CURRENT MISSION

Survive until the summer. Recuperate. and then survive again.

ABOUT ME

I was born in Manila, Philippines and immigrated to New Jersey, United States at the age of 9. I have lived in New Jersey ever since. After studying biological sciences and classical humanities in college, I am now taking on one of the biggest challenges of my life: teaching as a special education high school teacher in an urban school district as part of Teach for America. I have had the fortunate privilege to have met and befriended a variety of the most interesting people in my experiences at home and abroad, and it is such interactions with such individuals that have significantly helped me to become the person I am today. I love conversations and the thrill of meeting new people because there is beauty in new thoughts and perspectives, which is one of the reasons I decided to become part of a great, diverse community in CS!

PHILOSOPHY

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
-Robert Anson Heinlein

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Looking to Host! I am 20 minutes away from NYC. Also, looking to couch surf in the near future

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

So far, I have just been hosting in Newark, NJ, but I would like to surf in the near future

Interests

I have an eclectic taste in everything. I listen to almost anything (rap, rock, jazz, classical...pretty much anything). I really enjoy the visual and performing arts and I can spend countless hours in a museum without the slightest complaint. Learning new things is another passion of mine. I love reading (especially Greek and Latin comedies, science fiction, historical fiction, and articles on evolutionary biology)and watching movies, most importantly documentaries and foreign films. Eating is also one of my favorite things to do. I obviously love travelling. Its one of the reasons I exist.

Other random interests: medicine, literary criticism, science, maps, trains, planes,skiing, surfing, hiking, dead languages,romance languages, concerts, comic books, laughing maniacally, getting excited over the smallest things, appreciating life

• fish
• insects
• arts
• humanities
• books
• performing arts
• design
• documentaries
• beauty
• concerts
• education
• cooking
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• jazz
• fishing
• hiking
• surfing
• scuba diving
• skydiving
• skiing
• anatomy
• biology
• cartography
• teaching
• languages
• law
• medicine
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

I enjoy documentaries, comedies, foreign films,romantic comedies and pretty much anything and everything. A few favorites of mine are: L'auberge espagnole, OSS 117, Memento, Lars and the Real Girl, The Unmistaken Child,Paris, J'taime, Bright Young Things,13 Assassins, Darjeeling Limited, Where the Wild Things Are, Melinda & Melinda...there's a whole lot more.

Music: Favorite Artists/Bands: Arcade Fire, Animal Collective, Spoon, The Decemberists, Arctic Monkeys, The Smiths, El Guincho, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Justice, Daft Punk...I also enjoy easy listening music and jazz

Books: Um. tons. i love reading. Favorite authors: Richard Dawkins, Kurt Vonnegut, Jose Rizal, Christopher Moore, Michael Moorcock, Alexander Dumas, Ovid, Terrence, Herodotus, Aeschylus, Warren Ellis, Ed Brubaker, Brian Michael Bendis

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Scuba diving in the Philippine Sea and got to feed fish. also, almost got bitten by a sea snake. Skydiving...twice! and survived! Helped build a house in Australia.Backpacked in Europe and didn't miss a single train. Saw Barcelona FC beat Manchester United in Barcelona. Got blessed by the Pope in Rome.Participated in a Shinto Ritual in Tokyo. Got stalked by a mountain lion in Yosemite. Sat in Winston Churchill's chair and smoked a cigar.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can talk about science and classics for years and years. Scientific and Humanities Topics that I can bore you with: evolutionary biology, bacteria, bacteriophage, the solar system, human anatomy, DNA, Ovid, Aeschylus, Terrence, Old Testament, Ancient Law, Euripides, Greek and Roman Civilization, Plato, Aristotle, Aristophanes

I know lots and lots about urban education and the experiences of an urban education teacher.

I can explain the colloquialisms that my students say in the classroom.

I also have random esoteric knowledge that is kind of strange.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Philippines, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Philippines, United States

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