ABOUT ME

Outgoing adventurer. Looking to get to know the locals. I enjoy reading and learning. Favorite activities include walking, hiking, longboarding, biking, and people watching. Also, I am a single, straight, God-fearing, people loving, Haitian-American. Raised in Miami but consider the whole world my home and all of you my kin.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I started my profile years ago and never finished until now. I will be traveling throughout all of the Hawaiian Islands and I could use a place to stay for a couple days from time to time. Those are my immediate needs, however, I want to learn as well as teach. This experience would be about sharing more so than anything else.

I was supposed to visit the Hawaiian Island of Kauai about 10 years ago but while traveling through the Cook Islands it seemed that they needed my help and opinions on numerous fronts. I ended up staying for the greater part of a year before returning home.

Interests

Would try anything once. Love 2 travel of corse and learn about different places, cultures, and people. FOOD... I LOVE IT!!!! let me cook for you or you cook for me. Or lets share our first conversation in the kitchen and work forward from there. You have a favorite spot to eat, please, allow me, I'll pay for that.

• running
• traveling
• cycling
• adventure races

Music, Movies, and Books

I love jazz. I love hearing the simple compositions of Spanish guitar, I like Bosa Nova music. Rythmic music, electric dance. I suppose I like music that isn't cluttered by words and meanings but more about mood and emotions.

My favorite movie? thats a very hard question. I love the MATRIX. Can't get tired of watching that. I also like movies produced around 1960. I know hat this may sound weird but, the Sound of Music, West Side Story, Al Capone, Miracle on 34th Street... Great question, you just gave me a to do list.

My favorite book by far is the Bhagavad Gita. If you ever find yourself looking for direction or motivation. Get it from the writings of Lord KRSNA himself. Highly recommended. Next on my list would be the Richest Man in Babylon.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

When I lived in the Cook Islands, I was asked by one of the Elders to help her understand why the men on the Island were dying so young (~45). I am not a doctor, however, I took many of the same classes that the medical and Masters students took, namely, Microbiology and Immunology, Genealogy, Neurology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, etc.... According to my learning, one of the under diagnosed diseases in the developing world is known as Schistasoma Mansoni. This is a parasite that is transmitted by contact with pig feces. A mating pair can live for 25 to 35 years, producing more parasites (which in turn produce infinitely more parasites) that overtake the organs of the body causing death. However, this process takes many years.

I drew diagrams and gave lectures that were published in the local paper. I also had a strong suspicion that there was a tapeworm epidemic on the island. I examined a little girl of about 9 years old. She couldn't maintain consciousness for more than a few minutes and then pass out. On top of that, there were cultural differences that presented a hurdle towards changing behavior. Such as, using roach spray as mosquito repellent on the skin. Because of all this information I was sharing and I didn't want to be swamped with attention (not possible), I told the locals and the paper to simply refer to me as the "Pig-man".

The little girl was expected to die. Not only did she live, but returned to a completely normal life. Pig farmers started wearing rubber boots when tending to their pigs and children stopped running around barefoot in any field where a dog or pig can lay a poop that might go unnoticed.

On the day that I left and my identity became public, the same people that were giving me a hard time about working on the island or staying for so long, were in tears. thanking me for saving the lives of their younger kin. Many begged me to stay but it was time for me to get back to reality and deal with the challenges that lay waiting for me in my home country.

Thankfully, most industries are unmonitored on these beautiful islands, including the practice of medicine. The local pharmacist had no degree and you can ask for any medication you wanted without a prescription.

Some of the locals were very mean to me during my stay, using hurtful slurs because of the color of my skin and my ethnic background (Haitian). They could not believe that a I turned out to be the Pig Man that saved more lives than I will ever know.

Teach, Learn, Share

I refer to the previous

What I Can Share with Hosts

Culinary skills, stories, time, companionship. Never forget that every human being on this planet is related to one another. We are one species. There is no race but the Human race among us that walk on two feet and type with two hands. I am your brother, your cousin, your family. You are welcome in my home.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cook Islands, Egypt, France, Hong Kong, Macao, Monaco, Netherlands, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Cook Islands, United States