This series zooms in on the lovely humans that make up our university community. In this edition, photography team member Candy Chu chats to Nicholas, a Masters of Public Policy student, about a fond childhood memory. 

Q: Is there a fond memory from childhood you would like to share? 

Nicholas (N): The one that I always remember is, um…I must have been eleven or twelve? I was flying to Europe for my Uncle’s wedding, in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. So I always remember when we got off the plane at the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, I probably butchered that haha, because I don’t speak Dutch. I remember walking out and seeing my grandfather, for the first time that I can remember. 

I just saw this really tall man, he was German so he was quite tall. He was wearing an akubra, and a trench jacket. I walked up and realized that that’s my grandfather, and just the fondness of seeing him for the first time. I also remember he had big hands, big hands! He was a plumber and so I remember his strength, but also how gentle they were. 

On the car ride back, my family went in the car we had hired but I went with my grandfather, and it was just me and him. We didn’t have a common language, but it was just nice to be with him.