General Information
Languages- English (United States)Expert
- German (Germany)Beginner
- Dutch (Netherlands)Beginner
- SpanishBeginner
Groups I Belong ToCouch Information
No couch currently available for surfing. *EDIT*
I am traveling and cant get online much anymore so I gave up all of my CS duties except promoting what I can on the road.......
I just got back from my travels and will be taking off as soon as I possibly can. At the moment, I am concentrating on volunteering as much time as I can with CouchSurfing by helping with the CSNL organization team, CUQ team, Chat Moderation and Ambassador duties. I am available in an emergency if you need help finding a couch or need help. I would love to meet with new surfers and talk about CS with them. I have committed more hours in the day than there are at the moment and I appologize for this. Perhaps soon..... Friends (87)
 Jason Thompson
29, Male
Tucson, Arizona
United States
Friends since May 1980
"My Big Bra!!!!"
Friendship Type: Best Friend
  30+  30+  30+ |
 AMANDA2
25, Female
Zurich, Zurich
Switzerland
Friends since December 2008
"Were introduced in chat, and then were couch buddies for a week in Berlin and Hamburg!"
Friendship Type: Close Friend
6 6 |
 B!ONCE
25, Male
Hamburg, Hamburg
Germany
Friends since December 2008
"Chat, BerlinWintercamp at Camp Casparillo, 1st CSer I hosted"
Friendship Type: Good Friend
I vouched for SERENDIPITOUS
3 6 |
 George Brown
60, Male
Preston, England
United Kingdom
Friends since January 2009
"he stole my woman LOL"
Friendship Type: Close Friend
I vouched for SERENDIPITOUS
2 |
 LondonVix
29, Female
London, England
United Kingdom
Friends since December 2008
"Surfed at Caspar's over Berlin Winter Camp 2008"
Friendship Type: Good Friend
|
 COSMICSTAR
35, Female
Berlin, Berlin
Germany
Friends since August 2009
"special canada connection "DO IT ! ""
Friendship Type: Close Friend
3 |
 MACHITA75
34, Female
Oslo, Oslo
Norway
Friends since July 2008
"we met at the CS paella in switzerland.. Enjoyed his company totally"
Friendship Type: Close Friend
I vouched for SERENDIPITOUS
6 |
 DRAAKJE2000
29, Female
Dordrecht, Zuid-Holland
Netherlands
Friends since October 2008
"he sends me naughty pm's ;)"
Friendship Type: Close Friend
I vouched for SERENDIPITOUS
4 |
 Andy Berner
43, Male
Carrboro, North Carolina
United States
Friends since April 2009
"via chat then met up in Montpellier"
Friendship Type: Friend
I vouched for SERENDIPITOUS
3 |
 Xavier Durand
25, Male
Concarneau, Brittany
France
Friends since January 2009
"Chat ...and meet in Montpellier!at Vanessa's!"
Friendship Type: CouchSurfing Friend
2 | | 77 more friends |
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Personal Description Please ask me for help. If you are ever in my area and need help please ask. I can also offer suggestions as to where to go or stay. Your profile says alot about you as a person. Please ask if you need help with that as well. If there are any questions, you feel lost, or you need help, please ask.
Part one of two: I have lived my whole life not knowing two essential words. It wasn’t until living in Germany, that I learned the word Gemütlichkeit! Now living in the Netherlands, I have learned the word gezelligheid. These are words that are impossible to correctly translate as they mean so many things. I can have a Gemütlichkeit situation by myself, but can’t have a gezelligheid moment by myself. These words define my preferred life.
I was born in Arizona.. I lived out in the country. As a young boy, I did normal boy things. I did chores, went to school, and teased my sister. All normal. I got up at 4:30 in the morning and milked cows and fed the horses. I then got on the bus and traveled an hour to school. It was an hour, because they were dirt roads. They became washboards, so the ride became longer. Sometimes the rain would come and the arroyo’s would flood. This only meant that you had to wait. The water eventually went away. I love the smell of the rain in the desert. It is the most powerful smell in the world. Clean, Earthy and welcomed. I lived in the high desert. It is a land of Gila Monsters, Rattlesnakes, Saguaro cactus, Mountains, tumbleweeds and desert. The desert is most beautiful after the rains. Everything comes to life. The tarantuala’s come out. The plants go instantly green and bloom. The nights are perhaps my most favorite time in my special place. So quiet and peaceful. Billions of stars. Starlight so bright that you dont need any other light of any kind. The coyotes would come out and their mysterious spiritual howls would echo and surround you. The deer would come out in droves. The desert was alive.
I went to a small school. I didn’t fit in. We had three clicques in the school. You were either a geek, a jock or a cowboy. I wasn’t either. I was very smart, but I didn’t fit the geeky look. I wrestled, therefore I wasn’t popular enough to be a jock. Only football players were jocks. I wasn’t a cowboy either. Cowboys were wannabes that wore big belt buckles and bigger hats, with high pointed boots. I wore ropers, and a straw stetson only while riding to keep the sun off. The rest of the time I wore a ball cap.
My mom was restless, so we up and moved. I never was in a place long enough to get life-long friends. We moved to Biloxi Missisippi. I got to experience a hurrican there. We had to board up the windows to the house. We left at the last moment. I remember water coming in the doors of the car.
We moved to Caribou Maine. I remember a snow storm where we had a cumulative total of 12 feet of snow on the ground. I would sneak out my bedroom on the upper floor by merely stepping out. My mom got some fresh lobsters once from a lobster fisherman. I found it great fun chasing my sister with them. She didn’t know the claws were pegged. I started my facination with food there. I know what real maple syrup, potatoe pancakes, applesauce and fresh lobster are supposed to taste like. She didn’t know the claws were pegged. I remember seeing MANY B-52’s loaded with coldwar bombs, carefully guarded on the tarmac at the base at Loring. I remember the fears of alarms going off and everyone panicking. The amazment of the immensity of the planes as they taxied down the runway. Wings barely clearing the tarmac they were so heavily loaded.
We then moved to Whitefish, Montana. It was there that I started my love with the outdoors. We lived in a wall tent. http://www.alaskatent.com/products/tents/wall_tents.htm Well, more than one actually. All of them were framed in and floored. Airtight sheepherder’s stove for heat. We were far out from electricity. At night it was a lantern above my cot that I would use to read. I devoured books. I am probably the only one in the world that has read the entire encyclopedia brittanica set. A memorable book that I read over and over was Joshua Slocum’s book “Sailing around the world alone” I was facinated with his tales of the people and the adventures. Other children would play cowboys and indians. That was boring. I wanted to be a sailor. A pirate, a scaliwag, a buccaneer, but never a cowboy.
I learned whitewater kayaking there. I ran every river I could. I ran the rapids again and again. I enjoyed the remote quiet stretches of the water. Water is the most amazing thing. I have seen colors from every hue of the rainbow. I learned how to fish. My summers were always spent on the water. In the winter, I learned how to ski. Cross-country skiing, down hill skiing, and the combination of the two where you telemark. I learned in the most amazing snow of the world. Fluffy, deep snow. Where if you fell over, sticking your pole straight down, you could not use it to get up. It would keep going down. I experience the solitude of the wilderness. I know the absolute quietness of it. I know the sheer terror when you hear a gunshot noise, knowing it wasn’t a hunter, but an avalanche. Looking up and it is on a different slope, the relief that comes with that. I enjoyed the elk herds, the bison, the bears, and the eagles.
I remember the explosion of Mt. St. Helens. Everything was covered in ash. We had to be careful getting it off the truck as it was so abrasive it would ruin the paint.
My grandma had a small restaurant on the shores of Flathead Lake. She would make the best pies. People from far away would come for her pies. She taught me how to make the pies from rutebarb, strawberries, cherries and more.
I used to kayak out to the Island on Flathead Lake. I would see how close I could get to the bighorned sheep. There is a rock cairn too on the top that I would bring a rock with everytime I climbed it to put there. I remember one year the lake froze over. You could walk out to the island. YOU could. I started to on cross country skies and with a loud bang, there was a crack shooting across the ice. I carefully turned around and skied back to Grandma’s terrified the whole time. http://www.umt.edu/flbs/AboutFLBS/FlatheadLake.htm
We then decided to move to Fox Alaska. We drove the entire way up the ALCAN or Alaska-Canadian highway. It was 2322 Miles. I hear it is fully paved now. It wasn’t then. There were some stretches paved, but a lot wasn’t. Cars values in Alaska were much more if they didn’t travel the alcan. It was a rough road. The sheer beauty is enough to warrant doing it again.
In Fox, Alaska, We once again lived in tents. This was normal. There are lots of colorful people that live in Alaska and not one thought this was other than normal. This is a place where people have airplanes instead of cars in their driveway. We had a cook tent 14 X 16, and I had my own 10 X 12 tent. They were white untreated cotton, framed inside with floors. We had airtight stoves that kept them toasty in the winter. Our water we got from a spring near Fox. We built a cache out of logs to keep the bears out of the food.
Once again I was always on the water. This time exploring the rivers. I had a Sea Eagle inflatable kayak. It was light, portable, not possible to sink (I tried). I explored the rivers and rapids again. I fished in pristine creeks. The colors of the water continued to amaze me. Salmon would migrate up the rivers to their birth place to spawn and then die. I dipnetted Salmon in the milk colored Chitna river. Salmon running into your legs. Salmon so thick in rivers that you would snag one almost everytime. Annoying. Snagged salmon are illegal. My Aunt was a game warden there. I caught one memorable huge salmon. It drug me up river, leaping and stripping line. I caught a lot of grayling too.
I would go with her into the McKinley National forest, looked down upon by Mt. Mckinley. Once again on horses. I saw migrating caribou so close I could almost reach out and touch them. They would flow over ridges, looking like a moving sea. Huge antlers on the buck’s carefully guarding the herd of doe’s and fawn’s. Absolutely breath taking. I saw bears grazing on the slopes on grass. I stood in a single paw print with both feet with my boots on with room to spare.
The winter in the tents was bearable. It got so cold, it hurt to breath. Trees would explode. Ice fog so thick you couldn’t see two feet in front of you. Every plugged in their cars to keep the battery and block from freezing. Diesel would turn to gel. I saw for the first time the aurora borealis (northern lights). They would dance and sway, seeming to come right at you. They crackled and made a lot of noise. I will never forget it.
I applied for and got a Rotary scholorship to be an exchange student. I was studying spanish. I wanted to get away from this normal life and see the world. I was tired of the cold. I was shocked when they drew my name for The Phillipeans. I had no idea where that was. I had never heard the word before. This was my senior year. It was supposed to be for one year.
I flew out of Fairbanks to Tokyo then to Manila. Culture shock. I landed on the airport in Gen. Santos City. It was a dirt runway. They had to clear livestock off the field before we could land.
I enjoyed every minute there away from my normal life. The tropical rains, the ocean, the fruits, the people. I was in one of the most remote areas of the Philippeans. Most had never seen a white person. The kids would point and say “cano”, some would call me “joe”. This was a holdover from the war I suspect. As in GI Joe. I went to school at Notre Dame College. I lived with rich people. They had drivers and maids and cooks and guards. There were large walls around the place. It was nice. My friends were poor though. They thought it was too dangerous to let me hang out with them. They wanted me to hang out with their rich friends kids. I never liked many of them. They were spoiled.. I liked my poor friends better. When I say poor, I mean poor. The muslims are considered the poor there, they lived by the ocean. The poorest lived on the ocean. Not on land. Houses built on stilts, bamboo and palm thatch. I learned the ocean from them. I fished with them on their tiny bancas with handline. I learned how to dive with them. They would have a large rock weight attached to a rope attached to the panga. They wore handmade wooden googles. They would hold the rock and jump into the ocean and plumet to the bottom holding it. Once down they would look for pearls or harpoon fish with a homemade spear. Many of the elders had never touched land. They were sea gypsies and proud. Due to the depths, a lot of them couldn’t hear anymore. Their eardrums long since ruptured. I enjoyed fresh fish cooked on pristine white beaches over coconut shells with rice.
