CURRENT MISSION

Change science while becoming a Joumboush virtuoso

ABOUT ME

I've grown up outside the capital of Canada, and then moved to Montreal to live and study the brain. I moved to Montreal for university, and now consider it home. I spent my third year abroad at the University of Sheffield, UK, and after I graduated I managed to travel across North America for 3 months before starting my masters

I did my undergrad in Cognitive Neuroscience, and am now doing a Master in experimental medicine, where I study how neurons guide their wiring in the early embryo.

PHILOSOPHY

I'm a realist: If life gives you lemons, then you probably just found some lemons.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have hosted before and surfed a fair bit on my recent trip around North America. I can now host people in Montreal in the spare room of my apartment. On weekends, I can show people around, suggest places to see, and take guests to indulge in the best poutine in Montreal.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Hosted a pair of Germans, some girls from Jersey for a few nights and a couple of Torontonians. I couchsurfed in Alicante, Portland, San Francisco and San Diego.

Interests

I really enjoy spinning my staffs with fire in the park, and drawing is one of my preferred pastimes. I'm trying to get into writing more, as I will be contributing to a science blog for brain awareness.

I'm interested in a secular, rational worldview informed by science and reason. I'm interested in human prehistory, and using just-stories to speculate on why we are the way we are and think the way we think. I enjoy a healthy dose of skepticism, and trying to find a naturalistic understanding of the mysteries of life.

• writing
• cooking
• gardening
• traveling
• blogging
• drawing
• medicine
• neuroscience
• science
• tourism
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

I occasionally watch movies, but my favorite are generally comedies. As far as music is concerned...I'm not gonna lie, I'm in a strange place with music. I haven't tried to find new music that I like, but rather stuck with a lot of older music that I already have. I can definitely respect musicians for their artistic merit, but I can't respect the legions of music snobs who take some personal pride in the talent of others, and shun those who don't follow the newest indy bands. Music does weird things to our brains, the weirdest of which are the massive hipster subcultures it has spawned. The Beatles were great, but Darwin was better, and I can find pieces of truth in Rubber Soul that do seem to hold true wherever you are in your life, but The Descent of Man tells us infinitely more and the two should never be seen of as equals. I do really enjoy Gypsie Jazz, as well as a lot of older music - hippie stuff like Floyd and the Greatful Dead. I just don't think that the music I listen to defines me as a person, I like to think that I do that myself. When it comes to playing music, I'm always up for a Jam, I can play: guitar, bass, digeridoo(slightly), or if something makes noise, I'll jam with it.

As for books, I like books about the brain, or pop-science/anthro books by authors like Richard Dawkins and Jared Diamond. I like non-fiction that makes you think, though I've recently begun to really enjoy the writings of Douglas Adams.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The most amazing thing I've ever done is probably when I flew through the streets of Marrakech on my first time on a moped.

Another amazing thing I've done is woofing in France; worked on an organic vegetable garden in the south of France and learned more about sustainable living and healthy eating than I ever have before.

I got to spin fire for money on the beaches in Barcelona, putting on a show for change in front of the beachside tiki bars which was a great time.

Hitch-hiked across Canada, then down the west coast to Mexico, which was a great adventure filled with plenty of really generous strangers.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to spin a fire staff, how the brain works or where people came from(You'll be shocked to hear that it's monkeys). You can teach me how to cook a great meal. I really enjoy speaking French and am looking for any opportunity to practice.

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Morocco, Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, United Kingdom