My name is Takeshi, and I'm a salsa dancer, marketer, and traveler.

I'm originally from Hawaii, but have also lived in Japan, and I'm currently in California where I work at a tech company in San Francisco. I'm a big techie and passionate about digital marketing and technology.

My main passion is salsa dancing, and I dance competitively, coach a salsa team, and go out dancing wherever I go. Dancing is a big part of my life!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love hosting guests and meeting people from around the world through Couchsurfing! I've made so many new friends and acquaintances over the years thanks to Couchsurfing, and it adds an element of randomness to my life that is fresh and exciting!

When I'm traveling, Couchsurfing is the best way to quickly get to know a city better by staying with a local. I've had many amazing experiences in my travels staying with generous hosts and getting an insider's view on the best things to see in their city!

Interests

My passion in life is salsa dancing. I have been dancing salsa for over 13 years and enjoy the social, performance, and competitive aspects of it. I go out dancing many nights of the week and coach the college salsa team at San Jose State University. I also dabble in other Latin dances such as bachata and merengue.

Another hobby of mine is photography. I shoot with both a Fuji mirrorless and Canon DSLR, and love capturing moments from dancing and my travels. I recently got a Mavic Mini drone and it has quickly become my favorite toy, and I am enjoying learning about aerial photography and videography!

Work wise, I am passionate about web design, online marketing, and entrepreneurship. I manage and run a number of popular websites about salsa dancing and love to geek out on technology.

I've also done Judo for over 10 years, and used to compete around the country.

• performing arts
• dancing
• salsa dancing
• bachata
• environment
• wine
• coffee
• running
• technology
• traveling
• socializing
• business
• entrepreneurship
• philosophy
• science
• travel
• salsa
• tech
• judo
• salsa music
• salsa dance

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:

One of my favorite books of All Time is "The Magician's Nephew" by C.S. Lewis and I love reading and re-reading the Chronicles of Narnia. My favorite author is Terry Pratchett, who has the amazing ability to combine heartbreaking insight into the combination with gut busting humor. I also enjoy reading a lot of non-fiction, particularly around business and entrepreneurship. Some of my favorite reads include "The Four Hour Workweek" by Tim Ferris, "Vagabonding" by Rolph Potts, and "The Talent Code" by Daniel Coyle.

Movies:

I love sci-fi movies and buddy comedies. Men in Black (original) and Gattaca are probably my two top picks. I also love the Matrix, Avatar, Pirates of the Carribean, and Rush Hour. Big fan of the MCU flicks-- Iron Man, Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Avengers are some of my top picks.

Music:

I have wide taste in music, but mainly I listen to Latin music: Salsa, bachata, cha cha, and reggaeton. Some of the top artists on my playlist right now include Sonora Ponceña, Chiquito Team Band, La-33, Tito Rodriguez, Mercadonegro, and Ricky Campanelli.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One of my most memorable couch surfing experiences was when I took a trip to Washington DC for the first time to attend the Rally To Restore Sanity/and or Fear organized by John Stewart and Stephen Colbert.  It was amazing to stand in the historic National Mall in the nation's capitol with over 200,000 other people... it's definitely the most people I've seen in one place at one time!

Teach, Learn, Share

If you are a salsa dancer or want to learn to dance, I would be happy to show you where all the best salsa clubs are, as well as show you how to dance a few salsa steps!

On weekends I can provide tours of San Jose or the San Francisco Bay Area and show you around local tourist spots and tech companies if you are interested.

I can also share recommendations on the best places for food, wine, and coffee in the area. You are also welcome to partake in my personal wine collection as well 😁

My goal this year is to master Spanish, so if you can help me learn Spanish that would be great!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am happy to share a few salsa steps if you would like to learn!

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Colombia, Germany, Guam, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, United States

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