CURRENT MISSION

I am devoted to my work as a high school math teacher. I try to help all my students increase their confidence as learners. I think a lot about how to increase equity and compassion.

ABOUT ME

I've been fortunate to have many wonderful experiences, including:
- growing up near Washington, D.C., with loving parents who immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan
- teaching high school English in a rural mountain town in Japan for 3 years
- working as an interpreter on an around-the-world ship voyage
- covering U.S. politics as a TV news producer
- teaching math at a high school in California for 4+ years, and still going!
- marrying a good person

PHILOSOPHY

I value joyfulness and kindness.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I hosted over 50 people when I was living in Takayama, Japan. I loved meeting new people and helping them discover my little town. And I think it's important to spread the CS spirit and practice treating strangers like old friends.

I've also stayed with CS hosts in several countries.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've had so many excellent experiences both from hosting and being hosted. Here are a few..

From hosting:
Taking my guests to the hot spring baths, taiko drum practice, or Japanese archery. Hosting dinner parties with my CS guests and my local Japanese friends. Learning to make French ratatouille crepes from my French guests.

From staying with CS hosts:
Visiting rural villages in India and Cambodia. Watching physical theater in Seoul. Being inspired by so many people's kindness and hospitality.

I introduced my mom to CS when we traveled together to Europe, and we are still in touch with one of the families who hosted us!

Interests

- Dance - especially modern/contemporary dance
- Cooking, sharing and eating good food with others
- Hiking by rivers or mountains
- Making music with others (I play piano, a little accordion and guitar, and love to sing harmonies.)
- Teaching and education

• singing
• theater
• dancing
• education
• dining
• cooking
• politics
• news
• tv
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• piano
• hiking
• archery
• teaching
• languages
• mathematics
• rivers
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC
I played in an indie folk band in D.C.
Some of the bands I like to listen to are Otis Redding, Feist, Fleet Foxes.
My favorite classical composers are Chopin and Debussy.

MOVIES
Top 2: Chocolat, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

BOOKS
I like reading non-fiction about education and social justice issues; I like reading novels about people or places that I don't know much about it.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Sailed in one direction and ended up back in the same place (after going once around the earth)

Teach, Learn, Share

I can share my knowledge of languages (English, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese), music theory, math, cooking.

If you're not familiar with contemporary dance, here's one of my favorite dance videos (the duet section starting from 1:50): (Jiri Kylian, Nederlands Dans)
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=sjq0ZjFNZFY

What I Can Share with Hosts

Curiosity, conversations, food, math, music, languages, good guest habits

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Guatemala, India, Laos, South Korea, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, United States

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