Secret Diary of a CouchSurfer & Free Hugger

CouchSurfing Founder Launches Own Blog!

2011-06-23T00:53:00.001+01:00

Casey Fenton, CouchSurfing Founder has launched his own blog. Check it out:

blog: http://blog.couchsurfing.org/casey/
twitter: http://twitter.com/cs_casey

CouchSurfers, We Are Looking For Guest Posts for a CouchSurfing Blog Carnival

2011-01-19T22:43:00.000Z

1. Are you a CouchSurfer (or member of any Hospitality Exchange site)

2. Do you have a blog or a story to tell?

Contact us, if you would like to guest post or re-post your favourite related article from your blog. In exchange, we will add you to the CSer blogroll to the left.

Europalive: Living in the EU in the 21st century

2010-06-05T20:27:00.001+01:00

For 10 weeks, young French film director Arnaud Jullien traveled through Europe to meet fellow Europeans. He spoke to people from all walks of life who share their opinions in front of his camera. The result: Europalive.

Since the abolishment of interstate border controls in the European Union, queues of cars stretching far down the road at customs have become a distant memory. For several years now, EU citizens have been enjoying the right "to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States" in keeping with Article 21 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Integration
However, Arnaud Jullien wonders whether the loosening up of international boundaries has indeed led to European integration. Have EU citizens really got to know one another better than before or are ingrained prejudices still affecting opinions? Has the "free movement of goods, persons and services" helped EU residents to reach a better understanding of who Europeans are?
In his 52-minute documentary film, Europalive, Mr Jullien explores the world of politics, culture and finance within the European community, interviewing people across all EU countries.
Artists, housewives, employees, executives, the homeless and jobless, pensioners and students all participate in this challenging project which Mr Jullien hopes will contribute to improving the way we communicate within Europe and the way we see one another.

What made you decide to make this film?
For my first documentary project, half a billion people and 27 countries seemed like a good start. More seriously, I feel concerned about peace and harmony in Europe. Our recent history teaches us that this equilibrium is fragile and we all need to play an active part in taking care of it. This film is my personal contribution and I hope it will allow more professionals to get interested in my work and projects.
Did the result surprise you?
The result was surprising in many aspects. It was amazing to visit as many as 24 countries within 10 weeks. I came back with 30 tapes of video content; I had to find volunteers to translate 140 interviews from 23 languages into English. The most surprising thing was to find so many people who were interested in participating in this project, from hosting me to guiding me and helping me out. I am very grateful and I hope everybody enjoys the result.

Did any European nationality stand out from the rest in their responses to your questions?
It's funny, I get this question all the time. It's really difficult for me to answer this one, since there are no good or bad answers to these questions. That said, I loved the Baltic countries - but it's more for personal reasons I guess.

On your journey you also met expatriates. Have you had any experience as an expatriate yourself?
I have been an 'early expatriate' and many expatriates have been part of my daily life for more than ten years. When I was 18, I went to live in Berlin. I hope I will have the opportunity to go and live or work there one day - great place and great people. After my university studies, back in France, I went to live in London for almost four years. Another great experience. My most recent 'second home' was Amsterdam. I stayed there for four years, and I still have lots of friends there. I love this place, it's like living in a village with all the advantages of living in a capital. You get to meet people from all around the planet. It's a wicked place, and a paradise for expatriates.

What are you going to do now?
I will create a website with all the interviews uncut, from every country, once I'm done with the broadcast part. Depending on how things work for this first project, I would definitely like to expand this concept to a TV/Web pan-European programme, broadcasting in all the EU countries. For that purpose, I have started to look for co-producers, and various partners, both institutional and private, to co-finance this future project. I am also working on several scripts, one for a TV series and two others for feature films. I hope Expatica's readers will enjoy this first episode and will follow up on the next ones.

For Europalive episodes click here.

Original article: http://www.rnw.nl/english/video/europalive-living-eu-21st-century

Environmental Documentary to be filmed

2009-01-31T21:00:00.001Z

During April-May, 2009, a small volunteer film crew will venture into a Shiwiar tribal region of Ecuador´s Amazon rainforest to film an environmental documentary called ´Ikiam´.

The upcoming documentary will reveal how the Juyuintza tribal community (which is on the brink of economic civilization) is trying to defend their territory from oil exploitation through a new eco-tourism project, whilst trying to preserve their Shiwiar culture.

Simone Francis, Producer and Director of the upcoming film, who recently lived with the Juyuintza tribe for a month says `Their culture is dying out, and their story is important! The tribe is carving a future for their community that preserves their culture while helping to protect their environment and improve education for their children.´

Ikiam will lead us on an adventure deep into the jungle to find out what impact outside influences are having on the Shiwiar way of life, and will cover not only an environmental theme, but also indigenous, human rights, educational, and health and well being issues.

It is a non-profit project where half of any money made from the film will go towards helping to protect the Amazonian Shiwiar region as well as improving health and education in the region. The other half will go into the Nomadic Hands project (www.nomadichands.com) to help continue projects that help bring awareness to human rights, animal welfare and environmental conservation.

The crew is currently seeking sponsorship or donations to cover the cost of their flights in and out of the region, and for production expenses. There is also one volunteer film crew position still open.

If you would like to sponsor or donate to the Ikiam documentary project, or join the team, please contact Simone Francis at simone@nomadichands.com

For more information about the project go to http://www.nomadichands.com/news_blog.php?id=40
To view pictures of the tribal region go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/nomadichands/sets/72157609872744654/
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCUl38SOk1I

Source: http://www.couchsurfing.com/group_read.html?gid=3886&post=2293029

SantaCon Dec 13th. New York City

2008-12-13T17:31:00.001Z

Imagine thousands of drunk ass Santa's invading Manhattan neighborhoods.
What a jolly time.

1 santa costume is required.

It usually starts around 10am and goes late, but many people don't join until the afternoon.

link: http://www.couchsurfing.com/group_read.html?gid=2372&post=1916489

Berlin WinterCamp 2008

2008-12-03T16:50:00.002Z

Berlin Couchsurfing/HospitalityClub/BeWelcome community has something to announce:

Germany’s capital is going to host this year’s WinterCamp - in the tradition of cities like Vilnius (LT) - 2004, Rīga (LV) - 2005, Warszawa (PL) - 2006 and İstanbul (TR) - 2007!!!

Detailed information about the event is on our website www.berlinwintercamp.org

The event will take place from the 28th December 2008 until the early morning hours of the 2nd January 2009 in a location called HomeBase Lounge in the heart of Berlin close to Potsdamer Platz.

As a legal requirement the number of participants of the Berlin WinterCamp will be limited to 450 people.

To make sure the event is not going to be overrun by Berliners only we will reserve 250 tickets for people from abroad, 50 of those for a limited period for people who require a visa.

