1.5 years into my PhD (System Neuroscience), I realized that I was being consumed by my work in a rather unhealthy way. So, right now I'm in the process of reevaluating my life and resetting priorities, picking up old hobbies and meeting new people.

Things that I like:
- Visual things. I like to paint, I like to photograph and my research area is visual processing. In my free time, I also study computer vision.

- Languages. I'm pretty decent in 3 languages and I'd like to learn more. In my free time, I take jobs as interpreter and translator (German, Japanese, English).

- Games. I love to play games. Video games, board games, everything. But I'm not particularly good at any of them.

- I like to talk, but I do also appreciate people who do not feel burdened by silence.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

While I like getting acquaint with cultures that are foreign to me, what I find most interesting are the people. To me, travelling is a means of meeting new and old people and spending time with them together. Also, photography goes pretty well with traveling.

Interests

• photography
• video games
• board games
• reading
• painting
• music
• languages
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Music:
I mostly listen either to classical music (esp. Bach) or rock/metal/alternative that I used to listen to since my teens such as Nirvana, SOAD, etc.

Books:
My favourite authors include Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's), Douglas Hofstadter (GEB), Terry Pratchett and Honore de Balzac, among others. I have a liking for dystopian novels such as Do Androids dream of electric sheep and 1984. My current favourite is a Scanner Darkly (also PKD).
But generally, I find that I can appreciate most books in one way or another, albeit there are some godawful ones. Tortilla Curtain, which I was forced to read during high school comes to mind.
I've dabbled a bit in philosophical literature but frankly, my understanding of them is rather shallow. I would love to learn more though.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm doing the occasional interpreter/translator gig, so I guess I can teach stuff about any of the 3 languages that I am proficient in.

What I Can Share with Hosts

While Germany isn't exactly known for culinary excellence, there's some nice tea and candy in my hometown. Let me know your preference :)