CURRENT MISSION

we only have what we remember, and to remember you have to experience. Experience everything.

ABOUT ME

Johan:
Well. I study Cultural/Social Anthropology, doing my Bachelor thesis (on Pain) now, and have studied lots of different subjects before that (some theology, some programming and some design). I've been playing (rather; screaming and making noises) in different bands since I was 14, but haven't had the time to do anything serious the last two years.
Usually I find odd things funny, and I'm amused by people doing the wrong things at the wrong times.
I enjoy photography, but ever since my camera got stolen in Prague I've had to opt for the lo-fi approach of mobile phones or other mediums. Some photos are in the photography section of our pictures. :)
Oh, yeah. I've worked at a piercing/tattoo studio as well!

Lina: I'm a PhD student with a confused academic identity, in the sense that I study environmental migration which seems to be mostly sociological, while having no sociological background, and actually a desire to study just hard science, measuring things. However, I always end up in this interdisciplinary slot. A lot of my time is spent on this confusing job, but I still like it. When I'm not doing the PhD thing, I try to be creative in one way or another, trying on knitting, sewing, making things out of plastic beads, painting or photographing. Another strange (?) thing I like to do is to plan trips (that I don't really have the budget for) and dream away. I try to do books but have troubles paying attention and be still for too long. When I was younger, I used to have Icelandic horses (my mom still has) and I guess I'm kind of outdoorsey.

PHILOSOPHY

Johan:
"all you need to get by is to know how to float on your back in a violent sea of sharks."

Lina:
All challenges are good ones and will give you something back in the endso don't be afraid of trying unusual things.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Well, we just decided to start surfing as we have so much spare room in our apartment. Looking forward to the first visit. :) Hopefully we'll find a couch or two for when we're going to New York as well, it's always more awesome to get around a city with people who know their surroundings a bit.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Johan:
I was between apartments for about half a year, and slept on couches at friends, their friends, the studio and other such places.
Before that I was living together with a couple of friends, and we had an open door/open couch policy where people would drop in and stay for as long as they wanted (or behaved) to party and have a good time. We were frequented by friends at first, but later on by friends of friends and then friends of friends friends etc :) Met some good people, and had more good times than I can remember... ;P

Lina: I haven't really couchsurfed like this before, but during my travels I have ended up staying at places of almost strangers, finding it much more easy than I first thought. You never know how you will get along, but my experience is mostly good with some funny stories about people I have met.

Interests

Johan:
Music, human behaviour, video games, litterature, surrealism, body modifications, society

Lina: Adventuring, baking, any kind of handicrafts (at this point I'm starting to seem like a housewife or a granny, huh?), learning languages, Icelandic Horses, environmental stuff, growing stuff...

• horses
• culture
• books
• design
• photography
• tattoos
• piercings
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• baking
• partying
• video games
• knitting
• painting
• music
• equestrian
• surfing
• anthropology
• divinity
• languages
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Johan:
Movies:
Big Fish, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Donnie Darko, Amer, Rescue Me, A Bitter Sweet Life, Old Boy (or rather the whole Vengance Thrilogy), Ichi The Killer, Lords of Dogtown, Inland Empire, Lost Highway, Wristcutters - A Lovestory and so many more... Love movies. :)

Music:
Funeral Mist, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, The Haunted, Listener, Explosions in the Sky, MONO, The Knife, Fever Ray, Pantera, 16 Horsepower, Converge, Sage Francis, Aesop Rock, Sopor Aeternus, Tindersticks, Bright Eyes

Books:
Hunter S. Thompson, Stephen King, Dostojevskij, Lovecraft, Kafka, Camus, Douglas Adams, Alan Moore, anything about anthropology, Clive Barker and so on.

Lina:
Movies:
Le fabuleuse destin d'Amelie Poulain, Ensemble c'est tout, Wristcutters - A love story, Big Fish (also)

Music:
Regina Spektor, No Doubt, Dan Viktor, Laleh, Pet Shop Boys.

Books:
Kafka on the beach, Moneyless Man, Miss Smillas sense of snow, Anais Nin's books, and some guilty pleasure girly books like Maryan Keyes and Janet Evanovich.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Johan:
I'm fascinated by small things. Leaves falling at autumn, the sound of water, the smell of grass and the lingering heat of yesterday when the sun rises again at summer. Cows.
I can't really say any one thing... Well, once I went on a barcrawl in Stockholm and ended up in a 4 star hotel in Istanbul, pre-paid for a week with food included, surrounded by diplomats, serious faces and a organization that'd won the Nobel Prize in the 90's. But it's a long story, so ask me over a beer! ;)
Lina:
I would say that the city of Petra in Jordan is one of the most amazing places I've visited, altough with tons of tourists and persistent souvenir vendors, it was definitely worth it.

Teach, Learn, Share

Johan:
I'm a decent cook, and knowledgeable when it comes to piercings/tattoos and music. Quite well read when it comes to anthropology and drugs in modern society.
Could probably teach beginners the basics of photo editing in Photoshop or Lightroom. Or the basics of HDR-pictures.
I'd love to learn more about local food and food culture. Also interested in local extreme music (I recently found black metal bands in both Saudi Arabia and Israel, super interesting!).

Lina:
I know some about horseback riding and used to somehow teach it to people. Right now I'm focusing my studies on the Middle East so I guess I know some about that as well as basic arabic and some farsi. I can also discuss environmental issues and climate change to some extent. Baking breads is maybe the most easy thing that I could teach anyone interested. I'm always interested to learn anything that I haven't come across before and I agree with Johan that exchanging cooking knowledge is a favourite.

Countries I’ve Visited

Czech Republic, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Palestine, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Sweden