CURRENT MISSION

to dance the last tango in Tbilisi

ABOUT ME

Well, even though I was born in Germany, I am a Cold War baby - I can speak a little bit of German, but both my parents are Welsh and we moved back to Wales when I was five...bumbled along in life...went to University in Durham in North East England for three really cool years and now I want to see the world.

I am very neat and tidy and my mother has instilled in me a deep sense of guilt if I do anything vaguely naughty. So I won't break anything, stain anything or touch your stuff if I come and stay.

I travelled around Europe from the start of April 2007; and I continued until the end of July 2007 - the majority of this has been through couchsurfing and I have had a most lovely time.

I lived in Istanbul from August 2007 until June 2009 - completely different experience, but I loved it. I made so many friends there and it's very difficult to leave things behind.

In the future, I would love to go the Caucasian Mountains, Iran and into Central Asia and explore the Pamirs and the Tian Shan (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan etc., etc.) and then to China.

I've got plans to visit Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan towards the end of 2011, with a friend.

PHILOSOPHY

I'm not sure about a personal philosophy. It's a bit self-indulgent really. Every one is special and unique and has their own views on life, but sometimes it can remain inarticulated and some people are the better for it remaining like that. I wouldn't want to set out my own views on life in some authoritative, end sort of way; life is only just beginning - I don't what to think about it really... (Hmm...that sounded awfully like a personal philosophy...)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I did lots of exchanges in France with schools when I was younger.
I've couchsurfed using this website countless times in Europe, Turkey and North America and it is a great idea! I've had a great time doing it in each of the places, and I've met lots of cool people and seen lots of cool things. I'd love to do it some more. I've hosted more people as well - So I've probably Couchsurfed with or had to couchsurf about 40 people.
Every person has been different, every person has been cool.

Interests

I like, Chinese and Socialist-era cinema, and I always am looking to watch more more more.
I play the piano, violin and flute and when I spend longer than six months in a place I like to find a choir to sing in.
I like French literature.
I like philosophy and thinking about the bigger questions.
I like Henry James' novels.
I like lamp.

• literature
• singing
• dancing
• tango
• movies
• painting
• drawing
• piano
• violin
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

The best film I have ever watched is "Przesluchanie" (Interrogation in Polish) - it's a really powerful film about motherhood and the penal system in Poland during the time of Communist rule and it's a wonder that it ever got made. However, you can't beat a bit of good old Sister Act, and Sister Act 2. Mo-town beats communist oppression hands down.

I love to read, although I can be selective with stuff, but I usually soldier on with what I have until I finish it.

I like most kinds of music. I especially like songs with big, belting, Shirley-Bassey-esque melodies and a bit of motown, R 'n' B, Jazz, whatever really.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

"Manhattanhenge" - where the sun sets at the correct angle relative to the East-West axis of the New York grid system - I got some amazing photos there...

And I went on the Anti-Iraq war march in London in 2003 and although absolutely freezing, it was completely amazing hearing the concussive roar of the crowd at the top of Whitehall rush into Trafalgar Square.

Teach, Learn, Share

I could teach you:
Welsh? - If ever you fancy taking a holiday to Wales and communicating with the natives - or just to learn a bit of one of Europe's oldest surviving langugages.

How to play the piano, or flute, or violin for that matter, or anything vaguely musical that you have questions about.

I would like to learn Russian properly, and not just enough to get around.

I would like to indulge my arty side a bit - I have quite a scientific eye for detail and I am quite good at drawing but I haven't got the foggiest about painting so that would be nice to develop.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Turkey, United Kingdom

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