CURRENT MISSION

Exploration of Dublin in March 2013

ABOUT ME

Greetings, my name is Marko Nörenberg, I was born in 1988 and I'm a student from University Leipzig currently in Cork, Ireland, as part of the ERASMUS programme. To my joy, I've not only made tentative acquaintances here in Cork but genuine friends. My plans revolve around the question how to keep these friendships alive once I'm back in Saxony.

Spending a year abroad presents me with expected and sometimes unwelcome challenges to which I am continuously adapting. It is the perfect opportunity to change some of my ways and improving myself. My friends, environment and its people teach me valuable lessons about life and there is always something new to learn or some place to explore.

PHILOSOPHY

I'm taking the middle seat between optimists and realists. I don't close my eyes to the problems all around but keep a positive outlook on the future. I'm striving to be reasonably tolerant, after all we are all Humans. I live my life the way I do to unlock the potential I have, to inspire the next generation of my family what is possible when you try to attain it; and to preserve the joy in life. The most basic truth is that you can only be happy with the right people around you.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Because I live in an apartment with strict rules to ensure everyone around has a pleasant study experience, I'm not able to host anybody for the next couple of months.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

To be honest, I am completely new to this sevice anyway and have not experienced anything like it before.
It is the positive experience of one of my friends, who spent time in Finland last year relying on Couchsurfing. I am wary of what surfing will be like but also looking forward to get to know people I otherwise would've never met.

Interests

There are a variety of topics I'm interested in but most of it has taken the back seat since I'm in Ireland and spend most of my time divided between studies and meeting my friends. I love reading but squeeze it into the minutes before I go to sleep. After all, I can read at any time but talking with the people you love is not something you can seal and put into a fridge.

• environment
• cooking
• reading
• surfing
• languages
• study abroad

Music, Movies, and Books

I prefer Hollywood productions over German movies. My favourite genre is science fiction, also in terms of books. I always had something to read lying around but since I've gotten a Kindle, the list of things to read has expanded greatly. In terms of music, I don't have any favourite artists and like or dislike songs on an individual basis. I'm always looking for new songs I might enjoy.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Personally, going abroad for a lenght of time is the most awesome thing I've achieved so far - but only because of the people I've come to love here. Otherwise, it would just be another cool location to spend time in. The things I'm most proud of usually include social interactions of some kind.

Ireland is full of amazing sights to see and small enough to explore them in a reasonable span of time. So far, major efforts of exploration included a weekend in the Gaeltacht (Co. Dingle) and a day tour to the Cliffs of Moher and the surrounding Shannon area. Dublin is the next item on the list.

Teach, Learn, Share

Before I went to Ireland I found cooking a boring task. I've now learned, however, that is immensely enjoyable when you cook with somebody (I'm already looking forward to the next dinner with my best friend). So, cooking with somebody is cool.

Being a native speaker, I'm fully proficient in the German language. Besides English I've learned other languages, too, but I need to refresh before I can actually employ them in conversation. My Irish, which I'm currently studying, is miserable though.

There's no practical skill (yet) that I can teach, at least none that I can think of. Of course, throughout two decades of life one accumulates a plethora of more or less useful skills.

Countries I’ve Visited

Ireland

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Ireland