Where do I begin to describe myself ! Perhaps the circumstances that brought me to CS 8 years ago...

I come from a humble, orthodox Christian South Indian family and that usually spells anti-social, patriarchal, conservative and casteist mindsets. It is funny to think about how we weren't really 'bad people' because the harshest we were was on our poor selves. We lived, ate and socialized within the walls of our society and whatever else wandered outside of it, we feared deeply.

That was of course until I watched my very first foreign film when I was 12. It was 'The song of Sparrows' , an Iranian film about a simple family facing challenging times. It is a film better experienced than discussed, so I will cut to the end of the film, when something stirred inside me. I cried and I did not know why but I started to chase that feeling, I felt like it would save me.

This pursuit opened the doors to a world of cinema, philosophy, books, ideologies, politicism, art, gastronomy, education and I chose to do an exchange year in France. Being 19 in France was like living in the pages of a book. It wasn't the fanciness, as I was almost broke always but the people I met were impressionable.

Once while I was waiting for a bus, a kind old French lady came up to me and started chatting about India. She said she works in a school as a cook but every year or so, she would use her savings to travel and see the different regions of India. I was amazed and also slightly embarrassed about the fact that she has been to more regions in India than I have! I told her I would love to do that but then, I was broke. That was when she told me about couchsurfing.com but she told me I had to have the right spirit of adventure to be a real part of it. Till now, fondly remember her as my 'fairy godmother'!

My CS journey was a brief but a memorable one, as I met the most gracious, open and lovable people through 2016 and 2017 in and around Europe and Canada.

Eventually I returned home to Chennai and through the years, I have had the good fortune to meet CSers who would visit my city and sharing my little cozy nooks with them felt like having breakfast at a small cafe from their hometown!

Presently, I along with my husband, our 8 month old son, 3 dogs and parents-in-law live together as harmoniously as one could :D Our schedules are hectic and always crossing one another's, so my ability to host would really depend on the circumstances. Please do not let that stop you from sending a request for hosting. It would be my pleasure to return the favour to all world travellers, the compassion they have showed me has modelled me into the person I am today. My home welcomes all sincere travellers who share this philosophy, it is not a place to crash for free, I will accept requests only if I know you have taken the time to go through my profile and send me a personal request, not a copy+paste one. Please include 'fairy godmother' in your message request and I will know you have done your homework ;)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

'The journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step'
This quote reflects the path I chanced upon to become a lifelong learner.
The Iranian film I watched when I was 13 opened broadened my mind, the fairy godmother of mine broadened my horizons, falling in love and getting to know my husband opened up my heart.

These life experiences, with a 100 other humans have been freeing me and helped me grow cathartically.
If I could in some way be a part of such a synthesis for another, the pleasure would be mine.

Interests

• arts
• culture
• books
• literature
• poetry
• wine
• traveling
• music
• history
• philosophy
• films

Music, Movies, and Books

Music:
Maestro Illayarajah (Tamil)
Motown
Jazz
Soft rock

Books:
The Brothers Karamazov
The Catcher in the Rye
The Piano teacher
Ham on Rye
Azadi
Annihilation of Caste

Movies:
The Koker trilogy
The traveler
Cinema Paradiso
Bicycle thieves
Solaris
Thangameengal(Tamil)
Taramani (Tamil)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I fell in love with guy I met in college and we were from different socio-economic and caste backgrounds.
For the next 8 years, we had to face the backlash of a rigid society, the years were long and brutal and we almost lost ourselves in the process.
In the end, our love stood the test against time and we got married in the presence of 3000 people.
Our happy duo soon became a trio with the birth of our son and the society that was once against us now accepts and embraces our little family.

One amazing thing I've done is to witness the transition of a society from a regressive one to a more kinder one, that is opening its eyes to the ever changing world.
But ofcourse, the most amazing of it all is to live the words 'love conquers all' every day of our lives!

Teach, Learn, Share

A warm homely meal, long walks around the city's secret spots, events in the local Art scene.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My enthusiasm has no bounds when it comes to all things Tamil, I would love to share our films, books, recipes, art and culture with you!

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Luxembourg, Thailand, Uganda

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, France, India