MY COUCH IS QUITE BUSY THESE DAYS WITH TRAVELERS VIA AIRBNB; I STILL LOVE TO HOST MY BROTHER AND SISTER COUCHSURFERS IN THE GAPS BETWEEN, AND WILL ABSOLUTELY CONSIDER YOUR REQUEST; I WOULD APPRECIATE, IN THE SPIRIT OF COURTESY, AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF MY RESPONSE.

WISHING YOU JOYFUL TRAVELS!

I'm glad that, what with CSing's most recent changes, a "Mission Statement" is no longer required, as I could never organize myself to fit into this very American box...I do, however, love Gandhi's line, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

I moved to this seaside city, with its attendant chilly airs and peoples, in the summer of 2010, after 12 years in Jerusalem, many years in Canada before that and two years of university studies in Southern France. (Sigh...)

I'm still setting up my tent in this strange country, still

wondering how it became such a narcissistic consumer empire,
mourning my Mediterranean "lifestyle" in Israel,
considering how to make sense of my shameful excess of stuff (see George Carlin's delicious piece on this),
trying to imagine a life beyond chasing kibble for my feline love's bowl and museli for mine (teaching English as a Second Language)....

still with many dreams yet to realize!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To date, I've mostly hosted, which I love doing as time and money are limited in visiting all of the corners of this remarkable earth, so I'm so glad its diverse inhabitants can bring parts of their lives to my doorstep!

"A (Couchsurfing) stranger is a friend you haven't yet met."

I've had the sweet pleasure of sharing my kitchen table and cat with a number of lovely people from different corners of this vast world; I also carry in my heart memories of kind people who welcomed me into their kitchen and lives...

Interests

I have many passions -- travelling, cooking, painting and photography, sharing my skills and resources, politics, nature, Buddhist philosophy/psychology teachings, travelling, animals, social justice, languages, films, travelling, teaching, learning, eating...

• animals
• cats
• writing
• photography
• cooking
• walking
• politics
• movies
• traveling
• painting
• boxing
• teaching
• languages
• psychology
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Lots -- of many diverse fragrances and flavors!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The most recent "amazing thing I've done" was take a three month odyssey in India (and Nepal) just before my exodus from Israel. But "amazing things" are equally nestled in otherwise mundane moments in daily life!

Teach, Learn, Share

I do my modest best...being of service in the world is a source of meaningful nourishment.

I do love this story -- better to bore you with words, than with 48 photos of myself from my travels! -- which inspires me as a teacher, social justice activist and spiritual human bean!

"Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions.

Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”

The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”

The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”

I discovered this expression while in India:

"Everything is okay in the end; if it's not okay, it's not the end."

More favorites,

"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

George Orwell

And,

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."

Oscar Wilde

"Do one thing every day that scares you."

Eleanor Roosevelt

I have many other "favorites"; you'll need to come visit to see them on the fridge! ;-)

What I Can Share with Hosts

Lively conversation, another pair of hands in preparing a delicious meal, tutoring in English, taking loving care of your animal or human children...hmmm....to be explored between the two of us!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, France, Israel, Switzerland, United States

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