PNKT23

I'm a 17-year-old male, and I live in Rotterdam, Netherlands .

I speak English, Dutch, some French, and a tiny bit of Norwegian.

Current level: Expert

• 1

• Something to tell the world!

  I'm open to new things, so anyone from anywhere, don't hesitate to message! My main reason for joining this site, however, is to improve my French, so if you're a French speaker and you're willing to lend a hand, please do be in touch. Exchanging actual letters is kind of a dream of mine, but I'm up for online contact as well.

• Favourite books/authors/films

  My favourite books of all time must be the Spellslinger-series by Sebastien de Castell. The main character is a swashbuckler-type outcast who's trying to survive after being banished from his people's lands - not always easy when there are bounty hunters on your tail and your only allies are a wandering philosopher and basically a cat. Anyhow, it's written humorously and fast-paced, and there's a bunch of great characters - what's not to love?

  My favourite film must be either Pirates of the Caribbean, The Hobbit, or Snoopy and the Peanuts.

• Cities and countries I have visited

  Canterbury (England) might just be my favourite city in the world - I fell in love with it in 2020, when I visited on a school trip. I've been back thrice last year, and each time it feels like coming home. However, Paris is a close second, which is why I'm hoping to improve my French. I've been to Austria quite a few times as well - the mountains always stir up something in me. We have plans to visit Norway, which is why I gave Norwegian a try, but I haven't had the opportunity to put my language skills to the test.

• My interests in other cultures

  I've been fascinated with the UK and the English language for as l can remember, and I hope to live there some day. I'm hoping to improve my French as well and learn more about France. Across the globe, I would like to learn more about Japanese history. Still, there are so many cultures closer to home I hardly know anything about, and it's high time to change that!

• Living abroad for one year

  Maybe one day I'll live in France for a year, to improve my French or maybe even try to achieve the DELF. I'm planning on studying in England when I graduate from secondary school, but that doesn't count as one year abroad, does it?

• My proudest accomplishments

  Last year I passed my Cambridge English CAE exam and I played the role of Harry in the school musical Mamma Mia! I'm also getting better at archery and salsa, which feels good. However, to me, there's nothing quite like looking at a finished piece of writing.

• I always enjoy talking about...

  First and foremost, books. If you can recommend any - or you're willing to read any of my recommendations - I bet we've got lots to discuss. If you're a writer we could talk about that, maybe share ideas and stories? Besides that, I like thinking about philosophical questions, and I'm open to conversation. Friends can always come to me to talk about personal issues.

• Personal skills

  Last year, I joined an archery club, and slowly but surely I'm getting better. Same goes for salsa. I write short stories when inspiration - or motivation - hits me, but whether that can be really called a skill...

• A personal challenge

  Being more sociable, trying new things, picking up my laptop and finishing a piece of writing :,-)

• 10 years from now

  Ten years from now, I hope to have a job in publishing - as an editor, or maybe even as an author (that's my ultimate dream, but having a backup can't hurt). I might be living in England, if I manage to get a job in the UK after graduating from the University of Kent (where I hope to study Literature and Creative Writing).

• It was better before

  Music. Definitely music. Most new albums and single's can't compare to songs by the likes of ABBA, David Bowie, and Cher.

• It is better now

  Personally, I like that English books are more widely available today than my Mum was aware of when she was my age. Besides, with new books being published all the time, there must be a more diverse range of books available now than a few decades ago. When it comes to video games, I'm very much a child of the twenty-first century too, meaning I like the fact it's possible to have expansive open worlds with amazing graphics.

• Improving the school system

  My suggestion would have to be to teach more languages. At my school, we get to choose from French, German, and the classics, besides the compulsory Dutch and English, even though I'm sure there are people who'd prefer to study Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese... I'm aware this would probably lead to too many small classes to be manageable, but let's be idealists here.

• A career without obstacles

  From the top of my head, writing an instant bestseller would be awesome, followed up by numerous successful books - though I realise this is most likely just wishful thinking.

• A trick or piece of advice

  People will have their opinion of you regardless of what you do. You might as well just be yourself, having fun while attracting the right kind of crowd.