CURRENT MISSION

Nonintrusive observer.

ABOUT ME

I don't like crowds, but I enjoy individuals. I am a bit absent-minded, prefer concentrated, philosophical discussions. I'm quite easy-going and expect people to be frank with me, saying directly what they like and what they don't. I try to see things from a non-standard perspective, looking into backyards rather than at the facades. This lets me form a less biased view of the world. If you have your own opinion, you are the one I'd like to talk to. I have no trouble if you don't agree with me (you often will not), and I expect the same from those whom I call friends.

PHILOSOPHY

Go for the broadest spectrum of emotions you can experience in your life. Pessimism is bad, yet chronic happiness is not much better, either. You have to feel the contrast to really appreciate what life gives you at those rare moments, and never take it for granted.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I had hundreds of CS guests already, and all of them were a wonderful experience with no single exception. For the moment I host more often than I surf, but that might still change. Always looking forward to meeting new friends on CS. Even if you don't need a host, write me to meet up downtown or to go hiking together.

Read an article about me in the Sächsische Zeitung: http://m.sz-online.de/nachrichten/der-couchsurfer-unter-den-profs-3793249.html

Interests

Hiking, geocaching, urban exploration, landscape photography, local history, jogging, bicycle, boat paddling, hitch-hiking, physics and natural sciences, sleeping under the open sky.

• hiking
• physics
• jogging
• bicycle
• geocaching
• hitch-hiking
• sleeping under the stars
• landscape photography

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: "Ostrov"; "Apostol"; "Koyaanisqatsi".

Music: Philip Glass, Ennio Morricone, Eddie Vedder, Vladimir Vysotsky, Boris Grebenschikov.

Books: A. Solzhenitsyn "The First Circle"; Thor Heyerdahl "Fatu Hiva"; Jon Krakauer "Into the Wild"; Jared Diamond "Collapse", "The Third Chimpanzee", "Guns, Germs and Steel"; Henry David Thoreau "Walden"; Strugatsky brothers; Oleg Kuvaev.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

A beautiful sunset in the fortress of Monsanto, Portugal, in the town built among giant boulders. I met the New Year 2012 at the end of the world, in Sagres, which is the most south-western tip of Europe. There I could swim in the Atlantic Ocean right on the 31st of December under a romantic starry sky.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am active in geocaching, so if you like solving complex puzzles or go together for a treasure hunt outdoors, let's do it together. Perhaps you know a useful knot, can teach me some tree climbing skills, can share coordinates of abandoned bunkers or lost places, know how to be more efficient in finding mushrooms in the forest, how to read animal tracks in the snow, to read secret messages in paintings, or how to see an owl at night? I am interested in all such weird stuff. Then, I wish I could meet an expert in genetics and natural selection. I have many questions. Currently I am also trying to improve my chess skills. I would also appreciate if you teach me a phrase or two in your language.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can tell you stories about CouchSurfing and traveling, some lessons in physics, or we can have a language tandem. I can also show you around in Dresden or outside in the Saxon Switzerland. I know quite a few secret places that you won't find in the guidebooks (just ask me). I also have an inflatable kajak, so if you are visiting for more than just a couple of days, we can go together on a weekend tour down the Elbe or some other river in the neighborhood.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Ukraine