Expatica.com is well known for their expat speeddate events in different parts of the Netherlands. The turnout is quite good and according to several reliable sources, lots of those dates go well and occasionally end up becoming long term partnerships.

Building on their respected reputation in the realm of speed dating, this month expatica will host a Gay SpeedDate night in Amsterdam. On Saturday, March 20th, gay men are invited to Café Esprit in Amsterdam, and for 35€ you get two drinks and a chance to briefly meet other singles. According to their page there is only room for about 50 men and the average age of participants is between 30 and 45.

Doors open at 7:45pm and the event runs til 10pm. At which time an after party will start, for those who still think the night is young. The site makes no mention of women, so we can assume this is not a lesbian SpeedDate night. When that event does occur we'll be sure and post that info on trippist as well.

Planning to ring in 2010 in the Netherlands? There are more parties to choose from than you could possibly imagine. Just to give you one example, check out djguide.nl's extensive list of parties alphabetized by Dutch cities.

Since I'm in Leiden, that's what I'll focus on in this post. City Hall, probably the coolest weekend club in Leiden and the best option for a dance party, is hosting a New Year's Eve bash ("Ongekend Nye"). It costs EUR 17.5 in advance and EUR 20 at the door, and will run from half past 12 until 5am.

If Latin music is more your thing, Dos Bailadores will throw a party as well, called "Decadent New Year's Party." It starts at 23.30 (runs until 3am) and will cost EUR 15 to get in. You'll dance to music like Salsa, Mambo, Bachata, Merengue, and Zouk.

In Casa, the teenyboppers club that sometimes has more mature nights, will also be toasting in the New Year. Their party is called "Ball Masque" and given that it only costs EUR 2 to get in, probably best to leave this one to the teenagers.

Check the links for more information. Happy celebrations!

There is indeed a Starbucks in Amsterdam Centraal.
This picture was snapped just the other day.
I didn't try the coffee, but the place was packed.
Definitely a new destination in an ever-evolving train station in Amsterdam!

If you're just visiting or you simply don't have many friends, finding a Halloween party in Amsterdam is not an easy task. And while running after people on bikes wearing costumes might be one way to find something, here comes a list of my top three parties for your consideration this weekend.

1 - Boom Chicago's Halloween Thriller

Not only is the theme horror movies, but the party will actually be made into a horror movie. Or so they say. Whatever they make out of it, Boom is always the place for funny and creative, so what better place to get your scare on. Plus there will be cash prizes and other contests. Things kick off at 10pm and entry costs 22€ at the door, but only 18€50 pre-sale. Check the site for details or to buy tickets.

2 - Paradiso's Halloween Hairball

From the basement to the Kleine Zaal upstairs, the entire building will be one giant hair party. Beards, chest hair, afro's, whatever you got or can get, this is the place to flaunt it. Talk about horrific, there's no telling what hairstyles will walk in. The party starts at 11pm and tickets will run you 15€. Full details here.

3 - Café Oudeherbergh

You won't find many details about this one on the internet unless you're part of some expat communities, but there will be many a costume present. Things should start around 9:30pm and its hosted by the core members of Amsterdam's couch surfing community, so if you're in need of a place to sleep as well as a place to party, this might be a chance to kill two birds with one stone. Address here.

Amsterdam summers are filled with parties that resemble festivals and festivals that become giant parties. They tend to take place in interesting buildings or appropriated spaces that used to serve some other purpose. Of course being the international hub that it is, you always have both DJ's from around the world and DJ's from right down the street.

Presale tickets run about €30 and it makes sense to buy them beforehand just in case. You can buy them online or at select record shops in Amsterdam. That's Saturday the 29th of August and its a full day party starting at, read carefully now, 11am. Festivities will continue until 11pm at night. Directions and lots more info about who is spinning from what city in what corner of the world, all that can be found on the website.

The summer highlight of the theater calender has arrived in Amsterdam. Actually its been going on for several days now, the Parade is taking place down at Martin Luther King Park on the Amstel river.

People might warn you that Parade is very Dutch-language centered and not interesting if you don't speak the language, but I would argue that there is plenty for everyone and plenty to see and experience that transcends language. The action goes beyond theater, with many musicians, film makers and even good eats available to you everyday from now til August 16th.

Please note that you can only get tickets to a particular performance about 30 minutes before it begins so arrive early and be prepared to stand on line for the most popular shows. Better details and further info, including the daily schedule, available on their website.

Just for fun, here's a video from a past Parade performance:

File this one under "now I know":

Research by a fancy Dutch marketing research group indicates that the official summer drink of 2009 is... drum roll - Prosecco! Yes the Italian sparkling wine is everywhere this summer, I can testify to that effect. Whether I'm at a BBQ in vondelpark, or attending a friend's birthday party in Noord, everyone seems to offer me Prosecco, which immediately makes me think they just came from Italy.

Indeed this prosecco that is all the rage in Amsterdam right now is cheap and readily available at any grocery store (our most popular being Albert Hein). For those of you who don't care how popular prosecco is, fear not - there is plenty of beer, wine and any other drink available to you as always.

The museum night phenomenon is probably familiar to you; all over the world, on a specific night of the year, cities keep their museums opened late and throw some big parties to give everyone a chance to enjoy them in a way slightly out of the norm.

On Saturday, May 30th it is Utrecht's turn at Museum Night. At 9pm, 8 different museums will kick off a night of fun AND learning. Yes I said learning, although I can't guarantee that part.

What museums, you ask? Here's a short list:
The National Museum from Musical Clock to Street Organ
The CatherijnConvent Museum
Sonnenborgh Museum and Observatory
The Railway Museum (my personal favorite!)

There's more, just check on the website. An all-access pass runs €15, which you can buy online.

You find yourself in Utrecht on a beautiful sunny spring afternoon, and although there is so much to look at and do, you've got to sit down and do some work. You look for a café, a place with room enough for you to have a snack or a drink and also get some work done. Oh, and you'll need some wifi to go along with a friendly atmosphere. Here's a suggestion: Toque Toque.

TT is in the heart of Utrecht, along the oud gracht, and whether its a beautiful day and you want to sit outside or its an ugly day and you want to hide inside and chat with friends or do some work, they've got room for you. Besides being a huge place, TT also features a solid menu, happy-go-lucky staff, normal prices, and most importantly for us internauts, free wifi (just ask for the password). I even noticed they do meetings and events, if that's your thing.

Before getting down to work I enjoyed their custom pizza-broodje with pineapple, which is a sandwich you won't find too often in the Netherlands. It was so delicious I decided their apple pie must be worth a taste, and indeed... it tasted yummy. I then sat down and caught up with much work while occasionally getting distracted by the staff hijinks or customer behavior.

All in all, I'm going to start calling Toque Toque, my field office when I'm in Utrecht.

Leiden may seem quiet compared to Amsterdam or other larger cities in the Netherlands, but lately I’ve been on a quest to discover its hidden wild side.

One finding has been the international student night at Einstein, a popular bar located in the heart of Leiden. On Wednesday nights the place is packed with students from all corners of the globe. Drinks specials abound and on my last excursion, a waitress was serving free samples of apple beer. Later, an English-speaking Sinterklaas even paid a visit.

If you’re in the city on a Wednesday evening it’s definitely worth checking out. Einstein is located on Nieuwe Rijn 19, just across from the City Hall.