Hi there!

We are Arnold and Louise, a Filipino-born couple from Toronto, Canada. Previously living the fast-paced city lifestyle, we've decided to leave the city and pack our bags to travel and get a feel of a different way of life.
Arnold has been travelling since early 2014 while Louise joined in one year later.

Currently, we are doing 'slow travel' as we go through work-exchanges on small farms (wwoofing) around Asia. When we're not volunteering, we like to roam around the streets in big cities or small towns, go on bike rides, learn about the places we find ourselves in, and get to know people from all around the world.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Although we are new to this setup, we like the idea of couch-surfing because it gives more of a local/authentic experience and helps to make unlikely friends in new places :)

Interests

We're both into nature (sustainable living, gardening, permaculture, etc). Often times, we find ourselves having a discussion about philosophy, various social issues, or just about anything... serious or not. We also both love being with animals, especially the furry ones.

Arnold likes: fitness, walking/exploring, reading/writing especially on Charles Eisenstein.

Louise likes: pottery, watercolour, architecture, natural shelter building, tiny houses, arts & crafts, psychology, self improvement, food/recipe experimentation/cooking, random dance moves

• animals
• pets
• arts
• architecture
• dining
• cooking
• fitness
• walking
• crafts
• gardening
• technology
• traveling
• painting
• drawing
• hiking
• surfing
• languages
• psychology
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Our current favorite movie is 'Popstar never stop never stopping'. If you like silly or SNL humor, give it a watch hehehehe...if you host us, we can watch together! :))

Arnold reads books relating to eastern philosophy, existentialism, and social issues. Movies he watches are usually documentaries (and non-documentaries) of the same topics. He's a huge fan of silly comedies like Dumb and Dumber, Monty Python, Anchorman and cheesy films from the 80's. He and his music library are also stuck in the 80's.

Louise gave up trying to finish Walden by Henry David Thoreau but her current fave book is Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. One book I like to reread is The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. She likes discovering illustrated children's books with a simple story but deep meaning. Embarrassed to admit it, she can’t help herself when it comes to the self help books.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Arnold wouldn't call it 'amazing', but leaving his old life behind is probably the most interesting thing he's done.

Louise did the same thing after one year. She thinks it is an amazing life challenge.

Teach, Learn, Share

As we both have a background in tech, we can help out with computer problems, etc.

In terms of language, we can help with your conversation skills - Arnold is a native English speaker and Louise is also fluent in English as well as her native language, Tagalog. Louise is trying to learn Spanish and would appreciate help on that too.

Arnold can also share the farming and gardening knowledge he's acquired during his travels over the past few years. He can also share with you his love and enthusiasm for Durian, in exchange for a small serving of it.

Louise likes to paint/draw or do any arts & crafts or hands-on work, learn about sustainable lifestyle

We're both open-minded and interested in learning about different ways of life, cultures and languages, anything really.

What I Can Share with Hosts

We can offer an open mind (and ear) for hosts who like to share their thoughts and ideas about anything.
We also love animals and can look after your pets gladly :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Philippines, Singapore, Viet Nam