CURRENT MISSION

To try ice creams from as many countries as possible

PERSONAL DESCRIPTION: A while ago now, I made comics, animations, music, songs, stories, paintings, and drawings -- to see some stuff, visit: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/iain-excellent

I used to write for a local newspaper, and was a radio presenter on FBI radio (an alternative radio station in Sydney).

In 2016 I learned Spanish and now I don't use it at all. In my time off I like to DJ at parties and read books.

Music blog
http://www.repeatbutton.com/music/electronic/will-smith-fresh-prince-of-bel-air-le-boeuf-remix/

DJ music
https://soundcloud.com/iain-excellent

I've been teaching since 2012. I've taught at a unique school where I taught both primary and secondary students, and for the past two years, I've taught at university level, and now I teach English as a Second Language (ESL) to New Arrivals in Australia.

I hate it how teaching is undervalued and underpaid in Australia (and presumably elsewhere). Why are so many teachers disillusioned, jaded, ferocious, or boring? From the perspective of creating a healthily functioning society, it doesn´t make any sense. From the perspective of making a docile, thoughtless, emotionally frail and obedient society, however, it makes a lot of sense.

Side story: I used to have a ferret but the little bastard used to bite me all the time and then it ran away.

PHILOSOPHY

Have fun and try not to be a dickhead.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Great way to meet amazing people!!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I did it a lot in 2009, when I travelled around the word with my girlfriend-at-the-time.

Interests

ice creams; how people say things (not just what they say); throwing rocks at inanimate objects; swimming; the role of power in all relationships (be it human or animal); creating games out of thin air; how easy it is for trust to be destroyed VS. how hard it is to build; the field of general semantics (for example, how little we can understand one another when speaking to one another); trying to understand what it is about humans that makes us choose competition over cooperation; baguette pieces with juicy tomatos and olive oil and vinegar; unique mannerisms; spontaneity.

• animals
• writing
• flying
• comics
• blogging
• origami
• music
• guitar
• drums
• sports
• rugby
• swimming

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: I mostly like Non Fiction. The Underground History of American Education, by John Taylor Gatto; Tyranny of Words, by Stuart Chase; Prometehus Rising, by Robert Anton Wilson; I like Mark Twain´s writing a lot, even though I´ve only read Huck Finn, because I come across very funny, witty quotes from Mark Twain and I´m always very impressed. Conversations With God, by Neale Donald Walsch (I don´t care if the author seems weird, I still enjoyed the content of the book!); Deschooling Society, by Ivan Illich; The Arrow of Time by I can´t remember who; His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman. In sum: any books that are powerful enough to significantly change the way you interpret the world!

Music: I used to listen to HEAPS of music before my stupid best friend/next door neighbour moved out of home and took all his CDs with him. Now I read books more than anything else. But I like Air, Aphex Twin, Phoenix, Nina Simone, Justice, and tonnes of other cool and hip outfits. In sum: I like boundary pushers!

Movies: I don´t knooooowwwwwwwwwww. Waking Life. The Zeitgeist films (see: www.thezeitgeistmovement.com). American Beauty was good. Cube, Cube 2, Cube 0. I just saw The English Patient the other night, which was good fun. Disney and Pixar movies are always a sensory delight: Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Incredibles, Wall E. Terminator 2 is perhaps the best action film ever.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Real life is pretty sweet, no doubt about it, but the experiences I have felt in my dreams far surpass those I´ve had in waking life. Flying is one very clear example: if you have done it, you know what I´m talking about. Lucid dreams, as another example, are intensely liberating. Imagine realising that you can literally do whatever you want (provided you believe that you can do it). Those kinds of dreams are definitely amazing.

Real life experiences that deserve an honorable mention:

- Scoring a try playing rugby when I was around 17 while my dad was watching (the fact that I don´t really care about sport and that it was very unlikely that I would score any points in any games made it all the more sweet).

- Waking up at 4.30am with my best friend when we were 9 from our cubby house that we made downstairs in the living room the night before to play Double Dragon II on the Nintendo Entertainment System until the sun came up.

- Story: my best friend and I were kicking a ball around in the local park one afternoon, when two bigger older kids from our school came up, stole our ball, and refused to return it. After a while, I became so angry that I spun around in a circle with one arm stretched outward, and smacked one of the kids with my fist right in the cheek. He dropped the ball, so I picked it up and me and my friend ran away before the two older kids could get us. Even though I ran away, I still consider that day a TRIUMPH.

Teach, Learn, Share

I could teach you English; I could teach you how to DJ; to play guitar, drums or bass; I could teach you how to play in rhythm with another person using ordinary kitchen utensils; I could teach you how to make funny comics; how to use Flash to make animations; Protools, Reason or Ableton Live if you want to make music; I could teach you how to make an origami water bomb; or how to write a story in English or write an interesting article.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Courtesy, kindness, fascinating stories, etc

I love intriguing conversation more than most things, so happy to chat!

Countries I’ve Visited

Estonia, Finland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Myanmar, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic