CURRENT MISSION

I found the innate generocity & kindness of people, against all philosophies that state the inherent "badness" of man. As an activist, couchsurfing has helped me make goodness tangible, vs the neo-colonialist/capitalistic ideologies that run the world.

ABOUT ME

I just graduated with a BA from UC San Diego!

I am a latina-chicana-american-salvadorean student, womyn, activist, teacher/learner, dancer, writer, traveler. I was born and grew up in beautiful Los Angeles! I live in South Central(I'll give you props if you know where that is!!) but I go to school in San Diego.
I love reading and honestly, I love school! Knowledge is really fascinating to me and I love learning about so many things.
I study International Studies and Ethnic Studies, and, for those that know me, I love talking about it and sharing what I know! Especially if it deals with race,identity, political issues :) haha, it's my fetish!
Anyway, I looooove dancing, especially bellydance, hip hop, reggaeton, salsa, merengue and cumbia. I can do rock sometimes... but i just love moving my body! so if the beats are good, ill dance to it :) This brings me to tell you about my TJ experiences. My friends and I go clubbing to tijuana, mexico a lot, because they play the best music there! So, if you like dancing, you and I need to go out.
I love political conversations, debates, etc. Lets talk :)
I looooove the beach! I can't stand being away from it for so long!! (which is what I've encountered being here in Italy). It's just so peaceful and relaxing.
I love cooking as well!! I hate cooking for myself though, it has to be for 2 or more people. The most I've cooked for would have to be...12 people. It's awesome :)

PHILOSOPHY

I try and fight.
I am an activist and I try to give to the movement as much as I can, to fight the neo-colonialist, capitalist, neo-conservative forces of the world so that people, all people, can live life without the current borders (ideological and physical) that stop them from living the way they want to.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I love talking to people and reciprocating stories and knowledge. I want to spread, more than anything, the struggles of minorities in the United States that the rest of the world might not be fully aware of. The exchange of non-mainstream knowledge of different countries is what intrigues me the most. Getting a first-hand account of real people, living real lives in a specific country... not the touristy-vacation POV that TV shows lead us to desire.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I first couchsurfed with a friend in London. After that, I was hooked. The kindness that was shown to us, perfect strangers, goes all against what I've been taught all my life. I have resisted all my life, the teachings my parents gave me on the inherent "badness" of all people (something that, I think, is due to my culture)... but I knew this wasn't true. The couchsurfing mission goes against all of those beliefs and goodness becomes real.
I really feel the love for people.

My second time couchsurfing was with another friend in Cologne and Berlin, Germany. This was just CRAZY! The guys we stayed with were the nicest, perfect strangers, perfect friends, i have ever had the pleasure to meet. I'm not one to take from people, I feel bad giving people any sort of trouble and usually, I would never accept anything that troubles someone else for my benefit. I prefer to give and make other people comfortable. However, my couchsurfing host gave us his bed to sleep in and, even though I felt really really bad, I guess it's part of the experience (both host and guest) to feel joy in giving/recieving. People are beautiful.
I love this world.

Interests

languages, tennis, bellydance, the beach, DANZA, plays, internet, deep conversations late at night, computers and programming, dialects, international affairs, progressive politics, photography, reading the LA times West magazine sunday mornings, FUTBOOOL!, peace, social justice education, spoken word, pedagogy, astronomy, justicia pa todos oprimidos por sistemas capitalistas-racistas-neoconservadores

• culture
• writing
• photography
• perfumes
• dancing
• cumbia
• education
• dining
• cooking
• breakfast
• running
• clubbing
• politics
• reading
• tv
• music
• spoken word
• tennis
• astronomy
• dialects
• teaching
• ethnic studies
• languages
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

music: french, italian, portuguese, german, hindi, spanish, chinese, turkish, greek, armenian, arabic, serbian/croatian, berbere, persian, japanese, russian, ukrainian and opera/classical, classical crossover, new age, flamenco, raqs sharqi, celtic, techno, rock, reggaeton, reggae, rap, hip hop, afro-cuban, y musica de la gente

movies:
Les Choristes, il postino, la stanza del figlio, malena, amelie, ong bak, secret garden, whale rider, dirty dancing havana nights, banlieu 13, bend it like beckham, house of flying daggers, Crash, La haine, l'auberge espanol, lucia y el sexo, el crimen del padre amaro, mar adentro, jeux d'enfants, Lagaan, Veer Zara, Dhoom, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kuch naa kaho, Kal ho naa ho, American History X, Boyz In The Hood

Books:
L'amant, Siddhartha, The great gatsby, The kite runner, The alchemist, Balibar, Edward Said, Stuart Hall, Gramsci, Ngai

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Spoken Word.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you to make BOMB latino food!!! Quesadillas, chicken, guacamole... i'll do it :)If you want "american", I can also teach you how to make homemade burgers and a typical breakfast (pancakes included lol)

Countries I’ve Visited

Egypt, Germany, Greece, Morocco, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, United States

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