ATTENTION:

If you're asking me whether I can host you in Berkeley, please bear in mind that I'm a student and may not be able to spend much time with you. I also may not be able to respond in time, apologies if so :/ Please don't send me the same message you copied and pasted to so many people. I'm not trying to trick you out of a place, but the boiler plate messages are a bit difficult to deal with. If you host, I'm sure you understand. :) Cheers.

CURRENT MISSION

I am doing a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence at UC Berkeley in Berkeley, California.

ABOUT ME

At the time of this writing (end of October 2015)

Just finishing up an amazing stay in Taiwan, thanks to a great friend I met at a monastery in Myanmar. Ruby Chen, you rock! I came to Taiwan from Singapore, and Malaysia, having completed one of those 10 day silent meditation courses. That was by far one of the most difficult experiences I've had while traveling, but it was extremely influential. You wanna know a bit about the philosophy behind it, haha? Well, as a thought experiment, start from the premise that everything in life is impermanent; from this it follows that positive attachments (cravings) or negative attachments (aversions) are exaggerated and actually contrary to personal happiness. Everything that you can crave (a new car, alcohol, attention) will eventually cease, and everything you are averse to (pain, rejection) will also fade. So accept change with equanimity. In this way, we can unveil the "art of living": a subtle appreciation for things, sensations, experiences as they pass.

Currently, I'm regrouping after a lot of travel and preparing to go home. Honestly, I'm a bit nervous and don't quite know what to expect upon my return, so I would love the advice from any seasoned expats out there. Workwise, I'm focusing on getting some rough drafts published for my column at the HuffPo (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lucas-spangher/) and I'm also doing some freelance fashion modeling. Mostly, however, I'm just trying to enjoy the end of my current travels and appreciate these beautiful cultures that I'm going through.

At the time of this writing (October 2015)

Hello and greetings from Myanmar! I'm just about finishing up a month here, having spent most of it either at (1) the Thabarwa monastery volunteering with their community services and learning how to meditate and (2) the family home of an awesome local flight attendant I met at a dance party in Yangon. My solar microgrid research in India is now complete, with some interesting results. As research tends to go, it gets more and more and more fascinating... and then visas or grants run out.

It's now been almost 14 months on the road, and I feel like a changed person in many ways. Predominantly, I feel weary! It's been a blast to connect to local cultures and I've seen some truly amazing things, but constantly changing physical and social environments has it's effect. I'm ready for a brief period of stability, maybe a year back in the US, and I'm truly looking forward to hosting people once I'm back. And then who knows! :)

For another, I look back on the previous things I've written, and I can't help feeling that they drip with egotism and self-centeredness -- I apologise to you if you feel the same way. I almost want to delete it all, but kinda like having a relic. I would like to think I've moved away from that attitude during my recent travels. But maybe I've moved deeper? I've certainly met people who, traveling for years and having no solid mechanisms of dealing with the random negativities and rare traumas that pop up, wind up folding in on themselves in some sort of bizarre artificial universe that revolves entirely around themselves. It makes sense that that might happen, I guess. Constantly immersing in the external environment is difficult enough even with a perfectly stable mental/emotional state.

Finally, I would like to express my current feelings to Couchsurfing. Couchsurfing has truly changed my life, opening the door to utterly unique events and incredible people that I think I'll remember forever. It holds a special place in my heart. But I'm also warier. I've read a lot about the decline of CS as it ambitiously restructures itself to attract more users and move into the mainstream of the traveling world -- how in some ways it's taking on aspects of a dating app, how the quality of host/hosted interactions (especially in the early, introductory message stage) is declining as hosts are bombarded with requests, etc. I've seen examples of that in my own usage. I've seen several guy hosts now that basically only have references from women guests, and of the 20+ times I've surfed, 3 of them I've received sexual advances from my host. 2 of these have been among the most awkward and uncomfortable experiences I have had while traveling. PSA: Hosts who are attracted to your guests, I beg you to consider just how unbalanced the power dynamic is in your favor, and that you might be hurting your guests' experience of the whole city. Anyway, to summarize my feelings on CS: there have been many amazing highs and a few pretty bad lows. I understand fully that, when evaluating something on the whole, the negatives should not be exaggerated, and so I'm holding out hope for CS. But it does make me sad in a pretty deep/quiet way, as if I'm contemplating an old friend who has started to drift apart.

To anyone who is considering surfing with me in the US, I promise to you to do my utmost best to be the best host I can be. I'll borrow the practice of some very seasoned hosts i've seen: if you've read this far, please just mention in the opening of your message that you like cats too (even if you don't.) Thanks guys :)

At the time of this writing (June 2015)

I'm getting set to leave India. After 10 months here, it was quite an experience! Highs, lows, and everything in between. I've finished the first stage of my research, too-- I've completed construction of two solar microgrids in the village of Bommekallu, providing backup lighting for 22 families. My dream was to work out a social and techno-financial model that could work without metering individual houses. If you set up a small grid that serves 10 houses but meter each house and finance the grid based on individual usage, what is the difference between that and a country scale grid? You miss out on the social benefits one gets learning to see electricity as as a community resource. So that provided the motivation behind my first design. The second was cheaper than the first due to some structural improvements, and I've left the NGO I partnered with specifications to build another 3 of the third generation in a neighboring village while I travel. I'm planning on going through Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, partly with my boyfriend. Please hit me up if you are traveling a similar itinerary or are interested in hosting me along the way!

