I've been called 'quirky,' 'mellow' and 'affable'; but simply, I'm a freethinker, fascinated by the world and intrigued by human nature. I'm also, for better or worse, a curious mix of oddities.

I’ve lived my University years in Manchester and then Sheffield, England. However, I grew up in Maraval, a Guilford-esque suburb of Port-of-Spain in Trinidad and Tobago.

I'm an aspiring filmmaker first! But I'm also a project manager and recently qualified (i.e. trainee) lawyer.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is my opportunity to explore, wander and enjoy the world, without constraint; to gain intimate sociocultural insights, which would be impossible boarding at a hotel; and to trade stories and experiences with as many diverse people as possible.

I'm on Couchsurfing in order to achieve some of the travel milestones which I had planned for my 20s, but which, for one reason or another, I didn’t. Most importantly, though, I'm on Couchsurfing to discover myself by learning about the people, culture and heritage of the lands of my forefathers.

Interests

Wherever I travel, I love to try new foods while chatting with locals about it. I believe, together, these afford me great insight into the national culture. I'm also keenly interested in the heritage of the regions that I visit and the interplay of elements that have contributed to their evolution.

As a sometimes essayist and new-media reviewer, I have eclectic taste in films, music and books and keen interest in outdoor sport—in particular, tennis, rugby, motocross and snowboarding, though I participate only in the first, and on occasion, the last.

Music, Movies, and Books

I appreciate good music of any genre. My favourite mainstream artists are Jewel, Jason Mraz, Linkin Park, Black Veil Brides, Led Zeppelin, Fall Out Boy, Imagine Dragons and the Canadians (i.e. Celine Dion, Arcade Fire, Nickelback, Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Morisette, Sarah McLachlan, Simple Plan, Avril Lavigne and Islands). Of the indie bands: Kaleo, Aurora, Miike Snow, Adam Olenius, Phlake, Elias, Phedora, Ary, Viola Beach, All Tvvins, Honeymilk, Orange Room and Savage Outlaw are favourites.

Being a filmmaker, I am passionate about documentaries and character-driven dramas. In the documentary category, Exit through the Gift Shop, Last Train Home, Life in a Day, March of the Penguins, Food Inc and Redlight are favourites. In the category of drama, A Beautiful Mind, Schindler’s List, Life is Beautiful and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon stand out, though other greats on my list are Inception, Departures (Okuribito), Kon-Tiki, Amour, White God, Amelie, Kertu, The White Ribbon (Das weiße Band), People Out There, December Heart, Our Homeland (Kazoku no kuni), Postcard (Ichimai no hagaki ), Blood of My Blood, Into the Wild, Ode to My Father, Birdman, Mother I Love You and Son of Saul. Nonetheless, I also enjoy 'entertainment films' in the action-comedy genre (the Kick-Ass series, the Fast series, the Expendables series, Jackie Chan and James Franco films).

As for television series, I prefer procedural dramas Newsroom, West Wing, House of Cards, Law and Order SVU, Elementary and Spotless, along with most USA Network series (Monk, Psych, Suits, White Collar, Mr Robot, Burn Notice and Covert Affairs). Equally, I enjoy social satire and double-entendre comedies Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, the IT Crowd and Family Guy.

In terms of books, the occasional classic (To Kill a Mockingbird, The Catcher in the Rye, The Tin Drum, Frankenstein) is fine, but more often, I’m in the middle of a legal drama by Grisham (Runaway Jury, The Firm, The Broker) or Patterson (First to Die, Along Came a Spider), a sci-fi by Crichton (Micro) or a non-fiction (The Art of War, Orientalism, The Selfish Gene, Bossypants).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Amazing is relative. I volunteered with a charity that assists low-income families with food, clothing and shelter, and was fortunate to meet a pair of precocious siblings from Eastern Europe. Independent of the charity, I spent the day with the siblings and their mother, chatting over pizzas and Disney films.

Teach, Learn, Share

What's Trinidad and Tobago like? Should I visit? I've edited together this video (https://goo.gl/fQ7LYz) to enable you to answer those questions yourself!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share the knowledge I've accumulated over the years as an aspiring filmmaker who has dabbled in various fields. Also, I've been told I make an epic omlette!

Countries I’ve Visited

Barbados, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Saint Lucia, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom