I'm a Kiwi aid worker, currently moving all around the globe, wherever my next awesome job takes me.

After working for the New Zealand government for quite some time, I realised my passion was working with refugees, so I started with it in Indonesia, then South Sudan, Lebanon and I have just finished working in Iraq..

I am as comfortable drinking and eating in the middle of a city as I am sleeping on the side of a mountain. Urban socialising and culture is balanced by my love of the outdoors.

I am very curious and I love putting myself in situations where I have the opportunity to learn about others, about culture, and about other perspectives on life. But most of all, I love to learn other ways of understanding humour, as I love joking and laughing! If you're a very serious person, we may not be a match... although I do love a good conversation about world politics and identity,

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

While I was working in South Sudan, my friend, also there, told me she had a couchsurfer coming to her place and asked me if I wanted to meet him. I then learned about CS, and about the fact that you can CS even in South Sudan! Afterwards, she had a second CS, and a third! And that was it. I was convinced.

This project is the perfect way to share your travels and experiences with other people, to see all we have in common and to learn from our differences. It gives you an opportunity to learn, share and care.

Interests

I am a very curious person, so my list of interests is never-ending and always changing.

I am very interested in international politics and in listening to other points of views, so be aware I may ask you about politics/culture/society/humour from your country!

I LOVE cooking and learning new recipes, I suppose I'm a 'foody'. I may ask you about food from your country as well... and probably ask you where I could taste some, and if it's possible that we cook together.

I love good conversations about whichever topic, serious or ridiculous, and to be surrounded by interesting, open-minded, non-judgmental people. Learning about people, their lives and their experiences is very enriching, so I am always asking questions about things I don't know or I consider I need to learn more about.

So I think my biggest interest is meeting new people and sharing stories

• arts
• culture
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• nightlife
• drinking
• politics
• outdoor activities
• camping
• swimming

Music, Movies, and Books

Being an aid worker, you read a lot, watch a lot of movies and listen to a lot of music when you're working in the middle of nowhere with quite some movement restrictions. Here is just a token of what I really like:

Books:
- Anything by John Pilger and Noam Chomsky
- Lord of the Rings
- Hobbit
- Blood River by Tim Butcher
- Wild Swans by Jung Chang
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
- A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
- Gomorrah by Roberto Saviano

Movies:
- Mesrine
- Un prophet
- Pusher Trilogy
- Alamar
- The Revenant

Music. I LOVE music, so it's difficult to make this list. Here are just some examples of my eclectic music taste:
- Miles Davis
- Tall Black Guy
- Synkro
- Brian Eno
- Cyantific
- Goldie
- Burial
- Chopin
- Muzio Clementi
- Machinedrum
- Jon Hopkins
- King Tubby
- Carl Craig
- Hubie Davison
- Aphex Twin
- Boards of Canada
- dBridge
- Four Tet
- Nicolas jaar
- Dj Shadow
- Tribe Called Quest
- Mr Scruff
- Commix
- FaltyDL

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Managing a refugee camp in war-torn South Sudan.

Swimming with whales in Tonga.

Coordinating aid relief to people affected by a tsunami in the Mentawai islands (Indonesia).

Exploring ruined Assyrian cities in Iraq.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love learning! And I believe all of us have something to teach: be it an art, a technique, a language, a way of doing things... I would love to learn that thing that you think is genuine to you. I am naturally curious, and inquisitive; so meeting you people is great way of finding out more about this world.

I am sure I'm better at learning than teaching, but I believe I also have something to teach, be it how to adapt to complex living situations, the best approach to seeing nightlife, exploring wilderness and basically having a good time.

Sharing is at the core of CS, and one of the main reasons why I decided to be part of this project. I am fortunate enough to have had the change to live in different countries and learn about different cultures and societies. This is something I would love to share with my hosts/guests: experiences, lessons, knowledge... Let's dare to share!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Sharing is at the core of CS, and one of the main reasons why I decided to be part of this project. I am fortunate enough to have had the change to live in different countries and learn about different cultures and societies. This is something I would love to share with my hosts/guests: experiences, lessons, knowledge...

Of course, as I'm a foody, I'd love to share some recipes I've been learning around the globe.

And last, but not least, I'd love to share my good sense of humour! Let's joke! Let's laugh!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Guadeloupe, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Samoa, Scotland, Seychelles, Singapore, South Sudan, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu

Countries I’ve Lived In

Fiji, Germany, Indonesia, Iraq, Lebanon, New Zealand, South Sudan, Uganda, United States