The leading authority on nothing of significance, and quite possibly the friendliest misanthrope you could ever meet. I'm not very optimistic but I like to give individuals a chance to surprise me. I think I'm more talkative than I really am but please don't be put off.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm here to take people places, visit others and share experiences and cultural curiosities. I like to find what's unique to a country or city, and also show folks the greener, wilder, quirkier and generally more interesting sides of Singapore.

I helped out with the local CS weekly meet-ups (July '12 - May '13) and organised a Couchcrash camp, karting outings, an overnight island party, a fireworks viewing, tours on an F1 circuit and brunches on a farm (just a few of the things I enjoy as a local and want to share), and I also join others' outings when I can.

In lieu of my inability to offer accommodation, I've taken time out to show friends from abroad around tourist attractions, interesting places and introduce them to the local, regional and ethnic dishes. I don't claim to know everything but I'm ready to discover new things about my own country together.

I surfed with:
Greta & family (Espoo)
Sirle (Tartu)
Sandra & Laura (Riga)
Martyna & Piotr (Lublin)
Maciek & Dominika (Wroclaw)
Markus & Maria (Dresden)
Nina (Ghent)
Michal &Piotr (Poznan)
Leszek & family (Gdansk)
Sonja (Turku)
Henna (Tampere)
Matti, Irina & family (Jyvaskyla)
Hui Min (Vantaa)
Andrew (Ahipara)
Marco & Ursula (Wellington)
Kristel (Wellington) and
Brendan (Dunedin)
Vineta (Salaspils)

I hosted (for dinner with my family):
Simona (Vilnius)
Marianne (Graz)

And I've met countless others through various events I've organised or participated in, or simple one-on-one meet-ups.

Interests

I try to visit a different place every year. I'm into the culture and history of these places, and hope to see the things that make it unique. I write about all these things on my blog Rambling Feet (https://www.ramblingfeet.net)

• architecture
• design
• dining
• cooking
• flying
• traveling
• cars
• blogging
• painting
• motor sports
• formula one racing
• history
• beaches
• craft beer
• whisky
• baroque music
• mead

Music, Movies, and Books

Laura Marling, KT Tunstall, Keren Ann, Elbow, The Police, bossa nova, classical music (especially Baroque)...

Travel guides, books written by Bill Bryson and Anthony Bourdain, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Freakonomics, He Died With A Felafel in His Hand,

Amelie, Monty Python films, The Pianist, Anchorman...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Going on a solo working holiday in New Zealand for six months is something I will never regret doing. In that time I watched in awe as great white sharks cruise past from the safety of a cage - and I didn't s*** myself when one struck us. A little further north I snorkelled the Poor Knights Islands, one of the top dive sites in the world.

Teach, Learn, Share

Hospitality is an act of love, and when someone opens their home or shares their time with you, it's an honour. I believe that every culture teaches that in some form or another.

It has taken years, but incidents on my travels don't frustrate me as much as they used to. Yes, I still need a little time to fume, but it usually works out in the end, and it creates new opportunities and learning points.

What I Can Share with Hosts

When I surf I try to present how nice a Singaporean (or a person in general) can be, although I'm often forgetful and absent-minded. What I'm after is the interaction with people from all walks of life (without compromising more of their schedule than they're willing to). I can learn a lot about them and a city over a meal or drinks, and this is what I miss most if I'm in a dorm full of people who mind their own business.

I did a mixture of Couchsurfing and hostel stays on my Baltic + Western Europe trip in 2013, and I woud like to point you to the references below to see how that went. I've also stayed with a few people around NZ. Prior to that, surfing was done mostly with friends and family (people off this network) in Warsaw, Christchurch, Taipei, Tasmania and Perth before I became active here.

These days, I wouldn't couch-surf unless I was certain of spending quality time with my host(s). I'd be just as happy to meet up.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Scotland, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

New Zealand, Singapore, United States

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