Hey everyone! Former Silicon Valley guy, now living in Japan and getting ready to start work in Tokyo soon in IT. Big fan of cultural exchange; before this, I was living in Osaka, Japan and attending a language school with students from Vietnam, South Korea, China, The Philippines and so many other countries. I like going out and seeing the city, heading to places I've never been and trying new things. When I'm in more of a chill/relax mode, I watch movies, play video games and study Japanese - got the JLPT N2 coming up this year!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

One of the main reasons I've been able to line myself up for success as well as I have is due to the generosity of friends who have been willing to share their house with me. In addition to helping me out of some tough times, I have learned so much about other cultures, such as Croatia's and Bulgaria's. I think it's a great concept and in the future, if possible, I'd like to pay it forward for others who need help or are looking for more cultural exchange opportunities.

Interests

• photography
• technology
• movies
• video games
• traveling
• adventure
• japan
• foreign languages
• japanese culture
• japanese language

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Pretty much anything, save for Country/Western.
Movies: Big on 80s movies, but my favorites are The Shawshank Redemption, Ghostbusters 1&2, Robocop and Demolition Man.
Books: I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream by Harlon Ellison, Douglas' Adam's works, The Green Mile by Stephen King, and I love autobiographies - looking to read Jackie Chan's next.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Stuck with a start-up in San Francisco until they went public - it's probably my crowning achievement thus far as it tested me a lot and helped me grow greatly as a person.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach:
*I speak, read and write English very well - none of my senior papers were below a 96%, and at my last company I did a ton of documentation for my team. I'd be glad to help with English conversations and help anybody who's willing to learn

*I know quite a bit about tech, especially Identity and Access Management, and I love to discuss new technology with people!

Learn:
* I'm always looking to improve my Japanese - my speaking, I'm told, is quite good, but my listening needs a lot of work. I'm always looking for some practice.

Share:
*I like doing communal dinners, where everybody brings something and we all enjoy different foods as well as each other's company.
* Like movies? Have a white wall, or a white sheet? I have a projector built into my Tablet, and it works great!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Just ask! Most of the stuff I can offer I've already listed in my profile, but I also do the responsible things - I clean, I keep my stuff in order and I'm quiet, yet sociable.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, China, England, Japan, South Korea

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, United States