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Overview

  • 27 references 20 Confirmed & Positive
  • Fluent in Dutch, English; learning Afrikaans, German, Lao
  • 42, Male
  • Member since 2008
  • Teacher
  • IBS, MBO, MAVO
  • No hometown listed
  • Profile 100% complete

About Me

CURRENT MISSION

Change the world, even if it is just a little bit....

ABOUT ME

I'm living in Laos since 2012. I am married to a Lao woman in 2016 and we are living in a small village on an island in the Mekong river in the far south of Laos.

I like traveling and traveled about 3 years in total. I visited about 50 countries.

I like a beer once in a while and I like to meet new people. I like to go to a pub sometimes and have a good time there (I don't like disco's etc.) and talk with people.

I don't know what else I can tell about myself...? Any questions? You can ask me anything! It would be nice if you read my profile a bit as well :-)

PHILOSOPHY

Try to change things if you're not happy with it. Don't talk too much, act!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I hosted quite a few people already in Laos and the Netherlands.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Stayed in Anna's house (twice) and before that in Thang's beautiful apartment in Auckland (New Zealand) and that was very nice!!! Good and very friendly people. I also surfed with other people (in Laos and some other places) but that was not 'organized' via CS.

I hosted some people as well in Oostelbeers (the Netherlands) and a lot of people in Pakse (Laos). It was an interesting experience and we had very nice conversations and a good laugh.

Interests

Many things. Watching football, politics, going to a pub, nature, animals, traveling, history, people etc.

  • animals
  • dining
  • beer
  • pub crawls
  • politics
  • traveling
  • soccer
  • history

Music, Movies, and Books

In the name of the father (movie), The grey zone (movie), Shawshank redemption (movie), Hoe dan Jan? (book), Van SDB tot SP (book), the Kite surfer (book). Some favorites.

Long walk to freedom, about the life of Nelson Mandela.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

More than one thing.

Some views in New Zealand, Laos and many other countries were simply amazing...

Sleeping in a small villages in Laos in houses of local people. Eat food together with chiefs of many tribes, being invited for lunch/ dinner etc. in different countries (Laos, Indonesia, Thailand). Hitchhiking in Laos in a truck. Visiting villages in Laos and Indonesia where foreigners are not seen very often.

Being stopped in a village in the middle of the Lao jungle by some people who didn't look very happy with us arriving and showing a big gun, was another experience I will never forget.. It turned out to be ok after I while of explaining and we could leave without any problems. Quite understandable that some people in the most bombed down country in the World (and this area was probably the most bombed down part of that country) are a bit worried to see white people (who possibly killed dozens of people in there village, without knowing why) entering there area...

Laos is one of my favorite countries and very beautiful! Mongolia as well! New Zealand is very high on this 'list' too. One day I hope to return there.

Teach, Learn, Share

Learn how to cook Lao food from my wife...

I have quite some knowledge about the countries I've visited and lived in. Especially Laos, Belgium and the Netherlands and in lesser extent New Zealand.

I can probably teach you some Dutch and Lao.

We've just started a small guesthouse/ homestay in our village on Don Som (island). We also try to help people with some projects.

What I Can Share with Hosts

We are running a small guesthouse/ homestay now (only 3 rooms) and we have no real home (just a small room) ourselves. That means hosting is not really possible at the moment. We have a low income and we can not take the risk of not being able to rent out one of our 3 rooms to guests because we have couch surfers at that moment. It's our job/ income and in Laos no income means no food ;-)

I can teach you some Lao and Dutch and tell you a lot about Laos, the Netherlands and some other countries and things...

We can offer you a simple mattress, a pillow and a blanket. It is VERY BASIC so please don't expect a lot.

We are on a low income and we can not provide food for you. Please cook yourself. There are a few small shops in the village (with eggs, rice, noodles, drinks and some candy). Most of the times we do have some eggs and bread in the fridge and if you can pay us the normal price for it, you can also use it (ask us).

Beer is for sale in the village as well. We sell it for 12.000 Kip as well.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Laos, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Russian Federation, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Laos, Netherlands

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