CURRENT MISSION

Keeping up :)

ABOUT ME

I am a natural listener but can be awfully talkative. I'm a quiet person but can display the most incredible energy. I'm forever a student but can teach many things. My eyes see what many don't notice but I often miss the obvious. I'm deeply logic but love to follow my instincts. I'm quite smart but can be clueless about simple things. I don't believe in any god but have faith in things nothing explains. I love to act like a child but always care about the consequences. I don't like boxes. I don't fit any and I don't think anyone does. Everyone has his story.
I'm 35 but feel like it means nothing. I met people 10 years younger who've been through a lot more than me, people 10 years older who'd done close to nothing with their life and don't intend to do more... Life is a journey. Every new experience you have, every thing you learn, every person you meet is an occasion to grow. You get old the day you think you don't have anything more to learn. I feel damn alive and young :)
Oh, and I'm totally addicted to chocolate... That sounds like an important fact about me :)

PHILOSOPHY

Life is a miracle. I don't understand the how, or the why. But we supposedly got something like 650.000 hours in this world. That's not much, and it can stop at any moment. So enjoy every second of it. Look at the bright side, cherish the good moments, the ones you love ! Bad times, we all have some, but they make us grow. Hey, no one said life was an easy journey, but it's a worthy one ;)
So learn, discover peoples and places, open your mind and your heart, be true to yourself, and don't listen your fears ! Dare ! Love ! Live ! And smile everyday 'cause a day without a smile is just lost !!!
You and I can't probably change the world, but we can try to make it just a little better everyday. As Gandhi said : "Be the change you want to see in the world". That's sound like a good beginning :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

The crash of the CS website (not the financial one...) has been an incredible experience, a great feeling as we fought to keep a dream, our dream, alive and tried to help the people to find hosts in Paris. It really made me realize how CS became a major part of my life, how important this project was for me at that time.
Since, I've been traveling from couches to couches, collectives to collectives, trying to discover and learn about the people and their life all over the world, and to promote the project and the ideas it embodies : tolerance, knowledge, friendship.
Now nomadic amabassador, I travel and promote CS and try to meet as many people and cultures as possible and continue to help making this world a smaller, nicer, better one, a couch at a time :)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Hall of Fame - hosting experiences :
1. Leila ! What a luck, my first host was this wonderful girl ! A great first CS experience - Dec 2005
2. Jess & Sam from Australia, unusual folks :) - Dec 2005
3. Unattended guests are sometimes the best. So was Tara. She's the kind of person who keeps me so much in love with the US. Wonderful NYE 2006 thanks to you girl !
4. Way Sau. Another US wondergirl ! With a great taste in French wine and food ! - Jan 2006
5. John from Perth I met at NYE. No, Perth is not the end of the known universe ! - Jan 2006
6. Yousie. USA again :) This girl is a little genius ! Together we enjoyed the dark side of the French culture ;) - Feb 2006
7. Rachel, yes a girl from the USA, again... Kindest folk, she teaches English to our youngsters. How lucky they are ! - Feb 2006
8. Erin, from Canada this time ! Erin's truly the incarnation of smiling happiness. She makes you enjoy waiting nightbus at 4am in the coldest rain :) - Feb 2006
9. Colin, from Canada too. Too bad but we both had so much work :( - Feb 2006
10. Elly (R) & Caitlin, both from Canada. Stayed only for a quite short night. I'm always happy to help :) - Mar 2006
11. Elly (M) from Canada :) Great time with this folk. Incredible bookworm, she beats me bad in SF/fantastic ! - Mar 2006
12. Sabrina from Portland, USA. A great girl, and a true and free spirit, generous, natural and inspiring - Apr 2006
13. Valerie & Laurence, from Quebec :) Everyone should know think I choose to host only charming girls. It's not true ! Val & Laurence are charming, but that I can't help :) - Apr 2006
14. Erin, from USA :) How can Bush be still president with so much gracious, smart, nice souls living there ! - May 2006
15. Julia, between USA and Hong-Kong. She's the most enthusiast and talended folk. Enjoyed every minute of her stay :) - May 2006
16. Lani from Hawai. No transport after 1am in Paris, so I offered a couch to him and Steff for a very short night. Great guy, great time, viva impromptu couchsurfing :) - May 2006
17. Dearest Steff. I hosted her as she was homeless in Paris, but I was not much around - Jun 2006
18. Katia & Pavel. Nicest people from Moscow !!! The living proofs I'm not an annex of the US/Canadian Embassy :) And the kindest and nicest guests you can have ! - Jun 2006
19. Dawn from NYC. Impromptu couchsurfing ! I hosted her for 2 days as her hosts were in trouble. She's got this incredible NYC's energy - Jun 2006
20. Katia & Pavel again for their last day in Paris, on the way back home. Had a great time at the CS pique nique in these difficult times (CS 1.0 just crashed) - Jun 2006
21. Lainie (Quebec) was in desperate need for a couch. I hosted her in the worst conditions (back at 1am, left before 8am). Not only didn't she complain but we had a good time - Jul 2006
22. My mistake, the worst conditions were for Hang and Lele, nice girls from China. With the crash, I got lost in my planning and they had to wait until 4am at my door. I hopefully had 3 days to make full amend :) - Jul 2006
23. (Steff stayed just for one night, it doesn't count, lol) Dearest Raine. Hosting her was a real experience, one I'll never forget - Aug 2006
24. And Steff again :) We shared a wonderful week, and I really learned to know her - Sep 2006
25. I got my place back for a week end, and enjoyed it with Steff and Elsa - July 2007
26. Valeria, from Moscow, my first host after a loooong time - as some people don't quality as guest anymore - was just a perfect one :) - March 2009
Hall of Fame - Experiences as a guest :
1. The first one was a great one, thanks to Nicolas, my Spanish host in Lille (France) :) That's CS guys !!!
2. First surf abroad was in Iceland, with Smary ! Great time. This guy is the best CSer of Iceland, and he knows the place like the palm of this hand - Jul 2006
3. Surfed with the most incredibles souls at the wonderful CS collective in Eisenstadt. The gym mattress was cool too - Jul 2006
4. I had the most wonderful time in Vienna as I stayed at Evelyn's place after the CSC 2006 ! This girl rocks and we had quite a party !!! - Jul 2006
5. Valerie hosted me for the first days of my travel around the world. I had the best time with this incredible girl, her family and friend, and her luminous kiddo !!! - Sep 2006
6. Stayed twice in Montreal with Noemie and her flatmates, Alex, Laurence and Christelle. Nicest mood in their lovely haven on the Plateau Mont Royal - Sep 2006
7. Stayed only a night, but had a wonderful time and home made dinner with Laurence, and a couple of CSers : Benoit and Carole in Quebec - Sep 2006
8. I simply received the most incredible hospitality you can imagine from Martine and Normand in Quebec - Sep 2006
9. Rene was far more than just an host in Ottawa. He offered me his hospitality and his friendship and educated me in hockey and Quebecese - Oct 2006
10. Freddy was my home's reminder in Toronto, and help me in many many things like finding a 5$ trip to Niagara ;) - Oct 2006
11. Ron was a fantastic host in Toronto ! Took care of me as I was sick and was the best company when I was not. I owe him much - Oct 2006
12. I had the craziest time with Aleksandra. Wandering days and sleepless nights in the windy (and cold) Chicago - Oct 2006
13. Some lazy days and the most extraordinary Kobe beef with Michael in Seattle - Oct 2006
14. Funny moments on Capitol Hill in Seattle with Eric and his very affectionate boa, Marcel - Oct 2006
15. Incredible and always very educational time with Rene again, in a hotel in Richmond, near Vancouver this time (Hotel surfin', yeah !!) - Oct 2006
16. Gerald got me out of a terrible youth hostel in Vancouver and introduced me to Philippino food, Canadian cinema and many other things :) - Oct 2006
17. Jaimie and Jaime hosted me in Vancouver and made the most tempting offer ever : All-you-can-eat Chocolate Buffet !!! How could I resist ??? - Oct 2006
18. Falling in love with SF is easy. But Sierra helped making it a passion as she introduced me to its secret wonders - Oct 2006
19. As I tried to put an end to my love affair with SF and leave the place, staying with an host as great as Jay proved definitely to be an idea as bad as my time here was wonderful. I still wonder how I left :) - Nov 2006
20. Ben could not have done more than he did for me, incarnating Arianne in the maze of LA. I will have a hard time in Paris trying to make his stay as good as mine :) - Nov 2006
21. Great time in San Diego, strolling around the city, the bars, and the beach with Melissa - Nov 2006
22. Lisset showed us the best parts and the best tacos restaurant of Chihuahua, installed us in a flat (!!!), and was a great guide about her city and her country - Nov 2006
23. Ruben showed me a most welcomed warm hospitality in Belize. Staying at his nice place was a blessing after the jungles and the rain in Mexico :) - Dec 2006
24. San Pedro, and Javier who was my host and Spanish teacher there will definitely have a special place in my heart, forever - Dec 2006
25. Oscar made the impossible possible, showing me many sides of Costa Rica in one day ! and displaying the most incredible generosity - Jan 2007
26. Kristin was a great host in Quito, Ecuador. Lots of good times with her and her playful dogs, at her very comfy place ;) - Jan 2007
27. As a introduction to CS, Paulo invited me to surf his temporary but most comfortable place in Cuenca, Ecuador. Meeting him and Alia was a blast and I had a revelation in his library - Jan 2007
28. Paty host me in Santiago during my "so short" stay in Chile. She's an ultra busy winemaking consultant, but managed to offer me a great time - Jan 2007
29. Surfed the beautiful house of the Cliffs in Nelson with beautiful souls from all over the world for the NZ CS collective - Feb/Mar 2007
30. Kirsty hosted me in Christchurch and we shared a nice evening with Steeve and her brother - Mar 2007
31. I enjoyed so much spending more time with the lovely Elsa and knowing her better, surfing her place in Dunedin - Mar 2007
32. Impromptu couchsurfing at Flo's place in Melbourne with Danny as we missed the last bus chilling together :) - Mar 2007
33. My conviction is I'll remember the good and forget the others from my moments with Lizz in Sydney - Mar 2007
34. Share big empty Aaron's house, endless talks around diner on the wood floor and walks in Sydney with the lovely Sara :) - Mar 2007
35. Impromptu Couchsurfing at Brett and Amanda's, very nice fellow scuba-divers in Cairns - Apr 2007
36. Enjoyed Nari's company and kind hospitality and her wonderful flat back in Sydney - Apr 2007
37. Kei introduced me to Japan and its hospitality in Tokyo - Apr 2007
38. Enjoyed Mayumi's great food, wonderful company and friends and family in amazing Nara - Apr 2007
39. Jody made my stay in North Honshu just incredible. Roadtrips, great people, Onsen, fabulous food, and more... - May 2007
40. Ben embodies the best spirit ever. Sakura, Go, Chinese chess, fugu and so much more in Hakodate - May 2007
41. One nice evening about photo and travels with Casey near Hiroshima - May 2007
42. Rory took me to a crazy party after some great talks and dinner. Isn't that the perfect evening ? - May 2007
43. Great time with Kana in Tokyo, experiencing more funny food (it's just endless) and learning about glass art - May 2007
44. Learning about the joyful Korean way of life with Gloria as a shiny example in Seoul - May 2007
45. Beginning to unfold the mysteries of China with the help and kindness of Stefanie in Beijing - May 2007
46. Surfing in Bangkok, not at a couchsurfer's, but with one :) Enjoying a amazing time with the lovely Kate - July 2007
47. Surfing at Vince's for his amazing Paella party, with so many other CSers :) - Aug. 2007
48. Enjoying the fabulous Italian hospitality with Stephano in Treviso, a beautiful little town :) - Aug 2007
49. Invading Frederiecke's new home with 7 other Frog eaters and being amazed by her generosity - Nov 2007
50. Discovering the beauties of Lyon magnified by the Festival of lights with Thierry - Dec 2007
51. Discovering Toulouse at last with just the most perfect guide you can hope to find there, lovely Steff - Feb 2008
52. Hanging around again with Kate, in her city of Hamburg, trying not to get lost with her indications :) - Apr 2008
53. Hosted by Jarod in Singapore, at the beginning of a new travel accross Asia - Sep 2008
54. Exploring Kuching's hidden food treasures and experiencing some amazing hospitality with Berry - Dec 2008

