CURRENT MISSION

paying less attention to the syntax of things

ABOUT ME

I currently live in Brooklyn, NY, recently relocating here from San Francisco, CA, with a brief stint in Los Angeles. I grew up in NYC and while I love it here, I am planning on moving further east sometime next year, possibly Berlin, Vienna, or maybe even Prague. I lived in California approximately 7.5 years, though not consecutive ones.

I think it's important to get out of your home country, which may or may not be your comfort zone. I'm looking forward to the challenge and most of all the adventure :)

In the meantime I'm happily meeting provocative people and having exceptional, enchanting experiences... I hope!

PHILOSOPHY

I'll try anything once, but more likely I'll try it several times, just in case my feelings change. In fact, that's how I live my life: I try to be aware of what I like and dislike, but I also try to be open to the idea that these are transient opinions rather than fixed. My life is subject to change.

I've always liked how Octavio Paz closed his poem Between Going and Staying:

"I find myself in the middle of an eye,
watching myself in its blank stare.

The moment scatters. Motionless,
I stay and go: I am a pause. "

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

hosting, surfing, evangelizing, and hanging out, exploring the world with fellow CS'ers :)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I had great experiences couchsurfing in Vienna and Prague in November of 2007.

Interests

volunteer work, poetry, expressionist painting, russian literature, other literature, gypsy music, indian and arabic music, other music, old roman mosaics, instruments like the guitar, tambourine and triangle, my dog, technology, chocolate, coffee, wine, crosswords & scrabble, and tattoos

• dogs
• literature
• poetry
• tattoos
• chocolate
• wine
• coffee
• technology
• volunteer work
• painting
• music
• guitar
• surfing
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

movies

"eternal sunshine of the spotless mind" is both breathtaking and heartbreaking for me to watch. it's also one of my dearest favorite movies (and movie-watching experiences).

"zoolander" never fails to crack me up.

"wings of desire" is one i've always found beautiful, haunting, and exotic.

big fish, before sunset, the dreamers, amélie, shaun of the dead, bonnie and clyde, the thing, kill bill (I & II), the holy grail, donnie darko, rear window, and stuff by linklater, wenders, kieslowski, and sometimes jodorowsky. i also like asian horror movies (ringu, audition, oldboy).

music

the stuff i love most is typically described as the "singer/songwriter" genre. here are some of the poetic musicians i can't get enough of include.

leonard cohen: hands down i think he's the most brilliant lyricist of all time.
jeff buckley: and he's got the most gorgeous voice i've ever heard; i love his cover of hallelujah (originally by leonard cohen)
elvis costello: has a special spot in my heart for many reasons, and then he has ballads and punk rock songs.
underworld: admittedly a bit different from the above, but i have varied taste. dubnobasswithmyheadman by this group is one of my favorite albums of all time, moody here, raucous there, and as a bonus, you can dance to it or listen to it in the dark.

the frames, lou reed, cat power, edith piaf, serge gainsbourg, and nina simone.

to be honest i'm getting sick of indie, but i've been known to rock out to it. that and hair metal, and no, i'm not joking - sometimes i just really want to hear motley crue :)

books

Immortality by Milan Kundera, Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, White Oleander by Janet Fitch, Selected Poems of W.H. Auden, also Gore Vidal, Zizek, Cummings, and Baudelaire.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Kenya, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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