CURRENT MISSION

to dream as big as I can and to give as much as I can

ABOUT ME

I have always had a desire to make the world a better place. This was expressed in my younger adulthood through political and environmental activism, and these days is mostly expressed through music. I have taught music part-time at an elementary school and music academies, and I've performed on clarinet and bass guitar in quite a few bands.

Vipassana meditation, sometimes yoga, cycling, and running all help me stay balanced. I like to practice creative visualization as well, and I find it empowering to believe that I create my own reality. Hey, maybe it's not really true, but I find that when I think of life that way it just helps things go so much more smoothly and I enjoy the ride so much more!

I spent five years living in Istanbul, Turkey, before coming to Montreal in 2004. Now, in 2010-2011, I'm in a transitional phase. I'm planning to move back to the west coast of Canada next summer (finally, after 12 years away!), but first I plan to visit Japan (briefly) and visit my guru Amma in India before heading back to Istanbul, where I will go deeper into my study of the Turkish gypsy clarinet with my teacher, Selim Sesler. I will be living in Istanbul from January-June 2011, with the help of a study grant from the Canada Council for the Arts! (For any Turks reading this: Evet, Turkçe konuşuyorum!)

PHILOSOPHY

Love.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

However I can, as a host and traveller.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have been hospitably received onto the couches of many beautiful people in places as diverse as Ireland, England, Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, California, New York City and Australia. Connecting with local people when traveling is the heart of the whole travel experience for me.

Interests

the flowering of human consciousness, the dawn of a new age, collective musical experiences of oneness, sharing good food and laughter. Wholistic hedonism :)

• arts
• photography
• dining
• yoga
• running
• meditation
• reading
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• rock climbing
• teaching
• hitchhiking

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: a few of my very favorites: Pan's Labyrinth, Blade Runner, Amelie, City of God

Music: don't even know where to begin...

Fiction books: Salman Rushdie, Hanif Kureyshi, Tibor Fischer

Non-Fiction: Eckhart Tolle, Adyashanti, and travel writers such as Tim Cahill and Bruce Chatwin

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Highlights:
-trekking/camping experiences in the Walbran valley and Clayoquot Sound (pristine old growth forest areas on Vancouver Island).
-Climbing the highest mountain in Honduras
-Hitch-hiking around the Australian outback
-staying with resilient survivors of war in Bosnia
-immersing myself in a foreign country (Turkey) for five years, learning its language and musical traditions

Teach, Learn, Share

I play 3 clarinets - bass clarinet, Bb and Turkish - bass guitar, double bass, and a few other instruments. I practice vipassana meditation. I also have quite a bit of experience with photography. I'm always happy to share and teach anything I have some experience with. As for what I have to learn, I believe that absolutely anyone can teach me something as long as my eyes are open.

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