I explored the mountains, too. I spent a lot of time in the beautiful tropical mountains. I saw the devastation of over foresting and proud people trying to keep their cultures alive. I spent a lot of time with the T’boli tribe on lake cebu. http://aedv.cs.tu-berlin.de/~brandeis/Internet_PhilMusic_Videos.html I was shown how they raise fish in pens. How to weave. The beautiful traditional dances. I was welcomed as family. I learned how to plow rice paddies on a waterbuffalo. They still traded horses for women. I wish I had brought horses with me. The women are stunning. They asked me if I could ride a horse. They rode bareback. I picked it up easily. There sometimes wasn’t even reins to control the horse. You used your legs and body language so the horse knew what to do.
I learned how to cook there. I went to fabulous feasts too. The star of the feast was usually Lechon. A pit roasted pig. The skin is the most sought after. I had all kinds of food. I learned never to ask.. I savored every bite. I quickly grew tired of rice. Rice is eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I learned that rice is cooked properly when it is burnt on the bottom. I learned how to make adobo ng baboy, Dinuguan, pancit, and all manner of traditional dishes. The women couldn’t understand my fascination with cooking. That was a woman’s job. The men weren’t allowed. The taught me how over coconut shells in the middle of a dirt floor of their homes. The floor was carefully kept clean with a homemade broom.
I arrived there when Dictator Ferdinand Marcos was still ruler. I saw the desperation of the people and the horrors of war firsthand. I met Corazon Aquino when she came to Gen. Santos. “People Power” reigned and Marcos fled.
http://www.fragmentsweb.org/TXT2/philiptx.html
The NPA otherwise known as the New People’s Army, are guerilla’s that spark fear into resident’s. They demand “revolutionary taxes” from businesses, police, military, politicians, landlords, and target US personnel. I have no doubt that my host family paid handsomely for my safety. I was left alone to do as I pleased in a land where there was none. I have witnessed horrors committed by them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moro_Islamic_Liberation_Front
There was also the moromoro’s as we called them. They were the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. These muslim militants demanded the formation of an independent Moro Islamic state. They wanted Mindinao for themselves. They also took part in terrorist attacks and assassinations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moro_Islamic_Liberation_Front
Regardless of the poverty, the suffering under a heavy handed Dictator, the fear of reprisal of not pleasing the militants, they were happy people.
There were three phone lines in Gen. Santos. You would call the operator. Tell them the number and you were put in a que. They would call back later in the day or the next day or the next week, saying you were connect. It was unreliable at best. When the uprisings began, it was simply not working. All communication was done. My parents seeing this on the news were horrified. I was completely safe, but there was no way for them to know.
The one year exchange program ended up to be 18 months. I eventually made my way home to Alaska then back to Arizona. I had lost my way in life. I had seen so many wonderful things and met so many wonderful people. I worked at a veteinarian’s for awhile and decided to enlist in the Navy or Coast Guard. I didn’t care which. I longed for the sea. The Navy called first, so I enlisted and went to boot camp in San Diego. Then on to C school in Orlando, then back to Long Beach to report on my ship. USS New Jersey BB-62. How I Participate in CSI have had so many wonderful experiences. I am dedicated to CS and it's core values. I have hosted, surfed, traveled with CSer's, organized and gone on cs roadtrips, gone to great meets, helped organize others, participated in the Vienna Collective and overall have enjoyed CS very much and the friends I have made.
Create your own visitor map!
CouchSurfing ExperienceTruly the BEST! I have met the most wonderful people in the world that have big hearts and are generous.
InterestsSailing, Fishing, HitchHiking, Camping, sunsets over the ocean, walking barefoot, cooking, collecting recipies from the world, BBQing with friends. PhilosophyThere is one purpose to life and one only: to bear witness to and understand as much as possible of the complexity of the world - its beauty, its mysteries, its riddles. The more you understand, the more you look, the greater is your enjoyment of life and your sense of peace. That's all there is to it. If an activity is not grounded in 'to love' or 'to learn,' it does not have value.
The Farmer and the Donkey
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway. He reckoned it just wasn't worth the effort to retrieve the donkey.
So, he invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
Free your heart from hatred.
Free your mind from worries.
Live simply.
Give more.
Expect less.
Oh, and one other thing....
The donkey later came back kicked the crap out of the farmer who had tried to bury him. Which brings me to another moral of this story: If you try to cover your ass, it always comes back get you.
On Monday, when the sun is hot
I wonder to myself a lot:
"Now is it true, or is it not,"
"That what is which and which is what?"
On Tuesday, when it hails and snows,
The feeling on me grows and grows
That hardly anybody knows
If those are these or these are those.
On Wednesday, when the sky is blue,
And I have nothing else to do,
I sometimes wonder if it's true
That who is what and what is who.
On Thursday, when it starts to freeze
And hoar-frost twinkles on the trees,
How very readily one sees
That these are whose -- but whose are these?
On Friday --
musings of winnie the pooh.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain Music, Movies, Books
Types of People I enjoyAn American tourist complimented a Greek fisherman on
the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him
to catch them.
"Not very long," answered the Greek.
"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch
more?" asked the American.
The Greek explained that his small catch was sufficient
to meet his needs and those of his family.
The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest
of your time?"
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children,
and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings I go
into the village to see my friends, dance a little,
play the bouzouki, and sing a few songs. I have a full
life."
The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard
and I can help you.
You should start by fishing longer every day. You can
then sell the extra fish you catch. With the revenue,
you can buy a bigger boat.
With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you
can buy a second one and a third one and so on until
you have an entire fleet of trawlers.
Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you can
negotiate directly with the processing plants and
maybe even open your own plant.
