Hangin' Out

All work and no play makes dull boys and girls. So how do Dutch and international students enjoy spending their free time? This week: Sumeet Kumar (23), from India, second-year MSc, microelectronics.

(Photo: Hans Stakelbeek/FMAX)

“As I’m in the final year of my program, my studies have really taken a toll on my free time. Normally every chance I’d get I would be enjoying myself at De Ruif or Locus Publicus, my two favourite pubs in Delft, but these days unfortunately I seem to spend most of my time in the library studying.
“When I first arrived in Delft, me and a group of seven or eight other new international students on my floor were all feeling really homesick, so we came up with this concept wherein we started meeting at one of our rooms each weekend. Each of us would bring a dish unique to our countries and we’d then spend the night watching a movie. We did this for two months or so and by the end we had watched movies from at least six different countries! Being away from home has also given me a unique opportunity to try out new dishes from other countries, and because of this cooking has really become a hobby of mine.  
“Delft is a beautiful place with many good places, but one place I really love to hangout is the Oostpoort, because of the special peacefulness that prevails there during the evenings, and the fact that it‘s the only remaining gate from the original walls around Delft, makes me visit this ‘living fossil’ time and again! I’m also teaching myself how to play guitar, so the quiet, lonely spots near the Oostpoort are perfect places to practice my new compositions.” 
“I love listening to Indian songs. The moment I say Indian music, most people conjure up the images of Bollywood, but there’s much more to Indian music than just Bollywood tunes.  Equally good regional music from the south is a great stress buster for me, and if I’m talking about music, then for sure I must talk about A.R. Rehman. When it comes to this musician, I don’t really mind what language his songs are in, whether Hindi, Tamil or English. He’s taken Indian music to the next level, and he’s a big reason why I’ve started playing the guitar!
“I visit lots of places in and around Delft, but some of my best trips are to the Haagse Markt in Den Haag, which is a special place where you can find shops from all around the world. I was so happy to have found a place where I can buy things that I would have got back in India and also where I’m given the opportunity to try foods from other countries. And we usually ride our bikes from Delft to this market as well."