I spent a significant amount of my life in education from being a classroom teacher to supervising education programs and now back to being a classroom teacher in one of the inner city schools in the Bay Area. In between, I have volunteered in some civic society organizations mostly focusing on education-related programs. At some point, I tried corporate jobs but realized that I thrive better in the education sector.

Outside work, I love to travel and explore new places, learn more about cultures, meet people, and exchange stories. I believe that stories are powerful and each story has the power to change the world. There is so much that we can learn from each other to build tolerance where people from diverse backgrounds can live in a more pluralistic society and a more livable world.

For me, there is a very thin line between my work and what I do outside education setting. The experiences I gain from my travels from exploring places to meeting people help me understand better the tremendous role I have in the lives of the kids I teach. While I bring my rich experience to the classroom with a hope that I could inspire future leaders to trail blaze their own unique path, I also hope that my kids will have their own share of experiencing the beauty of this world way better than I have experienced it. I hope that I could bring the world closer to my classroom.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Community! We can do it better when we do it together and kindness is sweeter when shared with more. I would like to connect with fellow travelers to spark deep conversations and do activities together. I'd like to experience the very culture of the locals in every place I will be hopping to. The best way to experience such is to stay with the locals and gain first-hand learning from the people who are fully immersed. I would also like to build connection with people from different places giving myself a wider outlook to believe that we are all living in the same pale blue dot planet.

Interests

Outdoor activities, books, culture

• culture
• books
• design
• interior design
• crafts
• gardening
• traveling
• mathematics

Music, Movies, and Books

I listen to random music although I prefer Matchbox 20, Script, Maroon 5 and reggae music. Jason Mraz is chill. Recently, indie music has gone into my Spotify playlist.

The Count of Montecristo is a classic! The Alchemist is timeless! Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot has transformed how I see the world we live in, the universe and our place in it. In between, I like Michio Kaku’s, Richard Dawkin’s, and Stephen Hawking’s! John Grisham also got into me at some point.

I watched the Inception twice and I can watch it a couple times more! Star Wars fan! Ruroni Kenshin!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I moved to different countries (Thailand and the US) to teach students whose cultures are very different from my own.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach about Filipino culture (language, food, etc.). Philippines speaks more than 80 languages with distinct variations and we developed our variety of English as an English-speaking country in Asia. I can also offer to tutor foundational Math and some concepts and principles on math and math education. I am keen at learning about other cultures and perspectives with an ultimate goal of understanding people on a deeper sense.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Just let me know if there is anything I could help you with and I will be happy to lend a hand. In one of my Couchsurfing experiences, I offered to tutor my host's children who were home-schooled. I can also cook and share random recipes with love! I love plants and gardening so if you need a hand to do some gardening and any plant-related stuff, I could help. I can also be that handyman you might need. :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Philippines, Thailand, United States