沒想到還會有人來看我的部落格，而且想要再看更多。（實在是非常感謝！）回憶雖然不能成為藝術，但鐵定能使生活成為一部分的藝術，只要感官還開著，篩掉那些熟極而無感，再怎麼平凡重複的日常，還是會有那麼一點點的趣味吧。2013、2014接連兩年去了歐洲，都停留了荷蘭。只是，對於荷蘭的首都－－阿姆斯特丹，卻沒有太大印象。身為一個打從心底想要與眾不同卻隱而不顯的人，面對這個人人造訪荷蘭必定推薦大讚的城市，我卻保持懷疑。一方面不想從眾、不想和大家一樣（但其實有誰的旅遊經驗又會一模一樣呢？就算景點相同，只要心境不同、經歷不同，感受必定也會大異其趣），一方面也想要深入荷蘭生活，因此對小城比較有興趣（又是誰規定真正的生活一定在小城中？）。當時的反骨，現在看來有點幼稚，還帶有那麼一絲絲遺憾－－沒有和這城市建立起足夠的連結，更不用說對話。沒關係，以後還有機會的，是吧？
故事可以說很多，但既然對阿姆斯特丹的印象比不上待了幾乎20天的烏特列茲，就讓影像來說話吧。（僅管當時的拍照技術滿糟的）
順道一提，最近看完了The Fault in Our Stars的小說與電影！實在太太太喜歡這個故事了（最近發現我有嚴重少女心哈哈哈），雖然已經是兩年多前的電影了，但片中阿姆斯特丹的美景，垂釣出我深埋的歐洲記憶，也讓我有了提筆記錄這個城市的動力。
Thank you all for stopping by my blog. I really appreciate that. I’ve just finished the novel, The Fault in Our Stars, and its movie recently, which enabled me to reckon the good old memories in Amsterdam. I’ve visited this beautiful city twice, in 2013 and 2014 successively. However, never did I get a chance to explore it deeper. Not only because I wanted to be special at that time, not wanting to visit the same city everyone goes to the Netherlands would absolutely visit, but because I would like to explore more about real life in Holland, so I tended to visit smaller cities. It was kinda rebellious and even childish for the decision I had made. It was also with a little regret for not seeing the beautiful city more. Anyways, I’ll have another chance to visit Amsterdam in the future, right?
There are so many stories to tell actually. But, since the impression of Amsterdam did not imprint in my memory, which is a bit vague now, and as the title goes, it’s more like a glimpse, I inclined to let the photos tell.
引用一段《生命中的美好缺憾》形容阿姆斯特丹的話：「阿姆斯特丹就像年輪－－當你靠中心越近，他就越老。」（156）
運河、腳踏車、鮮花，以及最重要的，陽光，是阿姆斯特丹之所以為阿姆斯特丹不可或缺的元素。
I would like to quote a line describing Amsterdam from The Fault in Our Stars,”Amsterdam is like the rings of a tree: It gets older as you get closer to the center.”(156)
The canals, bicycles, flowers, and most important of all, the sunshine, constitutes its beauty.
2013拜訪阿姆斯特丹的行程，是涵括在藝術史課程中的博物館參訪。當時我們去了海事博物館、林布蘭故居，還有鼎鼎大名的Rijksmuseum。
The itinerary of my 2013 Amsterdam was included in my art history class in summer school of the museum-going excursions. We went to the Maritime Museum, the Rembrandt House, and of course, the distinguish Rijksmuseum.
林布蘭故居裡面，我最喜歡的莫過於這個油彩製作的workshop(?)了。從顏色變成顏料的過程，就像寫作，把毫不相干的元素/文字放在一起，就組織了一個新的、得以永存千百年的油彩，或是一篇深刻的文章。
In the Rembrandt House, the oil painting making workshop was my favorite. It was so magical to see how these color powders turned into oil paints! It resembled the process of writing, I think, of how the elements/ words be organized, and how they become ravishing color paints and profound articles.
