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Insider's view · Europe · netherlands · Amsterdam

Insider: Māra Skujeniece

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Insider: Māra Skujeniece

Amsterdam is like a mini New York City

Latvian designer Māra Skujeniece, who graduated from the prestigious Eindhoven Design Academy and is currently a teacher there, has lived in Amsterdam for over ten years and operates her own design studio there. She works in the fields of ceramics, textiles and interior design. Her works, which have already received international recognition, embody a refined sense of style and the warmth of handmade products. Skujeniece's interior design objects can be bought in 11 cities across Europe, including two design stores in Amsterdam, The Frozen Fountain and Vivian Hann. She gladly agreed to talk about her adopted home city with Anothertravelguide.com.

Marlene Dumas, whose solo exhibition can currently be seen at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, once said in an interview that Amsterdam is a wonderful place for artists. What do you think?

That's hard to say. On the one hand, Amsterdam is not an easy city to inhabit. However, compared to other European metropolises, it is of a manageable size. I also like the fact that you can be fairly anonymous here. Rotterdam is a much more challenging place to live in. If in Amsterdam the old and new exist together harmoniously, in Rotterdam you get the feeling that someone is constantly trying to prove something. Amsterdam no longer has to prove anything, and this gives it a sense of calm.

Amsterdam is complicated in that it's so concentrated. You have to search for your own little spaces and ways of travelling. I almost never go to the centre of the city, because as a local inhabitant, I no longer consider the centre to be a part of my daily route. Nothing in my daily life binds me to it and I just drive right past it. On the other hand, there are a lot of interesting neighbourhoods in Amsterdam that blend into one another and that are easy to get to. The city is built on a very human scale, both its architecture and the urban atmosphere.

Many of Amsterdam’s inhabitants live in small apartments, because the rental prices anywhere close to the centre are very high. Anybody who needs more than one or two rooms moves to another city or town. The locals make very good use of Amsterdam’s public spaces and parks. I live between two parks – Vondelpark and Rembrandt Park. The first is a very active place, while the second is just a large space. Amsterdam definitely has magnetism. Everyone here is from somewhere. It feels like a mini New York City.

What are the real Amsterdamers like?

Interestingly, even though there are a lot of Dutch people in Amsterdam, most of them have come from other cities in the Netherlands. I sing in a choir here, so I also know some true Amsterdamers who were born here and whose families have lived here for generations. The typical Amsterdamer thinks he knows best and that no one can tell him anything that he doesn't already know. You can also see it in the way people ride their bicycles. A red light doesn't mean stop; it's more like a red cloth to a bull and makes people ride even faster to get across. Kind of like, “I'm now riding on this road and the rest of you get out of the way”. Amsterdamers have never taken well to authority and they still don't today. “I do what I want” is the typical Amsterdam attitude. They're born with it in their genes and if you want to achieve anything here, then you have to learn to move around a bit differently. You can't go around saying “I'm sorry!” At first this might be difficult to accept. The Dutch are quite self-confident and that's undeniably a positive characteristic.

Is there anything about Amsterdam that bothers you?

I always find it sad to come out of the Central Station, where you exit onto this awful street. Everyone's tried to change it, but without success. I think a hundred years ago that neighbourhood was much better. You just have to accept it.

Do you perceive Amsterdam as a port town?

No, the port seems so far away. The city lost the port a long time ago. Thirty years ago it was still there, in the East, but the big ships haven't docked there for a long time already. Just a cruise ship passing the Central Station once in a while, but that's it. The only thing that sometimes bothers me is the drawbridges. There's no time schedule for them in Amsterdam; when someone needs to pass, they lift the bridge. And there's constant traffic on the water. However, the drawbridges are a great and popular excuse used by locals if they're running late for an appointment. “The bridge was raised and I had to wait”, they say.

How easy is it for a designer to survive and develop herself in Amsterdam?

There are lots of buildings here that are looking for new functions, so it's fairly easy for a designer to find a work space. And there are also plenty of stores and galleries in the city where you can show your products and see how successful they are. Even young designers who have just started out are able to find places to try out their ideas. In that sense Amsterdam is a very good platform, because no one here is afraid to experiment and try out new thing.

What's your favourite neighbourhood?

Even though I don't live there anymore, I'm very fond of the East. It has open spaces and the Amstel River. When I lived there, my café was De Ysbreeker (The Icebreaker). It's not a particularly stylish place, but it's big and always full of people. The Hortus Botanicus (Botanical Garden) was near my home, too, with a wonderful café right next to the palm house. I had a season ticket to the garden and I always went there to drink coffee. Even now, if I want to hide out for a bit, I head to the Botanical Garden. Even though it's relatively small, it has charm.

What are your favourite cafés and restaurants in Amsterdam?

I very much like the Café het Blauwe Theehuis (Vondelpark 5; blauwetheehuis.nl), which is located in Vondelpark. I often meet friends and clients there. The café is very unique architecturally, and the locals call it the “flying saucer”. It's been there since 1937. In good weather everybody sits outside – with the park all around, it's a wonderful feeling.

I also like Tolhuistuin (Tolhuisweg 5) in Amsterdam's northern district, which is currently quite popular. It's next to the new EYE cinema museum. If you take the ferry from the central station, it's right across from the pier. A fantastic panorama.

Worst Wijn Café (Barentszstraat 171; deworst.nl) is an interesting place that serves wine and sausage. The wine collection is simply outstanding and they have a big variety of sausages, made both in-house and elsewhere. The owner also has a very good Italian restaurant, Marius, right next door. But if you want to eat at these places, then be sure to reserve a table beforehand, because both establishments are relatively small.

For a special gastronomical experience, go to Kas (Kamerlingh Onneslaan 3; restaurantdekas.nl). The restaurant is located in a former greenhouse built in 1926 in the middle of Frankendael Park. It doesn't have a menu, so it's a surprise every day. In addition, everything takes place without a hurry. This means that while your food is slowly being prepared, you can take a walk through the rest of the greenhouses, where many of the restaurant's ingredients grow lush and green.

What is your ideal Sunday in Amsterdam?

The stores are all open on Sundays and the streets are just as full of people as any other day of the week. In that sense, there is no such thing as a peaceful Sunday in Amsterdam. For the tourists, of course, that's ideal. Even the big museums are open every day of the week. I can't even imagine anything that you cannot do on a Sunday.

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