Hey there,

I tried hard to describe myself in the following two paragraphs and I hope this will ease your decision to host me.

I am a person with a lot of projects, visions, and ideas in my life and sometimes I feel overstrained with my projects but then I get a good espresso in my favorite Café jump in the lake close to my flat and move on. I grew up in the center of Germany in a town named the city of the intestine *Darm*=intestine *stadt*=city ( Very weird I know. I tried hard to figure out how this name was given to my hometown but have not found a good answer yet). However, since my early childhood, I was filled with wanderlust and always eager to experience different environments and cultures. That made me apply to every single exchange program I could get hold of (Thankfully after WW2 German government invested a lot in exchange programs). This allowed me to pursue high school in Brazil, work as a PR manager for an NGO in India, and study in the magnificent city of Istanbul. I would consider myself a liberal person in the sense that I believe everyone should live the way they want and follow their own beliefs and ideas. I would describe myself as a left-wing atheist. However, this probably means very different things in different countries and I am happy to meet with you and talk about your ideas and beliefs. I am a respectful person and can easily adapt to other lifestyles and habits if you host me because growing up in a big patchwork family. Growing up in patchwork was not always easy but helped me to adapt to different environments and customs.

Apart from my Wanderlust and interest in other cultures, I am quite engaged in different projects, and by speaking about them you may better understand who I am. Politics, social structures, and history are my passion and I love to work on these themes with same-minded people. As I am a strong believer in democracy and social equality I joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany a few years ago (currently in the government with Olaf as Chancellor). And I am the treasurer of the local unit of my party in Berlin Alexander Platz. Furthermore, I funded with a friend the German Mozambican Network in Berlin (https://ogumana.com/) with the mission to strengthen cultural exchange between Mozambique and Germany and provide direct aid to the war-torn region of Cabo Delgado in Mozambique. Furthermore, I am active in the Global History student journal as a reviewer and I promise we have quite interesting articles (check them out if you are interested at https://globalhistorystudentconference.wordpress.com/ )

I hope you got a good impression of whom you are going to host and I looking forward meet you.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

CS for me is all about meeting new people with whom you probably would not meet in your daily life. In other words, it's like hitchhiking on a virtual highway where you never know whom you going to meet and what is going to happen but there is a common belief that is enriching for everybody who participates. It’s about exchanging ideas and learning from each other about different family backgrounds, life stories, visions, food, culture, and everything else you want to share.

It is a basic human need put together in a website and adapted to the modern period which is simple and incredible and the same time for me. One of the most important aspects for me is that it is non-profit. Money is so present in our everyday life so CS is a great space where money is not dominant. Everybody I have met so far through CS shared these ideas and beliefs in one way or the other. That’s why I am still truly convinced by CS.

Interests

I think I described a good amount of my interests in the about me section. However, there is always something to add. Apart from being very organized in groups, I love museums' art (especially photography and painting). I am also into analog photography on an unregular base using a Minolta X700 and a Leica Mini. For me, Analog photography still has this magic moment of capturing a moment without immediately knowing what I have captured. Only weeks later when I develop the film it feels like time traveling through the moments I have captured. I also like learning and speaking other languages. I am a big fan of Turkish and Portuguese with their sayings and beautiful sounds. Currently trying to refresh my Gujarati skills which I, unfortunately, have almost vanished due to a lack of practice. I am also a big fan of outdoor activities like cycling, hiking, camping and obviously traveling preferably by train.

• books
• politics
• history
• learning languages
• cicling
• art house movies

Music, Movies, and Books

*Movies*
- Blues Brother (classic and great), NH10 ( Best Bollywood Movie), The Edge of Democracy (best documentary if seen in years, Cici Babam (trash and great), Das schweigende Klassenzimmer (great movie about the GDR)

*Music*
Ezhel, Altin Gün, Duda Beat, Dave, Leikeli47, Junglepussy, Chico Buarque, Gaël Faye, Baris Manco, Fettes Brot, Irie Revoltes

*Books*
Kundera Milan: The Unbearable Lightness of Being", The Eight Mountains by Paolo Cognetti, Die Übernahme: Wie Ostdeutschland Teil der Bundesrepublik wurde
Buch by Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk, Die dunkle Seite des Mondes by Martin Suter

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Cycling from Munich to Istanbul in 25 days experiencing the beaut of east Europe, Climbing a 6000 m mountain unprepared ( extremely stupid and I would never do it again but unforgettable experience), founded an NGO in Berlin and experiencing German Bureaucracy at its worst, doing an internship at the German Embassy in Brazil and having a lot of fun ,

Teach, Learn, Share

That’s a very difficult question to answer. I think everybody can share something but I always depend on the other person and the situation. I would say I am an average cook although my chapatis are definitely about average. That means I could definitely prepare an ok meal for us. I could also share my knowledge about German politics and European 20th-century history (don’t worry only if you are interested). And If you have a project or something you want to do I will be happy to help you.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Turkey