Hi, I'm Giacomo! Pretty new on here, treat me kindly :)
My story is an expat's stereotype. I have lived all my life in Padua, a small but lively medieval university town in Northern Italy (that tourists neglect because it's in between Venice and Verona!). Two years ago, the best thing happened: I got accepted to start an Economics PhD at University College London. I've been living in the Big Smoke since then, now quite central. I love most things about London: the live music, the theatres, the tube, the pubs, the ales, the parks, the weather (yes, people complain too much about it!). Yes, even the fact that Italians seem to be everywhere here, it makes me feel like I have a piece of home with me at all times.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've always been quite keen on travels, although I feel that I have not been to as many places as I could have. My favourite destinations are usually cities; I feel like each city has a particular pattern that defines its soul. The more I tour, the more I realise that your experience in a city depends very much on whether you have someone to show you around, so that you don't end up only going to the big sights but you take part in some little "gems" that would take you months to discover. Many friends have told me about amazing experiences Couchsurfing, and I feel like it's time to join the fun!

Interests

Something I hate (and love) about myself is that I'm largely too curious to focus on the same thing for a long time. I work like a sponge: I absorb passions from the people and the places around me. This is probably why I can hold a conversation with almost anyone. Every single person has at least something interesting to tell you, something they are passionate about, something that they are eager to share.
That said, my longest standing passions are art (I'm a total museum geek), singing and playing with my guitar and harp (although I'm still quite bad at it), and photography (again, still quite bad, but learning!).

• arts
• singing
• photography
• cooking
• pub crawls
• music
• live music
• guitar
• economics
• parks

Music, Movies, and Books

My greatest idol in life surely has to be Bruce Springsteen. In his work you can witness the rise and fall of the American working class and its dreams and aspirations; you can't say that much for any other artist. My other long term music passions are cheeky 80s rock like Aerosmith, Guns 'n' Roses, Motley Crue (I used to be in a band, so I'm excused) and some quality hip hop like Wu Tang Clan, The Roots, old gangsta rap. Lately I've been very much into country, americana, and singer-songwriters: absolutely in love with Ryan Adams, recently fallen for Rayland Baxter. I'm also on a journey discovering the great soul and r&b classics, better late than never!

I used to be a bigger movie-goer some years ago, now I've slightly lost the taste for it. I still think that my favourite genre is mob/drama/thriller: nothing can beat a Goodfellas or a Scarface! I particularly love Christopher Nolan as a director (and fellow UCL alumnus!), although Interstellar was so not in the same league as Inception.

Like everyone, I have my set of favourite TV Series: Game of Thrones, Mad Men (mourning that loss still), Homeland, Person of Interest on the drama side, and stuff like Parks&Rec, Arrested Development, Louie, and 30 Rock on the witty comedy side. Breaking Bad and The Wire are obviously a must.

Doing research in the social sciences has lately led me towards a lot of non-fiction books. I love reading about evolutionary biology and psychology, and I've also read quite a bit on bible history and analysis (it's true that atheists know the books better than religious people!). My last big venture into fiction was the whole A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin - ah, NO WAY Jon Snow is actually dead!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Just recently I marched together with a friend in the London Pride Parade dressed like a cardinal and a priest. Needless to say, I can't count the people coming up to us and saying "forgive me father for I have sinned". It's ok, just go out there and love each other!

What I Can Share with Hosts

- Good conversation about mostly any topic
- Wit and jokes (sometimes a bit un-PC, but that's life)
- Sincerity and straightforwardness
- Some guitar serenading, if I feel particularly not shy
- Cooking skillz - I make a mean risotto!

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Denmark, Italy, United Kingdom