instagram @neilbretana

CURRENT MISSION

To live.

ABOUT ME

Hi! I'm Neil. I am currently on a retreat in the Barossa region of Adelaide after a hectic and stressful lifestyle in the city of Sydney. I work as a freelance data scientist.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I see myself as a a global citizen, having lived in three countries so far. During these lifetimes, I have met travellers from all walks of life and realised that there is such a thing as human connection between us strangers. I've hosted an surfed and can see myself continuing doing this occasionally to widen my perspective.

Interests

I seldom talk about my research in an off-work environment. I know, I should start being more vocal about my area of expertise and promote what is good in it. Outside of research, I am interested in meditation and philosophy. I yearn to be liberated from earthly and materialistic desires and focus on self-sufficiency and efficiency. When I find myself having some free time, I enjoy watching films.

• animals
• culture
• fashion
• partying
• traveling
• music
• backpacking
• scuba diving

Music, Movies, and Books

My favourite films include Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch, Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity, and probably all of the Marvel films (Kevin Feige is a genius). I also adore films such as Paul Verhoeven's Black Book, and Paolo Genovese's Pefetti Sconosciuti. I review films on my own website and have been accredited by the Sydney Film Festival for the past three years now.
My playlist includes a mix of easy-listening music. Lately, I've developed a liking to music by Odesza, Tycho, and the likes. I've also been really into binaural music - even using it to help explore my subconscious during sleep. Regarding literature, I enjoy reading children's books and non-fictions. My favorites include Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, Donna Karan's auto-biography, and Viktor E. Frankl's Man's search for meaning. I am currently finishing the Canterbury Tales [4 years running now...], A series of unfortunate events, and Deborah Lipstadt's Denial.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Probably sky diving at Lake Taupo in New Zealand. Amazing view. Great experience!

Teach, Learn, Share

Let's share our life experiences, and views. If you want something technical, I can share my knowledge in computer programming :) Otherwise, I also enjoy cooking and baking and am happy to share that too.

What I Can Share with Hosts

People have been so nice and generous at CS. I have been hosted by a couple of generous and beautiful souls and I am grateful for all of that. When hosted, I can share my time and presence to my hosts with the essential respect for them and their private space.

Countries I’ve Visited

China, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Philippines, Taiwan