I'm a fairly laid-back guy that is always up for meeting new people, exploring, and learning about cultures. I've had awesome opportunities so far to study with Vietnamese friends, lose games of FIFA (constantly) with Nigerian friends, and cook with Chinese friends :) . That's just to name a few. I've learned and shared with folks from Sweden, Japan, Germany, Brazil, El Salvador, other Caribbean islands... you get the picture. I share all of that seemingly irrelevant info to say, I just love meeting and getting to know people. I love the opportunities to step out of my comfort zone and see the world from different lenses. I'm always interested in trying meals, listening to music, learning languages and so on.

I believe that many conflicts in our world are a result of close-mindedness . With that said, I plan to travel for a while, learn about different cultures, and someday return to Jamaica to start some sort of school program with the goal of opening the minds of my country's kids.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I think I signed up for Couchsurfing a long time ago, but I forgot about it lol. I returned because I'm teaching English in Zhengzhou China. I thought this would be a good alternative to spending my first week in China in a lonely hotel :).

That was 3 years ago and I've had awesome experiences with surfers while traveling. I have a tiny apartment, so I don't usually host anymore, but I'm always up for meeting people. hanging out, or giving them tips.

Interests

Well darn, this might be a bit difficult to answer. Would it be a cop-out if I said "trying new things"? I like learning about cultures. When I say that, I don't just mean learning about the histories and politics. That's all important, but I generally mean I like learning about the music, the food, the clothing, the greetings, and the things that people aspire to based on their cultures. By the way, food should have probably been number 1 on that list. Truth be told, I had a bit too much pizza while I was in the U.S, but now I'm in the process of living a healthier life (so I guess exercising can be an interest...maybe).

I also like listening to music, reading (about Philosophy, Culture, Ethics, Psychology etc), traveling, and exploring. Honestly, I'm willing to try most things twice. You can't really appreciate the things you enjoy until you've experienced the things you don't ;)

Music, Movies, and Books

For music, I tend to lean towards hip-hop or R&B, but mostly the songs that actually have meaning or thought put into them. I also listen to some Dancehall, Reggaeton, Blues, Pop etc. I'll give most songs a chance.
Favorite musicians: Logic, K'naan, Childish Gambino, Lupe Fiasco (not so sure about that last one)

For movies, I tend to go either for comedies or action movies. Even so, my favorites are probably "The Pursuit of Happyness", "Ong Bak" (for the fighting, not the story), "Rush Hour 1-3", and the Harry Potter Series.

Books for me tend to be of the culture-philosophy-ethics sort. I really loved "The Nature of Prejudice" by Gordon Allport, and "The Conquest of America" by Tzvetan Todorov.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The most obvious one must be climbing the Great Wall. I've also driven a van on a frozen lake, snorkeled with reef fish, and traveled to live in a country without being able to speak a word of the language (a problem that's quickly changing) =] .

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm very big on social justice, diversity, and all that stuff but not in a scary "destroy the systems that be" kind of way. I'm more along the lines of "the world is a dark place. Light it up" sort of way. Hopefully, I could share my often unique world views and you (whoever you are) could do the same.

Oh, I'm also an English teacher at a university in China. So I guess we could do a language exchange sort of thing.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Well, I can definitely tell you all I know about Jamaica. I did spend 18 years there! I also can tell you a lot about the U.S and the interesting people I've met from around the world. Other than that, I can help anyone who wants to practice English or learn Jamaican Creole :) . Really though, what I can most definitely share is good conversation, lots of laughs and genuine interest in hearing about your lives.

Countries I’ve Visited

China, Jamaica, Philippines, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Jamaica, United States