ABOUT ME

To keep discovering....that used to be the corporate slogan of Emirates airline & it about sums up my life. My comfort zone is any spot I've not yet visited. Paradoxical I know but something that makes a lot of sense to me and others who have been raised nomadically. Being constantly on the move has given me an unquenchable thirst for people, their culture, their environment & of course their food!

My job is an incredible privilege, taking me to every corner of this glorious planet every week. And I don't waste a single second . Over the past 16yrs , over 200 CSrs in 104 cities in 36 countries around the world have helped me enjoy their home city in a way I could not have done without them. To all of you - a huge THANK YOU! To those I've yet to meet? I just can't wait to connect!

PHILOSOPHY

Reflections, thoughts, musings ; ponderings often get kicked into the back seat by my 'doing' - I'm rarely sat down or without a map in my hand...the day I stop may be the day that a hint of regret seeps through the tiniest crack that is the day, week or month I never did what could have been tried or done.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To date, CS has utterly and completely enriched every travel experience I've had since joining. With an average of just 30 hours but up to 72 in each of the dozens of cities I am paid to fly to, you can bet your bottom dollar that I am gonna squeeze every last drop of opportunity to immerse myself totally and utterly in the local scene.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE To date, I've met wonderful Couchsurfers in:

1.Dhaka, BANGLADESH, DEC 08 (1)
2.Oslo, NORWAY, FEB 09 (2)
3.Kampala, UGANDA, FEB 09 (3)
4.Los Angeles, USA, MAR 09 (4)
5.Lagos, NIGERIA, APR 09 (5)
6.Boston, USA, MAY 09 (6)
7.New York, USA, MAY 09 (7)
8.Tel Aviv ISRAEL, MAY 09 (8)
9.Sao Paulo, BRAZIL, JUN 09 (10)
10.New York (Catskills), USA, JUN 09
11.San Francisco, USA, JUL09 (11)
12.Johannesburg, S. AFRICA, JUL 09 (12)
13.Mumbai, INDIA, JUL 09 (13)
14.Boston, USA, AUG 09
15.Cairo, EGYPT, AUG 09 (14)
16.Hong Kong, CHINA, AUG 09 (15)
17.Jeddah, SAUDI ARABIA, AUG 09 (16)
18.New York, USA, AUG 09
19.Toronto, CANADA, OCT 09 (17)
20.Chicago, USA, OCT 09 (18)
21.Rio de Janerio, BRAZIL, NOV 09 (19)
22.Miami, USA, JAN10 (20)
23. Muscat, OMAN (21)
23.Cairo, EGYPT, MAY 10
24.Delhi, INDIA, JUN 10 (21)
25.Tokyo, JAPAN, JUL 10 (22)
26.Kampala, UGANDA, JU10
27.Phoenix, USA, JUL 10 (23)
28.Tel Aviv, ISRAEL, JUL 10
29.Los Angeles, USA, AUG 10
30.Hong Kong, CHINA, AUG 10
31.Vancouver, CANADA, AUG 10 (24)
32.Mexico City, MEXICO, OCT 10 (25)
33.Nairobi, KENYA, OCT 10 (26)
34.Johannesburg, S. AFRICA, NOV 10
35.Toronto, CANADA, NOV 10
36.Miami, USA, JAN 11
37.Vancouver, CANADA, JAN 11
38.Jeddah, SAUDI ARABIA, FEB 11
39.San Francisco, USA, FEB 11
40.Philadelphia, USA, MAR 11 (27)
41. Hyderabad, INDIA, MAR 11 (28)
42.Hong Kong, CHINA, MAY 11
43.Los Angeles, USA, MAY 11
44.Phoenix, USA, MAY 11
45.Kampala, UGANDA, JUN 11
46.Singapore, SINGAPORE, JUN 11 (28)
47.Dar Es Salaam, TANZANIA, JUL 11 (29)
48.Dubai, UAE, JUL 11 (30)
49.San Francisco, USA, AUG 11
50.Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA, SEP 11 (31)
