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Overview
About Me
CURRENT MISSION
Living!
Just moved back to Manhattan! Hell’s Kitchen now. See Housing section for details. Most of my prior references are from when I lived in SoHo.
Always looking to discover new things, new places, new cultures, new perspectives. I love observing, people-watching, guessing or learning their stories and finding what makes everyone tick. Also love good food, good drinks, good stories, being silly, having fun, reading, walking, dancing, etc. So... let's do something fun together?
PHILOSOPHY
Somewhere between:
"You never regret the things you do, only those that you don't" (or as the poet better says it: "For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been'.")
and
"Winners never quit, quitters never win, but if you never win and never quit, you're an idiot!"
Why I’m on Couchsurfing
HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING
Hosting in a small apt in NY (hah, I have a slightly bigger one now, but it's in Brooklyn) can be tricky, but I try to welcome those that are looking for more than just a place to sleep (there are hostels for that) and are genuinely interested in making their trip to NY the best time of their life and discovering NY beyond its obvious tourist attractions and want to experience some of the real NY life. I understand that you want to see Times Square, WTC, Empire State, Central Park, etc.. But I really hope you'll be interested in discovering a lot more than that. If you want to see a live (jazz, blues, cover) band, discover crafty cocktails in a "secret" speakeasy, wander "off the grid" in West Village, experience the pulsating night-life/partying in East Village or LES, relax in smaller parks, but with as much personality to fill two Central Parks, enjoy a great cup of coffee, discover Williamsburg, Jackson Heights, or other quirky neighborhoods, use Starbucks only for their restrooms and wifi... then I'll be really happy to host you and show you around. I can also show you famous filming locations from Sex and the City to Friends, Men in Black, Seinfeld, When Harry Met Sally, Girls, You've Got Mail, etc, etc or help you find new filmings going on during your trip so you can stalk your favorite stars at leisure.
COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE
I've hosted over 80 people at my place. And surfed a few times as well. Needless to say pretty much all my surfing experiences have made my stays infintely more memorable.
Interests
Travel, photography, theatre, movies, reading, poker, good drinks (cocktails, wine, whisky) and good food... Geocaching! But these are only some of the things I got the chance to discover and become passionate about so far. I'm always interested in what other peoples passions and interests are, as I can always discover something new.
Music, Movies, and Books
One day, I will list some titles here. Let's just say I have over 400 dvds in my collection, I always try carrying a book with me if there's a chance I'll find some downtime; and while I love "real" books, electronic books make it much easier to have something to read with you all the time.
As for music, I can go from classical music, to classic rock, heavy metal, to trance and electronic music, to alternative and there are rumors that I've nodded my head to a few pop/disco songs too, but I can neither confirm nor deny them ;)
One Amazing Thing I’ve Done
This will sound cheesy, but one should find something amazing every day. Just to pick some, some of the most memorable experiences came from my various hiking trips. Being in a tent, in the mountains in a flash flood the night after the solar eclipse. Hiking alone in the Swiss Alps, getting somewhat lost while watching small avalanches on the nearby slopes. Also, going to the World BodyPainting Festival was pretty awesome.
Teach, Learn, Share
This is probably what everyone writes here, but "never stop learning" is something I believe in. There is always something to learn from anyone. Unless you believe that your knowledge and opinion are the ultimate truth on a topic, in which case I probably don't have much to learn from you; except perhaps how to avoid becoming the same way.
As for teaching, if you think there is something you can learn from me, I'm more than happy to share what I know or what I think I know.
What I Can Share with Hosts
I'll introduce you to a world hidden at your doorstep you may have not known about: geocaching! Haha. Or happily share any experience from my travels, life in New York, talk about philosophy, life, the universe, everything ;)
Countries I’ve Visited
Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam
Countries I’ve Lived In
Romania, Switzerland, United States