MESSAGE TO CSers LOOKING TO STAY / AVIS AUX SURFEURS QUI SOUHAITENT RESTER CHEZ MOI:

DO NOT REQUEST TO STAY WITH LESS THAN 2 DAYS NOTICE. This may negatively affect my response rate if I don`t see your message.
SVP NE ME DEMANDEZ PAS DE RESTER CHEZ MOI AYANT DONNE UN PREAVIS DE MOINS DE 2 JOURS. Ceci pourrait entrainer une baisse de mon taux de reponse.

CURRENT MISSION

To better understand the world we live in by experiencing first-hand the many cultures and languages out there so that I may someday be able to help create a better world for our children.

ABOUT ME

My name is Alexander MacInnis. I love to travel, it`s my number one passion. I am a fun-loving, open-minded Canadian who is looking for a good experience abroad. I am currently living in Japan as an English teacher (JET) and loving it! I absolutely love working with kids. I believe in bettering the world we live in mainly through education and in exchanging perspectives through dialogue. I wholeheartedly believe that travelling helps develop anyone into a more well-rounded and understanding individual.

PHILOSOPHY

Why wouldn't one want to live, love and laugh their way through life? There are so many opportunities out there available to you, why not just take a little time to look? A little ambition can go a long way! I believe that we have a moral obligation to leave in our tracks a better world than the one we grew up in. Live life to your maximum potential and never stop reaching out to others!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

DISCLAIMER: In the past, I have hosted many great people, but also a couple who have treated my home as a ``Hotel California.`` If you are looking simply for a free night to stay in my or anyone else`s home then I believe you are on this site for the wrong reasons. My home is not free. The cost is your stories that you share, your worldview and your passions. No monetary fee, only your time and open-mindedness. You don`t have to have anything in common with me for me to like you as a person.

DO NOT CONTACT ME IF YOU DO NOT FIT THE ABOVE DESCRIPTION. YOU WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY REJECTED.

I am a current teacher and traveler and am very open-minded towards other people and cultures. I would love to receive people who are interested in learning about my area and seeing the sights. (Only kind and open-minded people are welcome though! :)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I lived in France for two years as an au pair (similar to a nanny) and as a student. I couchsurfed to Bordeaux and stayed with Gabriel Ansel (stay with him if you can, he`s great!). I also couchsurfed in Canada, Scotland, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan. All are fantastic places to visit and I hope to continue to add to this list over time.

Interests

Traveling!! I don't think there are too many others that come close to this... although, I do have a passion for working with children and learning languages as well. I have worked at a number of summer camps for children and volunteered at several different schools. I also love to promote the idea of traveling to youth so as to hopefully open their eyes to the experiences available to them. Aside from that, I also love to play poker, chess, and a game of Risk :)

• festivals
• dining
• wine
• cheese
• drinking
• chess
• traveling
• poker
• teaching
• languages
• au-pair
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:
Harry Potter, Dan Brown, Mike Horn

Music:
Rock & Roll: Aerosmith, AC/DC, Barenaked Ladies, Def Leppard, The Eagles, Nickelback, Queen, KISS,
House music: Deadmou5
Electronica: Emancipator
I am also a big fan of Jazz and the piano. Any zen song with the piano really moves me.

Movies and shows:
The Departed
The Dark Knight
The United States of Secrets
Game of Thrones
House of Cards

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Niagara Falls, Canada
Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
City in the Cliffside, Rocamadour, France
The 400ft. Grottos, Reclère, Switzerland
Rocky Mountains, Vancouver, Canada
Comedy Festival, Montréal, Canada
Camel ride, Morocco
Tour of Amsterdam, Netherlands

Tried just about anything edible put in front of me including: Buffalo Meat, Foie Gras (Duck Fat - very good on toast), Cow Tongue, pigeon, crocodile, ostrich, snake, duck fetus, escargot, horse and octopus. Pretty well open to any sort of food.

Teach, Learn, Share

I think one that we could all agree on would be the golden rule: Treat others the way you would like to be treated. That`s simple enough I think. Although, there will always be cultural differences that will be very difficult to understand, like the time I drank orange juice with my cheese here in France! Oh my god was that ever a nono... Apparently you will be scolded if you drink anything else but wine with your cheese. Maybe everybody knows that... and it`s just me?

What I Can Share with Hosts

I speak English and French fluently and have many interesting stories to share about traveling. If you like learning about others, than this might be the opportunity you`ve been looking for! I think the greatest thing that couchsurfers can do for one another is foster a community of mutual understanding through communication of our perspectives. It`s ok to disagree, but be open to what the other person has to say. By listening, we grow. By sharing, we help others to grow. I`m all about the learning, so bring it on haha.

Countries I’ve Visited

Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Saint Martin (French part), Singapore, Sint Maarten (Dutch part), South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Switzerland