CURRENT MISSION

Explore, learn, share and break through life routines! Share the fun of exercise and healthy eating with other people . Learn a bit of Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese. And share more home made meals with new friends from all over the world! :)

ABOUT ME

I am originally from Russia (was born in the North in a city called Murmansk, very close to the Arctic Ocean). I moved to Canada when I was 21, looking for new opportunities and to complete my degree in marketing. After having a great career with a marketing agency, I started my own marketing consulting business which is quite successful now (and allows me travel and work from anywhere in the world!). In addition to my work, I teach business & marketing to entrepreneurs, zumba fitness and perform/teach salsa, bachata, merengue. I like exploring new things in life, meeting inspiring and fun people, healthy eating, exercising, practicing Qigong meditation and Latin dancing.

PHILOSOPHY

I believe in what Bernard Shaw said: "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." I consider myself an open minded, curious and very positive person, eager to always continue "creating myself".

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am very glad to join this amazing international community of like-minded people and world explorers!
I participate through meeting wonderful people all over the world, making connections that make positive influence and also provide city hosting to travelers in Toronto, Canada. I can also connect you with my friends in Russia and Canada, if you are travelling and need city guides :)
And I offer salsa and Russian lessons (click on "Experiences Offered": https://www.liveseasonal.com/#!profile

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I attended CS group meetings, met with city hosts and stayed with couch hosts in Europe, Asia and North America. Every time had amazing experience!
I got very inspired and enriched by people I met, and stayed in touch with most of them.

Interests

Salsa (and other Latin dances), drawing (in pencil and watercolors), meeting new people from various cultural backgrounds, travelling, healthy eating and cooking, teaching Russian, salsa and zumba, qi gong meditation, exercising, hiking.
My dancing profile:
https://www.cotuto.com/#/class/3112

• performing arts
• dancing
• salsa dancing
• bachata
• cooking
• recipes
• fitness
• exercise
• meditation
• zumba
• traveling
• drawing
• hiking
• business
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: raggae, blues, jazz, Latin, classic rock.
Also like the music of 90-ies. AND of course traditional Russian folk music!

Books: Master and Margarita by Bulgakov - changed my life
Movies: movies by Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers, Raise the Red Lantern, Hero); Chinese cinema in general; movies by Pedro Almadovar, Tim Burton.
Knockin' on Heaven's Door (yes, life is fragile so we better enjoy it now!!):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119472/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Flew over Angel Falls in Venezuela in small local plane.
Walked up the Great Wall of China (just a part of it of course! :)
Volunteered for a village school in Cambodia.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach salsa, bachata, merengue dancing, zumba fitness and languages: Russian and English.
I can cook delicious (and healthy!) meals.
Also, as I gain skills and acquire my life experience and then I teach those skills and share that experience to people who are open to it.
I also offer salsa and Russian lessons (click on "Experiences Offered": https://www.liveseasonal.com/#!profile

What I Can Share with Hosts

My traveling stories (and stories of my childhood in Soviet Union time!); cooking recipes; salsa dancing lessons; fitness and exercise tips; basics of qi gong and breathing meditation.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Laos, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Finland, Hong Kong, Italy, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine, United States

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