ABOUT ME

For the past few years I've been doing all sorts of stuff - volunteering, travelling, meeting my fair share of new people. Before that, I spent a great deal of time sitting on my ass reading and writing (don't get excited - writing academic articles and books). Soon, I'll be back to the reading and writing, but I hope that the other stuff won't get completely squeezed out.

PHILOSOPHY

Life is not a dress rehearsal - that general vibe.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I haven't so far.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've just joined, so I'm hoping to meet people while I am travelling in Finland, Estonia and Poland, and then when I get back home in September I'll be available for hosting, coffee, etc.

Interests

I really like gardening and I'd like to be part of a community garden project, if I could find one near me. I also like yoga and before I went travelling I went to a class every week for several years, but I'm rubbish at practising, so I'll never get to be any good at it! I also love sitting around drinking wine and chewing the fat with my favourite people. Obviously, I enjoy travelling, but when I was in South American I found out that the typical 'backpacker' trip isn't my ideal way to go. Which is one reason why I joined CouchSurfing!

• writing
• books
• wine
• coffee
• yoga
• drinking
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• backpacking
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

I read pretty much everything and watch all kinds of movies. Except French ones. I have a bit of a block about French films, ever since I was forced to watch Quai des Brummes when I was 10 (my mother was a big francophile). Otherwise, my personal movie spectrum would run from Miss Congeniality to Picnic at Hanging Rock, or maybe Rome: Open City if I wanted to sound a little more intellectual. I also really love classic films from the 30s and 40s. Because I read for a living I find it hard to list favourite books/authors. I read all the serious stuff (work-related) but I also read all the time for pleasure and entertainment as well. Some authors I've read recently that I liked would include Phillip Roth, Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, and Patrick Gale. I like lots of popular fiction, although crime fiction is not my favourite, unless it's Dorothy L. Sayers. James Thurber's essays always makes me laugh, no matter how often I read them. My favourite Irish authors include Flann O'Brien and James Stephens. Contemporary Irish writers - Colm Toibin, Anne Enright, Roddy Doyle, but only Paddy Clarke, not the later stuff. I'm a bit of a barbarian when it comes to music; I have preferences (sort of), but they're not really worth knowing about. I once got very enthusiastic about Miles Davis and went out to buy two CDs, but that was uncharacteristic behaviour.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Easter Island is one of the most amazing places I've ever been. I'll also always remember a road trip I took with my brother in Eritrea, from Asmara to Massawa, through the cloudforest in Filfil, then down to the desert. Once in a lifetime.

Teach, Learn, Share

I could try to teach you how NOT to ingest a tank full of petrol when attempting to empty the tank of your motorcycle. I was burping petrol for days. Learn from my mistakes!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Czech Republic, Egypt, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Russian Federation, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Eritrea, Germany, Ireland