People can can sign-up & pay via Bank Transfer or a credit or debit card, or by PayPal from now on. This is our temporary procedure while we put the finishing touches to our official website. Once it's on-line, we will direct you that rather than this system. But keep in mind that you will only have a space guaranteed after you have paid the required participation fee. Please make sure that you won’t book your travel ticket until your space at the Camp is guaranteed!!!

Please keep in mind:
People younger than 18 years have to leave the location each night prior to 0:00 o'clock if not
accompanied by a guardian!!!

The participation fee for the 6 days will be 35 € which includes 20 € of free
drinks at the bar:
0,33l Pils: 2,80€;
0.2l Red/White Wine: 3,50€;
0,33l Soft Drinks: 2,50€;
0,25l Mineral Water: 2,-€.

This 20 € is due to the fact
that we don’t need to pay a rent for the location but have to guarantee a
minimum revenue of 9.000 € within the five days.

The hosting of the participants will be done by the Berlin community for which we will set up a system.

Even though we have a limit of 450 people for the location the limit will not necessarily count for activities and workshops outside of HomeBase Lounge.

HOW TO APPLY FOR REGISTRATION?
1) Visit this website to begin the WinterCamp 2008 sign-up process:
www.dts-workshop.com/bwc/pay.php
(form via Google Documents)

2) Within a short while you'll receive an e-mail. The e-mail will contain a link to a page that will instruct you on how to pay by your preferred method.

3) Using your chosen payment method, ensure that you pay the 35EUR, including the confirmation code that you are given.

4) You will receive a confirmation e-mail once your payment has been received.

5) You will receive another e-mail later on with your web-site sign-in details (if the website is live, please don't sign-up to it yet!).

Note: Your bank may charge a fee for a transfer (especially if you are not in a Euro currency zone). You are responsible for covering charges. Also, if you are not in a Euro currency zone, it is your responsibility to calculate the correct exchange rate. If you are unsure about charges or exchange rates, please ask your bank.

The BWC team:
Anreas (ANDREAST00 - CS)
Florian (flohfish - HC/CS/BW)
Isa (isabolita - HC/CS
Jana (CAZZANDRA13 - CS / Shakti2000 - HC)
Oliver (otupman - HC/CS)
Paul (transmit - HC/CS)
Paul (PAULB23 - CS)

http://www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=19039

Finland is heating up in preparation for its biggest event in December!

2008-11-28T16:40:00.000Z

CouchSurfers are gathering from far and wide for an entire weekend of activities and everyone is invited...

28 November 2008

Get your snow gear and hit the ice - it's time for the 2nd Nordic CS Organization Meeting!

This event will be held in Helsinki on 5 - 7 December 2008. Everyone is invited to this massive event taking place in the wintry haven of the land of lakes. All surfers, old and new, are warmly welcomed!

This will be the biggest CouchSurfing event organised in Finland so far, with over 100 CouchSurfers already signed up to attend. The weekend is full of fun activities including sauna, Independence Day party, a visit from Santa, a city walk, brunch and a scavenger hunt. There will also be a work meeting for the Nordic Ambassadors to discuss CS matters close to the arctic circle.

What a great opportunity get to know Finland's capitol city while hanging out with amazing CouchSurfers!

Check out the following links for more information and to sign up for this taste of Finland you'll never forget:

- Nordic CS Meetup wiki page

- Nordic CS event listing

We look forward to seeing you there!

- The Nordic CS Team

Verona invites.. everyone! Nov 28-30

2008-11-11T16:37:00.000Z

In October, two clowns from Verona came to Zagreb. And
now (November 28-30), Zagreb will come to Verona to
visit them!

The general idea is to leave Zagreb on Friday the 28th
by car, train, hitchhiking (plane, bus, helicopter)..
whatever you prefer. Just make sure to arrive in
Verona before 8 pm. The weekend will be filled with
Free Hugs, clown-mayhem, food, drinks and JOY!

We have a lot of couches waiting for us and not a whole
lot of participants yet. So sign up now!

We are still looking for:
- Drivers (Zagreb-Verona)
- Musicians (night time entertainment!)
- Anyone who'd like to visit Verona!!

For more details, check out the discussion-thread
www.couchsurfing.com/group_read.html?gid=5186&post=1783998
and the meeting page
www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=20130

Or contact SUSY Q
(www.couchsurfing.com/people/susyq), Zagreb
or
RAFFAELLO
(www.couchsurfing.com/people/raffaello), Verona

Istanbul New Years Event

2008-11-09T16:35:00.000Z

Heyy couchsurfers !!! Istanbul invites you to new year
party!!!

Who is planning to come or visit here for christmas
week? Who will stay in İstanbul? We're ready for the
party !! Let's meet where the continents meet and see
new year all together!!
If u re thinking about enough reason for being in
Istanbul ,this must be your reason!! :)

We have surprises for you.. and maybe miracles!!
For a new life , new day!! Even for a new smiling!!

the amusing İstanbul will hug you and u will not be
alone for sure !!

after these sentences .. you must say what else we
will
see during the party ?

Here is the schedule!!

We have already invited all the CSers in Turkey.

The place will reserved only for this party. The
capacity is between 200-250 people.

we will have DJ till the morning and surprise events.

Here is the details.

WELL COMEEE to ISTANBUL!!!! :)

www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=20361

ps: we will replay all ur questions about party ..

Ufkum& Başar &Halim& Burcu

www.couchsurfing.com/people/ufkum
www.couchsurfing.com/profile.html?id=294MO6A
www.couchsurfing.com/people/codex
www.couchsurfing.com/profile.html?id=2DVPTB5

Pushkar CouchSurfing Meeting

2008-09-30T16:33:00.000+01:00

The Pushkar Fair in Pushkar (Rajasthan,India), is one of the largest camel and Cattle fairs in India and one of its kinds in the world. For the Hindus, this town is considered among the holiest of towns in India.
Thousands of people- cattle traders, shopkeepers, merchants, dancers, musicians and artisans among them- congregate here for the fair, besides holding the distinction of being India’s largest cattle fair this is a memorable cocktail of sights, smells and sounds which bring together everything Rajasthani.

About 8000 foreign tourists visited this fair last year and more than 100,000 local tourists every day and the number increases to double on the last day i.e. on full moon.

MEETING DETAILS:
FROM: November 9th, 2008 - 1:00 pm
TO: November 10th, 2008 - 9:00 pm

LINK: www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=17707

LOCATION: India - Rajasthan - Pushkar
ADDRESS: Sarovar Tourist Bungalow

The 2nd Anniversary of Milano CS Group!

2008-09-05T18:46:00.002+01:00

The 30th of September Milano's Group will be 2 years old!

