(STRICTLY NO DATING, BOUNDARIES RESPECT IS EXPECTED). Apologies for screaming this loud but I have been involved in a few uncomfortable situations so I just want to make this clear in advance.

And I don't take sh!t from men here so if you desperately want to show the world how cool you are (through using drugs/smoking weeds or shamelessly brag about your romantic flings, etc.) then we should not meet. I don't want to interact with people who do not take their life seriously. Be a person generating values!

Another thing to bear in mind is references for me are completely voluntary. They should not be seen as a badge of honor or validation but rather as guidance to help us assess whether it's worthwhile to interact with certain individuals (especially to proactively avoid those with clearly negative intentions).
Additionally, I put lots of thought and effort when writing a reference and I don't enjoy giving a basic reference. If you choose to hang out with me, please don't insist I write you a reference for just an hour's meeting. You are better and more sophisticated than a basic reference, that's all.

Finally I have managed to give social media a break 😂 while not having to deactivate it

I'm a lifelong learner and explorer who treats life as an adventure. I took a career break (20 months) and spent 10 months in the Middle East. While traveling I made lots of effort to create beautiful and meaningful memories with new friends during my travels. Travelling for me isn't just about "been there done that", people are the reason that makes me stay longer or return to the same place over again.

Update: I have recently returned to the corporate world, and while I appreciate the new challenges it brings (not to mention the financial freedom that allows me to maintain my lifestyle 😂), it doesn't quite align with my free-spirited nature. As a result, I often feel caught in a state of limbo, which is why I make plans to travel abroad whenever possible.

I also started writing articles about geopolitics and publish them on my LinkedIn. If you are curious, feel free to take a look at my 1st article 'The Turkish Earthquake: A Spotlight on Syria"
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/turkish-earthquake-spotlight-syria-christine-phuong-ho. I try to make more time for writing and sharing new articles because the weight of carrying inspiring stories that are worth spreading makes me feel heavy :) This also fills me with a sense of purpose and responsibility.

I would describe myself as easy-going, sociable, and considerate, although I am also very out-spoken, self-disciplined and critical. I have a strong passion for debating and don't settle for incomplete answers, but I remain open-minded and willing to learn and embrace new perspectives. You will often find me engaging in lively discussions and challenging others, though it depends on the vibe, balanced knowledge level, my energy and enthusiasm.

My passion outside of my professional career is travelling because it has helped me develop to become a wiser and more open-minded person through meeting and sharing stories with new people with whom I wouldn't have the same opportunities to cross paths in my normal daily life.

I don't use CS for free accommodations so I only look for good companies who would like to share food, and good stories, or go to explore nature and have deep conversations. I am open to exchange ideas, and experiences and talking about pretty much anything. My favourite topics are (but are not limited to) cross-cultural management, leadership, technology adoption, data literacy, diversity and inclusion, environment, sustainable development, geopolitics, religion, history, neuroscience, psychology, mindfulness, etc. (sorry for the name-dropping haha) I am also an outdoor enthusiast who is very passionate about off the beaten path travel routes, hiking, glamping (not so much of camping 😂 due to my sleeping difficulty), snorkelling, etc. I also really enjoy visiting museums, galleries, festivals, exhibitions, archaeological sites, historical buildings, etc.

I'm Vietnamese, and since studying, living and working in the UK for the last 13 years, hence my second language is British sarcasm 😜 You will expect lots of jokes about cultural misinterpretation from my life experiences growing up in the East but studying and working in the West.

Back home in the UK, I live a simple life. I like to spend time in the nature/park - can be a bike ride, a hike or a walk if the weather is good. I also enjoy spending time with friends cooking together or going out for a meal. I love wine and shisha but only do it for social gatherings with friends. I also enjoy spending time on my own, researching and reading various random topics. I devote even more time to pondering and reflecting on what I have read, observed, and discussed. My curious brain simply doesn't stop questioning, perhaps it's a blessing and a curse 🤷 However, I acknowledge that my self-development journey has been benefiting from this process, even though I do suffer from occasional lack of sleep due to overthinking.

I am a qualified Advanced PADI diver.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I never thought about Couchsurfing until planning my solo trip to Oman during the first lockdown in 2020. This is the best place to meet new people who also appreciate, respect and have curiosity about others who come from different cultures. Ultimately, humans are the same regardless of our different backgrounds, faith, social status or geographical border.

Funny enough, I have recently met amazing people on CS who have 0 references and do not even complete their CS profiles. On the other hand, I have encountered a few rude CS males who showed no respect to women, given that I have selected them carefully from references. Nevertheless, I continue choosing CS to build new friendships.

I would love to be hosted by families in small cities/villages following whatever the families do to experience how people live their daily life, spend their free time, give them a hand to make family meals, make new friends with their neighbours, etc. I appreciate slow-paced life when people focus on developing strong ties with family and the local community.

To fellow travellers: If you happen to travel to the same place that I go, do let me know so we can meet up for a meal or go for a day trip.

