Sunday Afternoon featuring Japke D. Bouma, among others Vraag ChatGPT

Main Guests:

Japke-d. Bouma (NRC)
What have we gained from years of pointing out every difference between men and women? Aren’t we actually more alike than we think? According to Japke-d. Bouma, men aren't from Mars and women aren't from Venus either. Come laugh your way through the stereotypes and decide for yourself what still holds up...

Ritsko van Vliet
Ritsko is a theatre maker, speaker, and writer — best known as an "edutainer" — with Indo-Dutch roots. He grew up in eight foster families in Leeuwarden, after his Indonesian mother passed away when he was just two years old. His book Who Was My Indonesian Grandmother? was published on 7 November 2024. It’s an autobiographical reconstruction — with a few fictional elements — of his search for his late mother and her background. The starting point: a question from his son Timo — “Who was my Indonesian grandmother?”

2:00 – 3:00 pm
Storytelling session

Touching, witty, painful, recognisable, remarkable, and thought-provoking — these are all fitting descriptions for the life story of Ritsko van Vliet.
Who Was My Indonesian Grandmother? That single, unexpected question from his son Timo turned Ritsko van Vliet’s (1952) life upside down. Nearly twenty years later, this well-known Leeuwarden native wrote an autobiographical novel, with fictional elements, chronicling his search for his mother's story — a mother he never knew, as she passed away when he was just two years old.

His journey also confronts him with his turbulent youth in eight different foster families in Leeuwarden, where he lived while his father, a stage performer, was often away. Van Vliet not only recounts life in those households, but also gives a broader impression of Leeuwarden in the 1960s and ’70s — the Indo-Dutch community’s integration, the nightlife, and the neighbourhoods he lived in.

To better understand his mother’s past, he travels to her birthplace, Amurang, on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi — knowing full well that this quest may put additional strain on his marriage. A chance encounter with a nun who has fled unstable Central Sulawesi with thirty children marks a profound turning point in his life.

3:00 – 4:00 pm
Talk Show

Research shows that women behave differently to men in the workplace. In this talk, Japke-d. Bouma dives into the science — and especially into language — to uncover the roots of these differences.

Why is the word bossy only used for women? Why is an angry man simply angry, while an angry woman is labelled hysterical? What are the consequences of this language? And how do we deal with it?

With her trademark wit, Japke-d. Bouma offers practical, helpful tips — for both women and men.

About Zindagmiddag

Starting 15 June, you’ll have something meaningful to do every Sunday afternoon this summer. Take a dive into refreshing, inspiring, funny and powerful stories from both familiar and new voices during Zindagmiddag at Bouwurk — the largest mienskipshûs (community house) in Fryslân.

Ever feel scrolled out and screen-tired? Put down your phone, close your laptop, and come watch and listen to the real stuff: real people, real stories, and real conversations you’ll carry with you long after. Zindagmiddag is the place for fresh inspiration, human connection, and an entertaining afternoon where time slips away.

This event takes place in the Keuken at Bouwurk, on Oldehoofsterkerkhof in Leeuwarden, Fryslân.