In these 2 years we saw many people joining, leaving, making many new friendships, falling in love with this grey city and his inhabitants and sometimes also regretting the time of leaving...This group changed the lifes of many of us and of our guests.

For this reason this year the celebrations of the 2nd Anniversary will be GREAT!!!!!!! 5 days of pure fun from the 26th to the 30th of September!!! In this days there will be picnics, aperitivos, visit of the city in a CS-way, games, tram parties, nights out, day trips in the surrounding cities and many other activities!!!

All this in pure CS-style!

So, what you are waiting for??? In those days you have to be in Milan!!!! And JOIN THE SUBMEETINGS!!!!

Location: Europe > Italy > Lombardia > Milano

Date:	26 September 2008 - 19.00
End:	30 September 2008 - 23.59

http://www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=14110

An Interview with a Nomadic Ambassador, Adam Schofield - One Year Later

2008-09-04T20:40:00.004+01:00

Nomadic Ambassador Adam Schofield, aka DJ AJAM has been CouchSurfing the world since 2007! Roy Abraham recently contacted him for an update on his travels.

Q: Hi Adam, so it's been about a year since our first interview. How's your mission to CouchSurf the World going?
Aside from a six month set back, recovering from two knee surgeries in Ecuador, I’d say everything is going according to plan. That is, I don’t really plan anything these days. I tend to just go with the flow at a slightly slower pace. I’m not as adventurous and daring as I was when I first began this trip and I’m still working on rebuilding my leg muscles and maintaining some level of fitness. I’ve spent most of the last few months indoors, except the occasional tour here and there that doesn’t demand much hiking or climbing, but this has led me to spend more time really getting to know my hosts. I can’t complain, it’s been a wonderful experience so far and I’m thankful to have the chance to continue.

Q: So what's it like to be travelling for this long? Do you feel like you're on holiday or has the novelty worn out? And what do you do with your free time?
I must admit it’s physically and mentally draining constantly adjusting to change. The one advantage is I don’t have to wake up early for work, so if I’m too tired I can always have a cat nap here and there. The thrill of moving from one place to the next keeps me on my toes, it’s become a lifestyle for me now and my greatest concern is the thought that someday it may come to an end. If I needed to choose between this and the chance to go back home, then hopefully I’ll be answering your questions again this time next year. Travelling is so addictive. My free time depends on my living arrangements. If I have a decent internet connection I’ll work on updating my site, writing poetry, mixing new Cds, photo uploads and short articles in my new dynamic blog. Also its time consuming but essential to spend as much time keeping in contact with previous hosts and of course family and friends back home via Skype or MSN. I also enjoy learning Spanish online, there’s a great site called www.livemocha.com and its free, check it out. If I don’t have internet (which has its benefits sometimes because it does suck your soul dry) I’ll watch movies relax or read a book or learn to cook a new dish. I have to try and maintain some kind of normality on this trip.

Q: And how have your Couchsurfing experiences been thus far?
Truly delightful! In-fact some have been so good that at times I feel a little spoilt with simple luxuries I miss from back home. Nice kitchen, hot showers, fresh towels, home cooked food, fresh coffee, good locations, maids, a double bed with soft duvets and even the occasional swimming pool. I get so comfortable in an environment that I never want to leave, yet I always know in the back of my mind I have to keep focused on the task ahead. I’m accustomed now to adapting to different ways of life and I appreciate the uniqueness and diversity of each experience. Regardless of how comfortable the experience is, I seek only three basic necessities, a roof over my head at night, a safe place to leave my belongings and a trustworthy host, the rest is a bonus.

Q: Can you think of any specific Couchsurfing experiences where the hospitality has gone over and above what you expected?
Absolutely, I lived with a wonderful family in Ecuador for more than six months who offered to help me get back on my feet. They paid for all my food, lent me a mobile phone for the entire duration of my stay, found me a reliable doctor both times to perform the surgeries, lent me the house phone on several occasions to phone my insurance company in the USA and arranged for all my papers to be sent back to England, gave me my own room with cable TV, helped me move around when I couldn’t walk, took me to all my medical appointments, waited in the hospital during my surgery and stayed by my bedside the whole time, let me share Christmas with the family and even bought me gifts, allowed me to feel so much a part of their family that they now refer to me as their son. The list is endless. The most beautiful part of my experience with them however is I felt like I’d found my parents again through the love they gave me, a feeling I never imagined would be possible again this lifetime.

Q: How about negative Couchsurfing experiences? Have you experienced any?
Almost every experience is negative in my opinion because at some point I have to say goodbye. I try to read peoples profiles before I send a request and always look for things we may have in common. Nowadays however I usually follow other surfers recommendations with who to stay with, the network of serious surfers is actually much smaller than you think. It’s unfair to use the term ‘Negative CS experiences’ because I believe most problems arise from a clash of personalities not necessarily the use of the site. I’ve been using cs now for almost three years and I’d say that 99.5% of my experiences have been awesome. The 0.5% probably doesn’t even use cs anymore.

Q: Have there been any times where you just could not find a couch to sleep on? What did you do?
Unfortunately yes. The first time was actually in Nasca, Peru. I arrived with another surfer and tried calling the number of my host but he never answered. We had no choice but to pay for a hostel. This also happened during my first night in Arequipa, Peru, we arrived late and the host was already sleeping. On both occasions however I asked the Couchsurfer I was travelling with to pay for the room and I would cover the food, that way I remain somewhat faithful to surfing the world without paying for accommodation. There have been other times such as my trip to the Galapagos, which ironically was my first non-CS experience which led to me breaking my crucial ligament, I paid for an all inclusive cruise and the accommodation was free. If there are absolutely no surfers in the area (such as the jungle) then I simply don’t go, that’s one of the disadvantages of this project but that’s not to say I’ll never return someday.

Q: Now, can you think of any challenging situations where you were tempted to just give up on this dream? Have you regretted even starting this journey?
I’ve never regretted a single moment of my decision, if anything I should have done it sooner. I’ve learnt to live for and embrace every moment as if it was my last. Holding on to the past or contemplating the future only leads to fear. The only thing we can do is control the moment which helps keep any doubts at bay. My biggest challenge mentally has been the distance between my niece and sister back home but they are very proud of me and always keep in touch. By far the hardest endurance was recovering from the second knee surgery, just when I had finished the rehabilitation of my broken ligament and was set to head for Peru, I suffered a second freaky fall fracturing the Patella in the same knee forcing me repeat the entire experience again with twice as much pain. I truly believed my project was over, luckily the cost of flying me back home was more expensive than paying for the surgery in Ecuador so my insurance covered the costs and with the help and support of the wonderful cs group in Guayaquil I’m back on my feet more determined than ever.

