I fancy myself as an intellectual, a bohemian, and somewhat of a hedonist.

I love learning, traveling, exploring, adventuring, and experimenting, all while laughing at every stupid thing that happens along the way. I am up for a good challenge anytime, whether it's figuring out how a gadget works or a tête-à-tête with a friend who outsmarts me ;)

When I go to a place, I want to feel its 'soul'. Over the years, I have come to believe in the adage - 'the best way to discover a city is to get lost there'! :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet people who are explorers and carry great stories with them, and to share mine!

I visit a country to truly understand it. Monuments, sceneries and city squares do tell a lot about the country. But the living and breathing story of the country lies with its people - what are their hopes and fears, what they value, and how they live their lives..

Interests

• culture
• theater
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• technology
• movies
• traveling
• hiking
• business
• nature
• trekking

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Love spending time in bookstores. If only, I'd more time to read....! Of what I have read, I really liked book(s) of Haruki Murakami, Paulo Coelho, Malcolm Gladwell, Hermann Hesse, George Orwell, Seth Godin, and Ayn Rand.

Movies: Mainly adventure, comedy, drama, romance and animation genres. A pick of a few titles: Amélie, The Bucket List, Children of Heaven, Le Dîner de Cons, Ratatouille, Inception, The Dreamers, Johnny English, The Prestige, Into the Wild, Before Sunrise.

Music: Mainly indie (yes, vague, but so is my taste in indie music)...we're talking Radical Face, Jaymay, The Lumineers, The Paper Kites, Imagine Dragons, Band of Horses, The Shins, Vampire Weekend etc.
I also do Simon & Garfunkel, Coldplay, Yann Tiersen, Ludovico Einaudi, Hans Zimmer, The Piano Guys and The Cinematic Orchestra.

Shows: Game of Thrones, Chef's Table, Last Week Tonight, HIMYM, Shark Tank, House of Cards, The Newsroom (thanks to Netflix, the list just keeps growing)
Other shows type things: I like music concerts and festivals, I like theatre, I like comedy and improv.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The night I spent on the Dharwa Summit of The Himalayas has remained embedded in my memory as fresh as it was then. The snow covered peak and the vast surrounding ranges flooded with moon-light and the near perfect peace outside were simply breathtaking! Hadn't it been for the very low temperatures, I would have loved to spend the whole night strolling outside.

Teach, Learn, Share

Professionally...my work involved understanding human behaviour, emerging trends, mapping competitive environment and launching new products and services (rather businesses). If you have interest in these areas, I will be happy to talk more (help you). I know..these are meaningless stuff, if you are trying to survive a storm during a trekking trip!
Personally, I can help you with cooking..And if you would like, I can try Indian cooking techniques with the locally available ingredients.
I do meditation every once in a while and believe in its power to clear your head and give you a better sense of well being.
On this trip..I am also interested in collaborating with people to make short stories/films. If interested, we can talk!

What I Can Share with Hosts

If you are interested in or planning to travel to any of the countries I have been to, I can provide you information and anecdotes. And..if you have any curiosities about India, I am your guy! Shoot the questions...

An optimistic attitude towards life..Hope!

Countries I’ve Visited

Armenia, China, Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Russian Federation, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, France, India, Netherlands, Spain