Greetings from, gasp... Bangkok, Thailand.

What does that have to do with tourism and the Netherlands? I'll let you in on a non-secret; tons of people travel through Amsterdam en route to Asia, especially Thailand.

I took yee ol' KLM 747 direct flight to Bangkok from Amsterdam, 12 hours and with the help of a neck pillow from some new friends I'll tell you about soon, I arrived happy and ready to run around this infamous city. Had I not left the plane, the same flight goes on to Taipei... which is something to keep in mind for any of you planning a trip to Asia and eager to spend a few days in Amsterdam before its GO time.

KLM isn't the only service to Thailand from the Netherlands. Thai air should have something or otherwise consult cheaptickets.nl.

Either way its a very nice and popular corridor, a gateway to the East, believe it or not. And if that weren't enough you're guaranteed to find plenty of Dutch people in Thailand.

Last week I participated in a global event called Bridges for Obama. About 30 Obama supporters met on the Magere Brug in Amsterdam to take photos holding Obama signs and voicing their support.

According to their website, the Obama Bridge Project “is a grassroots initative by international Obama supporters and Americans living abroad. The project is gathering photographs and videos of Obama supporters around the world, posing at, on or under famous or scenic bridges, displaying Obama banners--the bridge being an ideal symbol for the Obama candidacy.”

Amsterdam was sure a fitting edition. Pictures from all over the world are already up here.

The Dutch are heading to Berne! It’s time for the European Football Championships, and the Dutch play their first game on June 9, with two more to follow on June 13 and 17.

So how many Dutch plan to support their team? According to Expatica, an estimated 40,000 Dutch supporters will travel to Switzerland. Camp sites have been opened and quickly booked – and even named things like Orange Village and Orange Camping.

Sounds like it should be interesting – but I’m glad to be back here, safe in the Netherlands!

Despite the fact that I'm in Cambodia... I have my people feeding me what good back in the NL. Therefore, lets get to it, as I sit poolside in Phnom Penh:

Friday:

Don't let anyone tell you bluegrass isn't cool, go see the Southern Tenant Folk Union; Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 8pm, €8.50 + membership.

Cancer Bats are Canadian. I love the Canadian music, even if it is hardcore punk; Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 8:30pm, €9 + membership.

My buddies over at Wicked Jazz Sounds are doing it on a Friday; Sugar Factory, 10pm, €8.

Saturday:

It could prove disastrous, but it is free so perhaps worth a try; Big Band Marinierskapel, on the corner of Keizersgracht-Nieuwe Spiegelstraat, 5pm.

It should be fairly eighties, but check out PosT; Winston Kingdom, 9pm, €6.

West Hell 5 are having a CD release party at Maloe Melo; 10:30, €5.

Sunday:

I'm full blooded Portuguese so you'll understand why I recommend Maria Fernandes, an outdoor Fado concert!; Claes Claeszhofje, 3pm, free.

Indie is good, and so is White Williams; Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 10pm, €8 + membership.

It ends on Sunday, but from Friday to Sunday you can go to Haarlem and check out the comic festival. Fun for all ages.

I cut through the Krasnapolsky Hotel in Dam Square the other day while heading to the Central Station. On the way, I noticed a very charming outdoor eating area (pictured below). I wandered in and snapped a quick photo before continuing back into the hustle and bustle of summertime pedestrian traffic.

This is one of the joys of nice weather in the Netherlands: green, open-air spots for relaxation pop up everywhere. Keep your eyes peeled – you never know what you’ll find next.

The first Dutch game has ended, with the Netherlands thrashing Italy 3-0. I saw at least one fan that didn’t make it to game time. I was heading out to meet a friend and there he was, passed out cold, flat on his back on the pavement, in a bright orange shirt. A somewhat less intoxicated friend of his stood watch over his prone body. It was 5:45pm.

The hours went by, and the orange costumes got a little bit crazier. Orange feathers appeared, and even dogs were dressed up to show their Dutch pride. I headed in before the match started, a little nervous for my safety. By 10:45pm, the streets were full of screaming fans, weaving and swerving in their cars and honking their horns. And this is in little Leiden.

Ah, football and the drunkenness it inspires.

The Cecilia International Choir, one of the longest established English speaking mixed voice choirs in South Holland, will perform in The Hague on Saturday, June 21 at 8:15pm. The performance will take place at the Bergkerk (Daal en Bergselaan 50a) and will include the following pieces:

Faure - Cantique de Jean Racine
Faure - Requiem
Dvorak - Mass in D major

The cost is EUR 15, and you can make a reservation by calling +31703202805 or sending an email to info@cecilia-choir.com. More information plus maps can be found here. What a lovely way to spend a summer evening!

