I've grown up in the Thames Valley, England, yet I've travelled widely.
This is my first time in East Africa and I plan to spend a year in the region.

I've been in Nyamira County for three months (with an organisation named Education Partnerships Africa) working with two secondary schools, building infrastructure to improve health and welfare.

Now I'm fresh in Kisumu and looking to spend a few weeks liaising with other NGOs and planning the next step, which I hope will take me through Kakamega, then across the border to Uganda.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

When travelling, I like to see, hear, smell and appreciate the cultural environment. This is difficult within the bubble of hotels - which are often expensive and impersonal! Much better to stay in a home, make personal connections and experience the community from within.

Interests

Travelling! Especially off the beaten track, when unexpected opportunities might arise.. I like learning from places, people.. and books, music... I play drums and am almost always up for a jam. I enjoy walking, running, cycling, hiking, swimming, even a little bit of climbing. I also practise yoga daily. I'm at home in a garden, unafraid to get my hands dirty and sore! Around the house I'm a pretty good cook and am interested to share recipes...

• arts
• books
• beauty
• dancing
• capoeira
• education
• environment
• cooking
• recipes
• yoga
• running
• walking
• gardening
• politics
• traveling
• music
• drums
• cycling
• fishing
• hiking
• surfing
• rock climbing
• track and field
• swimming
• teaching
• history
• religion
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

I'll listen to anything but particularly enjoy jazzy fusions with traditional folk musics.. My favourite old legends include Trilok Gurtu, the Kutis and Gilberto Gil...

Filmwise, cheesy or corney flicks leave me cold, but I do enjoy a decent cult blockbuster a la Tarentino or Ritchie. That said, I've a soft spot for nostalgic anthro-documentaries such as 'Aluna' by Alan Ereira..

I'm currently enjoying Levi-Strauss's 'Triste Tropiques' (should have read it when I was in Brazil, you might say) whilst taking light relief with Anais Nin's 'Spy in the house of love'... ('Little Birds' was the first)
I really like Italo Calvino: Mr. Palomar was absurdly wise.
Fowle's 'Magus', Steppenwolf's 'Glass Bead Game', Huxley's 'Island' and Kerouac's 'Dharma Bums' hail as classics for me
I'd like to find time for more of Voltaire at some stage.
But recently I owe Ngugi Wa Thiongo my thanks for giving me an insight into the Kenyan independence struggle, how it was for certain individuals and families...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Hitchhiked up the Jurua river? (10th longest in world) Although this was mostly enjoyed from the comfort of a hammock strung in a variety of fishing and freight boats, it required resourcefulness, some spontaneity and strategy to achieve. I enjoyed the company and warm hospitality of a great spectrum of people, stayed with some fantastic communities and witnessed the awesome beauty of the Amazon lowland jungle, in the dry season - when alligators prowl across shallow waters yet butterflies outnumber mosquitos...

Teach, Learn, Share

Can teach English - (TEFL CELTA) also some Spanish / Portuguese
Happy to talk about philosophy, science, religion, politics, history, art, music..
Can share Yoga, play some capoeira and muster up afro-latin polyrhythms...

I Would like to learn kiSwahili but so far have only a few words. Help needed! (In Nyamira I was surrounded by ekeGusii - nigotire!)

Also need to improve my dancing through practise :-)

What I Can Share with Hosts

Couch surfing provides a good forum for connecting people with positive intentions. I'm used to being hospitable (my parents have hosted yoga workshops since my childhood and I often have friends visiting from afar) and am easy-going yet conscientious. I'll clean up after myself and happily share time in the kitchen cooking, talking, laughing, or talking seriously. I'm up for an intercultural exchange....

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, Cuba, United Kingdom