I can speak English very well, so if you can too, there'll be no miscommunication

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To me, travelling with Couchsurfing is not just a way of cutting expenses. Rather, it's an opportunity to discover the cultures of the world through communcating with local people. What I've noticed so far is that, regardless of cultural differences, which can sometimes be dramatic, people are virtually the same all across the globe. In other words, we, the humankind, are different,... but different in a similar way.

I've got a strong desire in broadening my horizons in general, but I am especially keen on the culture of East Asia, Taiwan in particular. That's the reason I've been studying Mandarin for 2 years already (though quite slowly, so I can't really boast about my Mandarin skills). I also hope I can get a grasp of Taiwanese (Minnanyu) language one day.

I don't think I'm intelligent, but I'm definitely curious. That's not always a positive trait because there's a fine line between curiosity and unnecessary nosiness, which is why I sometimes curb my desire to know more.

Interests

• arts
• chess
• poker
• world music
• cycling
• history
• languages
• statistics
• historic sites
• nature
• linguistics
• football
• cultural exchange
• data science

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: A lot, really! Classic Rock is my first love. Queen, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Mike Oldfield, The Who, you name it! I'm also into retro electronic music (Kraftwerk, Jean-Michel Jarre), ethno/world music, and some experimental stuff as well.

Movies: 2001: Space Odyssey, Full Metal Jacket, Green Elephant, Intouchables

Books: 1984, Brave New World, Everyday Life in Ancient Rome (Alberto Angela), Minds of Billy Milligan

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Went hiking in the mountains of Taiwan all alone, put myself in danger numerous times. I walked about 25 km that day. Was completely drenched in sweat by the time I got home.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can tell you a lot about Russian way of life, as well as Chinese/Taiwanese culture.

If you enjoy random, yet meaningful conversations on stuff like politics, history, science, or music, we'll surely have a great time together!

Countries I’ve Visited

China, Denmark, England, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey