"I headed north 'til rain had turned to snow, through rusty towns and dusty gravel roads. I went through canyons, caves and catacombs, I sailed on bicycle boats. I slept in chapels and brothels; I met the nicest folks..."

I'm fascinated by sound and nature. Originally studied Audio Engineering; recorded live bands, created foley, slaved post-production on short films, and spun records in bars.

In the end, I up and left everything to go travelling for five or so years across Asia and Europe, self-studied programming on the road, and now work remotely in design and software.

I like to keep things simple.

“Those who face that which is actually before them, unburdened by the past, undistracted by the future, these are they who live, who make the best use of their lives; these are those who have found the secret of contentment.”

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

“There is no possession more valuable than a good friend.”

I am completely taken by the CS concept and the community. I've surfed and joined meetups throughout my various trips, as well as hosting many lovely people in Melbourne. A lot of my closest friends have been the result of CS experiences.

Interests

Happiest reading, learning, playing with animals, exploring beneath the waves, mangling a new language, sharing silence with someone special, people watching, getting lost, hiking in the mountains, supine stargazing, listening to rain, frisbee in the park, volleyball on the beach, fire twirling at night.

I like to dabble in photography, though I only take my camera on trips occasionally:
www.flickr.com/photos/djtbay

• photography
• cooking
• fitness
• yoga
• meditation
• reading
• music
• piano
• cycling
• hiking
• scuba diving
• volleyball
• beaches
• mountains
• cinema
• language
• japan

Music, Movies, and Books

Music is magic. Always interested in hearing something new.

Some artists I dig are Khruangbin, Nils Frahm, Luke Howard, Gerry Mulligan, Bremer/McCoy, Bon Iver, Ben Howard, Bonobo, Feist, Broken Social Scene, Big Thief, Adrianne Lenker, Sufjan Stevens, Little Dragon, Hiatus Kaiyote, toe, The Roots, Jon Hopkins, Lapalux, DJ Koze, Apparat, Telefon Tel Aviv, Suzanne Kraft, Jonny Nash.

These days I tend to listen to a lot of neoclassical and jazz. Anything warm and unobtrusive.

I don't really watch any TV series, but I'm a fan of films with real substance or wit. A few films I like: The Bird People in China (中国の鳥人), Departures (おくりびと), Castaway on the Moon (김씨 표류기), Lost in Translation, Only Lovers Left Alive, Gattaca, Grand Hotel Budapest, Annie Hall, The Boat That Rocked, Brick, The Edukators, No Country for Old Men, Old Boy, 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.

Avid reader, with a soft spot for New Weird, SF, Travel Writing and Historical Fiction. My library is here: www.goodreads.com/user/show/11673097-duncan

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Hiking solo along the Kumano Kodō for a week, a traditional pilgrimage route in Wakayama prefecture, Japan. An unforgettable, humbling experience. Sunny skies, blustering snow, trees for company and miles to go.

Teach, Learn, Share

幽玄 Yuugen /yoo-gehn/ n. (Japanese)
An awareness of the universe that triggers emotional responses too deep and mysterious for words.

I can teach you all about the wonders of sound, my favourite compound kanji, or some fire twirling/poi spinning. I'd be keen for you to teach me the basics of an instrument, some local phrases, or your favourite recipe. It's always really interesting to see different people's spaces, and add some of their quality to my own.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm quiet, clean, and love to cook. Happy to lend a hand with any web design, programming, photography, or sound projects.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Portugal, Switzerland, Thailand

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