Interests

• photography
• cooking
• wine
• fine dining
• fitness
• yoga
• dieting
• meditation
• reading
• traveling
• music
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• scuba diving
• snorkeling
• archeology
• history
• religion
• hitchhiking
• travelling
• nature
• street food
• exploring
• foodie
• traditions
• healthy lifestyle
• islam
• culture exchange
• conflict resolution
• mountain hiking
• listening to stories
• hosting people
• off the beaten track
• history and culture
• weird food

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I like all sorts of music, from K-pop to Baltic, Francophone, Reggae, Bosa Nova and even Arabic :) If you are adventurous enough, check out my taste :)
- Spotify profile https://open.spotify.com/user/112250318?si=EwN2BrFDQkGqNU3AVj-LUg
- Anghami profile https://play.anghami.com/profile/127039519?adj_adgroup=profile&adj_t=dgl0aa8_64v1dnl&adj_campaign=android&adj_creative=127039519

Movies: I'm not a huge movie fan but always up for recommendations from friends, and it turned out quite well most of the time. I also never feel old for animated movies, hard to pick just one favourite but I can name a few such as Coco, Coraline (and the majority of films directed/produced by Tim Burton), Arthur Christmas, Toy Story, Shaun the sheep

Books: I prefer articles/journals over books but do own a small collection of good books. I enjoy reading MIT Review, Harvard Business Review, and Financial Times (The Big Read, Middle East politics and society) as much as travel blogs.

Documentaries: I also like watching documentaries and informative YouTube/Ted talks. I like the documentary series called "Tropic of Capricorn" hosted by Simon Reeve. Simon is also one of my favourite people on Earth for his humbleness and compassion for people who are less fortunate than us. I also love his enthusiasm and passion for education about some of the most beautiful but also troubled parts of the world through his inspiring storytelling skills. Hans Rosling is another great storyteller, who sadly passed away a couple of years ago. He has a knack for making numbers (i.e. world statistics) tell stories to provide us with more up-to-date views about the world and human progression. With his magical visualisation skills and great sense of humour, he helps us revise lots of old facts/misconceptions using more recent data from trustworthy public data sources.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have overcome my math and coding phobia and now work in data 😂.

During the financial crisis, I experienced the harsh reality faced by 80% of the Lebanese population, including the lack of basic needs such as only 2 hours of daily electricity and clean running water. This experience taught me the value of a simple life.

After the signing of an agreement on exploiting the oil reserve found in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, I visited the UN camp in Naqoura located between Israel and Lebanon.

While staying in Najran in Saudi Arabia (which used to be part of Yemen before the Taif treaty), I experienced a Yemeni-like culture and architecture since Yemen was not accessible. However, the sound of artillery was a stark reminder of the suffering endured by people on the other side of the natural hilly border.

I hitchhiked to get around Kauai island (where they filmed Jurassic Park) in 2014. Only 7 years later I discovered hitchhiking was illegal in Hawaii 😂. No wonder only honeymooners picked me up and locals avoided me like the plague.

I hitchhiked with one of the GoT crew members from Trsteno to Dubrovnik in 2013.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can introduce and teach you how to cook Vietnamese and a few more South East/ East Asian food. I used to run home-based cooking classes as a hobby to meet new people when I was living in London. Feel free to skip the learning and go ahead for the food as cooking might not be everyone's cup of tea :)

I am also a mentor in the data science/data engineering/analytics field, I'm more than happy to provide you with some support on data analysis, coding, CV tailoring, digital marketing, etc.

I find so much joy in constantly learning new things that bring me true happiness and better health. I also unlearn lots of misguided teachings influenced by social expectations/peer-pressure as well as outdated education from our school or family. In the process, I still uphold important traditional and moral values that act as my guiding compass in this increasingly liberal world. This dedication and discipline helps me become the best version of myself without being disturbed by nonsense and it's truly rewarding. I hold myself to high standards in various aspects of life and also maintain high expectations of others. This means that I take work, study, travel, food, friendship, love, and other areas seriously, and I prefer to interact with people who share similar standards. But hey, life is all about refusing to settle for mediocrity and striving for the best, right?

I'm also an inquisitive and scientific problem solver. If you provide me with the right data to work with, it's even better :) Anyway, I enjoy sharing ideas, solutions, and advice on various matters in life. However, due to my logical mindset and focus on offering good long-term results (which usually requires lots of effort and hard-work), I may sometimes come across as stepping on other people's toes. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it's an aspect of myself that I am actively working on and being mindful of when and who to offer my input because some individuals may not appreciate or act upon it due to their opposite mindset and laziness. In a professional context, my efforts, ideas and energy are compensated by salary and many perks so no time to waste on those not valuing my feedback 🤷

What I Can Share with Hosts

My travel stories (some are crazy and spontaneous). I will also brag about countless kind people that I was fortunate to meet during my travel.
And last but not least - my cooking :) If you choose to cook, I'll buy ingredients/desserts/drinks or invite you out for a meal. I appreciate and value genuine hospitality and would do my best in return.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bahrain, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, Oman, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom, Viet Nam