I'm originally from the U.S., now living and working in Hong Kong. I'll say more in person. ;)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've been involved with Couchsurfing since 2013, when a flatmate of mine in Warsaw introduced me to the community. Since that time, I've done a bit of surfing and hosting, but, nowadays, my work makes those things a bit difficult, so I mainly just go to events and use the Hangouts feature. (Lots of interesting experiences with that, haha.) The community is a bit different now, post-pandemic, but I still find that it's a great way to meet people who are adventurous, open-minded, and genuinely interesting in what thoughts and experiences they have to share. It's been a privilege to have been able to make so many friends in so many parts of the world through Couchsurfing.

Interests

Travel, politics, history, food (especially eating but also cooking), wine, coffee, culture, philosophy, religion, etc., etc.

• culture
• dining
• politics
• surfing
• history
• international relations
• religion

Music, Movies, and Books

For music, my tastes are pretty broad not really so genre-bound, and I'm not sure how accurately I could cover them without making a laundry list.

For cinema, I've lately been into a variety of independent films. (See Hong Sang-soo, Thomas Vinterberg, Wong Kar-wai, Éric Rohmer, and Ryusuke Hamaguchi, among others.)

My reading generally relates to the abovementioned "interests." I'm especially fond of narrative and / or more journalistic nonfiction that captures the spirits of places and peoples. A few favorites:

- "How Asia Works: Success and Failure In the World's Most Dynamic Region," by Joe Studwell
- "Capital: The Eruption of Delhi," by Rana Dasgupta
- "Amsterdam: A History of the World's Most Liberal City," by Russell Shorto
- "The Almost Nearly Perfect People: The Truth About the Nordic Miracle," by Michael Booth
- "Cambodia's Curse: The Modern History of a Troubled Land," by Joel Brinkley
- "Down and Delirious in Mexico City: The Aztec Metropolis in the Twenty-First Century," by Daniel Hernández
- "Bangkok Days," by Lawrence Osborne
- Peter Hessler's books on China

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Crossing a road in Hanoi.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I don't really surf anymore, but, if I did, I'd probably bring a small gift, help with cooking and cleaning, and / or try not to be a boring guest. :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Hong Kong, Italy, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States