An increasing number of Chinese come to orientate in Amsterdam. A television crew from Hongkong is making a film about the Netherlands and Belgium, with a lot of Amsterdam in it, and many pictures of the Eastern Docklands. City Walks was aksed to guide the team through its tour.

The director is not satisfied quickly. 5 takes of an introduction about the district on top of the Pythonbridge between Borneo and Sporenburg. Talk of an extradinarily charming young woman. But her story cannot falter. 'Eastern Docklands', how do you call it exactly, pay attention of the 's' at the end... Moreover I have to accompany her in a 'natural' way after her talk in front of the camera, walking down the bridge, while she is making graceful movements. 'Is your core business the making of graceful movements?, I ask.' She do not denies.

The story is that asian people are not very much interested in art and architecture. But the old city of Amsterdam did impress the crew very much. Journalist Grace Y.T. Tse from Cable Entertainment News tells me that the people in Amsterdam are so relaxed and not stressed. Quite different from the Hongkong people, she says. In her city everything has to be done quickly, everybody races along the street. She is delighted about the creativity and colors of the Eastern Docklands. She finds the Piraeus Square en example of top design: the fire escape, the sun parlors, the windows, the pavement. The Barcelona square looks as an opera house. And the bridges, what a wealth... BF