Queen's day, or Koninginnedag as we call it, is a national holiday in Holland. we celebrate the birthday of Queen Juliana. but truth the matter is, the Dutch citizens don't really care whose birthday it is; they just like to party!!! and because we like to party so much, we start celebrating Q-day already on the evening of the day before.
Q-day is known for its "orange craze", referring to the name of our royal family: the House of Orange. everywhere in the city you'll see orange banners and orange colored foods and drinks. the thing about the color orange, is that it sparks more controversy than any other hue. there is usually strong positive association to orange and true orange generally elicits a stronger "love it" or "hate it" response than other colors.
Some facts:
Did you know that the color orange:
- Radiates warmth and energy
- Stimulates activity
- Stimulates appetite
- Encourages socialization
The day before Q-day, my homies 5.0 and Keychain were in Amsterdam. you might ask yourself now "Who the fuck are 5.0 and Keychain?" they are pick-up-artists, working for Love Systems. they hit Amsterdam for one night only and gave an exclusive mini-seminar at the P. C. Hooftstraat. don't get me wrong, I don't take these pua-things too seriously, it's all in the spirit of fun and learning new things.
Underground seminar @ P. C. Hooftstraat 183:
Keychain sharing his knowledge:
Upcoming PUA's:
After the seminar, we bounced to the centre of Amsterdam to celebrate Her Majesty's birthday
Q-night @ Leidseplein:
Q-night @ Rembrandtplein:
The morning after Q-night...
During Q-day, many people set up stalls or blankets in parks, sidewalks and roads to sell a wide range of old and used items. this free-market is similar to a nationwide car boot sale or flea market. this year I didn't have any things to sell, but last year I made some money ;).
Q-day @ Vondelpark:
Q-day @ Momo:
Party here, party there. all nice and fun.
But at the end of the day, there is no place like home:
I want to give a special thanks to my brother E.
He gave me a present.. it's a chessboard, crafted by hand in Indonesia. it's such a beautiful fucking gift! thanks E., I love it! I love it because it's so thoughtful. he knows that lately I'm into the whole chess thing. I also love it because it's unique; it's handcrafted. but it gets even better, not only is it a chessboard, also a checkerboard AND -when you turn the board around- it's also a backgammon board!
E., much love man!
Life is one big party, you just have to hang the balloons yourself
x A.