CURRENT MISSION

Explore life, find art, create art.

ABOUT ME

The short: Grew up in California, majored in Philosophy, studied the Bible, traveled 15 countries, volunteered 3 years teaching poor children in Thailand, worked 3 years teaching very rich children in China, volunteered on an archaeology expedition in Israel, have taught young children and babies in Japan for about 3 years. I draw, oil paint, write, dance, play piano, play drums, exercise, jog, travel, study languages, converse. Easy going, ethical, friendly to all.

Going deeper: I majored in Philosophy because I wanted to make movies that wrestled with, and beautifully expressed, the deep and enduring issues of the world. But I prefer to develop my own philosophy than master someone else's. I have found that in order to do that, I need to gather more raw, real world data to work with. Thinking and Doing spiral together toward truth and maturity; separated, they spin off into waste. I am easygoing, ethical, patient and kind. No smoking,no pet,no drugs.Safe and clean. I love to explore new places, people, ideas, perspectives, conversations and find out what's over the next hill, or down the narrow alley. The more I travel, the more I want to travel!
Traveling makes me feel like I'm alive.I want to continue to open my mind and fill it.Meeting new people and doing new things is a great way to do this! Thank you couchsurfers!

PHILOSOPHY

God created the universe to be explored and designed it to teach love. It`s simple if you understand, but complicated if you don`t.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

The short: First explore freely by myself. Second, explore with someone else to see things from their perspective and enrichen our lives with our experiences. Understand, share, grow. Wash my host's dishes, other housework, treat them to lunch or dinner, talk with them, go out and do things (normal or unusual) with them, care.

I don`t offer a couch because I can`t. I stay in a hostel/sharehouse. Sorry! :(

Going deeper: One couch at a time :) At first, I like to travel alone and freely follow my eyes to find out what the music far away means, what the bright lighted area is doing over yonder, where the crowds of people are going, what the corner, hill or narrow alley is holding, and get a feel for a place. Then I would like to meet couchsurfers and explore the area with their experienced eyes, going where I have not gone before. I want to find new things, but also what is normal. The truth is not always new, sometimes it is just normal. OK, I accept:)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

The short: I have informally 'couchsurfed' with the random people that I met while traveling. I have also officially couchsurfed, and I love it!

Going deeper: I also have a few homestay families in China, Thailand, Israel, Japan and America.I am happy to have experienced more than 15 countries, hotelsurfing, hostel surfing, jimjilbang surfing, mangakissa surfing, couchsurfing, trainstation lobby floorsurfing, airport bench surfing, street cardboardbox surfing, and sandy beachsurfing.

Interests

The short: Learning about life through the perspectives of other couchsurfers. Studying/practicing Mandarin Chinese and a little Korean. I have also joined an art club, a jogging club and a salsa dancing club as I traveled in Seoul, Korea. Now, I am a student of Salsa, Breakdancing and Hiphop dancing in Japan!

Going deeper: I tend toward Philosophy, religion, psychology, and art. I am usually thinking and writing when not traveling. I want to converse more to help me open my mind, I want to read more to help me open my mouth.

• pets
• arts
• writing
• dancing
• salsa dancing
• exercise
• clubbing
• movies
• traveling
• painting
• drawing
• music
• piano
• drums
• surfing
• languages
• psychology
• religion

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies include: Matrix Trilogy, Sliding Doors, Tim Burton's Batmans,The new Dark Knights, Deniro's The Mission, Requiem for a Dream, Magnolia, Prince of Persia, and the surprisingly deep Megamind hh. Fun is fine, but I'm also looking for something I can grow from. hh Step Up 4 was beautiful!

Books include: haha, I need to read more.What do you recommend?I want to get into biographies and books that open my eyes to how the world works.

Music includes: Portishead, DJ Shadow, Old Metallica, Linkin Park, Eminem. I like music that makes me feel like I am flying, crying, dancing, trancing, melancholy, meditative or imagining.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Recently, as I'm traveling in South Korea, coming from China, I felt it was amazing that after exiting China and getting on facebook again after a year (China blocks it), just before I was about to move on to Japan, I met a student I had back in Thailand who was now working in Yongin in South Korea! So I delayed my trip to Japan and spent a grueling 10 hour journey from Busan back up to Seoul to find her. "Grueling" because she didn't know exactly where in South Korea she was, neither of us speak Korean and I don't have a cell phone here :) Met her, stayed at her cousin's place and saw the small car parts factory she worked at. We were both so surprised and elated to meet up in another country!

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm very happy to help others with their English, but only if they want :) And I'm so happy when I find someone I can practice Japanese or Chinese with! I can draw people, oil paint, play drums, philosophize.

What I Can Share with Hosts

A good time! Friendliness. Deep and light talk about religion, philosophy, psychology, anything is ok.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Japan, Thailand, United States

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