‘I think I’m still doing quite well during this situation. I live in the southern part of Enschede, together with two roommates. It’s quite relaxed. We have our gatherings and some barbecues outside. We were really lucky with the weather the last few weeks. And what definitely helps, is that you can still go out. I’ve now also picked up running, since that’s still allowed. It helps to clear the mind. And I’m doing things I couldn’t do before. I’m learning new programming languages, C++ and Rust. And I hope to finish a book called Infinite Jest before the crisis situation is over, since it’s a big one. I’ve received it as a gift at New Year’s and I hadn’t got around to reading it.’
‘This quarter has also started out more relaxed for me than the former. It’s now all group projects, which I really like. Doing the project work online has its pros and cons. It’s quite weird, to discuss a project solely over Skype, sometimes even with people you haven’t worked with before. And I sometimes miss the social part, the socializing and joking around. On the other hand, modern technology does make it easy to hold productive meetings. And sometimes it’s even more efficient than usual; you can go straight to work afterwards and not linger around. As a whole, I think this crisis is an interesting situation for everyone in the world. This is a good stress test for all our systems: the economy, people and our supporting systems. Nobody knows what the even the near future will hold. Still, I think we shouldn’t get too optimistic too soon.’
