CURRENT MISSION

Fight ignorance! I want people to care about the wellbeing of strangers and outsiders, the climate and all life that depends on us not ruining it, the information sources they consume, to fill their conversations with meaning rather than platitudes.

ABOUT ME

I am a South African with a Swedish passport. I've lived in Rwanda with my parents as a kid, and travelled through most of East- and Southern Africa. I did a student exchange in Sweden and met my wife, who I moved to after completing my studies in South Africa. I've taught maths and sciences for a little while, but moved to the programming world after being frustrated by the school system. After a few years living in Uppsala in a tiny apartment, we have moved out to the countryside. I work in Stockholm.

PHILOSOPHY

Try to get out of your own perspective, but don't respect opinions and views that you can prove are ignorant. Be humble and aware of your own shortcomings.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I think Couchsurfing is one of the prime opportunities to close the gap between different types of people in a fun and useful way. I have hosted and surfed now and am definitely a richer person because of it. I try and share as much with Couchsurfers as possible, whether it be travelling stories or tips on efficient hitchhiking. Couchsurfing, along with hitchhiking, is one of the few things that opens up the world to ordinary people without the means to afford extended trips with paid accommodation, and therefore I shall always hold it very dear.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have surfed in Mozambique and Malawi and hosted in Stellenbosch and my family's beach cottage close to Hermanus. I have slept on couches so short that only my torso fit the mattress and on floors where I found the leavings of rats in the morning. Even so, these were as much fun as the comfy beds I have also been offered, and it gave an excuse to offer couches that had their detriments as well.

Interests

I'm a useless planner and so I don't pursue my interests as often as I would like, but they sort of happen along the way.

• writing
• books
• recipes
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• music
• hiking
• sports
• geography
• mathematics
• science
• hitchhiking
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: U2, Fleet Foxes, Coldplay, Leonard Cohen, Johnny CashMovies: Into the Wild, Scent of a Woman, Shawshank Redemption, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Pianist.Books: Catch 22, Brave New World, Catcher in the Rye, Life of Pi, The Kite Runner, The Poisonwood Bible.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've seen the expanse of central Tanzania stretched out to all sides from the back of a pickup truck while hitchhiking. I don't know why this stands out to me most as I've seen places like Victoria Falls and the like as well, but just having the wind in your hair with baobab trees scattered as far as the eyes can see was an amazing feeling.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm a trained maths and programming teacher, I enjoy geography, I can probably teach
English, elementary Swedish and Afrikaans. I've got a few wicked recipes up my sleeve. I can help out with computer problems and make mobile apps for a living.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Interesting conversation, do dishes, simple DIY (won't guarantee it's pretty, but it works for my home most of the time 😂)

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Botswana, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Norway, Swaziland, Sweden, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Sweden