CURRENT MISSION

I am a violinmaker doing research on 17th and 18th century Italian instruments, a philosophy student completing doctoral work in the philosophy of Indian logic, a lecturer in philosophy at The European Graduate School in Switzerland, a father of four musical daughters with a home scale organic farmer in the southwest of France... but currently living in Newark-on-Trent UK, and on my way to London.

ABOUT ME

I lived for 10 years in the southwest of france on a small home scale organic farm that has hosted many wonderful wwoofers and have four musical daughters. I moved from the east village in Manhattan to a Pyrrenean village of 11 people. Now were are living in the UK, for three years. As a violinmaker and researcher I travel to see instruments and musicians around the world, to buy wood and look deeper into the history of the instrument. I have been practicing ashtanga yoga for a number of years which I try to do daily. I am a passionate student of languages, ancient and modern and am happy making a fool of myself while learning new words and ideas. I do not drink, smoke or use drugs.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am happy to host people in our 1740's cottage where we have a guest room.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I traveled widely in Asia and Central Europe in the days before the internet and couchsurfed and wwoofed all over before I knew these things had a name. It is a wonderful way to see the world and the people who move through it.

Interests

Analog photography, mycology, violinmaking, the cello, Jain Logic, the Pali Cannon, the philosophy of geometry, Ajahn Chah, ashtanga yoga, permaculture.

• photography
• yoga
• traveling
• violin
• history
• languages
• philosophy
• sanskrit

Music, Movies, and Books

Authors and poets that are important to me: Milan Kundera, Jeanette Winterson, Henry Miller, Emily Dickenson, Albert Camus, Basho
Music that has cut me to the quick: The Dresden Dolls, Andrew Manze's baroque violin, Pablo Casals, The Clash, Antony and the Johnsons, X, Jose Gonzalez, Nick Cave, Melora Craeger (who plays a cello I made!), early Cure, The Knife
Films that I love: Before Night Falls/ julian schnabel The Sacrifice/ tarkovsky

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Photographed Vaclav Havel sitting alone in a bar one week after the Velvet Revolution in Prague

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