*I'm staying in Bali , and sometimes randomly reaching out to CS-travelers, offering some little help in planning their trip here

When I was traveling around Europe, I found it difficult to get help, and I realized that many people are here on CS mainly to be hosted (to take advantage of the collectivist culture while abroad, while hiding behind individualist culture in their home country). Understandably, there can be preferences based on gender, race, ethnicity, or nationality. Therefore, I have my own preferences too, and they’re getting narrower, but I still try to treat people with fewer biases.

* I'm particularly interested in understanding travelers who intend to stay in Bali for med- or long-term (either working remotely and/or having a vacation here); My project has something to do with this demographic, but have no worries, I won't take any money from you :)

* Therefore, if you're interested in having discussions about relocating to Bali, feel free to send me a message and lets have a discussion

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As a Host

One thing for sure, I'm more than happy to help you planning your trip in Bali (or even if you plan to relocate here), Indonesia, or some other regions. I love to do it virtually here through messages, though a meetup is also great when the time is right.

As a host, I don't treat people equally and I'm treating people on CS based on how much they've contributed helping other travelers based on their references.

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As a Traveler

I'm an introverted traveler. I do travel not because I love 'traveling' per se. I do it because I realize it offers something deeper that brings me closer to a better understanding of life. And there are many other means offering a similar kind of understanding, therefore, traveling is actually not that essential, though I still do it when I got the chance.

I'm travelling "on budget", and I mean it literally. I'm not a kind of hippies nor backpackers who stay at budget hostels yet spend hundreds of dollars for party, weed, or mushroom haha - though I respect anyone's choice :) . Instead, I'd prefer to engage more with the local culture and gain some insights though observations.

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Hopefully this description may set your expectation on what kind of host or guest I am.

While not enjoying time that much in a bar, I do enjoy sipping some cans of beer or wine, while having enlightening discussions on life, culture, social issues, politics, sports, science, or whatever (yea, that's why I'm a 70yr-old by soul hahaha).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

- Yes, to get some help on accommodations when I travel
- Getting some advice and insights from local people or fellow travelers
- Try to offer some helps to fellow travelers
- And being frank though it might sound cliche, I really relish the opportunity to meet new people from diverse backgrounds and cultures

Interests

I have a particular interest in exotic and ancient cultures:
- Asia: Tibetan, Taiwanese, Japanese culture, or something related to Buddhism
- Europe: Christianity in a version where traditions and arts are heavily expressed (either in the West and East/Orthodoxy), ancient cultures of Greek and Roman
- America: Aztec, Inca, Maya

• culture
• writing
• meditation
• backpacking
• scuba diving
• snorkeling
• physics
• social science
• nature
• freediving
• natural science

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In most cases, everything is amazing in its own way, though for sure I often forgot to enjoy living in those amazing moments.

- I did Camino de Santiago by walking for 800kms in 20+ days.
- Pilgrimage in Tibet, circumambulating a hill for a few kilometers in a day.
- I just realized, millions of other people have done what I did, so that's not really amazing hahaha

Teach, Learn, Share

If we can amicably discuss things objectively, criticize the nations/religions/ideologies/political stances/other sensitive topics, and more importantly if we're capable of laughing at our own stupidity, then I believe we'll have a great time :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

- Help setting some itineraries for a trip around Indonesia (Bali, Java, Komodo, etc), Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and Australia.

- Discuss some ideas about tourism and backpacking, either from the academic or practical perspective.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Indonesia, Japan