CURRENT MISSION

To live and work in China, preferably Qingdao

ABOUT ME

This is best answered by reading the other sections methinks

PHILOSOPHY

I believe there is no 'Big reason' for living, or for existence as a whole, and I would argue that people that feel there needs to be a reason are missing the point. The farther we look and the closer we look, each shows infinite complexity and beauty far exceeding any human concept of divinity.
Don't get me wrong however, yes, I'm pretty much a teapot agnostic, but in no way could I deem myself worthy to question the views of another. No-one should. Constructive discussion however is more than welcome.

Some quotes I quite like:

(Note: The Bruce Lee quotes are about fighting, but I see them as universally applicable in the same way as 'The Art of War')

"A good fight should be like a small play...but played seriously. When the opponent expands, l contract. When he contracts, l expand. And when there is an opportunity... l do not hit...it hits all by itself (shows his fist). Any technique, however worthy and desirable, becomes a disease when the mind is obsessed with it."

"Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves. Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend."

"A fight is not won by one punch or kick. Either learn to endure or hire a bodyguard."

"Forget about winning and losing; forget about pride and pain. Let your opponent graze your skin and you smash into his flesh; let him smash into your flesh and you fracture his bones; let him fracture your bones and you take his life. Do not be concerned with escaping safely - lay your life before him." All above Quotes by Bruce Lee

"Give a fish to a man; he has food for a day. Teach a man to fish; he is fed for life." Chinese proverb

"Build a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day. Light a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life!" Dunno where I saw this,I thought it was quite funny though

"A book tightly shut is but a block of paper." Chinese proverb

"Do not employ handsome servants." Chinese proverb

"He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever." Chinese proverb

"If you bow at all, bow low." chinese proverb (ie. Don't do things halfarsèdly)

"If you don't want anyone to know, don't do it."

"Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?" Sun Tzu

"Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee" Donne

"Be thine own palace, or the world's thy jail." Donne

"For God's sake hold your tongue, and let me love" Donne

"I am two fools, I know; for loving, and for saying so in whining poetry." John Donne

"When one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language." Donne

"There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line." Oscar Levant

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Hosting, surfing is still a few years away for me yet

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've hosted about 9 separate couchsurfing groups so far, with a couple of others doing the couchsurfer thing but not through the website proper.

Interests

I like reading (the act, not the place, though I bear no particular disdain for the place)
writing
cycling
Kung fu
meditation
The smell of rain after a few dry, hot days
forests
animals
nature in general
Philosophy

Playing guitar (my Fender Deluxe Blackout Telecaster), playing mandolin (my Eastman MD615), Shakespeare, martial arts, especially BaguaZhang, Tai Chi and other chinese martial arts, music, Tuvan throat singing (I sygyt better than I kargyraa), different cultures (far eastern have some strange allure for me, i'unno why), psychology, biology, origami, camping and general outdoorsiness, nature, horse riding, Irish and Viking Mythology and folklore, Irish; Japanese; Balkan; Indian and Chinese music, history, green tea, incense, health, food, arguments and ranting (The more passionate I get in an argument, the more eloquent my speech, which is a bit weird. It did wonders for my english homework back in the bad ol' days though), animals, Other stuff. I scrawl down rhymes and poems if they come into my head, but I wouldn't call writing poetry an interest or hobby as such

• animals
• fish
• arts
• culture
• writing
• books
• poetry
• singing
• folklore
• beauty
• dining
• meditation
• reading
• origami
• music
• jazz
• guitar
• cycling
• fishing
• camping
• surfing
• martial arts
• rock climbing
• biology
• divinity
• history
• psychology

Music, Movies, and Books

We'll have to keep something to talk about when you get here!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've climbed down a near vertical mountain face in China with no sure route, certainly no climbing equipment, nor even a preconceived notion of doing it. Good fun. Only a little bit life threatening :/

Teach, Learn, Share

This can only really be answered individually. You can't want to learn something if you don't even know what it is yet!

Having said that there are the convenient usual requests. I'd love to learn and teach music (ie. songs, instruments or even introduction to new bands/artists)
interesting little skills, how to make things, stuff like that.
Most of the teaching/learning/sharing will hopefully be an exchange of viewpoints, concepts, culture... y'know, all that jazz.

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Italy, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom