General Information
Languages- English (United States)Expert
- BengaliExpert
- HindiExpert
- SpanishBeginner
Groups I Belong ToCouch Information
Couch Available: Yes Preferred Gender: Any Max Surfers Per Night: 2
Shared Sleeping Surface: No Shared Room: No
The couch is a futon that sleeps two. I have blankets, pillows & towels. You'll be by yourself in the living room. And if you're looking to meet up for coffee/drinks/dinner, or for someone to show you around DC a bit, then I am usually up for it unless I'm bogged down with work.
I live with my boyfriend Stephen in a 1BR apartment on the outer fringes of Capitol Hill. It's a 20 min walk to the Capitol, the Library of Congress, the Folger Shakespeare Library & Theater, the Supreme Court and the Mall & the museums. The cool new bars & restaurants on H Street (Atlas District) are super close.
The Stadium-Armory Metro Station & the Potomac Avenue Metro Station (both served by the Orange & Blue lines) are 12 & 20 mins walk respectively. There are a couple of bus stops half a block away (B2 connects to the Potomac Avenue & Stadium-Armory Metro stations & also takes you to the National Arboretum) & two blocks away (D6 takes you to Union Station/the Mall/Chinatown/Metro Center/the downtown/Dupont Circle/Georgetown) respectively.
I don't smoke; you're welcome to do so on the back porch as long as you pick up the butts. No pets allowed, unfortunately (landlord's rules, I love 'em). There's wi-fi & you're free to use the kitchen. Friday through Sunday works the best for me, the ideal being 2 or 3 nights (I prefer surfers staying more than 1 night so that we get to know each other a little better) ... and schedule permitting, I'll be happy to show you around town ...
Be aware that this is a "gentrifying" neighborhood; while me & my neighbors have never had any unpleasant encounters, occasional muggings do occur. You should be fine by just being a little aware of your surroundings, but do not ask to surf with me if this disclaimer makes you uncomfortable.
Have a thoughtfully completed profile & preferably a pic (of yourself, not a Balinese sunset) when you write. Personalize your message because I do not host surfers who send out obvious mass e-mails unless there's good reason for it. I check my CS mail fairly regularly unless I'm traveling, which is often, but I always write back. Happy surfing! Friends (195)
Stephen Donahoe 24, Male Washington, D. C. United States Friends since January 2009 "We met at a couchsurfing party in DC and started dating soon after that...and it has been amazing ever since!" Friendship Type: Best Friend I vouched for R-Joy
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STEVEN BROSSERIE 34, Male Tours, Centre France Friends since January 2008 "this adorable indian will stay my best friend for ever" Friendship Type: Best Friend
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RANDY.DAVE 58, Male Washington, D. C. United States Friends since January 2009 "At our neighborhood gym." Friendship Type: Close Friend
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Eran Dey 26, Male Be'er Sheva, Southern district Israel Friends since September 2008 "R-joy has been the best host and friend for me in DC when I was there" Friendship Type: Good Friend I vouched for R-Joy
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Sonia Zonderman 37, Female Liege, Liege Belgium Friends since March 2009 "surfed his couch" Friendship Type: Good Friend I vouched for R-Joy
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Mateo Herrera 30, Male Arcata, California United States Friends since January 2009 "During the Republic's Inauguration of Obama: He hosted me for three days in his DC home!" Friendship Type: Good Friend
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Laurent de Potter 29, Male Gembloux, Namur Belgium Friends since July 2008 "I couchsurfed in Washington DC for a few days at his place" Friendship Type: Good Friend I vouched for R-Joy
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LAND-LOCKED 22, Female Tucson, Arizona United States Friends since September 2008 "We were roommates in DC." Friendship Type: Good Friend
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Michel Tschirren 26, Male Washington, D. C. United States Friends since May 2008 "housemate" Friendship Type: Good Friend I vouched for R-Joy
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Beatrice Flaig 30, Female Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate Germany Friends since October 2007 "via Couchsurfing" Friendship Type: Good Friend I vouched for R-Joy
2 | | 185 more friends |
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CouchSurfing ExperienceMy CS experience so far, apart from countless happy hours, brunches, dinners & trips:
Hosted:
1. Eminett from Nesmy, France
2. Stephane from Tours, France
3. Thomas from Toronto, ON, Canada
4. Max & Anders from Karlskrona, Sweden
5. Christian from Lima, Peru (multiple times)
6. Melina from Bologna, Italy
7. Gregg & Joshua from Karlsruhe, Germany
8. Paul from Woodbridge, NJ, U.S.
9. Scott from Vancouver, BC, Canada
10. John from Commerce, MI, U.S.
11. Dennis from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, U.S.
12. Hai from Hanoi, Vietnam
13. Laurent from Gembloux, Belgium
14. Michal from Prague, Czech Republic
15. Dup from Asheville, NC, U.S.
16. Birgit from Tübingen, Germany
17. Sharon from Taipei, Taiwan
18. Eran from Be'er Sheva, Israel
19. Sathi & Anjalika from Hong Kong, China
20. Dileep, Ryan, Jen & Vicki from New York, NY, U.S.
21. Sergio from Brooklyn, NY, U.S.
22. Tuti & Eileen from Islamorada, FL, U.S.
23. Mateo from Arcata, CA, U.S.
24. Lina from Chateaugay, France
25. Cara from Long Beach, CA, U.S.
26. Keith from Pawtucket, RI, U.S.
27. Egor from St. Petersburg, Russia
28. Sonia from Liege, Belgium & Jean-Luc from Auckland, New Zealand
29. Vicki from New York, NY, U.S., Sergio from Brooklyn, NY, U.S., Melanie from Providence, RI, U.S. & Murali from Downingtown, PA, U.S.
