I'm an openminded, friendly, outdoorsy nerd from up North. Currently a PhD student in chemistry and palaeontology at University of Helsinki. I would really appreciate it, if you read through my profile including "My Home" section before requesting to stay at my place. However, if you are in a hurry and need a place to crash quickly, include the word "Smilodon" in your request. That way I will know that you have at least looked at my profile. Thank you! :)

NOTE!!! I will not host people visiting Helsinki just to attend or volunteer at Flow Festival. NOTE!!!

I can be very talkative in company, but as is usual for a finnish person, I also cherish the quiet moments. I have a wide range of interests and enjoy talking about all things of nature, biology, natural sciences, history, culture, geography, architecture, etymology of pretty much anything, mechanics, fossils, military clothing and paraphernalia, numismatics and quality drinks. Most of all, I like to hear about the experiences of foreigners, as they usually have the most interesting stories. :) My favourite pastimes include various outdoors activities such as birdwatching and botany, long-distance hiking, backpacking and hitchhiking, videogames, reading comics and manga, listening to classical music and tasting quality beer and wine. I don't smoke, but don't mind if other people do. Neither do I have allergies to any foodstuff or pets.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I have lived all my life in one city, my place of birth Helsinki, so I am naturally very interested in experiencing new, exotic places outside of the frozen North. :D I also believe that I get much more out of a visit to any place, when I meet someone local who can show me the non-touristy, authentic part of the community. I want to make it possible for other people to experience the same thing in Helsinki.

Interests

• culture
• architecture
• wine
• beer
• wine tasting
• classical music
• hiking
• backpacking
• biology
• chemistry
• ecology
• etymology
• geography
• geology
• history
• physics
• science
• hitchhiking
• nature
• quantum physics
• craft beer
• cosmology
• pubs
• world history
• paleontology
• meteorology
• numismatics
• botany
• nature walks
• fossils
• birdwatching
• long distance hiking
• mechanics

Music, Movies, and Books

I listen to music far too seldom nowadays, but I do occasionally enjoy catching some classical music, jazz, blues, heavy metal and epic fanfares. Sometimes, in gusts of peculiarity, I can also find myself captivated by pretty much anything that has a catchy tune, be it J-pop, rap or opera. Movies I enjoy are similarly diverse and I seldomly go out of my way to see them, being content with whatever is on tv. I spend most of my days reading scientific literature, so I rarely have the energy to pick up a book in my free time, but when I do, I enjoy anything from classics to fantasy to popularised science to autobiographies. In addition, I find much enjoyment in watching stand-up comedy, liking American (Louis CK, George Carlin), British (Bill Bailey, Jimmy Carr, Sean Locke, Greg Davies, Frankie Boyle, Danny Bhoy), Irish (Dara O'Brien, Dylan Moran, Aisling Bea) and Finnish comedians equally (Sami Hedberg, Ismo Leikola). The darker the humour, the more I like it! :D

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I hiked 140 km trough the amazing wilderness of the finnish arctic to reach the highest point of Finland, Halti. While Halti is probably not high enough (1324 m) to warrant reaching the peak to be called amazing in itself, the journey there among the reindeer and barren rocky outcrops, as well as the people I met on the way, amounted to a simply amazing experience.

I spent a month as an excavation volunteer in the Eocene fossil locality Messel Pit, in Germany. The uncertainty, of never knowing what type of excuisitely preserved creature would be the next to pop up from between the layers of shale, was absolutely marvellous!

Teach, Learn, Share

I have a great body of knowledge in beer tasting and brewing, and can arrange a proper tasting of craft beers at home or possibly even abroad. :) I enjoy teaching the basics of finnish language as much as I do learning the basics of any other language. In addition, I know how to whistle, throw playing cards and wiggle my ears, maybe I can teach you! :D

I am curious by nature and hence like to learn all kinds of things, but especially I enjoy hearing about the local culture, customs, history and wildlife of a place I am traveling in. I find it extremely interesting to hear about what kind of a place you come from. :) I am happy to show you around Helsinki, depending on the weekday and work schedule.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I know quite a bit of this and that on a wide range of topics, ranging from winemaking to videogames to vexillology, all of which I am happy to share and discuss with anyone willing to listen. I am also fairly handy with tools and mechanical things, so if something is broken, I might be able to fix it. Usually I have some DIY repair supplies on me while I travel.

Countries I’ve Visited

Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Finland