CouchSurfing

DUKE

Current Mission: Couchsurfer for 7 years and counting...

Personal Designations

Community Designations

Family Ambassador (Helsinki)
PioneerTraveling Band and Musician
Finland
Uusimaa
Helsinki


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General Information
DUKE is a CS Family Ambassador!
DUKE is a CS Traveling Band or Musician!
DUKE has been vouched for
VERIFIED MEMBER Identity Checked, Location Verified (3) more info
Couch availableMaybe
CouchSurf requests replied to100%
member sinceSeptember 21st, 2004
profile views44,170
age34
birthday13 August
Everyone can see this.
genderMale
membernameDUKE
occupationMusician
educationWikipedia and other fine websites
grew up inPuebla, México
ethnicityPocho
Direct Profile URL

Languages

  • SpanishExpert
  • EnglishExpert
  • GermanIntermediate
  • FinnishBeginner
  • DutchBeginner

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 657:2190Atheists & Agnostics 296:242
Why: God who?
Active in 23 more groups.

Couch Information



Couch picture

Couch Available: Maybe
Preferred Gender: Any
No smoking allowed
Has children: No
Can host children: No
Has pets: No
Can host pets: No
Max Surfers Per Night: 2

Shared Sleeping Surface: No
Shared Room: No

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)

    + Add to my friends    

World map
Map of friends
Antonio PowellAntonio 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
Met in person   Hosted21  
Rachel KoerssenRachel 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
Met in person   Hosted30+   Surfed2   Traveled3  
Marja-Liisa HMarja-Liisa H
31, Female
Helsinki, Uusimaa
Finland
Friends since June 2008
"met a year ago in Helsinki"
Friendship Type: Close Friend
Met in person  
Tiina 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
Met in person   Hosted12   Traveled12  
Georgia Suidgeest 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
Met in person   Surfed2   Traveled5  
JUSTBEJUSTBE
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
Met in person   Hosted5   Surfed3   Traveled1  
Jan LuebberingJan 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 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
Met in person   Hosted7   Surfed2   Traveled6  
Casey Fenton 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 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
Met in person  
Send CouchRequest to DUKE!
    Send Message    ++ Contact List    Print    


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

As of August 2011 I have surfed over 100 couches & hosted 100+ members. The numbers will get surely bigger, but the great experiences and memories are countless.

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

MOVIES

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...



TV

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.



MUSIC

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).



The 5 Albums I would take to a deserted island:

Marillion - Marbles
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
Dream Theater - Scenes form a Memory
Meatloaf - Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell



BOOKS

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

Since I've been a member of CouchSurfing, I have been in 20 countries, hitchhiked thousands of kms., been interviewed for polish television, lived in a truck for

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

TRAVELED: Austria, Belgium, Belize, Canada, Czech Republic, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States
LIVED: Finland, Mexico, Netherlands, United States
WANTS TO GO: Australia, Azerbaijan, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, Greece, Iceland, India, Ireland (Republic of), Israel, Liechtenstein, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Vatican


What do these numbers mean?

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.

References (261)

  • 244Positive
  • 17Neutral
  • 0Negative
  • 55From Hosts
  • 60From Surfers
  • 41Traveling
    Leave a Reference >>    
Roberto Roman
From Roberto Roman
 Irapuato, Mexico
 May 30, 2011
Met in person  
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

ATLASMARKER
From ATLASMARKER
 Helsinki, Finland
 Jan 20, 2010
Met in person Friend,  
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!!!

Rita Miklán
From Rita Miklán
 Helsinki, Finland
 Nov 2, 2009
Met in person Friend, Surfed 8 days  
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 :)

Marja-Liisa H
From Marja-Liisa H
 Helsinki, Finland
 Jul 13, 2009
Met in person Close Friend,  
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!

Kate Hendy
From Kate Hendy
 Berlin, Germany
 Jun 14, 2009
Met in person Surfed 4 days  
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!

Astrid Kuiper
From Astrid Kuiper
 Utrecht, Netherlands
 Apr 20, 2009
Met in person CouchSurfing Friend,  
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.

MELODYJ
From MELODYJ
 Espoo, Finland
 Feb 27, 2009
Met in person  
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.

Renée Sys
From Renée Sys
 Brussels, Belgium
 Feb 8, 2009
Met in person CouchSurfing Friend, Surfed 2 days  
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!

Barbara Lettens 
From Barbara Lettens
 Tallinn, Estonia
 Feb 7, 2009
Met in person CouchSurfing Friend, Surfed 1 days Traveled 1 days 
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! :)

Omar A.R.
From Omar A.R.
 West Lafayette, United States
 Jan 28, 2009
Met in person Good Friend,  
Positive

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


    Leave a Reference >>