CURRENT MISSION

Work hard and be nice to people.

ABOUT ME

I know you're not supposed to, but I love talking to strangers. I love company in all its forms. Come visit. We have things to talk about.

When I'm not talking to strangers, I try to move about. I climb, run, jump, crawl, and dance when called to do so by some basic instinct.

But I am also an old man, a tinkerer and can be industrious at odd hours and sometimes for endless hours. Most of the past year I have spent putting my heart and hands into fixing and living in an old houseboat. Albeit lacking in skill, I am willing to use chemicals and power tools with enthusiasm. Everyday I learn exactly how little I know about what goes into the making of a home.

Often, a good day for me is just being outside, keeping my feet moving. Find a new corner of the world or a new street in San Francisco. Its why I lived in Vancouver for 6 years and why I'm happy to be back in the Bay Area.

PHILOSOPHY

This is what I say: All people are great teachers. Only be a better student. Practice artful living. Do what you love, well.

My mother says it better: "Just show up."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Host and Surf. Teach these lessons of solo travels and the importance of highway shoes.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I'm growing into ıt. I was on a hosting binge in '09 in Vancouver. In '10 from summer into fall I was on the road couching the lives of surfers from London to Hanoi. We exchanged stories. We made the familiar strange and the strange familiar. There were bike tours, cliff-jumping, rock climbing, camping, skinny dipping, speed-scrabbleing, good fodder, and pancakes. I love it. I'm not one to have my own agenda. If you stay with me and want to go somewhere new, I'll take you there.

Interests

It's the company you keep. I love people and all the strange or hopelessly normal things they have on their mind. If you're living and breathing, my friend, we will dish up a good thought and a rowdy conversation.

I love rock climbing, cooking, eating and playing drums. I am also a sinner. I don't judge the good company of a glass of Whiskey and Nargile.

• performing arts
• dancing
• cooking
• running
• drums
• cycling
• camping
• sailing
• rock climbing
• solo travel
• tours

Music, Movies, and Books

I like strange films made by tormented people. Werner Hertzog's Nosforatu (awesome dracula film). Alfred Hitchcock's Virtigo.

I like reading short stories by Etgar Keret. His book, The Girl on the Fridge, is amazing. I'm also a big fan of Vladimir Nabokov re: Lolita.

Music is important. Alone, I'll usually be listening to Tom Waits or other music that makes me think or tells a story. While couchsurfing in Turkey, my host and friend Kemal turned me on to a latin singer, Concha Buika. Sunday morning, maybe you're hungover or exploring some netherworld between indifference and the undead. Gather yourself into a heap. Bring your comfort blanket if you have to or a flask. Open a window, sit on the floor and listen...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I went to Jerusalem and saw the Western Wall at night. I swam in the Dead Sea. I've seen snow fall on the Golden Gate bridge. I have climbed to almost 13,000 feet in the Eastern Sierra and ran back down to avoid getting struck by lightening. I've seen someone come back to life.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to ride a unicycle and perform effective Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation. Hmmm. I want to learn how to sail.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bangladesh, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Serbia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, United Kingdom, United States

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