Arto Rantala's Photo

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Accepting Guests

  • 95% response rate
  • Last login about 3 hours ago

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Overview

  • 204 references 174 Confirmed & Positive
  • Fluent in English, Finnish; learning Swedish
  • 42, Male
  • Member since 2008
  • Code monkey
  • Very technical
  • No hometown listed
  • Profile 100% complete

About Me

Acquaintances and dear friends have described me as a slighly less annoying version of Dr. Sheldon Cooper and some people say I remind them very much of Mr. Bean. I am very much humbled by these comparisons.

I have a peculiar, quite geeky and somewhat British sense of humour that has led to horrible misunderstandings with some people and to hours of laughter with others. You have been warned.

I am a fan of the scientific method and critical thinking and I enjoy occasionally making a complete fool of myself on a dance floor. I dabble in photography and piano playing, even though I am handicapped in arts. I like handicaps. They create challenges. Challenges teach.

PHILOSOPHY

Don't panic.
Try everything.
Don't fear; learn.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Many years ago I had always felt a bit of an outsider to the CS project. I was friends with many local Couchsurfer actives and had met a lot of travelers at gatherings, but I had never hosted anyone.

Then one day I promised to find a tenant for my friend's apartment and a local couchsurfer ended up becoming that tenant. It so happened that on a gloomy day not many days after, he called about the last set of keys that I hadn't had a chance to give him yet.
A friend of his was coming to town and he asked me if said friend could come pick up the keys so that she could stay at his place while he was traveling.
Long story short: Along with the keys, she got a cup of tea, then a couple of cups more and I was treated to the most wonderful and intricate collection of travel stories I have ever had the pleasure of hearing.
By the time the stories were told and the teapot was empty, it was so late that I didn't have the heart to send her on her way to find the other apartment and thus ended up hosting my very first CouchSurfer ever.

It is without a doubt that this unexpected visit sparked my interest in hosting and meeting visitors from around the globe, which I now do regularly. I also participate in local meetings much more actively and try to help out with event organizing.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have taught and learned from my guests, and had hobbies sparked by their inspiration. I've shared most eye-opening discussions over fine scotch with some guests, with others I've gotten more drunk with cheap booze than I should care to admit. I have experienced brilliant joy, fierce disagreements, a bit of romance and some humbling displays of respect. I have ended up at wild parties, and heard heaps of amazing stories.
I have tasted esoteric foods from so many places, cooked right in my own kitchen and received jaw-dropping souvernirs. I have shared my own cooking, cultural and personal weirdness and so many unique moments with so many good people that it is getting difficult to explain it to those who have not experienced couchsurfing for themselves.
I think I'm addicted.

Interests

If it flies, lights up, can be programmed, takes pictures, goes fast on a neat power source or is in any other way cool in a geeky sort of manner, it's my thing.
I enjoy beers with food, good whisky with music and black tea with good company. If you want to bring me something, that very last item on that list is by far the most important one. Good company that is.

  • arts
  • photography
  • dancing
  • cooking
  • beer
  • sauna
  • flying
  • technology
  • traveling
  • music
  • piano
  • lgbt
  • whisky

Music, Movies, and Books

Nothing wakes me up in the morning like good old fashioned, groovy and honest Jazz music. From there on out, I'll enjoy any music in the world as long as it's been composed with soul and passion.
Books, movies, my tastes flow in the wind. Let's sit down over a cup of tea and see if we have any favourites in common. :)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate.

Teach, Learn, Share

If you want to learn how to fly an airplane, how to take a better photograph, how to haggle, or how to understand the Finnish people, I will happily share my knowledge. In fact, I may well know even a few other things in addition to those, so please do be curious!After all, if there is something I haven't learned yet, it gives us an opportunity to figure it out together!

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Belgium, England, Estonia, France, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Finland

Old School Badges

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