Hi there, I'm Ben, a New Zealander currently living in East London and working as a web designer. I love to travel, experience different cultures and meet new people. I'm always looking for new hobbies so I play some guitar and piano, enjoy taking photos and love to chat about books, movies, music etc. My favourite travel experiences have always been the unplanned and spontaneous, such as ending up at a Cambodian funeral, staying in a Hare Krishna temple for a week, and getting stranded on a Beach in Rhodes only to be saved by a local fisherman.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To get a different and unique experience of a place. I am fascinated to see the places I visit from the perspective of a local rather than a tourist and, when I have the space, give the same opportunity to others!

Interests

• design
• photography
• cooking
• meditation
• walking
• guitar
• philosophy
• illustration

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - chilled electronic/intrumental, eg. Bonobo, Meeting by Chance, Sales, Burial
Movies - Unusual, human focused films, eg. The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Fountain, Amelie, Melancholia, Submarine
Books - Dystopias and interesting use of language, eg. Margaret Atwood, Italo Calvino, George Orwell, Isaac Asimov

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

While volunteering on a farm in Malaysia run by Hare Krishnas, I was whisked off to live in their temple for a week when they found out I could set up a website for them. While there I met 12 Russian Krishnas and went for a 3 hour chanting session through the city involving an accordian, guitar, drums and trumpet solos.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love to have deep conversations about life, the world, philosophy and politics. I'm trying to learn French, slowly but surely.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My most valuable skill is my web design experience, meaning I can help set up simple websites or any related digital and computery jobs. I can cook pretty well and have picked up some easy, delicious recipes over the years including Massaman curry, Minty pea soup and Stuffed sweet potato and I can play the guitar and piano

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

New Zealand, United Kingdom