CURRENT MISSION

move. accomplish a novel. move.

ABOUT ME

- No. I can't. Seriously.
- Oh, come on!
- I said I can't.
- Don't.
- Don't what.
- Don't just avoid the question.
- You take self deprecation?
- I don't. We don't.
- ...
- ...
- You know, few people get that you're joking.
- Really.
- You'd be surprised.

PHILOSOPHY

- This is hard. I'm starting to think you're evil.
- Shh. Calm down. They mean: write a nice cool sentence that conveys who you are.
- And that sounds easy to you.
- Come on.
- We'll always have Paris.
- ...
- It's a nice cool sentence. That's what you asked for: a nice, cool sentence.
- Wait a minute. I said: a nice cool sentence that tells us how you cope with life, or who you are, which is about the same thing. 'We'll always have Paris' doesn't fare well on the second account.
- It does. It's a black-and-white thought.
- So that's what you do: think in black and white.
- Yes. Now stop writing down everything I say, it's annoying.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

- Tell us about the couch. The one close the window.
- That's the only coach we have, anyway.
- Alright. Tell us more about it.
- When you're sitting on the couch, you can look out of the window. When you lie down, you can see the sky, the planes, the pigeons, etc. Downhill it's Paris and uphill it's Buenos Aires.
- Is it comfortable?
- It is. Yes.
- You have evidence?
- No-one has ever complained.
- Ok. What else.
- We use it to watch movies, have breakfast, lunch, smoke cigarettes. There's often a cat on the coach. On or around the couch.
- And that's part of the deal.
- And that's part of the deal.
- That's how you participate in the project. With a couch and a cat.
- That's about right.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

- So. How many people could have possibly slept on that coach. An estimate.
- I don't know. Dozens.
- You're positive.
- I don't think it's in the hundreds, realistically.
- And you have...
- I've surfed coaches, yes. Especially in India, once in Turkey and once in the US. I met nice people.

Interests

- Now you have to talk about your interests.
- Like?
- What you like to do.
- Writing.
- You like that.
- Yes, writing is ok. Ah, and walking, also. I love walking.
- Where to.
- Nowhere in particular. Wander. Stroll around. Look at things. Often without music.

• cats
• writing
• books
• breakfast
• coach
• walking
• movies
• painting
• music

Music, Movies, and Books

- You like this. This is easy. Books.
- Which ones.
- I don't know, the last three that you've read.
- A book on India, but it was an academic book, I don't remember the author. And the book was just ok. It wasn't great. So no reason anyone would want to know.
- Fine. Two more?
- Shakespeare, tragedies. I read and re-read it, I like how concise it is. That's what I'm reading now. Last novel I read was a month ago, Naguib Mahfuz, a story without a beginning or an ending.
- Never mind, we don't need the plot, just the title.
- Yeah, I got that. That's the title: A story without a beginning or an ending.
- Fine. Music?
- I like music, but I don't listen to music all the time, but I like music. Especially when I walk.
- Which brings us back to... What was it?
- How am I supposed to know. You are the one who's writing down stuff all the time. I'm just here, waiting for someone to open that door and let me out. I want to leave.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

- Here we are.
- I got an answer, it sprung to mind earlier, when you said we still had one left, the last one left.
- Come on then, tell us. What is it? What is the most amazing thing you've ever done?
- Wait a minute. That's not the question. You said the question was 'amazing thing done forward slash seen.'
- Sure! Go on! Keep going on like this! You're getting across as boring. Bo-ring. You're inches away from bizarre.
- Do you want to know what it is or not.
- Fine, go ahead.
- Walking along the motorway, through Tokyo, at night. With Ric. We had lost the metro in Shibuya and we needed to go back to Jimbocho...
- This was your last line, my friend.
- Wait a minute, let me tell you the story!
- Thank you very much for answering our questions: this will allow us to greatly improve our service.
- We walked all night. Do you know how far it is? And the city was asleep, all quiet, the tramps under the bridges, the guards marching in the park...
- We're done. You may leave now.

Teach, Learn, Share

- What you have to teach to others?
- Go shoot yourself. I've had enough of this.
- Come on. There's only one left after this one. Amazing thing done forward slash seen. Thing. Singular. Can't take long.
- Ok. But then that's it: one more, and I'm free to go.
- Promised.
- You said 'it takes five minutes, ten minutes tops.'
- Almost done, promised.
- I have stuff to do.
- Yes. Promised. Now tell us what you want to teach, learn or share.
- I'd like to go back to study some, that's for the learn part. I want to study India, I still don't know exactly what, but I think it's the most amazing country in the world. I would actually love to move there.
- Teach?
- I can teach few skills, but I have a good understanding of life. People like to talk to me about themselves, and I think I understand. Not all of it, some.
- You don't have more practical skills that you could transfer to other people, like, I don't know: playing an instrument, painting, making necklaces with plastic pearls.
- No, I'm afraid.
- It's ok, don't worry.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Belgium, China, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United States, Uruguay

Countries I’ve Lived In

Chile, France, Italy, South Africa, United Kingdom