CURRENT MISSION

preparing for a semester abroad at CMU, Pittsburgh

ABOUT ME

I am a 24-year-old male student and I am originally from a small village in the black forest called Lautenbach. I study computer science at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology since fall, 2006, and my focus is on robotics and signal processing for automatic speech recognition. I will visit CMU in Pittsburgh to finish my studies by writing a diploma thesis, which is similar to a master's thesis in the USA.

I'm also a member of the Kolping Society which is a catholic organisation where people of all ages come together. I used to volunteer as a youth counselor for the society, which means that I helped to organize and carry out recreational activities such as weekly group sessions or tent camps, but collective church services, too.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

none

Interests

I'm a soccer fan and I don't just watch games because of the quality of the gameplay, but I also like the social experience of watching it together with other people live at the stadium. During my time in the USA I would like to get to know other sports which are not common in Europe, like football, basketball or hockey, so I won't refuse to go if someone want's to take me along to a game.

Furthermore, I like listening to music, mostly rock music, and I am also an audio enthusiast who appreciates a good stereo. However, it doesn't matter how the stereo sounds as long as the music is good :-)

• writing
• photography
• technology
• metalworking
• music
• rock music
• sports
• basketball
• soccer
• hockey
• computer science
• law
• science
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Inception, Lord of War, Inside Man, The Prestige, The Italian Job, ... mostly movies with plots that have twists and turns :-)

Music: mainly rock (e.g. Nirvana, Mando Diao, The Hooters, The Who, Dire Straits), but I sometimes also listen to trance (www.di.fm internet radio) if I feel the need for something different.

Books: I used to read more books when I was younger but I didn't read so much over the last years. The last book I have read was 'Roadside Picnic' by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky.

Teach, Learn, Share

I study computer science, so I can help with computer problems, setup wireless LAN, write programs, etc.
I also worked for a metalworking company in the holidays a couple of times where I learned basic metalworking skills (drilling, turning, welding).

Before my trip to the USA I bought a new camera and it would be really nice if somebody could tell me some basics of photography.

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Germany, Italy, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany