CURRENT MISSION

Passing my French teaching exam!

ABOUT ME

Hi,
I am Gael, 26, Frenchman. I am currently living in Japan, with a working holidays visa. It is actually the fourth time I have come here, the first time was five years ago, when I was exchange student in Tokyo, in Komazawa Daigaku. I came back 2 years ago and last year for tourism. And now I am back! It is good to be here but without a "real" job it is not the best way to live in such a costly town.
By the way, I register now but I know the couchsurfing concept for a while since a good friend of mine has used it a lot as host and guest. He told me that is an easy way to make interesting friends from all around the world and a good way to save money... Is that not perfect?

PHILOSOPHY

Life is hard, but we can make it easier with a good understanding of each other

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I would like to participate as guest first, since I do not have my own flat (I am currently living in a share house runned by a kind of travel agency).

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have no experience in couchsurfing as understood here (using a couch of a person you do not know), but of course I have experience a lot of couch to friends' home (I experienced sleeping in a pouffe for one month...quite painful)

Interests

I am interested in many things:
- food (cheese=> as I am French), ice cream, spaghetti alla bolognese, being replete
- music: metal, electro, jazz, dub (almost everything), going to gigs
- undertanding foreign culture, travelling
- Japanese comics (Hiroshi Hirata, Osamu Tezuka) and litterature (Haruki Murakami, Ryu Murakami, Inoue...)
- politics, international relations

• culture
• dining
• cheese
• politics
• comics
• traveling
• music
• jazz
• international relations
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

- Movies: I like Korean movies (The Host, Old Boy, Save the Green Planet!), thrillers, anticipation (movies which propose their own image of future : Blade Runner, Gattaca, The Road...)
- Music: my favorite bands are Envy (Japanese screamo), Tool (amazing US metal band) and High Tone (French dub). I also enjoy Serge Gainsbourg (French singer)
- Books: Japanese writer that brings up Japanese social problems, imaginary, or with a high level of cultural content.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In 2007, I was intern in an NGO in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Program in which I was involved was about how to treat vulnerable people with healthy food (the NGO provided the tools - knowledge and materials - to grow fruits/vegetables and to raise poultry). For the need of my report we went on the field, and I met the target people: simple people, living in poverty and dignity, not envious. In one village, when we arrived, kids even sang for us (in the team I was the only foreigner). It was a strong experience to me, I realize that in Western countries we do not need all these comsumption goods that make us feel confortable, but only mutual understanding.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am currently learning how to teach French to foreign people... maybe I can teach you? My English is also far to be percfect, so please let's have good conversation!

Countries I’ve Visited

China, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Cambodia, France, Japan