Q: What do you think has been your biggest mistake (if any) this trip?
The time I spend in each place is way too long which ultimately affects my money situation. I have to eat! However it’s necessary most of the time to take the most from the experience. Trying to plan parties, cs meetings and media interviews often demands a few days wait for a reply and normally leads me to stay at least a week or two to be fully effective. I’m still working as a DJ though so money I earn from any paid gigs helps me balance the budget.

Q: So what have you been most proud of so far this trip? E.g. have you been involved in any local community projects?
I was told before my arrival to Guayaquil in Ecuador that it was a dangerous city to visit and at the time there was only thirty members listed. During my long stay I continued to organize meetings even though some where more successful than others. After a very popular magazine article about CS, suddenly hundreds of new members began to join. The same group I helped to build in return helped motivate me back on my feet after the surgery. Now, Guayaquil has become a place for surfers to stay for a few days instead of passing through over night and together they have proved that it’s a safe and fun place to visit. It’s now the third biggest group in South America and they are maintaining an excellent balance of creative activities such as visiting sick children at hospitals and even recently throwing a surprise British Party for myself to celebrate our times together. That brought a tear to my eye. Photos are available in my blog at www.couchsurfingtheworld.com/blog. It proves that what we give to this world will surely come back round again.

Q: How do you find people's responses when you say you are Couchsurfing the World?
If they are couchsurfers then it’s easy to explain, however I have to tell the same story over and over for people I meet in the street. At first it doesn’t really sink in, until they take a look at my site and realize I’m totally committed to my dream. Most people love the idea and instantly create a profile. It still surprises me when I meet non couchsurfers in this world. Of course, some people just aren’t so open minded and think I’m crazy, but I’ve accepted that you need to be a little nuts to pursue such a project. The best reaction however is that most people tell me they will buy the book. That’s very motivating for me.

Q: Have you had much success with promoting Couchsurfing?
Huge success, when I arrive to a new place the first call of action is to work with the local members at seeking out respectable media sources to promote the communities. I’ve been featured in many newspapers, magazines, TV shows with other surfers and even spun live mixes on the radio dropping a cheeky shout out. There’s always a rise in new members who are keen to get involved. I always persuade the media to focus on explaining the safety features of CS; this has proven to attract more people. I’m doing a live TV interview this week which was organized as a 30th birthday surprise by the local surfers in Paraguay. I’ll post the link on my blog as soon as I have a copy.

Q: So how is the CS Parties/Djing going?
I made two huge parties in Bogota and Quito, since then it’s been hard to organize because of time. Most bars and clubs have Djs booked in advance so depends if it’s feasible for me to wait around and until there’s a free spot for me to play. Before I arrived to La Paz in Bolivia, the city ambassador had already got me two gigs lined up which is the perfect arrangement. Aside from Djing though I’ve pretty much been involved in the biggest CS meetings so far in each place, and I’ve got plenty of invites to play in countries all over the world. I’m still downloading music and keeping up to date with my career and I’m excited to be heading to cities filled with surfers such as Buenos Aires, San Paulo and Rio in Brazil where I think my parties will continue to grow.

Q: Tell us Adam, how do you do it? Don't you get tired of moving around so much and not having a place where you can just crash and do nothing for a few days?
Well, you have to balance everything out. I do still enjoy a few days relaxing going to the cinema, spending time with families and even babysitting the children or maybe dinner in a local restaurant. I’ve been lucky so far that most of the time I feel at home with my hosts. People generally seem to like having me around, I’m a very positive person and like to listen and help where I can. It’s natural for me to be involved with domestic duties having lived alone for two years in England and I love having dinner ready for people when they come home from a busy day at work.

Q: You've pretty much spent the last year in South America, right? How do you currently get around from country to country? And do you have any tips for visitors to South America? Did you have to learn Spanish to get around?
I’ve taken the bus all the way from Mexico. The only time I took a plane was from Bogota to Quito because I had only one day left on my visa. It’s safe, comfortable, fun and affordable to travel by bus through Latin and South America, my only advice is don’t go to sleep leaving your smaller bags under the seats or above your head, strap them to your body somehow and it’s HIGHLY advisable to pay a little extra for a respectable bus company (ask the local surfers for info). The stories I hear about robberies are always the same, cheap companies who stop and pick up strangers in the street or falling asleep leaving your bag unattended. Common sense will save you from experiencing such problems. My Spanish has improved but I’m still very shy to use it most of the time because I can’t speak it fluently and being the writer, joker I am that often makes me revert back to speaking English. It’s got me this far however so I must be doing something right? After being In SA for so long now however I understand many more words and communication is getting easier and my confidence is growing day by day. Most couchsurfers speak fluent English due to the availability of western movies so I’m never short on conversation.

Q: So how much longer do you think you'll be there for?
I’m planning to hit Brazil in time for the Carnival, and then head along the coast further north. I should be leaving South America to begin my Caribbean Island Tour sometime around May 2009. It would be dangerous for me to travel that part of the world right now so I guess fate has its way of keeping an eye out for me. Everything happens for a reason.

Q: Your original plan was to Couch Surf the world in 5 years. Do you think you can cover the rest in 4 more years?
I’ll see this out no matter what, due to the set back with my knee I’m behind on schedule but as long as I have my health and money in the bank, I’ll continue for as long as it takes. Maybe I’ll stop and work in some places in the future to maintain my funds but most importantly is that I continue to enjoy the experience, everything else will fall into place.

Q: So what are your plans for the next few months?
I’ve been hanging around in Paraguay for the last month hitting the gym to rebuild my leg muscles. Also, I’m patiently waiting for the winter to pass in the South. Next week, I’m finally heading to the north of Argentina, then I’ll work further South to the Patagonia via Chile. I’m planning to be in Buenos Aires for Christmas and New Year, then Uruguay, then an excited three months of summer travelling the coastline of Brazil including the Carnival which should get me acclimatized for the white sands of the Caribbean islands. After that, I hope to be in Canada before the summer ends and then to Alaska which will complete this side of the world. I’ll then find a way to cross to Japan and begin my Asia Adventures. So exciting!

Q: Last question. So do you think this past year has changed you at all?
Absolutely, I’ve redefined my spirituality and only really concern myself with the importance of living a true and honest life. I have learnt to be more patient and accept and appreciate the beauty of diversity in this world rather than be judgemental or make assumptions before opening the book and at least reading the first chapter. I have found friendships with people I would have most probably walked by in the street. I wake up each day with a focus and a reality that every step I take leads me closer to my dreams which helps me generate a warm, clear and concise positive energy to share with others. I also take a minute to take a deep breath and look around nowadays rather than let the world race by at its ridiculous man made pace. I understand more the importance of family and friends, regardless of your differences. Who am I without you? Love and be loved.

