ABOUT ME

I'm in crazy love with my adopted city of Melbourne. It's grungy, old, progressive, creative and beautiful. I grew up in Perth and love and miss it only for nostalgic reasons.

I am very sociable. My ideal way to spend my free time is a good mix of alone time to read, cook, garden and listen to music; with plenty of social outings and innings involving eating, drinking, listening or just being in the company of others/another.

PHILOSOPHY

"Just kind of leave it grooving, by itself. Let it groove on its own thing. You know. Then when it gets… then you can put in some fills. But don’t do it at the beginning, it’s holding it back. Can we start again?"

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've hosted a handful of really awesome people, attended some fun CS meetups, and made new friends by opening up some of my dinner parties to all and sundry.

Interests

Cooking for my friends. Listening to Radio National in the afternoon. Drinking wine and peaty whisky. Swooping through the streets on my bike.

I read a lot. Seasonal changes make me giddy with happiness: one of the reasons I love Melbourne. I have had several epic vegie gardens, and have plans for one in my current place.

Camping, bushwalking, and swimming in the ocean; all things I have not done enough of in Victoria.

• ethics
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• partying
• drinking
• gardening
• reading
• pottery
• woodworking
• music
• cycling
• camping
• swimming
• biology
• psychology

Music, Movies, and Books

Some books and authors that have loomed large in my reading life and helped shape my perspectives:

Non fiction: George Orwell (especially 'Wigan Pier' and 'Down and Out'). Christopher Hitchens, Peter Singer, Raj Patel, Sam Harris, Michael Pollan. On a different, less big-picture scale, 'The Secret Life of Wombats' and 'The Wollemi Pine' by James Woodford. Oliver Sacks. And the food writing of MFK Fisher, Elizabeth David, Nigel Slater, Fergus Henderson, Anthony Bourdain, and A.J. Liebling.

Fiction: All of Roald Dahl's short stories. Everything by Geraldine Brooks; 'Disgrace' by J.M. Coetzee; 'Canticle for Leibowitz' by Walter M. Miller; all of Pratchett's Discworld.

Music: Mostly folk, blues, and music to dance to. Some favourites: Bill Callahan/Smog, Sam Amidon, Johnny Flynn, Mountain Man, The National, Billy Bragg, John Lee Hooker, Jolie Holland, Nina Simone, Bonnie Prince Billy/Will Oldham, Iron & Wine, Sufjan Stevens, Joanna Newsom, Joni Mitchell, Devendra Banhart, Cat Power, Mountain Goats, The Organ, Camera Obscura, Daughter, Sylvan Esso, Electrelane, The Blow, Sam Cooke.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Very recently I witnessed a quiet and unassuming man transform into an angel (still quiet and unassuming, but now at the centre of everything) when he got out his Nechville banjo and sang. That was a really nice thing to watch.

Teach, Learn, Share

If you talk to me about plant biology, neurology, psychology, your favourite city, your favourite music, ethics of the modern world, your WWOOFing experience, linguistic evolution, or permaculture, I will try to learn from you.

Things that I would like to learn: Better woodworking skills; pottery; better German and French, conversational and written.

I am quite good at food.

Countries I’ve Visited

Malaysia, Réunion, Sri Lanka

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Turkey

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