During the Christmas holidays of 2020, I started working again on my personal website. A few years ago, in 2018, it had been completely transformed – but only for its Dutch part. It was difficult to find the time for its international dimensions. Thus, the English and French pages were not yet realized.
Creating a new website means: revisiting your texts, reorganizing your archives, rediscovering pictures and documents you almost forgot. It is a challenging operation, that requires time and also some freedom to make new choices. Moving into a new house is maybe easier than creating a new website…
To begin with, I would like to share some images of the ‘feel and touch’ of the old website, created in Dreamweaver in 2005-2006 together with Paul Simons – Vuursteen Communicatie. This was its presentation:
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For reasons of security and technique, it was absolutely necessary to give it a new format, using also a new framework. Great acknowledgements to Petra Bredewold who helped me to realize this completely new website in wordpress 5.6.1. As mentioned, we started with the Dutch version in 2018 and postponed the French and English operations till the end of 2020. My apologies if some readers felt neglected : Even today some pages are still under construction. And some functions (the archive and search functions) seem to work better in the original Dutch version than in the parallel French and English presentation, but this problem will be quickly addressed by Bredewold webdesign.
Reflection of multilingual life
A multilingual website has its own challenges, in its design and presentation but also in its use of tags and categories. Most multilingual websites have a kind of symmetrical approach: they are made for companies and aim to offer exactly the same content in each different language. But this not the reality of a multilingual professional. This website reflects that multilingual lives can be very different in each language : they are divided in different ‘compartments’. You only live a part of your live in each language! The English pages will mainly refer to my work as a teacher and academic professional. The French pages will show the domains mostly addressed in the language of Victor Hugo: readings, music, religious horizons and daily life. The Dutch pages will uncover the dimensions of work in the Netherlands and many of my writings for a wider audience.
You only live a part of your live in each language!
You will maybe ask: and where are the Italian pages? Per il momento lasciamo perdere. Non escludo di offrire anche qualche pagina in italiano, senza però pretendere una presentazione completa.
I hope this new website will offer some enjoyable reading, easy access to my publications and a platform for exchange and discussion.