mystic garden - Travel With A Butterfly

I first heard about Amsterdam Dance Event through a friend of mine in 2017. I’ve always been curious about what Amsterdam was like, given that its been know for being liberal on many things. Plus, I’m a big fan of techno and all sorts of house music (genres which I finally was able to narrow down to prior to this event) and what better event than ADE would supply these types of music? Also, I’ve always been sort of dipping my toes into the music industry, and I thought this would be a great way to listen to conferences and learn more about what goes on in the music industry.

Having experienced both researching and experiencing the event itself, I would love to share my thoughts, experiences, tips and strategies on Amsterdam Dance Event so that if you plan on going, you would be prepared to do so. I will split this post mainly into two sections – one about the conferences, and the other about the events. You can also read more about my Amsterdam post if you’re interested about the city itself and also about my accommodation and getting around methods.

Continue reading Do Not Sleep in Amsterdam Dance Event 2018

Before I came here, I knew little of Amsterdam. All I knew was the stereotypical features of the city – the Red Light District broadcasting prostitutes in public as if it was the norm, the acceptance and legalisation of all sorts of drugs, the passion with their cheese, and the immense clubbing and partying scene. From this description alone, you would think that Amsterdam would be “the” Sin City of the world. Yet, something about normalising and framing drug substances and prostitution as something ordinary makes them less of a vice. When the rest of the world declares such things as evil and anyone who consumes it is evil, Amsterdam manages to give off the vibe that it is about moderation that’s the key to enjoying these vices in life, or at least the acceptance of it and that it isn’t all pure evil. Perhaps Amsterdam is on to something… as humans we tend to want something we cannot have, so this may be the perfect example of reverse psychology.

Anyway, this post isn’t about debating the merits of accepting drugs and prostitution as a society, it’s about describing Amsterdam in general and tips and strategies to have you plan your trip well the next time you do come here. Also, please note that the main purpose I came here was for Amsterdam Dance Event, so most of my time was actually spent at ADE, but I did manage to squeeze some time to do some of the touristy things. I will have another post specifically on Amsterdam Dance Event right after this post.

Continue reading Amsterdam, The Biking City of the World