CURRENT MISSION

To try to open my eyes long enough to see what this world is about

ABOUT ME

After a few years in Xi'an, Shaanxi, China (where I spent time struggling to learn Mandarin and trying to teach some of the eager minds of Chinese youth a thing or two and to absorb a thing or two with my own mind) I now reside in East Vancouver

PHILOSOPHY

Life, what a beautiful and baffling experience! Luckily, as we walk this twisty road we occasionally run into a fellow navigator who can offer directions, kind words, and maybe a cryptic clue as to what life, whatever it is, is all about.

Pourquoi je suis sur Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have had some amazing experiences through couchsurfing, and am thoroughly convinced that this is the sweetest fruit that Internet technology has bestowed upon humanity

Centres d'intérêt

Music of all breeds, books, travel, food/cooking, language, cycling, climbing, hiking, backpacking, living...

• books
• dining
• cooking
• running
• technology
• traveling
• music
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• hunting
• rock climbing
• teaching

Morceaux de musique, films et livres

Music: so many flavors... Its pointless to even start answering a question like this, and though I realize that they make discussing a topic as sacred and broad as music easier, I truly hate genres and the confines that they create... That being said, as of late its been mostly downtempo electronic, drum and bass, a touch of dubstep, lots of neo-gypsy-indie-folk (eg Taarka, Thamusemeant), a bit of bluegrass, and a side of jazz.

Books: Again, a hard question to answer in a way that even approaches concise.

Back on a serious Vonnegut kick, and curious about what his tombstone ended up reading after all... So it goes

Usually enjoy anything that could be classified as 'distopian' ('1984', 'A Brave New World', 'Fahrenheit 451', 'Player Piano'... you get the point)

Summer re-reads - Tom Robbins "Skinny Legs and All". Richard Bach "Jonathan Livingston Seagull". Kurt Vonnegut Jr. "Hocus Pocus".

Currently reading: Michael Lewis "The Big Short", Peter Hessler "Country Driving", and Salman Rushdie "Midnight's Children". (I've got a rather short attention span and usually juggle 2-3 books at a time...)

Une aventure extraordinaire que j'ai vécue

One amazing thing... Ooh, got one: Played hackey sack with a circle of fully cloistered Tibetan Monks.

A close second: Vipassana retreat. What mysterious substance makes up the mind.

Enseignez, apprenez, partagez

I am very interested in learning as much as I can about sustainable, perma and polycultural agricultural techniques - ways to take food production out of the hands of industrial corporations and put it back into the hands of those who eat it.

I am fascinated by the harmonies of music and the dissonance of noise, and would love to share what little I can.

After trying my hand at being a professional educator, I am hunting for suggestions and experiences that people have had trying to teach, and am more than willing to share recollections of my own experiences.

Language. Right now, my energy is going towards Mandarin, but I soon hope to try my luck at Spanish. English, my mother tongue, is another language that I am struggling to master - especially in regards to creative written expression.

Pays que j'ai visités

Canada, China, Mexico, New Zealand, United States

Pays dans lesquels j'ai vécu

Canada, China, United States

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