紅燈區，總讓人感到禁忌，有種道德界限被模糊、被超越的犯罪感。但其實它什麼也不是，無關善惡、無關道義，這就只是人性，只關乎每個人的選擇。阿姆斯特丹，或說荷蘭，用很真誠，開放健康的態度面對人性。這樣的誠實有什麼不好嗎？比起偽善，或是虛假，阿姆斯特丹誠實的自由很舒服。它沒有帶來罪惡，相反地，是源源不絕的創意與靈感。這座城市脈動也更顯得靈活，有生命力。
Some people might say that freedom is the pronoun of sin, meaning that Amsterdam a city of sin, but I don’t think so. Freedom is the source of creativity, which makes the city so vibrant.
Rijksmuseum is right at the back of the popular tourist spot– I amsterdam. (I do like the concept of I amsterdam, which is just the same logic as I Am Sherlocked hahaha)
I adored my art history teacher, Nausikaa, who is a Dutch but attained her Ph.D degree at University of Cambridge. That’s why she gets so strong and elegant british accent.
我在荷蘭的藝術史老師，Nausikaa。她是個在英國劍橋大學拿到藝術史博士學位的荷蘭人，操著一口濃濃的英國腔。
After the excursion, we took the bus to go back to Utrecht. See the herds and the windmill?
2014的阿姆斯特丹行，其實就只是在城市中閑晃，沒什麼景點。現在想起來真的覺得好可惜啊。
My trip to Amsterdam in 2014 did not contain anything special, not even some tourist spots. We just wandered in the city. It was such a pity not to experience more about it.
看吧，就像我說的，對阿姆斯特丹的印象實在很薄弱。目前僅有的記憶，只建立在博物館和博物館之間，對這城市的街道與感受，也往往被其他的荷蘭城市所覆蓋。2014的自助旅行，到了阿姆斯特丹已經很累了，於是我們就選擇悠閒地在城市晃蕩，剛好也和此處的城市脈動有點共鳴。
很喜歡最後這張照片，是一種寧靜、平凡的生活美好，就像荷蘭。有樹、有樹蔭、有藍天白雲、有陽光、有草地，還有一面牆，牆上寫著的字，透過Google翻譯，大概是：「一個人如果屈從於霸權，失去的會比生命和財產還多，它熄滅了光線⋯⋯」突然覺得這實在好阿姆斯特丹呀！這個城市彷彿沒有權威，沒有任何嚴格刻板的戒律需要遵守，處處飄蕩著自由（以及充斥著大麻味）的空氣，人們生活在這座城市中，做任何事情都可以被接受。它的自由讓你覺得無論如何都有希望。但這也不是那種美國式的自由感受，而是歐洲式、荷蘭式、阿姆斯特丹式的。生活才是生命的意義，享受生活，並且享受自我，不受任何條條框框的規範所限制，就像植物向光一樣，讓自己，成為自己。
See, as I told you, my impression toward Amsterdam is quite vague. The memories I hold nowadays are mostly compiled by museums. My sensation of its streets and city atmosphere are also usually covered by other Holland cities. Frankly speaking, we did not go to any famous spots in Amsterdam. Our trip to Amsterdam in 2014 was going to an epilogue of our whole journey. Everyone was extremely tired. As a result, we decided to linger in the city rather than rush to places. It, in some ways, resonated with the city vibration.
I really love the last photo. It renders me a soft and tranquil feeling among its simplicity, just like the Netherlands. There stand the trees, shadows, the azure sky with white clouds dotted, the sunshine, the meadow, and a wall. The sentence on the wall perhaps could be understood like this, ” If one surrender to hegemony, one will lose more than his life and property. He dims the light….” How Amsterdam the line is! This city seems to avoid any kind of authority, and any annoying and trivial regulations. The air of freedom (and of course of pots!) floats in every corner of the city. Everything, literally everything, seems to be fairly acceptable here. But, the feeling of freedom in Amsterdam is totally not that of the American’s; instead, it’s of the European, it’s of the Dutch, and its so Amsterdam. Living one’s life to the fullest is the main idea of the city; however, the word “fullest” does not indicate achieving any kinds of secular success, but a kind of sheer happiness. In the city, Amsterdam, I feel I am like a plant, growing up toward where the sun is. In the city, Amsterdam, I feel like a person. Here, I can be myself.
