I was born, bred and breathed in Cricklewood, North West London. I don't have a place of my own at the moment so am unable to host, but would love to offer advice on anything or just go for a coffee or beer or just sit in a park or stare at the stars...
Stefan Kukula 30, Male Manchester, Manchester England Friends since September 2000 "Met at uni back in 2000 and have never looked back" Friendship Type: Best Friend
EliotandCath FinebergandLehane 27, Several people London, London England Friends since June 1984 "He is my brother." Friendship Type: Close Friend
STEVEN_1 28, Male Elstree, Hertfordshire England Friends since September 1988 "Dave is a close childhood friend of mine. I've know him for years!" Friendship Type: Close Friend
Alyssa B Benner 23, Female Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania United States Friends since November 2010 "He tagged along on a roadtrip and is now out visiting me! I will probably be tagging along with him to Baltimore as well!" Friendship Type: Good Friend 37
Joy Somers 25, Female Seoul, Seoul South Korea Friends since December 2010 "He crashed my family's couch for xmas 2010" Friendship Type: CouchSurfing Friend I vouched for Dave S Fineberg 2
Tara Sloane 24, Female Minneapolis, Minnesota United States Friends since November 2010 "I met him in Chicago, and in like 5 minutes I'd already invited him to live with me" Friendship Type: Close Friend I vouched for Dave S Fineberg 7
Matthew Mead 24, Male Minneapolis, Minnesota United States Friends since October 2010 "Dave and I met at Tara Sloane's!!" Friendship Type: Best Friend 6
Colin Sweett 29, Male London, London England Friends since March 2012 "We meet at a CS film club" Friendship Type: Friend
MISSHELENUK 25, Female London, London England Friends since September 2011 "I hold Stephen Fry accountable..." Friendship Type: Friend 6
Fabiane Daberer 30, Several people Klagenfurt, Carinthia Austria Friends since August 2011 "CouchSearch" Friendship Type: Friend 25
"All I can do is be me, whoever that is." - Bob Dylan, musician.
**I endeavour to reply to all messages, but please be patient as living in London I get a lot of them in one go. Also, if you don't have a reasonably filled out profile, or send a basic, generic & unspecific message, I may not reply at all. Just so you know.**
"We live everything as it comes, without warning, like an actor going on cold." - from The Unbearable Lightness of Being, a book.
“You’ve got to keep making decisions, even if they’re wrong decisions. If you don’t make decisions, you’re stuffed.” - Joe Simpson, mountaineer.
"The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun." - Christopher McCandless/Alexander Supertramp, itinerant.
Meet me and find out, but...
...I love a good film...
"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.." - from Casablanca, one of the greatest films of all time.
...I've recently developed a new found love for loose tea. My current favourites are Green Jasmine and Lapsang Souchong....
...I've no idea where my life's taking me, but I'm keeping my eyes peeled the whole way...
...in other news, from birth until some time in the 1990's I tried growing up. In 1999, taking a gap year, I lived in Blackburn, Lancashire, whilst volunteering at a homeless shelter. In 2000 I moved to Manchester to study Human Geography, returning to London in 2003. I spent from then until 2010 working various jobs and being the bassist in the band Hatcham Social, releasing our debut album in 2009. In October 2010 I left England to spend 6 months on the road; 3 months traversing across the USA from New York to San Francisco; 7 weeks in New Zealand exploring both the north and south Islands; 1 week in Fiji; a month in Australia, and finally a couple of days in Singapore on my way back home. I'm now back in London wanting to continue my exploration of people and places. I'm not sure I've grown up either. And I'm not sure I want to.
I want to share things. Exchanges. Smiles. Bike rides. A gesture. A glance. A moment. A stare. A word without speaking. A song without singing. A thought without thinking.
I like to couch surf for the experience of seeing a city, town or village through the eyes of someone who lives there. I'd prefer to stay a few days and take things in than to speed through a different city every day. Conversely, I like meeting couchsurfers in London to see it through the eyes of someone who doesn't live here.
I do not smoke.
I don't mind pets.
I shower regularly. Daily where possible.
I eat most things. Though I once tried fermented whale meat, and wasn't too keen.
