About Me Personally

Beyond work and research, here's a glimpse into who I am as an individual.

It's impossible to sum up any individual in just a few paragraphs, but this is a good start.

Quick Bio

Raised in Limassol, Cyprus, travelled to Dundee, Scotland for my Bachelor's in Computing at Abertay University. After the COVID-19 pandemic I moved to Amsterdam, the Netherlands for my Master's in Computer Science where I had the luck and privilege to work closely with Wan Fokkink and Jacopo Urbani. Moved to Vienna, Austria to do my Ph.D. at TU Wien under Katja Hose's supervision.

Interests & Hobbies

We are pretty lucky to have consciousness, and because of that we can find things that we our conscious mind wants to engage with. Here are a few things that I engage with:

  • Programming: Like any good computer scientist I have about 100 side-projects that I have started and never finished due to the annoying nature of finite time. In doing so I get an opportunity to program in a multitude of programming languages, which is a great pleasure.
  • Reading: What I like to read varies but in general I like non-fiction or philosophical books, and well-written, long essays. I also enjoy science-fiction but it heavily depends on the author and style. Ironically my favourite book is the historical fiction novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, the narration in that book is astounding and I have not read anything like it before or since.
  • Sports: There is a phrase in Greek stolen from Latin, which translates to: `Healthy mind in a healthy body`. To that end, I almost always have a gym subscription and also run at least once every two-weeks. Additionally, any opportunity for group sports that comes around, I jump at.
  • Movies: Somone I know introduced me to the European concept of a cinema card that, for a monthly fee, allows unlimited viewings at many independent arthouse cinemas. I have been hooked since and feel like my inner cinephile has well and truly emerged. It would pointless to describe what kinds of movies I like since it varies so much, the summary would probably be; movies that make me think.
  • Writing: Putting pen to paper, literally, is a great way to organise thoughts, plan, and express oneself. I do this fairly frequently. Occasionally I will write longer pieces about a more general topic on a computer, as of yet these writings are not on this website.
  • Gaming: Video games are a relatively new and fantastic method of artisitic expression, and they can even be vessels for social time with friends! As such my gaming is generally split into three categories:
    • Games that have a story that I want to get immersed in. (God of War, Read Dead Redepemtion, Assassins Creed, etc.)
    • Optimization games that satisfy the problem-solving itch. (Football Manager, Satisfactory, Schedule 1, etc.)
    • Games I can play with my friends. (Battlefield, Vallheim, Deep Rock Galactic, etc.)
  • Music: Music plays a big role in my life, more on that below.
Music

One of the best things about being human is the ability to appreciate music. Some lucky few can also make it, alas, I am not that lucky.

Limiting oneself to only one genre or type of music is a massive waste in my opinion.

When I want a companion, something full, or I am in the mood to feel something: Jim Croce (my favourite artist), Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Fleetwood Mac, or Stelios Kazantzidis are to be heard from the sound producing device that is closest to me.

If energy is required or needs to be dispersed then Sabaton (my 2nd favourite artists), Disturbed, Linkin Park, and Five Finger Death Punch are playing.

When I am in the mood for something bouncy and lyrical Chali2na, Method Man, Jurassic 5, The Roots, Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. keep me company.

When it comes to classical I listen to the most recent symphonic pieces made available by the Berlin or Vienna Philarmonic Orchestras. Although I am far from a connoisseur, Edvard Grieg's works are always a pleasure to listen to.

This list is far from comprehensive but gives a a good overview of the kind of thing I am usually listening to.