Things close to my heart

 

  • Books

    Reading fiction is one of my favourite pastimes. I tend to read over 40 books per year in genres such as fantasy, crime, romance, and classics (see my Goodreads page). I am the founder and president of my BILBO Bookclub, which has been going strong for over 10 years now. Together we have read well over 100 books (mainly classics) over the years.

  • Theatre

    In 2008, I was part of the musical group Djemm! with whom I did multiple gigs in the Netherlands and Germany and ultimately performed in the musical All die Djezz! (Chicago). I also performed in the play Babylotion at the theatre festival of Tilburg in 2008. Nowadays, life is a bit too busy for regular rehearsals of scripted text, so I instead occasionally attend improv classes in Berlin. I further scratch my theatre itch by making sketches and musical parodies on YouTube about academia. I also make sure to watch a lot of shows. The best show I saw in 2022 was Yeast Nation: The Triumph of Life - a musical on the evolution of yeast. I kid you not.

  • Img

    Travel

    I love discovering new places and getting to know the local history, culture, and nature. I am particularly enamoured by anything to do with the United Kingdom and will use any excuse to visit. Keeping in line with the theatre theme, I can often be found in the West End (London, UK) or at the Edinburgh Fringe in Scotland.