Sometimes I follow my heart. Sometimes I follow my head. It seems to be working so far.
"We are now ready to start on our way down the Great Unknown...what falls there are, we know not; what rocks beset the channel, we know not; what walls ride over the river, we know not..." - John Wesley Powell, explorer.
"Nou te rourou, naku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi. (With your contribution and my contribution we shall all prosper.)" - Maori proverb.
I'm constantly surfing the net for everything and nothing in particular. Wikipedia is my bible. Google is my dictionary. But nothing can replace the feel of a good book.
"Life is what happens whilst you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon, musician.
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin, polymath.
"Eighty percent of success is showing up." - Woody Allen, jew.
How I Participate in CS
I spent October 2010 to April 2011 travelling through the USA, New Zealand, Fiji, Australia & Singapore. I surfed many couches and met many wonderful people. I'm now back in London hoping to meet fellow CS-ers (Londoners & travellers), attend a few meetings in London, and surf some more in Europe (and beyond). I also help arrange a regular(ish) Film Club for anyone living or passing through London, as well as posting up various other events that interest me.
CouchSurfing Experience
So far: approximately 59 hosts at 39 host locations in 9 countries.
Wales (December 2011/January 2012): In Gwynedd I was hosted by Lynn, Stephen and Hannah.
Jordan (December 2011): In a cave near Umm Seyhoun I was hosted by Ghassab and Khaled.
In Amman I was hosted by Nael.
Austria (August 2011): In St Daniel I was hosted by Fabi.
In Golling I was hosted by Birgit.
Singapore (April 2011): In Singapore I was hosted by Matthew & Arun.
Australia (March 2011 - April 2011): In Kingswood, Sydney I was hosted by Sam & Stu.
In Hobart I was hosted by Megan, and met Rikiya.
In Melbourne I was hosted by Rachel, Camille & Joel.
In Belgrave I was hosted by Rhys & Penny.
In Perth I was hosted by Selby.
Fiji (March 2011): In Viseisei I was hosted by Fi & Api.
New Zealand (January 2011 - March 2011): In Edendale I was hosted by Elaine & Robert.
In Kihikihi I was hosted by Alice & Marcus (plus the kids Gracie & Samuel!).
In Dargaville I was hosted by Donna & Jerry.
In the Karikari Peninsula I was hosted by Graham.
In Takapuna I was hosted by Thomas.
In Auckland I was hosted by Aaron.
In Rotorua I was hosted by Gabriel.
In Rotorua I went white water rafting with 18 other couchsurfers.
I did the Tongariro Crossing with over 100 other couchsurfers.
In Silverdale I was hosted by Anna and her lovely parents.
USA (October 2010 - January 2011): In Monterey I was hosted by Chantry & Karina.
In Paso Robles I was hosted by Serena.
In Bakersfield I was hosted by Kevin.
In Las Vegas I went to a CS meet up arranged by Anna.
In Flagstaff I was hosted by Scott & Amanda. On two separate occasions. I also met fellow CS-er Michelle and soon-to-be-CS-er Felicia.
In Chino Valley I was hosted by Joy & her wondrous family for Christmas 2010.
In Tempe I was hosted by James and met fellow CS-ers Matt, Renee, Hytham, Charlotte, Richard, Mike, Shirley & Angelique.
In San Francisco I was hosted by Neil.
From LA to San Francisco I joined a Rideshare with Rose.
In New Orleans I was hosted by Ashley (& Ashley) and met fellow CS-ers Mon, Craig, Rob & Destiny.
In Montgomery I was hosted by Tony.
In Macon I was hosted by Jacob and met fellow CS-ers Ray & Daryl.
In Asheville I was hosted by Patrick & friends.
In Carrboro I was hosted by Lori.
In Washington DC I was hosted by Lauren, Rachel & Autumn (and Carrot the Cat).
In Philadelphia I was hosted by Wanda(& the boystown crew).
In Upper Black Eddy I was hosted by Alyssa & Donna.
In Pittsburgh I was hosted by Drew.
In Toledo I was hosted by Mike.
In the Upper Peninsula I travelled with Drew, Alyssa & Mandy, whom I met couchsurfing in Minneapolis.
In Minneapolis I experienced my first official couch surf, with my wonderful hosts Tara & Lexi.
In Chicago I went to a CS hosted Halloween Party and met a number of people, including Tara.
England (since 2003): In Manchester I have been hosted by Stefan on many many many occasions.
Interests
I like; Music (indie pop guitar based stuff, 1960's, jazz, soul, hip hop, classical and other genres). Loose leaf tea (mostly green or white). Theatre (mainstream & fringe). Film (independent and some blockbusters). Football (Manchester United). Art. Epic Installations (Coral Reef at the Tate Britain was phenomenal). Sport. The outdoors. Great open expanses (Death Valley, USA). Forest walking (The Dandenong Ranges, OZ). Mountain hiking (The Alps). Clifftop walking (Saxon Shore Way, UK). Kindness. Generosity. Understanding. Patience. Travel. Cycling/running for charities. Anything to do with world history between the 1920's and 1960's (especially WWI & WWII history). Dressing up like its any time between the 1920's and 1960's. Driving. Having a go. Chocolate pecan pie from Camellia Grill in New Orleans.
“Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.” - Brian O'Driscoll, rugby player.
Philosophy
I am here. Therefore I will. When I'm not, I won't.
"Some things are worth living for. You don't take your money to heaven when you die." - Eric Cantona, Frenchman.
"Life is too important to be taken seriously." - Oscar Wilde, Irishman.
“Kill all my demons, and my angels might die too.” - Tennessee Williams, playright.
“Why don't we do it in the road?” - The Beatles, pop group.
You never ever, ever, ever stop learning.
Music, Movies, Books
"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need...roads." - Dr. Emmett Brown, time traveller.
Some of my favourite films are Casablanca / An American in Paris / Synecdoche New York / Mystic River / Milk / Let The Right One In / Best In Show / No Man's Land / Into The Wild / Up In The Air / Leon / Cloverfield / District 9 / Star Wars (IV, V & VI) / The Bourne Trilogy / Anchorman / The Hangover / Cinderella Man / Dazed & Confused / Midnight In Paris / Pan's Labyrinth / Se7en / Apocalypse Now / Lord of the Rings Trilogy / This Is England / LA Confidential / Sunshine Cleaning / Serpico / Where The Wild Things Are / Wall-E / Lost in Translation / Nordwand (North Face) / Troll Hunter / The Edukators / Barney's Version / Bottle Rocket / The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) / Exit Through The Gift Shop / Dead Man's Shoes / The Truman Show / Annie Hall.
Some of my favourite musical artists/bands are Louis Armstrong / Beck / Arcade Fire / Pavement / Bob Dylan / Orange Juice / Johnny Cash / Girls / Blur / Pulp / Oasis / CW Stoneking / Beach Boys / Black Rebel Motorcycle Club / The Charlatans / Longpigs / Modest Mouse / Syd Barrett / Elliott Smith / Slow Club / New Found Land / Other Lives / Radiohead / Lykke Li / Velvet Underground / The Smiths / Elbow / The Stone Roses / Frank Sinatra / Sammy Davis Jnr / Weezer / Bruce Springsteen / Detroit Cobras / Spiritualized / Ugly Duckling / Doves / Jurassic 5 / The Black Keys / Eels / The Doors.
Some of my favourite books are The Call of The Wild & White Fang by Jack London / Making History by Stephen Fry / Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger / To Have and To Have Not by Ernest Hemingway / Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell / The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald / Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada / The Rum Diary by Hunter S Thompson / The Diving Bell and The Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby / The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien / America Unchained by Dave Gorman.
Some of my favourite TV programmes are The Wire / The Office (UK) / Teachers / Band of Brothers / Tremé / Green Wing / Nathan Barley / The Mighty Boosh / Spaced / Saxondale / 15 Storeys High / Boardwalk Empire / Arrested Development.
Types of People I enjoy
Hopefully, you. And folliculaphiliats...
One Amazing Thing I've Seen or Done
Playing live with my band Hatcham Social at South by South West festival in Austin, Texas, USA and then swimming in our roof top pool at the hotel.
