On Me

Hey! My name is Jackie, I'm a British-Born-Bengali now living in China! That's a bit of a mouthful right?

I was raised and brought up in London which is also coincidentally my favourite city... still! I am always looking for a city that can top it, but that's proven to be a difficult task. If you're ever around London or the UK then let me know, I can recommend some cool places.

So in China, I'm working and learning Chinese (working on HSK5). I teach at Suzhou University of Science and Technology (苏州科技大学). The work is great and I live on campus with my girlfriend. Our life is here quite peaceful since Suzhou is quiet city full of rivers and tea-drinkers.

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On My Place

Right now, due to a temporarily busy schedule I'm not accepting anyone. I ought to be free from after February next year. Please let me know if you want to come at that time.

Weekends/Weekdays both fine.

I only accept females or couples. Sorry about that. Our house is small and I'm rarely in at daytimes weekdays though my girlfriend is.

We live in on university campus. It's very close to the metro, a huge supermarket, restaurants/eateries and everything else in-between. Getting to downtown from our place takes about 15 minutes on the metro.

Our guest room is large but it lacks heating/AC. Please bring lots of clothes to keep warm with in the winter! For the summer, I'll provide a fan.

Let me know if you have any q's!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I just recently made an account. My life has been a bit boring lately. I thought this might be a good way to make friends and expand my horizons.

Interests

I used to lift weights but this year I've had a massive back injury (herniated two disks) so am in the process of recovery. Can't wait to go back though!

I practice Chinese calligraphy though I am terrible at it.

I love reading, I keep my Kindle with me at all times

I write poetry, prose and everything in-between.

And... I run my own translating business!

• writing
• reading
• calligraphy
• gym
• running a business

Music, Movies, and Books

I have an eclectic music taste. Recently, I love Kendrick Lamar and most hip-hop. Indie/Alternative such as Foals, Mumford & Sons and Radiohead is also good. If you ever heard of Jazz-Hop or Nujabes, it's one of my favourite genre's. Also add a smattering of classical such as Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven.

My favourite book of all-time is probably The Great Gatsby. I finish a book or two every few weeks, so you could add a whole bunch to that list. A modern book that I like would probably Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore.

There's no real favourite but I love any film by Stanley Kubrick. Deep, full of iconology and intrinsic meaning. Those kinds of films would be my type.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've survived a pretty large earthquake whilst staying in an old building in rural, Qinghai province.

Teach, Learn, Share

Chinese is actually an easy language. Learn the pinyin alphabet, get a handle of the tones and you've accomplished about 40% of it! The grammar is super simple and characters only become a problem if you want to learn writing.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love drinking beer or whisky and sharing stories. I can help with language learning either English or Chinese. And since I run a business, I'd be happy to share pointers.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bangladesh, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Spain, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, United Kingdom