30. Olly from Truro, U.K.
31. Jen & Vicki from New York, NY, U.S.
32. Nick from Wellington, New Zealand
Surfed:
1. Dani in Brooklyn, NY, U.S.
2. Michael, Scott & Jack in Seattle, WA, U.S.
3. Tom & Amy in Port Angeles, WA, U.S.
4. J.J. in Seattle, WA, U.S.
5. Bill in Columbus, OH, U.S.
6. Kelly & Bill in Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.
7. Vicki in Copake, NY, U.S. (multiple times)
8. Dileep, Amit & Frank in Jersey City, NJ, U.S.
9. Serafina in Washington, DC, U.S.
10. Jennifer in Austin, TX, U.S.
11. Melanie in Providence, RI, U.S.
12. Darrell & Libby in Bangor, ME, U.S.
13. Tim in Burlington, VT, U.S.
Lived with:
1. Tamra in Washington, DC, U.S.
2. Lucinda in Washington, DC, U.S.
3. Michel in Washington, DC, U.S.
4. Megan in Washington, DC, U.S.
5. Stephen in Washington, DC, U.S.InterestsPhotography, hiking, travel, rowing, adventure sports, roller coasters, word games, reading, art, traditional architecture, economics, history, politics, Tibet, NYC, civil liberties, conservation, global warming, NPR, writing, movies, people watching, cooking & eating.PhilosophyIt doesn't require a lot of effort to have an open mind and be sincere & pleasant.Music, Movies, BooksMusic: U2, Rusted Root, Firewater, The Dana Leong Band, Coldplay, Phish, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, The Allman Brothers Band, The Eagles, CCR, The Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Andrew Bird, The New Pornographers, The Decemberists, Jim Croce, Billie Holiday, Bob Marley, Gilberto Gil, La Lupe, Paco de Lucia. Also listen to a lot of Roma music: Ando Drom, Taraf de Haidouks, Kalyi Jag, Goran Bregovic, Django Reinhardt & Istanbul Oriental Ensemble.
Movies: Mad about 'em, some of my favorite directors: Emir Kusturica, Tony Gatlif, Michael Haneke, Giuseppe Tornatore, Werner Herzog, Fatih Akin, Ken Loach, the Coen brothers, John Cameron Mitchell, Tomas Alea, Hector Babenco, Jafar Panahi, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Wong Kar Wai, Takashi Miike. Some indie stuff, slashers, hentai & outdoor adventure movies.
Books: Read pretty much everything ... faves are Gerald Durrell, Wodehouse, Pratchett, Murakami, Hollinghurst, DeLillo, Eugenides, Kerouac, Orwell, Marquez, Fuentes, Camus. Travelogues by Dalrymple, Michel Peissel & Sven Hedin. Wildlife books by David Attenborough. Calvin & Hobbes, Asterix, Spiegelman & Frank Miller. Atlases.Teach, Learn, ShareI can teach you:
1. How to cook
2. Indian & American history, current issues, literature, art & popular culture
3. Stupid word games
4. A huge list of geography & wildlife trivia
5. A thing or two about movies, especially the sadistically violent ones
I want to learn:
1. To speak Spanish better
2. How to bake
3. Working on a car
4. Origami
5. SnowboardingOpinion on the CouchSurfing.org ProjectThe grand essentials of happiness are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. The gem called CS provides them all!Locations TraveledTRAVELED: Bhutan, Canada, India, Nepal, United Kingdom, United States LIVED: India, United States WANTS TO GO: Belize, Iceland, Italy, Laos, Mongolia, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Turkey References
From Jean and Beth Leconte Washington, United States Mar 19 Positive R-joy and Steven are super cool. I am still waiting on the day that I can defeat the professor at connect four. We have meet at several CS events and plan to meet up at many more. If we are not availible to surf with I would recommend even demand that you should surf, host, or just meeting R-joy.
From Gordon Moss Tampa, United States Mar 8 Positive It's a sign I am at a good CS party when I to run into R-Joy. We first met at a jam-packed CS party celebrating the Inauguration of Barack. We have a great mutual CS friend in Alayne. R-Joy's a really good guy to hang around with.
From Nick Archer Wellington, New Zealand Jan 10 Positive Was great surfing with Ranajoy, I had met him prior year at his Halloween party. Also was good meeting Stephen and talking politics, like many surfing experiences it was hectic being back in D.C. with a lot of sight seeing but strongly recommend surfing with Ranajoy and also catching him at C.S. events.
From Parag Talekar Rockville, United States Nov 21, 2009 Positive Rjoy is cool, don't ask him about the collapse of the banking system though :-)
From Rashad of DC Washington, United States Nov 17, 2009 Positive I was really glad when Ranajoy reached out to me---another Bengali Couchsurfer in DC? Wow! Then he and his partner were able to meet up with me and my CS guests on very short notice, and I've enjoyed hanging out with him since then. Ranajoy is smart, funny, well-traveled (of course), and does a great job being a CS Nomadic Ambassador!
From J0SY Quebec, Canada Oct 30, 2009 Positive Ranajoy is WONDERFUL! He is so so so nice and you can speak about everything with him, he knows really well his city so I had the best touristic guide in town with who I had the pleasure to share a good lunch in a local resto. Only bad thing was that I haven't had more time to spend with him. Ranajoy come whenever you want in Quebec :)
From Vanessa Bobadilla Washington, United States Oct 9, 2009 Positive Hes fun and very nice
From Mack Creel Washington, United States Oct 2, 2009 Positive Ranajoy was one of the first people I met in the DC CS scene and remains one of my favorites. He's dedicated, modest, just one damn fine person. It's hard to sum up, but I could say it's impossible not to like this man.
From mad fugue Washington, United States Sep 16, 2009 Positive R-Joy joined me and other couchsurfers for an congressional Iftar Ramadan celebration where we mingled sharing stories and fine cuisines from around the world. He is so engaging and interesting that he is easy to talk with- I definitely look forward to future chances to bask in R-Joy's friendly and open spirit.
From DARRELL/LIBBY Bangor, United States Sep 1, 2009 Positive R-Joy and Stephen stayed with us for two nights. We had to work, so didn't get to see much of each other, but the times we were able to sit and talk was so much fun. Thank you for wine and for bringing us more information on Acadia; that was so thoughtful!
From Chris - Cross Auckland, New Zealand Jun 10, 2009 Positive We first met at a party when I was sober and by the end of our conversation I was drunk as a skunk.
Its only been good times- with more parties- drag queen brunch- and tramping.
I cant wait to see RJoy again- you the best!
From Koala75 Woodside, United States Jun 5, 2009 Positive Working together on the suds crew was hardly a chore, Ranajoy is truly a joy to know, can't wait to visit him in DC :)
From Jennifer Reese Austin, United States Apr 22, 2009 Positive It's no mistake that Ranajoy has the word JOY in his name! He & Stephen brought lots of sunshine (after a rain delay) to Austin when they came. It was an honor to host such an experienced and well-loved couch surfer, but more than that, it was a true joy to get to know Ranajoy & Stephen. They were the perfect weekend companions for my roomies & I. I look forward to seeing you guys again soon in Austin or DC!
From LFARHAMY Washington, United States Apr 14, 2009 Positive We meet again and R-joy is such a joy to hang out with. We hiked and took photos all day. It was great! Looking forward to hanging out again- and to some Indian food. =)
From Andrew Keene Woodbridge, United States Apr 13, 2009 Positive awesome guy likes to take lots of pictures and enjoyable stories .... he still thinks he is in college inside joke
From Jean-Luc Charlier Utrecht, Netherlands Apr 6, 2009 Positive Ranajoy hosted my friend sonia and I for a few days in DC. We spent a great time with him. Great dining, how to get around town, places to visit and have fun? he knows it all. Thank you for hosting us, we were really lucky!!! Welcome anytime in NZ or wherever I am.
From Sonia Zonderman Liege, Belgium Apr 5, 2009 Positive Ranajoy was a great host ! He spent time with us, showed interesting places, gave us advices about nice things to do, to visit or to eat. He's a lovely guy to spend time around and we had a delightful trip in DC thanks to him (and the weather and the city). Thanks a bunch and anytime in Belgium.
From Carlos Morales Dubai, United Arab Emirates Mar 19, 2009 Positive R-Joy was very nice in showing me his favorite Indian restaurant in DC. We also went to another place the day before. He is very friendly, and thoughtful. I also appreciated the free economics 101 lessons!!!
From Serafina Shishkova Washington, United States Mar 19, 2009 Positive Although I only met R-Joy briefly in person, he stayed in my apartment for a week and took care of my cat while I was on vacation. I came back - cat: alive; apartment: intact. From that I can safely conclude that R-Joy is a very trustworthy person.
From Stephen Donahoe Washington, United States Mar 13, 2009 Positive Ranajoy is someone you really should get to know. He is one of the most amazing people I know. He is compassionate, caring, loving, intelligent, interesting, fun-loving, friendly...Knowing him will be a source of great joy in your life.
From Gil and Nancy Glass Washington, United States Feb 28, 2009 Positive R-Joy is a warm, friendly, and helpful guy with a ready smile. It's always fun to see him at CS gatherings!
From Cara Conley Natitingou, Benin Feb 19, 2009 Positive He is a great guy who offered up his apartment. Was able to share one of the greatest experiences in life going to the inauguration. Also had fun hitting the DC streets the night before the inauguration.
From Chris Speed Nashville, United States Feb 16, 2009 Positive Very cool and insightful guy... told me a lot about his job as a professor and his experiences with couchsurfing... was incredible at answering a bunch of my questions regarding his experience... i would definitely recommend to surf his couch and/or meet up with him while in the dc/maryland area. for sure.
From MOUNTAINMAGIC Mount Darragh, Australia Feb 16, 2009 Positive I find Ranajoy a fascinating conversationalist, and a generous ambassador for CS and for DC. He helps me understand the way things work in DC, and I'd love to meet with him more often and learn more.
From Mateo Herrera Arcata, United States Jan 26, 2009 Positive Ranajoy is Awesome! You are lucky if you have the chance to be hosted by him and if he requests your couch, you definitely would miss out if you say no. He simultaneously encompasses the ideals and characteristics of the best CS hosts and on the occasion on which we met, he is a successful and ideal citizen. Conversation, laughs, a helping hand, dancing and celebrating it was all very amazing and unique. I will visit India!
From Edwin Huang Pittsburgh, United States Jan 23, 2009 Positive He went on my Pittsburgh Church tour and I met up with him at the Obama inauguration! He has lots of couchsurfing spirit and is a wonderful laid back guy.
From Alayne Unterberger Tampa, United States Jan 23, 2009 Positive Ranajoy is not only fun but also very friendly, a wonderful combination. We met during the awesome historic moment in which our nation inaugurated Barack Obama. Thanks to Ranajoy, Jonathan, Ivan, Margaret and many others, CSers from all over the world got to share this amazing time in DC. If you get the chance to hang out with Ranajoy (it's not that hard to say!) DO IT!
From JOEJOHNNIE Washington, United States Jan 21, 2009 Positive R-Joy's awesome. First met him @ the Romani festivals in the fall, and @ various other CS dinners and events in the area. Overall, he's extremely well-traveled, extremely well-educated, and extremely kind. Every time I get a chance to hang out this guy in depth, I learn something new.
From Linaa Fourqueux, France Jan 21, 2009 Positive Rjoy offered his floor so I could come and party in DC, He is a lot of fun, and also great to talk to, very kind, and incapable of making an angry face ;) I hope to see him again soon!
From Stephanie Sheppard Washington, United States Jan 21, 2009 Positive Very nice guy who helped me out with good places to see.things to do in a new city! thanks for all ur help R-joy and Im sure well keep in touch!
From MOONIE Washington, United States Jan 16, 2009 Positive Ranajoy is a very kind and generous person. He taught me how to make delicious Indian food and invited me into his circle of friends for New Years.
From AdrianV Washington, United States Jan 14, 2009 Positive I met him through other couchsurfers; he is a great guy to hang out with and a model couch surfer. Had a great time at his Halloween party; great host.
From GLEN_DC Falls Church, United States Jan 5, 2009 Positive Great guy to run into at various Washington DC CS events!
From Lizandra Vidal Pittsburgh, United States Dec 9, 2008 Positive Ranajoy was great - what a smile! I met him at the Weekender, and it felt like I'd known him a long while almost immediately. I'm in DC plenty, and hope to see him there!
From Luciana Mariano Cotia, Brazil Dec 9, 2008 Positive R-Jay made me feel very welcome in the gathering! Great stories, very intelligent, interesting and kind person - and fun too!!! I consider him as my friend already and I´m looking forward to host him in São Paulo!
From Miel Hendrickson Washington, United States Dec 1, 2008 Positive I met Ranajoy through another couchsurfer who invited us out. I'm glad for the connection with an avid couchsurfer in Washington and look forward to meeting up again. Rana was fun to hang out with and I imagine we have a lot in common. I notice he is also interested in Origami, perhaps we'll have to find another couch surfer with some experience in that!
Cheers,
Miel
From RUPNEIL Washington, United States Nov 5, 2008 My econ and bengali guru!
From Kyungmi Lee New York, United States Nov 4, 2008 Positive it's sorry that i didn't have a time to talk to you more.
From JAGAN B New York, United States Nov 1, 2008 Positive I met Ranajoy at the Halloween Party hosted by him. He is an awesome host. He made sure that all the guests were comfortable and are enjoying the party. He is polite, knowledgeable, wonderful to talk to and is a great company. I am sure I will get to hang out with him on a regular basis in the upcoming CS events and I look forward to it.
From Victoria Dunay Phoenixville, United States Oct 29, 2008 Positive Ranajoy is fun to be around. be careful though... if he ever has the opportunity to provide names of famous people for charades, he will add obscure people that no one has ever heard of before :) haha he's great fun to be around.
From Lynn N New York, United States Oct 28, 2008 Positive R-Joy is a true gentleman. He is full of kindness and humor. We had so much fun upstate at Vicki's house and he really watches out for people and knows how to have a good time. I had so much fun with him I can't wait to see him again. I'd host him anytime. See you soon Profressor!
From Jennifer Moon Orangeburg, United States Oct 27, 2008 Positive I heart R-Joy! He is witty, classy, charming, and smart and most importantly, the kindest CSer I have met. He's a great host with unabounding patience. He's also a great surfer who gets into the spirit of things. Not to mention his great sense of humor. Cheers to Professor Kruger!
