Hi! My name is Brian. I'm half Chinese, half Vietnamese, and come from a refugee family who emigrated from the Vietnam War. I am super enthusiastic for all beauty that life has to offer, and am determined to make the world a better place, starting with myself and those immediately around me.

I graduated from University of California, Berkeley a few years ago, and since have been working in a number of companies. I went from investment banking on wall street to working in agriculture, and then got tired of the corporate life and started my own organic soap company. We work with indigenous farmers in south Taiwan to harvest ancient medicine to make our super gentle organic soaps!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Whenever I travel, I try to give back something to the country I'm traveling in. I think couchsurfing presents a beautiful opportunity to have a mutually benefiting relationship between the host and the guest. As much as I love getting to know a different culture, way of life, or just a different person, I love to also share with them my life and thoughts, and hope to perhaps improve the life of the other.

Interests

I love backpacking (obviously), playing piano, learning Eastern philosophy, listening to intellectual talks and discussions, meditating, and yoga

• culture
• beauty
• yoga
• meditation
• traveling
• piano
• backpacking
• agriculture

Music, Movies, and Books

I love classical piano. Favorite composers include Debussy, Chopin, Rachmaninoff.

I also like some electronic music such as dubstep and minimal house.

My favorite genre of movies is psychological thrillers (The 12 Monkeys, Children of Men, Memento, etc.)

My favorite books are Sam Harris' Waking Up, Mattieu Ricard's Altruism, and Deepak Chopra's Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

This year, I went on a medical surgery mission in the Amazon rainforest in Peru to help our medical team conduct over 50 surgeries to the children of Tarapoto and Moyobamba.

Teach, Learn, Share

There's so much to share! Let's start with this one healthy interpretation of the common acronym "OMG"!

"Oh my God." Have you ever wondered what that meant? The "oh" means it caught your attention, makes you present, makes you mindful. The "my" means it connects with something deep inside your soul. It creates a gateway for your inner voice to rise up and be heard. And "God"? God is that personal journey we all want to be on, to be inspired, to feel like we're connected to a universe that celebrates life. - Louis Schwartzberg

https://www.ted.com/talks/louie_schwartzberg_nature_beauty_gratitude?language=en

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share with my host all of my spiritual learnings that I have come across. We can discuss some topics such as compassion, or courage, or vulnerability, or love. I can teach my host how to meditate. I hope my presence will be a warm one.

Countries I’ve Visited

China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Thailand, United States