howdy, my name is Allen. i was born in Taipei but grew up in Queens (NYC) - i refer to myself as a 'New Yorker' when asked "where are you from?" - and now reside in Brooklyn. i love to travel the world, enjoying it in all of its splendor; taking in the sights, smells, tastes and cultures from everywhere near and far.

i'm an easy-going, down-to-earth type of guy and am very open-minded, always willing to give something new/different a try, so long as it is legal and doesn't put myself at too much risk of physical harm!

Por qué estoy en Couchsurfing

i participate in CouchSurfing most often by meeting up with local CSers whenever i visit another city, usually in a foreign country. i have also surfed a few couches as well as hosted/met traveling CSers in NYC, but with much less frequency. all of my CS experiences have been positive ones, ranking from good to great.

Intereses

* travel - probably not necessary to list, but yes, traveling is one of my interests :D
* music - i listen to music wherever and whenever i can. depending on the situation and my mood, music, and especially the type of music, plays different roles in my life; it can be inspirational, motivational, or a distraction, among other things.
* food - i like to consider myself as a "foodie" but not in the snobby, elitist kind of way. i'm open-minded about food and enthusiastic about trying new things. my view on eating "exotic" foods is that if there are people in the world who are eating it now not out of desperation or necessity - even though maybe that's why their culture originally started eating it - but rather are doing so because they like it, i'm willing to give it a try...except dog-meat.
* film/tv - not as much of a film-goer as i used to be and don't watch television as often as i used to, but still enjoy watching movies whenever i can and am staying up to date with the tv series i do follow (Archer, Happy Endings, Modern Family, Hannibal, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown), as well as revisiting past faves (Arrested Development, Friends, Scrubs)
* exercise/fitness - i try to stay active as much as possible, working out whenever i can by either going to the gym or going for a run outdoors. i also like physical challenges, having completed events like the Tough Mudder and a half-marathon, as well as done the 3-day hike to Machu Picchu along the Old Incan Trail.
* art - i like to work on some visual art in my spare time...and when i'm motivated/inspired. but nowadays, this happens less and less. my taste for art is geared more towards modern, urban street art and less of the classics. i am also growing more interested in photography.
* sports - grew up playing recreational basketball, so naturally i also enjoy watching the sport. and i'm also a fan of both American football as well as the football the rest of the world knows and loves (aka soccer). if you'd like to know, my favorite club is Arsenal and for national interests, i root for USA (of course) and Germany.

• street art
• photography
• tattoos
• beer
• running
• music
• basketball
• american football
• soccer
• travel
• films
• food
• football
• craft beer
• pizza
• street food
• whiskey
• drinks
• bourbon
• mezcal
• pork
• offals
• peanut butter
• sandwiches
• banh mi
• arsenal
• usmnt
• die mannschaft
• mesut ozil
• golden state warriors
• obstacle races
• barbecue

Música, películas y libros

* music - i like to describe my musical taste as 'eclectic' since i listen to a variety of genres, so you can catch me listening to Radiohead or OutKast or Sigur Ros or Massive Attack or Justin Timberlake or Explosions in the Sky, depending on my current mood and/or environment. some of my favorite musical acts, in addition to those aforementioned, include Linkin Park, Of Monsters And Men, The Roots, Phoenix, M83, The xx, Yppah, RJD2, Mutemath, The National, Mumford & Sons, Alabama Shakes and Pretty Lights.

* movies - i used to consider myself somewhat of a film buff, but nowadays, aside from certain movie events (ie. going to the midnight showing of the new Batman films), i tend to watch films in bunches. i enjoy watching films of all genres and releases, from blockbuster action movies to limited indie dramas. the films that stay with me the most are the ones are able to strike a balance between drama and comedy, much like real life. and i also am quite fond of films that require thinking and/or present new ideas/worlds for which the characters live in. i'm also a sucker for films shot on location and uses the real world as it's backdrop. some of my favorite films include Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Inception, Lost in Translation, The Dark Knight, Sunshine, Adaptation., Collateral, Fight Club, Se7en, Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight, The Prestige, 25th Hour, Rounders, Snatch, Ocean's Eleven/Twelve/Thirteen, Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier/Civil War and Deadpool.

* books - i do enjoy reading from time to time, but definitely not an avid bookworm. i prefer non-fiction and tend to gravitate towards books related to travel and/or food, but will venture into fiction if it's interesting, especially if it's a novel that has been or will be adapted to film. some of my favorite books include A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain, Neither Here Nor There: Travels In Europe by Bill Bryson, World War Z by Max Brooks, Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer, Unlikely Destinations: The Lonely Planet Story by Tony & Maureen Wheeler

Algo increíble que he hecho

i've traveled a lot of places, seen many beautiful views and experienced my share of "first's", but after my most recent 3-month assignment in Kraków, i'd have to list this as my current most amazing thing done/seen. on paper, there's nothing extra "spectacular" about this trip, but it my first time living abroad in a foreign country and getting a little taste of what it's like to experience a city as a resident as opposed to a temporary visitor. i stayed in an apartment just outside of the city center, i went to work every weekday, i had my go-to spots for lunch and dinner, i frequented the gym whenever time permitted, and i got out of town on the occasional weekend. but most importantly, i met a lot of friendly, kind, generous people, both at work and through CouchSurfing.

Enseña, aprende, comparte

i enjoy introducing and sharing music with people. i like to open people's ears to music artists that they may not have heard before.

i love to try new foods/cuisines and whenever i travel, i hope to be able to experience new, interesting dishes. i am game for almost anything and enjoy gourmet, fine dining, as well as simple, street food and home-cooking. if you're coming to NYC, i can definitely tell, and maybe even show, you where to go and what to eat.

Qué puedo ofrecer a los anfitriones

- give suggestions for where to eat and drink in NYC
- share music
- teach you some basic Chinese (Mandarin dialect), and English as well
- recount my travel experiences

Países que he visitado

Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Macao, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Scotland, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand

Países en los que he vivido

Poland, Taiwan, United States

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