You can then leave this little village and move to
Athens, Los Angeles or even New York City! From there
you can direct your huge enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Greek.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the
American.
"And after that? Afterwards?"
"That's when it gets really interesting," answered the
American, laughing. "When your business gets really
big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?"
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny
village near the coast, sleep late, play with your
grandchildren, catch a few fish, take a siesta with
your wife, and spend your evenings singing, dancing
and playing the bouzouki with your friends...
thanks spyro for this"
Teach, Learn, ShareA good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others.
The first step to couchsurfing is to leave the house. Get out! Get going! Go Travel! Live your Dream! For the rest of you.....
40 Reasons to Never Leave the House
1. Too much sun will give you skin cancer.
2. Going out would require wearing shoes, clothes, etc.
3. An icicle might fall on your head. Those things have been known tokill, you know.
4. You have to stay home and answer the phone. What if you get a call from one of those radio contests, or something?
5. You heard that there's a rabid kangaroo loose in the neighborhood.
6. One of those UFO's might land and you could get kidnapped by little green men who would perform horrible experiments on you, eventually turning you into a half-man/half-duck.
7. It's too windy. You might lose your hat.
8. You might run into your old roommate who's angry with you for having played all those tricks on him.
9. There's Injuns in them woods.
10. You might walk into a church where there's a wedding going on, and you're hardly dressed for the occassion.
11. If you go past the library, the librarian might recognize you and inquire about the thirteen overdue books that were destroyed in the fire.
12. If you go past the library, the librarian might recognize you and inquire about the thirteen overdue books that weren't destroyed in the fire.
13. There might be a flood, and you just ate, and you're supposed to wait an hour after eating before you go swimming.
14. You might come across a big, scary, ferocious-looking dog.
15. You might come across a big, scary, ferocious-looking squirrel.
16. There are kids outside playing baseball, and you wouldn't want to get beaned by a foul ball.
17. Women/men find you irresistible and you don't have a stick to fight them off with.
18. You can't go out in public since your twin brother/sister was seen on "America's Most Wanted."
19. You can't go out in public since your twin brother/sister was seen on "American Gladiators."
20. There's a hole in the ozone layer letting dangerous ultra-violet light through it and there's a greenhouse effect and, oh, never mind. It's too cold to go out.
21. You've watched too many "Road-runner" cartoons and now you're worried that a big rock might fall on your head, forcing you to walk around like a human- accordion for a few minutes.
22. You can't go out. It's time to bake the donuts.
23. One of the pipes in your basement is leaking and you have to keep your finger on it so that you won't waste water.
24. You've handcuffed yourself to the refrigerator. It happens.
25. There's a full moon tonight and you can't go out because you might turn into a werewolf.
26. If you go cow-tipping, you might forget the difference between "pushing" and "pulling" and the cow might fall on you and crush you. If this happens, the cows will have you at their mercy and who knows how they'll take their revenge.
27. You built a pillow-fort in the living room and you have to stay home and guard it.
28. If you leave the house, Mr. Potato Head gets lonely.
29. You might walk into a hospital, get tired, lay down somewhere to take a nap, and wake up with a baboon-liver.
30. You might accidentally step in wet cement, in which case for hundreds of years, people will be looking at your footprint, saying, "What idiot did this?"
31. You might sneeze, and it might happen to sound exactly like the mating call of the giraffe, and their might be a giraffe in the area, and then...
32. An engine might fall off an airplane and land directly in front of you. Just as you're saying to yourself, "Gee, that was close," you might get hit by a bus.
33. You don't have an American Express card and you're not supposed to leave home without it.
34. You might find yourself at an airport and just, for curiosity's sake, stick your head inside the door of the airplane and just barely get it out before the door closes, but your tie might get caught in the door, causing you to be dragged up into the air and halfway across the country, choking and gagging the whole way, until the tie finally rips in half and you plunge 50,000 feet, eventually crashing through the roof of a barn and landing softly in a pile of hay, but then the farmer might sue you for property damages, and since you don't have that kind of money, you'll have to work on his farm as an indentured servant for the next twelve years. Well, it might happen.
35. You might get a really bad haircut and have to start wearing hats, all the time. Then you might get a nick-name like "Hat Guy" or "Crazy Hat Lady."
36. You might go to the park to feed breadcrumbs to the pigeons, but then when you run out of breadcrumbs the pigeons might start a riot, pecking out the eyes of innocent park-goers until you bring them more bread.
37. You might lose a contact lens and blindly stumble around trying to find it. Then you might mistake a penny for your contact lens and put it in your eye. Then you'll wonder why everything looks like Abe Lincoln.
38. You might buy a newspaper and find that your obituary is in it. Since this is obviously a mistake, you'll have to spend the rest of the day there, telling every person who buys a paper that you're not dead.
39. You might get on an elevator with a pregnant woman, and the elevator might get stuck, and then the woman might go into labor, and you don't know nothing 'bout birthin' no babies, and futher more even if you did know something about childbirth, there wouldn't be any hot water, towels, or salad tongs, etc.
