CURRENT MISSION

Trying to balance family and work and still go climbing every weekend

ABOUT ME

After having my own business for 17 years I'm in a new point in my career. In addition to my design company I started teaching five years ago and am now starting up a second company that focuses on ubiquitous communication and scenography 2.0. It's really exciting how one thing leads to another.

I have three kids and love to spend time with my family. Free time for me is usually spent outdoors with my wife and kids, either climbing, hiking or going on a bicycle tour.

I'm a relatively quiet and reserved person. I read critical newspapers when I have time, or discuss politics with my wife. I enjoy a good glass of wine, but like nothing more than looking out over the ocean (which we don't have here in Switzerland...)

PHILOSOPHY

I believe a lot can be achieved in this world through personal contentment. If we are truly content with our lives and ourselves we consume less and are more pleasant to be around. Personal contentment positively influences both society and our environment.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

My wife started CouchSurfing long before I did and we've hosted a few great people at our house. Please check out her profile to see our references. www.couchsurfing.org/people/f.furness/

Interests

-Oceans
-Mountains
-Climbing
-Being outside
-Reading WoZ

• design
• education
• environment
• wine
• politics
• reading
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• rock climbing
• business
• teaching
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

I love to read and although I mostly read newspapers I sometimes love reading American short stories. If I have long business travel I have come to enjoy listening to audio books. I like independent movies but usually take more time for reading that watching films.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

-I saw a double rainbow on a plateau in the Anti-Atlas in Morocco.
-I surfed with sharks in Hawaii.
-I traveled the USA for six months in a 1972 VW bus that I had to hot-wire to start (I met my wife in a youth hostel on the West Coast!).
-I traveled to China with the Trans Siberian Railway for six months shortly after Tiananmen Square, being one of the earliest Western independent backpackers in the area. I returned two decades later as a businessman representing Switzerland when I designed and realized the exhibition for the Swiss Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai in 2010.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: I could teach you how to fix your bicycle.
Learn: I'm interested in learning anything interesting!
Share: I'm rather a generalist in my self-education and enjoy sharing insights with people.

Countries I’ve Visited

China, Mexico, Morocco, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Switzerland