On the exact same day that I started my Archaeology studies in Leiden in 1993, my mother began her studies in Sinology. I was 22, she was 42. And I can tell you, it’s quite complicated to keep running into your mother in the cafeteria. In the end, I didn’t make it to the finish line. My mother did. She received her PhD in 2005, at the age of 55. So, my favourite is Dr. Lucien van Valen!
