CURRENT MISSION

"leave it a little better than I find it"

ABOUT ME

* June 2013 moved to Perthshire - so we are no longer in Orkney!

We drink tea, walk and talk. We play with our little boy, (6 years old, sleeps in his own room at the far end of the corridor. Sweet.)

My name is Malcolm. I am married to Rachel and we live in a castle. I have worked in Hostels and all sorts of jobs over the last 20 years. Now I run "Five Senses" and the "Hostel Hub", trying to teach the world to turn away from disaster and embrace peace, cooperation and eco-socialism. And to be happy making the world better!

I learnt that humans are sociable animals who do better when they cooperate and help each other, instead of killing and exploiting.

We are happiest when we 'do good', so I try to persuade people that the best way to be really happy is to help others and make the world a better place. It is a win - win situation, only the heads of capitalism and the greedy will disagree, because of their addictions to power.

May 2011: We moved to the new house in Orkney. Gilly born.
June 2013: Moved to the castle in Perthshire, Scotland. See link below.
April 2017: Five Senses gets international recognition. See website below.

For a description of what I do for a living, see my websites - http://www.allfivesenses.com
http://www.hostelhub.co.uk - or see my old blog: http://play2survive.wordpress.com/
And this is where we live:
http://www.bamff.co.uk/

:)

PHILOSOPHY

It is not human nature to kill others. Survival means cooperation, communication and compromise. It is an utter disgrace that not every human being has clean drinking water, food, shelter, healthcare and peace.

Happiness is putting all this right.

""If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito" - African Proverb"

:)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We offer our home which is surrounded by grass fields and ancient woods, with beautiful views, wildlife and ecology. We provide beds, linen, towels, tea, a kettle and a warm fire. Although you need not spend a penny, it is not about a cheap place to stay but about participating, giving (time and effort) and making the world better, a little. Help us help you.

I have lots of good advice for independent, free thinking, liberal citizens, and all you have to do is "leave it a little better than you find it". If we all do that, just think what the world would be like?!

:)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Couchsurfing has become wonderful, bringing lovely people into our life, since we as hosts have clarified for our guests how we see it working best; what you can do to fit in and feel part of the family. :)

You get back what you put in. The best experiences are when people choose to give more than they expect to receive. The worst guests are those who are in "take mode" and who have a sense of entitlement or feel it ok to only 'do the minimum', for a free night.

However, despite this profile's frankness some guests seem to believe that just by doing some 'token' washing up and bringing their own food, they can stay for free. If that is how you see it - read on: Guests get to save the cost of accommodation, maybe £15 per person, per night. They get other things from us too - hot water, towels, bedding, foodstuffs, internet access, washing machine, advice, conversation; so a lot more than just a free place to stop.

A few people are just oblivious of their impact on our home - our space! And we pay the electricity bill for all those showers, the heating, lighting and other little bits and pieces. We empty the bins, wash the dirty linen when guests depart. Most of all, we give up our privacy, our space, our home. If after guests leave this feels 'out of balance', then we get pissed off and Couchsurfing is damaged.

All we ask is for a balance, so that both parties benefit from the shared experience. Guests stay in our life, so please contribute - if you cannot muster the energy to cook, clean, help out, repair or slightly improve the place you visit, then go to a hostel or B&B. I am not talking money but social capital - contribute more than just being 'good guests' - be amazing guests - cook and clean and ask if it is ok to use something. Volunteer to help, to repair, to make your presence be a positive contribution!

Show genuine gratitude - make the hosts life easier.

- Couchsurfers have been great!

:)

Interests

Teaching fire making by friction, natural navigation, survival skills and psychology, eco-tourism, social enterprise, exploring the vast beautiful world, teaching micro-navigation, camping and how to simply enjoy life. Also, visiting cold climates with no money, this is a constant fascination. Norway is a good example, so near yet too far. And then there is Finland! Some day we'll get there.

:)

• environment
• instructor
• walking
• board games
• reading
• survival
• cycling
• camping
• mountaineering
• ecology
• international relations
• tourism
• hitchhiking
• ecotourism
• nature
• wilderness
• sustainability
• stargazing
• bushcraft
• hostels
• healthy food
• meeting new people
• wild camping
• socialism
• peace
• campfires
• social enterprise
• green tea
• green living
• green energy
• scotland
• fire
• first aid
• rewilding
• gluten free

Music, Movies, and Books

Sherlock, Elementary, Etre et Avoir, House of Flying Daggers, Manon de Source, Little Miss Sunshine, Joyeux Noel, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Life of Brian, Touching The Void ... are a few of my favourite films. Not impressed with the Hobbit!

Books? We were married in a library, we love books so much! Examples include: Yellow on the Broom, Prodigal Summer, Walden, Bushcraft, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Happiness, Red and Green, Finding Your Own North Star, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Foucault's Pendulum, any reference book, encyclopedia or beautifully bound book ...

and as for music, you can only tie me down to Pink Floyd and that is because The Wall helped me through school. I love nature's sounds and subtlety. Also have a lot of affection for early Dire Straits, punk music and anything live! Currently enjoying the soundtracks from Juno and Veronica Mars. Green Day, Killers, New Model Army and Killing Joke always fire me up too. I also love Tchaikovsky's violin concerto - simply brilliant!

:)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Made fire! Visited Grand Canyon, explored Iceland solo, on foot. Parachute jump for Greenpeace. Seen multiple northern lights / auroras. Survived being hit by a Ford Escort. The birth of Gilbert. How I met Rachel is an amazing story too!

:)

Teach, Learn, Share

"Surfing isn't just be about a place to sleep. It's about exchange".

Let's start sharing, caring and doing -

I will teach you how to need nothing more than clean air, pure water, tasty food, a warm fire, the love of another, and a healthy body and enquiring mind.

Life is simple - lets keep it that way and enjoy living. Turn off the TV, close the magazine, throw away your addictions, and stop. Stop rushing, stressing and dying, and take time out. Ask yourself "why?" am I here?

One step at a time, simple, easy and free.

:)

What I Can Share with Hosts

Life!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Malta, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom

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