Mandira Halder's Photo

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  • Last login 7 months ago

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Overview

  • 28 references 25 Confirmed & Positive
  • Fluent in Bengali, Bangla, English, French, German, Hindi; learning Italian, Norwegian Bokmål, Polish, Romanian
  • 44, Female
  • Member since 2010
  • PhD candidate
  • India, France and Switzerland
  • No hometown listed
  • Profile 100% complete

About Me

CURRENT MISSION

I'm discovering the nitty-gritty's of intercultural behavior in people from different countries. The things that lead to potential misunderstandings are very insightful indeed.

ABOUT ME
I'm open-minded, honest and have a great sense of humour. I'm also respectful of different ways of doing things. I speak several languages fluently. I'm very keen to know about other cultures and people.

PHILOSOPHY

All human beings are unique so accept them as they are and don't judge them all the time according to your standards. Remember that they might be judging you simultaneously according to their standards and not accept you as you are. It is important to remember that value systems and standards differ from individual to another and it is not fair to put people in a box before knowing them well. I learnt the hard way that it's worth giving someone a second chance and the benefit of doubt.I recently also realised that change is not a negative thing at all and it actually challenges me to become a better person.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

At the moment, I’m going through traumatic bereavement and cannnot accept guests. Hopefully the situation will change soon.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I couchsurfed in Poland, Holland and Denmark and met couchsurfers in Nantes, France as well in Montreal, Canada. It's always an enriching experience as I can learn so much from others.

Interests

I play the piano and i sing classical arias for lyric coloratura soprano. I also love dancing salsa, bachata and kizomba. I'm also fond of snow-shoe trekking and hiking.

Music, Movies, and Books

I love music and literature (mostly classical but also old jazz and 80's pop and soul). But i'm also interested in modern and contemporary music. Anything with a good melody is good for me. As for books, as long as the storyline is good, it's ok.
As for movies, i love romantic comedies ( ex. You've got mail) and movies on tactical warfare (ex. top gun). I also love art house cinema (ex. Das Leben der Anderen, Lunchbox, La Crise )

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Travelling through Germany using the mitfahrgelegenheit and mitfahrzentrale. On a trip from Leipzig to Munich, I was in car with people speaking Berliner and Bavarian dialects and I didn't understand a word.

Beating my host in Holland in a poker-like board game with the help of this friends.

Visiting Christiania and attending a beach party with my host in Copenhagen, Denmark. Both activities made me step out of my comfort zone for real but was nevertheless quite exciting.

Teach, Learn, Share

Communication with others from similar or different cultures can be challenging, but it's definitely worth the effort.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Open-mindedness, willingness to adjust and sharing a laugh about a joke. Do make yourself feel at home. Don't worry about offending me if you do something different than I do.

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, France

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