ABOUT ME

I'm Yssel and I'm a mexican Chef currently working in Lisbon, Portugal. I studied Culinary Arts and Professional Pastry in Mexico City and I also have a degree in Portuguese and Modern Language and Literature by the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Basically I'm a beer lover and tattooed girl who's also a headbanger but salsa dancer... If that's possible. :)

PHILOSOPHY

Personal philosophy? "Living is enjoying"! (I even got tattooed that phrase). :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I work all day long and my days off may vary, so I don't guarantee that I will be available by the time you request a stay, but we can arrange that! Also, I'll be touring around Europe soon and I hope I can meet new people and make some friends! We can exchange a mexican dinner for a place to stay, if you're up for that!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I had my first Couchsurfing experience in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2013. I never hosted or was a guest, I only hanged out with people and attended to meetings but it was pretty awesome.

Interests

In spanish we say that a full stomach makes a happy heart. Given that in Mexico the gastronomy culture is huge, I couldn't find a better way to make my loved ones happy! That's why, when I was younger, I decided to become a chef. Today, I'm working in a mexican restaurant in Europe; this means a lot to me, since there's no better way for me to show the world how proud I am of my country and its culinary culture.

Furthermore, I'm a language addicted. I realized I loved languages when I was living in Canada and at school there were people from all over the world, speaking their own languages. I was so curious and found out that I didn't want the language to be a wall between me and other people, so I started to learn more languages and I hope I can get to be fluent in six of them... At least!

• arts
• culture
• literature
• dancing
• beer
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Since I have a degree in Modern Language and Literature, it's almost impossible to tell you which are my favorite books and why; but the book I definitely love the most is The Little Prince, for personal reasons.

About music... Music is a very important part in my life. That's why I'm not focused in just one or two music genres, although my favorite ones are Hard Rock and Metal, but like a lot: from Indie to Pop, Classical to Blues or Folk to Salsa. Recommendations of your local music are always welcome!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Working for a Mexican restaurant outside Mexico is one of my biggest achievements so far. My two favorite things (culinary and portuguese language) together! I worked hard for it and I'm happy I could reach it. Starting this new life has been a little difficult, but I'm pretty sure I can handle it. :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, England, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Mexico, Portugal