CURRENT MISSION

About to move back home to Sydney after 12 years in the UK/Europe?Singapore. I need a place to stay in Sydney near the University for a few weeks.

ABOUT ME

I am a very liberal, house-trained, cultured (in many senses), fun-loving, LGBTQI-friendly historian, originally Australian, but I have lived in the UK for the past 12 years, with long periods in Berlin and Singapore. I am very well traveled, a good cook, and (hopefully) a good conversationalist with what might be termed lots of worldly experience. I have a lovely french girlfriend, a lovely son (who lives with his mum in China), and many lovely friends from all over the world. I am into clubbing (techno), walking, yoga (on and off for 15 years - I feel better when it is on!), watching (artsy) films, looking at art (especially street art) and cooking and eating. I don't drink alcohol, but love tea and coffee (with coffee and walnut cake or baklava). I am really interested in body-modifications and tattooing - and have plenty of my own. I am learning french (escargot-paced). My spiritual home is Berghain, especially when Marcel Dettmann is playing...

PHILOSOPHY

In a word, foucaultien. The longer version makes me very liberal, and quite strong-minded about how people should behave, and what they should be able to do with their lives and their bodies.

I also believe it is more important to meet people and experience things than it is to own possessions. I travel light as a result, but am always in touch with my friends.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

In the immediate future I am looking for a place to stay in Sydney from Sept 2 for a few weeks until I can rent a place of my own. But I am also looking for new and interesting friends in Australia (especially those into techno).

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

After years of washing up in various places and staying with friends, I want to further expand my horizons. My ex was very anti-CS, but now I find myself in the excellent position of being able to explore it fully. Bring it on!

I have also flat-swapped on a few occasions, once for a month in Majorca, and once for a fortnight in Rotterdam (both from Edinburgh flats). I will be doing that again as well... August 2013 Berlin-Sydney, anyone?

Interests

History (of the body, sexuality, and psychiatry), techno (which I only discovered when I was in my mid-30s, to my chagrin), traveling, walking, eating, cooking, body modifications, meeting interesting people of all ages, cultures, sexualities, etc.

• arts
• street art
• tattoos
• cooking
• coffee
• yoga
• walking
• drinking
• clubbing
• movies
• traveling
• socializing
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

Film directors: Ingmar Bergman, Michaelangelo Antonioni, Almodovar.

Music: Techno, esp. Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann, Stewart Walker, Richie Hawtin, Miss Kittin, Jeff Mills (I traveled to Edinburgh from Singapore for the weekend once to see my friends at a Jeff Mills set).

Authors: Lawrence Durrell, Elfriede Jelinek, Marcel Proust, Michel Foucault, Alain Robbe-Gillet.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The most amazing place I have been is Berghain, the Berlin techno club. I turned 40 in there with all of my favourite people around me - but I ended up in there 4 times in July 2012.

All of my other amazing times involve people, not things or places.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can learn from anyone and will talk to anyone about what I know (until they glaze over - but I am good at picking up the queues).

I am well-read, broad-minded, and enthusiastic about discussing things with people. Despite begin an academic, I like to engage with people about all sorts of topics. If you ask nicely, I can tell you a lot of strange things from the history of sexuality and the history of the body...

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, China, Colombia, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Germany, Singapore, United Kingdom