CURRENT MISSION

To taste everything at the buffet of life.

ABOUT ME

**I use a VPN Service to get Netflix, Hulu, and Pandora in Taiwan, so if my profile says I'm somewhere else it's just me cheating the internet.I usually start off very reserved. I'm a bit of an introvert so it takes time for me to open up. I'm quite certain that when I do, my personality does a 180. I know I'm childish and easily amused.I'm pretty new to traveling. Airplanes make me nervous so I've always been reluctant, but as my major is something that requires (in my opinion) a good deal of traveling, I'll have to get over it and check out everything this big ol' rock has to offer!I reluctantly took a TA job at an elementary school, deciding that my disdain for children was less than my frustration of my previous job at Wal-Mart. Within two weeks of my new job, I realized I love children, and decided to make teaching my goal in life. I now teach children as an English teacher at a private school and hope that, someday when the job market recovers, to be a fulltime elementary school teacher in the US.In college I chose to major in Linguistics and TESL. I'm hoping both will provide me an extremely broad range of career possibilities if I am not able to teach conventionally (elementary school in the US) and I think both will also help me in foreign job markets as well.Originally, my major was Deaf Studies, so I have taken two semesters of American Sign Language, but stopped there with my major change. I'm able to sign moderately well, but I have trouble reading it. Before coming to Taiwan I was teaching myself Japanese (Rosetta Stone). Though, as I head off to Taiwan, I've put it on hold to focus on Mandarin ^.^

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

For the moment, my apartment is open to the weary traveler. In time I'll probably set out and start surfing ^.^

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

A few years ago my roommate was very big on CS, so he had a few guests he was hosting. Since they were his hosts though, and my schedule didn't really allow me to do anything during the day, I mostly hung out with them in our apartment at night, playing games and snacking and such. I also used to go to the meetings for our city while I was still in school, so I met quite a few people there as well.

Interests

I'm really interested in fantasy. Either in books or games. I've been immersed in the Warcraft Universe for about 7 years, so I'm subconciously adopted their rules and lore as the basic for any medieval world. Making it hard to play new games or read new books and not be confused by something occurring that makes no sense to me

I love working with kids. I've been working with them for about 6 months now, and it still blows my mind to see 2 or 3 five year olds walking together having a conversation. I want to go into teaching to help with not just our future, but theirs as well. I know too many kids with amazing potential who I can already tell won't make it out of high school.

I've been a vegan for just over a year now, before that I was also vegetarian for over a year, though I have absolutely no intention of every going backwards either to vegetarian or meat-eater. I fully subscribe to the belief that there are too many worth causes in this world for you to ever look down on someone for not supporting yours. But at the same time, I ask that you don't wave meat in my face or try to challenge my beliefs.

• books
• causes
• vegetarian
• vegan
• walking
• reading
• traveling
• surfing
• teaching
• sign language

Music, Movies, and Books

Any Disney movie is amazing. Most children's movies from Dreamworks are equally amazing. I don't have many specifics.

I love country music. It's a byproduct of my mother's love for it, and growing up with her as the DJ of any car trip. Pop can be fun too, but sometimes there's just something about it that gives me a headache.

As for books. I have 4 series that I love.
Animorphs, to whom I credit my love for reading. I got one free in 3rd grade, and I was immediately hooked. As the series ended with just over 60 books, it kept me reading through most of elementary and middle school.

Artemis Fowl, easily the biggest surprise of my life. If you read the back, you would get that a 12 year old criminal mastermind is planning to steal the gold of the Fairies. What they don't tell you is that while Fairies do have some magic, they have adopted technology and use things like guns and shuttles and live underground.

The third isn't really a series, as much as anything written by Augusten Burroughs. While I'm certain a lot of his memoirs have been embellished, I think they are extremely humorous and shocking. Fiction or not, they are something I can read again and again.

Lastly, of course. Anything from the Warcraft Universe is exciting to read. I know it's popularity has picked up in the last few years with the introduction of World of Warcraft. But I've been playing their games since their first games back in 2002.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm afraid I'm not certain what I'm qualified to teach. I can probably teach English better than the average American. I've spent the last few years teaching it to elementary school children. So I know more than just "this word means this", and "this is the right way to say this sentence" I know the rules, the way to spell sounds. I know how to teach blending and fluency. Having finished a BA and started an MA in Linguistics and TESL, I could probably throw that into the mix.

I know my way around a computer, PC or Mac, and am fluent in Microsoft Office and Google, (Yes, Google. You would be amazed how few people realize the unlimited potential of it and just what it can do for you.)

Countries I’ve Visited

Taiwan, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Taiwan, United States

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