CURRENT MISSION

Awakening!

ABOUT ME

Though a native of Australia, I have spent many years outside the country. I am very much a seeker but at the same time practical, easy-going, and as far from a fanatic as you could possibly get. Each to his /her own, as they say. From a young age, I developed a certain scepticism about the appearance of things - or a curiosity as to what might lie behind so-called reality. For many years I have begun and ended my days with mediation, which strikes me as ideal way not to lose touch with what I intuited years ago.

PHILOSOPHY

I have always felt empathy for those less fortunate than I happen to have been throughout life. God knows there are many. I view the writing I do as one attempt to help. The hands-on caregiving is the practical complement. I have a great curiosity about the world and love a challenge - seeing in them the best opportunity for growth and advancement.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

At the moment primarily as a surfer / guest. I have hosted people outside the couchsurfing context. If I ever set down roots and make a home to order, so to speak, I would love to host more.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I can recall numerous times on my travels when people have invited me into their homes. Generally, the experience has been great. Sitting in a park in Tunis, Tunisia, I was approached by a young man who after a half hour's conversation invited me to stay at the house where he lived with his mother and sister. I felt like royalty in their company though early the next morning the older woman pointed emphatically at the door when I dallied in departure - no doubt she felt called to her round of morning prayer and was not about to brook a tardy guest!

Interests

Other cultures and languages. Meditation. Writing. Reading - both fiction and non-fiction but especially novels, poetry, and philosophical / spiritual treatises. Photography. Film-making. Running. Swimming. Eastern spiritual thought in general. I am a vegetarian.

• writing
• poetry
• photography
• vegetarian
• marathon
• running
• meditation
• reading
• traveling
• swimming
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Books that have impacted me: Escape from Freedom, The Art of Loving, Patterns of Culture, God Talks with Arjuna, Autobiography of a Yogi, Report to Greco, Sun and Steel, Steppenwolf, Crime and Punishment, The Trial, Demian, The Brothers Karamazov, The Glass Bead Game. Films: Persona, Sunrise, Fear eats the Soul, The Passion of Anna, Death in Venice. I like many kinds of music, from classical to alternative rock.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Marathon running tests the mettle and gets you digging deep.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am a member of Self-Realisation Fellowship, a worldwide group of followers of the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda. I am certainly open to sharing what I might have learnt over the years with people, whether that be about meditation, writing, travelling the world and surviving via the agency of voluntary work, etc, etc. Just ask!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Pleasant, interesting conversation for a start. Plus, I am always willing to give insights into the things I am knowledgeable about.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Aruba, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Poland, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, Vatican City State, Venezuela, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Canada, Guatemala, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Philippines, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, United States

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