (thuiskok) in the
area where they can pick up a meal (maaltijd) or deliver a meal to their home. Are you more of a
thuiskok yourself? You can also join as a thuiskok. It’s a really nice way to meet your neighbours and
discover new (Dutch) dishes.