Skydiving from 16500 feet above the Abel Tasman National Park in New Zealand.
Staying in a cave with some bedouins (Khaled, Ghassan & Ghassab) in the Jordanian desert, sitting by the fire, looking up the stars, drinking arak.
Opinion on the CouchSurfing.org Project
Couch Surfing is an ideology, not a free place to sleep.
It is also the perfect antidote to our sometimes negative and paranoid society.
Communication is key. Along with trust. And respect.
The least you can do is complete your profile if you wish to surf/host.
This summary is not a replacement for reading references; it's a quick summary to help you get started. At a glance, you can see how many references a member has, and how many of them are positive, neutral, and negative.
In the second line, you'll see how many references came from people who hosted this member, surfed with them, and traveled with them. These numbers won't always add up to the total: some references are not categorized, and some may be categorized as more than one thing.
When viewing this summary, don't jump to conclusions! Things that are negative for one person may be positive for another, and vice versa. It's important to read references carefully and evaluate what that information means to you.
I met Dave through my daughter (also a cser) and agreed to host him over the new year. Dave was a happy to go with the flow and really enjoyed the area in which I am lucky to live. I would be happy to host Dave again and get some good walks in!! In fact Dave is planning a return trip in the summer, we can walk up Snowdon and talk more Boardwalk Empire :-)
Well, we get on well, and it’s been nice to get to know him over the past few months. He even helped me put on pyjamas atop a Snowdonian summit, I also wore his socks on my numb fingers... Hell ah even ate ma lunch with them awn! So, Yes we are on that ship called Friend. All hands on deck for more foolish London fun!
Hosting him was chilled; he was kind,considerate and appropriately surrendered to the flow of slow life here. He likes to share, whether it is tea, opinions, hats, words, ideas, inspirations..
We like totally saw a shooting star together.
I am one of his future elves, and I am down with that.
Dave was a very friendly and funny person. We met when we were both hosted in a cave in Jordan. It was a very special place to meet so we shared a very special time together. We visited Petra together and spend a night in the cave with Ghassab....
I hope to see Dave again in Göteborg where I live, he said he would come....either here or Iceland.
Dave is a very welcoming, open minded and easy going person to get along with. It's been lots of fun sharing new experiences with him and getting to know him!
I am grateful that we met and really hope to spend more fun time with him in the near future
What can I tell you about Dave? He’s pretty damn hilarious, has many an interesting anecdote to share and possesses an open-minded and curious outlook on the world. He’s an excellent partner in crime for acronym&pun sparring, cinema-going, coffee/tea/half-pint drinking, city strolling and Middle East traveling. Plus he has a moustache, always a bonus (for the folliculaphiliats out there). In short: If you come to London, you really ought to meet Dave.
From WORLDROVER Highland Falls, United States Nov 11, 2011
Positive
I met up with Dave a couple times in London. He has a good knowledge of theatre and helped me get a ticket to a show. I would recommend connecting up with him when you're in London.
I've known Dave for a long time and over the years we've experienced some wild and crazy times together. To say he is a nice guy is a bit of an understatement really. Fineberg is a legend! He's a free spirit, never one to follow the crowd or convention. The fact he was part of a trio of best men at my wedding says it all. With his facinating tales, funny stories and theories on life he will keep you entertained into the small hours. If he stays with you you'll want to keep him! His enthusiasm for couch surfing is the reason i joined.
My time with Dave, lets see...mmmh…I don't think there is enough space here to list all his positive qualities: Globetrotter, Mountain Pioneer, full time Philosopher, part time Womanizer, Rockstar, Tourist Guide, bestselling-author-to-be, Blues Brother, Superhero also known as the man with the moustache, village-people-look-alike (of cause in a very masculine and straight way) and FRIEND . If you have ordered the premium Package here comes Dave! He is a lovely person, trustworthy and very polite ;-). I enjoyed the time with you a lot, and will hopefully see you again in London, on the peak of Monte Coglians or somewhere else.
11 
London
Harrow, Watford & North West London
Manchester
3 
7 
2 
