(Profile edited in May, 2017)
I love your smile, like strangers love my smile as well :)

Please call me Chia-chi which is my given name. It's perfectly alright if you need to ask me again and again. But, I love my nickname Mandy as well. And, I can teach you my sign language name when I meet you :)

(I didn't think it's strange that almost every young Taiwanese/ Chinese has an English nickname before. The question mark came up to me when one of my foreign friend asked me why I didn't introduce her my real name instead. I love both the meaning of my Mandarin and English name. Somehow, I got a Korean name as well. But It's another story.)

After I spent one year in Australia which I felt so grateful for what the Universe has brought to me, I was changed in the way closer to my true self.

I think it's an attitude one feel more comfortable to live with.
And, this year gave me more courage to (keep) live in this way.

There is a saying from I Ching (易經) written, "安土敦乎仁，故能愛." This is what I wish to practice at the moment. And, it means " To accept the current situation and have kindness(benevolence) in mind, then one can love all other beings with dedication like earth does. " While, I used to only know the other meaning of 安土, which is " to accept who one is, where one is from, and staying at the chosen land with peace. "

The unstoppable flowing energy for exploring the world lures me into different roads one after another. However, I was changed. I wasn't only looking for difference. On the contrary, it's always more fun to find the subtle sameness among the differences.

Change is something one should celebrate.
So, let it be, one said.
And, embrace the Universe.

**To know more about me from here www.instagram.com/wolscch

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Been traveling with CS since I was 18, and why I am STILL on Couchsurfing? :)

Well, why not?
I believe RELATIONSHIP is the element that make everything possible and magical. And, for me, I quite enjoy building bonds with strangers, i.e. you, when I travel/breathe. And, the foundation of RELATIONSHIP is based on TRUST.

Same thing for the Nature, our Mother Earth, as well.

CS is just an awesome platform that brings together people who would love to trust the universe ACTIVELY. The truth is there are plenty more helpful human beings out there. By the way, that's why I am a hitchhiker ;)

There is a little story from me that I'd like to share with you:
This happened when I was 18 :)

Since my family was quite conservative, I used to cheat my parents before I traveled or they wouldn't allow me to. I'd tell them I was going to visit my friends far away from home but still in Taiwan. And, they would trust me as I was always the good youngest daughter.

I told my 2nd CS host, Tom from ChiangMai, my great plan how I was going to cheat my parents before travelling in Thailand. He was concerned about me and how my parents would feel. We started to write long letters to each other through CS several times. That was 2 weeks before my flight.

In the end, I told my parents truth.
The good youngest daughter turned out to be the gypsy in the family.

I knew 2 weeks wasn't enough for my parents or me to rethink about own thoughts and each other. So, in 2015, when I had the idea of taking a gap year, I told them right away. Taking our time to negotiate, to be in each other's shoes.

I met so many other Toms when I CS later on.
So, why not?
You or I will be each other's Tom.
I'm sure about this.

Interests

It's interesting that I felt I wasn't changed at all.
But, I was different somehow.

For example, I've always known that I love nature. But, it wasn't until I traveled in Tasmania that I understood how much more I was into it.
It's like I was in the right spot on the journey of my life.
But, no one ever told me to open my eyes to appreciate its beauty.

And, ta-daaa.
Here I am.
I have so many things I want to do in the rest of my life.

-Earn just enough money
-Traveling deep
-Find a lovely land
-To build(refurbish) a house of my own
-Grow a food forest
-Hug and love people

I shall live to the degree that I could die tomorrow.

• writing
• performing arts
• contemporary art
• dancing
• environment
• human rights
• politics
• movies
• drawing
• music
• history
• permaculture
• off-grid
• design thinking
• bushwalking
• lighting

Music, Movies, and Books

The Little Prince.

Any music depends on where/when I am.
Recent favourite is Jain, Tomppabeats, Hyukoh, and Kisum.

I like all kinds of movies when there is someone watching with you.
But, when I'm alone, I prefer to watch the kind of movies make me "think."

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I just figured out recently that one can never answer this question:
"What's the craziest thing you have ever done?"

For me, everyday is a surprise to me.

The most recent thing would be refurbishing one storage room into my own bedroom.

Yes, I've never had my own room before. This is a big thing for me.
It's like a little step closer to building my own home.

I painted the wall with two colors, quiet nest green and undeniable ocean.
Recycled my granny's old cloth into my carpet which is in scarlet red on wooden floor. Single bed with nave blue bed cloth and golden color doona.

The most important thing is the lighting.
Warm color LED light is the best.

And, if you're going to be my surfer, you could sleep in my room or my brother's room when he's not home.

Teach, Learn, Share

I don't expect.

Every person I meet is a big story book which I can learn one or two things from. But, as I need to advertise myself , I'd love to share the most genuine self, the open mind to respect other different ones, and the stories I've been collected since 22 years ago.

What I Can Share with Hosts

-A promise to help people/travelers in need whenever I can and wherever I am.
-My time. I love to spend time with my hosts if he/she is available. If don't, I'm perfectly fine to be with myself as well. Even alone in the bush.
-My not good enough cooking. Not really Taiwanese style but with all my heart.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Hong Kong, Laos, South Korea, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Taiwan