This is me: Catherine van Ameijden

Choice of study. “My programme is a specialisation of a Master of Commercial Law. I did my Bachelor of Dutch Law in Utrecht. During my studies, I went to Hong Kong on a study trip, where we visited an amazing port, different law firms and institutions. I really got interested in international trade law, so I started looking for this specialised Master and stopped in the city of Rotterdam. The port is a gateway to Europe and the city is the only place in the Netherlands which offers such a programme. Regarding the future, I still have to figure it out, but at this moment I’m looking forward to trying the maritime field.”

Surfing. “Besides my big love of music, my other passion is surfing. I’m not a professional in it, but I’d love to improve my skills, maybe if I get a chance to live in a country good for surfing. I decided to give it a try when I was looking for a holiday with some outdoor activity. I saw this video of the Star Surf Camp in France with international people, which looked a lot of fun. And it really was. During the day we had lessons and we had parties during the night, and became a real community.”

Photography. “Photography is another hobby of mine. I just got my fourth camera as a birthday present from my boyfriend. It’s a Polaroid and I still have to figure out exactly how it works. I’ve been interested in photography since I was 18 or 19, when my dad gave me a film camera from when he was the same age. I started playing with it and seeing the difference with digital pictures. So I only got a DSLR camera afterwards and in comparison, I prefer film. With film you have to think more about how you take each shot, and just the ambience of the process is more authentic. I love looking at the negatives of film once it’s developed.”

Future. “I remember once seeing this book with a photo series of food and markets in Vietnam. It made me think how cool a job like that would be – travelling to different countries and taking photos of cuisines, which I think tells us a lot about how other cultures live. On the one hand, I wouldn’t want to work in an office all day and practise law, but on the other hand I’d also like to use my knowledge and not just be creative. My dream job would allow me to have breaks every now and then to enjoy my hobbies.”