Personal Designations

₁₀₂

Community Designations

Languages

• Spanish^Expert
• English^Expert
• German^Intermediate
• Finnish^Beginner
• Dutch^Beginner

Groups I Belong To

Amsterdam 23863:48085 Why: I love A'dam and visit often.	Helsinki 8801:19000 Why: My new home :)
Helsinki Housing, Sales, Trades and Jobs 657:2190	Atheists & Agnostics 296:242 Why: God who?
Active in 23 more groups. Show them all

Couch Information

I live with my girlfriend María in the beautiful neighbourhood of Munkkiniemi, which is easily reachable by bus or tram. We have a couch in which 1 person can crash in, and a sleeping bag for a 2nd person to sleep on the floor.

I have quite a busy schedule and things change a lot, so please don't ask me for a couch with a 2 month notice. I'd rather offer my couch as a last minute thing. So if you'll be in town in a few days, or are already in town, I might be able to help you out.

There is no smoking in my flat, so you'd have to do that outside. I have no pets, but you're free to bring yours. :)

I'm a late sleeper, and I wake up late as well, so I hope you're not the kind of person who needs total quiet after midnight.

I'd love to spend time with you and show you around, if I have the time to do so. And if I've got a gig, I can always bring you along, buy you a drink and have some fun.

Welcome to Helsinki!

Friends (442)

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Map of friends

Antonio Powell 36, Male Cancun, Quintana Roo Mexico Friends since June 1999 "We met each other since summer of '99 and since then we became best friends ever....well...not the first day exactly(jeje...ask him why)" Friendship Type: Best Friend I vouched for DUKE    21	Rachel Koerssen 20, Female Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands Friends since June 2005 "We met in Amsterdam at my fiancee Kris' house (he hosted him)" Friendship Type: Close Friend    30+   2   3
Marja-Liisa H 31, Female Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland Friends since June 2008 "met a year ago in Helsinki" Friendship Type: Close Friend	Tiina 32, Female Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland Friends since December 2005 "The first Finnish speaking Mexican I met in Amsterdam" Friendship Type: Close Friend I vouched for DUKE    12   12
Georgia Suidgeest 24, Female Melbourne, Victoria Australia Friends since January 2007 "He showed me the art of Hitchhiking." Friendship Type: Good Friend I vouched for DUKE    2   5	JUSTBE 31, Female Potsdam, Brandenburg Germany Friends since March 2005 "HC camp in Poland. Then i had a pleasure to host him in Riga and hang around with him in city streets. :))Crowd- rocker, smile- maker, life- taster. Hey, u r great, Duke! ;) see ya in Baltic camp!" Friendship Type: Good Friend I vouched for DUKE    5   3   1
Jan Luebbering 33, Male Muenster, North Rhine-Westphalia Germany Friends since 2005 "Duke is definitely trustworthy. meet him and you ll have a great time."	Ulf Kleinings 23, Male Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia Germany Friends since December 2006 "I got him out of the slums in Mexico where he had to spend his childhood and brought him to our world" Friendship Type: CouchSurfing Friend I vouched for DUKE    7   2   6
Casey Fenton 34, Male San Francisco, California United States Friends since 2004 "We've traveled together through many European countries. This trip wouldn't be anywhere near the level of energy if Duke weren't here. He rocks the house!"	ANDRZEJ GRZESIK 29, Male Warsaw, Mazovia Poland Friends since June 2005 "I'm so happy that finaly we have met in Warsaw twice! fantastic person and fantastic musician! hope to meet you again someday somewhere!" Friendship Type: Good Friend I vouched for DUKE
432 more friends

RAWK!
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Personal Description

My name is Duke...and I'm a Couchaholic. I was born in the USA but was brought up in Mexico by Mexican parents. When you meet me, I hope this explains why I have an American accent when I speak English and a Mexican accent when I speak Spanish. I'm seemingly uncomplicated, although a lot of people would disagree. I exercise straightforwardness, which gets me in trouble in my home country, but seems to work just fine in Europe. I enjoy taking a ridicuously short time to break the ice with people. I'm only happy when I'm doing many things at once (or none at all). Incredibly absent-minded, hyperactive, sarcastic and prone to amusement with random objects.

CouchSurfing Experience

Interests

LIKES: Languages, Marillion, traveling, hitchhiking, making fun of bad movies, pasta, late-night after-party sing-alongs, Sweet Chili Pepper Doritos, hugs, skepticism & critical thinking, computers, the truth, rye bread, Family Guy, the sound of shoes on snow, Belgian beer, South Park, bubbles, the Doppler effect, Tabasco sauce, 24, staying up late, waking up late, puppies, asking rhetorical questions, döner kebabs, Monty Python, talking about CouchSurfing, Spam.

DISLIKES: Politics, Paris Hilton, Reggaetón, springbreakers, smoking, mayonnaise, Mariah Carey, bullfighting, littering, queuing, sweating, Hip-hop, onions, salmiakki, spam.

Philosophy

"It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring"

- Carl Sagan

Music, Movies, Books

Nerdy trilogies: Star Wars, Back to the Future, Lord of the Rings, anything by Monty Python. But yes, I do have half a brain for thought provoking films, as long as I have someone to see them with and explain them so later I can go "oooooh!" Which ones? uuuuhm.......the ones about that thing with that guy in them...

Flight of the Conchords, Penn & Teller's Bullshit!, The Daily Show, The Mighty Boosh, Heroes, Scrubs, 24, CSI, The Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park, Futurama.

