Usually when I first
meet people, it sounds a bit like this:
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| I was born in the
Hottentots Holland Hospital near Cape Town, South Africa on the 29th of
June 1977.
My parents are Klaas and Ingrid (now divorced) and my siblings are, from oldest to youngest, Marguerite, Bianca and Rembrandt. I am the youngest.
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| In 1981, my whole
family moved to New Zealand because my dad, who has actuarial qualifications,
was offered a job here. I have been back to South Africa a couple
of times since then, and have had a wonderful time there. My most recent
stay (1988 - 90) was near the town of Hermanus,
which is approximately 100km from Cape Town.
Staying in Africa gave me insights into the value of natural beauty and wildlife, and has made me a bit of a greenie for life. (You can also visit my travel website for more photos!)
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| In New Zealand, I went to Auckland Grammar School for four years before starting my studies at the University of Auckland in 1995. Since completing my BCom/LLB degree, I have been practising as a lawyer. | ||||||||
| I have visited South East Asia several times. I had a fabulous time thanks to the generosity of my wife's family.
I was introduced to an amazing variety of local food, experienced Chinese New Year and Hari Raya, tramped through the jungle and met many friendly and interesting people. (You can also visit my travel website for more photos!)
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I spend a lot of my leisure time with my wife Chen Yen
and with other friends.
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| Martial arts have been a hobby of mine for many years. I enrolled in my first Shotokan Karate class when I was nine years old, and have also learnt some Fencing and Aikido since then.
I am currently learning Tai Chi Chuan, which I started in 1995 under Master Yek Sing Ong. When properly taught, Tai Chi Chuan is an effective form of self-defence. Master Yek is the most skillful, subtle and powerful martial artist I have met. I have compiled a Martial Arts Directory for New Zealand. It has links to the websites of many different styles throughout New Zealand. This website is now a bit out of date (no updates for five years, I don't look quite as young any more...!) If you want to read about some more recent adventures, have a look at our travel website, which has lots of photos of my travel adventures with Chen Yen in Europe, Africa and Asia. |
Of course, Americans
have less trouble with my name, as they have another famous Waldo... as
in "Where's Waldo?", known in some
less civilised countries as "Where's Wally?".
