CURRENT MISSION

Be excellent to each other. And... Party on!

PHILOSOPHY

Everything in moderation except moderation.

Pourquoi je suis sur Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

“The Short Version” (A CS Story from a couple years ago)

On a bus, I am traveling from Savu Savu to a ferry that will take me to Taveuni. I do not know anyone on Taveuni, though I have read in the Lonely Planet that it is known as, “The Garden Island.” The shades of green range from dark, to pale, to bright. The man sitting next to me is drumming on his knees with his hands. I take out the drumstick bag from my backpack and hand him a pair of drumsticks, then return to watching the trees.
The man whom I lent my sticks to is named Jon. He tells me he is returning home after selling dalo that he had grown during the past harvest. The bus stops at a dock and some of the passengers wait for the order to board the ferry.
Jon and I continue our conversation on the front of the boat as we ride to the island on the horizon. As the waves spray upon us, I tell Jon the story of leaving UC Berkeley for a semester. He asks me what I plan to do once the boat arrives at Taveuni. “Find a waterfall!” I replied. Jon invites me to stay with him and his step Father who is also named Jon.
I am sad that the boat ride is over, but happy to have a friend on a new adventure. The dust from the street sticks to our clothes as we walk down the only street in town. Jon takes me to a shop that sells kava roots. His stepfather is a chief, so I must give him a bushel of kava roots in order to be welcomed into his tribe. With Jon’s help, I pick out fifteen roots that are completely dry.
On the street, Jon waves and a pickup truck skids to a stop. Sitting on a bench in the back, we ride up a steep dirt road and then wind around trees. Behind my sunglasses, I rest my eyes. In ten minutes the truck stops in front of a wood house with a porch.
Resting on a hillside, we overlook the blue, green, and turquoise Pacific. The colors change as light reflects on the coral at different angles.
Chief Jon is sitting cross-legged in the corner of the porch. I sit down next to him and present the bushel of kava roots. Looking straight in my eyes, Chief Jon asks, “Why are you here?” After taking a deep breath, I reply, “To learn from and enjoy the Fijian lifestyle.” “ Do you not enjoy life in America?” He responded. “ I do most of the time,” I declared, “but many people in America do not. Here in Fiji, everyone seems to appreciate being alive.” “This may be the case,” he said, “but we still suffer great injustices. You observe us as always happy because we choose to keep our problems to ourselves when we are in the company of friends.” Still looking in my eyes, Chief Jon claps his hands three times, sings a ceremonial chant, and then welcomes me to his tribe.
We proceed to tell narratives of our lives. I feel honored when I learn that Chief Jon was once Mr. Fiji, helped write the new Fijian Constitution, and is the head of his clan. Chief Jon gets excited as we talk about Steven Segal movies. He enjoys the calm, confident demeanor of Segal's characters. We both laugh at the fact that unlike most martial art characters, Segal never seems to get hit.
During the next week, Chief Jon and I discuss topics such as religion, politics, philosophy, society, health, and nature. Jon and I play rugby, swim under a waterfall, and eat delicious, fresh picked fruits. Everything has a sweet taste, except for the notion that I must leave.

Centres d'intérêt

Travel trips, playing drums, soccer, snowboarding, reading, love, rocking out, beachvolleyball, chilling with the hommies, any version of Madden, teaching kids, my family, cooking, and grubbin on dank food. etc..

• arts
• dining
• cooking
• partying
• gardening
• boating
• shopping
• clothing
• politics
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• drums
• backpacking
• snowboarding
• soccer
• rugby
• volleyball
• swimming
• religion
• beaches

Morceaux de musique, films et livres

Anything that's good.

Une aventure extraordinaire que j'ai vécue

Ran with the bulls!!

Enseignez, apprenez, partagez

Drum kit, beach volleyball, soccer, Western philosophy, backpacking, swimming.

Pays que j'ai visités

Australia, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Puerto Rico, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Pays dans lesquels j'ai vécu

United States