CURRENT MISSION

to learn wit

ABOUT ME

I'm constantly growing and learning new things about me and you and our world.

I run a story writing website (http://www.sixminutestory.com) and a webzine devoted to glimmering art, ideas, people, lifestyles and design (http://90years.tumblr.com).

I like to swim and cycle and golf and tennis and sail.

I feel a strong connection to the sea.

I read a lot, but enjoy a dinner party with friends equally well, or going to the theatre, or dancing.

You might find me introverted as in INTP or you might find me ENFP. It really depends on you and your vibe. I contain multitudes, etc.

PHILOSOPHY

People often astonish me by their complexity.

I don't like to control situations. It's easier to let go and let it happen.

We spend so much time taking pictures to remember our experiences by, that we don't have experiences to remember. The photos are flat, of smiling people in contrived poses.

What's the point of that?

When I throw a penny into a wishing well I wish there's a good God out there, who's just about to jump out and shout, "Surprise!"

I think human touch is the highest form of applause. A hug is like a standing ovation.

I'm OK on my own, but lying in a heap of people is quite comfortable too.

I choose.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I like to meet people who live in the places I visit. They share their homelands more authentically than a guidebook. And I like to host in the same spirit.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

It's the things you'd never do on your own but do with the amazing people you meet couchsurfing, that make this such a great community. One of my favorite experiences was fishing with Jiaqi and Candice from Singapore. Jake wanted to go fishing, so we caught a ferry to an island an hour from Tongyeong. We hopped on the idling bus that was waiting for more passengers before it left the dock. The bus driver saw the fishing poles and wanted to check our bait. He used charades to show we had the wrong stuff. Midway through our ride around the island, the bus driver stopped between stops, in front of a tiny bodega. He went in and came back with the right bait. He stopped again between stops at a long pier and motioned where we should go to catch fish. He left us with a smile. We saw a lot of fish but nothing bit, so Jake ended up hunting octopus under rocks on the beach. He caught one, which we put in my water jar, named Harry, and took back with us. We hitchhiked from the pier back to the ferry dock. The ferry was pulling away, so the driver of the car jumped out and ran after it, until it actually reversed and came back for us. We took Harry to the fish market where an adjuma efficiently cleaned him, chopped him, and handed him to us on a plate. We ate harry raw, and then in some stew, along with a few other raw fish.

I hitchhiked through four states. People treated me kindly. Most people who picked me up (22 rides in 3 days!) talked about hitchhikers' karma. I'm pretty sure such karma exists. It probably goes for couchsurfing too.

I hosted three couchsurfers at once, while also hosting two old friends. It sounds like a dream now, sitting on the fire escape smoking cigarettes in the heat of the evening.

I surfed across Berlin and I spent a week in the South of France and a week in Krakow.

When I lived in Korea my friend and I hosted a number of surfers. I surfed with Shoji in Kyoto.

In Seattle I hosted a few people, including three simultaneously, with a friend again. That seems to be some of the best surfing, when everyone accommodates a little and bonds a bit more, kind of like camp.

Interests

words. wine. worlds. goats. flowers. fruit. poetry. i want to own a pub so I can talk with people all the time. slow meals. walking. learning learning learning. stories. people (stories with beating hearts). gardens and growing things.

• fish
• arts
• writing
• poetry
• design
• dancing
• wine
• running
• walking
• partying
• pub crawls
• flowers
• socializing
• cycling
• fishing
• camping
• hunting
• surfing
• sailing
• tennis
• swimming
• golf
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: The Razor's Edge, On Human Bondage, The Painted Veil, A Separate Peace, The Sun Also Rises, This Side of Paradise, Tender is the Night, Till We Have Faces, Wind in the Willows, Peter Pan, The House at Pooh Corner, A Long Fatal Love Chase, Deep River, East of Eden, The Myth of Sisyphus, Siddhartha, The God of Small Things

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One time I ran away from a tornado and then slept in a field under a blanket of rain and lightning and thunder.

Teach, Learn, Share

I've studied philosophy for 4 years, so we can discuss. Leadership, pacifism, responsibility, etc.

I work in startups, so there's plenty to talk about there too. :)

I was happy for two years. I don't know if it can be taught. But I'd love to try.

English, the language. Writing too.

How to get along with everyone.

I love poetry. Let's share poetry.

I want to understand belief.

Countries I’ve Visited

Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Poland, South Korea, United States