RENÉ ‘VROOM’ VROOMBOUT

Several issues ago we introduced you to Amber, our ‘Dutch Treat’, and now it is the turn of her husband René.

He was born in the Netherlands in a small village called Maasland, which is situated near the Greenhouse Area, where they grow a wide range of produce and flowers, including tomatoes and roses. Rene worked here for a few years growing roses and he can well attest to the fact that “proper roses do still have thorns!”

He moved to The Hague for studies and as a young student actually lived just around the corner from the famous (or infamous) Red Light district. This naturally sometimes led to meeting some interesting people and encountering some unusual situations - where vandalism, theft and even gunshots were quite common. However, it was also often very entertaining, such as having discussions about the Marquis De Sade's writings with a Columbian woman who ‘worked’ just around the corner.

He worked as a librarian in the Dutch Parliament, sometimes talking and joking with MP's … “but I suppose when you get to be an MP you tend to lose your sense of humor”. He also worked in dog kennels, picking up ‘you know what’ and being ‘appreciated’ by 40 dogs at once. On arrival in Australia he worked as an IT consultant in St Kilda.

René currently works as a customer service representative for Apollo Motorhomes in Keilor, where he rents out motorhomes, trying to solve issues and problems, and often has to say “Have a good holiday” up to 15 times a day.

He and Amber have  lived in the Woodend area for almost two years now, having moved here in September 2006. Prior to that they lived in Westmeadows and then in Sunbury, just of the Gisborne South exit.

René has been a member of the Woodend CFA for nearly a year … “although it feels like more, in a good way”.

He has been to quite a few call outs in that short time, but the recent large fire in the Spring Hill area was his most important to date … “it really showed me what I was training for. I also enjoy seeing members during training playing soccer with a BA strapped to their backs”.

He joined the CFA to get to know people in the Woodend area “but more importantly because of last year's intensive smoke haze, newspaper reports of what can happen and feeling the need to put something back into the community”.

What does he enjoy most about the CFA. “A lot of people from different and yet similar backgrounds, joined together for one purpose”.

What does he do in his spare time. “People tell me I'm pretty good at drawing cartoons and writing short stories. I'm doing some work in HTML, CSS and PHP. And lately, I have also purchased a 1969 Alfa Romeo that I'm trying to get to behave like I want to. My Alfa is something I bought as an answer to my childhood dreams … one of the most beautiful automobiles ever!

“In  my spare time, I listen to industrial ambient, black-and-death metal, and I watch Coen and Woo and late 1980's fantasy movies”.  Whatever that means René!

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