CURRENT MISSION

to meet as many people from as many cultures as possible on a budget

ABOUT ME

Hi I'm Martin Hasan Di Maggio.

I am a certified language geek! I spend most of my spare time researching languages and learning them, writing about about them and speaking them.
I love world music, especially Fasil, Tallava, Chalga, Mizrahi, Chaabi, Rai, Dabke, Bachata, Reggaeton, Zouk and Salsa.
I have mixed ancestry of Sicilian Albanian and British.
I love to cook middle eastern food especially Moroccan and Turkish dishes.
Am learning middle eastern and spanish drumming, especially keen on the Turkish and Moroccan styles of Bendir.
I don't drink except maybe one or two ciders.
I've spent many years thinking about what I believe and experiencing as many religions as possible. Above all I like to remind myself of the more important things in life and try to be a good person even if I sometimes fail and I try to uphold the motto "Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds"., which I have as a tatoo on my arm in Persian.

visited 16 states (7.11%)Create your own visited map of The World or Triposo world travel guide for Android

PHILOSOPHY

Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds are what refresh the world. You can call yourself any religion you like but if you don't try to be good in these areas then you've got a lot to learn about God and humanity. I dislike organised religion and believe that our thoughts, words and deeds are so important. I have a deep respect for all religions and eclectic in practice.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

For me surfing is always really positive experiences. For me couchsurfing is culture surfing, when I'm at yours I learn about you and your culture and when you're at mine you learn about my culture. I am very hospitable and will not let my surfers clean or cook unless they want to cook with me. A surfer will have my bed and I will sleep on a sleeping bag, I don't believe in making people sleep on the floor but am fine to do it myself.

Interests

1) Languages
2) Spirituality
3) Non commercial music

I'm particularly interested in less well known or endangered languages like:
Romany
Arvanitika
Ladino
Mirandese
Aranese
Valencian
Balearic
Asturian
Occitan
Sicilian
Napolitan
Veneto
Friulian
Tajik
Mirpuri
Welsh
Cornish
Breton
Scots
Manx

The list goes on....If anyone speaks any of these languages I will host you straight away!!!

• culture
• writing
• books
• dancing
• bachata
• cumbia
• dining
• cooking
• coach
• drinking
• traveling
• music
• commercial music
• world music
• outdoor activities
• camping
• surfing
• genealogy
• languages
• religion
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Action, Comedy, Travel, World

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Climbed an active volcano in Guatemala.
Danced to Reggaeton and Cumbia in a remote town in Guatemala outdoors on New Years Eve and had the DJ welcome me personally on the mike!
Got a night train in Morocco.
Got a 12 hour coach trip from East to West Anatolia.
Seen Moroccan minarets at sunset...AMAZING!!!
Watched the sunset from the top of the Herefordshire Beacon on several occasions.
Woke up to the full moon sitting on the peak of a classic triangular volcano at 3am in Guatemala.
Attended a Moroccan Bar Mitzvah.
Met Yasmin Levy a Ladino singer.
Busking with Romanian Gypsies in Birmingham.
Been to Appleby Horse Fair.
Published a book about a dying language.
Got drunk on Rum and Coke racing a horse cart (trap) round a village in the New Forest.
Speaking Ladino on a Madrid Metro.
Speaking Romany with a fortune teller in Mexico City and not being caught out when she told me her name in Romany which in fact was not her name but the word for penis!
Being asked to marry an Albanian woman who was manlier than me!
Protesting against Putin in Whitehall.
Camping at Greenbelt.
Dancing in a samba band.
Meeting Rudolf Nureyev.
Being in love at the Alhambra.
Being at the top of the tallest building in Latin America.
Listening to several call to prayers simultaneously in Istanbul under a full moon.
Leading a dabke!
Being present at the first Inclusive Mosque service.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach English and am more than willing to host someone who would like to learn English.

Countries I’ve Visited

Denmark, England, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Guatemala, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Guatemala, Italy, Mexico, Wales

•