# hobbies and interests

## computing

Since recieving my first computer at the age of 10, computers have been a dominant interest of mine.

I spend a lot of time doing recreational programming.

I have a particular passion for the following hardware and software:

- nix, especially
    - NixOS for my server;
    - Fedora Silverblue for desktop applications;
    - OpenWrt for my routers
- 3D printing, some of it useful, much of it kitsch
- open hardware, such as that of PINE64

## food and drink

I'm not sure I have a favorite food ;)

Although I like meat, I tend to eat little of it. Instead I season vegetarian foods well. I love my herbs and chili.

Of the finer things in life I also appreciate

- strong cheeses, such as Esrom, Camembert or Parmigiano-Reggiano
- fresh, black coffee
- Scotch, especially the peaty, salty kinds
- red wines such as primitivo or dornfelder

## objects <q>made to last</q>

Possibly cliché, but probably for a reason:

### watches

This one is a big rabiit hole. I appreciate the effort and design put into mechanical watches and clocks, vintage as well as modern.

Among my favorite designs are the classic Omega Speedmaster Professional and the NOMOS Metro. A controversial opinion of mine is that the the Tudor Pelagos is much more appealing than the Black Bay 38 ;)

### fine writing

I'm a sucker for the slick, minimal fountain pens of LAMY. No surprise here, I'm a member of the LAMY 2000 club.

When it comes to utility, I like the Parker Jotter modified with a gel cartridge.

### mechanical keyboards

During the COVID-19 pandemic I assembled my own keyboard; it's nothing special, but exactly the way I want it:

- A minimal 60% layout with:
    - [Plain60-C](https://github.com/evyd13/plain60-c) PCB
    - Simple, black aluminium case
- Cherry MX Blue switches
- [DSA Granite](https://pimpmykeyboard.com/dsa-granite-keyset-sublimated/) keycaps, *with Icon modifiers of course!*

For my 22nd birthday I was gifted an IBM Model M by my friends, which is one of the most meaningful guestures people have done for me.

Although I have been living in Germany for the long-term I still prefer the ANSI-US layout. I guess what they say about old dogs is true.

## botany

Ever since I learned of [plant blindness](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_blindness) I've tried to be more mindful of of this incredibly diverse kingdom of life.

I enjoy propagating and raising plants for aesthetic and culinary purposes.

I do use self-raised perennial herbs such as rosemary, thyme and oregano on a daily basis when cooking, and like any other <q>plant person<q> I have a small collection of aroids.

## entertainment

I like to watch a lot of YouTube. Some of my favorite channels include Big Clive, Adam Ragusea and DankPods.

I am also a big Trekkie: Janeway may have broken the prime directive one too many times, but she's still my favorite captain.

## music

While programming and working I always listen to music, it plays a big part of my life.

Particularly I enjoy

- rock, ranging from prog to indie rock. My favorite bands include
    - Muse
    - Alt-J
    - The Alan Parsons Project
    - Foster the People