Passage to Amsterdam

The train ride from Paris to Amsterdam is only three hours and forty-five minutes long, but the distance between these two cities marks the transition from a model of civilization which has its roots in Ancient Rome to one that is distinctly Germanic. Not only is Dutch a Germanic language, but the layout of the architecture here has a somewhat Scandinavian feel (some streets in Amsterdam are evocative of Nyhavengade in Copenhagen Denmark).

After a few hours in the touristy area around the red light district (about 75 percent are from some European country other than Holland), I decided I wanted to get a taste of the real Dutch life. I hopped on the first tram, where suddenly I was the only non Dutch person. I discovered that the destination was Indische buurt.

Indische buurt is a thriving community filled mostly with lower-middle class immigrants. On its streets one sees many immigrants from Africa, the Middle East, Indonesia, and even India. After walking for a few minutes, I found myself in front of a grocery store with an Indian flag. I had a question, and I thought here I might find the answer.

"Do you know why this part of town is called Indian Village," I asked the owner, a kindly Indian man of about 70. "Indian Village?" he replied with a look of beffudlement on his face. "Yes, Indische buurt. "This is a store," he said, pausing. "It is not a village."