Hi, we are Maxime and Maleïka (30 y.o), a couple of best friends, from Montreal Canada. Since day one of our relationship, we have been driven by common passions and hobbies such as music, food, visual arts and going outdoors… Leading us to this Workaway adventure. We are eager to use our hands.

About Maleïka: For the past 10 years I have developed a career as a freelance producer and consultant for cultural initiatives of all sorts (musical careers, festivals, interactive technologies, animation, etc). I have also worked part time in restaurants since a young age, as my dad is a chef and nutritionist. I've become passionate about sustainable community living, and I am looking for ways to connect cultural initiatives with community work in the years to come. I've also been making music since I was 4, mostly as a singer/songwriter, and I am currently learning more and more about digital music production and sound engineering.

About Maxime: For the past 10 years I have worked in kitchens as a cook and have become a chef at the Diese Onze Jazz Club in Montreal. I recently quit my job to do a workaway where I can learn new techniques, taste new food and learn about other cultures. I like to experience the local way of life when I travel and I believe that Workaway is a great way to do just that. Music is my biggest passion, I play keyboard and synths in a couple of musical projects.

We have a music project together that we are looking forward to pursue in our down time during our workaway.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

We are on a one-way trip around Costa Rica and we know CS is one of the best ways to travel and to capture the real magic of each place. Maxime has also travelled around Europe for 3 months in the past using this app! Maxime: "So far, CS has been a life changing experience and i met so much people who totally changed m'y conception of the universe we are in."

Interests

Arts in general but mostly music!

• traveling
• music
• camping
• philosophy
• food
• nature
• learning
• sharing stories
• live shows

Music, Movies, and Books

One of the things Maleïka and I share in common is our love for music. Anything that is well made/produced/directed appeals to us but mostly Hip-hop , Soul, NeoSoul, RnB and traditional african genres such as Gnawa and Chaabi.
We like the mixture in between genres.

Maleïka's favourite movie and series : The Little Princess and How to Get Away with Murder
Max's favourite movie and series : Lord of the Rings and Avatar, the Last Airbender

We like to read philosophy, fantasy novels, biography and poetry. Spinoza, Plato, JRR Tolkien, Jim Morrison, Baudelaire, Bernard Werber, Erick Emanuelle-Schmidt just to name a few.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Maxime : Backpacking amongst breathtaking landscapes in the Rocky Mountains barefoot. Hitchiking alot and meeting ton of awesome people.
Couchsurfing in the most unusual places and meeting people from all over the world, changing my perception of the world that surrounds us.
Recording music with my friends is also always a blast!

Maleïka : I was invited at a big music festival in Amsterdam last year (Down the Rabbit Hole) to perform. It was just for one song but I flew there from Montreal because the site is beautiful, hidden in a forest with a lake, and my all time favorite artist Erykah Badu was also in the line up.

Teach, Learn, Share

TEACH US ALL YOU KNOW. Knowledge should be open and free to everyone who wants to learn.
We'd really like to learn how you are living your life as a local.
We've both worked in many restaurants, Maleïka was more on the service side while I was in the kitchens. Maleïka has also built a lot of experience in cultural mediation and production, consulting and grand writing. As of Maxime, even though he doesn't consider himself a masterchef, he has a couple of tricks up his sleeve that he can gladly teach you. We can also teach you to sing, play piano and flute! Also, there is a lot of amazing underground artists in Québec that we can show you!

What I Can Share with Hosts

A nice conversation around a meal or a cup of coffee. We are respectful, we'll leave your place cleaner than we found it. We can cook for you and share recepies, knowledge and even paint or jam!!

Countries I’ve Visited

Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada