My name is Boris.

I'm an avid reader, enjoy movies in the original version, ran 4 marathons in the past, but currently only after the tram, can eat astonishing amounts of food, don't own a TV, can still spend hours not looking at my smartphone, love "deep" conversations about life experience, goals, dreams and convictions, but can manage small talk too. People often say that I am a walking library and I tend to make people laugh a lot. In my free time I enjoy learning foreign languages (Could use some help with my Dutch and Portuguese pronunciation), international cuisine (Vietnamese, Korean, Italian, Turkish, Thai, ...) and going to public debates, visiting museums, exhibitions, theater performances, the opera, German cabaret ("Kleinkunst"), saunas and steambaths. I like going treasure hunting on flea markets and in second-hand stores, spend endless hours in libraries, lately attended a salsa dance class and I'm considering brushing up on my massaging skills next. I'm hardly ever bored.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I enjoy meeting new people from all walks of life and with different cultural backgrounds. In the past I made some great friends through websites for international friendships, couchsurfing, language exchanges ("Sprachtandems") and while staying at private residences during my travels.
I love to learn new things and getting to know a place through a local's perspective. I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience and helping expats getting comfortable in my town. I also enjoy eating out with others and visting other cities nearby.

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC: classical music, old-school hiphop, 80s, Pink Martini, Caro Emerald, old Latin American music, Italian music, wordmusic, ...

MOVIES: rather Arthouse than Blockbuster-trash, Gattaca, Harold & Maude, Little Children, What's Up, Doc?, movies from unusual countries

SERIES: Boston Legal, Animaniacs, The Newsroom, In Treatment, House of Cards, Game of Thrones, Dr. House, Suits, ...

BOOKS: I own more than 3,000 and have a library card that I frequently max out. Aldous Huxley (Island), Hermann Hesse (Glasperlenspiel), Margaret Atwood, a lot of Booker Prize winners, Italian gialli (crime novels), ... I read about 4 books a week. A lot of non-fiction on psychology, neuro sciences, critical thinking, rhetoric, etc., too. I also love Calvin&Hobbes and Mafalda comics.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I once ate only half a bar of chocolate and put the rest back in the fridge. ;-)

Teach, Learn, Share

I have lots to teach (see "Job"), lots to learn (I am a passionate life-long self-learner) and I enjoy sharing and exchanging ideas, stories, experiences, favourites ....

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can cook well - and I enjoy cooking with and for others. ;-)
I love good food from all around the world and often know dishes and ingredients a lot of people have never even heard of. I can talk about movies and series and books for hours - so if you like a good story, I can probably recommend things you will enjoy.

If you want to improve your language skills or learn a few tricks for memorizing things faster - I'm the go-to guy.

Oh, and I'm great with kids -especially toddlers and pre-schoolers - (worked in a kindergarten, too)

and I bet I know a few jokes you haven't heard yet.