CURRENT MISSION

Get to know Asia

ABOUT ME

After 5 years of multinational corporate work I cut lose for a big trip around Asia - originally for 6 months. It's now been 14 months and no plans to stop any time soon.

My friends would say I'm the kind of person who will talk to anybody and have a real interest in every person's story. However different we are, everyone has got a story about who they are. But when I look back on my travel experiences I see that it's the people I meet that I remember the most and give me the most smiles. CouchSurfing has helped me to meet so many amazing people who make me smile, laugh, and shake my head in amazement.

Check out my travelblog if you're interested: http://asianepiphanies.wordpress.com

PHILOSOPHY

Always look on the bright side of life.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Couchsurfing has changed my travel experience in so many ways. From giving me close friends in random corners of the planet to spontaneous birthday parties, it makes travel so much better. Could not be a bigger fan of the community.

Interests

I'm a linguist by training and a teacher by genetics. By this I mean I've studied languages for most of my life (German, Russian, Spanish) and I come from a family full of teachers (parents, brothers, grandparents, uncles...) and have done my time as an english language teacher in Berlin and St Petersburg.

I see life as an opportunity to continually learn and experience. And one of the best ways to do this is through meeting new and different people.

• arts
• festivals
• walking
• partying
• traveling
• painting
• rock climbing
• teaching
• genealogy
• languages
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Love big band jazz - Duke Ellington/Jools Holland. I play Clarinet & Sax myself and am currently missing sitting on my balcony in Madrid serenating the neighbours with the blues. Other music - classic disco (Donna Summers style), MGMT, Passionpit, The Avalanches, Chinaman.

Books are a big passion. Russian literature seems to absorb a lot of my time. The British classics too. Used to raid my Mum's extensive collection of modern lit but recently got a Kindle which has unleashed my reading in totally different directions. Favourites - The Master & Margartia, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Dorian Gray, Tolkein, Ian McEwan, Barbara Kingsolver, Doris Lessing.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Hmmm moments when i've been awestruck, a few... staring over the Iguassu waterfalls in Argentina, climbing Mount Kinabalu in Borneo, a wedding in Kuala Lumpur, another wedding in Luang Prabang, squinting at the golden palaces of Bangkok, studying Mandarin in Beijing, a local festival in rural Myanmar, a New Years Eve in Berlin, Orgullo Madrid, whale-spotting in Vancouver, some amazing sunsets in Brighton and walking the hills around my hometown in Gloucestershire.

All time favourite day was one with my 5-yr old niece, Grace, in my home town, Tewkesbury. We have a medieval fayre there every year which is in summer and has a reenactment of the Battle of Tewkesbury (1471) along with lots of interesting attractions. Grace and I went together and spent all day in the sun having adventures. At the end she turned to me and said 'Uncle Alex, I've had a really fun day.' It just goes to show sometimes the best adventures can be had at home.

Teach, Learn, Share

Hugely geeky amounts of historical knowledge, a background in European languages, numerous studies in the art of revolution and insurrection, painting tips gleaned from an artistic Grandma, woodwind instruments (Clarinet, Saxophone), the traumatic story of corporate brainwashing and my subsequent escape from the clutches of the capitalists.

Countries I’ve Visited

Russian Federation

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, United Kingdom

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