I can be a little bit introvert at first, but once I get to know other people I warm up pretty well and I enjoy conversations, even in-depth discussions of various topics. I'm easygoing, not overly meticulous about details or a control-freak, though I do like to do some research beforehand, as I don't like wasting time on feeling lost and puzzled in an unfamiliar environment. (I like to wander blind into area and discover new things in an unplanned manner, but at the same time I'd like to make sure in advance that I can make it back home eventually)

I love to read and listen to work and discussions and about many many subjects, and I usually try to form some thoughts on it without being too opinionated about what I don't fully understand. Sometimes I feel I should think less and act more, but unfortunately my attention span and motivation isn't always sufficient at the moment......well, at least I try to do better :p

My philosophy: stay true/honest (to others but especially to yourself), and make peace with yourself.

Oh, and I strongly oppose to assignation of Taiwan as "Province of China" on CS! Sorry to talk politics all of a sudden but I will never accept the "Taiwan is part of China" nonsense. :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

When I travel alone I generally try to seek out Couchsurfing for accommodation and exchange with the locals (the Netherlands, Berlin, Reims, London, the Schwarzwald region) and it was overwhelmingly very good experience to be able to meet various kinds of people to talk with and to share different experiences, sometimes over a meal.

The apartment I'm living in now has a sofa bed (in the same room as my bed) that allows me to host: it's better to ask me in advance (preferably two weeks before) to see if I can host or not.

Interests

I am more of an indoor person than an outdoor person: I like reading and spending a lot of time on the internet...usually not being productive. :p
I'm passionate about ecology, biodiversity and evolution (my main field of study), and I practice plant identification as a past-time (most of the plants I know are in Taiwan, and I'm still pretty useless in Europe lol, apart from being able to identify some major families)

I also enjoy some outdoors activities, such as hiking, cycling, swimming, or just taking a walk in the city and wandering around through parks and riverbanks. (I've joined an LGBT hiking association in Toulouse called Extra-Muros: those interested should definitely check them out!)

Cycling is one of my favorite activities as I find it's a perfect combination of transport, tourism and sport. Sometimes I go on bicycle trips too : it feels great to be all alone and wide awake, connecting the environment to the core of your body.

On the other hand, I also enjoy going to night clubs, mainly for the atmosphere and for dancing: just about any good music with a beat gets me moving on my feet, be it rock/trance/house/metal/techno......it is just another way for me to release and express myself, not unlike a bodily language.

I love to take photographs of interesting small things in life and beautiful sceneries/architecture, and I'm a huge language/linguistics buff.

• contemporary art
• impressionism
• photography
• dancing
• environment
• cooking
• clubbing
• reading
• traveling
• music
• rock music
• metal music
• cycling
• hiking
• swimming
• ecology
• history
• languages
• parks
• nature
• linguistics
• museum
• internet

Music, Movies, and Books

French films: Le Destin Fabuleux d'Amélie Poulain, À la Folie... Pas du Tout !, Le Papillon, Serial Lover, L'Homme de Sa Vie, The Artist, etc.
Other European films: Lola Rennt, Lilja 4 ever, Drei, Hot Fuzz, Maurice, Goodbye, Lenin!, Jagten, etc.
American films: 12 Monkeys, Alien & Aliens, Black Swan, Blade Runner, Birdman, Milk, Stranger than Fiction, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Godfather trilogy, The Prestige, Three Billboards, Unbreakable, etc.
Asian films: Farewell My Concubine (霸王別姬), Eternal Summer (盛夏光年), Himalaya, Shoplifters (万引き家族), As the Gods Will (神様の言う通り), Kokuhaku (告白), Refugee in Tokyo (東京難民), etc.
Musical films: An American in Paris, Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, Parapluies de Cherbourg, Chicago, La La Land, Rent, Priscilla - Queen of the Desert

Taste of music is eclectic, but major interests include electronic music (house/trance), folk, various forms of rock : indie rock, post-rock, metal, pop rock, hard rock...

Some of my favorite authors: Haruki Murakami, Jostein Gaarder, John Irving, Milan Kundera, Stefan Zweig, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I traveled around the island of Taiwan on bicycle with my friends in summer 2011 (~1000km over the course of 14 days), it was amazing and allowed me to see places in my own country that I would have otherwise never seen.

The Paris-Reims bike trip (with the aid of Île-de-France public transport system) was another major achievement for me! I didn't realize the Forêt de Reims part to be so tricky.

Teach, Learn, Share

Language and linguistics are really my great passion: I could talk about it for days. :p I started cooking since I went abroad, first out of necessity but then I discovered that I also really enjoy it: I would gladly cook a meal for you (if I can find the ingredients) and share some recipes/local food of Taiwan.

I like to discuss and learn more about history, culture, urban development, etc., of various places.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Knowledge and stories about Taiwan and (parts of) Asia; homestyle cooking; discussion over a drink (not necessarily alcoholic!)

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, Réunion, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Taiwan, United States

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