Bauke
+ Name: Bauke Van Weringh
+ Age: 53
+ Home Base: Copenhagen, I’m proud to say.
+ Current Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone
+ Occupation: Official at UNDP.
+ Ethnicity: Dutch (Caucasian)
+ Religion: None.
+ Have Children: No.
+ Want Children: No.
+ Last great book I read:
What Went Wrong by Benjamin something, he tries to explain why there is all of a sudden this controversy between Christian and Muslim. He says that Islam until the 1500s were the center of the world in culture and development, for example the maths we use are Arabic figures. In Europe something changed, and this is where Islam could not follow in development. They copied western things but they were anti-western.
+ Most humbling moment:
The moment you realize that you are very busy and you work hard and then you look back and see the results are so small – despite the effort that you make, how little you can reach.
There are quite a number of those moments, compared to the moments when you realize, “yes, something is happening.”
+ Celebrity I resemble most:
A rockstar in Holland 25 years ago, Robert Long. He’s not a celebrity anymore. I was a teacher at a girl’s school, I put in curls of my hair, and this guy also had curls and all of a sudden I looked like him. I got very popular at the girls school.
+ Best or worst lie I've ever told:
My worst, and at the same time best, lie was around 10 years ago, when - 4 months after the Dayton peace accord - in Sarajevo the UNHCR had to spent lots of money very fast and asked me, as the project manager for an International NGO, whether I could reconstruct houses, schools and hospitals to an amount of 4 million USD in 6 month's time.
The worst lie was that I said: "Yes, of course I can", - having an office geared to spending less than 1 million USD over 18 months. It turned out to be the best lie, as we pulled it off within the 6 months and as a result remained in the loop for further funding, also from other donors. As such, an initial 6 months contract turned into a stay of almost 4 years in Bosnia, actually based upon an initial lie.
+ If I could be anywhere at the moment:
Believe it or not, and this is not the best lie I ever told, right here in Sierra Leone. I realize that Sierra Leone is the best place to be for the time being. In two years time it may be very different.
+ Song or album that puts me in the mood:
I am very much on Simon and Garfunkel, the Chronicle album.
+ Five items I can’t live without:
1. music
2. a good car
3. good food
4. a very good bed where I can lay my head
5. a good beer
+ Fill in the blanks:
Naked is sexy;
a tiny bikini is sexier.
+ In my bedroom, you'll find:
A bed, cockroaches (I’m embarrassed to say), books, my music, usually I have many dirty clothing but now I have a houseboy and there are only clean clothing, a bit boring I think.
+ Why you should get to know me:
Just to have some fun.
+ More about what I’m looking for:
The basic thing is that I decided on this kind of career because of what I like: blue skies, white beaches, sunshine, and warm water.
The most important: a place in the sun.
+ P.S.
In the time being things are going really good. If it keeps on going like this, I will be very happy. If it keeps on going for the next 25 years, I’ll die a happy man. After the next 25, that’ll be enough.