40. You can't leave the house because you would spend the day worrying whether or not you left the iron on.
One Amazing Thing I've Seen or Done To be updated later Opinion on the CouchSurfing.org Project Couchsurfing has been a dramatic change of life for me. The people, the culture, the generosity and the friends. Locations TraveledTRAVELED: Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, British Indian Ocean Territory, Canada, Germany, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Micronesia, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States
LIVED: Germany, Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, United States
WANTS TO GO: Croatia, Cuba, Estonia, Russia, South Africa
References
 From JANASEK Grand Forks, United States
Sep 30 Positive It was a long and funny night of telling life and traveling experiences. Roger and Barry are definitely an interesting "couple" :-) We had a good time hosting them even for a short time!  From Daniel Hawkin Duluth, United States
Sep 21  Positive Roger has a wealth of experiences to share, along with his book of recipes. Make sure he breaks it out and share your best with him.  From Dan Cordie Grand Forks, United States
Sep 16  Positive We had a great time hosting Roger and Barry. He made me feel like I was being hosted and not the host. We had amazing conversation and I was able to learn so much. Thanks again for the amazing meal. Can't wait to meet up again, when we do, I am expecting you to be able to rock the mandolin to another galaxy, ha. Have a great rest of your current adventure, hope to travel together someday.  From Eric Veidel Grand Forks, United States
Sep 15 Positive great outake on life and trustworthy person  From Doug Olson Superior, United States
Sep 12  Positive Roger and another great CS member stopped by for one night en route to Canada. After four days of good food and conversation, and several nights of excellent locally brewed beers, along with two late night bonfires, they decided to continue on their journey. I definitely will get together with Roger again, and look forward to more of his awesome cooking, along with hearing more about his very interesting history. He's an extremely easy going guy, and is always ready to offer a hand when there's something to get done. Next time I'll make sure we have enough time for him to teach me some Spanish. From COSMICSTAR Berlin, Germany
Aug 30  Positive coming up soon !
 From Niels de Muelenaere Leiden, Netherlands
May 16 Positive Roger the Couchsurfing Dinosaur
I've only met him a couple o times. But ever since we've first met, it's like i've known him for ages. He's got story's you could fill an encyclopaedia with (than again, he's read one LOL)
Hope you'll find a new home soon. Enjoy the freedom!!!
Big hug to this guy!
See you around, Roger! From Andy Berner Carrboro, United States
Apr 16 Positive Seren Dippin Dots! Roger is great fun to be around. We had a great time biking around Montpellier with Roger and Matiss. I'll always remember wandering into Vanessa's courtyard and seeing this guy on the way out! ;) Cheers Roger :pocketcoffees:
 From Josh Whitaker Hobart, Australia
Apr 13 Positive Swapping stories and soups:)
We explored beautiful Montpellier together and even invaded a zoo past visiting hours to see the monkees!
It was great to relax with Roger talking about travelling, travelling, travelling. And ofcourse to watch his crazy cat Sandy opening doors HA!
Thanks Roger. Im sure our highways will cross again one day.  From Delphine Bertrand Montpellier, France
Apr 2 Positive We had drinks.
Roger seems like a very interesting and sweet person. I love his state of mind and his way of living !
We're going to see each other again because we have a lot left to discuss and things to do together: go on a hike and go to the opera !  From MagdaLena Rożek Krakow, Poland
Feb 20 Positive Oh Roger...! How to describe him with words??? He's this kind of guy you love as soon as you meet and talk to him. I will always remember his wide smile and big heart!
S exy!!!;)
che E rful
the best human pillow eve R
E xtravertic
fa N tastic hugger
professional beer D rinker
talkat I ve
P ervert...
amore m I o :D:D:D
in T elligent
w O nderful
f U nny
S uper-great-excellent-cool guy full
of CS spirit! YEAH!
 From Xavier Verschaeve Lille, France
Feb 18 Positive Roger is a very friendly guy i always have pleasure to chat with him online or for real  From Dennis Davids Holte, Germany
Feb 17 Positive SERENDIPPYDADDYDOODLEDOTS! (L)
I miss our /me bullshit man!
Roger is a wonderful person, we met on CS chat at first and then finally in person at the CS valentines meet in Dordrecht.
He's uberfriendly, chillaxed and charming... great fun to be around, online and in real life. Really hope we will meet up again someday, somewhere.
Take care always bro.
/me misses Seren :S  From Pascal Heufkens De Klomp, Netherlands
Feb 15 Positive HEY SUGAR!!!! :P
roger is a really really cool guy, and i would love to hang some more any time soon. and he's b***h ;) hahahah  From BLAKESWORLD Keego Harbor, United States
Feb 11  Positive Rog is such a positive individual -- full of good spirit and community. It has been a real joy to work with him over the last few months. One day we will meet and share the laughter in person, that we have shared over hours of Skype conference calls. :D Hugs!
 From Koek van Meurs The Hague, Netherlands
Jan 28 Positive Roger's awesome, funny, open, honest, sweet, there was an instant connection that's called 'friendship on first sight'
well, to me it was.
Roger's tha bawmb! :D From Xavier Durand Concarneau, France
Jan 24 Positive Roger...after years of chatting around I guess...I had the chance to meet him in France...Montpellier..He came for occation of Vanessa birthday..there was jibi..DD too!!Awsome time...meeting Roger I meet an adventurous guy hitchiking himself...and a sailor too, simply a life lover as I love to meet..!had great fun with you mate!catch you in Netherland ..or whereever for more stories..!!!
hug mate!
 From Shilp Verma Delft, Netherlands
Jan 20 Positive *pending* From George Brown Preston, United Kingdom
Jan 18 Positive Seren ...I am so glad we finally met. Thamks for driving down to see us
 From Sheila Ray Vallecillo Seffner, United States
Jan 18 Positive How do I sum up Roger? I think he's an amazing human and think we could really sit on a porch swing for about 14 days...laugh, cry, sigh, and laugh again. :kiss: From LondonVix London, United Kingdom
Jan 4 Positive Lovely, lovely Roger was such a star when we surfed Caspar's together over Berlin winter camp. Always the gentleman (but a gentleman with a dirty mind and laugh...!), Roger looked after us all and always kept us well fed with his wonderful cooking. Roger has a great sense of humour and sparkly eyes, but is also a sensitive and caring soul at heart - a great combination. What a star!
 From Amanda Abuchaim Antwerp, Belgium
Dec 13, 2008 Positive I didn't know him before Draakjes party, and I must say you don't need lots of time to realize he's such a wonderful person, always trrying to help and make everybody feels comfortable!
The kind of guy that should be in every party!
Has so many histories, and the conversation flows!
I surely want to meet him many and many other times !
