CURRENT MISSION

explore the natural world

ABOUT ME

If I was an animal I would be a cuttlefish.

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Right now I am aiming for a PhD in ecology (emphasis on community dynamics of tropical forests). I like to ponder why various combos of species are found where they are. I also try to balance out the science heavy part of my life with painting and indulging in culinary whims.

PHILOSOPHY

Exploring nature with an artist's eyes and a scientist's curiosity

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I like to eat and make food. I am a fan of fresh veges, lots of garlic or spices, stinky cheeses, and things that go well with rice. As a general way of saying thanks, I like to make dinner or brunch for folks who are kind enough to let me couch surf at their place.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I am excited by CS and I want to participate more (both hosting and surfing).

I lived out of a hammock for over a year, traveling to various islands in search of extra quirky critters and plants. I have couch surfed just a few times, and all of my experiences have been great.

Interests

Flowers, bees, bugs, trees, fungi, orchids, ecology, lichens, moss***painting, drawing, bronze casting***making sense of numbers***burningman, fire dancing, crazy circus types of things, giant puppets***cooking, especially curry, anything with garlic is good, lots of spices but not too hot to taste***chocolate, 70% cocoa and above***rainy days***riding a bike***islands, especially Madagascar, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Tassie *** temperate rainforest, cloudforests ***tree climbing, canopy, epiphytes***Darwin, evolutionary biology***squid, octopus,cuttlefish***maps, GIS, making sense of why critters are found where they are***embracing the geek in me

• animals
• arts
• burningman
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• chocolate
• flowers
• traveling
• painting
• drawing
• cycling
• surfing
• rock climbing
• biology
• cartography
• ecology
• entomology
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

BOOKS- My all time favorite books include Song of the Dodo; Guns, Germs and Steel; the Forgotten Pollinators, and the Harry Potter series. Recent books that I have read include Blink, Math Instinct, the Usagi Yojimbo graphic novels.

MOVIES- As far as movies I have a soft spot in my heart for anime, especially movies like Nausicaa Valley of the Wind. "Everything is Illuminated" is my favorite movie of the past few months. I am also into watching odd TV series/documentaries like Myth busters or Japanorama.

MUSIC-As far a music I tend to enjoy everything, especially if I can dance to it. Electronic, klezmer, goa, bluegrass, salsa, reggae, things beyond description. Some of my favorite bands include Beirut, Iron and Wine, Ratatat, and Gogol Bordello.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Climbed trees, listened to orchid stories, walked on fire, explored islands.

Teach, Learn, Share

Art, botany, entomology, ecology, statisitics, forests, mycology, GIS, remote sensing, knots, painting, bronze casting, scultpures, fan dancing, exchanging ideas, orchids.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Costa Rica, France, Indonesia, Mauritius, Russian Federation

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Madagascar, Puerto Rico, United States

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