I am an incoming Ph.D. student at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences in the UK. My field of research is human geography and urban studies, focusing on the geography of infrastructure and how infrastructural lives constitute the human living experience. My area of interest is Southeast Asia, but I also study East and South Asia at large, as well as other localities for a comparative look.

My background is both geography and sociology by training. I graduated with a BA and MA from the University of Chicago (USA), and my high school was in Canada. Most of my education since childhood had been fully funded as I came from a very low-income background, so I am generally good with stretching things out. After my MA, I am taking a gap year to travel with my savings (hence being on very limited budget), as I want to be more exposed to the diverse living and housing experience all over the world.

I have been studying in 4 countries (and the UK starting in Sept), working in another 2, and traveled to more than 25. I am not very talkative, but being an ethnographer, I naturally ask a lot of questions and can hold interesting conversations. Outside of my direct field on infrastructure and housing, I'm interested in learning about culture, history, arts, architecture, and anything else really.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet more locals and learn more about the places I visit.

I joined Couchsurfing a few years ago after graduating from highschool, but traveling alone was difficult for a small young Asian girl. Then I got super busy with school and work, so it's only this year I rediscovered the platform, and try joining again.

Interests

• arts
• culture
• housing

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies:
- Definitely "Three Idiots" (2009). I watched it when I was in grade 7, and the movie probably changed my education (coming from such conservative background).
- "Love Actually" (2003); "Kimi ni Todoke" (2010); "In the Mood for Love" (2000)

Books:
- "The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared", "The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden" (and other books by Jonas Jonasson).

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can cook (decent) Vietnamese food, do some house chores as required, play some cards game, give you some random music suggestions, go on hikes and food tours, and listen to your stories.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Cambodia, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Portugal, Senegal, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, China, Senegal, Singapore, United States, Viet Nam