Q: OK thanks for your time Adam. Best of luck for the rest of your trip and happy belated birthday for September 1st!
Cheers, hope to surf all your couches soon!

Learn more about Adam (and when he might be in your neighborhood) by checking out his profile. Read DJ AJAM's first interview here.

Reponding to Hurricane Gustav - Couches Needed

2008-09-03T02:09:00.002+01:00

CouchSurfing is responding to the evacuation orders that are taking affect in the Gulf States region due to Hurricane Gustav.

We have gone ahead and created a group where members being evacuated can post a request and other members can post their couch offers:
www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=13825

However, we need your help to spread the word. Please post in your local groups to let your local members know about the request for help.

If you have the time, we especially need help contacting members from affected areas who are not members of their local groups (i.e. CS members from New Orleans who are not members of the New Orleans group).

Posted 31 August 2008 - 20.46 by Ron and Alice Bourque from Salisbury, Canada

WED.8.SEP - International Dolphin Day

2008-08-29T04:43:00.004+01:00

Wednesday September 3, 2008
12 pm - 1pm @ Consulate-General of Japan
77 King Street West (TD Centre - just west of King & Bay)

Help the Dolphins September 3rd!

The annual International Dolphin Day demonstration opposing the slaughter of dolphins in Japan will be held on Wednesday September 3rd from 12 pm (noon) until 1 pm. The demo is planned for a weekday lunch hour because the Japanese Consulate is not open on the weekends and we are trying to make it as easy as possible for people to attend on a work day. This event is one of a series of events being held around the world.

Signs and props will be provided. All you have to do is show up.

If you are concerned about the mass killing of wild dolphins in Japan, voice your concern and opposition to the Japanese government by coming to the demo. Just one hour to make your voice heard!

http://www.couchsurfing.com/group_read.html?gid=437&post=1471821

MinnyMinMin from Toronto, Canada

CS GigSwap Event: 19th October @ Frankfurt (concert & meeting)

2008-08-28T22:37:00.001+01:00

The Gig Swapping group are planing a new GigSwap tour for October. As I'm taking care of the big german event I want to inform you, that it will be 19th October in Frankfurt.

There will be a lot of artists from different places of the CS universe. We're hoping for a lot of visiters from everywhere to meet, drink, sing, dance and have fun with the locals.

The facts so fare:
Where: Landungsbrücken / Frankfurt
When: 19.10.08 / Beginning: 20 pm
How much: 7 EUR

So mark you calender with a red pen - so you're not able to miss it - clear you couch or pack your bags and tell all your friends!

We are also looking for everybody who is willing to help. We need hands, hosts, promoters, graphic design or what ever you are able to offer!

http://www.couchsurfing.com/group_read.html?gid=597&post=1470437

HIGHFIDELITY from Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Naked CouchSurfers: An Art Project

2008-08-26T05:03:00.001+01:00

A controversial and thought-provoking project, showcasing CouchSurfers in their raw form.

http://www.couchsurfing.com/BERLINMODE

The Braderie of Lille 2008: A CS Stand will be there!

2008-08-24T17:05:00.000+01:00

here will be a CS Stand for this event and we are expecting about 200 CSers from all over Europe and worldwide:

"Dear Couchsurfers from Europe and worldwide,

The CS Community of Lille organise a great CS Week end for the Famous Braderie de Lille from Friday September 5th to Sunday September 7th 2008. You are all friendly welcomed for the biggest event of the year in the North of France. The Braderie of Lille is a traditionnal event coming from the Middle Age (XIIth Century). Nowadays it bring together more than 3 million people in Lille making this event the biggest Braderie in Europe. If you want to have more information about the Braderie de Lille, check this out:

www.lavoixdunord.fr/Braderie-de-Lille/Languages/2008/07/22/a...

Here is the program of this great week end:

Friday September 5th 2008, 8.45 p.m
Welcome Gathering at the Mecanisme Dubitatif, a very nice bar which is become the Headquarter of the CS Community of Lille, situated at 115 Rue Meurein in Lille. During this evening, the Local Couchsurfers will show you and tell you about some of the Ch'ti Traditions and fashions (the Ch'tis are the people of the North of France, called the Nord Pas de Calais). A Mussels-Fries buffet will be proposed (as the tradition of the Braderie wants) for 10€/person. It will be the opportunity to give you the map from the Braderie de Lille with some contact to have in case of emergency during the week end.

Saturday September 6th 2008, 8.00 p.m
After a long day of walk across Lille and its huge Braderie, we propose you to meet us all together at the CS Stand we will have at the Rue Royale in the Old Town of Lille at 8 p.m. This Stand will propose you degustation of good wines, beers, cheeses… (soft drinks as well…).

We hope to meet you all during this great event.

Cheers,

The CS Lille Organisation Team"

Antoine Rolland

THE FIRST GREEK SUMMERCAMP

2008-08-18T12:49:00.001+01:00

I am very pleased to announce the (almost...!) final schedule for the first Greek Summercamp :)

DAY 1 - THURSDAY 28 AUGUST

(a) Registration and arrange in the Camp
(b) Welcome Party!

DAY 2 - FRIDAY 29 AUGUST

(a) Naxos culture and Sightseeing Excursion - by bus!!!
The cost will be less than 10 euros per person, but the exact cost will depend on the number of participants (the more participants, the lower the cost).
In order for the excursion to happen, we need a minimum of 35 people!
Please let us know if you want to go.
Indicate your participation here
www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=16207 (you can also see full details here)
(b) Workshops
(c) Theme Party (...we have some ideas already but we welcome more...)

DAY 3 - SATURDAY 30 AUGUST

(a) Discover the unknown Naxos (by bike, bicycle, motorbike...)
More information here
www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=16208
Join in!!!
Cost for this depends on whether you want to hire a bicycle, a motorbike etc. We will put up more information nearer the time...
(b) Workshops
(c) Surprise Party :p
(d) NIGHT TOUR to NAXOS TOWN: departure from camping site at 23.30

DAY 4 - SUNDAY 31 AUGUST

(a) Traditional Food & Drink from around the world
(b) Workshops
(c) Goodbye Party!

DAY 5 - MONDAY 1 SEPTEMBER

(a) Recovering....!
(b) Departure to Athens... for some of us :)

Timetable and exact information for workshops will be set one day before the event :) This is a map of Naxoswww.maragascamping.gr/map2.htm

(If you have any questions ask them directly in the group, please don't send me personal emails!!!)

Posted 18 August 2008 - 8.40 by VANIDIO from Athens, Greece

19th-20th Sept 08 Rome Italy Cs Weekend to celebrate the 2000th member of Cs Rome Group

2008-08-08T20:29:00.000+01:00

To celebrate the 2000th membership in our CS Roma group, we are going to organize the second edition of Busfraschetta which will also be called Coach-Surfing Party.

