CURRENT MISSION

To spin round on the spot until I feel sick & fall over!

ABOUT ME

What can I say? Nice, good-hearted guy: friendly and inquisitive. Music is one of my primary loves.

Random acts of kindness between strangers make me smile.

I like going out and having a good time, dancing & partying... but I'm not exactly an extreme drinker or drug taker. More in to being happy with myself & experiencing new things in life... (but not Snow White either ;-) Hope I'm a nice balance between fun and centered: but that's only what I hope... who knows?)

Phew, think that's enough scrawlings about me for now. Could say more... but won't.

PHILOSOPHY

"Be the change that you want to see in the world."
- Ghandi.

(Just saw this one someone else's site and shamelessly nicked it! I do try to embody this when I can though - so haven't just nicked it to sound clever. Just think this says it in a better way than I could have come up with. Not saying I'm entirely successful at it or anything either, as I'm only human!)

Thoughts & beliefs are more powerful & creative than we realise.

What goes around comes around...

Using our judgments on others and the world (come on - we all still have a few of them kicking around don't we?!) to teach us about ourselves (& grow) rather than making ourselves right about the world. (Our judgments are always more revealing of us than those we judge!) Once the lesson has been learned, letting go of these... (work in progress!)

"Most unhappiness is the result of disappointed expectation"... but not meaning we should lower our sights - just understand how our attachment to our expectations causes much of our own misery. :-)

I believe in laughter... and that good friendship is more valuable than a great many things...

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Just joined. Haven't participated yet - but hoping to soon! Met 2 people in a bar who were couch surfing (one was hosting, one was surfing). Thought it was a great idea & so joined.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Brand new to couch-surfing, so a CS virgin so far! But have experienced elements which I think are similar. After a bit of traveling (wow - not as well traveled as some of you good folk!) I also have lived with families & shared homes with people on things like water projects in Africa.

Got to see that you get a much better flavour of people & cultures this way rather than just being a tourist or endlessly 'traveling' (which I also still enjoy & am certainly not above. Just like meeting people & getting an insight in to real life in different parts of the world)...

Have also hosted people in situations similar to CS, but not organised through the web.

Interests

Music (Listening & Playing)
Tai Chi & Kung fu
Travel (goes without saying!)
Surfing (the real kind - on waves and not couches)
Skiing / Snowboarding (when I get to go away)
Good food (cooking for & eating out with friends)
Health & Nutrition (Saint :-)
Going out (Sinner ;-)

Just started learning Tango - but not sure I'm good enough yet to call it a bona fide interest!)

• dancing
• flamenco
• tango
• causes
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• partying
• traveling
• eating out
• socializing
• music
• surfing
• skiing
• snowboarding

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC:
Playing the kora (a beautiful stringed African instrument), djembe (noisy hand drum :-), the piano & cello... Just started learning the Mbira - another slightly weird & wonderful African instrument.
TO LISTEN TO:
Oh, literally all sorts: very eclectic... (hang on while I fetch my false moustache, beret & pipe!...) from live bands through classical & world music to electronica & nu-school 'soundz'... don't care which genre as long as it has some beauty to it as well as a bit of bite (and a smattering of funkiness always goes a long way!)

BOOKS:
The Alchemist, A Course In Miracles, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Fast Food Nation, Conversations with God, Roger's Profanisaurus REX!

FILMS:
Do like the odd film... but not even gonna bore you.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

A talking donkey wearing pink stilettos and dancing the flamenco (not really!)

Teach, Learn, Share

Hmmm... don't have any specific goals of what I want to learn or teach via the "CouchSurfing University." Not in it to gather info or teach what I know.

Not that I don't have things to learn, it's just not my objective for joining CS. I just want to have new and different (hopefully fun) experiences & meet nice people. Hopefully I'll learn a little along the way!

They say a wise man can learn from a fool... but a fool cannot learn from a wise man.

I'm always learning... but sometimes it still doesn't stop me occasionally being a fool ;-)

In short: hopefully there are plenty of people I can learn from that I meet... and hopefully I can enrich the lives of others along the way too... but if you just want a couch and to share beer that's also cool!

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Gambia, Germany, Greece, Kenya, Laos, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Senegal, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam, Zambia

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands, United Kingdom

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