Hi,
allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Jan, a 40 something year-old guy from Antwerp with a few too many hobbies… or rabbit holes if you like.
I still live just outside of the city center of the diamond-city with my 2 cats.
Now you might wonder where the d’Anvers Edge / Xintum name comes from. The explanation is quite simple really. Back when I was younger and starting out in IT, it was cool to have your own domain. This meant I wanted something unique and having an X in the name is cool right? So I started playing scrabble in my head, searching for existing web spaces and Xintum came back pretty unique, so I claimed it. The d’Anvers Edge name is a bit more inmagination-driven. As you’ll read in the D&D section. This brought me Xintum Motorsport Services (yes, I’m on the racecars with my logo!) and d’Anvers Edge Creations.
This blog, or whatever it will turn out to be is going to be yet another rabbit hole.
So, you might wonder “why is this guy writing and what about?” … and I’ll try to share what keeps me busy next to my job as a software engineer and team lead.
In no order of importance:
Racing
I think it’s almost a decade ago that I rolled into this one.
Already in a third instance of a raceteam, I’m still having fun at the racetrack doing what I like doing: tinkering. Doing more than just 1 thing, I help with logistics, problem solving around the 2 cars, which includes 3d modeling parts and just brutal MacGyvering when things break and need to get fixed quickly.
It’s fun and challenging! And yes, I am still a petrolhead!
Ah yes, I also follow F1!
3D printing & modeling
This one kind of snuck up on me. When I got my first little printer, the Creality Ender 3, I just thought “let’s see if I use this”. Lo and behold, it triggered me to print useless and useful things and it also proved handy to make little things for the Star Wars costuming club I was in at that time. After a year or 2 I told myself I should be able to go bigger (upgrading to a Creality CR-10S4) and a few years later I told myself I need to go detailed (getting an Anycubic Mono X). Needless to say, this hobby stayed fun giving me solutions to question I never thought I had.
Somewhere along the way, I also got the good advice to start modeling my own things, so I started evening classes to learn Fusion 360, which have paid off to make my own printer parts for example.
Gaming
No no, I’m not part of the PC-master-race, sorry. I get my gametime from my Playstation and Xbox, which is more than sufficient.
Main IP’s of interest: Horizon (Guerilla), Mass Effect (Bioware), Fallout (Bethesda), Final Fantasy (Square Enix), … anything with a decent story and a bit of freedom!
Pop culture / entertainment
I’m mostly a science-fiction guy, but I won’t shy away from other genres! My friends tell me my brain runs on pop-culture knowledge, blurting out quotes from movies or series at random. Guess I can remember something!
I’m no gatekeeper, so I won’t judge people when they tell me they haven’t seen Star Wars 😉
So yeah, I watch my fair share of movies and series!
DIY
DIY was instilled in my upbringing. My parents always taught me to try and solve problems myself, or at least start and they’d guide. That means I’m no sucker when it comes to a bit of DIY. Which also has given me the rabbit hole of buying tools, alas. This problem-solving spirit is also what I use when designing parts or tinkering
Out and about
I’m no hermit though 🙂
Not being home that much is how people know me most. This means I’m at with friends or family (family man here!).
I enjoy some good craft beer and whisky, which usually involves meeting up with friends!