When's the next party again? ;)  From shira Carolyn Bz Jerusalem, Israel
Dec 13, 2008 Positive Sereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen :kiss:
Seren is one CHARRRRRRRMING guy!!! he is my personal body guard in the chat :-PPPP no just jokieng :DDD
he is a great person, always ready to help others. i'm thankful for him for all that he have done for me.
I LOVE SEREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!!! :DDD  From LIN. The Hague, Netherlands
Dec 9, 2008 Positive It is impossible to not love this guy! Roger and I 'met' in chat and then met again at Draakje's party in Dordrecht! I've never met a guy who takes care of everyone so much as Roger does. He is loving, caring and def. knows how to have a good time!
Happy to know you, roge! And will see you verrrrrryyy soon!
PS. What does this man look hot in an apron! ;-)
 From VATO_LOCO Arnhem, Netherlands
Dec 7, 2008 Positive *** (23:05:06):Welcome to CS Help & Advice , AUTUMN-RAIN!
SERGIOLX says to (23:05): and i want a cookie!
VATO_LOCO says (23:05:20): Draakje you said everything I though about roger
VATO_LOCO says (23:05:26): kind soul
DRAAKJE2000 says to (23:05): sergio..write me a reference too ( from our 30 sec.meeting) and you will get a cookie
DRAAKJE2000 says to (23:05): well vato
DRAAKJE2000 says to (23:05): it doesn't even come close to the feeling
VATO_LOCO says (23:06:07): I know what you mean draak, I sensed it too.
VATO_LOCO says (23:06:22): :D
DRAAKJE2000 says to (23:06): we sensed his good soul
VATO_LOCO says (23:06:49): he's genuine
DRAAKJE2000 says to (23:07): he is soo genuine
JOCHA71 says to (23:07): i think he's great to
DRAAKJE2000 says to (23:07): this doesn't even come close
That pretty much sums up Roger! A warm altruistic soul from el barrio! He's brown from the inside&out, ese! From DRAAKJE2000 Dordrecht, Netherlands
Dec 3, 2008 Positive i still can't find the words to describe this guy.he is such an amazing person.Roger took care of a lot of things for the cs-party at my place.He didn't allow me to do anything.He took care of all the food and it was delicious.besides a great cook he's also incredibly funny,caring,sweet,generous.to make people happy is what makes him happy i think.he gives the best huggs ever.he makes the best breakfast.doesn't expect anything back. i have so much respect for him,can't put it in words.i can't find anything that is not positive about this guy..he has the most genuine and positive spirit and he carries that out.you just get happy beeing around him!i am sure we'll hang out a lot more!!( if i find better ways to describe this amazing guy..i will!)
 From CERY Istanbul, Turkey
Nov 29, 2008 Positive He is sympathetic and verry funny boy.i like talking with him. i hope we meet face to face and we can design our S&C Sad Club in real life:)  From ALASKAMATT Anchorage, United States
Aug 20, 2008 Positive I met Serendipitous in Valencia and stayed at the same place for a couple days. He had some great stories and a witty personality! Good times! Let's meet up again.  From NIGHT0WL Karlsruhe, Germany
Aug 16, 2008 Positive I met SERENDIPITOUS in the online chat for several times now. He is very helpful to others and never seems to stop with that.
I do appreciate this a lot. Nice guy holding on to the good.  From Sandra Brito Coimbra, Portugal
Aug 10, 2008 Positive serennnnnnnn hup hup
finally after some time in cs chat, we meet in meeting of valencia, was so nice meet u face to face.hope see u in next meeting-) see u in chat.
 From Steven Platteeuw Roeselare, Belgium
Aug 10, 2008 Positive I was first introduced to Roger as Vince's kitchen bitch at the CS paella. It didn't take too long before I realized that he was so much more than that. You just have to love this guy! Roger is a gift to this world: Super helpful, smart, funny, ... There's no excuse in the world to not meet him!  From Jakob Sternbach Brunico, Italy
Aug 4, 2008 Positive First I met the Kitchen Bitch aka Roger at the CS Paella 08, where we had hardly any time to talk as there were some other CS and also f...ing Vince around. But luckily he came along with Vince to my hometown Bruneck in the Dolomites for an amazing weekend. He is very committed to CS and works a lot as a volunteer, also at 4am after having had an array of Limoncello and beers ... Hope to see you soon and enjoy some weekends together :) Latest at the Paella bitch :)  From SUPERYAMI Mouvaux, France
Aug 3, 2008 Positive What of those lack of absence...not having my official roger in the hall of fame though i trully hesitated as the paella didnt taste the same as last year when vince did it all...a reason, nah why would you be the cause ? i love roger, seriously this man cant make you go nuts, he will always find the words and the compassionate tone though sometimes you d like him to be very far away.. using the scampi as a deodorant could be of the worse effect ! ok one more of my stupid jokes.. hope i got the reader of the reference sleeping now ! will definitely enjoy seeing you more but dont wait every two years to appear...come and drink some at my flat..fridge is as full as the one in gossau before a paella for 160..blue skies  From YAELSH Ramat Gan, Israel
Aug 1, 2008 Positive Roger is the most kind person, trapped in the body of a rough cynical nomad...(-:
He was so kind to let me stay 2 nights in his very small tent at the Paella 2008 meeting.