51.Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA, SEP 11 (32)
52.Beijing, CHINA, OCT 11 (33)
53.Sao Paulo, BRAZIL, OCT 11
54.Kuwait City, KUWAIT, OCT 11 (34)
55.Durban, SOUTH AFRICA, OCT 11 (35)
56.Jeddah, SAUDI ARABIA, NOV 11
57.Tokyo, JAPAN, NOV 11
58.Baltimore, USA, DEC 11 (36)
59.Washington DC, USA, JAN 12 (37)
60.Mumbai, INDIA, JAN 12
61.Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA, JAN 12 (38)
62.Dubai, UAE, JAN 12
63.San Francisco, USA, MAR 12
64.Doha, QATAR, MAR 12 (39)
65.Hong Kong, CHINA, MAR 12
66.Phoenix, USA, APR 12
67.Lusaka, ZAMBIA, APR 12 (40)
68.Chennai, INDIA, MAY 12 (41)
69.Milan, ITALY, MAY 12 (42)
70.Port Elizabeth, S. AFRICA, JUL 12 (43)
71.Cairo, EGYPT, JUL 12
72.Montreal, QUEBEC, JUL 12 (44)
73.Kampala, UGANDA, JUL 12
74.Hyderabad, INDIA, AUG 12
75.Lusaka, ZAMBIA, AUG 12
76.Vancouver, CANADA, AUG 12
77.Foz do Iguacu, BRAZIL, SEP 12 (45)
78.Annapolis, Maryland, USA, SEP 12 (46)
79.Concord, USA, SEP 12 (47)
80.Taipei, TAIWAN, OCT 12 (48y)
81.Eureka, California, USA, OCT 12 (49)
82.Nairobi, KENYA, OCT 12
83.Mombasa, KENYA, OCT 12 (50)
84.Tel Aviv, ISRAEL, OCT 12
85.Houston, USA, NOV 12 (51)
86.Washington DC, USA, NOV 12
87.Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA, NOV 12 (52)
88.Delhi, INDIA, DEC 12
89.Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA, DEC 12
90.Dubai, UAE, DEC 12
91.Guilin, CHINA, DEC 12 (53)
92.Shanghai, CHINA, DEC 12 (54)
93.New York, USA, JAN 13
94.San Francisco, USA, JAN 13
95.Miami, USA, JAN 13
96.Jeddah, SAUDI ARABIA, JAN 13
97.New York, USA, FEB 13
98.Miami, USA, FEB 13
99.Toronto, CANADA, FEB 13
100.Zanzibar, TANZANIA, FEB 13 (55) ]
101.Baltimore, USA, MAR 13
102.Lagos, NIGERIA, MAR 13
103.Johannesburg, S. AFRICA, MAR 13
104.Washington DC, USA, MAR 13
105.Lake Tahoe, USA, APR 13 (56)
106.New York, USA, APR 13
107.Houston, Texas, USA, APR 13
108.Kampala, UGANDA, MAY 13
109.Toronto, CANADA, MAY 13
110.Hong Kong, CHINA, MAY 13
111.Taipei, TAIWAN, JUNE 13 (57)
112.Monrovia, LIBERIA, JUNE 13 (58)
113.Kampala, UGANDA, JULY 13
114.Lusaka, ZAMBIA, AUG 13
115.Vancouver, CANADA, AUG 13
116.Seattle, USA, SEP 13 (59)
117.Charlottesville, USA, OCT 13 (60)
118.Philadelphia, USA, OCT 13
119.Beijing, CHINA, OCT 13
120.Seattle, USA, OCT 13
121.New Delhi, INDIA, NOV 13
122.Denver, USA, NOV 13 (61)
123.Singapore, SINGAPORE, NOV 13 (62)
124.New York, USA, NOV 13
125.Greenwich, USA, NOV 13 (63)
126.Koh Samui, THAILAND, DEC 13 (64)
127.Osaka, JAPAN, DEC 13 (65)
128.Chennai, INDIA, JAN 14
129.San Francisco, USA, JAN 14
130.São Paulo, BRAZIL, FEB 14
131.Accra, GHANA, FEB 14 (66)
132.Washington DC, USA, MAR 14
133.Cordoba, ARGENTINA, MAR 14 (67)
134.Denver, USA, MAR 14
135.Warsaw, POLAND, APR 14 (68)
136.Chengdu, CHINA, MAY 14 (69)
137.Nassau, BAHAMAS, MAY 14 (70)
138. Warsaw, POLAND, JUN 14
139. Chennai, INDIA, JUN 14
140. Windhoek, NAMIBIA, JUL 14 (71)
141. Beijing, CHINA, JUL 14
142. Accra, GHANA, AUG 14
143. Calgary, CANADA, AUG 14 (72)
144. New York, USA, AUG 14
145. Foz do Iguacu, BRAZIL, AUG 14
146. Fairbanks, ALASKA, USA, SEP 14 (73)
147. New York, USA, SEP 14
148. New Jersey, USA, OCT 14 74)
149. Bangkok, THAILAND, NOV 14 (74)
150. Bangalore, INDIA, NOV 14 (75)
