CURRENT MISSION

Getting into the mountains on my bicycle and exploring!

ABOUT ME

Heya, I'm James

I'm making the most of my limited holiday time by taking my bicycle with me so I can explore the countryside - as I write this I'm in Italy and it is so beautiful here, such a contrast to Australia

The thing I've most enjoyed about traveling have been the times when I have met people who are living in the area I am visiting, be they locals or new to the area themselves. Exploring is always fun, but people make or break a trip and the times I've stayed with friends or surfed with hosts are the memories I hold dearest. Bonding with hosts over meals and drinks, meeting their friends, people who actually live in the area, and thus having a window through which I can compare my way of life back home with the place I am visiting.

As you can see above I love to ride my bike and travel with it when I can - I have done some trips around Japan and through Switzerland/northern Italy.

I like local beers, coffee, gelato and food in general - traveling through my stomach indeed!

PHILOSOPHY

Treat everyone with respect until the prove they deserve otherwise

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I joined up after talking with a friend who had hosted a couple of people. I'm travelling at the moment, once I have a steady base I will look into things!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Couchsurfed my way from Osaka to Kagoshima on my bicycle, same deal from Hokkaido back to Osaka.
Couchsurfing (again by bicycle) from Munich, through the Austrian alps to Konstanz, down to Lake Como and across to Lake Iseo
A few days in Canada and northern-western USA

Interests

Coffee
Beer
Ice cream
Food
Economics
Cycling, Athletics
Japanese, Mandarin. China, Asia
Reading
Meeting new and interesting people
Seeing new places - especially getting to know an area by walking around it

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: The Whitest Boy Alive, Kings of Convenience, The Shins, Radiohead, The National, The Wombats, Foals, Bon Iver, The Cure, Deerhunter, Dry the River, Editors, The Jezabels, Metronomy, Two Door Cinema Club, White Lies, The XX

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The Japanese countryside by bicycle!
Swiss/Austrian alps by bicycle!
Italy by bicycle!

Teach, Learn, Share

Coffee! I work/ed at a cafe back home and have quite a strong interest in espresso and brewed coffee :)
I know a thing or two about the electricity and gas industry
I took regular subjects at a Japanese university for a year, so whilst my Japanese is not native level, I can read and speak fairly fluently. If you've got any troubles, or questions, I'm sure I can help :)
I poach a mean egg, on toast with avocado, feta/sheeps milk cheese, mushrooms, bacon and rocket :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Netherlands, Slovakia, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Denmark, Japan