The meeting will start in the garden above Colosseo metro station, at 18:30 of friday, the 19th of September 2008.

At participants' arrival, they will get a welcoming "rummeppera" drink, till the departure of buses, which will be punctually at 19:30, heading for a secret destination on roman hills villages - for Fraschetta wine&pork crazy party (where we all get tons of wine and food).

On the way, within buses, our beloved stewardesses will provide you with more drinks and fun.

Evening details will be sent only to the meeting subscribers which registered their participation paying a fee of (moreless) 20 euro, including both ways transportation by bus, dinner in fraschetta, allinclusive, and the drinks before-during-after the bus trip.

For instructions on how to effectively pay to join the meeting, stay tuned for further communications on the dedicated thread in CSRome (remember nopay-noparty clause;)
www.couchsurfing.com/group_read.html?gid=644&post=1366921

Come on!

After the Busfraschetta N°1 - all CS is still talking about that - let's make also the september 2008 CoachSurfing Party, a night to remember !!!

For instructions on how to effectively pay to join the meeting, stay tuned for further communications on the dedicated thread in CSRome(remember no pay-no party clause;)
www.couchsurfing.com/group_read.html?gid=644&post=1369392

we are waiting for you ;-)

www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=15568

Link to following White Sunset on the beach party:
www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=15568

Link al gruppo di chi vuole contribuire ad organizzare gli eventi del 2000th celebration weekend:
www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=13110

Refer to following instructions posted by The Organizing Team on the relative thread in Cs Rome group about how and to which cs volounteer to pay to join the event:

www.couchsurfing.com/group_read.html?gid=644&post=1366921

www.couchsurfing.com/group_read.html?gid=644&post=1369392

Posted August 8th, 2008 - 10:27 am by НАВИГАТОР Lorusso from Rome, Italy

CzechSurfing - Central European Meeting 12-14th September

2008-08-05T21:07:00.000+01:00

As we all know, Prague is the "Golden City" and it is a
fantastic city...

The Praha CS Organization Team would like to invite you
for an international meeting that is gonna to take
place the second weekend in September between the
12th and 14th of September.

It's going to be a great weekend with a small program
out of the ordinary just to bring the couches and the
world closer together!
And the fact that you will have fun, meet new and
interesting people and hopefully get new lifelong
friends from all over Europe!

During the weekend a different amounts of events will
take place for everyones different taste..
All preparations are undergoing reviews and
completation among us organizors and will be updated
on a running basis as they are completed and decided.
We have however an agenda pre-set as a basic "map" of
events taking place during the days.

To give you small sip of what we are preparing we can
tell you there will be great ammount of people from
all over the globe, common dinners, clubbing, inner
and outer city hikes and tours, sports and games.

If you liked the idea we encourage you start preparing
for being able to host that weekend and get ready to
meet the best times of your life.

Everybody is more than welcome to join us!!!!

MEETING DETAILS:
FROM: September 12th, 2008 - 12:00 pm
TO: September 14th, 2008 - 8:00 pm

LINK:
www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=15188

LOCATION: Czech Republic - Praha - Prague
ADDRESS: In the Heart of Europe

Posted August 5th, 2008 - 6:41 pm by ENGELEN from Prague, Czech Republic

Surf The Mutant Sofa: Year Two! The couch is on fire once again!

2008-08-01T20:28:00.000+01:00

The season of the burn is here; Burning Man, that is. The Burning Man Festival, which is held the week prior to the Labor Day holiday, was originally created to commemorate the fall equinox (September 22) and to express renewal of purpose, mind and body. This was held in the Baker Beach area near San Francisco, California. Since 1986 it has grown and evolved.

CouchSurfing members organized a camp starting last year in 2007 with a CouchSurfing group devoted to the event. This year is the second consecutive year that the “CouchSurfing Camp” will be dedicated to the idea and practice of CouchSurfing, and a “The Mutant Sofa” will be the centerpiece of the camp. The camp offers much in the way of benefits to both the CS and the Burning Man communities. Community is a big part of both cultures, as is active participation.

The camp offers shade, refreshments, shelter and other community benefits, not only to its residents but to anyone who happens by as well. It’s also an opportunity to share the CS community, ethos and idea with thousands of participants who have potential couches. The real strength of any network is the number of people that employ it and although we are already a phenomenon, imagine what could be! The camp undertakes this mission with an intense plan of internal and external communications to guests and residents alike.

In charge of coordinating the camp activities this year is CS member Dave Breese, or “LamborghiniDave”. He is curently coordinating efforts from the UK. He has assembled a mutant crew to help as well. Chocolate Éclair, Katja Smirnov, kikielectique, Klaire Rueckert, Marc Watley, Rachael Fiori, Robbie Johnston, Toast, Glenn Caballero and Gadget are all are a part of “Team CSC” for 2008 and sweating out the details each day until the event. They maintain a BaseCamp website, Wiki, and BBS and plan just like large companies to ensure a great result.

LamborghiniDave has a position about many of the synergies between CS and Burning Man. “There is a fundamental value in human relationships that have a mutual need to better the world they live in. CS and Burning Man both are living examples of this. To give without expectation, to help with being requested or any expected reciprocation and to truly value someone else’s vision of their world is where our communities intersect.”

One large part of this effort is coordinating the participants. This year, like last, the camp grows and evolves. Limited space is available in Black Rock City. We had a premium location afforded to us last year and this is a big draw in a city that spans nearly 5 square miles. “Being close to the center of the action is very key”, states Gadget (Jonathan Lewis). “I bring WiFi and other tech services to the camp and this really helps. I also do not like walking too far for an espresso, thank you!” This year the camp will enjoy a similar centralized location at the intersection of Dart & 6:00. This is an even better and more ideal location than in the previous year. It is right behind the center camp area.

One large challenge is the ‘village within the city’ idea. The camp must be self-reliant when it comes to basic services, like sanitation, community meals, and safety. This falls upon the organizers and the residents as well. Waste water, trash, everything must be monitored and attended to. “CouchSurfers leave no trace!”, remarks Toast. A big part of the ideals of the festival is that the desert home will remain un-blemished from our activities.

This will not be a “virgin burn” for Princess Rachelina, who is an active CouchSurfing host in San Francisco, California. Fiori, known to her good friends and campmates as “Princess Rachelina”, says she is overjoyed to be in the same camp as a few of her CouchSurfing friends. Last year, unwilling to stop hosting even while traveling, Rachel provided a ride from San Francisco to Black Rock City for two Italian CouchSurfers. She also opened her home in Black Rock City for anyone that needed a place to stay during a cold desert night. Campo de Fiori tent space was available for surfing while my home base couch is not. "Feel free to surf on over to The Mutant Sofa or Campo de Fiori.” Some residents bring bigger means. Gadget has a 16’ travel trailer. “The 'Sin Shack' is notorious”, he laughs. “I think that all 10 Commandments have been broken in there and I think that was all at the same time!”

