[It was about time to update my profile, so I just did !]

Hi ! My name is Yann ! I'm a 27 y.o. Parisian who loves to travel (like everyone here I assume :)

I currently have 3 mains occupations :

-A comic book project with a friend (I'm writing, he's drawing), in which we imagine all the greatest philosophers with philosophical superpowers in an epic adventure quest (Nietzsche goes Übermensch, Socrates invokes his Daimon, Spinoza uses his Conatus, etc). I'd be happy to tell you/show you more if you're interested !

-A cultural startup project with my brother, it's a kind of Tinder for exhibitions in Paris, because there are so many of them, it's always so hard to choose 0__0, so we created a website to help people find the best exhibition for them !

-A job for a french TV channel, Canal+, in an unusual program called "Zapping". Everyday, we deliver 6minutes mashup of striking/funny/interesting stuff from the past 24 hours on french tv.

In Paris, I have the luck to leave by Notre Dame, in the center, which is great. However, I have to admit that Paris is not my heart city, and I never feel as alive as when I'm travelling.

As the proverb says "No one is a prophet in his own country" ;)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm on couchsurfing because the few experiences I had so far were truly fulfilling :

-I was hosted by Kha, the coolest Vietnamese guy in Ho Chi Minh City, the most generous host who was welcoming many backpackers at his place. Thanks to his kind heart, I got to meet people from everywhere, and my experience was unique.

-Then I went to Krakow with my brother, and we had the luck to be hosted by Aleksandra the sweetest Polish girl, who took us out and helped us discover her beautiful town.

-My last experience was only one week ago : I had to spend one night in Yonago, Japan, before I could take the ferry to Ama, in Oki Islands (the place I love the most on Earth, and where I'm currently writing from !), and Akihisa was so kind to accept my request ! We had a lot of fun that evening, and I truly hope we will have more fun times in the future.

Interests

-Philosophy is very important to me. Not only because of my comicbook project, but mostly because it helps me understands things, accept them, and be at peace with myself and the world.
My favorite philosopher by far is Baruch Spinoza. I love how he offered a way to blissfulness, through the idea of truly understanding oneself's place in the world, seeking Joy (and all the positive feelings), avoiding Sadness (because it makes us less powerful over things), and realizing that man is not "An Empire within an Empire", but is always a part of Nature.
Damn, I should stop here not to sound too boring.

-Karaoke is a life passion. If I could, I'd leave everything behind and open a karaoke place somewhere ! If you're down, I'd love to go karaoke ^_^

-Feeling as I'm part of something bigger through the human experiences that life has to offer ! I consider myself a humanist, so as Spinoza says, I do not judge, I do not hate, but I always try to understand :-)

• writing
• books
• festivals
• tv
• traveling
• socializing
• drawing
• karaoke
• philosophy

Music, Movies, and Books

Cinema :
I studied cinema at the university, and went 1 year abroad in the US to study at NYU's Tisch school (it was a great year for me).
It would be difficult for me to list all the movies I love.
A few directors I love especially : Fellini, Jodorowsky, Kurosawa (Akira), Peckinpah, G.R. Hill, Sorrentino, Meirelles etc...
I have a special taste for old movies, especially those from the 60s.

Music :
Even harder than cinema ! I'm always curious, always eager to discover new sounds. It goes from Japanese Enka, to American Blue Grass Country, with a special taste for Brazilian Music, 60s Soul Music, 70s Funk & Disco... Jeez, too hard to sum it up, let's talk about it instead ! :)

Books :
Again it's hard. A few books that have marked me though : Yoshikawa's "Musashi", R. Matheson's "I am legend" (the Will Smith movie adaptation sucked), Philip K. Dick's "Man in the High Castle" and "Do androids dream of electric sheep ?"(Blade Runner), Kafka's "Trial"...
However, there's a book I always carry with me, and it's Spinoza's Ethics, because if I get stuck on a deserted island, I know I can never get enough of it !

Theatre :
I studied theatre, and I discovered the beauty of this art than cinema can never replace. I have a special love for Tchekhov's plays, especially "The Seagull". I also love Brecht, Gogol, Beaumarchais, Wajdi Mouawad, Lars Noren,...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I jumped in the sea from a 15 meters cliff in Croatia! Three times! I think it's one of my bests experiences, because I managed to surprise myself by jumping without thinking or having second thoughts.

I also had great experiences in Japan:

-Participated to a traditional festival (matsuri) on the beautiful island of Ama, in the Oki islands. I keep some great memories with the people from this island, hopefully I'll go back someday! [edit: this is actually where I'm currently at, updating my profile]

-Also, I almost cut the head of a bushido master with a very very sharp sword by mistake, fortunately I hit him (not one purpose of course!) with the back of the sword. I felt so embarrassed! (Long story, I can tell you someday if we meet!)

Teach, Learn, Share

Well, I don't know if I can pretend to teach anything to anyone, but I'm always eager to learn and share !

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love to offer my everlasting good mood, and my French sense of humor !
I can also play a few harmonica tunes (I always have it with me) !
Also, if you accept to host me, dinner is on me, and you'll always have a place to stay in Paris ! ;-)

Countries I’ve Visited

Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Japan, Spain, Tunisia, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, United States

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