CURRENT MISSION

To drive through the most scenic byways as I relocate from the Washington DC metro area to San Francisco. Capture the world in my camera as I visualize it.

ABOUT ME

This is a bit tricky. There are certain things in life that I am really passionate about, and in the past I have let go of higher paying career opportunities to pursue them. I love to travel and really enjoy street food of different countries (lived in five countries, traveled extensively in ten). I love hiking in the high mountains and really enjoy road trips. I am an immigrant who relocated to USA some years back to attend a PhD program in an engineering discipline. I enjoy the company of geeks, nerds and nonjudgmental people with head full of dreams.

Recently I finished my PhD , and accepted a position in Stanford University. The last five years of my life has been mostly about work, and I am taking a break off of work for some time to explore USA by road. I really enjoy concerts, photography, entrepreneurship and brewing beer. I care about sustainable agriculture and forestry as an industry. I don't get alone with people lacking empathy, and the racist or judgmental types. I like to be very candid with people I like, so yeah, if I like you I will tell you.

Now having grown up on Russian literature as a kid, I always have a soft corner for people who speak Russians. Thinking about learning to speak the language. If you speak Russian, consider it a bonus!

Riding motorcycles remains the first love of my life. I have been riding motorcycles for twenty years now. What started as a way to commute became a way to explore unknown destinations. If you wanna hear about my motorcycle rides in the Himalayas I am very much willing to share them. I have also done a fair bit of high altitude trekking (14000 ft and above) in the Himalayas.

If you've been patient enough to read this far, read my couch description too if you're planning to surf.

PHILOSOPHY

Live and let live.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Generally I play the host, I have hosted a few dozens of people over the last decade or so. I do not mind providing newbies with a couch as well. I intend not only to provide a place to stay but also to exchange stories as well. And if I have time then you can definitely expect some awesome home cooked East Indian or Italian food as well.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have been hosting people even before I got to know about CS. I was lucky to be born in a place (Assam) where your neighbors can drop by your house at just any time and you don't turn anyone who comes to your house back without a cup of tea. I have hosted dozens of people in multiple countries including India, Thailand and USA.

Interests

I like to take pictures of landscapes, especially of vast water bodies and mountains, at night. Trying to improve my night photography for a while, but light pollution makes it quite a difficult task in this part of the world. Looking forward to photographing under the clear night skies of the rugged west!

I love brewing beer, in fact I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about perfecting my beer recipes. If you have any interest in homebrewing I can share a tip or two with you.

• photography
• concerts
• traveling
• homebrewing
• kayaking
• science
• programming
• genomics
• datascience

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies : I love film noir. Touch of Evil, The Blade Runner, The Third Man, Citizen Kane, Easy rider, Spartacus, Paths of Glory, The Motorcycle Diaries, Into The Wild, To Kill a Mockingbird, Witness for the Prosecution, 12 Angry Men, Nosferatu, Dracula, The Wicker Man etc are some films that I really enjoyed.

Books : All Quiet on the Western Front, Gone with the Wind, 100 Years of Solitude, Into Thin Air, Conquistadors of the Useless, Annapurna. I am really into adventure literature, science fiction and horror/suspense. Anything by Edgar Allen Poe is a favorite.

Music : Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Dragonforce, Avenged Sevenfold, Killswitch Engage, Dead by April, U2, Children of Bodom, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Guns n Roses are some of my favorite bands/musicians. My playlists consists of pretty much of heavy metal and classic hard rock.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My first trek to Goumukh Glacier, and my first long motorcycle ride to Tawang in the Himalayas, without any preparation at all. I am still amazed how I managed to get out of there alive on both occasions.

Teach, Learn, Share

I really want to learn some foreign languages and computational genomics. If you host me I will be more than happy to share tips on home brewing and backpacking in SE Asia.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Photography, food, travel stories, home brewed beer.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, United States

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