CURRENT MISSION

Get my ducks in row - straight, narrow, tallest to smallest, small cute one at the end :)

ABOUT ME

I believe that a person is the sum or their experiences/qualities so here goes:

I give blood every 56 days
I love both airplane and hospital food
I can't dance or sing or paint... but I like trying to do them all
I look great in a tuxedo
My favorite book is Catch 22 - I have 4 copies and I think I have read it 200+ times... each time I notice something new
I taught math to 7th graders during college
I actually cry sometimes on buses when I see old people taking the bus - if you have made it to 65 years old, you deserve to be driven somewhere by someone.
I always stop to pet dogs on the street
I can run really, really fast
I can walk into a kitchen and come out with something from nothing - my only true talent in life... I think...
Where I lived: Ottawa-> New York-> New Hampshire-> Ottawa-> Vancouver-> Bangkok-> Ottawa-> Kampala-> Lima-> Bangui -> Ottawa-> Lima-> Basel -> Geneva -> Paris -> Geneva -> Basel (this time it is for good... I have seen it all I think).
I interpret every occasion as black tie; this gets me in awkward situations sometime.
I now have 7 rose bushes.
My eyes turn a scary shade of red in most pictures
I played wide receiver in American Football, but I can't catch
Moms really like me
I can cook Thai food - 25 dishes I think - Indian too - 10 dishes
Je parle Francais bien y español también pero no tan bien.
If I could, I would eat cinnamon oatmeal and fresh mangos everyday for breakfast
I went to an Ivy League uni - then the parisian "grande ecole"
My favorite movie is Scent of a Woman - Pacino at his best...
I read modern history texts in my free time... I know, that is weird.
One time, I jumped off an 85 foot cliff into a river...
I am not happy in the rain, unless I am running in it
Hopefully, some day, I will help make slums go away (in a good way... - UNFPA)
I once hit on Chelsea Clinton in a club by telling her that "she is even more beautiful in person" - she let me buy her a drink :)
I like doing things that scare me - actually I love it.
I attended the glorious United Nations Christmas Gala in 2011
I think that anything is better when cooked on the BBQ
I am constantly training for a marathon that I will most likely never run
Funny things happen when I drink wine
I am now a devoted yoga enthusiast. It's pretty cool, yeah I said it!
I have been on dates with BOTH first daughter's of a large SA country's president
I am a vegetarian... still not sure why?
I like to keep the stubble shaved look on my face - it makes me feel young
Dried pineapples dipped in cream-fresh are even better than strawberries
I was on TV for a extreme water jump episode for the travel channel - I think I broke my rib and a tooth (all for 8 minutes of "fame" haha).
I am studying Swiss German, the history of France (mainly 3rd republic), and the classical music of "Les Six"
I bang my head on things way too often; being tall = dangerous sometimes
I am well aware of my weaknesses
I am even more well aware of my strengths

PHILOSOPHY

All the cliches...

Don't let a day go by without at least trying to do something great.
Find your passion and then hold on to it for dear life (work, gf, favorite place, hobby, etc.)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Current - updated July 2013: Living back in GVA - studio. Not all that much room (but tons for Geneva, so I'm not complaining). It is not the most "private" situation - since my bed is 1 meter from the couch... but I guess if you look clean, you get the bed... if you have been hiking for 2 months in the Alps, you get the couch (90cms)... fair? Please bring fabreeze if it is the latter.

Older - outdated: Living in the Cite Universitairs (smallest room in my life) - sorry I can barely fit... no hosting for now. Someday I will live in a huge vaulted ceiling flat with a library and guest room - somewhere with a view of the eiffel tower... haha. but for now, dorm room :(

Paris for an exchange semester - Sept-Dec, 2012! turned into a research position at the top economic think tank in paris = very cool. Incredible project - and something that will really help the world (actually it is confidential which makes it super cool in a Jason Bourne sort of way - my mentor in life... I guess)... hmm - wait, I'm not kidding...

Overall: Geneva/Paris - just finished a master's degree at UNIGE/IHEID/SciencesPo/OFCE - my dream come true - super weird... haha.

I'm trying to see all of Europe... and I mean every corner - even the countries that you have never heard of... there are 50 in Europe (give or take, depending on your politics:)... I bet you didn't realize that there were that many countries in this "little" continent = lot's of potentially cool places to see.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Great so far... nice people all around... polite conversations, interesting experiences and some really good friendships...

Some of the coolest ppl I know I met on CS... I don't exactly participate a ton - but I do tons of research to figure out who is cool/fun/interesting before I ever ask to surf/meet... so I guess I don't participate a lot... but I do value the people I have met. Still in touch with most of them :)

Some weirdos... damn... they are everywhere, haha. Best invite... "come to London for a week to spend time alone with me and look at art - 65yo 'well-dressed' man..., no no, don't worry, all expenses are taken care of"- ahahaha... breath... ahahaah... where do I sign up?!?

Interests

See above

• pets
• dogs
• arts
• books
• singing
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• breakfast
• wine
• bbq
• vegetarian
• yoga
• marathon
• running
• drinking
• clubbing
• politics
• tv
• traveling
• painting
• music
• classical music
• hiking
• american football
• soccer
• history
• mathematics

Music, Movies, and Books

See above

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Amazing to other people is... a normal day for me. My life is a roller coaster of bizarre/interesting/downright incredible events - even for a long term international development worker or world-traveller. I have the most incredible good luck... someone out there seems to be looking out for me or I give off some awesome karma... I can't explain it actually. 2012 was a banner year of bad luck... haha, so I am hoping that the karma "distributor" comes my way in 2013 - Jan till last week July 15 - was a nightmare... last week, everything got turned upside down... and now it all seems to be falling in to place - the earth must have some steady state equilibrium that just gets hit 'off tilt' for a bit till things settle down again...

Teach, Learn, Share

I have a lot of "world experience" - like everyone else on CS - and funny stories to share, but mine always end with a "bang".

I can cook and teach Thai (and Indian now) cooking... I can make it really easy to understand and I know all the history of every ingredient. If I didn't have my current dream job, I would be a chef in a Thai restaurant I think - although I might have an issue with smelling like said restaurant 24/7.

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