¡Hola! I am Manuel, a polite, open-minded and adventurous Peruvian guy. I am a graduate of Economics and International Business in Lima, the capital city of Peru. My native language is Spanish but I also speak English. I studied English in an institute for about 6 years when I was still in middle/high school. 

(By the way, my first name is Oscar and my middle name is Manuel. That's why you will see other CS members calling me Oscar in my references, but I prefer people to call me Manuel). 

In my free time, I read (books, newspapers), watch TV series or movies, go out with my friends, study German, and go to the gym.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm on Couchsurfing because I'm looking forward to traveling as much as I can. I may need a place to stay while traveling. I might be in the same position as people who are searching for a place to stay in Lima and, like them, would be very grateful if someone offered me a place to stay in their city. 

Likewise, I would like to help people who have the same dream as me - traveling. I also like meeting new people and learning more about other cultures.

Interests

• education
• politics
• traveling
• international relations
• languages
• volunteering
• diplomacy
• social issues
• international economics
• lgbtq rights

Music, Movies, and Books

I don't have a favorite music group but I usually listen to rock, pop, electronic and Latin music. 

I watch all film genres: comedy, drama, action, horror, etc. Some movies I really enjoyed are Titanic; Life is Beautiful and The Hangover. 

Mostly, I read novels from Peruvian authors or classic authors. For example, I have read "Conversation in the Cathedral" written by Mario Vargas Llosa and "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Hitchhiking at 2 am. in a small town in France.

Getting lost in Marrakech after midnight with a friend and without having any Internet access. We trusted our taxi driver (we had just arrived in the city).

Swimming and then fishing piranhas to eat for dinner in the Amazon river.

Exploring some parts of the East Coast in the USA by sailing from Miami, FL to Annapolis, MD.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share some things about the Peruvian culture, which could help them to understand the culture of other Latin American countries because there are some similarities between them but, as you may know, they are different. For example, it would be great if I could cook for them some Peruvian food, or maybe tell them something about the history of Peru. I make a mean Pisco Sour (a famous Peruvian cocktail).

If they want to learn Spanish, I can talk to them in Spanish in order to support them with improving their language skills. Finally, I can share with them some personal experiences and I can talk about many subjects, I consider myself a very open-minded and respectful person. I believe we can always learn something from anyone in this world.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, Peru, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Peru, Spain