CURRENT MISSION

I'd like to make friends and share my enthusiasm for places with other people. I can't host, but am happy to show around.

ABOUT ME

I used to be a teacher, now I'm a prison reform researcher. I'm tall, good company, but can incline towards intense introspection. I really enjoy and am interested by people, and I love discovering new places.

PHILOSOPHY

I live my life because there is no other option. I believe that it's possible, with enough discipline and compassion, for human beings to live peacefully, though I don't think that would be a world without conflict; instead it would be a world in which disputes could be dealt with through respect and listening. I think the most meaningful teaching of any religion is the one they generally share in common in some form or other - that you should behave towards others as you would wish them to behave towards yourself. I also happen to think this is one of the most challenging things to do in life, and that none of us is perfect. I believe in forgiveness, both of myself and others, but I think it has to be earned. I try not to be too hard on myself. I try not to despair, for all the drudgery and suffering in the world.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm entirely new to it. I'm going to fill this in later.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

None as yet.

Interests

I like music, especially folk, blues, and electronic music. I am a Quaker - too complicated to explain here, but you can Google it. I am interested in sustainable living, cycling, and ways to live more sustainably. I like reading a lot, mainly history and historical novels, but also books about politics, economics and current affairs, and increasingly also science fiction.

• books
• running
• politics
• reading
• music
• electronic music
• blues
• cycling
• economics
• teaching
• history
• religion
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

All my music taste can be traced back in some form to the Clash or to old rave music. I like a range of music some people find bewildering - look up 'mightyupsetter' on Last.fm if you want more details. I enjoy films that either set their characters in an interesting world or films where the characters themselves are interesting or speak to me in some way about myself or the world. Films and books that have nothing to say, that simply reinforce existing culture, hold no interest for me. Art should ask questions and provoke thought. I read for pleasure sometimes, but I also read a great deal for knowledge in my job, and my energy for more reading in leisure time is limited. I regret this sometimes. I love history, and especially the history of religion, which fascinates me because of the varying distance between what a religion actually says and the uses that it is actually put to by those in a position of power.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I climbed a 250m cliff in Ethiopia to see a 1600 year old church with murals depicting the saints. I felt closer to God than at any other time.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can tell you why prisons should be run differently.

I can also tell you why religion is very misunderstood.

Countries I’ve Visited

Denmark, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, Sweden, Togo, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, United Kingdom

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