151. Austin, USA, NOV 14 (76)
152. Mumbai, INDIA, DEC 14
153. Bangkok, THAILAND JAN 15
154. Austin, USA, JAN 15
155. Accra, GHANA, FEB 15
156. Houston, USA, FEB 15
157. Boston, USA, MAR 15
158. Bangkok, THAILAND, MAR 15
159. São Paulo, BRAZIL, APR 15
160. Jeddah, SAUDI ARABIA, APR 15
161. Aberdeen, SCOTLAND, APR 15 (77)
162. Toronto, CANADA, MAY 15
163. Philadelphia, USA, MAY 15
164. San Francisco, USA, JUNE 15
165. Accra, GHANA, JUNE 15
166. Lagos, NIGERIA, JUNE 15
167. Fort Lauderdale, USA, JUL 15 (78)
168. Atlanta, USA, JUL 15 (79)
169. Lagos, NIGERIA, JUL 15
170. Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA, JUL 15
171. Delhi, INDIA, AUG 15
172. Braganca Paulista, BRAZIL, AUG 15 (80)
173. San Leandro, USA, SEP 15 (81)
174. Bangalore, INDIA, SEP 15
175. Shanghai, CHINA, SEP 15 (82)
176. Winnipeg, CANADA, OCT 15 (83)
177. Philadelphia, USA, OCT 15
178. Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA, OCT 15
179. Seattle, USA, NOV 15
180. Boston, USA, NOV 15
181. Hyderabad, INDIA, NOV 15 (84)
182. Philadelphia, USA, DEC 15
183. São Paulo, BRAZIL, DEC 15
184. Delhi, INDIA, JAN 16
185. Mexico City, MEXICO, JAN 16
186. Tokyo, JAPAN, JAN 16
187. Beijing, CHINA, JAN 16
188. Los Angeles, USA, FEB 16
189. Singapore, SINGAPORE, MAR 16
190. Lagos, NIGERIA, APR 16
191. Los Angeles, USA, MAY 16
192. Nairobi, KENYA, MAY 16
193. Delhi, INDIA, JUN 16
194. Jeddah, SAUDI ARABIA, JUL 16
195. Washington DC, USA, AUG 16
196. Miami, USA, AUG 16
197. Nairobi, KENYA, SEP 16
198. Tehran, IRAN, SEP 16 (87)
199. Muscat, OMAN, OCT 16
200. Tehran, IRAN, NOV 16
201. Dubai, UAE, NOV 16
202. Harbin, CHINA, DEC 16 (88)
203. Hong Kong, CHINA, JAN 17
204. Tehran, IRAN, JAN 17
205. Washington DC, FEB 17
206. San Francisco, USA, FEB 17
207. Huerta Grande, ARGENTINA, MAR 17
208. Tehran, IRAN, APR 17
209. Paraty, BRAZIL, APR 17 (89)
210. Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA, MAY 17
211. Accra, GHANA, JUN 17
212. Bangalore, INDIA, JUL 17
213. Novato, USA, AUG 17 (90)
214 Anaheim, USA, SEP 17 (91)
215 Jeddah, SAUDI ARABIA, DEC 17
216 Mumbai, INDIA, FEB 18
217 New Orleans, USA, APR 18 (92)
218 Nashville, USA, MAY 18 (93)
219 Philadelphia, USA, JUN 18
220 Hyattsville, USA, JUL 18 (94)
221 Jeddah, SAUDI ARABIA, SEP 18
222 Mumbai, INDIA, DEC 18
223 Merritt Island, USA, DEC 18 (95)
224 Harrisonburg, VA, USA, JAN 19 (96)
225 Tokyo, JAPAN, MAR 19
226 Idaho Springs, USA, MAY 19 (97)
227 Islamabad, PAKISTAN, JUN 19 (98)
228 Goa, INDIA, JAN 20 (99)
229 Doha, QATAR, JAN 20
230 Guatemala City, GUATEMALA, FEB 20 (100)
231 Alexandria, VA, USA, OCT 21 (101)
232 Alexandria, VA, USA, JUN 22
233 Santiago, CHILE, JUN 22 (102)
234 Pittsburg, PA, USA, JUL 22 (103)
235 Boston, USA, SEP 22
236Johannesburg, S Africa, OCT 22
237 Mumbai, India, DEC 22
238 Johannesburg S Africa, JAN 23
239 La Falda, ARGENTINA FEB 23
240 Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA, AUG 23
241 Mumbai, INDIA, OCT 23
242 Santiago, CHILE NOV 23
243 Chennai, India, FEB 24
244 Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA JUN 24
245 Hanover, GERMANY JUL 24 (104)
246 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, AUG 24 (105)
247 Paris, FRANCE OCT 24 (106)

