Hello from Amsterdam!

I am totally in love with this city. It is not what I expected. There are bikes everywhere and they have their own lanes, with traffic signals, and the cars respect them. I might have to move here.

The business culture is also very interesting. After I spoke last night, I had a conversation with two lovely young women who taught me the subtle differences between U.S. and Amsterdam work cultures.

The big one? Americans are accustomed to working hard, going the extra mile, even playing in the “rat race” (as they called it). The Dutch believe you are hired for a job, you are paid to do it, and that is enough. They aren’t given bonuses or incentives for doing more than their job. I find that fascinating.

I actually wondered aloud how a double type A like me would get by in their culture. Maybe I won’t move here.

I have just a few more hours here so I’m off to the Van Gogh museum and, yes, I’m going to visit the Red Light district. While I do that, I’ll leave you with Gin and Topics. (more…)