Edit: I'm sorry, I'm not hosting anybody right now because of the Covid19 situation, but if you are coming to Amsterdam/ The Netherlands, I could maybe answer some questions you have. Please avoid the Red Light District and Kalverstraat at busy times! The city has already closed those areas a couple of times because there's no chance of social distancing! If it looks too crowded, just go somewhere else.

General info about corona measures in the Netherlands:
The Netherlands mostly function as normal, but with some restrictions to "flatten the curve", i.e. to keep the number of sick people in hospitals and especially in Intensive Care Units manageable for the health care system. Please be sensible when visiting and respect businesses and other people; not just for yourself, but especially for older and weaker people than yourself and the people that care for them.

The most emphasized measure in the Netherlands is social distancing; keep 1,5 meters away from other people. Also: wash or disinfect your hands as often as possible. Wearing a mask is only mandatory on public transportation. At the time of writing this (june 12) all big gatherings that need permits from the government are canceled, which includes music festivals, gay pride, football matches etc. There is talk of cancelling all large gatherings until there is a vaccine, so inform yourself well when booking tickets for future concerts and festivals. All museums and places like the zoo have mandatory online booking, but the museums are reportedly very quiet until now so planning your day one or two days in advance is probably fine. Night clubs are closed. Restaurants and cafés are open, but officially all guests must sit at a table (hence no nightclubbing) and people can only sit together if they live together (form a household). By now, most places are not very strict about this, but it's best to make a reservation or ask the staff what are the local rules. Please respect how businesses ask you to behave. If the guests misbehave, the business will be the one getting a warning or a fine!

You can check https://www.rivm.nl/en for information in English about the measures the Dutch government is taking. Masks are NOT mandatory, except for public transportation. This is because the government thinks that most masks don't protect you well enough and most people don't use them properly, which gives a false feeling of safety and may even increase the risk of spreading the virus.

Stay safe, wash your hands as often as possible with soap for at least 20 seconds, stay at a reasonable distance from others.

About me: I studied and have worked in Amsterdam for 20 years. In 2018 quit my job of 10 years to travel for the first time to Indonesia and beyond for 4 months. Now back in Amsterdam, working and saving up for a next big trip.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Not going to lie: I'm happy not to pay some expensive, stinky, cramped hostel when traveling, but from the few couchsurfing experiences I've had I found that the best about surfing is to see how locals live, what they are like - and almost all surfers I have met are the most interesting, interested, friendly and fun people. Now that i'm back in Amsterdam I want to give back to the community by hosting sometimes.

Interests

• art
• friends
• film
• craft beer
• diving
• museums
• work

Music, Movies, and Books

I don't read enough books, but I compensate by watching too many movies.

Some of my favorite movies: Secret life of Walter Mitty, Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, Her, Fargo, Almost famous, Intouchables, Children of men, everything from Studio Ghibli

Some of my favorite tv-series: Game of Thrones & Gay of Thrones, The IT Crowd, Olive Kitteridge, Broad City,

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I had the honor of being the marriage officient to two friends in their Tuscan wedding.

First solo-travel to Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Teach, Learn, Share

I like to share what I know and learn what I don't

What I Can Share with Hosts

Some cultural exchange of ideas, philosophy of life, experiences

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Portugal, Russian Federation, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands