I'm a graduate in Biochemistry and Microbiology. I was researching for a MSc and PhD (In Korea, where I had also worked as an English teacher). I gave that up, worked as a science teacher for a year, and have now moved back to London.

Now, I'm starting up an independent evening+weekend science school for 10 to 15 YOs with my GF who is a yoga teacher. I teach science and she teaches Yoga. Outside of that we want to see more of Britain and Europe in our free time.

I like to have interesting conversations, try new things, and keep my mind and body (reasonably) healthy. Variety is the spice of life; being able to try many different things and gain a greater perspective is what makes life interesting.
But what are those experiences and perspectives worth if they can't be used to reach some meaningful goal? Increasingly I want to feel that at the end of every day I have accomplished something or moved closer to accomplishing something.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Friends hosted me when I was stressed out and needed to get away from it all. Time to pay it back. I host couchsurfers in a small spare room when it's available.

I hope to go on month-long cycle trips every year to different destinations in Europe and maybe some shorter hiking trips too. It would be great that inbetween camping we could be hosted and get to know people in the areas we visit.

Interests

I am interested in the sciences (that is, well thought out concepts based on truthful facts) in all forms, getting out into nature and exercising via hiking and cycling, and I like learning about history, culture, mythology, and discussing (constructive) politics.

• culture
• dining
• fitness
• politics
• traveling
• socializing
• hiking
• teaching
• history
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

A wide variety, but increasingly I am interested in realism rather than fiction. Accurate, narrative realism.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

A surprise encounter with a whale shark while scuba diving in early typhoon conditions in Thailand. Heading back to the boat I could barely see more than a few metres ahead of me when this large form appears, obscurred in the whipped up waters. Larger than myself, it moves towards me as both curiosity and extreme wariness builds in me until I can see it clearly just a few metres from me, a whale shark rather than a shark. . . . It swims past me, around me, and then back into the obscurred waters. That was pretty awesome.

I've attended beautiful festivals around Korea and Thailand with equally gorgeous company. Cycled 100s and 1000s of km around Korea getting to see the whole country personally while cycle-camping. I've participated in a Komdo tournament in Korea as the only non-Korean in the building, the entire building go quiet and feeling everyone's eyes on me when it was my turn to compete.

I've also woken up in a hospital bed not knowing who I was, what language I was speaking (took me a while to realise I was the one speaking), my ethnicity, or any single thing about myself as I drifted in and out of consciousness as a doctor sewed up the side of my face.

Teach, Learn, Share

I have pretty in-depth experience travelling around Korea and parts of Thailand, as well as some experience of Spain. I'd happily advise people on these countries.

I'm a science teacher and can (and will) happily discuss various topics. Not only am I happy to chat about most anything cultural, historical, political, scientific, I have a PhD background and competency to discuss some interesting topics using the latest in published research.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Honestly, I'm pretty crap. My GF is a yoga teacher and she is happy to do yoga with hosts. My skills are more angled towards talking at people for hours : /

Unless the hosts are geeks and want to try a roleplaying game. I'm an experienced GM.

Countries I’ve Visited

Ecuador, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Ireland, South Korea, United Kingdom