About myself

Me
My name is Tom Windelinckx, hence Tommickx.
I was born on a cold winter day in 1978 in Aarschot (in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking, Northern part of Belgium) and I lived there until my late 20s. I went to college in Leuven, and graduated as a Master of Science in Electronics in 2000. Quickly I found a job with a company that designs and manufacturers integrated micro-electronic systems for the automotive industry. I took evening classes in teaching, and received my Certificate of Teaching Skills in June 2006.
After some summer holiday traveling (Route 66, hiking in Lapland, Thailand) I went on an Asia Road Trip: five months backpacking in South East Asia (Dec 2004-May 2005). That’s when I fell in love with Cambodia. After a second visit around the Christmas holidays of 2005, I decided to quit my job, and take a jump into the unknown: live in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia.
After three years of teaching English in Phnom Penh, a four-year relationship with a wonderful Cambodian girl (one that ended in an amicable breakup due to irreconcilable differences), I decided it was time for something new and moved to Cambodia’s Eastern province of Mondolkiri, with the intent of running my own English classes and living a simple life. That’s where I am now. Do visit!

Interests
Travel, history, (South East) Asian cultures. Must see: the Angkor complex.
Music: Jethro Tull, Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Symphony X, Deadsoul Tribe, Riverside, Extreme, Starsailor, Prince, Diana Krall, Gary Moore, Jack Johnson and many more. Must hear: ”Undertow” by Pain of Salvation.
Books: Hergé, John Steinbeck, China Miéville, Terry Pratchett, Isaac Asimov, and many more. Must read: “The Sorrow of War” by Bao Ninh.
Film: Apocalypse Now, Shaun of the Dead, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Grave of the Fireflies, Amélie, Heavenly Creatures – or any other Kate Winslet film for that matter. Must see: “Dolls” by Takeshi Kitano.
Food and drinks. Must drink: Belgian “gueuze” beer.

Random facts
Of all the things I keep stored in Belgium, these two are the biggest in size.
The first is a 1959 Saroléa Benjamin motorcycle. Belgian-made, it features a German Sachs 97 cc two-stroke engine. It’s not in very good shape, but I’m sure my cousin is taking good care of it, and enjoying it too.
The second is a 1978 copper brown Toyota Crown RS-80 2-litre saloon. It’s not the prettiest of cars, but it is built like a tank, and quite rare at home.