CURRENT MISSION

Development practitioner living (in poverty!) in Manila

ABOUT ME

A 25-year old Canadian young professional in international development, specifically interested in helping the developing world gain access to water and sanitation! (Did you know >2.5 billion people still lack a proper toilet?)

In 2010 I completed an amazing 5 month overland journey across Southeast Asia and East Asia, bordered on each side by 6 months of working in the Philippines, for a total of a year and a half abroad. I then travelled to the U.K. to take up a M.Sc. in Climate Change and International Development. I returned back to Manila, PHL, in May to do field work for my dissertation and have since been looking for work, doing some part-time consulting, and getting ever closer to total bankruptcy and having to head back home to work in a McDonalds or something! Haha

I had a great time using CouchSurfing while on my trip and met lots of interesting people because of it! It was definitely way better than sitting alone in a hotel room each night, and allowed me to exchange some culture and broaden my understanding of the needs and strengths of the Asian part of the world!

PHILOSOPHY

I suppose my philosophy is simply to work as hard as I can to propel myself to a position in life where my decisions have wide impact so that I may make decisions that create as much environmental and social good for the world as possible. If I can have some fun in the process, all the better! :)

Pourquoi je suis sur Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm currently living in Metro Manila, Philippines and looking for work. I've got lots of spare time to meet people if you're interested, but can't host, as I myself am living in pretty poor conditions these days!

If you need help navigating Manila, feel free to send me a message and I can give you some advice! (Mainly: Get out to the provinces - Sightseeing in Manila really isn't worth your time! Haha)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've thus far been hosted by 5 lovely hosts in Singapore, KL, Bangkok, Saigon, and Nagoya and I had great times at all!

I will be an ideal guest for anyone interested in hosting me - I am quiet, respectful, clean, tidy, and happy to abide by any house rules you may have.

Centres d'intérêt

- Sanitation in the developing world
- Environmental sciences and conservation
- Current events
- International affairs and the UN
- Politics
- Eating lots of delicious food!
- Travelling
- Hiking/mountaineering, cycling, badminton

• culture
• dining
• cooking
• politics
• traveling
• socializing
• cycling
• hiking
• mountaineering
• badminton
• sightseeing

Morceaux de musique, films et livres

I especially enjoy documentaries of an environmental nature, but also am more than happy watching pretty much any North American action, thriller, or comedy flick. As for TV, I love cooking shows and travel shows (or, even better, cooking AND travel shows, haha!)

I enjoy most genres of music. I used to be really into classical, but these days am listening to a lot of trance (it's great for studying to!). I'm also a sucker for the big budget Western 'pop music' songs that everyone loves to hate!

I enjoy mainly non-fiction books and current events magazines, especially on environmental or political issues, though also read lots of fantasy/sci-fi in my youth.

Une aventure extraordinaire que j'ai vécue

Living in Asia for almost 1.5 years - working on two different environmental jobs in the Philippines for 1 of those years and travelling through Southeast and East Asia for the over 5 months - I met tonnes of great people, had some relevant work experience, saw amazing sights, and ate some of the world's best foods! Can I do it all again please?? :)

Enseignez, apprenez, partagez

I can tell you all sorts of things about sanitation, if you have the stomach for it! I also love talking about the Philippines and Southeast Asia in general, especially about the food!

I also enjoy cooking some this said food, though that isn't a guarantee that everything I cook will be delicious! :)

Pays que j'ai visités

Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Laos, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Myanmar, Netherlands, Singapore, Slovakia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Pays dans lesquels j'ai vécu

Canada, Philippines, United Kingdom

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