Thank God It’s Friday: Anouk Smulders

If there is someone in the country I would love to be with at this time, it is Anouk Smulders. Big heart, generous laugh, and not a half-full glass, but a fridge full of goodies. After a period of deep sadness and then also great happiness, she has some time to answer my questions.

Dear Nouk, I always start this column by asking what number someone gives their life at this moment. I can imagine it is difficult for you now...
‘Definitely a solid 9. Peaks and valleys make me realize that I have it very, very nice with my family.’

In a period of two months, you lost your manager, the dearest Hans van de Veen, suddenly found yourself in the hospital with a tennis ball on your elbow, and when you had recovered, your sister got married. Speaking of extremes: how did you get through this period?
‘It was such a rollercoaster of emotions. Letting go of someone you love so much, being admitted to emergency care three times with an infection and a bacteria, an operation, six days on an IV, a week and a half recovering, and then being the master of ceremonies at my sister's wedding. She also had a very tough time, but that is fortunately far behind us now. That was quite fitting, but with these peaks and valleys, you realize again what it’s all about. I am usually really a racket, but the mix of all this led to stillness, forced rest, reflection, a lot of tears, but also a lot of love and happiness.’

Forgive me if it gets too personal, but I can imagine that when a loved one dies, you sometimes still get caught up in the daily grind. Sandwiches need to be made, dogs need to be walked, you go to work. But you suddenly found yourself all alone in the hospital.
‘That hit really hard. I think because I didn’t really take the time to truly feel, it’s easier for me to keep going… Until your body calls you; it teaches me to really take time. I find that very difficult, but ultimately it is valuable to grieve, to recover, and to truly feel.’

There must be something Hans said to you that gives you strength in difficult moments.
‘He always said: ‘The only thing you need to say is: call Hans!!!’ I still say that… He especially taught me to stretch the tension arc and to regularly take a pause… He called me zzzzznouk! because I always go full throttle.’

Let’s move to this column. Friday afternoon five o'clock. Where are you, with whom, and what’s in your glass?
‘With you, Maytje, because we can always laugh so much, have five conversations at once, both enjoy a drink, and because it’s been ridiculously long. My new discovery: Chandon Spritz! Not normal delicious, I will bring it next time.’

I remember something about Friday being your snack day. All kinds of delicious little dishes and soups and cheeses, just like your mother used to do, right?
‘Well remembered. We call it a big plate. That was always on Saturday: grocery shopping with my father, eating herring at the fishmonger… My mother worked on Saturdays, so then it was Saturday evening on the couch, candles lit, tasty things, washed hair, and in your pajamas with a big plate, and we keep that tradition alive. I find it so cozy.’

With you, it’s never quiet, I know that up close. You do everything at a hundred kilometers per hour. Then you drive another 500 kilometers straight, give it some gas, and then you’re near Anouk Smulders. A weekend with you is of course not just lying lazily on a bed and reading a book. What do you do?
‘Hahahaha, sometimes absolutely nothing, because giving gas sometimes calls for nothing, but usually it’s a game of tennis, a market visit, drinks, walking, a bit of tinkering in the garden, sailing, and I love to spend a long time at home in my bathrobe tinkering and reading.’

What does Saturday look like? And yes, it can be as detailed as possible.
‘Showering, fresh and without makeup taking a long walk with the dogs, coffee and breakfast, eating delicious oatmeal/banana pancakes with red fruit, reading the newspaper for a long time, going to the lovely market in Naarden-Vesting… That feels like a vacation. Then a visit to the sports field, sometimes driving for taxi company Smulders, making a fresh soup, a drinks run, a summer boat trip, and in winter, lighting the fireplace. Something like that.’

Does Sunday have a different color for you than Saturday?
‘Definitely. Sunday is white, blank, don’t call me, family hangout day, homework at the kitchen table, a little walk, and cooking more extensively. I’m so curious what color your Sunday has, may I take a guess? I think burgundy, like a good glass of red wine, and your Friday is definitely Chanel rouge. Hahaha.’

Suppose earthly matters like flight shame, time difference, money, and jet lag don’t matter at all. What does your ideal weekend look like? Taking a road trip around the Keys in Florida and then returning via your beloved Curaçao to your little boat in Muiderberg? And who would you love to have with you if you could conjure everyone up?
‘In Muiden, dear May. I would still like to eat a burrata with you at Morandi in New York, grab a small terrace in Paris, drive through the Serengeti in a Jeep at sunset, and end in my own bed with a cup of tea and the dearest. Going with my family, relatives, and the core group, that’s what I call the people very close to me.’

What do you read and listen to on the weekend?

‘On Spotify, I listen to everything mixed together. We do the funniest dances in the kitchen, then everyone gets to choose a song. The last book I read is ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’: beautiful!’

And what can we picture you in?

‘Sneakers, jeans, and a blue blazer.’

What’s on your ‘I want to eat here’ list?
‘OMG, do you have a moment… I have a folder on my phone with a food wish list. At the top is Raan Jay Fai in Bangkok, a street food restaurant with a Michelin star. I really want to go there once, but I also love a good Indonesian rice table. Recently, we have top-quality steak (always with roquefort sauce on the side) next to Ome Ko in Muiden, and Ted’s: love a good poached egg with salmon and a double espresso.’

When you say Anouk, you say plans. What’s on the agenda for the coming time?

‘Vacation in our own country and in Spain, a new TV program, in September with my platform again a new hut hike in Austria, learning to golf and paddle, an event in the beautiful Nidum in Grave (not normal beautiful) about human design and setups in November. And I have an idea for December. Something special, but I still need to think about it. And actually, I also want to learn to drum, hahahaha. Welcome to Anouk-land!’

And I’m very curious how this summer will look for you?

‘Three days of sailing with our boat from home to Friesland, a week in a house in Friesland with friends and a bunch of kids around us and the doggies with us. Then starting in Spain in Valencia, and the girls will travel for a few days to friends who are a bit further south. Then two work trips follow, and I’ll end the summer with a party for my fiftieth birthday. ‘It’s never boring’ is our constant saying at home…’

Is there anything you want to share with the people?

‘Enjoy the ride!’