Roger, let me know at which country you finally burnt your passport...  From Coona von Pardiel Grischun Bern, Switzerland
Jul 29, 2008 Positive Oh Roger, I like the way he smells ... not only where you think, but after 3 days at the Paella he smelled wonderful everywhere :D
Well, on the next Paella we will meet again - and this time I will steal a sock from him as a memory to keep it in my basket! Ruff ruff, lick lick - and throw that damn stick again!!  From Jason Gastaldo Gossau, Switzerland
Jul 29, 2008 Positive My experience with Roger was enriching, to make an understatement. He has such a calm, wise and happy demeanor; I had no trouble busting into conversation with him about anything. I had a great time clowning about, as well as speaking about some really deep stuff. I can't wait to run into you again, so we can share stories and maybe bum around together somewhere great. Yeah!  From Amelia Borntrager Nosara, Costa Rica
Jul 29, 2008 Positive oooh, do I love me some Roger! Never did I think I would run into another person from Arizona the first day I stepped on European soil...but, I did....and I loved him from the start. He is liberal and easy going...not to mention hilarious and a blast to hang out with and he gets me...I like that ; )
Update: yes, we got to hang out in Amsterdam and Zaandam....what fun it was...he cooked for Margit and I and took such good care of us! He is such a kind hearted person...even if he doesn't like to P L A N anything!  From Christine Hinterlang Vienna, Austria
Jul 29, 2008 Positive Roger. What a smile. Instant connection. (Ok, ok. Instant the second time round. The picnic doesn't count). He is such a great person. I don't even know where to start. We had so many fun moments (blblulblublblu) and he is also a person who can just be. And he's random and thoughtful (Ai laik). There aren't many people out there who are like Roger. A whole load of amazing things. He's not the type of person that just makes your day. He makes your paella :) Come to visit in Vienna sometime and if you don't I will come visit you.  From HECTORUPS San Francisco, United States
Jul 29, 2008 Positive Roger made an impression on me. He told a few stories and also read others in his profile... i really envy and admire his life style.
Not to mention he 'saved' me by dressing my wounds in the CS paella. I hope you wont leave Spain without paying me a visit, will ya??  From PapaSteed Rehetobel, Switzerland
Jul 26, 2008 Positive update: ok here is the truth- roger has done wonders by simply chatting with me and giving me medical advice over the last month- since i've been "away" from home. i very much appreciate his fun and caring approach he takes toward his friends.
update: roger he seems to be an ok kind of guy. actually i sort of like roger- although he is seems to be from arizona, and alaska and the phillipines and some ship and...
ok, maybe he didn't steal my wallet, but i am sure he did something when i was down and in the gutter... :)  From JO_LILLA Vasteras, Sweden
Jul 17, 2008 Positive He is a saviour, he will nurse you and make sure you are well:-) very helpful and kind nature,-)
I hope to meet you once again in many CS gatherings soon!  From Florian Spisla Goldau, Switzerland
Jul 15, 2008 Positive No idea what to write about Roger. He was just so relaxed an easy going. It was incredible... I love that guy!  From PETRUCCI67 Duisburg, Germany
Jul 14, 2008 Positive During those 40 hours that I spent at Vince's place for the Paella 2008, I think I talked to him for at least fifteen times. He was there when I went for another coffee, and when I went to my car, and when I went for some more wine, and when I went to the bathroom ... always smiling, laughing, helping, chatting ... a good soul ... so open ... As we live really close to each other, we should pretty soon meet again, don't you think?  From Sue Schwarz Vienna, Austria
Jul 14, 2008 Positive roger is a great, a relaxed guy. it seems, that nothing could ever upset him. he handles couchsurfing with care and love.
at the paella, we found out, that we already met once - for 10 minutes at a gas station in vienna. nice serendipity ;-)
ps: i love your car ;-) From MACHITA75 Oslo, Norway
Jul 13, 2008 Positive I met Roger for 6 great days at Vinces place for the Paella party 2008 after having communicated with him online on and off regularly for a long time and heard a lot of fantastic things about him via our common friend Anick-Marie.
Roger is a wonderful person with a wonderful sense of humour. He always has time for you, he is sweet and generous sharing what he has, always setting others first. He is always smiling and his eyes has this warm glow. He willingly shares the best hugs. When I was sick he cared for me, made me food and helped looking after me.
He is one of those persons that you feel instantly connected with when you meet him and then you miss him when he is not around.
Im really happy to have been able to spend quality time with this fantastic person and I am really looking fwd for our next meeting!
Miss you Honey Bunny!
 From LETSGOALEX Los Angeles, United States
Jul 11, 2008 Positive Roger is the most helpful person I ever met in CS. We finally met at Paella and he is the workforce at this big CS Paella party. Without him we all will be hungry! He is such a nice friendly easy going very helpful person that we all love him. You know what I mean when you meet this great guy!  From Marcel Janus Heiningen, Germany
Jul 11, 2008 Positive We spent a great time together at the Paella!
Drop me a line if you want to go hiking :). Your always welcome at my place.  From RUDA^ Katowice, Poland
Jul 9, 2008 Positive The last camper and Vince's best Paella slave working all day to feed that crowd!
He has such a good aura and positive vibrations! He can make people happy just by his modest presence. I'm so glad to finally met him in person!
Talk to you soon!  From Maikel Lourenssen Oss, Netherlands
Jul 9, 2008 Positive Roger is great to have long chats with in the evenings.
Many times I invited him or suggested in meeting up but finally in Switzerland I got to know him good enough to make it safe to say "I met him".
Anyway I trust him in all things he did and he really seemed to have helped a lot with the Paella what not many people did in the way he did it.  From RHIANETH Duesseldorf, Germany
Jul 9, 2008 Positive I am so happy I finally met my favourite chat moderator!!!And now I am absolutly sure noone will ever take his place!Roger is such a sweetheart!He did so much for all of us at the Paella and you could see he did it with all his heart!He is not only very dedicated to CSer... he just loves people.I will come to the Netherlands very soon and give you back awesome hat!  From Wicher Visser Zurich, Switzerland
Jul 9, 2008 Positive I met Roger at the Paella 2008. Funny to see that his nickname (serendipitous) describes exactly my experience with him. I was surprised by his kind personality, even though I knew what I could expect. To admit, I talked to him only shortly yet already feel I could totally trust him. Looking forward to meet him again for more great times and confirm once more his benevolent nature.  From SERGIOLX Lisbon, Portugal
Jul 7, 2008 Positive Well.. what should i say about Seren? All the words are very few to describe him!! Since from cooking to navigation passing by medicine and sociality around!!! One of the true souls that I (finally) had a pleasure to meet and for sure we will meet many other times!! Drive and navigate safe! See Ya!!  From Bradley Ross Newcastle, Australia
Jun 29, 2008 Positive Roger is a nice fella. A seasoned traveller who is happy to give advice on the ins and outs of European travel. My friend Mat and I had a few beers with him in Germany and had a good time.  From RICOTHEFROGGY Niort, France
May 14, 2008 Positive what to say as we haven't meet yet ?
