CURRENT MISSION

To live without fear of what tomorrow brings; I will take it as it comes.

ABOUT ME

I am Michal, 25 years old student of literature or, as I would like to coin it, life at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. Hopefully, I will be able to move this occupation to Scotland as soon as possible. :)

I am working at the uni as a research assistant and during autumn 2012 also as a TA by directing a students' theater group The Gypsywood Players, the result of which is following: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q3--YelMwk . :)

I am the kind of person who does whatever feels right. Not necessary planing things a year ahead, I like just being spontaneous and see what possibilities life lays before me. :) I like to think myself to be different (in whatever way) as being "normal" or "usual" is my biggest fear. I want to be myself, not someone else.

PHILOSOPHY

I am that kind of person who is allergic to the words "this can't be done". After hearing those, I do my best to prove otherwise, no matter how crazy it is, failing miserably most of the time. I don't matter thought, since it is, predominantly, a lot of fun. :)

Some time ago I have decided I will make the world a better place by teaching literature. As crazy as it might sound at first, I believe that literature, the stories, the characters, are actually mirroring possible people and situations in real life. By thinking, or learning to think about those situations, people begin thinking about the version of life they encounter every day ... and this thinking, I believe, will change the world outlook for them.

As to my own believes, I find myself liking Buddhism, Shinto, New Thought and Nagualism for a variety of reasons / personal preferences / general likability.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I strive to give back whatever I might receive and pass forward whatever I would expect. While, arguably, that is little too vague, I think it is the most precise definition of how I define myself as a Couchsurfer and what I believe the community is about.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have a little CS experience so far. While I was "hosting" a friend during her Erasmus program in Brno quite often, however, my first true experience was when surfing with my friend in Vienna not so long ago. It was so amazing, mind-blowing and "any-random-exaggeration-adjective" - I have never expected something like that in the slightest. I've met more CSers during my stay and I genuinely fell in love in the surfing idea and, simultaneously, I'd feel the responsibility (and urge) to provide such experience as I have to other people traveling to/through my town.

Interests

I love reading books, although the real reading for pleasure have been long forbidden to me. I play the piano for more than 20 years and recently I have bought an acoustic guitar which I enjoy too. :) My next plan is to learn playing some string instrument; after that I'd consider my musical world domination complete. :D

I like horseback riding and have wondered recently what would it be like to ride a zebra (1/10th of me seems to is a true hipster) :D and, generally, when I see any kind of animal I have to pet it .. I mean the nice kind such cats and stuff, of course. :D

I am addicted to sports, beach volleyball lately (although I kind of suck), namely everything team-based.

I'm also an everyday cook (by choice!) :D with no sense of -amount-, so I often feed, in addition to myself, also my happy roommates. :D I don't mind, I like cooking for other people more than for myself alone.

• animals
• pets
• cats
• books
• literature
• theater
• cooking
• reading
• traveling
• guitar
• piano
• equestrian
• surfing
• buddhist
• sports
• volleyball
• chemistry
• study abroad
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Mostly, I like movies which make me think but, occasionally I stroll into the waters of any horror or comedy which is in accordance to my mood. While I seem to prefer movies that are based on books, I have to acknowledge that reading those books are almost unequivocally better experience.

The favorite, watched about 300 times if I count playing it as a background noise, is definitely Interstate 60 for the its thoughtprovokingness. :)
Best scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTC3XkC7XYY

It is followed closely by Forrest Gump as sitting on a bench, telling the story of my life simply intrigues me. I also love Butterfly Effect (the turn-around look at the end), Spirited Away (for its illustration of peace during the train ride) and Fight Club (the waking up speech). Also, I think Irvine Welsh should get some credit too (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0D4ekTODuA), although that kind of belong to a Book section. :)

The last think I've seen and completely fell into was The Perks of Being a Wallflawer, however, I recognize that Emma Watson played a big part in me liking it so much. :)

As for TV series, I think my taste is quite usual. Friends, Simpsons, MASH (first half for its comedy and the second for its tragedy), House, Two and a Half Men (first 8), some HIMYM, some BBT, Game of Thrones, Red Dwarf and, basically, any (other) BBC series.

I love literature so books are a kind of a large question. The dirty Shakespeare of course, owns almost anything, but I also enjoy (any part) of English Modernism (pref. Decadence) Victorian prose and poetry and whatever else I find provoking at least. :)

I adore the sex-craving masochist Romeo, Oscar Wilde's portrayal of Walter Pater - lord Henry, Ovid's (and by extension Shelley's) pagan deity Pan in Barrie's literary puer aeternus, anything Dickens (though I start enjoying him only after 800p of 1000p books), anything Lawrence (both of them), the (Henry) Jamesian Beast in the Jungle interwoven as the Picture in a Carpet to his every piece, Prynne's crazy poetry which make so much sense, Tennyson's portrayals of world which does not exist anymore, Thomas Pynchon's light and darkness, Vanity Fair, Gobblin' Market, American Psycho, Stardust.

What surprised me most was the comic Scott Pilgrim which is much more amazing than the movie, with all the background stories to each character and the theme of overcoming not only the past of one's partner but also of one's own past. What a splendid little thing! :)

All time favorite, however, would be David Gemmell's Lion of Macedon (with the sequel, Dark Prince). Parmenion and Derae are characters which I would love to meet in person.

Music is a huge part of my life, mp3 player constantly in my ears. I just love to have a soundtrack to everything I do. :D Although I like 1-3 songs from a huuuge variety of artists, I can regularly listen to almost everything by Paramore, Pet Shop Boys, Avril Lavigne, Red Hot Chilly Peppers and, occasionally, The Beastie Boys. Other than that, there are just so many different artists / songs to mention, ranging from the obvious rock through trance, psy, goa, hip hop to metal. :)

Em.. Lindsay Stirling also has something going on for me.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've conjured tears into eyes of several people, because I have done something, they did not thought anyone would be willing to do for them. Always an unmistakable feeling - whatever it took, it was worth it every single time.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you cooking, share some of my own recipe tips, however, as I have a background in chemistry, they in 1% of the tries, from unexplainable reasons, blow up. :)

If you'd like, I will also show you how to play Comptine d'un autre été, which you might learn in just few hours even if you never touched a piano before! :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQZ0AQHYgYI

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Croatia, Poland, Slovakia, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Czech Republic