Firstly, one of my talents is that I'm a WRITER (that will explain all the long paragraphs lol)...okay...now you may continue :)

I'm a fan of the Universe and the way it connects us all (I'm a fan of "The Alchemist" lol). Might sound like philosophical mumbo-jumbo, but if there's one thing traveling has taught me is that in spite of our differences in look and culture, we are so much the same and inseparable, interwoven in the fabric of humanity (yes, I write and think like this sometimes lol). Aside from that, I love to laugh, enjoy life, "dance like no one's watching" (literally at times), and meet good people wherever I visit on this planet we all share. I guess saying I'm an artist after all of that might be an obvious revelation, huh? ;)

But yes, I'm a musician (keyboardist/pianist/composer/producer/arranger), mixing/mastering audio engineer, writer (working on what will be my first book, documenting my travel stories), amateur travel photographer, and certified globetrotter aiming to visit every continent on Earth (only 1 more to go)!

Here's some of my music work you can check out: http://soundcloud.com/ahmedsirour

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm big advocate of being a tourist like a LOCAL; to see a particular city's highlights, but through the eyes and experiences of people from there, so I can have a deeper appreciation of the culture, and that's where I think this site can help. From my own experiences of traveling and staying on many couches, it was certainly the insight from my hosts that really helped me to get around but also made me better understand what I was seeing as I toured the city/town/country-side either with them or own my own.

I'll be honest that I've avoided joining Couchsurfing for a while now because I've felt more comfortable meeting new people through other people I already knew or channels where there was some mutual connection to make things more comfortable, but what I've been learning along the way is we all are more connected than we think and some of the best friends you can make in life come to you (or you to them) when you are open to meet them. It may start totally random, but then you start to understand that it probably wasn't a coincidence that you all met, feeling like you've met a long-lost friend or even relative.

Interests

When it comes to music and the arts, this covers so much of my interests! Aside being a music-maker, I'm a bonafide music lover and love to dance as well, especially at events that play great music that isn't really mainstream, and of various genres from various countries. I love good food, and as a vegan, finding veggie options of local cuisines is what I usually look for. I love learning the history of the places I visit and also exploring these places on foot and seeing things as a native would. I would say my interests are broadly-based as I try to understand a little bit of everything just so I can relate better to people, although I'm not super-brainy and love to laugh and be silly at times, too :)

• arts
• culture
• writing
• books
• photography
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• vegetarian
• vegan
• reading
• traveling
• music
• kayaking
• engineering
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

Asking a musician what's his favorite music is like searching for the definitive answer to the meaning of life ;) I love all good music that moves me, and it can be from almost any culture from anywhere around the world. Even though I come from the African-American experience of arts & culture, I never want to limit myself to just my own familiar experiences; that's like going to Morocco only to have mint tea at a Starbucks there lol Movies that make me laugh, make me think, move me emotionally, or keep me on the edge or fascinated are my favorites, though I exclude excess violence and horror as the world already has too much of both as it is. Book-wise, I love many different genres, of various authors, but for the sake of this profile, I feel "The Alchemist" best suits me as I certainly am an explorer in pursuit of my Personal Legend, and I truly believe the Universe does conspire on your behalf when you take those leaps of faith and it rewards you for taking those chances. If I had to add one other, I'd include "Body and Soul" because it's truly amazing how a gift (in this case, music) can take you to places you never even dreamed you'd be able to see. I am truly grateful.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I actually managed to graduate with a Masters degree though I still don't even have a Bachelors degree. The faces some people make when I tell them that never fails to crack me up laughing! :D

Teach, Learn, Share

Okay, so let me at least give you a few tips based on my travels...

+If any of you are vegan or vegetarian (or have guests who are), I swear by this website: http://happycow.net. They will tell you ALL of the places you may or may not have even known are in your neighborhood that are either fully vegan/veggie, or offer veggie options (esp for when it's a mixed crowd where some want meat and others don't). It's a great resource!

+I'm sure many of you know websites Kayak.com for flights, but I've found that if you change the country/language for the site, you can sometimes find cheaper prices for the exact same itinerary, although you'd just have to copy and past some of the words and translate in Google Translate to understand what you're reading and booking ;)

If you're ever in NYC, and love food, some of my favorite places I would recommend to go to for...

PIZZA : Not Ray's (which is in Brooklyn), and Cafe Viva (which is in Manhattan)
FALAFEL SANDWICH: Mamoun's (the one on MacDougal St., in the West Village, is open 24 hours, and right next door to the famous Comedy Cellar, which you'd see in Chris Rock's "Top 5" movie, near the end )

+If you have an unlocked phone that has any 3G bandwith, since I know countries like Japan don't have GSM), you can get a prepaid SIM card that works anywhere in the USA, called SIMple Mobile (http://mysimplemobile.com). No contract and everything for the US is unlimited (calls/texts/Internet) for one month when you start at $40 USD (and you can make or receive text/SMS to/from anyone internationally, anywhere, for free...oh, and it's free if anyone calls you from anywhere).

If I think of more things, I'll add them :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

What I can share are my stories (and they are MANY and some are pretty damn funny/interesting), as well as my talents in music, or writing, or photography, definitely my music collection (which is HUGE, so I hope you have an external drive if you want new music to add to your collection), my cooking skills to make you some dinner as a "thank you" for opening your home & hosting me, and just my energy and time while I'm around.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, United States