just th at guy is my "bro" in chat law... and hes is good judge and really fair. hope to meet soon, and HIGLY trusted looking about fair moderation... luv ya father of our chaddicts :)  From Anick-Marie Bouchard Bremen, Germany
Apr 25, 2008 Positive He laughed with me, he gave me chocolate, he whined to me, he brought me Root Beer and even Pop Tarts and Dr Pepper.. We went together to the Krak Motel, and I must admit that Roger is absolutely great. 5 days of uncomplicated travel with a friend. At the Paella, he gave me maple syrups and hugs and fights and laughs until I couldn't help but pee in my pants. Can't help falling in love with this peculiar character !!!  From Kathi Dietzel Cleveland Heights, United States
Apr 6, 2008 Positive Roger is incredible! He is really nice, great to talk with, deeply concerned about one's welfare, and is just all around giving and I feel glad to have met him. I hope that we can meet up again on your eurasia trip or sooner. Take care and thanks you so much for everything! viel spaß.  From Petra Rickensdorf Berlin, Germany
Apr 2, 2008 Positive I got to know him as a very helpful person. When he realised that I am new at CS he supported me to better understand the CS system. He showed himself very open to new members. I am glad I met him! It made me feel welcome at CS.
 From Paul Vachier Tallinn, Estonia
Mar 31, 2008 Positive Roger drove us to Amsterdam and was a great person to meet and also very helpful and genuine! Hope we cross paths again.  From ASHLEY SF Pristina, Kosovo
Mar 23, 2008 Positive March 2008: I chatted with Roger for a long time before finally getting to meet him in Berlin then driving to Krakow together. I had really high expectations, because we talked so frequently online, and he definitely exceeded them! Roger is such a nice guy, he brought every kind of food possible for our road trip, and he always wanted to make sure everyone is happy. He puts other people's needs before his own, and making other people happy makes him happy. I had such a blast with him, joking about slutties and sausages, and I will never forget how great of a time we had driving around Krakow. There is no one else I would rather spend 4 days with without showering or having a working toilet. Without him there, I'm sure I would have died from smelling bad or from not using real toilet paper. I can't wait to see him again in Europe sometime soon!
Update July 2008: I DID see Roger again soon, at Paella 2008, and I love him even more. He gave me extra Paella, and his positivity and care for others continues to amaze me. He also looks good with whipped cream all over his face.  From James Ricci Brooklyn, United States
Mar 23, 2008 Positive After a CS meeting the night before, Roger was extremely kind enough to pick me up in the morning to go to the Salt Mines from Krakow. Even though we almost missed each other he drove around several times and we were able to meet up. After getting to talk more I connected quite a bit with Roger and he showed me how open he was to trying new things and his go with the flow energy of experiencing a new place. I wish he couldve spent more time in Krakow and hope we meet up again sometime in the future!  From Ania Wolna Krakow, Poland
Mar 21, 2008 Positive Thanks to people like Roger I really love the idea of CS :)) He is such a great, sociable and friendly person:)) I think we CS Krakow gang, are very lucky that he came here and we could spend some good time together:))
I wish I could spend a longer time with him and get to know him better, as he is this kind of person that you just want to have around, he can make you feel good and comfortable, I am sure we would become friends if we could spend more time together:) that's why I really hope that our paths will cross again!
Ahh and thank you for a sweets! hehe I found some this morning in my bag;)  From JULIETTE Buenos Aires, Argentina
Mar 23, 2007 Positive he drove us across germany to netherlands and finally hosted for a night at his family home!
he is a very interesting person and i really like the sense of freedom of his spirit.  From Benjamin Yu Anaheim, United States
Dec 23, 2006 Positive Roger, at Eisenstadt, was a great participant of the Collective. He is aware of everyone's thoughts and you can count on good advice from him (if you ask).  From HungrySteve South Lake Tahoe, United States
Dec 5, 2006 Positive I didn't stay with Roger, but how I wish I had more time so I could have. While hanging out at the Collective, he made my mouth water with stories of all the deliscious tacos and burritos I could eat. I am sure his place would be great for the weary traveler. We had some good times hanging out Vienna too and having maybe one too many shots of tequila. Good times were has...I think! ;)  From Larry Greweldinger Rotterdam, Netherlands
Dec 4, 2006  Positive I met Roger in Eisenstadt at the 2006 CSC-E. Nice and friendly lad. Had some crazy car journey's to and in Vienna. Still waiting for an invite to check out his workplace ;)  From Barry Floc'H Buenos Aires, Argentina
Aug 20, 2006 Positive I met Roger at the CSC Eisendstadt. We hit it off right away and ended up having a CS Car Road Trip back to Germany visiting another CSers en route then to his place in the Netherlands. He is a very generous guy with a big heart
 From Patrick McAndrew London, United Kingdom
Aug 6, 2006 Positive Roger is one of the most relaxed people I've ever met. No host, no worries, just can sleep in the park or in a garden. Bag with passport gets lost, its fine. I really enjoyed meeting Roger and hope to see you again soon mate!  From Roland Wollweber Ludwigshafen, Germany
Aug 5, 2006 Positive we traveled together with his car to CSC Europe in Eisenstadt and Vienna! What a road trip to Austria, but he has nice car with aircondition! Nice guy, if you have opportunity to met or stay with him do it and you wont reget it! Thanks for all and hope we met soon again for another trip together!  From Jan Heidelberg, Germany
Aug 2, 2006 Positive It was great hosting Roger and his friends. We only met for a short period of time but we had lots of fun and lived through crazy moments. Roger is extremely helpful and dropped me off at the airport the next day. Thanks again! Come back anytime! |
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