Instagram: yoko.lu.photography

An interesting recent fact: Right before the pandemic happening and looking for things to do at home and while interning in a foreign country, I started making music digitally testing different sounds. If you are a DJ or music maker like, I would love to connect with you! My favourite genre is EDM, house (electric, like future house and deep house), trance, and techno. Sometimes I make ambient and relaxing music too! I am also a photographer, trying to move into portrait/entertainment scenes from nature and travel - just don't have a decent camera right now!

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You can go ahead and read my profile if you would like, but to sum up:

1. I consider myself Canadian - lived in Canada for 14 years. (My background: I am born in Tokyo, grown up in Shanghai until 6 years old, then 3 years in Japan, then immigrated to Canada)
2. I love taking photos, especially animals and nature - I take photos of whatever I think is interesting.
3. I am a very curious person - I can ask many questions.
4. I can think from different perspectives.
5. I like researching and analyzing.
6. I love outdoor - I go hiking a lot, mostly overnight trips.
7. I love wildlife, but I cannot touch bugs.
8. I am an environmentalist and a wildlife enthusiast.
9. I am sensitive to smell and taste...I just cannot dare to go near 'certain' places and food.
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CURRENT MISSION

To learn and speak French and Spanish fluently.
To travel across the globe and visit every countries including Antarctica.
To climb 5000+m mountains with technical skills!!! (i.e. going across glacial crevasses via rope)
To trek Mt. Everest base camp.
Anything challenging and dangerous but fun!!!

Well, to be honest, I have many goals and missions. In terms of travelling, other than visiting all the countries, I would love to live in UK and work there.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Whenever possible, I would love to couchsurf and meet new people whenever I travel. It would be fun to travel with strangers too, but would be the best to meet in person first before going on a big trip.

Even when not couchsurfing while travelling, I would love to meet travellers and share experience (I often randomly talk to people at tourist places and other places when I think they are tourists). I love to show them around. Rather than the main area of the city where most tourists visit, I will show them outside the city because I know they are interested/have researched and will tour within the main area themselves.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have heard couchsurfing from a friend (we went together) when I visited Hawaii for 11 days in December 2012 during Christmas time. I have couchsurfed for the first time in Hawaii and I loved it. The host was very nice - he even gave me a motorbike ride, which I have never done before. We went to bar together. He took us to a touristy waterfall. We went to eat Thai food together. So basically, he loves sharing time with travellers whenever he is free. We made food and ate together. This is something that I have learned later from my friend that this is a rare experience through Couchsurfing. I suppose I am very lucky to experience this on my first CS. He even took us to a major national park (Hawaii Volcanoes National Park) on our last day along with another CSer who came to stay with him after us!

Interests

Anything outdoor! Wildlife. Photography. Cooking. Anything thrilling.

I would like to go hiking whenever possible, and try new experiences. I have done a 4-day canoeing/kayaking trip (island hopping and camping on each island) and I was amazed by that experience and would like to do more new things!

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I have many many many interests, but politics and modern history are not them. I love taking photos of nature, especially birds, which I want to know the names of bird species and explore.

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I volunteered a lot when I was in university. I will be continuing to engage in volunteerism and promote while I am young.

• wildlife
• culture
• photography
• cooking
• traveling
• blogging
• outdoor activities
• scuba diving

Music, Movies, and Books

I believe that it means nothing if two individuals who meet have completely different tastes of music, movies, and books. The most important thing is whether they have similar interests or whether they follow up conversation and enjoy time together.

MUSIC:

I generally do not like slow, soft, and loud music. I do not like rap (if mainly rap as part of the song) and metal.

I like alternative music (alternate pop/rock), punk pop, country, pop, rock, tranceand EDM (songs with singing, not just music that are bit too harsh. I particularly like Avicii and Afrojack. Some of the songs I typically like: Eric Prydz - Everyday, Dada Life - One Smile). Usually everything electro.

I recently like Japanese band BACK-ON(Flyaway, Departure).

MOVIES/BOOKS:

Action, Adventure, Sci-fi, mystery, fantasy, documentary, etc.

MOVIES:

Some examples I like:

1. Iron Sky
2. The Day After Tomorrow
3. Blade series

I don't particularly enjoy romantic or comedy genres. However, I do find these movies funny:

1. The Interview
2. Baby Mama
3. Team America

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Dec 2011:
Awesome view in Hawaii - driving in - Haleakala, Hawaii (3,055m)

July 2014:
Highest mountain in Japan - hiking - Mt. Fuji summit, Japan (3,776m)

Feb - Mar 2015:
Highest open-air bath (onsen) - hiking - Honsawa Onsen, Japan (2,150m)

Aug 2015:
Scuba diving certificate: Open Water and Advanced - Koh Tao, Thailand

Aug 2016:
Sky diving, hand gliding, 143m bungee jumping all in 2 days - Queenstown, New Zealand

Aug 2019:
Completed all of Europe, since Sep 2016.

Dec 2019:
Hiked highest mountain in Central America - (Inactive) Volcano Tajumulco (4,220m).

Teach, Learn, Share

I love learning everything that I am interested in. I have many interests so the best way to experience it all is to actually do it, no matter how strenuous it can be.

Whenever I learn new things and I love it, I teach.

Share is community. Involving as a group of same visions maximize the potential to teach, learn, and share. And that is what I am doing now - meeting people from all the world.

I have jammed with musical band once and it was great experience. If I want to try learn something new, I need to do it directly; otherwise, I can never learn. I met drummer (Ian Casselman) of Marianas Trench through this experience :D

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am very outgoing. I love experience new things and challenge myself. My biggest dream while travelling is to visit as many places as possible if my time is limited. I love sharing stories of travelling and anything - I am not shy describing various sorts of things so feel free to talk about anything!

I love taking photos of everything - so I will be everywhere taking photos! Let's share photos and exchange :)

I love sharing culture. I would certainly love to cook and share food with hosts. When I couchsurfed in Hawaii with my friend, we cooked Chinese and Japanese food and the host (Caucasian) loved it. We overcooked and had so much leftovers that we eventually shared with the Couchsurfer who came to stay at the home after our stay too! (with leftovers still remaining at the end)

My greatest passion is travel, especially nature and wildlife. If there are stories on where you have been, such as national parks and secret locations (i.e. wild hot springs), I would urge to hear more from you and would love to see the pictures. I would certainly jot down some notes so I can visit some time in the future.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kosovo, Laos, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belize, Canada, China, Finland, Japan, United Kingdom, United States