From Born to Travel New Territories East, China Oct 25, 2008 Positive since there is a limit of a thousand words my hands are tied or else i would have been out of control with this one!
Rana..ranajoy..my fellow calcuttan..i need to find the perfect words for the PERFECT host, AWESOME friend, SUPER guy. he's ONE IN A MILLION. he is so patient, gentle,understanding and made me and my daughter feel so comfortable. he gave up his room and heater for us and slept on the couch, where it was much colder.. he picked us up from the station and dropped us off at the airport. he cooked delecious meals for us.
he is a kindred spirit..we love good food, adventures and new york city!
he has a BIG heart..he was so helpful.. he was always there ready to do everything to make us comfortable. and i like that knowing smile that filters across his face from time to time..like he's in touch with some other force!(:
i miss his company,the conversations.. there should be more people like him in this world!
i miss you dearly rana and hope to see you again real soon!
From Aliona Tsypes Brooklyn, United States Oct 15, 2008 Positive Ranajoy is very talented at acting things out in Hoopla! His "yoga" was hilarious :) He's also good at looking like Freddie Kruger, just without those scary "nails" and ugly face of course. I've never got a chance to normally see Washington D.C., but always wanted to, so i might see you around there some time soon :)
From Scott Danzig Cambridge, United States Oct 15, 2008 Positive Ranajoy is a cool n' collected cat who is fun to chat with and one of the nicest guys around. However, the kissing stick figures I drew were totally not related. Hmph.
From Krista Sande-Kerback New York, United States Oct 14, 2008 Positive I enjoyed meeting Ranajoy on the drives to and from Victoria's leaf-peeping weekend in upstate NY, and we grabbed coffee together before parting ways. He's a really nice guy and, as an economics professor, shared some good insights with all of us on current events. I hope we get a chance to catch up in D.C. soon!
From Amit Evron Jersey City, United States Oct 14, 2008 Positive Ranajay is definitely a cool guy to hang out with. I enjoyed our weekend in upstate New York at Victoria's cabin. Hope to see him around in the future...
From Sabri Ryan Sivan New York, United States Oct 13, 2008 Positive Though he comes off as a calm, serious and responsible Economics professor, he is a charming guy, capable of having interesting and fun conversations. We have similar interests in multiple fields - photography, Economics, India & its politics, etc..
I can only say that the time we spent for all the interesting conversations wasnt enough. We have to do it more... on ur trips to NY or, if I go down to DC.
Hope to hangout with him soon.
From J Kruczynski Brooklyn, United States Oct 13, 2008 Positive He's a good guy. You will agree =)
From Samantha Kelley Novi, United States Oct 8, 2008 Positive We spent a weekend roaming around Pittsburgh together with other surfers. Ranajoy has a warm pesonality, which always makes for good company. He is also very friendly and a great conversationalist, he was a great travel partner!
From Laura Schreiber Arlington, United States Oct 7, 2008 Positive Ranajoy is a lot fun to hang out with and up for anything. I never heard him complain about anything the whole weekend we hung out... even my driving =P
From Bill Day Pittsburgh, United States Oct 7, 2008 Positive What a nice guy. We met during the massive Pittsburgh weekender and had some great group time and some great conversation. I hope we can come and visit soon in DC to keep in touch.
From Kelly Day Pittsburgh, United States Oct 7, 2008 Positive I was so sad to say bye when it was time. Not only can this guy recommend the best Ethiopian in DC, but is smart, a perfect guest and very comfortable to be around. I look forward to visiting you in DC, and you are welcome back to Pittsburgh anytime! We have our little circuit to do here in Pittsburgh for next time, so please feel free to make a separate trip anytime! I'll let you know if there is anything special going on here, festivals etc. lots of hugs to you!!!
From RUDYBANG Rochester, United States Oct 6, 2008 Positive I felt an immediate and sincere harmony upon meeting R-Joy at the Pittsburgh Weekender, that is rare experience and speak volumes to his personal philosophy.
From Theresa&Christian Muenster (Westfalen), Germany Oct 6, 2008 Positive We spent 3 days in Pittsburgh for a Couchsurfing weekender and had a wonderful time together! Though he must be a very busy person, I think he knows what is really important for a livable life! And I am sure couchsurfing at this place will be a pleasure for everyone.
Let me know when you are planning your Germany trip, I hope we will be able to meet up again!
From WhereisCliff Ann Arbor, United States Oct 6, 2008 Positive R-Joy (even after messing up his name multiple times, I never got the spelling of his full name, sorry!) stayed at Kelly's with me and others during the 2008 Pittsburgh Weekender. I am glad he was awake when I came home at 2:30am one night. He helped me with a bind and I really appreciate it. He's a very nice, intelligent guy and I bet he makes a great host. The next time I'm in DC I'm definitely going to hit him up.
From Omar Quintero Fairfax, United States Sep 21, 2008 Positive He is an excellent person. He helped the organizer of the event to setup everything and stay until the end of the event. Great guy with a lot to talk about. Ask him about freakconomics, this is a good time for professor like him!
