NOS reporter Gerri Eickhof (63) grew up without a shower and refrigerator. Not out of poverty, but because of the conservatism of his grandmother, with whom he and his mother lived. That’s what the popular journalist told tonight in Stars on the Canvas on NPO 2.
With some reluctance, Gerri Eickhof entered the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, where he was to be portrayed by three artists. He confessed to host Özcan Akyol that he was somewhat nervous about whether the participants would recognize him. That recognition was there, but none of the three artists could name the NOS reporter. What he did understand, by the way: “I don’t know your names either.”
In conversation with Akyol, Eickhof looked back on his youth in Amsterdam-North. He lived with his mother with his grandmother, who was quite Catholic. “We always said: if celibacy didn’t exist, she would want to marry the Pope,” Eickhof joked. The messages were therefore only done with Catholics. ,,We had a baker and he was a really cheated baker, but he was Catholic, so we got our bread with burnt crusts there. We were lucky with the butcher, who was clearly the best of the three.”
Eickhof also grew up without a shower. ,,That was not a question of poverty, but that grandmother of mine did not want to move forward. We also didn’t have a fridge, because my grandmother said, ‘We’ll put things out’. It was huge conservatism. Grandma was against progress, she thought it was all right.”
It’s only once every two months that I watch the whole program
Striking hobby
It was Grandma who set the regime. Playing football with friends was not an option for Eickhof, because he was then allowed to cycle through the city to do shopping at the Catholic shop owners who were much further away. He admits that he does not look back fondly on that time. When he feels bad, he sometimes goes back to the place in Amsterdam-North where he lived then to realize how good he is now.
Progress has struck in the Eickhof household and that has resulted in a remarkable hobby. The NOS reporter is regularly at home watching the washing program. “I did it the day before yesterday. Not the whole program. I think 25 minutes or so. You shouldn’t overdo it. I only watch the entire program once every two months.”
In those moments, he thinks of nothing at all. I have a very old washing machine. He is thirty years old. You also have to press a specific place on the door, then it will turn on. For twenty years we have treated each other in such a way that I give him a kind of pat on the back and that he catches on.”
Remarkably enough, artist Nanne also has a good relationship with the washing machine, as he confessed during the making of Eickhof’s portrait. ,,I give the washing machine a kiss every now and then. Out of a kind of love that he has worked for you again for two hours.”
watch here the whole conversation between Özcan Akyol and Gerri Eickhof back. You can bid on the artworks from Sterren op het Doek here.
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source https://pledgetimes.com/gerri-eickhof-grew-up-without-a-shower-and-fridge-my-grandmother-didnt-want-to-move-forward/
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