CURRENT MISSION

Mission? Was there a memo about this?

ABOUT ME
52 year-old editor. Interested in Chinese medieval literature and art. I have a strong interest in Chinese art, having worked in a museum in Taiwan.

I'm always ready to learn something new and to share what I've learned. I volunteer part-time in a research library and I'm happiest at work when I can answer people's questions and show them where to learn more about their topic. Outside of work, travel still excites me like few other things. Growing up in a military family we moved every two years, so you'd think I might want to settle down in one place. Not so. If I stay somewhere too long, I get antsy--I want to get out and explore and learn about new places.

I lived in Taiwan for most of my twenties and consider that time a very important and formative period in my life. I was very lucky. I worked in a museum and saw incredible art every day and I was able to travel around east Asia.

I recently spent four months in Dalian, China and plan to return China--Yangzhou this time--and then travel central Asia for a while. There are a couple of writing projects I'd like to start and the best place to start them would be on the road.

In my Seattle life, I volunteer part time at a museum library, read a lot, and practice chanoyu (also known as the Japanese tea ceremony). I find the later very calming.

I love learning new languages. With that interest is also a great love of history and art. I'm particularly involved with Chinese art as well Korean and Middle Eastern. Book arts are some of my favorites.

In the photo (sorry, only photo I have of myself) that's me and one of my professors in Dalian.

I travel like Rolf Potts !
You are a travel legend in the making, with a sense of adventure that will lead to hundreds of fascinating stories. Locals all over the world will give you special nicknames, and almost all of them will be complimentary.
What type of traveler are you?
Take BootsnAll's Travel Quiz to find out.

PHILOSOPHY

I'm pretty laid back but always jump at the chance to learn about places and people. Life should be informed by curiosity and passion.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Honestly, I haven't couch-surfed in a few years now--I just haven't been able to. But, what I enjoy most is meeting people. There isn't any better way to learn about a place and its culture than through people. It was easier making these connections when I was in my 20s, but I've found that has changed as I've gotten older. If I travel but am not couch surfing, I often feel that I'm walking through a movie set--there are lots of things to look at, but, without knowing anyone, it seems unreal. That changes when you have someone from that city or place to talk with and you can feel how the place means to them.

Interests

I love learning new languages. There are many that I've started but didn't list above: Hawaiian, Indonesian, Tamil, Georgian. With that interest is also a great love of history and art. I'm particularly involved with Chinese art as well Korean and Middle Eastern. Book arts are some of my favorites. I've taken a number of courses at the Rare Books School and have learned about the culture and production of books in China, Japan, Tibet, and the Islamicate world. One of the most memorable weeks, in recent years, was spending five days handling Egyptian, and Persian manuscripts from the 12th-17th centuries. I was very lucky.

Although I get paid for it, I'm lucky that I really enjoy editing. Specifically, I edit academic articles (sometimes books) about China (all periods) or pre-20th century Korea. In some cases, I even translate from the Chinese for academic journals. My own personal research in China is the history of food. I am slowly (very slowly) translating an encyclopedia about Chinese dishes. It is such a vast cuisine, and few people know the breadth of it.

• arts
• writing
• books
• traveling
• history
• languages
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies--Le Samourai, The Pillowbook by Greenaway, pretty much any Marvel Universe movie (you've got to have something light between all the serious movies).

Books--Pillowbook by Sei Shonagon Recognitions by Gaddis, Tales from a Strange Studio, Paradise Lost, Pascal Quignard. I also like books about lost manuscripts or ancient items

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Arrived in Seoul one afternoon and that evening found myself spending the weekend camping with 100 college students.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm terrible at listing what I can share. It seems so much of what I know, even about things I love, is asleep in my mind until someone mentions it and it wakes up. I'm happy to share everything I know about Chinese and Korean culture, and art. I don't have any particular skills, but I am well-read and interested in many things.

I want to learn about the places where I go--especially the culture and what makes them unique.

What I Can Share with Hosts

This is like the earlier questions, I'm rubbish at listing what I can share. It just springs up. But, East Asian art and culture is always one of the topics.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, China, England, France, Iceland, Italy, South Korea, Thailand, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Taiwan, United States

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