Hi, I'm Mat, I'm living and working in Amsterdam, Netherlands. I'm curious about the world and the people in it. I like getting to know new people and places. I worked as a photojournalist (If you'd like to take a photographic walk along the canals of Amsterdam, let me know ;) a stage manager, a tour guide, and now as a communications specialist.

I love to travel, some of my most fun memories have been on the road. When I do, I try to see as much nature as I can. You'll see the hobbies below, but in short I like the outdoors. The water and the mountains, the forests, the rivers, anything that can take my breath away. I love discovering little secrets and wild places. Will you help me find them?

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I was part of a CS group many years ago, in Cape Town. We welcomed travellers and showed them around. The kind of people who came, who stayed and who came back were always the kind I wanted to meet. Interesting and interested, open, engaged, and active.

I've since couchsurfed a couple of times, and met other couchsurfers on the road. Always a good experience.

Interests

I guess I'm an adventurous guy. I like nature, the outdoors, and the occasional adrenaline rush ;)

Always up for a simple beer along the beautiful canals though!

• photography
• coffee
• flying
• movies
• traveling
• hiking
• kayaking
• surfing
• skiing
• freediving
• climbing
• ultimate frisbee
• stand up paddle

Music, Movies, and Books

another classic but tricky question.

A Case of Exploding Mangoes, Ian Banks, Jonny Steinberg, Ryszard Kapuściński
Fallen, the Departed, Lucky Number Slevin, in Bruges, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf other odd bits
I'll listen to a pretty wide range, but I never seem to remember artists, song names, or albums, as much as "that tune". I come back to rock more often than not. Both indie and classic 80's

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Jumped off a cliff, and wrestled a great white shark (not on the same day)

Teach, Learn, Share

What I can teach: photography, English, French, stand up paddling

What I'd like to learn: Spanish and French (I'm losing it and need to get it back!)

What I Can Share with Hosts

A beer, a photographic tour, a climb, and maybe a little stand up paddling

Also, I like to think I've mapped out some of the best coffee in Amsterdam.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Slovenia, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Tanzania, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Denmark, France, Netherlands, Réunion, South Africa

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