At the time of this writing (Oct 13 2014)
I have just graduated college and, I don't know if any of you know what I mean, but I was not feeling the 9-5 company lifestyle. I was lucky enough to receive a small grant from the NSF to support sustainability research abroad. So, I am living in Deodurga, Karnataka, and researching solar microgrids and community scale biogas. It is my goal to travel as much as possible while based here, so I might be coming to a country near you! If so, please, I would LOVE to meet you and see what you like best about your town. Feel free to reach out and chat. Excited to meet you all!

At the time of this writing (Aug 25 2010):
Well, I don't really know how much or what to put down here. First off, if there's anything to be said, I'm a trustworthy person. I'm a twin, I'm studying hard at college right now, I play the cello, I'm an Eagle Scout, I do research, I'm a vegetarian, and yes I enjoy run-on sentences. I row crew at Duke, and I do so many things that I love that I consider myself quite fortunate. I am currently trying to develop a philosophy on life that will sustain happiness and hard work. Things that depress me are global warming, loss of biodiversity, political quagmire, and the power of oil companies. That's why I work in electrochemistry, trying to design a reverse fuel cell (photoelectrochemical cell) that can hopefully be a free source of diatomic hydrogen. I would love to discuss this at length with any and all who would like to hear about it (it's my work, after all!)

Let's see, some more things about me:

I hope to graduate from college with a M.E. major, Math minor and Energy certificate

I hope to go on to work in Environmental Activism non-profit groups.

I may join the Peace Corp!

I want to go on to graduate school and get my PhD eventually.

I would like to somehow end up as a professor in Academia. Somewhere.

There you have it, that's my life goal!

PHILOSOPHY

I'm working on this.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I host people whenever they ask and I am able. So far I have hosted five people in NYC and two backpackers traveling across Europe, when I was studying at Oxford. However, for the past 4 years, while studying at Duke, I have found to my disadvantage that Durham, North Carolina is not a very hotspot of CS activity :( As a result, I haven't hosted anyone in a while. But am excited to host when I can!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have been fortunate enough to have a GREAT experience couchsurfing in Athens, Greece. I'll be paying that one forward for the rest of my life, so anyone who wants to, come at me!

Interests

Scientific research, green energy, environment, classical music, cooking, cultures, people, life!

• cats
• arts
• culture
• writing
• literature
• design
• fashion
• street art
• acting
• make up
• dancing
• environment
• cooking
• vegetarian
• yoga
• running
• working out
• modeling
• meditation
• partying
• drinking
• clubbing
• shopping
• tv
• traveling
• music
• classical music
• surfing
• rock climbing
• rowing
• business
• teaching
• freelancing
• mathematics
• physics
• statistics
• volunteering
• sightseeing
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies:
Man of Steel,
Little Miss Sunshine,
The Royal Tenenbaums,
Darjeeling Limited,
Batman,
LOTR
The Room
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Shortbus
Incendies
Brokeback Mountain
Memento
Life Aquatic
Fantastic Mr. Fox

Music: I love classical music; Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Barber, Shostakovich, etc. I've played it all of my life.

I've also been getting into the Beatles (love love love!)

I really appreciate Sufjan Stevens, Regina Spector, Vampire Weekend, Ingrid Michaelson.

