CURRENT MISSION

Getting to know every country in the world and learning about the traditions of their peoples.

ABOUT ME

I am a trained linguist and literature research scientist and graduated from university in 1989. Since 2000 I have been working as a schoolteacher. I teach foreign languages, German, Geography and Cooking. From 1995 to 2000, I have lived in Malaysia. As I usually stand in as a substitute teacher, I still have ample time for traveling and so far have visited more than 120 countries. I love beautiful countryside, natural wonders and also everything that is ancient, but what I especially enjoy when traveling is talking to local people and sampling local food. I also do travel writing. I am unmarried and have no children on my own, but I have a steady long-term partner and I live with my mother in our small house in the country.

PHILOSOPHY

I think that people and peoples should learn from each other. I do not think that some peoples are better than others - it is just that there are many different ways and attitudes to look at things. If people knew more about one another, there would be a lot more peace in the world.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

My first COUCHSURFING experience was just by chance and it was very positive, so I decided to sign up. This network has increased tremendously over the past years and has become a veritable institution. I am trying to promote it even further to people who do not know yet anything about COUCHSURFING.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have stayed with Couchsurfers in Turkey, French Guyana, Martinique, the USA, Iran, Norway, Botswana and South Africa. They were all great people and it was fantastic, like having friends far away from home. I have also done some hosting and get quite frequent couch requests from hikers or bikers.

Interests

As I am already an elderly person, I have had the opportunity to try out many things of different kind. During my years in Malaysia, I learned to dive (I am a diving instructor) and took my black belt in TaeKwonDo. I used to coach my own training groups for nine years, but have now retired from TaeKwonDo. I love cooking (especially starters, desserts and soups), theater, motorbike riding and photography. More than anything else I love traveling and foreign languages, as well learning and teaching.

• culture
• writing
• books
• literature
• theater
• photography
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• desserts
• coach
• instructor
• traveling
• scuba diving
• teaching
• geography
• languages
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

My favorite movie: "Out of Rosenheim" by Percy Adlone, starring German actress Marianne Saegebrecht
My favorite authors: French novelists (Guy de Maupassant, Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, Honoré de Balzac)
My favorite music: Music from the sixties

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

There are many stories and anecdotes that have happened throughout my travels and that have made a strong impression on me. Here in Germany, I live in a village exactly on the former border that once separated the two Germanies, Europe, the whole world. So I think the most amazing thing I have ever seen and experienced was the tearing down of the Iron Curtain which happened in my village (among many others) on November 9, 1989.
So far I have also published three travel books In 2013 my book "Das Jahr des Tigers" (Year of the Tiger) was released. It is a report of my eight months' overland journey from Lisbon to Singapore and return. In 2016 I published "Die eiserne Straße" (The Iron Road) which is a report of a six months' overland journey from the North Cape in Norway all alength Africa to Cape of Good Hope, and in 2018 "Die Spur der Nautilus" (Traces of the Nautilus) which is about a more than two years' journey around the world following the traces of world-famous French writer Jules Verne.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am eager to learn about the traditions and culture of other people when traveling. Whenever people decide to let me participate in their daily life, I am happy, especially of course when I can learn new recipes.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Food, travel stories, discussions of all sorts, countryside.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, Fiji, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gambia, Georgia, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Martinique, Mauritania, Mongolia, Montenegro, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Malaysia, Russian Federation

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