CURRENT MISSION

Observe, be aware, don't judge

ABOUT ME

I (Liezl) was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. It never quite worked for me... Travelled some in early 20s - mostly Egypt and Israel, and also a bit around southern Africa (Madagascar, Namibia). Since 2000 I've worked as social development researcher, doing social impact assessments and related research for various types of developments. This has led to more traveling around southern Africa - including Mozambique Swaziland, Lesotho, Zambia, and more Namibia. In 2004 I finally managed to escape Joburg as base. Lived in the exotic Garden Route in the Western Cape for a couple of years, then moved to Cape Town which I now call home, tho I'm rarely actually there.

Ian - born and raised and living in CT - keeping the fort. More to follow...

PHILOSOPHY

Observe, be aware, don't judge.
Do onto others as you'd have them do onto you.
From each according to her/his abilities, to each according to his/her needs.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Before joining CS I've often stayed on the couches of friends and friends of friends (met mostly while backpacking in early 20s.

Since getting this account I've surfed mostly in places where I've gone for conferences, including Egypt and around the USA on various occasions in various states.

Til recently I lived in a cupboardsize 1-roomed flat, and was rarely actually there, which made hosting rather difficult. Upon the occasions I was in town, whenever people inquired, I took them to my favourite spots in CT whenever time permitted.

Ian and I recently moved into a much more welcoming house together, and he's happy to host while I'm still mostly away.

Just completed an Anthropology Masters on online networking, focused on Community Exchange Systems and alternate currency, but also interested in other communities working on the idea of reciprocity, operating in cyberspace with reallife linkages. CouchSurfing particularly interests me from that perspective.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

So far so good

Interests

Music, dancing, nature, people, alternate economies, networking, the social evolutionary impacts of the Internet.

• birds
• writing
• dancing
• gardening
• boating
• traveling
• music
• backpacking
• swimming
• anthropology

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - a whole lot - particularly fond of oriental twirls/ world beats with a trancy base, and early-am sexy saxophones on a deephousefloor.
Books: All time favourites: Shantaram (Gregory David Roberts); The Diamond Age (Neal Stephenson); Momo (Michael Ende); The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I lived on a houseboat on the Nile in downtown Cairo for a couple of months in 2000. It was summertime so used to jump in a swim some many times a day. (Which, I've been advised to instruct fellow couchsurfers, is NOT recommended as Belharzia carrying snails
are prevalent in the Nile and if you catch the
disease, it is incurable and ultimately deadly. So... be advised and do at own risk.) Indeed at the time some queried the wisdom of delving into the not-entirely-sparkly water but it sure helped revive me many time day & night. One day I bought a fox at the Friday am market and brought him back to my boat for awhile while figuring out where to take him next. (His most likely destiny at the market would have been getting stuffed/ dissected). Released him near the pyramids in the middle of the next night. Also had at the time ~6 puppies saved from drowning, a stray kitten picked up for dead in a gutter, a tortoise left by a backpacker who moved on, some birds... Quite an ark it was...

Teach, Learn, Share

I can be a lot of fun to have around for a bit. To pinpoint potential 'sharings' verbally here now is a bit tricky - but I believe all those who know me agree that I have useful insights and interesting angles on most practical (and more esoteric) life issues. I'm a 'social researcher' - talking to people and writing reports on it has been my job for almost 10 years. Specifics differ, but I believe this has given me some skill at listening and integrating people's issues, concerns, and interests.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Turkey, United States, Zambia

Countries I’ve Lived In

Egypt, Israel, Papua New Guinea, South Africa

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