They Rock!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

- 10 day silent meditation retreat in Kuantan, Malaysia
- Fashion modeling in Taipei, Bangkok, Tokyo.
- Was hosted for a week by a guy I met at a dance bar in Bangkok. Turned out he was an internationally acclaimed make up artist, and he got me introduced to fashion modeling! One of the most eye opening experiences I've has so far -- the industry is far more exploitative than one believes.
- Worked on a commune in northern Thailand for some weeks after a lady boy stole my wallet in a dance club in Bangkok :(
- Lived in a bamboo hut for four months doing research in biogas in a village in Northern Karnataka, India
- Climbed over some wooden barriers and enjoyed a solo sunset on a lesser temple in Angor Watt. Was super careful not to break anything, and stayed on the old paths, don't worry! Did something similar in Bagan, Myanmar, but was following locals that time.
- Lived with one of the village leaders in a village in Southern Karnataka while designing solar microgrids for the village, to provide backup power.
- Performed 10+ times in Carnegie Hall on classical cello.
- Went on a 10 day pilgrimage with a head monk in Myanmar. Every couple of hours the plans changed, and the bus was so bumpy... :(
- Hooked up in Agra Fort overlooking the Taj Mahal. I was separated from the hordes of tourists by a single wall. Of dubious morality but worth it I think :)
- Completed field research for the NYTimes in Inle Lake, Myanmar about the tension between Muslims and Buddhists in Eastern Myanmar. Extremely eye opening.
- Accepted an invitation from an art museum attendant to stay at his home in Chiayi, Taiwan. Saw a beautiful small Taiwanese city that I would not have otherwise seen.
- "The Night of the Santoshes" -- I was alone in Kathmandu, Nepal for one night and needed to figure out accomadation, having just finished a trek with some friends. I wasn't really too worried, but it was getting dark. I stopped at a dumpling shop and as I was finishing a dumpling, a muscular dude walked out. As per usual, I'm a doozer and my jaws sorta dropped and I paid and followed him out. I turned a corner and he was with some friends, so I approached and asked if they knew of anywhere to stay. Turned out their Uncles were all in the real estate mafia, and they led me to a hotel and booked a room for the four of us. The three were all named Santosh: one was a model, one a famous singer, and one a math PhD student. I dropped off my stuff and they took me to a Nepali "dance bar" -- really just a room with sofas and a stage where ladies danced. Being a stubborn American, though, I danced in front of the stage and before long, we had the whole room dancing! Well, most of them. We all went back to the hotel room and while the alone time I was hoping for with the muscular model Santosh never happened, the three of them piled into one double bed and insisted I take the other. It was 1AM and they all suddenly went on their phones to talk to their girlfriends! I drifted off to sleep to that chatter, only to wake up at 6AM to listen to the same thing. I bid farewell to model Santosh and singer Santosh and spent the day sight seeing with math Santosh. I am still in touch with model Santosh, who is now working in Afghanistan, and math Santosh.
- Was invited to try S&M from an expert BDSMer in SF. Probably the most stressful 3 hour period of my life. Will likely not repeat.
- Was on an overnight train ride from Raichur to Mumbai, India. I met a group of men drinking whisky; they sat me down and insisted I join. I did. Turned out they were the owners of a company that sold fighter jet tires, and had a meeting with the Ukrainians in Mumbai, as that war was ramping up. They asked me to come to their meeting and sit silently, pretending to be their "American correspondent". I did, and met on of the lesser generals of the Ukrainian army. I feel it was of dubious morality for me to join, but hey, at least I got a custom fit suit out of it?
- Went on a date with a bollywood actor (*so dreamy*)
- Stayed at a traditional yoga ashram in Rishikesh, studying 4 hours of yoga a day and appreciating the majestic Ganges.
- Taught English to Tibetan monks in Dharamsala, India. I met a famous monk who had been tortured brutally by the Chinese. We had an interesting discussion about morality of torture.
- Stayed with the owner of the first commercial radio station in Athens, Greece. It was my first couchsurfing experience.
- So one of my couchsurfing hosts in the Philippines turned out to be a fairly minor drug dealer. It wasn't any hindrance to my stay and he was a great host otherwise, but I did go with him on a business errand just to see. He went deep into some wooden slums, and picked up about 50 pills from a drug runner and a quarter kilo of marijuana. The saddest thing, though, was that he asked her for a lighter, and a small 7 year old rolled over from the stairs in the one adjoining room and wordlessly handed it over. :( Strengthened my resolve to never getting involved with the drug culture or drug markets, even as a consumer.
- Presented some research at a conference in LA, and stayed with some hopeful directors. Very interested people, but also very tight on money.
- When I first arrived to SF, I crashed at a place nicknamed "Grand Central" for 3 days: a beautiful house right on Castro Street that was essentially a commune for "radical faeries". These are mostly gay, mostly vegeterian counter culture hippies. They cooked for each other, and also considered it rude when two people hooking up would close the door behind them.
- Research trip to Santiago and Val Paraiso, Chile. I stayed with a TV actor that I met in San Francisco. Val Paraiso is the most amazing city I have yet been to -- such amazing street art.
- hitch hiked from Israel to Palestine, and stayed with a French expat in Ramallah. Extremely contrary to everything I thought Palestine would be: so friendly and welcoming. Israel is really doing some messed up shit.
- hitch hiked from Palestine to Jordan, and lived in Amman for a week. Took a car all the way down to Petra. Beautiful drive - avoid the Kings Highway!
-Volunteered at a cat shelter back in NYC. Beautiful!
- Got a tattoo from a Buddhist monk in Thailand. It was a huge bamboo needle that he just stabbed into my shoulder. Crazy. But at least I look like Angelina Jolie!
- Studied Victorian Literature at New College, Oxford
-Studied Statistics at Duke. Full Scholarship.
-I backpacked all throughout the mountains of: (1) New Mexico, (2) North Carolina, (3) Northern California, (4) Texas, (5) Nepal. But although this was hard, I think going to college was more amazing. I've met so many awesome people and had so many great experiences.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach someone
how to cook American style Eggs
how to appreciate a classical symphony
the basics of physics and electrochemistry
how to tie a useful knot
how to tie a tie
rock climbing
crew and rowing
environmental activist knowledge- stats and facts

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Italy, Nepal, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

India, Paraguay, United States