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Overview

  • 141 references 70 Confirmed & Positive
  • Ambassador
  • Fluent in English; learning French, German, Japanese, Spanish
  • 43, Male
  • Member since 2005
  • Chasing and collecting experiences and memories.
  • Urban and Rural Planning
  • From Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  • Profile 100% complete

About Me

To explore the many round corners of the globe, meeting new people along the way. I'm gregarious, courteous, and can be loquacious.

PHILOSOPHY

There are no strangers. Just friends I haven't met yet.

Experience is the greatest teacher. Travel is the greatest experience. From experience comes wisdom. From wisdom comes enlightenment.

I also dislike most social media platforms. You won’t find me using anything owned by Meta and I’m looking to de-Google my life as well.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I have nothing but good things to say about CouchSurfing. I've been on this platform for over a decade now and have surfed and hosted many. The kindness and generosity of others I've met on this network from around the world is what keeps me going, and with this spirit, I give back.

Interests

Art, film, urban planning, and industrial design. Sustainable living with a goal of leaving as small an ecological footprint as possible.

I also enjoy hiking, walking, cycling, and when the opportunity arises, the occasional rowing in a canoe.

  • arts
  • books
  • design
  • walking
  • traveling
  • cycling
  • hiking
  • canoeing
  • teaching

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC
Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Human League, Tears for Fears, Bonobo, The Postal Service, MGMT, Belle and Sebastian, Kraftwerk, Radiohead, Coldplay, Simon and Garfunkel, Carpenters, Carol King, Bill Withers, The Beatles, Simple Minds, OMD, Spandau Ballet, Arcade Fire, Daft Punk, Bon Entendeur, The Blaze, MEUTE, and many others.

MOVIES
Xavier Dolan films (J’ai tué ma mère, Mommy, Laurence Anyways), Pedro Almodovar films (Mujeres al Borde de un Ataque de Nervios, Carne Trémula, Todo Sobre mi Madre), Loving Vincent, Me and You and Everyone We Know, Richard Linklater films (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight, Boyhood), Studio Ghibli films (Tonari no Totoro, Kaze no Tani no Naushica, Hotaru no Haka), Little Miss Sunshine, Der Himmel über Berlin, Kieslowski's Trois Couleurs: Bleu, Rouge, Blanc, Pixar films (WALL-E, Monsters Inc, Toy Story, Up), The Little Prince, Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, Naqoyqatsi, A24 films (Everything Everywhere All at Once, Lady Bird, 20th Century Women, Ex Machina, Midsommar) and many others.

BOOKS
JPod, The Gum Thief, and Elenor Rigby by Douglas Coupland, The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami, The Happy City by Charles Montgomery, and many others.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Please. Just one? Life is sprinkled with great and memorable moments! Here are some of mine:

- Went on a cross-Canada trip by VIA Rail on Canada's 150th!
- Experienced the Olympic spirit and national pride during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics!
- Went snorkelling off the coast of Phi Phi Island.
- Met John Ralston Saul at a book-signing in Beijing.
- Interviewed Douglas Coupland at the CBC Book Club in Vancouver.
- Watched a spectacular sunset in Christchurch, NZ.
- Worked at a ski resort in Nagano, Japan.

Teach, Learn, Share

"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." -Mark Twain

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

What I Can Share with Hosts

Let's discover food and drinks together, on me!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, China

Old School Badges

  • 18 Vouches
  • Pioneer Badge

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