CURRENT MISSION

To see significance despite a lack of meaning :)

ABOUT ME

Hmmm... I'm going to say I want to expand my interests so that I can relate to more people and not box myself in.

A little narrative of my life: I was born in Japan and lived in the northern part of Kawasaki-shi (city) in Asao-ku (district?). Basically, around Tokyo. The only reason I remember where I actually lived is because I still remember part of my elementary school song which began "Kawasaki no kita" (The north of Kawasaki). Lived there until I was 7 years old and moved to San Mateo, CA. At 9 years old, I moved to Florida and have lived in St. Petersburg until I went out to Southern California for college. Decided it wasn't my thing, so I'm replanting myself in the Tampa Bay area and why I'm excited about getting connected with the CouchSurfing community.

PHILOSOPHY

"Why do we love nonsense? Why do we love Lewis Carroll? With his:

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe...

Why is it that all those old English songs are full of foll-do-riddle-eido and hey-nani-nani and all those babbling choruses? Why is it that when we get hip with jazz we just go boodee boodee boop dee boo and so on and enjoy ourselves swinging it?

It is this participation in the essential, glorious nonsense that is at the heart of the world - that isn't going anywhere, that is a dance... but it seems that only in moments of unusual insight and illumination that we get the point of this... and find that thus the true meaning of life is no meaning... that its purpose is no purpose and the its sense is... nonsense.

But still we want to use about it the word: significant. Significant nonsense? Yes! Nonsense that is not just chaos, that is not just blathering balderdash... but that has in it rhythm. Facinating complexity. A kind of artistry. It is in this kind of meaninglessness that we get the profoundest meaning."

- Alan Watts

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have so far attended one gathering - had a great time!

Interests

Social justice, youth development, philosophy, feminism, gender and sexuality theory and expressions, community organizations/community development

Food: Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, Peruvian (currently in that order)

• dancing
• womens rights
• dining
• jazz
• boxing

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm just going to list music because listening to music is where it's at for me.

Basically, my favorite genres are folk, groove, hip-hop, various kinds of "world music", jazz fusion, drumming, and Bjork (she is her own category).

The short list: Ace of Base, Aesop Rock, Amadou et Mariam, Atmosphere, Ani DiFranco, The Arcade Fire, A Silver Mount Zion, Baka Beyond, The Bastard Fairies, The Beatles, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Bill Whelan, Bjork, Blackalicious, Blonde Redhead, Boa, Bob Dylan, Bonobo, Bright Eyes, Cannibal Ox, Capercaille, Cat Power, Cinematic Orchestra, Cornelius, Common, Croft No. Five, Dakota Dakota, Dave Matthews Band, Death Cab for Cutie, Deep Forest, The Duhks, Eileen Ivers, Elliott Smith, Emiliana Torrini, Enya, Everything But The Girl, Fiona Apple, Five Iron Frenzy, Four Tet, Frou Frou, Gorillaz, HEM, Immortal Technique, India Arie, Invincible, Issa Bagayogo, Jamiroquai, JHNO, Joanna Newsom, Joshua Bell, Jun Bustamante, Jurassic 5, Kaki King, Ketsumeish, Kings of Convenience, Kronos Quartet, Lhasa, Lunasa, Manu Chau, Massive Attack, Mercury Program, Minekawa Takako, Moby, Modest Mouse, Morcheeba, Mos Def, Mr. Children, Nick Drake, Norah Jones, Nouvelle Vague, Nusa, Outkast, Perceptionists, Peter Bjorn And John, Pixies, Polaris, Postal Service, Prefuse 73, Radiohead, Rage Against The Machine, Regina Spektor, Res, RJD2, Scissor Sisters, Shooglenifty, Sia, Sigur Ros, Snow Patrol, Sole, Stardust, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Talib Kweli, Tegan and Sara, Telefon Tel Aviv, Thievery Corporation, Tokyo Police Club, Toumani Diabate, Tracy Chapman, Tryo, TV On The Radio, U2, Yann Tiersen, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Teach, Learn, Share

I would love to learn Spanish. It's a travesty that I live in Florida and still haven't learned Spanish.

Countries I’ve Visited

United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, United States