CURRENT MISSION

Couchsurfer for 13 years and counting...

ABOUT ME

My name is Duke...and I'm a Couchaholic. I was born in the USA but was brought up in Mexico by Mexican parents. When you meet me, I hope this explains why I have an American accent when I speak English and a Mexican accent when I speak Spanish. I'm seemingly uncomplicated, although a lot of people would disagree. I exercise straightforwardness, which gets me in trouble in my home country, but seems to work just fine in Europe. I enjoy taking a ridicuously short time to break the ice with people. I'm only happy when I'm doing many things at once (or none at all). Incredibly absent-minded, hyperactive, sarcastic and prone to amusement with random objects.

PHILOSOPHY

"It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring" - Carl Sagan

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

As of August 2011 I have surfed over 100 couches & hosted 100+ members. The numbers will get surely bigger, but the great experiences and memories are countless.

Interests

LIKES: Languages, Marillion, traveling, hitchhiking, making fun of bad movies, pasta, late-night after-party sing-alongs, Sweet Chili Pepper Doritos, hugs, skepticism & critical thinking, computers, the truth, rye bread, Family Guy, the sound of shoes on snow, Belgian beer, South Park, bubbles, the Doppler effect, Tabasco sauce, 24, staying up late, waking up late, puppies, asking rhetorical questions, döner kebabs, Monty Python, talking about CouchSurfing, Spam.

DISLIKES: Paris Hilton, Reggaetón, springbreakers, smoking, mayonnaise, Mariah Carey, bullfighting, littering, queuing, sweating, onions, salmiakki, spam.

• singing
• beer
• exercise
• partying
• movies
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• languages
• hitchhiking

Music, Movies, and Books

MOVIES
Nerdy trilogies: Star Wars, Back to the Future, Lord of the Rings, anything by Monty Python. But yes, I do have half a brain for thought provoking films, as long as I have someone to see them with and explain them so later I can go "oooooh!" Which ones? uuuuhm.......the ones about that thing with that guy in them...

TV
Flight of the Conchords, Penn & Teller's Bullshit!, The Daily Show, The Mighty Boosh, Heroes, Scrubs, 24, CSI, The Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park, Futurama.

MUSIC
Marillion,(best band on earth! please give them a listen and support them if you like them!), Crowded House, Genesis, Rush, Pink Floyd, Spock's Beard, Dream Theater, Peter Gabriel, Porcupine Tree, Kevin Gilbert, Yes, Rush, Tom Petty, R.E.M., The Beatles, Scissor Sisters, Jarabe de Palo, Tenacious D, Counting Crows, Crash Test Dummies, Flight of the Conchords, Eric Clapton, Ben Folds, Elton John, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Damien Rice, Steve Vai, songwriter Fernando Delgadillo (Mexico) and Silvio Rodriguez (Cuba).

The 5 Albums I would take to a deserted island:

Marillion - Marbles
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
Dream Theater - Scenes form a Memory
Meatloaf - Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell

BOOKS
I used to read thrillers and fantasy books, very good for traveling: Grisham, Dan Brown, Robert Ludlum. I´ve recently made the jump to non-fiction, reading mostly science and skeptical literature. I love "how-to" books so I can always keep learning on the road.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Since I've been a member of CouchSurfing, I have been in 20 countries, hitchhiked thousands of kms., been interviewed for polish television, lived in a truck for 3 days, climbed an active volcano, played music on many city centers, seen snow fall for the first time, hung out with my favorite band and even hitched a ride with them!
Most importantly, I've met hundres of friendly people who have touched my life in different ways, and many of them I am now proud to call friends.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you guitar, Spanish, and how to play a kazoo.
I'd like to learn as much as I can about YOUR language, YOUR city and YOUR life.
I like to share funny stories, hitchhiking stories, traveling stories, inspiring stories. I'm always up for sharing laughs.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Belize, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Finland, Mexico, Netherlands, United States

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