Tim van Dijk

The beard

One of Tim's most prominent characteristics is his beard.

The growing of his beard initially started as a form of protest against beauty standards and corporate culture. Tim was very displeased with the fact that employers and society always had a strong expectation that men should dress, groom and behave in certain ways, which often collided with his own ideals and personality.

On his 35th birthday he concluded that the past 35 years he had done what was demanded and expected by others; and vowed that the next 35 years he would follow his own ideals and ambitions instead. Growing a big, bushy beard was one of the first steps within his rebellious plans. Over the years, the beard has grown (sic.) to be a big part of his identity and vision of life. The beard constantly changes it's style and length, and is bound to become more gray over the years;
but the beard is love, the beard is life and the beard is eternal.

Grave before shave, as Tim puts it.

Stitch

Tim cohabitates with a 14-year old, female cat called Stitch.

From what Tim was told, when her previous owners moved to a new house in 2017, the mother of the family did not want to bring the pets to their new home.
The family dog (named Lilo, hence the cat's name Stitch - they were named after the Disney characters) was put to sleep due to old age, the children's guinea pigs were sold to a petting zoo, and Stitch was given to the grandparents, so that the kids could still visit her now and then.

Unfortunately, Stitch could not get along with the grandparents' other cat, and so they started searching for a new owner. Grandpa happened to be a former coworker and friend of Tim's stepfather, and when his parents were visiting one day Stitch was brought to attention. Because Tim had once mentioned that he was thinking of getting a kitten, his mother asked if he would be interested in an older cat as well. He agreed to at least check it out. When they met for the first time, there was an instant rapport between the two, and the decision to adopt her was made on the spot.

They have been the best buddies ever since.

's-Hertogenbosch

Tim was born and raised in the vicinity of 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.

For the first 10 years of his life, he lived with his mother and sister in the village of Rosmalen, which nowadays is part of the municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch. When his mother got into a new relationship, the family moved to the city of Enschede in the East of the Netherlands. About a year and a half later they (including the new stepfather) moved back to 's-Hertogenbosch. Cultural differences is all that his mother is willing to say about the subject.

Tim currently lives in a small, cozy house near the city's train station. He likes living there, because the neighborhood is relatively
peaceful and quiet, the cost of living is fairly low and there are many conveniences within walking distance.