CURRENT MISSION

As my mother's mental health has failed, we have relocated from Ecuador to Ontario, Oregon to be by her side, indefinitely. We hope to return to Loja someday and/or travel to new locations.

ABOUT ME

Important to state, Olga is the "expert" in the Russian language. David speaks English with a "smattering" of Russian, but not to be considered conversational. Olga was born and raised in Russia and therefore is expert at Russian language and speaks quite well in English.
We enjoy people - all people who have kind hearts.

I (David) enjoy singing karaoke and have discovered that people think I have a real talent for it. If only I'd known when I was young. ;-)

PHILOSOPHY

Be happy.
Live and let live.
Be respectful.
I can't learn anything if I am the only one talking.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Hostings: Couch Surfing is proving to be a much more busy experience than we expected. That's a great thing! However, we have been receiving a fair number of "last minute" requests, which are usually impossible to accomodate. We understand these things happen so it is always okay to request, but understand we may not be able to accomodate you. We participate in Couch Surfing for the cultural exchange.

Traveling: Not sure yet. We are making a trip to Ecuador in late December through much of January. We will arrive in Guayaquil and intend to visit Cuenca and Loja, as well. No exact plan is in force. If we meet people who steer our interests elsewhere, so be it. This is an investigative journey to learn where we might wish to live when I retire next year.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Our hostings and hosts have all been wonderful experiences. We've met several people through Couchsurfing and all were excellent experiences. Each time, we have been enlightened in some way. We look forward to many more.

Interests

Life! People. New cultures. Music! I LOVE music. I wish I had been born into a musical family. I play just enough guitar to keep our grandchildren amused with Puff, The Magic Dragon. But I do love to sing. Olga thinks I am a wonderful singer. Did I mention she has tin ears? Good or not, I enjoy it. I do pretty well at karaoke though, and have several fans. You can hear for yourself at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCswTeuJz1NILMMbtR6YJOMQ/videos?shelf_id=0&sort=dd&view=0 or, https://soundcloud.com/david-russell-791612612

I have no education in it but I enjoy archeological "stuff." I love my wife. She is the greatest thing I have ever known and truly "my second part."

• singing
• education
• traveling
• socializing
• magic
• music
• guitar
• karaoke
• surfing
• teaching

Music, Movies, and Books

I LOVE music of many types. That is one reason why Loja so attracted me and why we retired there. Oh, and I loved the free weekly concerts there!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

It is difficult to nail down such a thing. Maybe watching the birth of my first born in 1972, when such things were only begining to be permitted. Life is amazing! The world is beautiful (when political and religious difference is excluded) and full of amazing things.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love other cultures and try to be respectful of differences. If I make a mistake, please inform me, and forgive me. It won't happen twice.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Life's truths and lies. ;-)

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, Russian Federation, Switzerland, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ecuador, Russian Federation, United States