MISSION

To spread peace, harmony, and love to all that I meet and help improve the lives of others in some way, large or small... to gather wisdom from others and make the world a better place for everyone...

FRIEND REQUESTS
Please note, I DO NOT accept friend requests from people I have not met in person. Please do not send requests unless we have met in person - thanks.

ABOUT ME
I love meeting new people and learning about their culture, upbringing, lifestyle, interests, and philosophies!

I'm an artist / graphic designer / jazz vocalist / math tutor / ESL instructor / massage therapist / performer / jackie-of-all-trades.

- B.S. degree in biochemistry and art, graduate school education in chemistry.

- CTESOL certification in ESL/EFL which allows me to teach English in the USA and abroad in professional language schools.

- NAUI and PADI SCUBA certification.

- Certified Massage Practitioner with training in a variety of body therapy modalities.

I have training in theater arts and love to join others in impromptu improvisation or scene reading or monologue performance...

Among many things I love to: dance, sing, swim, dive/snorkel and explore coral reefs, play many sports, draw, paint, fix things, climb trees, walk/hike, read, write (poetry, songs, skits), play musical instruments (intermediate on clarinet; beginner on guitar, piano, violin)...explore, experience, play!

Cooking (especially with an interested partner) and having relaxing dinners with hosts or guests is a delight.

I love talking about almost anything, and especially enjoy philosophizing about the 'whats', 'hows', and 'whys' of everything. And, I'm a problem-solver by nature, so I can't help myself from coming up with potential solutions to any conundrum, whether it's how to rig up a gravity filtration device, how to improve an interaction/relationship, how to get from point A to B most efficiently

I love to go out and discover the world around me, whether it's architecture, beaches (LOVE underwater swimming!), food, nature, music, sports, museums, dancing, parks, anything... I'm a thinker, creator, inventor, helper, teacher, student, friend...

Interests

So many more interests, but I think 38 is a good introduction ;-)

• arts
• culture
• writing
• poetry
• singing
• theater
• performing arts
• architecture
• design
• graphic design
• documentaries
• dancing
• education
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• instructor
• clothing
• reading
• painting
• drawing
• music
• jazz
• guitar
• piano
• violin
• hiking
• scuba diving
• snorkeling
• sports
• swimming
• chemistry
• teaching
• mathematics
• beaches
• parks
• tropical beaches
• philosophical conversation

Music, Movies, and Books

I enjoy listening to almost any style of music, but for DANCING: love many dance music genres (I'm really bad at naming electronic styles of music), but in particular, I love the festive, high energy of Latin music - Salsa, Samba, Rumba, Flamenco, Meringue, etc. And good old-fashioned jazzy funk. Love to see live performances, but prefer small venues or just spontaneous musical performances at home.

I enjoy reading but wouldn't call myself an avid reader as I spend a lot of time doing a lot of different things. When I do read, I enjoy subjects like science, self-help, history, religion, psychology, health, computer-related, nature... mostly non-fiction stuff.

I have a TV but use it only to watch DVDs or stream movies and documentaries. I love all genres except horror and war movies. I love independent films, but enjoy blockbusters too. Stupid humor, period romance, cult classics, action adventure, all types of comedy, documentaries, foreign films of all genres - my taste is pretty eclectic, so I really enjoy watching just about anything. My only requirement is that if I watch an intense drama, I need to watch a comedy immediately after to get comic relief.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Living in Morocco for 3 months with a traditional Berber family. Part of my journey was living in a rural village where people carry goods by donkey and grass bundles on their backs, wash everything by hand, have no heat or hot water, have dirt and stone floors.

They chopped up rocks of sugar and salt for cooking, and made fresh bread every day.

The family dressed me in traditional Berber clothing and taught me how to serve tea, Moroccan-style and showed me how to dance, Berber-style.
I learned how to eat cous-cous with my hands, by cupping a handful of cous-cous and shaking it quickly to form a ball, then popping the ball into my mouth.
I learned how to make the yodel that people do as a celebration for almost anything, from the serving of dinner, to the celebration of a birth.

I witnessed a ceremonial sheep slaughter and watched as the sheep was drained of blood and then cut up. Everything, including the skin, was used for something.

I learned how to swaddle a new-born baby, Berber-style, and learned how to apply henna to the female newborn baby's eyes.

I learned about the religious views and rituals of the family, from both Muslim and Berber origins, and began to really understand how the environment influences the evolution of culture.

I learned to cook many traditional dishes. I learned a little Arabic, both Moroccan and Berber. I visited the Hamam where I was covered with olive oil soap, and then scrubbed from naked head to naked toe by a female member of the family. I walked around in the dust storms that look like fog. I survived 120 degrees and zero humidity, not an easy accomplishment for a person of Irish decent with little oil in my skin. I got sick a few times, too ;-)... I made lifelong friends, and gained a second family. The day I left, we all cried, we were all transformed and understood the world a little better...

It was an amazing, educational, joyful, and enlightening experience. This is how to REALLY learn about people and understand them in a fundamental way...

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, England, France, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, Scotland, South Africa, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Israel, Morocco, United States

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