ABOUT ME

After travelling, working, and studying abroad for a few years, I've found myself back in the beautiful but complicated city of Cape Town. I work in online education where I design and develop courses for universities mostly in the US and UK, so luckily I still get to travel, albeit in a less adventurous capacity than my couchsurfing days.

PHILOSOPHY

"My vocation is love." - St Therese of Lisieux

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

My flatmate and I started hosting couch surfers in our tiny flat in Hong Kong, and I fell in love with the concept of how strangers around the world could share the same philosophy of generosity and curiosity, cultivated by the combination of the internet and real interactions with like-minded travellers! I've had some wonderful couchsurfing experiences in Beijing and Portsmouth, and when I haven't been able to host, enjoyed meeting up for a drink or walk with travellers passing through the cities I lived in.

Sadly, I'm not hosting at the moment, with a demanding job and the flat I'm currently living in. But hopefully I'll enjoy some more CS experiences in the future when things settle down.

Interests

I studied urban studies, so I'm fascinated by everyday experiences in cities. My favourite things to do while travelling is to find a good cafe or park or get to know the public transport. I'm passionate about commuter cycling, which is a bit challenging in the segregated, car-dominated, and hilly city of Cape Town ;) I'm always on the hunt for good coffee, enjoy writing poetry, and having long conversations while running or having a drink with friends.

• coffee
• cycling
• cities
• public transport

Music, Movies, and Books

Favourite band of all time is The National. If you vaguely like them, we'll get along just fine :) Currently, other favourite artists include Grimes, Whitney, and Mount Kimbie.

My favourite writer is a South African poet and essayist, Stephen Watson. Mostly because he made me fall in love with one of my home cities, Cape Town. And without sounding too nerdish, I love the works of city scholars Michel de Certeau and Henri Lefebvre.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

There was something special about cycling home at night while living in London that never really wore off.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love my food and drink -- it's one of my favourite parts of travelling. If you like coffee as much as I do, I'll happily bring along a bag of my favourite beans from Cape Town :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Malawi, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, South Africa, United Kingdom