At the end of my semester abroad in Tokyo, my classmates and I distributed thank you cards to each other with each card containing a cadre of thoughtful, but terse messages directed towards each card's recipient. After surveying the kind of messages that other's received, something peculiar stuck out to me. I noticed that the people with the closest relationships tended to write barely anything substantial, nor sentimental on each other's cards. This caused me to reflect on the limitations of language and whether anything in our heads can ever truly be understood. Something always ends up lost in translation. Ludwig Wittgenstein famously said, "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent." Think about your loved ones, be they family, friend, or both. How could you ever express anything in words that would do justice to the relationship you have with them on a 10 by 12-inch sheet of paper, whether figurative or literal, while simultaneously having to be conscious of leaving room for others to write. I, for one, cannot. So instead of a personal summary, have this.

Born in Indonesia, Grew up in the US, often feel like being somewhere else. Though I'm trying to learn how not to be.

Your couch request will go a long way if you can tell me about the first time you fell in love.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Because people make places. I've used CS long and often enough (which is not very long nor often) to notice that meeting hosts or travelers via CS has consistently been the highlight of my travels.

Interests

• photography
• concerts
• cooking
• politics
• movies
• music
• soccer
• philosophy
• cinema
• football
• film
• craft beer
• street photography

Music, Movies, and Books

Music:
I listen to some of everything, but my life would, without a doubt, be much less rich had I never listened to the works of The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, Diiv, LCD Soundsystem, Gorillaz, Parquet Courts, Death Grips, Fred Again, and Mac DeMarco, among others. Although I am fond of lying lonesome in my room and playing Ed Sheeran on repeat. You can often find me at the edge of or in a mosh pit at a gig.

What kind of music makes your life richer? Let me know!

Books: Used to only read novels, stopped this as I realized how limiting and unnecessary it was. So as of late have pretty much only been reading non-fiction to make up for lost time. Always open to suggestions. I think every human needs to read Conditions of love: The philosophy of intimacy by John Armstrong.

Movies: Everything everywhere all at once, Lost in translation, In Bruges, Drive My Car, Aftersun, Burning, Whiplash, The Prestige, Bladerunner 2049, Parasite, Children of Men, Arrival, Spirited Away, Darjeeling Limited, Grand Budapest Hotel, Hot Fuzz, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Call me by your name, Ladybird, and much more!

I adore films that can express their themes and messages visually. Am notoriously stubborn when it comes to movie and TV show suggestions, but feel free to try!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Played cupid and set up two of my friends who are now happily in love together. I'm trying to get them to name their firstborn after me.

Deliberately missed a flight to spend more time with someone I loved.

Made a programming language. (see https://github.com/berlink2/EZlang)

Ate a takeaway meal in a toilet stall in Osaka 'cause I couldn't find anywhere else to sit.

Climbed a 15000+ ft volcano in Ecuador.

Chugged a beer from a keg on top of a mountain in Colorado and skied down.

Skied down a volcano in Chile.

Drank worm Tequila.

Drank out of a shoe.

Teach, Learn, Share

Can teach basic English / Indonesian / Japanese, how to make a Salty Berlin, how to smell the agave in your tequila, as well as guides to places I've lived.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Recommendations and advice to places I've lived in, Basic Lessons in Languages I know. Trip-sitting, if you are in need of such a service. As an avid photographer, I'm always in need of inspiration, maybe you can be my muse?

Countries I’ve Visited

Chile, Ecuador, England, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Peru, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Indonesia, Japan, Scotland, Singapore, United States