I’m originally from Indonesia. I’ve been living in NYC for some 20+ years with a few years away on sabbaticals as well as 2.5-year stint living in Taiwan.

I did a round-the-world trip in 2011-2012 (http://follow.elysmuda.com) When I came home broke, I started putting together this site BROKE TOURIST (www.broketourist.net) in which I "collect" free things to do around the world :] Check it out and hope you guys find it useful for your trip and won't be as broke as I was when you're back home.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I’ve both hosted and surfed. The experience has been fantastic. Had some total strangers crash at my place and stayed at some strangers' places and came out alive with my skin intact (as opposed to being made into leather bags like my friends had warned me). And on top of that I might have made a few life-long friends in the process.

I recently just re-met a few CS friends that I met during my world trip and it’s an amazing feeling to catch up again on each others’ lives and to know we might cross paths again in the future.

I look forward to forge new meaningful friendships like this all around the world.

Interests

Anything and everything. I'm naturally curious and am always eager to tap into new experiences and learning new skillsets. The latest being boatbuilding, loud whistling with fingers, and lockpicking. Random stuff like these!

I’m also keen on meeting people from all over the world and learn the different points of views and ways of living.

I hope through all these I can be a better, more open, and more well-rounded human being.

Music, Movies, and Books

Book: Frank Kafka, Irvine Welsh, Arthur Conan Doyle, Haruki Murakami, Isaac Asimov, Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Music: Britpop, shoegaze, psychedelic drone, madchester, indie, lo-fi electronica.

Movie: Trainspotting, Fight Club, Gattaca, Amelie, Inception, Interstellar, anything involving space/time travel/dystopian world.

Shows: Dark, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Mighty Boosh, Westworld, Black Mirror, Sherlock, BBC documentaries.

Podcast: Stuff You Should Know, Radiolab, Hidden Brain, TED Radio Hour, This American Life, The Infinite Monkey Cage.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Performed an emergency landing on an airplane and saved the day! Er, that was a total lie...
I slept out in a sandstorm in the Sahara?

Teach, Learn, Share

Honestly, I'm mediocre in a lot of things but I'm more than happy to pass along whatever knowledge or tricks I have.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories from faraway lands!

I’m also decent in taking photos (I work as a photographer / video director).

I’m an okay cook and baker and love cooking with and sharing meals with others.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City State, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Croatia, Indonesia, Taiwan, United States

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