CURRENT MISSION

To be really fooking good.

ABOUT ME

I'm a ginger gent with a lust for life and a trust in people that so far has worked out well. I'd pretty much never left Belfast for any longer than a fortnight until December 08 when I headed off on my round the world trip after years of talking about it. I returned home and my feet were still itching to travel so I've returned to the East to cut my teeth as a teacher and stay here for a few years.

PHILOSOPHY

Aaron in 2000; Get a degree. Get a good job. Make it a career. Buy a house. Meet the one, maybe start a family and all by the age of 30.

Aaron in 2010; The world is smaller than ever before and opportunity for new experiences and many and varied relationships are there to be seized. Try things, meet people and don't regret.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've met a few couchsurfers but purely by accident...that's led me to signing up though and should I get my own place when I settle in China, then my door is open to you, and my time available.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I partied with CSers for New Years Eve 08 in Hanoi, Vietnam...this was my introduction to CS. Two of those I spent that night with I met again when I arrived in New York months later.

My next encounter with couchsurfers was a Christmas night out in Beijing 2010...I dunno why but it seems I only meet up at festive times in places far from home!

Interests

A true Northern Irishman, my main interest was spending time in the pub with my mates. I guess I've added to that now; I'm trying to learn a new language (mandarin for now), I love photography, hiking, camping and I had been trying to learn how to surf until I moved to China.

• dogs
• photography
• festivals
• dancing
• pub crawls
• traveling
• socializing
• drums
• hiking
• camping
• teaching
• emergency services

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: All and any...guilty pleasures like Seagal and Van Damme to blockbusters and everything in between.

Music: While traveling between destinations I'm liking Fleet Foxes, The National, Band of Horses. I grew up on late 80s and 90s hair rock. I party to house, rock, hip hop. I chill to acoustic folk and blues.

Books: Reading; The Essential Chomsky. Last few read; Scar Tissue - Antony Keidis, Mr Nice - Howard Marks, S-21 The Secret Prison of Polpots regime. Favorite book: On the Road, Jack Kerouac

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I was invited to a festival to mark the opening of a temple in rural northern Laos with local village communities. We ate local delicacies, dog and duck embryo. We were asked to carry on our shoulders, a 15ft rocket on a bamboo frame - the women ran in and fed us Lao Lao rice whisky to give us strength. Some men beat drums and we had to dance the rocket around the paddy field while local police fired off rounds into the air and kids let off bangers. A cow was killed and cooked over hot embers and fed to us. It was national geographic-esque and something that I doubt I'll ever have the good fortune to experience again.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Cambodia, China, Czech Republic, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

China