My name is Bénédicte but you can call me B, Béné or 贝笛. I am a 22 year-old French and Congolese. I was born in Paris, raised in New York and did my education in London. I am currently on a break from school and taking this opportunity to travel in the southern provinces of China and around Taiwan. I am doing a masters in International Relations at Peking University. It's my second masters; before that I did a first masters degree at Sciences Po in Paris. My undergraduate was at King's College London. In between all of this I also lived in Seoul, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

I am passionate about: academic research, beautiful visuals, people's stories and traveling. I guess that's why my dream job is to make documentaries. I want to tell the stories of different people through powerful and beautiful images and bring awareness on issues that matter to the world.

My other passion in life is breakfast. I especially love making crêpes and pancakes. Sharing food is my ultimate joy so I love having friends over for diner whenever I can and wherever I am. My favorite kind of evening include great conversations, home-made food, different people together and lots of laughter.
Ultimately, I am a third-culture kid which means that I don't really have a fixed home but I kind of move and adapt wherever I can.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Traveling and meeting people for me are the best things that exist and that's why when I heard about CouchSurfing, I was very excited to try it out. A few of my friends have had amazing experiences on this platform so I thought I would also give it a shot. I am traveling by myself and sometimes in China, especially due to my poor mastery of the Chinese language, it's hard to find people I can truly connect with. But I believe that I can find people that have similar interests than me on this platform and I hope that they won't mind sharing their stories and opening their world to me.

Ideally, someone who would like to show me around their city but it is not a requirement as I can always walk around by myself if they are busy :)

Interests

• photography
• cooking
• breakfast
• hiking
• eating
• city life
• netflix
• pancakes

Music, Movies, and Books

My favorite music depends on my mood but currently I would say it is a mix of Brazilian samba, Florence + The Machine and Fela Kuti. I love being introduced to new music. A Chinese friend recently introduced me to Laure Shang and I have been listening to her albums for the last couple of weeks.

As for movies, other than documentaries such as '13TH', I love thrillers with crazy ends. My favorite ones from the last few years are 'Get Out' and 'Gone Girl'. I also love sci-fi, especially the latest Star Wars.

My favorite non-fiction book has got to be the 'Power of Now' by Eckhart Tolle as it is a super positive read, and very mind-opening. Too many books to list but I really like reading fiction like 'The Girl on the Train' as well as French classics like 'Bel Ami' of Maupassant

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I don't know if it's amazing, but I have a blog where I try to encourage and empower people to live their best lives. I am really into personal development, but the kind that is realistic and honest. The kind that I think we all want to have, just trying to improve our daily lives. So I try to encourage people by writing articles where I share my trials, obstacles but also tips on how to overcome the hardest moments of lives and how to make the best out of the worst situations :) I also share tips on digital and tech stuff. You can check it out: benedicteking.wordpress.com :)

Teach, Learn, Share

My favorite thing to teach is about the different cultures in Africa and in Europe. I am both French and Congolese, so I find it very important to share as much as I can to the world about these two cultures.
I also love teaching people how to make their presentations, CVs and anything online look more design and sleek. I also love beautiful visuals, so I can share with you all that I know about that.

Ideally, I would love to share a nice diner that we can cook at home and around which we can share our life stories! I love listening to people tell me about their lives and sharing ideas! Ultimately it is my favorite thing to do (besides a good documentary)

What I Can Share with Hosts

- I can share my love for cooking breakfast, especially pancakes, crêpes, oeufs poechés and everything French.
- I'd be really happy to speak with you in French, English or Lingala (if you are curious to know what it's like)
- I know a great deal about Africa, African countries and the diverse cultures on the continent so I am always happy to share my knowledge on the topic
- I can take really good pictures, although my camera is broken I can make it work with an iPhone!
- I don't know if that is worth mentioning but I make really pretty powerpoint presentations (not like the regular boring ones) so I am happy to share my tips and help you with that!

Hopefully we can have a good time!

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, France, Ghana, Morocco, Netherlands, Portugal, Senegal, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, England, France, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, United States