“The rewards taken away from the desert are so much greater than the investment that you make to get there”, says LamborghiniDave. “The positive aspects of couch surfing and of Burning Man can remain with a person for a lifetime. After the long hours planning this whole weeklong event, I feel like I have made a positive contribution and had an amazing journey too.” Gadget adds, “I feel like every time I host someone, not only am I meeting that person for the first time. I am creating a bond and a memory for them and for me for a lifetime. Although, living in Las Vegas, some of them are rather hazy!”

Burning Man today is a massive festival dedicated to art, radical self-reliance and radical self-expression. It will start on Monday, 25 August and will continue for an entire week. Last year’s event drew 48,000+ people from around the world. The art theme of this year’s event (it has a new theme each year) is “The American Dream”. A temporary city, called “Black Rock City”, is erected on a dry lakebed about 160 miles north of the city of Reno, Nevada for the event. Participants are required to take their own water, food and shelter to attend. The elements can be harsh but the freedom of expression the festival offers remains one of our nation’s largest, longest parties!

People of like mind often band together in camps. These did not take long to evolve into themed camps. There are theme camps dedicated to music, art, fire dancing, sexuality, you name it! Some are just for fun. LamborghiniDave mentions, “A CS member will no doubt be full of the energy of travel and the wonderment it brings. It eclipses money, danger and all sorts of things. CS members are adventurers and open-minded by nature. In this way there are so many parallels between our experience here and traveling as couch surfers around the planet.”

Neither the CouchSurfing Camp nor Burning Man is officially connected to or funded by CouchSurfing. However, Casey Fenton, co-founder of CouchSurfing.com says the website was partly inspired by Burning Man and that “a large portion of the first members of CS were burners”. The name 'burners' refers to enthusiasts of the event. "These people created wildly individual and colorful profiles, setting the stage for the amazing collection of people that CS is now”, Casey adds.

The initiative to set up a CouchSurfing camp for the festival was born nowhere else but on the CouchSurfing website by enthusiastic CouchSurfing members. “There were several posts on the ‘Burning Man’ group calling for someone to take the lead on doing a CS camp. I decided to go ahead and put it together and take the summer off from school”, says James Lathrop, known to his campmates as Sofa King in Charge. “The only rule that I've stuck to from the beginning is that every single member of CouchSurfing camp is a member of CS.”

The CouchSurfing camp will host a topless meet and greet on Monday evening (opening night) of the event, with help from female residents without clothing. Yes, that’s right, topless. Remember the self-expression part? Participants and guests need not drop their tops but attendance is expected to be very good this year. 1000 invitations will go out Monday during the day. The camp plans are developing now for other events during the week.

For more information about the Burning Man event or the CouchSurfing Camp, you may visit these links:

Official Burning Man Website {BurningMan.com}

Official CouchSurfing Camp Website (CouchSurfingCamp.com}

Burning Man Group on CouchSurfing {www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=434}

By: Gadget {CS Id:Gadgeteer}
(with nods to Raminta for leading the way. Thanks.)

***********************
Picture link "Building the Mutant Sofa"
i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb305/jameslathrop/Sofa%20Buildi...

Posted August 1st, 2008 - 12:09 am by Dave Breese from Leighton Buzzard, United Kingdom

Why couch surfing is good for White travellers to Africa!

2008-07-26T20:24:00.000+01:00

When you read about couch surfing, the first impression you get is that this is a place for budget travelers only.But my experience is in disagreement to this kind of attitude.
About 90 of the White travelers to Africa will find it usual to get about 50 percent extra charge on all items bought as well as services paid for in Africa. the situation is worse in the country side where all residents and business men have a thinking that all white men and women are wealthy and therefore should be charged higher whenever they are buying an item!
Some locals will genuinely ask for the same prices to buyers regardless of the skin color and race but you do not need to get surprised if a nice young man or woman asks you an amount three or four times more than the price of an item in a shop!take heart, he /she is just trying to show you that you are superior; and therefore to ask you a going price would be like underrating your economic strength!
Africans call this the "Mzungu pricing system" mzungu is a polite-racist like word used to mean White man especially in the great lakes region.
This is a situation couch surfers have been relieved of. it is much better for a traveler staying with a couch surfer to go shopping in company of a host or a local friend than to just walk in a shop.the locals then will shy away from overcharging you. yes, i have seen some western travelers bargaining in the shop but i think it is not a very popular practice and at least it isn't a polite one. so if i were a white man traveling in Africa and Uganda in particular, i would mostly rely on the advice of my local Host to understand the rates and prices.i have personaly helped a number of fiends to avoid being overcharged in many instances. from the taxi guys to the restaurants and the taxis.it is all fun but depends on how you want to spend your money in Africa. if you are blessed with enough,then why not give out some of the cash and support us?
see you soon in Uganda.
Emmanuel Tugume.
lakelyantonde@yahoo.com
+256 -772-562513

Posted July 26th, 2008 - 9:15 am by Emmanuel Tugume from Fort Portal, Uganda

Couch Crash Fest 2008! Aug 11- 17 in NYC

2008-07-23T20:26:00.000+01:00

www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=14202

"Some of you may have heard about it, it's been ushered at the gatherings around the world, and it is long time to reveal what the Couchsurfing community in NYC has been putting together during the last 4 months !

People are coming from all around the world to attend a week of festivities orchestrated by Couchsurfers to show you what NYC and Couchsurfing have best to offer, from Monday August 11th to Sunday August 17th! Picnics, Free Hugs, museums, galleries, walks around the city, acoustic shows during the day, dinners, large gatherings, concerts from gems from our Couchsurfing Traveling Bands, after-parties at night. One week in the city that never sleep! If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere !

THE PINK PARTY
-----------------
5$ with RSVP click here or 10$ at the door

Come out Sunday August 10th for The Pink Party that will kick off a week long of beauty, grace and goodness of this city and the amazing people it draws to her endless dawns and sleepless nights. We'll be giving away P.I.N.K vodka and having prizes for the "Prettiest in Pink", both female and male, while dancing to the sounds of DJ Ashtanga Yossi. Proceeds will go to improve the life of hundreds in the Philipines through "the Potty Project - TAO Pilipinas".