... and I'm sure many more to follow to continue a beautiful global relationship!

Interests

Exploring places. Usually I slant towards historical significance, geographical isolation. A real thrill is breaking pervceived notions of a place. Finding out for myself & taking CNN reports with a pinch of salt.

I love to cycle everywhere, hike as much as I can either in my days off or around the world on my trips as crew.

Food (I'll try anything once!), travel writing (I wrote for Aircrew magazine before it went bust. I now concentrate on making crazy travel shows. I try & produce one most trips. Here's one of my most recent ones shot in India - a day trip from Delhi to the Taj Mahal:

http://youtu.be/7zp5_8XOMWU

Oh and you might be wondering who's filming me. Yes, it's YOU GUYS! I recruit my fellow CSrs to operate the camera. Training on the go :-). A huge enormous thank you to all of you across the globe for helping me produce my films. And of course, anyone with the patience to stand being my camera operator is placed on the credits!!

• culture
• cooking
• traveling
• classical music
• jazz
• cycling
• hiking
• history
• filming
• exploring
• caves
• exploring nature
• restaurant
• cookies
• video production
• lighting
• explore new places
• hiking mountains
• lamps

Music, Movies, and Books

Theres a line out of 'The Score' (Brando, Norton, De Niro, 2001) that has defined and shaped my now, non-urgent and material aqciring obsessed life. When 'Danny', (Norton)asks 'Nick' (De Niro) whether during the course of his highly successful criminal career he has ever taken chances in order to acelerate his earnings from crime, the older and wiser Nick replies 'Listen son, make a list of everything you ever wanted and still want and then spend the next 25 years of your life getting them piece by piece',

A one line masterstroke of advice for life...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Couchsurfing has turned my world upside down. After 16yrs being hosted in cities in every continent , I can tell you right now that the human race is a pretty amazing bunch. I've slept on a hammock 4hrs north of San Francisco thanks to Nicholas, a library floor in Johannesburg at the home of Hanneke, got licked by a large dog belonging to my host Brad in a New York apartment, been fed traditional Ugandan matoke in Kampala on my birthday thanks to lovely Nancy and her family, got given a free ticket to the Brazil World Cup to see England play Uruguay thanks to Kate, my host in Lagos Nigeria, been hosted by Ben in Alaska who had cold English beer, been taken to the rainforest in Brazil by Angelica from Sao Paulo, relaxed in a traditional onsen in Osaka on Christmas Day thanks to my host Shuichi.

I could write much much more, but my dinner is going cold now and you'll probably get bored. But you get the idea. Humans ROCK!!!

Teach, Learn, Share

Tip for the kitchen: if you find a dish you have made contains too much fat - simply place a handful of ice cubes in the liquid containing the excess fat and watch as the ice attracts the fat and solidifys. Then simply remove the fat!

What I Can Share with Hosts

My cooking
My bicycles
My time
My travelling tales
Advice for your onward journey

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Monaco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United States, Venezuela, Zambia

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom

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