Hey! My name is John and I'm from San Jose, California. I love traveling and have been to 20+ countries.

The last two years, I was in a global masters program (Humboldt Universitat zu Berlin) studying international relations. It required that I live and study in three different continents. I lived in Berlin, Bangkok and Buenos Aires. Most recently studied and lived in Berlin in 2019 and worked and lived in Bangkok all of 2018.

Before all this I was slaving away in public relations for three years in the Silicon Valley.

I'm always up for exchanging stories, exploring local restaurants and sight seeing. I'm fluent in English and Vietnamese, and speak some Spanish. I can potentially teach you how to say "cheers" in 10 languages.

You can see some of my travel photos on my Instagram (@johnvuwhatitdo)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet like-minded people, make new friends and gain new perspectives.

Interests

I follow world events very closely and am interested in community building and migrant rights. I wrote my MA thesis on 2nd generation Vietnamese in Berlin and their perceptions of home, homeland and return.

• hiking
• surfing
• scuba diving
• snowboarding
• basketball

Music, Movies, and Books

Books - I've read Harry Potter like 20 times.

Foreign films

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Worked for UN Migration (International Organization for Migration in Bangkok, Thailand. It was the same organization that resettled my refugee parents.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to open a beer bottle with a lighter or water bottle (learned this in Berlin) and how to cook Vietnamese food.

Happy to help with English

I want to practice my Spanish (B1 level)

What I Can Share with Hosts

Travel stories and tips
Vietnamese cooking

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Germany, Thailand, United States