Hi! I'm Aya, I am from Hong Kong’s countryside and I'm half Japanese and half British (I also went to a UWC!). I am an easy-going, sociable person passionate about community-building, the arts, collective liberation and protecting the land and seas. I love making meaningful connections with new people and hope to do that here.

PS, I am hosting in HK until September this year, but if you're in Hong Kong while I'm back at uni in the US, please get in touch with my amazing mum, Kumi Masunaga, who is in Hong Kong loves hosting surfers at our home! You can find her under my 'Friends' section.

UPDATE: I am back in Maine, USA so I won’t be hosting until next summer ☺️

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To make friends with interesting people all over the world! To me, travelling with reliance on community feels so much more meaningful, ethical and worthwhile!

Interests

• culture
• human rights
• cooking
• music
• philosophy
• sociology
• wwoof
• travel
• art
• nature
• spirituality
• farming
• language learning
• community building
• community
• environmental justice
• anarchism
• filosofia
• communal living
• samba
• farmer's markets
• collective liberation
• food sovereignty
• agricoltura
• femminismo
• land sovereignty
• genuino clandestino
• autogestione
• communità
• sovranità

Music, Movies, and Books

I love music, especially jazz, funk, soul, bossa nova, electro, and folk! I've been playing Brasilian samba on the repinique drum with the London School of Samba, which is so much fun. Let's jam!

I like artistic films that have a lot to interpret, and I'm very open to recommendations! My favourite film is Portrait of a Lady on Fire, dir. Celine Sciamma.

My favourite book is probably The Alchemist by Paul Coelho, it's kind of like a Bible for me! I'm also very interested in phenomenology and embodied philosophy.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Arrived in Florence last year with a backpack and no plan, and found exactly who and what I needed to have the most life-changing journey! I learned the importance of connection and comradeship, giving and receiving help. The magic of spontaneity (and synchronicity) never fails to amaze me.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, more about sharing below.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm have a lot of experience with work-exchange homestays (like WWOOF, Workaway), so I am a respectful guest in new people's homes and am receptive to people's boundaries. I am more than happy to help with cooking, washing dishes, and any other chores around the house. I do find it very helpful for hosts to communicate their expectations openly with me so we're all on the same page and have a positive experience!

I'd love to share some of my languages with hosts, and hope to exchange interesting travel stories, ways of thinking, book recommendations, and, and and,…

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Canada, China, England, Ghana, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Scotland, Taiwan, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Hong Kong, United Kingdom, United States