From Eran Dey Be'er Sheva, Israel Sep 8, 2008 Positive R-joy has been the best host I could have possibly asked for!! He has went so far out of his way to help me out! I enjoyed my visit to DC so much and I owe most of it to R-joy and my other hosts there. R-joy is both a lot fun to go out drinking and dancing with and fun to talk to! I can't wait for his trip to Israel!
From javi_DC Washington, United States Aug 30, 2008 Positive R-Jay,
Is elite in the CSer creed. He's laid back, friendly and open minded. You'll enjoy a conversation with him at any venue.
From Tara Comstock-Green Pittsburgh, United States Aug 30, 2008 Positive Was a cool person to chill and listen to Jazz with. Very relaxed and laid back. Would love to hang out again.
From Gaurav Monga New York, United States Aug 30, 2008 Positive He is a Professor. Enough said.
From Kash Qadir Potomac, United States Aug 23, 2008 Positive Well we met in DC for Charity Happy Hour organized by one of CS members.He is really nice and kind person.We had dicussion on different topics and he is really positive minded and easy going. So if you get the chance to Host/Meet him then do not let that opportunity go, you wont regret it. :)...Good luck Man 4 ur Brazil trip!
From Dan Vetrano Philadelphia, United States Aug 20, 2008 Positive Ranajoy is totally rad! I had a very great time wandering around New York with him, he definitely helped make the CouchCrash in NY unforgettable. He is really chill and up for doing whatever. Of course I'm a movie buff, c'mon down to Philly sometime and we will hit up the Blockbuster!
From Sharon Chiu Taipei, Taiwan Aug 19, 2008 Positive Professor Rjoy is very kind, generous and polite host. He loves to share great things with others. Although he was busy but he still tried his best to give me a very good guide of DC. I believe that he must be a very good teacher.
From Dup Crosson Asheville, United States Aug 17, 2008 Positive Ranajoy is a great host for D.C. Knows the area well, is very friendly, and the resident dog Latte is wonderful!
From Angie Han Brooklyn, United States Aug 16, 2008 Positive We had a great time chatting at the pub crawl during Couch Crash Festival 2008-- Ranajoy is a thoughtful and interesting guy.
From ROBIN H Paris, France Aug 16, 2008 Positive Spent a night out together during the NYC's couchcrash, really nice guy, we had many interesting conversations, many fun moments, many laugh... That was a really good meeting!!!
From Kai Luenstaeden Norderstedt, Germany Aug 16, 2008 Positive Joy is a very nice person and you can have a lot of fun with him.
From RYE BREAD Royal Oak, United States Aug 16, 2008 Positive great day in coney island.
From _kathryn Brooklyn, United States Aug 15, 2008 Positive Takes some amazing pictures and is a blast to hang out with!
Let's go on another photo adventure when you return to NYC.
From Birgit Sabrowski Hamburg, Germany Aug 15, 2008 Positive Ranajoy is such a nice guy. I met him in NYC at the couch crash festival and then visited him in Washington D.C. He is very helpful and understanding and great company. Hopefully you make it to Germany next year.
From **KATHRINBERLIN** Dublin, Ireland (Republic of) Aug 13, 2008 Positive Hey ya! :)
Was cool getting to know you! Thanks for taking some "Ghettophotos" of me! Haha :)
Cheers
KaTHRiN :)
From Hai Cao Hanoi, Vietnam Aug 8, 2008 Positive Rjoy is really gentle, knowledgable and kind person. I'm enjoy talking with him alot about almost everything, from India culture to world economy. Also I'm really impressed of the generosity and kindness of Tamra, Lucinda and Michelle who are his housemate as well. Even he and Tamra helped me to get a wonderful theature ticket of Moliere's play. Can't wait to see them someday.
From Claudia Fernandez-Bagan Barcelona, Spain Aug 8, 2008 Positive Ranajoy came to pick me up at the Greyhound station and took me to my host's house. In that little time we talked non-stop about the most diverse subjects. I wish I could have spend more time with him, I am sure our paths will cross again somehow somewhere... Thanks so much Ranajoy for being so kind!
From Michal Polák Prague, Czech Republic Aug 7, 2008 Positive Rjoy was very nice to me. He offered me ginger beer and pasta for late dinner. Pity I stayed only 5 hours and most of it I was sleeping:(
From Fabian Schaberl Linz, Austria Aug 6, 2008 Positive I met RJoy at one of the CF meetings in DC and I had some interesting discussions with him.
He is very smart and polite acting.
He is part of my very positive USA experiences.
From Laurent de Potter Gembloux, Belgium Aug 1, 2008 Positive I have spent a few incredible days at Ranajoy place in Washington DC in July 2008. I had a great time and am very greteful to Ranajoy for becoming a real friend and being very helfpul during my stay. Thanks to him, I visited the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress and Theodore Roosevelt Island!! THANKS!!! Looking forward to meeting you again soon!
