[Recently returned to couch-surfing after a few years away! References a bit out of date!]

Hi!

Always a weird exercise to write about yourself, but here goes...

I have lived in London for around 6 years now. I first came here to study Chinese after spending 3 years in China. Now I work as a Chinese teacher and education professional. (If you want to speak Chinese, learn Chinese or eat good Chinese food, I can help here!) I never expected to stay in London so long, but I love all it has to offer, especially the live music, art and culture and parks and pub gardens (summer) and just the inside of pubs (winter)!

I am an open, out-going person and I value my friendships above all else. The best thing about traveling for me has been meeting new people from foreign cultures, and then discovering the things that we have in common and things we can learn from each other! I also love the wild outdoors, so hiking and trekking new landscapes is another highlight!

I am a huge lover of music and listen to a wide variety of different genres. I particularly enjoy jazz, electronic, electro, club, folk, classical and experimental rock music. My favourite band of all time are Radiohead. I also play music myself as I grew up playing drums and percussion. Not the easiest instruments to pack when traveling, but I can often find a jam night to go to when I'm on the road!...

I love cycling and the freedom it gives when moving around both cities and the countryside. I have cycled solo across Scandinavia and also across the Pyrenees from Toulouse to Barcelona. I'm always up for a ride!

I enjoy most kinds of art and talking about the ideas expressed by artists. I like finding public art in new cities! I am fond of going to galleries by myself so that I can just be quiet and contemplative about the work. But I like going with friends, too!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I think that traveling is always better when you meet new people and share experiences with people from other countries and cultures. The best travel stories and memories come from unexpected encounters. I also think that Couchsurfing is a great way to travel without only visiting the typical tourist attractions. Locals have a much better understanding of their home than I ever could, and are the most valuable way to understand the places you find yourself in.

Interests

playing music (I play the drums, piano and other percussion)...

listening and dancing to music (especially post-rock, minimal / techno / progressive house, electronica classical, jazz and world music)...

art, design and creativity...

and meeting and sharing experiences with new and open-minded people.

FOOD!

• arts
• culture
• design
• graphic design
• dining
• cooking
• clubbing
• technology
• music
• jazz
• piano
• drums
• world music
• backpacking
• calligraphy
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

You can look me up on http://www.last.fm/user/Nndy/library to see the music I'm listening to.

In movies I enjoy thoughtful dramas and original screenplays. I also enjoy intelligent sci-fi. I like a good documentary as well.

Stanley Kubrick
Darren Aronovsky
Charlie Kaufmann
...and many others!

The books that have had the biggest impact on me were His Dark Materials trilogy, which I read at a pivotal time of my teenage life. I enjoy almost any well-written and original book, usually sticking to fiction, but recently reading more non-fiction, too.

Iain M. Banks
Philip K Dick
Tolkien
Philip Pullman
Ali Smith
John Steinbeck
...and many others!

(I find writing these kinds of lists very difficult!)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I cycled 1000km across Sweden and Norway with just my tent and bicycle for company. Yes, I did hold conversations with my bike!

Teach, Learn, Share

I would be happy to share my knowledge of Chinese and my teaching experience in this area.

I am always keen to get on a drum kit (I just can't fit one in my backpack!)

I am a good cook and love cooking for others.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Food. Music. Fun. Conversation.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, China, Colombia, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, North Korea, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, United Kingdom

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