Dlaczego jestem na Couchsurfing

After staying with locals in Nepal for one week, I decided this is something I wanted to do more often. Sure, the comfort may not have been to the same standards as a hotel - sleeping on a 0.5cm mattress for an entire week kind of kills your back - but the interesting conversations I've had with my host easily made up for that. Couchsurfing seems to be the perfect platform to find like-minded people, and this is why I would like to try it.

Zainteresowania

I have a keen interest in history, especially in ancient civilizations from all around the world (Egypt, Rome, Persia, Maya, Inca,...). Travelling is a great way to get in touch with these ancient cultures, but also with contemperary culture. I really like to find out how people in other countries live, what their political views are, and what cultural differences there are between my country and theirs. This is why I love travelling outside of Europe.
Besides that, I also enjoy watching a wide variety of sports, such as football, cycling, tennis, etc.

• culture
• beer
• partying
• traveling
• cycling
• sports
• soccer
• tennis
• history

Muzyka, filmy i książki

Music:
Some of my favourite artists: Red Hot Chili Peppers (John Frusciante era), John Frusciante (solo), Arctic Monkeys, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimi Hendrix, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Nirvana, The Doors, Radiohead... I mostly listen to (classic) rock music, but any interesting musical style can catch my interest. Every now and then, you will find me exploring different genres, like classical music, blues, jazz,... The only genre which doesn't really seem to suit me is electronic/dance (for dancing, yes, but not for listening). But in general, I like almost any person who is very passionate about music, and I'm very open to getting introduced to artists I'm not familiar with. So if this is a good description of you, I'm sure we'll make great friends :)

Books:
I didn't read a lot during my university studies, but I've realised that I really missed reading during that period, which is why I've started reading again recently. Some of my favourite books: Perfume (Patrick Süskind), The Name of the Rose (Umberto Eco), Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)...

Jedna niesamowita rzecz, którą zrobiłem(-am)

What I'm particularly proud of, is my involvement in Edukado (www.edukado.be), an organisation which helps students to organise their own solidarity project. How it works:
- Edukado searches for a school in a developing country which is in desperate need of new classrooms
- We search for motivated university students who want to start a project around this school
- During a whole year, the students gather funds by organising fundraising activities
- With the money they've raised, they go to the developing country for 1-2 months to help with the construction of the classrooms, in close collaboration with local contractors and with the local population. Erecting a building is one thing, but the cultural exchange with people living in developing countries is what makes the project really interesting. In this way, both parties gain a lot from the collaboration.

As a board member of this organisation, I've met a lot of interesting individuals who really believe that the effect of such projects, however small it may be, is more than worth the effort they put into it. Additionally, I've had the opportunity to stay with local families in these developing countries myself, which is an experience I would recommend to everyone. So if you're into this, and if you've got the time to spare, don't hesitate to start such a project yourself! We - and a lot of people around the world - are waiting for new organisations like Edukado :)

Czym mogę się podzielić z gospodarzami

A listening ear. An interesting point of view. A nice dinner (self-prepared if you want, but this is at your own risk ;) ). Or some Belgian chocolates or beer, if you like. It depends a bit on the kind of person you are, really :)

Kraje, w których byłem(-am)

France, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Nepal, Peru, Portugal, Switzerland