I was born in Toronto, Canada to parents who immigrated from Hong Kong in the 70's. Most of my life was spent in Toronto until after I graduated law school when I ventured to Asia to seek work, lived on my own, learned Mandarin and saw the world outside my hometown and that experience was life-changing. After living abroad for 6 years, I returned to Toronto, got married last year and now live with my hubby and our dog in Markham, Canada.

https://www.couchsurfing.com/users/1278643/profile/legacy
https://www.facebook.com/winniejluk
http://www.winniejluk.ca/

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Since I was young, I have always thought that empty office buildings at night could be used as shelter; and when I learned about the sharing nature of couchsurfing, I felt like my childhood dream had come true.

Couchsurfing has enriched my life and promotes love and peace. My favourite comments on couchsurfing by fellow couchsurfers are: "Strangers are friends you haven't met yet", and "Couchsurfing is the answer to life's problems." As different as people might at first seem to each other, we really are similar and this comes to light when participating in a homestay or couchsurfing.

I host and act as tour guide through this site and also for international work colleagues. I'm also helpful at creating itineraries for the guest on a budget or short stay.

Interests

My favourite sport is Slacklining https://slacklinerina.wordpress.com/. I also like Scuba-diving, Running, Gymnastics, Hiking. I was part of a sports club in Hong Kong called 'Project X Team' that had a calendar of walk-in events: http://www.meetup.com/projectxteam/ The support of the club members encouraged me to try new sports and improve my health!

I love food and learning how to cook new dishes. Spicy food is always fun! And I also really like: Tacos, Korean spicy soups, Jamaican Patties, Toronto Vendor Sausages, Canadian Poutine, Japanese Cheesecake, Indian Red Pickles, Sushi, Persian Kubideh, Dim Sum, and more!

Apart from my hubby, our Boston Terrier dog, Winston, is my best friend and we love going to the dog park.

• dogs
• dining
• cooking
• breakfast
• running
• walking
• clubbing
• hiking
• camping
• scuba diving
• sports
• gymnastics
• law
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Any music that one can dance too! House of Cards, Better Call Saul, Xanth novels by Piers Anthony.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I visited Luocheng, a small city in China, where the locals had never seen foreigners before; and they purely wanted us to be their guests and learn about us. Their hospitality, warmth and wonder were genuine and rare.

In Pakora, Nepal, I joined a hiking trip to a village called Horsing Dada to watch my friend (a couchsurfer) receive an award from Rotary Club of Nepal; and danced and celebrated with the villagers who were in tribal uniform.

In Korea, I joined a tight-rope walking (known as "Jultagi" in Korean) summer camp in the countryside and trained with the last remaining Jultagi Master Kim Dae Gyun. I was the oldest student (youngest being 4 years old) but that didn't affect me as I was having the time of my life! https://vimeo.com/winniejluk

Teach, Learn, Share

The CS project is built purely on trust and sharing. Open up, be kind and respectful and help your host or surfer wherever you can.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Reciprocating their kindness. Opening their home to a foreign guest means a lot.

A CS host describes me as a "no trace" surfer. I keep my footprints small and contribute to the housework and treat the hosts to meals/activities together, so that I am contributing and my stay is pleasant for the host too. Many hosts are polite and say they do not need help, but, helping is always a nice thing to do (eg. doing dishes, tidying counter top, and keeping common spaces tidy, etc.)

If there's time, it's always fun to cook together. Cory makes delicious salsa and burritos. And he likes my fluffy breakfast eggs and pancake. We are learning how to make Japanese cheesecake. We love to share our cooking!

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Monaco, Nepal, Netherlands, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, China

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