Gener Esquibil is one of the sought-after Filipino photographers in Amsterdam. Whenever Filipino tourists come to Amsterdam for a pre-nuptial pictorial or want to level up their travel pictures for their Instagram and Facebook accounts, @geners.photography on Instagram or Gener A. Esquibil on Facebook or Messenger is the person to contact. We decided to do some pictorial sessions in the canals of Amsterdam before my comedy concert, and thanks to Gener, I learned a lot of things NOT to do in Amsterdam. Thanks to him, I am still alive today. Hahahaha! 

Still jet lagged, I craved a cappuccino and a croissant and asked Gener for the nearest coffee shop. He laughed, “A coffee shop isn’t your spot. These establishments are better known for their cannabis products than their caffeine. If you don’t want a side of “high” with your latte, look for a sign that says “café” instead of coffee shops.

The second advice was a life-saver. We walked around the red-light district, and I saw beautiful half-naked sex workers on display windows. I secretly wanted to video them on my phone as a souvenir for my husband, who cut his European trip short to bring home the kids back to Manila for school. Gener stopped me and said, “Do not take pictures or videos of the women working in the windows. That is a big no-no. Not only is it disrespectful, but it could also get you into trouble!” True enough, after he told me not to take pictures or videos, a huge, scary-looking Eastern European approached us, asking what videos and pictures we had taken. When I showed my phone, and Gener showed his camera, they let us go. Whew!  That was a close one! 

And lastly, if you value your limbs and dignity, don’t wander into the bike lanes. Amsterdam’s bike lanes are sacred ground for cyclists. They’re not just bike lanes; they’re high-speed commuter highways. Stepping into one is like jaywalking across the skyway 3. I don’t know how often Gener had to pull me away from the bike lanes to save my life and concert. Thank you, Gener! Thank you, Europe Pinoy, headed by Geraldine Hernandez-Martens and Patrick Martens, for bringing me to Amsterdam to perform for the Filipinos!