Hey!

I am Zian and I am truly anak Malaysia (which means the child of Malaysia in Malay)! Been living in Britain for three years, so in a constant state fluctuating between 'finding exciting things here' and 'homesicking'.

So far interacting with people from different backgrounds have left many memorable and interesting experiences - and I want to keep doing that. I am proud of where I am from and where my roots are, but I want to explore more about other people's cultures too.

I find going into the wilderness to connect with nature has a healing effect. It's where I find peace. Absolutely love deep talks (preferably over a Scotch). Things that go out of my expectations get most of my attention.

PHILOSOPHY
- I strongly believe in listening to yourself - the key to happiness is to embrace yourself rather than be yourself (although I am still trying my best to learn!)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Current mission? Fresh to the working-full-time scene - simple as that, but maybe life is sometimes too simple that I wanted more.

I value genuine connections - for some reasone I feel that it becomes increasingly challenging to form them, but I would rather believe good things do happen here.

I was once a very introverted person who found it comfortable living in a very small circle. As I grew up, worked, travelled around and met more and more people, I opened myself up to people who search for different things. And I like how rewarding when you learn something new from people. I feel that every single connection between each other is so unique and irreplaceable - and that's why I value them and am trying to build connections. Feel that this has been slowly fading away as I grow up so I kind of want to have that sort of adventerous spirit back.

As a surfer:
Coming from one of the most touristy places in my country I often act as a tour guide for the best off-the-beaten-path list - so I am here looking for the same, as I believe no one knows better than the locals! Plus it's just great to be able to experience how to live like a local and be a part of their day.

As a host:
Was lucky to have so many people hosted me in the past so I think it's my time to pay back - just trying to make a start, not really experienced but there's always a first, right? :D

Interests

One of my favourite things in life-lying under a starry night to watch the constellations and shooting stars. One larger hope is to go to the Nordics someday to see Auroras.
Also coffee and tea are one HUGE part of my daily life. If you wanna know more about them just ask me!!

• photography
• movies
• hiking
• stargazing
• whiskey
• outdoor
• culinary
• hillwalking
• specialty coffee

Music, Movies, and Books

Mandopop. But I recently listened to more Britrock - some Oasis, Blur, Radiohead, Florence + the Machine.

Films? Action, dramas, comedies, romances - sorry I have a hard time trying to understand superhero films like a geek. Some favourites: Inception, About Time, Begin Again, Spirited Away, All of Us Strangers

Current book: Sapiens. A controversional one but I find it provoking a lot of thoughts from various perspectives!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Bugs are my weakness, but I challenged myself to try a deep-fried cricket - probably the biggest dare I've taken to date. To me, it tasted like chicken and I wouldn't mind having more..?

Also cycling in the Cambodian jungles for temple hopping. Thankfully I'm still alive today as I was told there were tons of unexploded landmines around the region!

Done a half marathon which I genuinely did not see that happening in my life. I signed up thinking it was a 10k run :D

Teach, Learn, Share

I love sharing stuffs about coffee - especially specialty coffee. And also my culture and food because Malaysian culture is just so special - often trying to explain to people 'What language do Malaysians speak / how is Malaysian food like?'. And I think being brought up in a Malaysian background made me so interested in other people's cultures - like what others think and how they view things differently from myself.

Recently I found my interest in learning languages. I thought I was bad at languages until I started learning German and I thought 'hey that's probably not as terrible as I first imagined!' I just found the beauty of different languages as how they convey things differently in interesting ways. I guess if you can tell me some intriguing facts about your language I'd love them!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Malaysian life, Malaysian cuisine, coffee stuff, travel stories (not a lot but still filling them up!)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Cambodia, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Qatar, Scotland, Singapore, Slovenia, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Malaysia, United Kingdom