Marillion,(best band on earth! please give them a listen and support them if you like them!), Crowded House, Genesis, Rush, Pink Floyd, Spock's Beard, Dream Theater, Peter Gabriel, Porcupine Tree, Kevin Gilbert, Yes, Rush, Tom Petty, R.E.M., The Beatles, Scissor Sisters, Jarabe de Palo, Tenacious D, Counting Crows, Crash Test Dummies, Flight of the Conchords, Eric Clapton, Ben Folds, Elton John, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Damien Rice, Steve Vai, songwriter Fernando Delgadillo (Mexico) and Silvio Rodriguez (Cuba).

I used to read thrillers and fantasy books, very good for traveling: Grisham, Dan Brown, Robert Ludlum. I´ve recently made the jump to non-fiction, reading mostly science and skeptical literature. I love "how-to" books so I can always keep learning on the road.

Types of People I enjoy

People open to the idea of opening their door to strangers. The idea of trusting people for no reason is something that sadly we have lost in our society, and it's time to get it back! Oh, and anybody with dry britishy sense of humor. ;)
People who take themselves too seriously need not apply.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you guitar, Spanish, and how to play a kazoo.
I'd like to learn as much as I can about YOUR language, YOUR city and YOUR life.
I like to share funny stories, hitchhiking stories, traveling stories, inspiring stories. I'm always up for sharing laughs.

One Amazing Thing I've Seen or Done

3 days, climbed an active volcano, played music on many city centers, seen snow fall for the first time, hung out with my favorite band and even hitched a ride with them!
Most importantly, I've met hundres of friendly people who have touched my life in different ways, and many of them I am now proud to call friends.

Opinion on the CouchSurfing.org Project

Locations Traveled

see map

From Roberto Roman
 Irapuato, Mexico
 ^{May 30, 2011}   

Positive

We met in the line for a concert he was really nice invited us some beer and invited to see him playing next day, we talked about music and our country, was very nice to meet a mexican in Finland an best of all a funny mexican like Duke

From ATLASMARKER
 Helsinki, Finland
 ^{Jan 20, 2010}    

Positive

Duke is a walking plus-sign, probably even when he is grumpy. :D He has brought sun, laughter and rock'n'roll to Helsinki. He is one of the most sympathetic and compassionate people I have met, with an AWESOME voice!!!

From Rita Miklán
 Helsinki, Finland
 ^{Nov 2, 2009}     

Positive

Duke is a great host, and a great guy! Generous, outgoing and cheerful person who's full of energy! If he invites you to go to Heavy Karaoke night with him, you have to say yes! :) He turned my arrival to Helsinki into a great party :)

From Marja-Liisa H
 Helsinki, Finland
 ^{Jul 13, 2009}    

Positive

We didn't meet on CS, but I know Duke very well and he's been a generous host to lots of people during the time I've known him. He convinced me that Couchsurfing is worth trying, and full of interesting people and experiences. He's a genuine, warm person, lots of fun (and sarcasm), a talented musician and creatively crazy... you'll have a great time with him!

From Kate Hendy
 Berlin, Germany
 ^{Jun 14, 2009}    

Positive

Duke has a great attitude and is a generous and fun host. He tolerated my lame attempt at guitar hero which I'm sure was quite painful for a musician. I wish I had arrived a little earlier so I could have experienced more of Helsinki’s nightlife with Duke and his lovely friends. I hope to see you in Denmark where I will introduce you to the joys of organic produce and yoga, which I am sure you will appreciate!

From Astrid Kuiper
 Utrecht, Netherlands
 ^{Apr 20, 2009}    

Positive

One sarcastic very awesome guy!
Felt comfortable with him straight away. He is an awesome karaoke singer, and he can tell you with 6 words why Finland is so special compared to Mexico.

From MELODYJ
 Espoo, Finland
 ^{Feb 27, 2009}   

Positive

Duke will show you as much friendship and hospitality as you show him (and then some) - with no upper limit. He's a great guy, with a great attitude, and one of the most fun people I know.
When he says he takes a short time to break the ice, he really means it; he will take the time to turn any stranger into a friend if they have the slightest inclination for friendship.

From Renée Sys
 Brussels, Belgium
 ^{Feb 8, 2009}     

Positive

Hi Duke,

It was soo great that you answered my request for a couch right away, it made me so much more at ease being able to have someone nice in Helsinki. It was a pleasure to meet you and your friends Gosé and the flying spaghetti monster to discuss during the night and drink a lot of tea. I'm coming to see one of your gigs soon and will come to hear how you rocked yesterday in Espoo. hope you like saucisse with stoemp from Belgium!

 

From Barbara Lettens
 Tallinn, Estonia
 ^{Feb 7, 2009}     

Positive

I answered Dukes "plea" to hang around Tallinn for couple of hours a day. I am glad I did! He's a charismatic guy with an open smile and a good sense of humor... very tolerable for couple of hours a day at least.. ehehe ;) Later I saw him perform on the Viking XPRS (if you ever have a chance, make him sing.. he's great!) and had an opportunity of a lifetime to float-surf... :) Not only was it my first time surfing in a cabin, but it was my very first surf on CS in general... It was a blast Duke! Thanks! :)

From Omar A.R.
 West Lafayette, United States
 ^{Jan 28, 2009}    

Positive

not much more to say than a wicked wicked guy!!!

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