But all work and no play is no fun

I love animals, especially elephants. I have a whole collection of them at home. One of the movers at some point complained that he had to pack " a million little elephants". Well, he was a bit exaggerating ofcourse.

I like reading books. Mystery stories are favorite, especially if they are historic ones.
Besides books I like to read NRC Handelsblad . Started taking up that practise at IBB 81.

Often I like to listen to music. I usually do not do so at work though, because I have a habit of singing with the music and I don't want to put my collegues through that. I like many different styles and it depends on the circumstance and my mood what I listen to.
Until about 1993 I used to play the flute in "Drumband the Jutter" in Den Helder. I started out there several years before as a twirler. When they bought a steelband I started playing "1st pan". In 1993 however I stopped playing since I was quit busy with the "laatste loodjes" of my study. In 1994 I started as a phD student at Nijmegen university and was stationed near Geneva for over 1,5 years. And somehow I never took up playing the flute again.

I also like to see a movie in the cinema or on video. I prefer the first (bigger screen). I also like listening to movie themes. Especially when floating in the bath tub.

I like cooking for other people - when I eat alone I don't always care too much what is on my plate. When I was living in a studio in France on several occasions I invited several people for a chili party. I did have to put some pieces of furniture on the balcony to fit everybody in the room. People who came to dinner called it eating at Chez Mierrrrrrrnha (Marcel Merk was the first to call me that).

My first car was a Volvo 440. I was very sad that I had to sell it before going to the USA ;-(.
In the Bay area however we drove around in a Miata (Mazda). Cool car, but not very handy for shopping and picking up someone from the airport with a huge suitcase.
Back in Holland we first drove a Alfa Romeo 156. Nice too, but black and unfortunately without airco. But after I got pregnant we bought a family car: Renauld scenic. Which we enjoy very much. Our daughter Lisa realy likes the glas roof of the car.

When I lived in Utrecht I started playing volleybal in 1993 with SVV/Sphinx together with three other housemates of IBB 81 (students home I lived in then). I was the only one who continued playing. Then I moved to CERN, near Geneva and started playing with Paquis, one of the groups in Geneva. Mixed again. I liked it a lot and my French improved a bit.

In Nijmegen I took up swimming once a week. It is very relaxing, espesially when you are floating in the water on your back ;-) . I have also done aqua aerobics a few times, which was fun to do. In the US I had not much possibility to go swimming and took up Taebo. I have great fun doing it and like it a lot better then running a few times around the block.

Once in a while I like to go on a holiday to to get away from the daily worries in life (who would't). Sunny places do have my preference.

Do you have questions or comments?
Return to my homepage

--------------------

Updated 03-august-2011, Mirna van Hoek