Maaike Happel's Photo

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Overview

  • 36 references 13 Confirmed & Positive
  • Fluent in Dutch, English; learning Danish, French, Swedish
  • 38, Female
  • Member since 2007
  • Research assistant
  • Life, Nature, People. Agroecology. Cultural Anthropology....
  • From Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
  • Profile 100% complete

About Me

CURRENT MISSION

MAKE CITIES GREENER / SHARE THE BEAUTY OF LIFE

ABOUT ME

Like most people say, it's quite hard to describe yourself, but I think the following words will say something about me:

A happy, chaotic, full of energy, sometimes a little dreamy, social girl who would like to be there for others, have fun with friends and totally open to learn from and talk with others about their visions and experiences in and on life.

Oh and the dreadlocks are gone :)) but that does not change my personality I guess...
Besides this, I'm having a small obsession for India and Urban Farming.

PHILOSOPHY

Most important of life is in my opinion to share ideas, fun, build up things with other people and not only live for your own benefits. Differences between people or cultures can cause misunderstandings, fights and wars. It has become almost an normal thing in life and on the world. I think it is best (but hard sometimes)to at least try not to see these differences as gaps or obstacles, but as other visions were we can learn from. This is quite an utopic idea, and I know that you can't love everybody, but at least we can try to to throw away our affraidness and preconceptions. You make your short life so much happier and your your vision so much bigger if you try to do this.

" Anytime life can be over, every person is blessed with the fact that he/she is on this world and can taste life, so try to make the best out of it"

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

At the moments when I live in a house with space enough, host people in Amsterdam, show them around, and share (or discuss) thoughts together and let them have a good time. I've been surfing some couches before, in Antwerp, Morocco, India, Brussels and in Den Bosch. Besides hosting and surfing, I'm always telling everyone about this project.

Create your own visitor map!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Lots by now..couchsurfing from belgium to india to morocco and here in holland..and hosted quite a few people by now from all over the world, one of them even stayed in amsterdam and became a real amsterdammer; one of my local friends!

Interests

Gardening! Just since a few years started to experiment with growing a bit of veggies next to my house, and in a communitygarden.. Still have to learn a lot by practice, right now learning a lot on my Internship.

Second passion: Race-Cycling!! I have a vintage racing bike since a few years, and at the moment it is my greatest love. He brings me to university and internship everyday in less than 15 minutes, have brought me to Chartres in France all the 700 kms, and a few days per week we go racing alongside the Amstel-River. Couchsurfers who come by bike, I will open the door immeadiately for you! Traveling the world by bike is the best there exists, it makes you connect more to nature and the now, and you dont pollute the air. and as i have some experience i understand how you feel after a day on the bike.. also if you bring your (racing) bike we could go for a fast ride in the country-side of amsterdam.

Also: Traveling, do crazy things with friends or other people, meeting new people, share ideas and philosophies with others, meditation, writing, dancing, reading, listening to the stories and thoughts of crazy antropologists (in books or at lectures), cooking (i would love to make the best pumpkinsoup ever for you, if you like pumpkin and if it's the season), bollywoodmovies, theatre and (goa)parties and concerts.

And right now: finding a way to change the world foodsystem.

  • writing
  • books
  • beauty
  • concerts
  • dancing
  • dining
  • cooking
  • meditation
  • partying
  • gardening
  • reading
  • traveling
  • cycling
  • surfing
  • sociology

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: La Vita é Bella, Pippi Longstocking, Old Bollywoodmovies, Amélie, The Edukators and Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. The movie 'A farm for the future' have changed my life

Music: classical índian music, bhajans, old bollywoodmusic (!), the doors, the beatles, velvet underground, tom waits, crazy melancholic guitar bands, ska, balkan and klezmermusic, goa-trance (progressive and industrial)

Books: Roald Dahl, Carolyn Steel (Hungry City), Tagore, Rumi, gardenbooks, books about India and Hinduïsm, Anthropology books. With all the heavy literature on changing the world in the daytime, I love to fall a sleep at night with a book from A.A Milne or a good Comic-book like Donald Duck :))

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One amazing thing is hard to say, because you can make so many experiences in life as amazing as you want.

Some high-lights: harvesting my first own potatoes and beans from my city-garden, organising a musical with 200 youngsters, taping the map of amsterdam on the floor of an old food distribution center and my travels to India were quite amazing and life-changing.

Teach, Learn, Share

open to share stories and thoughts with you and learn from your perspectives on the world.
Can try to give you some tips on transforming your balcony, window or rooftop into a mini-farm and green oase. Except cooking amazing curries, or pumpkin soup :-) I can't learn you a lot of practical stuff. What I can, is tell you about the things I've learnd at my study, about different views how to look at the world and different cultures and global connections, some views of wise men and women in sociology and of course about my experiences with traveling.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Morocco, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

India, Netherlands, Sweden

Old School Badges

  • 4 Vouches

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