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Overview

  • 115 references 26 Confirmed & Positive
  • Fluent in English, French, Spanish; learning Arabic, Hebrew (modern), Persian (Farsi), Portuguese, Sign Language - American, Sign Language - International
  • 45, Female
  • Member since 2007
  • Is: Researcher, amateur athlete, hearthrob. Was: Salsa in...
  • Good family values, high school rebel, college Soc/Anthr/...
  • From (one of the best cities in the US of America)
  • Profile 95% complete

About Me

CURRENT MISSION

I do not grant CS permission to use any content of my page for any purpose without my written authorisation. Any violation will be subject to formal complaint to the EU and US authorities governing internet privacy.

ABOUT ME

With the recent changes in CS privacy, I feel obligated to post this text everywhere on my profile: I do not grant CS permission to use any content of my page for any purpose without my written authorisation. Any violation will be subject to formal complaint to the EU and US authorities governing internet privacy.

Now, on to my profile for real people with true non-profit CS ideals....

If you ask me where I am from, you will get a LONG story... dual national of France and the USA. Euro-American father, French-Guinean-Lebanese mother.

When I was born my parents were still grad students and we lived in international married student housing. My first babysitter was Iranian, consequently my first words were in Farsi. When I was little we traveled to France and Europe often to visit family. Being in-between several cultures, I did a lot of bouncing around different ethnic communities (Latino, African American, West-African community, Euro-American..), subcultures: ravers, vegetarians, yogis, lefties, and diverse religious communities: Reconstructionist Jewish community, and personal research of Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, and other spiritual communities ... After an interesting academic career, I find myself living in London doing an internship at Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs).... I'll fill in the spaces later

PS: One thing to know about me - I AM ALMOST ALWAYS 15 MINUTES LATE for everything. There is no good excuse for this, but it is an unfortunate part of my lifestyle so don't be surprised or shocked if I am not usually on time, sorry, I'm trying to work on this. IF I AM 15 MINUTES LATE TO MEET YOU, PLEASE DON'T BE SURPRISED OR MAD BECAUSE I WARNED YOU HERE!!!!!!!

Sometimes I also take a long time to respond to e-mails - sometimes weeks, sorry about that too, but if it seems important or personal I can respond fast. I get caught up in lots of activities and tasks, but I do actually care I am just a bit disorganized :( . If you really need a response, send a second e-mail.... :( Maybe some day I will have a professional e-mail helper to help me..... probably not.

Oh yeah, I'm very nostalgic and sentimental.... and cry easily out of happiness or amazement..... and I can also carry lots of stuff around town on my back or in assorted purses (although I should stop doing this) ... and sincerely believe that most friendly animals enjoy being called "poo-poo", try it! Just say "Hey poo-poo" and they should get all happy. You can also call them "saucisse", which is French for sausage.

PHILOSOPHY

I do not grant CS permission to use any content of my page for any purpose without my written authorisation. Any violation will be subject to formal complaint to the EU and US authorities governing internet privacy.

Life is full of so many wonders and miracles that we really need to stay hopeful and on the right path to being a good person. Life is also full of so many tragedies and injustices that we should never, ever allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering of other people. Help whenever you can, and ask for help when you need it. Never give up hope!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I do not grant CS permission to use any content of my page for any purpose without my written authorisation. Any violation will be subject to formal complaint to the EU and US authorities governing internet privacy.

I would love to meet new people either here in London or anywhere else I may travel. I like to meet and talk with people (English, Français, Castellano, Portuguese, or Sign Language). I like cultural events (especially free ones), picnics, and going out dancing. If you are in London, Barcelona, Madrid or Toulouse, I can give you information about what to do and where to go in town. If we become good friends we could cook together at my home :) and I'll introduce you to some of my friends here. Someday I'd like to be able to host people, but that will be in the future, so please do not contact me to ask if I have a couch available because I do not :(

I like to share chicken sandwiches too, so you can come to my house and I'll make you a FRESH one.... really fresh.

The chicken sandwich thing is a joke, I am almost a vegetarian. I do organize big international meals in Barcelona, with different cultural needs in mind (Kosher, Hallal, vegetarian, vegan, etc.).... let me know if you would like to organize something like this with me, I created the the CS group BCN INTERNATIONAL COOKING CLUB.... :) and am one of the moderators of CS group Madrid Cooking. I also try to organize group runs in the Retiro - I really really like to stay fit and help others stay fit too. Life is too short to feel or look like a couch-potato.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I do not grant CS permission to use any content of my page for any purpose without my written authorisation. Any violation will be subject to formal complaint to the EU and US authorities governing internet privacy.

CS - what can I say? This website helped me make a new home in Barcelona and almost all of the people I have met on CS I am still in contact with. This site has helped me make some new good friends: Bruno, Ana-Leena, Roger, Lara, Tiago, and others. I have been non-CS hosted in Madrid Spain, Freibourg Germany, Paris and Toulouse France, Camaguey and Santiago de Cuba. I've been a guide for CS people in Barcelona and Toulouse France. Being hosted in families in France was a real cultural lesson, as I have found that there is a big difference between home manners. My mother, who is French, always told me this but I never fully understood before living here. After living here for years, I too notice the cultural differences when hosting my friends from abroad, but now from the other side. Any world traveler can tell you that some things are taken really seriously by some people while others may take those same things quite lightly. The lesson is a good one: "Mind your manners!" and that humble generosity is worth more than gold. It's really a gift for someone to welcome you into their home and private space, and that is a gift to both merit and appreciate.... The fact that CS people would open their hearts and homes to you is so magical!

One recent experience has been both difficult and valuable - If you have a BIG and OPEN heart, watch out if/when you fall in love with a Couch Surfer or anyone else! ..... and I'll tell you that story if you like.

(I'm trying out this page visitor flag counter thing as of April 2010, so little by little this information below will develop)

Interests

I do not grant CS permission to use any content of my page for any purpose without my written authorisation. Any violation will be subject to formal complaint to the EU and US authorities governing internet privacy.

Um, meeting people from other cultures, fresh foods, birds that sing exuberantly, improvisational theater, house plants, CURRENT EVENTS (BBC junkie - here's a political TV show that I was in: http://www.tv3.cat/videos/791209, here's another one, very cheesy: http://www.tv3.cat/videos/979869 ... this is my big TV debut after a Master in Poli-Sci), home decoration (chez moi or elsewhere), creativity, singing and music, salsa and samba and javanese dance, African folklore, West African fashion, "ethnic" cuisine, independent films (I'm gonna make one some day), bicycling, yoga, Racial Healing (anti-racism project), Gay Pride (I have friends and family members who are Gay or Lesbian), smart cats or other animals, fabulously perfumed outdoor flowers, optimism.... life is full of so many wonderful things......Funny home-videos made by kids: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3WDrB_ICgU=relatedInteresting clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blypORq3HMc(I used to study Russian and can still sing this birthday song - if it is your birthday and we meet, remind me and I will sing it for you too)

  • animals
  • cats
  • birds
  • culture
  • poetry
  • singing
  • theater
  • folklore
  • fashion
  • dancing
  • cooking
  • wine
  • cocktails
  • coffee
  • picnic
  • baking
  • wine tasting
  • vegetarian
  • vegan
  • yoga
  • running
  • drinking
  • clubbing
  • flowers
  • movies
  • tv
  • traveling
  • socializing
  • music
  • outdoor activities
  • languages
  • sign language
  • tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:
"Me talk pretty one day" Dave Sedaris
"Path to loving kindness" Pema Chodron
Any poetry by Rumi
COOK BOOKS! Especially my mom's...

Movies:
Jackie Brown, Citizen Dog (THAILAND), Gypsy Caravan, Life is Beautiful, The Magic Flute (Smurfs :), Même les tortues volent (Kurdish)....

Music:
Kizomba, Passada, Kuduro, Bossa-Nova, Salsa, Merengue, Cha-Cha, Bachata, Samba, Pagodge, Baroque classical, Blues, cool Jazz (not frantic), Smooth Jazz (but not elevator music!), funky house music, heartfelt indy rock ballads, the Cure, OPERA!!!! (I will give a concert some day), angry and sad flamenco music....

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I do not grant CS permission to use any content of my page for any purpose without my written authorisation. Any violation will be subject to formal complaint to the EU and US authorities governing internet privacy.

Performed in a Afro-Brazilian Extravaganza at the University of Wisconsin Madison, lead by the Candomblé practitioner and choreographer Clyde Morgan. All the dancers in the troop were really swept away in a mystic euphoria by Clyde's passion, kindness, and inspiration, both artistically and spiritually. Simply beautiful.

Teach, Learn, Share

I do not grant CS permission to use any content of my page for any purpose without my written authorisation. Any violation will be subject to formal complaint to the EU and US authorities governing internet privacy.

Teach: Latin dance (and basic samba), English, French, cultural skills, cake-baking, basic yoga, slow endurance running (5-25km) , basic wine tasting...

Learn: your favorite cooking! other languages, your culture, how to make the perfect cup of coffee/tea/cocktail (but don't leave me alone with your special coffee maker, I burnt one once. I'm only good with all metal or all plastic - no mixing!!! Sorry about that one Xabi.), other dances including folkloric and traditional, IT management, ..... any suggestions?

Share: a picnic or a walk together, a cup of tea or coffee, a drink in a cool bar that is not too expensive, lunch, philosophy, poetry, share music (either recorded or to make together!), spices, plant clippings, anecdotes, animal stories.....

Countries I’ve Visited

Algeria, Canada, Congo, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Germany, Ghana, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Morocco, Nigeria, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, Switzerland, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, United States

Old School Badges

  • 29 Vouches

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