I used to live with James, so some CS'ers have posted references on his profile:
https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/james.t.87/references

CURRENT MISSION

meeting new people and sharing thoughts, ideas and experiences with them

ABOUT ME

I moved to Berlin in 2010. I can seem like a pretty quiet person at first but once I come out of my shell, I can talk for hours! I'm down-to-earth and honest (and I don't get on well with people who aren't).
I've been vegan since 2009 and I'm pretty familiar with Berlin's vegan scene.

PHILOSOPHY

Be open-minded. Ignorance is a choice.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I want to use CS for getting to know people, getting involved in meet-ups etc, especially when travelling alone. But occasionally I also like to host people in Berlin and show them the city.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I tend to stay in hostels when travelling but find that it's not so easy to meet people in hostels these days as everyone is attached to their laptop or smartphone (admittedly, me too sometimes). So I find that Couchsurfing is a great way to connect to other travellers, e.g. I attended a Couchsurfing karaoke night in Prague and a vegan potluck in Istanbul.

Interests

* I cannot imagine a life without music. When I walk into a room, I put the radio on.
* I'm a bit obsessed recently with playing ping pong.
* Yoga recently became a big part of my life.
* I love food! Buying it, cooking it, eating it, reading about it... I've been vegan for over 10 years :)
* I love tea! All different kinds - no matter how you're feeling, a hot cup of tea always sorts you out.
* I'm pretty creative - always doodling, collecting odd bits of paper that I like, drawing, making greeting cards for friends...
* I've got a sewing machine that I'm still learning how to to use.
* I can get pretty excited about second-hand furniture.
* I try to buy as little new stuff as possible and love finding clothes on the street and other unexpected places :)
* I love reading, especially on the U-Bahn.
* I like to write proper letters (not emails!) to my penpals.
* I'm one of the strange people that prefer winter to summer.
* I love travelling by train.
* I'm interested in social history, particularly working-class/industrial movements of the 19th and 20th century, esp. stuff that's related to Northern England.

• cooking
• potluck
• baking
• vegan
• yoga
• crafts
• reading
• drawing
• music
• karaoke
• hiking
• camping
• history
• biking
• workshops

Music, Movies, and Books

Films:
I like films by Ken Loach and Shane Meadows and most films that fall into the 'BritGrit'/social realism category. But I'm also partial to anything with Ryan Gosling or Leonardo DiCaprio in it :-)

Music:
Anything from Simon & Garfunkel to Eminem! My favourite musical "era" is the 80s and anything from Manchester - The Smiths, The Stone Roses, Joy Division etc.

Books:
If it's fiction I want, then I usually opt for something old (e.g. by Elizabeth Gaskell). If it's non-fiction I'm after, then I usually go for something with a bit of leftist/socialist approach (e.g. Orwell).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

There are little amazing things every day...

Teach, Learn, Share

I love sharing resources and swapping skills!

I'm pretty experienced in vegan baking and can give you some tips on how to get started if you're interested.

If you want to play ping pong, I have a spare paddle!

I'm also up for learning new skills in arts & crafts - especially to do with paper. PM me if you're organising an event, I'd love to get involved!