From Michael Barge Washington, United States Jul 11, 2008 Positive Rjoy is fun to be around and he made you feels at ease right away. I really enjoyed our conversation during CS meeting! Looking forward to hang out with Rjoy more!
From M0uyi Singapore, Singapore Jul 11, 2008 Positive Ranajoy took the initiative to come chat with me even though I sat far away from him at the table. He's an interesting conversationalist and I'd love to meet up again.
From Apurba Sengupta Mumbai, India Jul 9, 2008 Positive studied together eons back, but more interestingly trekked together to the land of 'herbal substances' and to investigate the marital sanctity of a supposedly 1000yr old settlement! ;)
From Laughing River Alexandria, United States Jul 7, 2008 Positive Ranajoy has a warm and serene presence. A lovely human being with diverse interests and travelling experiences. The perfect person to spend an afternoon with, learning about a different culture!
From Kirsten Verdel Roelofarendsveen, Netherlands Jul 5, 2008 Positive RJ is awesome!! It was a great pleasure to hang out with him twice last week. And I hope to see him again when he returns latere this month. He has a great sense of humor, is great fun to be around and I would love to hear more stories from his travels, past and future ones. I'm going to check out Himalaya this week by the way. The request for a download has already been sent. ;)
From Ashley Sequeira Bunayd al Qar, Kuwait Jul 5, 2008 Positive Ranajoy immediately impresses you with his calm self-assuredness, and he's also a lot of fun to hang around with. I really enjoyed his company, and I really hope we meet up again at some point in the future.
From Michel Tschirren Washington, United States Jul 3, 2008 Positive fun, bright, relaxed, open-minded, sporty, adventurous, cultured, interesting, interested, and an amazing cook! I must know, I have lived with him. It has been a great time!
From Dennis Newman Fort Lauderdale, United States Jul 2, 2008 Positive Ranajoy is a delight! He's a great conversationalist, knowledgeable on many subjects and lots of fun. I hear he's a great host, and I am determined to wrangle a dinner invitation to experience his legendary cooking before I leave DC.
From Candice Nance Bangkok, Thailand Jul 2, 2008 Positive Rjoy is an amazingly smart traveler and is so incredibly easy to get along with. Any trip is better off with him around! His laugh brightens any table conversation! I hope to see Rjoy again before I fly home from DC.
From J.J. Stein Seattle, United States Jul 1, 2008 Positive Ranajoy is a pleasure, interested and interesting, a fantastic cook, an adventurer and lover of nature, a kind and conscientious CSer. Recommended without a moment's hesitation.
From William Stegall Columbus, United States Jun 27, 2008 Positive I met Ranajoy through couchsurfing. While my inital visit with him was just for a drink and conversation I later let Ranajoy surf my couch when his situation changed at last moment. It was a pleasure meeting him and he can return anytime.
From Beatrice Flaig Mainz, Germany Jun 18, 2008 Positive I found Ranajoy when I was doing a Couchsurch on DC last year. Unfortunately my trip to DC didn't go through - but Ranajoy and I stayed in contact ever since. We share a passion for gypsy music, movies by Kusturica / Gaitlif, photography... and of course traveling :-) When I had the chance to go to Boston he came all the way from DC to meet me and we had a great time walking the amazing Liberty Trail, eating our way through Quincy market and chatting away. It was a pleasure to meet Ranajoy, he is such a great person, easy going, charming and full of great recommendations for movies, books and music! :-)
I hope next time I'll get the chance to try his famous dinners => after reading his last references I feel really hungry ;-)
Thanks for the great weekend and hope to see you soon somewhere between DC, Europe and Peru ;-)
From Christine Salera Berkeley, United States Jun 15, 2008 Positive Ranajoy is not only a gracious guest, but
hot damn this man can cook!
Safe travels; see you in the future, fo sho.
From TOM_AMY Port Angeles, United States Jun 13, 2008 Positive Ranajoy was a pleasure to have stay with us. He was very courteous and respectful of our space and was a great guy to spend time with and really interesting to talk to, and even cooked us a delicious meal. He's offered to make Thai food next time we meet and we look forward to taking him up on that.
From ENVIROMIKE422 Seattle, United States Jun 5, 2008 Positive Ranajoy was super friendly and flexible at fitting into our sometimes crazy household - and his culinary contributions were absolutely stellar! I only wish I could have spent more time hanging out in the city with him.
From Björn Nadrowski Goettingen, Germany Jun 5, 2008 Positive Ranajoy was the first person on CouchSurfing I wrote a letter, requesting him to surf on his Couch in D.C. That was not possible, but I nonetheless came to Washington and met him for an afternoon stroll around the city and a CouchSurfing pot luck evening. Ranajoy is a welcoming, intelligent, interested and interesting person whom I would like to see again.
From MARACUYO Commerce, United States May 28, 2008 Positive I met RanaJoy a few times at DC socials before staying a night at his place. He responded to all my calls and emails which was very reassuring. His hospitality was excellent and he loved to converse about all sorts of topics. He showed me around DC a bit and introduced me to one of his favorite cafes. He is a warm and enthusiastic person.