I feel like I don't give enough love to the Frisians and Friesland on the blog? It is possible that you've not yet been to the Netherlands and perhaps you haven't heard the name Friesland before. For info about that region, a good place to start is ye olde wikipedia entry.

Today I randomly stumbled upon the site: friesland-products.nl . A mostly unremarkable website, but I was interested in what good products that region way up north produces.

The list seems to include:

-Several kinds of Cheese -Frisian Beer Jenever, a pure grain alcohol -Frisian Cake Snacks (??!)

I realize these items may not sway you, as beer, cheese, alcohol, and cake are not quite for everyone. Still, that is what the site is advertising. At this point I can only vouch for the cheese. Update when I've tried any of the other 3.

There's a chill in the air this weekend, keep warm surrounded by cheering fans in concert venues.

Friday:

Interesting and Free, I recommend you check out Makamonde which features lots of unique arrangements and instrumentation; Winston Kingdom, 10pm.

Music in My Head is a two day festival taking place in the Hague, and it features one of my favorite bands, the Tokyo Police Club; Paard van Troje, 7:30pm, €25 entry or €45 for a 2-day pass.

Saturday:

THE Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band- Skinner; Maloe Melo, 10pm, €5.

My buddy's favorite party- GirlsLoveDJ’s; Hotel Arena, 11pm, €15.

Sunday:

Another excellent free option, this one takes place in Vondelpark, Lavalu; Vondelpark Openluchttheater, 3:15pm.

Debalie is organizing another debate, this one entitled: Middle East Stock EXchange. The evening will also feature 3 documentaries related to middle eastern economics; 1:30pm film screening/3pm main program, €8

Some consider Ulysses to be the greatest novel of the 20th century, and this view is celebrated each year by Joycean fans on Bloomsday, the 16th of June.

This year, head to The Hague for dramatized readings from Ulysses and The Odyssey at The Haagsche Kunstbring (located at Denneweg 64, starting at 8pm). The event, sponsored by the Irish Embassy, is free and open to all. More information can be found here. More details below:

-Theme: A Web of Wiles: the Odyssey of Ulysses
-Directed by Ruud Hisgen & Wim Tigges
-Molly Bloom dramatized by Doreen van der Post and Petra Veenstra
-Music by Paul O'Brien & Simply Green

The Dutch have won two games and the fervor is growing. I’m sure it’s even crazy in Switzerland. Apparently wooden prisons (48 of them!) have been built to hold all the “Euro hooligans” that evolve during this time period. For those fans that can’t keep it under control, here’s what they have to look forward to (from Expatica):

There were 7,000 offences and about 9,000 arrests and temporary detentions reported by police at the 2006 World Cup in neighbouring Germany, and Swiss authorities are prepared if trouble arises…

It's dark and gloomy inside the cells, which have no windows but a small opening on top to allow 24-hour surveillance through police cameras…Detainees will spend no more than 24 hours in the prison After that, they will either be deported back to their home countries or stand trial in Switzerland.

The Amsterdam Roots Festival is in full swing over at Oosterpark. It is the 11th edition of this beloved summertime music fest that features sounds from around the world. It is pretty much THE festival for multicultural music and experiencing sounds from the various corners of the planet.

This year is especially important however, as the Roots Festival is at risk of ceasing to exist. The Amsterdam City Arts Council has announced that the festival will receive no funds after 2008, making it virtually impossible for this free music fest to continue. This means not only is the festival struggling to get public and city support, but in fact this could be your last chance to experience the Roots Festival. The action continues until the 22nd of June, so check out the schedule and put on your dancing shoes.

Here's a clip from this year's festival, just to get you going.

I recently found myself in some corners of Schiphol airport that I had never seen before. Comfy nooks and unique spaces where some creative ideas have been put into action. And in the coming week I'll show you a few of those places and moments using video.

Today I wanted to start with a 1 minute glance of the Rijksmuseum Schiphol. Now plenty of people have heard about the big Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, one of the most important art museums in the country. But what you may not have realized is that somehow they built a little Rijksmuseum for Schiphol airport where travellers can take in some of the same beloved pieces one might also spot in the big museum. And of course, just like at the main museum, if you really like something you see on display, you can just walk downstairs to the giftshop and pick up a poster and get over to your gate in time for takeoff.

Interesting factoid that I learned while I was there: the box structure the museum is housed in, was specially built to be uneffected by the vibration of planes landing and taking off outside. In effect, it is almost like it is suspended in mid-air.

Here's that 1-minute glance of what I'm talking about.

The Dutch have won three games now, and face off against Russia tomorrow night in the quarterfinals. I live on a busy street, so despite my attempts to avoid watching every football game, I can’t seem to miss the celebrations on the street below me. Even a trip to the supermarket in the early morning hours reveals a country that is afflicted with an illness called Oranjekoorts.

