CURRENT MISSION

To comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, and to have more fun than a train full of monkeys while we do it. To keep learning and loving and working for change until we die.

ABOUT ME

Marianne, retired social worker, Michael, entrepreneur. We're busy folks: community activists and running an internet business. Time with our grandkids, too. Lots of interests: grassroots work, writing, music, gardening, walking, sewing, traveling, reading. Working for single payer health care in the US! The business? Yak Research (no, we actually sell skate/scooter/skateboard wheels, bearings, etc. and we do not study yaks).

We both love good conversation - about the issues of the day or just general stuff. Michael especially appreciative of good jokes!

PHILOSOPHY

To leave the world a better place than we found it, and to have more fun than a train full of monkeys while we do it. To keep learning and loving and working for change until we die.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We'll use CS to connect with folks as we travel, and, we hope, to host folks from all over the place here at our house.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

New to CouchSurfing, but spent 3 weeks in Russia and Uzbekistan using a Home Stay program. It was great. The Russian couple who put us up in Samarkand were aloof and distant, but the Uzbek families in Bukhara & Tashkent and Russian families in Moscow & Leningrad were very nice, very welcoming. Great entre to Couch Surfing!

Interests

People, Community Activism, Politics, Culture, History, Gardening....

• culture
• writing
• running
• walking
• gardening
• politics
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• crochet
• knitting
• music
• surfing
• skateboarding
• business
• entrepreneurship
• history
• languages
• social work

Music, Movies, and Books

Latcho Drom, Brother Where Art Thou?, Mitch Hedberg. God, don't you just LOVE Mitch Hedberg (yes, I know...), Bluegrass (Ralph Stanley is tops!), World Music

Books - sociology, politics, travel, British mysteries...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Michael has seen an atomic explosion - he was a sailor cleaning up nuclear debris in the last open-air test the US did in the Pacific. Amazing he's still alive, isn't it!!

I started a rape crisis line in the mid-70's in a small California town when the received wisdom was that you only got raped if you asked for it. Uphill battle every step of the way - one of the hardest things I've ever done!

And we met and visited with Hazel Dickens!!!!!!!!!!!

Teach, Learn, Share

- Looking to meet people who want to talk about their communities and their culture. Looking to learn however much we can of other languages.

- We like to talk about Palestine and what we can all do to end the suffering. We like to talk about issues of peace and war, and what part we might all play in making a more just and peaceful world. We act on our beliefs.

- with 60 years of social activism between us, we have a lot to share, and even more to learn. We're longtime community organizers and would love to share our wisdom and gather yours about making the changes we need.

- I could help someone learn to sew and crochet and would love to learn about quilting and knitting.

- we both write and are good editors, if that's useful to some.

- We could help beginners learn about gardening, and would like to learn more about same.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, China, Cuba, Greece, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Philippines, Portugal, Russian Federation, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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