CURRENT MISSION

To experience People on a global level!

ABOUT ME

22 Random Things About Me...

1)...I was born in Reading, UK and have also lived in Spain, Germany & all over the US (New Mexico, Texas, North Carolina, California, Mississippi, Maryland, Virginia & Washington DC). I have dual citizenship which is really cool.
2)...I was VERY skinny, shy, nerdy acting and lil Michael Jackson looking until I turned 16, moved to North Carolina and started weight training HARD. Went from 145lbs (66kg or 10 stone) to 185lbs (84kg or 13 stone) in 4 months and improved my 40 yard dash time from 5.0s to 4.6s. Now I weigh 260lbs (118kg or 19 stone) and still have relatively quick feet.
3)...I used to be a street B-boy & Hip Hop dancer in the 80's and early 90's. After an 11 year hiatus from dancing, I'm back and absolutely loving Salsa for its dynamic & diverse musicianship as well as the freedom of expression in movement (a.k.a. style)!
4)...I swim under water like a fish, but have a fear of the ocean (bad experience at age 3 with a baby octopus on the coast of Spain). It doesn't stop me at the beach though. ;o)
5)...My dad is retired US Air Force & I am an Air Force veteran (IT & military intelligence...I know...oxymoron)
6)...I grew up a mama's boy, but made MY OWN decision to live with my dad at age 15 when they split up. Something inside my head said, 'its time to learn how to be a man.'
7)...Given a little time to get used to the controls, I can pilot ANYTHING fast. I used to street race cars & motorcycles and although I'm not proud of the insanity of it, my DC Sportbike boys & I made it from Druid Hill Park in Baltimore MD to Hains Point Park in Washington DC (42 miles) in 22 minutes at an average of 115mph. Some of them are local & state cops to. ;o)
8)...I started shaving my head by choice at age 30. Tried growing it back at age 33. Now its not my choice. And I used to have natural 'good' hair with large curls, only added water & no afrosheen. :o(
9)... I do well with all domesticated animals (dogs, cats, even rodents) and have no fears
10)...Spiders and creepy crawlies don't get along with me
11)...I used to race radio controlled electric & gas cars professionally and was one of the top 30 drivers in the US
12)...When deciding what to order at a restaurant, I usually work backwards starting with dessert (lovem) first, then the main and finally a starter. Of course I voice it in the usual order, so as not to confuse the wait staff. ;o)
13)...My favorite color as a child was orange (don't ask me why). As an adult, it is now blue. My favorite number was 5 (median between 0 & 10) and not its 7 (number of completion).
14)...I'm an avid fan of Formula1 for about 8 years now. I know it's a team sport, but my allegiance is usually rooted in the drivers. I used to root for Fernando Alonso, until he acted like a spoiled idiot at McLaren. Now it's Lewis Hamilton ALL THE WAY for many different reasons, other than the fact that he IS the most talented driver to come since the great MS!!! I definitely respect Massa, Kimi and several other drivers for their skills though.
15)...I also love MotoGP (my man Vale'), World Superbike (Haga san), & US AMA Superbike (up in the air now)
16)...I grew up cooking & baking, but generally don't do much of it nowadays. I have the aptitude, but not the drive. I've also had home training 101 (vacuuming, washing clothes/dishes, etc.). ;o)
17)...When given the choice, I can be VERY picky. However, I often choose not to be. Comes from my military training...Improvise, ADAPT, overcome...
18)...I'm a very generous & giving person, but have been taken advantage of WAY too often. Now I'm a wee bit more cautious.
19)...I was the first straight black male in the history of my high school to be an Honor Graduate. After the ceremony I actually had several teachers/students come up to me crying and apologizing for the fact that they thought I was not very smart. When they didn't see me in the regular classes, they thought I was in the remedial ones. I was in the advanced classes... ;o)
20)...I have never willingly taken any illegal drugs and I have never been drunk. It probably has to do with me seeing a few close family members heavily involved in both while I grew up.
21)...I've never been to college or taken many professional courses, since attending the Air Force Technical School. However, I learn fast & furious on-the-job and have risen to the level of an IT Enterprise Architect, working with the best architects in the world from companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, EMC, etc.
22)...I love & appreciate artistry in all forms and used to draw, paint & write poems/lyrics. On the flip side, I am very critical of artistic faux pas by myself & others in things like fashion and dancing.

P.S. Had to add one more...I love my favorite sports team since I've been alive...the only team ever to win six NFL world championships and I've seen them win all six Live on TV with my own eyes...congratulations and GO PITTSBURGH STEELERS!!!

PHILOSOPHY

Keep perspective, correct priorities & maximize momentum moving forward. ;o)

Favorite quotes:

'Theres not a woman alive who can resist a man who knows how to mambo.' - Homer Jay Simpson
'Don't worry, be happy!' - Bobby McFerrin
'SILENCE!!! I kill you...' - Achmed The Dead Terrorist
'Dos Gardenias para ti' - Antoni Machin
'Just smile...' - Sagi-sero
'I'm a sh!t fixer. I fix the sh!t' - Me

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've recently started with CS, have had one great experience with it and am looking for more! Since I've been travelling, I haven't had an opportunity to host yet, but look forward to that as well. ;o)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

So far, I have surfed once in Amsterdam and my host was a great guy. Friendly, fun and willing to show me around or point me in the right direction.

Interests

Salsa dancing and DJ'ing!!! (On2 NY Style Salsa), People, Formula 1, Sportbikes, Outdoor fun, American NFL (Go Steelers!), Reality TV, Good Food, and much more

• animals
• cats
• dogs
• fish
• rodents
• poetry
• architecture
• fashion
• acting
• coloring
• dancing
• salsa dancing
• dining
• cooking
• baking
• motorcycles
• clothing
• reading
• tv
• traveling
• cars
• painting
• drawing
• music
• outdoor activities
• fishing
• sports
• swimming
• history
• medicine
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Salsa of course! Old school Mambo, Salsa Dura & Salsa Romantica... However, old school Hip Hop (80's and early 90's; A Tribe Called Quest, Erik B & Rakim, etc.) is my favorite. I like and listen to almost all flavors of 70's/80's/90's music, except the hardcore country music. I can appreciate everything from classical to heavy metal at times.

Movies: Too many favorites. Some off the top of my head: Independence Day, Gladiator, Shawshank Redemption, Star Wars (all), old school Kung Fu flicks, Alien, Rocky I/II/III, Godfather (all), etc.

Books: I used to read a lot of fantasy & fiction. However, now I read for self-improvement.

Teach, Learn, Share

Did you know that dancing well, as with doing well in almost everything else in life, is 80% confidence. People who say they have 2 left feet have just given up on themselves. If you can hear the music and your not tone deaf, then your muscles can be taught what to do. Be confident and take a lesson or two...

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Ukraine

Countries I’ve Lived In

Estonia, Germany, Netherlands, Scotland, Spain, United Kingdom, United States