CURRENT MISSION

To improve my photomagraphy skills, to read all those books I should have already read and to climb a 'real' mountain

ABOUT ME

Hello, my name is Mark. I was born to an Scottish Father, Raymond, and an English Mother, Barbara. I spent my early years in Warwickshire near Stratford-upon-Avon and very much consider this my home. I later moved to Worcestershire and shortly after my wonderful little sister, Deborah, was born. At the age of eight I moved to Yorkshire (The People's republic of Yorkshire as my father wryly called it) where I lived till I was 18. I then attempted to do a degree in Chemistry but did not find this to my liking and then found out a similar truth about Biology. I returned home for a few years before reading English and History and graduated with a BA (hons) in 2006. I have not travelled as much as I would like but I have ambitions to see as many countries as I can. I am particularly interested in the Sahara region of Africa and have visited this great desert on two occasions and plan many more.

PHILOSOPHY

I have a liberal outlook on the world and if I was to sum up 'neatly' what I believe in, it would be as follows:

You are free to do whatever you wish as long as it in no way infringes on the right of your brother or sister to do as they wish

Crude, of course, but if everyone could stick to something not too distant of that I think we could all get along a little better.

I have an interest in all religions and find this a beautiful thing when carried out in peace and with piety.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I`m going to try and be a bit more active locally with CSing and make it work in the UK too, because we have a lot to share over here!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

None as yet!

Interests

I have a great love of literature of almost any kind. I am very interested in the representation of the 'East' in Western literature and, indeed, this is what my degree ultimately focused on. I primarily studied India at university but in my own time I am looking at how the Sahara and it's people are 'imagined' in Western literature .

I enjoy music of most kinds, particulary post-rock.

Films are also a big passion and I can talk about this subject till the cows come home - whether old or new movies!

Travelling of course!

• books
• literature
• baking
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• music
• biology
• chemistry
• history
• religion

Music, Movies, and Books

I will list one of each because there is a danger I could go on forever.

Movie: Dr. Strangelove or how I learned to stop worrying and love to the bomb (Stangly Kubrick)

Music: Takk by Sigur Rós

Book: The Trial by Franz Kafka

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Standing on a very tall dune watching the Sun cast its baking light over the expanse of the Sahara as it rose.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom

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