CURRENT MISSION

Explore places I've never been to and hear stories from friends I haven't met yet.

ABOUT ME

I moved to Toronto recently but used to host in Chicago. Feel free to write me if you are looking for a coffee chat in Toronto.

So a little background about ourselves:

I have lived in China, Poland, USA, and Canada, worked for a few years before deciding to study organizational psychology and business administration. I love learning different languages and cuisines from different cultures. I traveled in 20 ocuntries via backpacking and adventured into the Amazon forest for 4 days. I used to be a martial arts trainer and a simultaneous interpreter (Mandarin-English). I also run a philanthropic education program that provides developmental and professional support for under-resourced but qualified university students, as a channel to serve the society. I have been used to the philosophy of "life is elsewhere" and seeking understanding and appreciation of different cultures and scenery around the world.

PHILOSOPHY

1. "Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die tomorrow." (James Dean)
2. "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." (Vicki Corona)
3. "If you cannot be a poet, be a poem." (David Carradine)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'd like to offer a place for travels when they are in my city and show them around when I can. I met fabulous CSers from different places and exchanged inspiring stories since 2010. I can teach guests Chinese language and martial arts if they are interested.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have met a number of kind hosts and fun surfers on four continents, and I am deeply amazed by their genuineness and experiences. Couchsurfing has made me realize the beauty of mutual trust and demonstrated the belief that strangers are friends that I haven't met. I feel proud of being part of CS and would like to make itself and the world a better place. I welcome surfers from all walks of life.

SO FAR I HAVE HOSTED GUESTS FROM
Canada, China, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Vietnam, United States

Interests

1. Get lost in melody and lyrics
2. Take a shower after sports
3. Learn a new language
4. Explore a less-travelled country
5. Savour a good book over a good cup of tea
6. Meditate in total dark for one hour
7. Have a deep conversation with people I enjoy till midnight

• culture
• writing
• poetry
• performing arts
• education
• cooking
• running
• meditation
• music
• guitar
• piano
• martial arts
• soccer
• business
• teaching
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Films: Interstellar, Truman's World, Leon, Beautiful Mind, Life of Pi, Cinderella Man, Pursuit of Happyness, Flipped, Mulholland Drive, 2012, Wandering Earth, Notting Hill, Get Out, ... and many more.

Music: Frederic Chopin, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, Robert Schumann, Franz Schubert, Maurice Ravel, Franz Liszt, Erik Satie, John Barry, Secret Garden.

Books: When Breath Becomes Air, Three Body Problem, David Copperfield, Dracula, 1984, Godfly, Pride and Prejudice, Unbearable Lightness of Being, ... I am also interested in all creation myths and fact-based sci-fi. Fictions aside, I am open to books about organization, leadership, society, spirituality.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

1. Wrote to European clubs for seven years and collected 153 autographs. Backpacked to Leverkusen in Germany to see a game. Took a photo with German national team players (including former captain Michael Ballack).
2. Walked 130 kilometers in Cuba in different terrains in a week.
3. Trekked and camped in the Amazon forest for four days.
4. Had a lunch talk with economist Greg Mankiw and psychologist Steven Pinker at Harvard.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: Chinese language and culture, Chinese cuisine, pragmatic martial arts (self-defense), using chopsticks elegantly, guitar, piano
Learn: Foreign languages and culture, exotic cuisine, guitar, new martial arts moves

What I Can Share with Hosts

Genuine and active listening. Showing around the city. Cooking together.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Macao, Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, China, Poland, United States

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