CURRENT MISSION

To meet some amazing people, see some fantastic places, and help others see the world

ABOUT ME

I'm living, and travelling, with my partner, Thandi House, http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/thandi_house/

I've spent the last few years trying to figure out who I am and, just as importantly, who and what I want to be. I'm not sure I'm entirely finished in that process - is anyone? - but I'm on the verge of making an important first step. I've enrolled myself back into university education, starting a physics degree at Leipzig University in October 2013.

Like everyone here I love to travel, though I often find I have little or no interest in sightseeing - for me the beauty of a place is in its people, and observing the ways in which we are all different and all the same. Ironically, I haven't really explored outside of western europe, so there's still much that I'm eager to see - I hope i'll see you on the road!

I am a massive food-obsessive and that is another reason i love to travel - i love to try regional cuisine, and find food a fascinating insight into different cultures.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Happy to host as soon as I'm settled in Leipzig. Have spent this summer travelling with Thandi House

Interests

To a large extent the bulk of my interests lie in other sections of this page - my biggest passions are music, travel, and food. I won't duplicate here what I've said elsewhere.

Apart from that, I've been writing poetry for something close to 15 years now, and, very excitingly, have had my first book published this year. I love to write, and to discover the creative outlets of others, too. We all need a way to take a piece of our insides and spread them out in the outside world.

• writing
• books
• poetry
• beauty
• education
• dining
• traveling
• music
• teaching
• physics
• sightseeing

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I have a huge list of musicians I love to listen to, spanning a wide variety of genres. I have an inner-hipster, that takes an odd pride in how obscure and little-known many of my favourites are, but I'm also happy to indulge in stuff that's more mainstream, too. Really, whatever sounds good.
some favourites:
After Crying· Alanis Morissette· Alcest· All My Faith Lost· Anathema· Ånglagård· Animals As Leaders· Anna Nalick· Apocalyptica· Ayreon· Bathory· Behemoth· Big Big Train· Blackfield· Blackmore's Night· Black Sabbath· Blaze Bayley· Bruce Dickinson· Bruce Springsteen· Burzum· Camel· Cannibal Corpse· Caravan· Control Denied· Curved Air· Cynic· Damien Rice· Darkthrone· Death· Deep Purple· Devin Townsend· Diamond Head· Dio· Dissection· Edge of Sanity· Emilie Autumn· Emperor· Feeder· Fish· Flyleaf· Focus· Frank Turner· Gary Moore· Gazpacho· Genesis· Gentle Giant· Gong· Gordian Knot· Heather Nova· Iced Earth· Ihsahn· Immortal· Iron Maiden· Jeff Loomis· Jethro Tull· Jewel· Jimi Hendrix· John Fruiscante· Johnny Cash· John Wesley· Josh Ritter· Judas Priest· Katatonia· King Crimson· Kirsty McGee· Led Zeppelin· Ludovico Einaudi· Magenta· Marc Carlton· Marillion· Meshuggah· Metallica· Mike Oldfield· Motorhead· My Dying Bride· No-Man· Nosound· Opeth· Ozzy Osbourne· Peter Gabriel· Peter Hammill· Pink Floyd· Porcupine Tree· Robert Fripp· Sabaton· Saxon· Sentenced· Shania Twain· Steven Wilson· Swallow the Sun· Sylvan· The Album Leaf· The Who· The Wurzels· Tim Minchin· Tom Lehrer· Tori Amos· Van der Graaf Generator· Woods of Ypres· Yes

movies: I don't watch as many as I'd like, and am often totally oblivious even of the existence of some 'must-see' cult classics. In general, I like movies that are at least a little thought-provoking, and giving some kind of insight into the human condition or the world we live in. That said, I grew up on war movies, so I'm definitely not averse to a few of those either.
some favourites:
A Beautiful Mind· About Schmidt· A Bridge Too Far· A Fistful of Dollars· American Beauty· American History X· Anchorman· and The Ugly· Another Year· Apocalypse Now· A Scanner Darkly· Before Sunrise· Before Sunset· Being John Malkovich· Black Swan· Blue Remembered Hills· Broken Flowers· Brooklyn's Finest· Closer· Dead Poets Society· Donnie Darko· Due Date· Elf· Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind· Falling Down· Finding Nemo· For a Few Dollars More· Going Postal· Good Will Hunting· Groundhog Day· Hannibal· I Am Sam· Jacob's Ladder· Life is Beautiful· Lost in Translation· Million Dollar Baby· Mindwalk· Monty Python's Life of Brian· My DInner With Andre· Nuremberg· Pulp Fiction· Rango· Requiem for a Dream· Saving Private Ryan· Schindler's List· Shawshank Redemption· SIdeways· Slacker· SubUrbia· The Bad· The Butterfly Effect· The Fountain· The Good· The Hangover· The History Boys· The Informant· The Pianist· The Quiet Earth· The Reader· The Road· The Silence of the Lambs· The Stoning of Soraya M· The Truman Show· The Virgin Suicides· Trainspotting· Vertigo· Waking Life· Winter's Bone· World's Greatest Dad· Zulu

books: I love to read, and wish I made more time to do so - there is no such thing as too many books!
some favourite authors and books:
Albert Camus· Bernhard Schlink· George R.R. Martin· J.R.R. Tolkien· Terry Pratchett
A Song of Ice and Fire· Animal Farm· Der Vorleser· Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy· Jingo· Night Watch· Of Mice and Men· Reaper Man· The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy· The Lord of The Rings· The Truth· Thief of Time· Thud!· Unseen Academicals

Teach, Learn, Share

For anyone wanting to discover Kyokushinkai karate, I'm more than happy to talk on this subject or teach a few Things.

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Italy

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, United Kingdom

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