From ELANA FROM FL Vienna, United States May 20, 2008 Positive I've met Ranajoy several times at various DC couchsurfing events including the Japanese Street Festival, happy hours, and a potluck. Always a great experience. He will definitely make a great surfer when he goes on his trips this summer. Oh, and he made a pretty good dish at the potluck too.
From Ade Astuti Washington, United States May 18, 2008 Positive I met Ranajoy at one of CS regular happy hours, and have seen him a couple times since in other events. He's one of the most active ones in DC group. Ranajoy is a really nice guy, I always had a great time talking to him, and oh, he makes this really good Indian beef dish!
From Scott Ashton Swan Vancouver, Canada May 16, 2008 Positive A great host that would leap buildings and crawl through tunnels to be the best host...ok so he didn't quite do that but he WAS willing to travel to some remote suburb to see an extreamly rare musical with me - and THAT is host dedication. Interesting and easy to talk to my only regret is not being able to stay longer with him - because I probably would still be there hanging out!
From Hope Vermaire Okemos, United States May 13, 2008 Positive Ranajoy was a pleasure to talk to as we hiked through an organic farm in the Shenandoah Valley and frolicked through the fields :) He was open and sharing and a pleasure to meet. I would recommend making his acquaintance to anyone who can!
From Gregg Stevens Karlsruhe, Germany May 12, 2008 Positive Ranajoy had us over for a fabulous Indian dinner with his housemates - man can he cook! Even though we were very jetlagged, he created a special evening for us.
From Melina Nardi Washington, United States Apr 18, 2008 Positive Ranajoy was my host for 2 nights that became 3 and then 4. We went to see Santana's concert together and a Balkan music concert. I had a wonderful time and enjoyed the friendly atmosphere of his home. His flatmates are extremely kind and welcoming (including Latte, the dog!!). I'm firmly hoping to keep Ranajoy has a friend and dance partner! mmm.. and I was told he can cook very good Indian!
From Francis Kim Washington, United States Apr 9, 2008 Positive Ranajay is a very nice guy who is another CS host in DC. I am sure we will hang out again.
From Christian Bjork Lima, Peru Mar 27, 2008 Positive I had a truly great CS experience with Ranajoy! He was extremely gracious and kind enough to play tourist with me around the amazing city of DC. His other roommates were equally friendly and welcoming. I truly felt I mad a great friend with Ranajoy, and I hope to visit him again one day, and that he come visit me as well. Thanks Ranajoy!!
update:
For the first time, I was able to stay with a host and friend for a second time after so long... As always, it was an amazing stay, and we got to visit a cool museum as well. He and Stephen were so welcoming and great to spend time with. Thank you so much, and I'm still waiting for you to visit Peru! :)
From Ana Lugaro Arlington, United States Feb 18, 2008 Positive Ranajoy was very fun. We exchanged travel experiences and drank a lot of beer :)
From John McKenzie Rockville, United States Feb 17, 2008 Positive I met Ranajoy at a DC gathering. We enjoyed dinner, beers and philosophical conversation. He is a very kind and friendly guy and I look forward to meeting up again soon.
From Anders Karlsson Norrkoping, Sweden Feb 4, 2008 Positive an overwhelmingly polite and supremely nice experience. such a nice guy
From Max Märkel San Francisco, United States Feb 4, 2008 Positive Ranajoy was the host for my first couch surfing experience and... I didn't expect that kind of overwhelming hospitality. This guy is amazing!
From CAN_WANDERER Toronto, Canada Jan 28, 2008 Positive Ranajoy is a great and genuine guy, who was a consummate host. He was very attentive and fun to go out partying with, as well as have some great convos. It was a pleasure and good fortune for me to visit DC with him as a guide.
From Nia San Rafael, United States Jan 25, 2008 Positive Ranajoy is a truly amazing individual. Brilliant, outgoing, sweet, complex, seriously an all around great guy. If you get the chance to experience a meal this gent prepares you are in for a serious treat :)
From STEVEN BROSSERIE Tours, France Jan 21, 2008 Positive my visit in Washington was unforgetable with Ranajoy as the best friend i have never met since a long time : i love this guy so much !
From Eminett Lobito, Angola Dec 17, 2007 Positive Ranajoy and Latte (his dog) gave me a very warmy welcome in Washington ;-), he made me feel very confortable in his place. He gave me some advices about the museums (the American Indian is great). We went to Georgestown together, shared a dinner and a drink. I really have a good time, Ranajoy was very nice and friendly :-D
From moominT Washington, United States Oct 29, 2007 Positive Ranajoy is the best housemate anyone could ask for-he is kind considerate and an excellent chef--if he asks to surf your couch..consider yourself lucky.
From LUCGLOBAL Bristol, United Kingdom Oct 29, 2007 Positive I met and know Ranajoy through couchsurfing. He is as his name suggests! a Joy!
A joy to talk to, a joy to go out with, a joy to stay in with, just a joy to be around.
i can't say enough good things about this warm, funny, intelligent person. other than everyone needs to meet him at some point in their lives! and especially taste his cooking, which is beyond doubt some of the best cooking I have ever experienced! |