Who am I?
Both in my professional life and outside the workplace, I enjoy trying new things. I play volleyball, roller skate, swim, do martial arts and MMA; I listen to The Beatles, Wagner, History Extra Podcast as well as Arctic Monkeys and Mads og Monopolet (a Danish radio show in which well-known people discuss the listeners’ dilemmas).
Chinese Kenpo Karate
Sometimes, however, I find something I really enjoy and stick with it. I thus received my Black Belt promotion in 2010 (The Karate Connection), something which I am immensely proud of. I have not really had the time to continue this in England, but I have done both MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and jiu-jitsu for fun.
Volleyball
At Herlev Gymnasium og HF there was a tradition of playing Friday-volley (Danish style: Followed by crisps and beers in the Teachers’ Common Room). Liking it I joined a local club, and so I discovered beach volley. I still am not a very good player (luckily my height does compensate a bit), but I really enjoy playing. And when the club’s Ladies Team needed a certified referee, I took the relevant courses and began refereeing too. If anybody thinks that their job is stressful, try keeping track of 12 full-grown players, their team mates on the side, and the very verbal coaches – oh yeah, and the ball…
The Beatles
I mentioned The Beatles earlier, and there is no denying it: I am as huge a fan as you get. Actually, they are the only band that I consider myself a real fan of. Funnily enough it all started in high school (6th form/upper secondary) when my music teacher played “Helter Skelter”. Not that the song is particularly good, but I remember thinking: Wow, what a musical range they cover!
The Guitar
At the same time I became interested in learning how to play the guitar. My father had been waiting for this for years (and I think he had given up on me ever learning to play the guitar; I had already experimented a bit with the drums and the flute). Sitting in my tiny room in the North of Zealand where I had recently moved with my mother and stepfather, I played Kim Larsen, Dylan – and The Beatles.
Today I like playing (or in some cases: having fun with) many different instruments: Drums, guitars, bass, banjo, ukulele, mandolin, piano; though I only really master the guitar and bass…
All the rest: Random facts
I like: Cats, dogs, cows, sheep and giraffes. I don’t particularly like birds – but I love eggs. I have completed Berlin Marathon on roller skates. I once broke a bone in my back after a skiing accident. I have eaten fried pig ear – but I hadn’t the stomach to eat fried bugs. I love random facts, especially if they are about science. I enjoy watching QI and I love Stephen Fry. And Sandi Toksvig.
I know that there are two kinds of people: Those who know when to end…