Interests

So many... Learning, traveling, meeting, sharing ! I'm infinitely curious and would like to experience everything at least once, go to every place, and meet everyone who can tell me his stories or share his knowledge or ideas.
I've never been good at focusing deep on one and only thing, I'm too curious about everything, so I don't have any "expertise", but there are lots of things I've been into and I'm knowledgeable about and enjoy doing : Computers, photography, movies, paragliding, Scuba diving, roller skating, music, reading, writing, games (RPG, boards, chess, cards, ...), and wolves :)

• dogs
• arts
• culture
• writing
• photography
• festivals
• dining
• chocolate
• wine
• partying
• movies
• chess
• reading
• traveling
• juggling
• music
• surfing
• scuba diving
• hockey
• paragliding
• teaching
• logic
• tourism
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Neil Gaiman stays my favourite writer... imagination, dream, and magic at the corner of the street or behind a door. But I read quite a lot of books, many styles or ambiance, and I also think comics can sometimes be as good as books. Other favourite authors would be Dan Simmons, Anna Galvada, Paolo Coehlo, Isaac Asimov, JRR Martin and Alan Moore among many... Recently discover Bill Bryson and loved it. Now into Jarred Diamond's Guns Germs and Steel
Music, almost everything as long as it's not too noisy. I have nothing against electro, but I dance on it, I don't listen to it in my living room :). These days, I enjoy Metric, Jack Johnson, Shivaree, Robbie Williams, Keane, and Leonard Cohen. Everlasting love for Sting, Dire Straits, Morcheeba and Alain Souchon (French one) and Edith Piaf will always be the undying voice of my beloved Paris. Sometimes, I'm in the mood for Mozart or Beethoven.
I'm a movie addict, and like so many of them I just can't list. My favourite director ever is Tim Burton, but I'm a fan of Guy Ritchie, David Fincher, Luc Besson (as director, not producer), Quentin Tarantino, Kenneth Branagh... Last great movies were "In Bruges", "How to Rob a Bank" and "Cashback". I also enjoy lots of TV series. My favorite ever are "Profit", "Band of Brothers", "Dead like me" and "Firefly" and I enjoyed lately "Rome/Empire" and "House MD".

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

After a long dull period and many arguable choices, being able at last to dare hope, challenge my fears and rebuild my life on new basis. Resign my job and leave everything behind to go on a long journey both around the world and inside.
Meeting the most amazing people and having the most incredible luck to call some my friends. Being a better person just knowing them.
Being like a bird paragliding, scuba diving on amazing coral reefs and among sharks, crawling in the tunnels of the Potosi mines with fear twisting my guts, learning Tai Chi in a monastery in China, experiencing the deep jungle covered by mud, leeches and blood, traveling, traveling, and traveling again.
Being totally, madly, deeply in love, sharing little or big things with her and knowing it as the most beautiful gift.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am an eternal student. I'm curious about almost everything, so I have tiny bits of knowledge about many things, but my ignorance is without limits. So I'll gladly share my few bits, and learn yours even more gladly !!! These days, I'm learning Scuba diving, photography, juggling (not really but I should) and Indonesian... And you ?

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, French Polynesia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Laos, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Peru, Réunion, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Indonesia

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