I am a social researcher based in Mumbai. I am drawn to issues regarding social, spatial and environmental justice, and hope to make a difference towards the same.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet new people, and hear new stories.

Interests

I know, my interests look all over the place, but I find myself drawn to everything cognitive. I love spending time reading and writing, which is why I am the least afraid to travel by myself - a notebook is enough to keep you entertained for days on end, I say. I love to read pretty much everything but self-help books, horror and cheesy romantic comedies (good self-help is always philosophy, a good horror is always a thriller and a good romantic comedy is always a drama). Political sociology is my forte, but trying to get myself acquainted with geography. I enjoy singing and I love to hear new music — in fact I would go as far as to say that my two year journey across the globe was a personal pilgrimage to find interesting sounds all over the world. I also carry around tons of films with me, all arranged and curated according to directors and genres — so I am always up for a nice movie night!

• animals
• writing
• singing
• theater
• film making
• environment
• politics
• reading
• music
• teaching
• philosophy
• science
• food
• astrophysics
• nature conservation

Music, Movies, and Books

I am a sucker for rock music, especially from the 70s. I basically worship Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. I enjoy classical music, as well as the blues. I love Indian bands that devote themselves to tell a story, like Blackstratblues and Indian Ocean. Basically anything that can definitively be better live than in studio. Even when it comes to newer music I tend to fall in love with an honest sound like Tame Impala, Arctic Monkeys and the Black Keys. I also love attending local concerts and see folk artists.
From Kurosawa to Tarkovsky, I enjoy aesthetically pleasing films. However I also thoroughly enjoy absolutely terrible movies as well, because how would you know the worth of the great films if you don't personally sit through the worst?
As for books? Oh, I don't even know where to start. I love Camus, Kafka, Tolkien, Orwell, Hemingway, Mary Shelley, Terry Pratchett, Sartre, Murakami, Jack London, George R.R. Martin, Herman Hesse and so many more. Unfortunately, as of late, I have been only reading nonfiction to help me with my research but I have promised myself to get back into fiction soon enough.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have seen a pendant worth €1.3 million being sold illegally in Bhutan, which ended up me playing a game of dice with the smuggler himself.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Conversation and chai

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Bhutan, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Kenya, Mongolia, Netherlands, Singapore, United Arab Emirates

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Germany, India, Mongolia