CURRENT MISSION

The motto that was used by LIFE magazine works pretty well for me: "To see life; see the world."

ABOUT ME

I'm friendly, relaxed, gregarious, generous, kind and sensitive. I'm pretty easy going, I can be talkative at times but also quiet and reflective at other times.

PHILOSOPHY

In a sentence: Take only pictures, leave only footprints.

Politically, I'm left of the center. In terms of how left, that's a matter of perspective. I've been involved in CND, green and anti-apartheid stuff and I'm a Guardian/Observer subscriber. I recycle, re-use and try live and travel in an environmentally sustainable way and when I do fly, I make sure that trees get planted to absorb the CO2 that my travelling has caused.

I'm a pescatarian (loosely - I still eat meat from time to time) but I'm happy to be fully respectful of those around me and adopt their standards while occupying their space (that they have generously allowed me to crash in).

The way I figure it, this is just basic politeness and respect.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Happy to put people up for one or two nights over weekends.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

When I was younger I travelled a lot and crashed on floors and sofas all over the place. I clean up after myself and try to be respectful of the fact that I'm a guest in someone else's space.

Interests

In no particular order of preference: photography/photojournalism, art, reading, films and travel.

I'm also a pretty keen cyclist, (though strictly warm weather!). I've ridden the London to Brighton for twelve years, the London to Southend for two and in 2006 I rode my first Dunwich Dynamo and broke my century, (100 miles in a day). In 2003 I was lucky enough to be one of the 10,000 riders who participated in the opening ceremony of the final stage of the Tour de France in Paris.

• fish
• arts
• photography
• flying
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• juggling
• fishing
• surfing
• snorkeling
• swimming
• tour de france
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Reading & Literature
I read voraciously although not quite as much as I used to because having an active four year old does tend to limit the time that you have available.

Some of my favourite authors are, (in no particular order): Ben Bova, Anne McCaffrey, JRR Tolkien, HG Wells, Clive Barker, Arthur C Clark, Harry Harrison, Nadine Gordimer, James Michener, Bill Bryson and John Irving. I also really like National Geographic.

Cinema & Film
I fell in love with the cinema at an early age when I used to go to my local flea pit picture house for Saturday morning cinema.

There are way too many films that I love to be able list them all, but generally my favourite genres are French contemporary cinema and science fiction. Some favourites are, (in no particular order): Le Diner de Cons, Amélie, Delicatessen, Pulp Fiction, Star Wars, THX1138, City of Lost Children, Leon, Brazil, Les Amants du Pont-Neuf and Betty Blue.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I slept overnight on the top of Masada when I lived in Israel.

Watching the sun come up over the Jordanian mountains from a spot where the zealots must have stood as they waited for the Romans to take the settlement was a fairly amazing experience.

I also made it up to the top of Mount Sinai for the sunrise was also pretty awesome (even with all the loudly talking Brits, Aussies and Kiwis).

I remain a fan of deserts and both the Negev and the Sahara are really beautiful. One day I really want to visit the Atacama.

I'm a fan of snorkeling and swimming in the Red Sea in with three curious Lion Fish around me rates pretty high too.

Teach, Learn, Share

Happy to try to teach you the three ball cascade (basic juggling). Trust me I can teach anyone - I'm dyspraxic and if I can do it, anyone can!

Happy to give lessons, tips and hints on photography too.

Love to share stories of travelling and life. I used to hitchhike all the time and couch surfing is similar in some ways to this, I get a bed for the night, you get an entertaining and nice person to chat to.

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Monaco, Spain, Tunisia, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Israel, United Kingdom