I've lived about 30 years in Sydney as a single parent and when my youngest (of two) left home a few years ago, then so did I. ;-)

Since 2013 I've rented out my apartment (for a meager income) and I've been spending more time volunteering at a Tibetan Buddhist centre near Bodhgaya in India than back in Sydney.

I enjoy making a contribution in the centre as Bodhgaya is in Bihar, one of the least developed states of India, with a lot of poverty. Our centre's social service projects are making a positive difference. Then there are also opportunities for study of Buddhist philosophy, in which I have been keenly interested since my teens.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

When I come back to visit my two sons in Sydney, the last couple of years I have stayed in my sister's spare room, but I feel like I've imposed on her enough and, from my perspective, it would be good to branch out a bit and see more of what the city and its people have to offer.

Even though coming back to Sydney is kind of returning home, as I really have no fixed abode these days, I see couchsurfing as a way to experience different areas and aspects of Sydney, as a traveler might, rather than returning to the same old same old.

Interests

• poetry
• rock music
• buddhist
• philosophy
• progressive metal
• progressive rock
• international politics
• eastern philosophy
• tibetan buddhism

Music, Movies, and Books

Favourite bands: Tool, Rammstein (but I'm kind of in a not-so-musical phase these days).

Favourite movies ever: The Lives of Others, Wings of Desire, Taxi Driver.

Favourite books: Don't do much long-form reading, but my favourite book ever, possibly because I read it at an impressionable age, was The Idiot by Dostoevsky.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Went to live in Nepal for over a year when I was 18... part of my early immersion in Tibetan Buddhism, as there are many Tibetan refugees in Nepal and India.

Teach, Learn, Share

I have a love of poetry, have committed a number to memory, and can recite by heart.

Buddhism is not a proselytising religion, but I'm willing to convey what I know about Tibetan Buddhism in particular, if anyone is interested.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I have what I used to refer to as a morbid curiosity about U.S. poltics. These days, "morbid" doesn't go far enough!

I like a lively conversation about world trends and current events.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

India, Nepal