CURRENT MISSION

To make visitors feel as home as they would in their own home, even if you are sleeping on my couch.

ABOUT ME

I recently moved to the big, crowded city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. You're welcome to come visit and spend time on my couch.

About me: I work in agricultural research and development with an international scientific research, training and education organization. I get to spend about half of my time out of Dhaka in Southern Bangladesh working with farmers to manage experiments testing ways to improve crop productivity while conserving natural resources. I work mainly on maize, wheat and legume crops.

Aside from living in Bangladesh, I spent about 3.5 years living in West Africa doing similar research work, and I have also worked and traveled a bunch in the horn, east and southern Africa. Asia is new to me, and it's pretty exciting to be able to explore an entirely new continent.

Before my research days, I spent lots of time traveling and hitch hiking in Europe and Africa. I have been continually humbled by the generosity of the world's poorest people who have invited me in for meals, shown me the way, and given me places to sleep for the night. I try to do the same for travelers who visit my couch.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Hosting, usually

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Plenty, plenty, plenty.... My traveling is a bit limited these days but I managed to cover a large part of Europe and the Horn, East and South Africa by sleeping in tents, under trees, and on spare couches....

I am starting to spend more time in South Asia, too.

Interests

Beekeeping, agriculture, hiking, kayaking, ecology and environmental history, African history, reading, cooking, and the list goes on and on....

• documentaries
• beauty
• education
• cooking
• reading
• traveling
• hiking
• kayaking
• hinduism
• agriculture
• ecology
• teaching
• history

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Spent almost a year making compost with farmers in Ethiopia.

Arrested in Kenya for being on the wrong bus at the wrong time. Not recommended. That's a long story... you will have to ask me about it if we meet.

Beekeeping adventures in Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Haiti, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Bangladesh, back home in California.....

Hitch hiked from Ethiopia to South Africa over the course of an entire year in 2001. Best year of my life.

Humbled by the generosity of the world’s poorest people, time and time again.

Planted many mango trees in Haiti. Ate many mangoes. Worked with wonderful farmers.

Spent two days straight digging car out of the mud in Burkina Faso. Once freed, the engine refused to start. Full day walk back to civilization.

Forcefully escorted from mega-dam building site in Lesotho while working with friends to do a documentary on illegal land grabbing from farmers. Documentary still completed.

Adventures squatting and hitch–hiking in much of Europe.

Handing over passport to border official in the Eastern Congo. Border official wearing hip Bon Jovi T- shirt. Allowed to enter for a week without paying visa fee by complimenting official on T shirt and trusting her with passport. Got passport back without problem and traveled on.

recently spending time transplanting rice with farmers in Lake Alaotra, Madagascar.

Many great conversations with travelers all over.

Enjoyed the beauty of Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu last year in the south of India. Spectacular.

Eagerly awaiting the next adventure.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Canada, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Germany, Haiti, India, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, Nigeria, Rwanda, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Western Sahara, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, United Kingdom

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