CURRENT MISSION

Travelling as much as possible and still saving money for a big trip in the future

ABOUT ME

In a few words: a happy guy who loves travelling, music, India and history. I live in the centre of The Hague together with my brother, although I spend a lot of time in Amsterdam with my wonderful girlfriend Jinna. I work at the National Archives of the Netherlands, where (among other things) I research the records of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and compile archival guidebooks. I am also working on a PhD dissertation on the VOC in South India. Besides, I am a musician, enjoying almost any kind of music and playing drums, banjo and steel guitar. At the moment, I am part of two bands: The Polar Exploration Ship (alternative 70s and 90s rock) and The Dust Bowl Drifters (old-time country), both of which play live regularly. Finally, I truly enjoy travelling of course and go backpacking as often as I can. My favourite destination is Asia, in particular India.

PHILOSOPHY

There is nothing better than life.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

For the time being, my participation is not very impressive. I cannot actually let people sleep on my couch because I rarely sleep at home myself for more than one night in a row. Yet, I really enjoy meeting people from other countries and I will happily spend my scarce free time trying to get them to know The Hague beyond its first (sedate?) impression.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I met quite a number of couchsurfers during my recent trip to the south-east of the US, either to stay at their home or to meet for a drink. This was the first time for me that couchsurfing was an important part of travelling. All meetings were great experiences and they made my visit much less superficial. Be it a nice bar, an interesting sight or an amazing band, I would never have seen so much if it wasn't for my fellow CS'ers! Encounters so far:
* CS meeting, The Hague, Netherlands (Aug. 2007)
* Olya, Minsk, Belarus (Oct. 2007)
* John, Charleston (SC), USA (Jan. 2008)
* Joseph, Savannah (GA), USA (Jan. 2008)
* Elizabeth, Roanoke (VA), USA (Jan. 2008)
* Chall, Asheville (NC), USA (Jan. 2008)
* Joella & Ryan, Cherokee (NC), USA (Jan. 2008)
* David & Rose, Bowling Green (KY), USA (Jan. 2008)
* Dee Dee, Nashville (TN), USA (Jan. 2008)
* Lilly from Germany, The Hague (Sep. 2008)
* Maria from Colombia, The Hague (Jan. 2009)
* Carine from France, The Hague (Apr. 2009)

Interests

More or less everything, but especially: music, travelling, history, India and the rest of Asia, architecture, science (for instance linguistics, astronomy, anthropology).

• architecture
• drinking
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• guitar
• drums
• backpacking
• bowling
• anthropology
• astronomy
• history
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

* MUSIC: Rolling Stones (60s and 70s), Bill Monroe, Radiohead, Hank Williams, Frank Zappa, Erik Satie, Led Zeppelin, Sufjan Stevens, Carter Family, Flaming Lips, Beach Boys, 20s to 50s country (bluegrass, honky tonk, western swing & Appalachian mountain music), Dinosaur Jr, calypso, Smashing Pumpkins, Little Feat, Flatt & Scruggs, Byrds, Hariprasad Chaurasia, King Crimson, Loney Dear, Steely Dan, old ska, Public Enemy, Neil Young, traditional Hawaiian, Talking Heads, The Band, Yes, Louvin Brothers, Steve Reich, Motorpsycho, James Brown, Robert Wyatt, The Police, Maurice Ravel, Javanese gamalan, John Coltrane, Stevie Wonder (70s), The Jayhawks, Grandaddy, Allman Brothers Band, Fleet Foxes, Urban Dance Squad, J.J. Cale, Midlake, old Bollywood, drums 'n base, and hundreds of other acts and styles...
* MOVIES: Monty Python, Asian arthouse cinema, movies directed by Terry Gilliam, O Brother Where Art Thou, Blade Runner (whatever cut).
* BOOKS: Apart from travel guides, Midnight's Children (Salman Rushdie), Lord of the Rings (Tolkien), The Discovery of Heaven (Harry Mulisch), The Glass Palace (Amitabh Ghosh), Burmese Days (George Orwell), A Son of the Circus (John Irving), Life of Pi (Yann Martel), Das Parfum (Patrick Süskind), A Short History of Nearly Everything (Bill Bryson), and some other Dutch and Indian books.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Travelling alone for the first time, touring with a band, historical research, working in India, and meeting my girlfriend!

Teach, Learn, Share

* TEACH: not sure... Perhaps I could tell you all about Dutch bands? Indian history? Life in Western Europe? Banjo types? Best place to eat in Isfahan? Archival anecdotes?
* LEARN: I always like to hear stories about local life (and how you fit in), especially in the olden days. Besides, I am interested to learn about the local music scene.
* SHARE: a good conversation and humour, preferably over a meal or a couple of drinks.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

India, Netherlands

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