To understand this illness, I turned to Dutch Word of the Day, the blog that has been keeping its readers up to date with the most relevant vocab for Euro 2008. They say those with "oranjekoorts suffer from increased body heat and adrenaline due to a sudden outburst of unusual patriotism and national solidarity,” and point out that this can turn into "oranjegekte," or orange madness (“the word for the behaviour and appearance of Dutch supporters, ranging from decorating your street with orange and national flags, to dressing up as an orange lion”).

Stop by the blog for a bit more football vocab, such as “Paniekvoetbal” and “Hup Holland Hup!” Maybe then you can begin to understand the madness that is currently sweeping across the Netherlands.

I met an old friend for dinner a few nights ago at the restaurant Marrakech, serving authentic Moroccan food. We arrived at 7pm to find an empty restaurant, but were delighted with the cozy decorations.

The house wine was decent and served in a massive glass, and they provided us with a large pitcher of tap water without charge. After perusing a slightly confusing menu in Dutch, English, and German, I had the chicken couscous, a huge meal that I didn’t come close to finishing, but very tasty!

The prices aren’t bad and if you’re looking for a quiet Sunday dinner, this is the place. It’s located close to Dam Square at the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 134.

This is your early heads up for a little known yet very unique event that will take place in the Amsterdam area on July 6th, 2008. It is called "Big Jump" and it involves hundreds of people, possibly like yourself, jumping into bodies of water in the name of water quality and protecting the cleanliness of our water. To reconnect people with their waterways, what better way - than to jump in them.

Big Jumps have been taking place throughout Europe for the past few years in places like Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and the UK. This year there are several Big Jumps scheduled, in preparation for the Big Jump XXL in 2010.

To observe, or better yet, be a part of the grand leap, bring your bathing suit (or not) and head over to either the beloved Blijberg beach, or to the IJberg section of Amsterdam at the Markermeer area. There are further explanations in Dutch here. Or directly from the European wide website in English, here. Don't miss this chance, when else will you be able to say you took part in a big jump into water along with several hundred people at the same time, in the Netherlands!?

Hand made toys, nostalgic sideboards, and traditional candy are only some of the throwbacks one can find a the Winkeltje Kouwenhoven in Delft. A shop that goes all the way back to 1867, it originally specialized in chemicals, paints, glass work, as well as being a pharmacy.

Technically, having become part of the Het Prinsenhof museum in 1985, it is no longer officially a shop. But that doesn't mean you can't walk in and experience the flavors of the late 1800's and early 1900's, or even take some home with you.

The store is located on the Sint Agathaplein 3a, in the heart of beautiful Delft. Several trains per hour leave from Amsterdam Central Station to Delft, the trip takes about an hour, and costs 20 euro round trip.

The summer solstice has come and gone, but we've still got lots and lots of daylight and short nights to enjoy the music and festivals.

Friday:

Friday nights at the Amsterdam Arena don't usually mean Waltz, but that's the theme of the party, classical music by André Rieu; Amsterdam ArenA, 8pm, €50-€140.

The Running Birds are from France and can be seen at The Waterhole, 11pm, free.

Monte Montgomery jams at Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 8:30pm, €10 + membership.

Of all the bizarre gatherings, De Balie is having a party called club tobac. The theme, as you can tell, is smoking; Friday includes a screening of Thank You for Smoking; 8pm, 3€.

Saturday:

Holy Cow! It's Gospel Battle 2008, a whole lot of gospel singing in the battle for the top spot; De Kandelaar, 8pm, free.

Red Hot Riviera; De Nieuwe Anita, 8pm, €6.

Brooklyn's own - Papoose; Melkweg, The Max, 9pm, €22 + membership.

Sunday:

Parkpop takes place in The Hague and includes Cheryl Crow; Zuiderpark, , 1pm, free.

Ben Folds - still going! Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 9pm, €26 + membership.

Hip Hop artist Young Buck; Melkweg, The Max, 9pm., €25 + membership.

The Lokerse Feesten is on August 1-10, 2008 in Lokerse, Belgium. They’ve got a great lineup of bands, including the Sex Pistols, New York Dolls & Buzzcocks (all playing on Saturday the 2nd). Macy Gray will hit the stage on 8 August and Alanis Morissette on 10 August.

Lokeren is about a 2 ½ to 3 hour train ride from Amsterdam Centraal. They even have an overnight bar for hard-core concert-goers who don’t need sleep (or don’t want to pay for a hotel room).

Tickets for each day of the festival run between EUR 12 to 27, and a ten-day festival pass is EUR 85.