CURRENT MISSION

To meet people, drink hoppy ales, listen to live music and dance.

ABOUT ME

I'm a freelance writer, movie buff, and lover of music, esp. Celtic rock. I've also written a novel, a textbook, poetry, and am the Guiness Toast winner of Mickey Finn's Pub. Currently I do narrative nonfiction about the small school reform sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gates.

People call me Peggie

I'm married with three children, ages 9, 12, and 15. Before kids, my husband and I lived in Tokyo for two years--as an adventure. I've traveled to Vietnam, Korea, China and Thailand as well as all over Europe and the US.

I design jewelry, do Irish step dancing, and go out to hear live music whenever I can. I love all types including alternative, folk-roots, new-grass, jazz, blues and rock. Lately I've been obsessed with Wilco.

PHILOSOPHY

I think compassion and tolerance are the key to personal relationships and as well as those between nations.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I just recently joined--so nothing much to report. I have hosted a number of Japanese school teachers as part of a sister city program.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Through an organization called Servas I've stayed with folks in Ireland and Denmark. Other than that, I regularly couch surf at a friend's place in Toronto when I go up to the film festival.

Interests

Indie films. Books. Music with bagpipes. Hoppy micro-brewed ales. Beaded jewelry. All things Japanese and Irish--Colin Farrell is a guitly pleasure.

I love hanging out with people and hearing their stories or hanging out alone and making them up.

• writing
• books
• poetry
• design
• festivals
• dancing
• drinking
• pub crawls
• movies
• socializing
• music
• live music
• jazz
• blues
• freelancing

Music, Movies, and Books

Wilco. Flogging Molly. Richard Thompson. Neil Young. The Dandy Warhols.

Some of my favorite movies include Babel, Lost in Translation, Fight Club, Life is Beautiful, and the movies of Paul Thomas Anderson.

Recent books I've enjoyed are Atonement, What is the What, and When Elephants Dance.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Living in Tokyo for two years, visiting Nicaragua during the Contra war, and raising three kids--a completely ordinary, natural thing--nonetheless, truly amazing.

Teach, Learn, Share

I have lots of experience teaching English and English as a Second Language. I can also probably teach someone an Irish jig.

Sounds cliche but I'm interested in learning anything and everything.

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