Well, I'm an Irish lefty vegan feminist treehugger-y librarian who's moving to Toronto this August. Scary times! But in a good way! I think! Tone it down on the exclamation marks Kevin!

A bit more about me... This is a new profile, but I actually have about 5 years of Couchsurfing experience (see link below to an old shared profile). I'm super easy to get along with, respectful, relaxed and fun. Basically I think I have a pretty good handle on what it takes to be both a good host and a good guest.

I read and write but also have been known to occasionally stand up (I swear I swear). I love doing fun stuff like helping to stage black metal gigs, going to see random bands, hiking up (and ideally down) mountains, sitting in the forest around a massive fire staring at the sky, running half marathons, cracking woeful puns (we're talking weapons grade here), organising parties with really silly themes, feeding loads of hungry vegans and punks, making films, taking part in pagan rituals... All good clean fun.

I'm a wee bit obsessed with RuPaul's Drag Race, but that's neither here nor there...

I work in libraries, and while I do dabble in some geriatric hobbies like cross-stitching I'm less of an old man than I appear (honest!). In terms of my work I'm definitely trying to make librarianship less about buns and shushing and more about tattoos and social justice and cats. And memes. Can't forget the memes. (Disclaimer: my hair is in a bun at the moment.)

I listen to a mix of Tom Waits, synthwave and black metal constantly. Trust me, it's a lethal combination and everybody needs it in their life.

I also write film reviews! You can find my latest review (Dunkirk) here http://thethinair.net/2017/07/dunkirk/

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Oh the usual reasons really - I'm a social creature and being around, connecting with and helping out other people is fundamentally a good thing. I hosted while living in Belfast (link to a previous joint profile here: https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/anthrogeek ) and have surfed in lots of different countries, from India to France, and have only ever had great experiences.

Interests

• writing
• reading
• film
• heavy metal
• feminism
• veganism
• progressive politics

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Nick Cave, Amanda Palmer, Radiohead, Wolves in the Throne Room, Deafheaven.

Movies: Fargo, Withnail & I, Under the Skin, Aliens, Shogun Assassin.

Books: Blood Meridian (Cormac McCarthy), The Name of the Rose (Umberto Eco), The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood), Perdido Street Station (China Mieville), Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class (Owen Jones).

I suppose I'm generally into the darker stuff....

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Getting a night train halfway across India was pretty amazing.

Ok I'm gonna cheat a bit and put in another: an amazing thing I did only this year was to finally learn how to cycle! Kinda mortified to admit it, and let's face it, it's a bit crap alongside most other people's one amazing thing ('this one time I bungee jumped into a burning building on Mars to rescue a baby...'), but I was pretty proud of myself :)

Ok ok, even more cheating: another amazing thing was doing a standup comedy gig (about Shakespeare and metal, of all things) at a bar in Dublin.

Teach, Learn, Share

Well, back in Belfast I volunteered regularly at a weekly (ish) vegan cafe that happened in a punk/anarchist collective, so I'll be more than happy to wheel out some of my favourite vegan recipes (my pad thai has gone down pretty well in the past!) or regale you with stories. Always happy to talk politics, movies, TV... I'm also a mean hand at Scrabble... Or I could write you a limerick. The possibilities are endless.

I'd love to practice my (pretty bad) French with hosts. Any other way you can help this Irish person orient themselves to Toronto would also be very welcome!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can make you the best vegan food this side of the tiny vegan collective that I volunteered for back home. My speciality is probably colcannon (yup, potatoes - all the stereotypes are true) made with bucketloads of kale, cabbage and vegan butter.

I can show you how to make a DIY zine or tell you about the finer points of organising a weekly volunteer-run vegan kitchen.

I'm also happy to talk with you for hours - environmentalism, politics, history, books, the weather - you name it. But on the other hand, I do know when to shut up! I'm a good listener.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Ireland, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom