CURRENT MISSION

See and find out as much of and about the world as I can without getting lost / mugged more than once every day.

ABOUT ME

As you can tell from the stupendously long list of friends I've got on this thing so far (8) I am incredibly popular! :)

Stuff I like:
Music (guitar, piano, singing etc.. preferably with a bunch of friends), travelling, getting to know new people (very special, I know. I'm probably the first person who put that one down), learning new stuff, seeing places I haven't been to before, talking a LOT (its quite hard for me to knock that one off..), taking photos, painting walls, normal stuff..

I'm quite communicative (who would've thought as my profile only contains about 5000 words..), so I'm keen to socialise 93% of the time. Not a big fan of sitting at home alone cos I always start thinking about weird stuff.
I usually start talking before I've decided what the content of my sentence is gonna be so that can be both amusing and disturbing as my mind's a bit messed up at times (My mate Brendon suggested to get 'Jenni the German - Retard Of The North' as my user name... but then again he also suggested I write a reference for him starting with 'He reminds me a bit of Jesus', so I reckon his evaluation of my mental state might not be 100% reliable..)

Finally, my sense of humour: It's not always intellectually demanding in the classical meaning and tends to be a bit rough, but even I got my witty 5 minutes every now and then.

....... Let me conclude by saying that everyone who has finished reading this literary masterpiece without passing out should at this stage feel the ungovernable urge to become my couchsurfing-friend. Do it!

PHILOSOPHY

Meh...

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Hopefully by.. couchsurfing and hosting

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I'm new to the website, but I've done a bit of couchsurfing and hosting before, when visiting my friends in New Zealand, and having them over at my place in return as well.

Pretty impressed so far: I don't only get to catch up with old mates, but also meet their flatmates and friends, have locals to show me around, and vice versa. Before I started 'hosting' I used to get lost all the time, even in my own home-town. Now I still do, but not as often cos i was forced to actually find out how to make the most of a short-term-stay in Hamburg or wherever without wasting too much time on panicking about ending up at some place that's not on the map..

Once, I visited my friend Sara who I hadnt seen in 3 years, in Wellington for her 21st and ended up getting on so well with her flatties that I just surfed their couch the next time I came to Wellington, even though Sara wasnt there..

(OK, if that made you yawn, try back later, i mightve come up with sth slightly more thrilling by then.)

Interests

I crammed all that into the 'All about me'-section..

• animals
• singing
• dining
• cooking
• running
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• painting
• music
• guitar
• piano
• hiking
• kayaking
• rock climbing
• tourism
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Mainly rock or indie/alternative or whatever the cool kids label it these days. Not an expert on this sector though, adding new bands and songs to my list is not my major concern. Queens of the Stone Age, Muse, Biffy Clyro, Kooks, Frank Turner, Kings of Leon, Killers, Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, Mumford and Sons, Jake Bugg, Pete Doherty, Ed Sheeran, Florence & the machine, Glen Hansard, Tallest man on earth.. I DONT KNOW, many bands and songs, generally guitar + interesting voice(s) is a good starting point!

Have to admit i'm not the world's biggest reader, actively doing sth just seems more rewarding. I like travel guides though. And Bill Bryson-travel-literature for example. The Alchemist maybe. And books involving pirates. Detective stories. Harry Potter...

Movies.. usually can't focus for that long cos i get bored easily. Cant stand cheesy ones. Twilight = STINK. Horror scares the shit out of me. The Orphanage was pretty good though. Liked The Bucket List, Sleepy Hollow, Eagle vs. Shark, Grand Budapest Hotel, and Pride was amazing!!!

And Flight of the Conchords is where it's at! And Sherlock, wooo!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I get quite excited when running into a cool animal or seeing some stunning scenery after hours of climbing or hiking or sth.

Example: Sea-kayaking-trip in the Marlborough Sounds (NZ) 2005 with my PE-class when all of a sudden we were surrounded by a bunch of seals.

Some grassland full of butterflies can actually keep me occupied for hours.

Having my muesli bar stolen by a duck while volunteering in a nature reserve in NZ (see photos). (OK I wouldnt really call that amazing. sort of impressive though!)

Oh, and zorbing with my mate Bryar in Rotorua (NZ). I thought it would be just rolling down a hill in a massive inflatable ball. But we actually jumped into the same ball together, followed by a few litres of water. Sliding out of the ball afterwards strangely reminded me of being born once again. With Bryar as the twin I never had (sigh).

Teach, Learn, Share

Some advice on trains:
The only non-crowded cabins late at night are probably full of vomit.

Being mugged:
When trying to hide your ipod by sitting on it while being mugged on a bus remember to take your headphones out (almost forgot that once).

Hitting a rock on the road:
The windscreen and tyre waiver MAKES SO MUCH SENSE, don't rent a car without it ;) also, bring a torch so you can read the instructions of how to exchange the tyre (in case youre equally incapable as I am with these things).

What I Can Share with Hosts

Really comfy though spatially kind of limited couch, (usually good and entertaining) company, a day of getting lost in my hometown with me as a guide, some great pasta cooking skills or maybe even enjoyable food next door if we invite ourselves to my neighbour Olinga's place :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, New Zealand, Portugal, United Kingdom