Hey Hamburg guests! I am leaving Germany on November to a different country for my next work assignment. It has been a nice 2 years for me to host/meet other couchsurfers. I can only host until October 27th.

I've a few bottles of whiskey that I won't be able to bring with me to my next country of assignment, so if you're a whiskey drinker I'd surely welcome you.

CURRENT MISSION

Survive and enjoy my 2-year assignment in Hamburg.

ABOUT ME

I'm a 34 year old engineer working with the oil industry ever since I graduated from university and I have been fortunate to work in many countries so far, discovering how to work with different kinds of people and cultures.

My German skills are really really basic. My work in Germany does not require me to speak German. No formal schooling on the German language. The German that I know, I learned it by talking with strangers, the TV, watching movies and theater shows in Deutsch, and reading graphic novels in Deutsch.

Work generally keeps me busy but in my free time I catch up on my reading (detective fiction, fantasy), go running, play ultimate frisbee, cook, video games or some nature sightseeing.

I used to do a lot of hiking and mountaineering in the past but my abilities are suited mostly for tropical climates.

Nowadays I have little interest in clubbing (probably comes with my age) and loud music; I'd rather have drinks in quiet bars/lounges and have conversations with people.

PHILOSOPHY

I live to my parents expectations first, and to my personal wants second.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Hosting. Since my job has me on the road most of the week most of my contacts in Europe are on a professional basis. Couchsurfing allows me to "slow down" a bit and enjoy life like a normal person. Having "guests" enables me to be casual.

By hosting, I also believe that I 'enable' other travelers to discover and enjoy the world. In the process we obtain diverse views, value differences and gain some useful life experiences.

I also attend some CS events at my local place and in other places that I travel to (if time permits) in order to know the CS community.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

All my CS experience so far has been hosting. I see this as a good opportunity to meet and learn from travelers by hosting. I hope to pick up a few tips from couchsurfers on great destinations to plan for when I go on my own vacations in Europe.

Recently, I also discovered that it's a great way to improve my German language skills. :)

Interests

Mountaineering or any outdoor activities that does not involve deep waters. Tennis and badminton. Video editing. Old-school video games. The Walking Dead.

• theater
• cooking
• running
• walking
• partying
• drinking
• clubbing
• movies
• video games
• reading
• tv
• traveling
• music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• mountaineering
• skydiving
• tennis
• badminton
• engineering
• sightseeing

Music, Movies, and Books

Stephen King and Neil Gaiman. I read and collect all their published works. My favorite superhero is Batman. My favorite music is by Urbandub (an alternative rockband from my hometown) and my music taste is heavily influenced by Foo Fighters and RedHotChiliPeppers. I watch horror movies mostly.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

3 days/nights at Tomorrowland! :D (and proving myself that I'm not too old YET to party and have fun)

Going down in a 2-person submarine to 140m depth to do some visual inspection.

Plant rice at the mountain rice terraces in Asia.

Bungy-jumped off Macau Tower and EuropaBrücke. Definitely want to do skydiving soon. Update: Went Skydiving in Switzerland by the Eiger mountain on Sept 1, 2015. Next target is to skydive in Dubai. :D

Spent 10 months in military service as a field medic + comms. Some risky mountaineering traverses with 20+ kilos of gear in a 3-week mission.

Teach, Learn, Share

I know a lot about oil. I've been working in various sectors of the oil/energy industry in various countries for almost 13 years.

I can also give you some tips and some coaching on job interviews as I have been doing recruitment/assessment interviews for the last 3 years internationally.

I can teach you how to cook some Asian dishes or decent meals that take only 15 min to prepare and cook.

Or I can spend a day and a half talking about Batman if you're interested in that topic. :D

Guests can help me with my German, or share a few useful phrases from their own language.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, United States