CURRENT MISSION

Documenting the joys and sorrows of traveling by the seat of one's pants. Discovering new opportunities in business and pleasure.

ABOUT ME

I'm an avid traveler with a bottomless thirst for the new and interesting. I am a tall long-haired slightly hippie, slightly hip man of diverse interests and an abounding thirst for knowledge. I am a cameraman and media producer with a love of science and a thirst for culture. I enjoy long talks about subjects that impassion my conversational companions. I love being shown things I never could have found myself. I will buy you a tea or coffee if you show me a friendly off-beat coffee cavern. I can be quiet when it's called for, and goofy when it's not. All things in moderation, moderation included.

Recently I have worked in video production, web media, and Digital Media development research.

PHILOSOPHY

Live, love, learn. Never shy away from what amazes you, never settle for what bores you. Helpful hosts make welcome guests.

Pourquoi je suis sur Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have surfed many times with my friend and frequent traveling companion Julian Chehirian, and hope to be able to hope many surfers at my place in Asheville soon, once I have returned from my European journeying.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have crashed on the couches of friends, acquaintances, and extended network associates many a time. I have used Couch Surfing several times to great success, mostly in combination with my friend Julian Chehirian. This is the best way to travel!

Centres d'intérêt

Film and video is one thing that I do, but it hardly limits my scope of interest! In fact I see documentary as an excuse for runaway enthusiasm in exploring new and diverse topics. If you can show me something in an interesting way, I will be engaged, no matter what the subject. I am passionate about alternative energy and progressing towards a sustainable future. I am curious to see a new era take form. I believe we are capable of changing everything. I like art and general craftiness. If you drop some knowledge I will usually bend down to pick it up.

I love visual art and photography, and am constantly trying to broaden my horizons. Recently I was able to visit the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain and the work of Richard Serra made a major impact on me. I love the works of the Surrealists and Dada, as well as more contemporary "low brow" art from scenes like the Mission Arts movement in San Francisco.

• arts
• culture
• photography
• documentaries
• coffee
• traveling
• surfing
• business
• communications
• science
• beaches

Morceaux de musique, films et livres

Films
As a film major you can expect me to watch a lot of films. That said I'm terrible at picking favorites, in fact I'm notorious for spending hours among the shelves of any video store I happen to fall into. I rarely watch the same film more than once, I crave the new and unusual. If you don't like indie, artsy, foreign, or just plain strange films our taste probably won't align much. Blockbusters bore me, but I'll see one every once in a while. Recently I watched 180 Degrees South, an amazing travel/adventure documentary about a trip to Patagonia. My wanderlust has definitely been rekindled.

Television
After a long time of watching little to no TV, Netflix has drawn me back in. I loved Downton Abby's first two seasons. I am an avid fan of Game of Thones, and burned through Breaking Bad.

Books
I read all the time... but not usually books. I'm an avid internet trawler: blogs, essays, and articles take up most of my reading time. When I do get around to long form reading I like science-fiction, magical realism, and politically charged academic non-fiction (especially critical theory). I have recently gotten into graphic fiction in a big way, some hi-lights of my recent reading include Astorios Polyp, Logicomix, Hicksville, Transmetropolitan, Battle Royale, and Akira.

Music
Taste: indie (ref. when that meant something), lyrical electronic, intellectual rap, acoustic harmonies, mind-bending trance sets, "anything but country and bubblegum pop," add a dash of Tuvan throat singing when appropriate. I am an active participant in the Transformational Culture of the US and abroad, so I listen to a lot of softer world-beats influenced psychedelic electronic music, what we might call Conscious Bass Music. Some key artists in our scene are Kalya Scintilla, Dessert Dwellers, Random Rab, Tipper, SIXIS, Numatik, etc. Check out the Resonant Heart compilation by Merkba Music and the Mycelium Music compilations for more examples.

Une aventure extraordinaire que j'ai vécue

Named (renamed?) a secluded beach deep in New Zealand sheep country after my recently deceased grandfather, then watched as the most massive elephant seal I have ever seen floated in to investigate. Oh what a beautiful day that was on Jim's Beach!

Pays que j'ai visités

Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Germany, Greece, Haiti, Italy, Jamaica, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom

Pays dans lesquels j'ai vécu

New Zealand, United States