CURRENT MISSION

to find balance without abandoning the extremes

ABOUT ME

My approach in all areas of life is fueled by curiosity: exploring the edges and pushing the limits, accepting what there is, searching for possibilities.

Often I am bedazzled by the humor of very ordinary situations. My attitude oscillates between flexible and feisty, depending on the situation. Predominantly accommodating and easygoing, on occasion I can be a rather passionate and hotheaded, especially when challenged on matters of principle.

I'm a good partner-in-crime for mischief-making, hiking in nature, collective art projects, quests and dancing with abandonment.

unabashedly joyful
mover and shaker
dreamer and schemer
creative intellectual
devoted troublemaker
stubborn bridge builder
pragmatic revolutionary
playfully sincere

PHILOSOPHY

€œ"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving"
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A Native American grandfather was talking to his grandson about how he felt. He said "I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is the vengeful, angry, violent one. The other wolf is the loving, compassionate one." The grandson asked him, "Which wolf will win the fight in your heart?"
The grandfather answered: "The one I feed."

--
€œA human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. - Heinlein

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

give and receive. just like the rest of my life.

Here are some tips for checking out the best of underground Amsterdam:

http://joesgarage.nl/
http://www.schijnheilig.org/
http://radar.squat.net/
http://molli.nl/

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Through CS, I have been introduced to Burning Man, dumpster diving, vegan cooking, was reminded that it's never too late for a career change, shown how to survive as an artist, shared lessons on interior design, discovered a world of love, laughter, modern dance, massage, open house dinners. Above all I am stunned by the people I've met who are so willing to share their life, their home, themselves.

Interests

theory meets practice. game design. media literacy. in awe of the ordinary. recognition. revolution. (meta)ethics. the theater of everyday. making a difference. tunes and beats. cosmic cooking. dress-up parties. painting. surprises. writing. dancing because I can't stand still. smiling at strangers. reading in bed. observing. laughing so hard it hurts. secrets. quiet evening conversations on my roof. contrast. heart-to-heart conversation. daily dose of solitude. collective creativity.

Music, Movies, and Books

SCREENS: Breaking the Waves (and more by Lars von Trier), Bin Jip (and more by Kim Ki-Duk), most of Emir Kustirica, some of Pedro Almodovar, all of Lynch, Hitchcock, Werner Herzog, Fatih Akin, Kubrick, Cohen Bros, Darren Aronofsky and Ingmar Bergman. Six Feet Under. Pulp Fiction, Once, Lola Rent. You me and everyone we know (and more) by Miranda July. I often also enjoy documentary films (IDFA etc), short movies and animation.

TUNES: patrick watson & wooden arms, tegan &; sara, broken social scene, iron & wine, air, fleet foxes, sigur rós, soulwax, bjork, aretha franklin, alela diane, regina spektor, orange blossom, tori amos, ani difranco, the pixies, arcade fire, sufjan stevens, devendra banhart, radiohead, r.e.m., aphex twin, coco rosie, beirut, velvet underground, yann tierson, allegri, andrew bird, the decemberists, sleepy sun... I like dancing to techno music, but I seldom play it at home.

TEXTS Walter Benjamin, Gilles Deleuze, Gravity's Rainbow (and more by Thomas Pynchon), James Joyce, Spinoza, Henri Bergson, Kafka, Marcus Aurelius, Hanna Arendt, Mieke Bal, T. S. Eliot, Margret Atwood, Kay Ryan, Niklas Luhmann, Ibn al-Arabi, Rumi, Versalis, Paramenides, Sylvia Plath, Buddha, Bataille, Foucault, Faulkner, much, much more. Come browse in my library.

** I'm initially omnivorous, forever eclectic and ultimately persnickety in my preferences. Please introduce me to YOUR fictional, factual and musical loves. I love discovering new movies, books & music! **

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Climbing a mountain in eastern Turkey all by myself and having breakfast with the shepherds.
Watching my niece and nephew grow up.
Volunteering in an orphanage in Egypt.
Falling down hard and getting up again.
Friends who are always there.
Following the drive to became a producer of knowledge and beauty instead of a consumer.
The moon.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: conflict mediation, game design, film making and experimental photography skills, cooking, alternative political organization, piano (intermediate jazz and classical) and some (post)modern philosophy.
Share: If you are developing a new idea, I can give feedback and suggested literature. I can polish a text in English or Dutch. I can conjure up tasty meals out of the most unlikely odds and ends.
Learn: I'd like to improve my photoshop skills, learn how to give a proper massage, improve my programming skills and learn to sing some new songs in four-part harmony.

Countries I’ve Visited

Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Georgia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Luxembourg, Mexico, Morocco, Norway, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Egypt, Germany, Netherlands, Palestine

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