25 year old student, currently undertaking a PhD in Clinical Neuroscience.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

For me, good travelling experiences are defined by meeting great people who are curious and passionate about everything that they encounter. These are the ones with the most engaging stories, amusing anecdotes, and unique outlooks on life that have made my trip so special. I consider it a huge privilege to have met such a variety of people on my travels. Himalayan tribesmen, Vietnamese farmers, Japanese software writers, Hindu holy men, Bhuddist monks, Cambodian easyriders, Indian labourers, and so fourth. By sharing our perspectives on life, these are the people I have learned the most from and been able to impart the most wisdom to.

It is these people that I am keen to continue to learn from, and why I am looking to meet them through couchsurfing.

Interests

Music.
Music is my passion. I have been collecting vinyl records since I was 18 and I now have over 600 records in my collection, encompassing an array of different styles and genres. I was a DJ for three years when I was at university, so lots of my records are for the dancefloor - house, techno, disco and UK garage for example. I developed a taste for jazz around the age of 20, and have been obsessed ever since. If you share my passion for music, I would love to compare our favourite albums and artists. I also love going to jazz bars - it would be great to couchsurf with someone who has a similar taste for the sort decadent interiors, delicious cocktails and sublime music these institutions have to offer!

Travelling.
I actually think that my taste in music and attitude towards the world are intrinsically linked. I enjoy delving into underrated artist's work in the same way I focus on going off the beaten track when I am in a foreign country. I love having an open mindset towards life that lends itself to discovering new musical styles and interesting places. For me, it's about learning as many new things in as shorter time as possible. Seven months may sound like a long time but it really isn't when you have half the world to cover! I would love to meet people who share this outlook on the world and I am sure there are many of you on couchsurfing.

• cocktails
• drinking
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• jazz
• piano
• hinduism
• track and field
• religion
• software

Music, Movies, and Books

John Coltrane - A Love Supreme

Breakfast Club - John Hughes

Nausea - Jean Paul Sartre.

Far too many to go into here, these are just a few examples.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I was motorbiking through northern India in April. I met so many interesting people throughout this time, but it was really the diversity of these people that made it so special. There are too mang experiences to go into here, the following list comprises a few examples: I met mountainous tribes in the Himalayas; desert tribes in Rajasthan, I was invited to various weddings and sporting events; I meditated with Holy Man (baba) in a cave; I drank with locals in various drinking holes across the countries; I smoked a Chillum with the Himachali Mafia (this last one is actually true, I have photographic evidence).

Teach, Learn, Share

Cannabis is illegal in India, but exceptions are made for the Holy Men (babas) because it is thought that smoking it brings them closer to God. It is not uncommon to be offered a Chillum pipe at many temples around the country. But be warned, the effects can be... Substantial.

Sihks never cut their hair because it is seen as a symbol of strength. They keep their hair in a turban to prevent it being a nuisance. They also carry small swords to protect their religion when necessary, and often wash themselves when they visit their temples because the Holy water is thought to have healing powers.

The Indian Government classifies Kashmiri militant groups as terrorists, the local Kashmiri consider them freedom fighters. Kashmir wants to succeed from the Indian state but the government wants it to remain part of the country. The local people feel repressed by the substantial presence of the armed forces. The government say it is for their protection.

In India, pointing with your little finger signifies that you would like the toilet. In Vietnam, the same gesture means 'f**k off'.

Ornette Coleman developed a style of jazz that to many sounds dissonant and unusual. Colman is said to have developed his unique sound by mistake. His mother bought him a saxophone when he was young, and Ornette used a piano to learn it's basic notes and chords. Little did he know that a piano and alto saxophone use different keys - the treble clef and alto clef respectively. In consequence, he essentially learnt the sax out of key, but decided that his harmonics were preferable to conventional major and minor keys used by classical and conservative jazz composers of the period. He is now considered one of the greatest innovators in the jazz world.

Charles Mingus was one of the finest jazz composers and double bass players of his time. His music was highly political, and often made reference to the state of American society at the time. Mingus had a white mother and black father. His magnus opus, 'The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady', is thought to be inspired by their relationship. A quick glance at the title gives an indication of the way that American society at the time would have viewed such a pairing. It is 40 minutes long, and is one of my all time favourite jazz pieces, partly for the passion and emotion that is conveyed by the soloists, and partly for the truly innovative and dynamic compositional flare that Mingus demonstrates. Also of note in Mingus' discography is the track 'Fables of Faubus'. Faubus was an American college that, at the time the segregationist John Crow laws were revoked, refused to allow entry of black students into the university grounds. In protest, Mingus composed this track as part of his seminal 1959 album 'Ah Um'. The original version of the track contained lyrics that spoke derisively of Faubus and American government at the time, but the lyrics were censored from the track by the record label, for fear of attracting unwanted federal attention!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Loads of great travelling stories, philosophical thought, high calibre British banter.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, South Africa, Turkey, Uganda, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

England