CURRENT MISSION

FIRST THING: I'm NO LONGER in CAIRO! (Tho I miss it). I'm in France, near Paris...

To be the change I want to see. (Gandhi). To be "somebody" through service. (MLK, Jr.). To do unto others as I would have them do unto me. (Golden Rule). To be creative, imaginitive, wacky if I need to be (CouchSurfing). To laugh and learn with kids.(Me)

ABOUT ME

"She's weird, but we love her!" Most of my friends are my friends because they appreciate my humor (groan-wrenching puns) and playfulness, while recognizing my serious and thoughtful side. People might describe me as out-going and confident, but my best friends know that I have to make an effort at that. I could live as a wall flower! But, I learn through encounters with people and so I choose to make that effort.
I travel, but I'm not really a traveller. I like to go places if I have something specific to do (service project or such) and to see people again.
I'm idealistic, yet realistic and practical. I think it comes from being the youngest (by far) of four, and being from a rural, rugged state. "You can take the girl out of Maine, but you can't take Maine out of the girl."
I'm counterintuative: I find that often going against the flow, NOT following the crowd, IS the most practical approach, and allows for inventiveness. "You should be careful; don't go there. Those people..." is the prompt for me to go there and meet those people.

"Hey, hey, hey. Be nice. Because, remember: no matter where you go, there you are." (Buckaroo Bonzai)

I am known for making good pancakes. I'm practically a walking IHOP! (US chain store: International House of Pancakes)

PHILOSOPHY

Mine has boiled down to, "S/he who loves, trusts." and "No fear, no hatred," from trying to follow these principles:
"Love thy neighbor as thyself." (Jesus)
"Use what you have; take what they give you." (my high school basketball coach)

我为什么加入 Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

How I participate in CouchSurfing? or Life?
--CouchSurfing, I took part in gatherings in Cairo, Egypt from July 2012 - Nov 2013
--Life, uh... I joined CouchSurfing! ;-)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE:
I've never hosted, only corresponded or met people at social gatherings. I've never travelled and stayed at a host's either.

Cairo Monday Iftar gathering on a boat on the Nile to celebrate Belal's and Mustafah's birthdays. Good fun with lots of good food, conversation, and dancing! Great diverse group of people with amazing Egyptians showing us all a good time!

兴趣

Not many "things" grab my attention. Well, okay: rainbows, full moons, a lone tree on a landscape, a flower in bloom, the sound of wind, water, or birds, intricate handy-work or art (especially wood or stone work), a well-composed photo, Sudoku or Scrabble, baby animals... But mostly PEOPLE make my life engaging. Children laughing...
I spend my time reading and doing creative activities with kids and young people in under-resourced, neglected or forgotten places.

• animals
• birds
• arts
• books
• poetry
• singing
• photography
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• coach
• walking
• crafts
• boating
• flowers
• reading
• traveling
• billiards
• sudoku
• guitar
• camping
• scuba diving
• basketball
• rock climbing
• swimming

音乐、电影和书籍

Movies: 80's cult classics:Buckaroo Bonzai, The Princess Bride, This is Spinal Tap; Star Trek: the Wrath of Khan; Forrest Gump; I am Sam; Good Will Hunting; Animated: The Lion King, Ratatouille, Toy Story; Christmas animated classics: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph, The Little Drummer Boy; Foreign (uh, from my perspective): I am Kalam, Slumdog Millionnaire; "Molasses"= Assal Aswed, Into the West, The Whale Rider, Billy Eliot; Musicals: Chicago, Mama Mia... probably lots more...

Music: Folk, Jazz, 80's US Rock, Celtic, guitar, flute...Here in Egypt: Tamr Hosney, Hamra Namira, the group that sings "Imbaba!"

Books: Illusions by Richard Bach; Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree; Water for Elephants; The Poisonwood Bible; Kids books by Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; things by Toni Morrison... Read City of Joy in French; loved two books by my colleagues, "La Boite a Musique" and "Des Pailles dans la Sable." Recently read in French "Le Vente d'Atlantique."

我做过的一件不可思议的事情

1)Rainbows, full moons, children laughing...
2)Climbing a hill in Scotland and discovering a double waterfall, camping at the base by the cold black pool, then diving in and swimming up to climb behind the waterfall. (NOT the hot, steamy scene of my fantasies; might have been the water so-cold-it-burned that left me awestruck!)
3)Seeing a mother who's lived a life of hardship and struggle stand at the United Nations and speak out for her family, her community, and all those like her around the world.

教，学，和分享

Pancake-making!
Scrabble champ(in English; only intermediate in French).
Cool and usefule kids' books that can be interactive in any language.
Typical "US buskers songs" on a folk guitar, but actually I find most people from other countries play these songs (and others) better than I do! "Coun-try Rooooooads, ta-ake me hooooome...."
To learn: pancake making, interactive children's books, SONGS for accoustic folk guitar and for singing with children...

+cooking, crafts/arts (especially if easily done with children), photography, storytelling, poetry

我游览过的国家

Canada, Haiti, Mexico, United States

我居住过的国家

Egypt, France, United Kingdom, United States