ABOUT ME

Hi, my name's Greg & I'm an early 30's male, born and raised in England but travelled fairly extensively.

I'm new to couch surfing but have heard so many good things about this from friends who have used it so i'm looking forward to getting started!

OK, background / about me: I have a Scandinavian mother and an English father so travelling / visiting other countries was natural to me from a young age. I have 4 brothers so am used to and enjoy the company of others!
Currently living in London, England but born and raised in a small town in in the Suffolk countryside, I consider myself a country boy at heart. But have lived in 2 of the biggest, busiest and most modern cities on this earth and do appreciate some of the benefits they bring.

It's not until you grow up that you realise how influential upbringing and surrounding were, but having a modest house with a beautiful garden in a rural part of the world, and a small but close family around me really left a lasting impression and shaped the person i have become. Family and friends are hugely important to me as is my appreciation of nature and the environment.

I have worked as a teacher, been employed by a large corporate multi-national & volunteered at home and abroad. Have lived overseas and away from home for long periods but have recently returned to the UK (2 yrs ago).
University educated (Politics and History graduate)
I guess I consider myself to be quite 'cerebral' and think it's important to try and understand, and engage in the goings on of the world. It's an interconnected place and we are globalized to a massive degree, whether we like it or not, so i feel its our responsibility to pay attention to whats going on and work towards the changes we want to see happen.
Having said that, i also think it's important to disengage where appropriate, to avoid, withdraw (even boycott) from time to time - from politics and the rat race. And even from the physical world... at risk of sounding like an old hippie, spiritual exploration, development etc is an important and often neglected area of modern life, especially so in the West. I have spent time on retreat, meditating, wwoofing, sailing etc and they have been some of the best, most wonderful, inspirational and thought provoking times of my life.

BUT, i like to think of myself as having simple pleasures and being a fun person. I am pretty active/creative/healthy and enjoy almost any outdoor activity. I enjoy most sports and love being in the great outdoors so the beach, mountains, hills and rivers are all friends of mine ;-) skiing, surfing, hiking, camping, music festivals, good food and drink, the company of friends etc are all things I hold dear.

I love music, the arts and theatre, culture, galleries and museums. love looking at the stars or drinking coffee in the park/cappucino on the piazza. cooking, photography, a good book, a beer with my mates, a glass of wine with dinner, festivals and tents, riding horses, walking dogs...and even kids!!

PHILOSOPHY

I guess i try to nurture an "Attitude of gratitude": compared to many i have a lot, am safe and secure, have opportunities that others don't. so i should a) be thankful and b) make use of them!! you only live once and life is there for the taking. but I do believe in karma - do unto others as you'd have others do unto you.

我为什么加入 Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

New member. Have hosted. looking to get wet and start surfing myself!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Have had a surfer come stay with me in London for a week. Great girl, was really fun and interesting for us both i think. I got to show her around so see some of London again with new eyes, made me appreciate all the cool stuff,and cool free stuff going on here. we got to hang out and get to know each other. shoe could meet a few of my friends amd see what modern life is like in london. and now i have a new buddy in Stockholm!! hope to viit there one day too.

兴趣

i love travelling of course, music, film, the arts and theatre, culture, galleries and museums. Love sports, yoga, have done a couple of martial arts (wing chun and jiu jitsu), love looking at the stars or drinking coffee in the park/cappucino on the piazza. like walking up a hill and sitting and drinking tea at the top and admiring the view. Can't beat frisbee on the beach or a good swim on a hot day. cooking, photography, a good book, a beer with my mates, a glass of wine with dinner, festivals and tents...and even kids!! neer found anyone who doesnt enjoy a sunset. Good food and good conversation is hard to beat too!

• dogs
• horses
• arts
• culture
• books
• photography
• music festivals
• festivals
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• beer
• coffee
• yoga
• walking
• drinking
• gardening
• boating
• politics
• traveling
• eating out
• music
• guitar
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• camping
• surfing
• sailing
• skiing
• sports
• martial arts
• swimming
• jiu jitsu
• teaching
• history
• languages
• beaches
• rivers
• mountains

音乐、电影和书籍

Just read No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy and thought it scary but great. Love Le Petit Prince by Saint-Xupery, The life of Pi, Captain Corelli, Fingerprints of the Gods, The Bang-Bang Club, Shogun, The Cloudspotters Guide, Consolations of Philosophy, and probably many more.

Think Murakami is overrated though and got fed up with his endings!

Good films recently include 4 Lions, District 9, Basquait, No Country..,Men Who Stare At Goats.

Also like Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach, Scorsese, Coppola (FF and Sophia), Soderberg/Clooney.

Music: Acoustic - Ben Harper, Noel Gallagher, Ray Lamontagne, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Mumford and Sons.
Rock - Stones, Doors, Beatles, The Strokes, The White Stripes, Kings of Leon, Kasabian
World: Salif Keita, Ali Farka Toure, Amadou and Miriam.

Electro and house: varoius....

我做过的一件不可思议的事情

have sailed around the world TWICE! Round both Capes and through both canals (on an oil ship not a sail boat sadly. thats the next dream!)

教，学，和分享

i play guitar badly. kinda speak a couple of languages but am pretty rusty - can teach beginnings of Japanese, French, German, Spanish. and English of course - have taught that professionally.