I am a University teacher in Mexico City, teaching the topic of Childhood and culture. I have been doing a research in Bali about the participation of children in the gamelan orchestra for the last four years. Another topic of research I am interested in is the children´s relation with nature and with public spaces.

When I was in Bali I started to paint and I have continued with this activity in Mexico.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Last year a friend of mine that I met in Bali came to Mexico and told me about Couchsurfing. As I really love to travel think that it is a really good idea.

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Orhan Pamuk, Virgina Woolf, Alice Munro, Gabriel García Marquez, Thomas Wolfe, José Saramago.

Movies: Blade Runner, The scent of green papaya, Slumdog millonaire, 2001 Space Odyssey, The savage planet, Billy Elliot, Moonlight, Brazil, Solaris

Music: Nina Simone, Norah Jones, Bob Marley, Jake Shimabukuro, Joan Manuel Serrat, Kings of convenience, Adelle, Ray Charles, Ali Farka Touré, Andreas Vollenweider

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In 2010 the International Play Association invited me to go to participate in a meeting in South Africa in order to discuss about children´s right to play. We did a consultation in 6 countries about the obstacles children have to play. I was responsible of the consultation in 5 cities of Mexico. We did a full international report and send it to the UN Child Committee in order they could write an observation to all countries in order they can respect children´s right to play. They accepted the report and wrote the 17th Observation.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Tepoztlán is a beautiful small town, near Mexico City , surrounded by wonderful mountains. It is one of the so-called "magic villages" of Mexico, and has a rich ceremonial life full of festivals and rituals. There is a market with a a great diversity of handicrafts, and also a wonderful variety of fruits, flowers, and vegetables. Nearby there are several interesting cities like Cuernavaca and Taxco.

Countries I’ve Visited

Brazil, Canada, Chile, England, France, Guatemala, Indonesia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Indonesia