THE COUCH CRASH FESTIVAL
----------------------------
Pay what you can: join the meeting link before July 31st, midnight, to get on the list

All week long (Aug 11th-16th) from 10am to 7pm, our Living-Room will host BBQs, acoustic live music, meetings, talks with outstanding Ambassadors, surfers and hosts, workshops on better use of the website and alternative ways of traveling, and interviews with the media. We will provide you with information about CS events daily, creative CS walks around the city as well as recommend places to eat and drink for every budget, and give away Not For Tourist guides from our partner NFT.

Tuesday August 12th at 9pm we will give you a taste of the big city with our CS meeting at the Revival, where 150 couchsurfers go every week to talk, bound, enjoy free food and special Happy Hour for CSers from 11pm to 1am.

From thursday to saturday, August 14th to 16th, 12 bands from the best of our Couchsurfing Traveling Bands, from NYC and elsewhere, will spice up your night in 3 awesome venues with open bars in the heart of the city, from 9pm till 1am.
After-parties will kick off at 3:30am till 7am to keep the night owls and stranded couchsurfers awake all night, till the morning nap in the park

Sunday Aug 17th will end the festival in a huge picnic where we'll slowly go back on the ground and relax under the trees' shades before departing and get ready for new journeys !

TELL ME HOW !
---------------
This event is solely supported by Couchsurfers and they are all volunteers. All proceeds will be used to finance the events and fund couchsurfing.com.
Pay what you can: join the meeting link before July 31st, midnight, to get on the list"

Posted July 23rd, 2008 - 5:22 am by Roy Abraham from Toronto, Canada

Summer Camp in Greece 2008

2008-07-21T20:24:00.000+01:00

I think it would be useful to announce/"advertise" the 1st summercamp in greece in the from of a news article (i've noticed also other events being mentioned in this area). The link of the event is the following:
www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=7933

Posted July 21st, 2008 - 11:09 am by EIRINI from Athens, Greece

CS on the local news in San Francisco

2008-07-15T20:23:00.000+01:00

The local news in San Francisco contacted me around 530p Fri to do a news story on CS to shoot 90 minutes later. I was able to get some people together at a local park. Here is what they put together. I totally pulled this outta my a*s as everyone was out of the city for another event and/or on public transport with no cell reception.

cbs5.com/video/?id=36485@kpix.dayport.com

cbs5.com/services/popoff.aspx?categoryId=130&videoId=36485@k...

Posted July 15th, 2008 - 2:49 am by Enzo Lombard from San Francisco, United States

Southern Hemisphere Burning Couch Festival

2008-06-14T20:09:00.000+01:00

We're going to have a bonfire and burn a couch and another cut from a log.

Dates are 21-22 June 2008, So far about 50 CS’ers are coming. This has been a topic of intense discussion in the Melbourne Group, including the need for an organic couch.

The event will be held on CS member Redgum's property 'Pepper Leaf Creek,' 10 kilometers out of Mansfield, in North East Victoria. If you're arriving by BUS, please, let us know, so we can organise rides out to the bonfire.

If you start arriving from, say 11am-ish, then we're happy. Remember, it's winter, and you're very near Mt Buller, so it'll be chilly. There's no power or drinkable water on the property. If you're camping/sleeping in cars - IT WILL BE COLD. YOU WILL DIE. You need, need, need blankets and doonas, and maybe thermal underwear to sleep in.

If you come, you'll be in the country. There's animals and insects and stuff, as well as neighbours on either side of the land. Please respect the fence lines - if you climb through onto someone else's land, they might shoot you.

There's a dam on the property. It's inside a fence, and you can't swim in there or drink from it.

Bring guitars, drums or battery powered radios, and we can have music. Alcohol is fine, as long as you remember you're near a fire and a deep dam.

There's room for cars, but access might be limited if haven't got a 4WD. Erin will provide a 4wd ferry service over the dry creek bed - or the wet one, if it rains.

BURNING COUCH MANIFESTO (Like the Boston Tea Party but for Southern Hemisphere CS’ers)

At the winter’s solstice, which this year in the Southern Hemisphere is again on the shortest day, we will burn a couch. This is to celebrate lots of things but mainly that we have a tradition of festivals as good as if not better than those of the Northern Hemisphere.

So we need (1) a couch (2) somewhere to burn it (3) matches (4) some we, err...I think I mean people (4) a calendar, as I have no idea when solstice is (5) maybe a jersey. And that, err...is paragraph two.

Burning Couch is also because throughout history, pre-history and even the little bit before that, ancient Hosts burned unworthy couches to encourage contact with benign spirits and their good references surfing the ether seeking a temporary shelter or home (three day stay max, no pets).

Burning Couch is uniquely antipodean and all those other fun parts of the world in the Southern Hemisphere. Indeed the word itself is derived from an early type of ancient wooden couch. ‘Hemi’, meaning half, and ‘Sphere’ referring the circular aspect of a log, and ‘Southern’ meaning to lie on or with the bottom part (rather than with the very heavy and possibly fatal top part).

So Southern Hemisphere literally means ‘to lie on the bottom half of a log,’

Also in the Northern Hemisphere it’s the height of summer and so total fire bans. And as the term ‘Northern Hemisphere’ itself indicates they sleep under the wrong bit of log, ha ha ha. And that’s the real reason why all those Euro’s and Americans come here – how many times have you heard ‘Travel in Australia is so easy?’ Also why, when you go to London and all those other northern places, when you wake up in the morning you usually have a sore head.

But back to those days, when couches were called logs and surfers, often tired, exhausted and unwashed lay on uneven wood with only rough woven wool or cotton for warmth. So no change there.

More recently, unearthed archeological evidence indicates the importance of ceremony, ritual and alcohol in these seemingly primitive burnings. In fact it is now known that Burning Couch was a highly organized and even ornate affair - see paragraph two.

Burning Couch does not have a single focus or even yet a single couch. Burning Couch will be subject to participants involvement and include community, artwork, absurdity, decommodification, revelry and similar words downloaded from the net. Participation is encouraged, and being a spectator discouraged [42].

Burning Couch will be governed by about 10 principles and 17 slabs (that’s beer for the rest of you). These include gifting, decommodification, radical self-reliance, communal effort, civic responsibility, participation, and immediacy. Which were pretty easy seeing money had yet to be invented.

However, money has now been invented although not always evenly distributed. So Melbourne Hosts and Couch Surfers, are adding to collective Couch Surfing wisdom by creating Burning Couch.

The one rule is; this is not a Northern Hemisphere thing. Now BURN your own COUCH!

Cheers, Craig1 and some others.
Couch Burning without Boarders(TM)

42 = meaning of life. Just thought I’d add that.

Posted June 14th, 2008 - 6:53 am by CRAIG1 from Melbourne, Australia

WOULD YOU TAKE THE RISK???..THIS YEAR COULD BE THE BEST FOR IT…AND YOUR LAST CHANCE IN LIFE?

2008-05-30T17:57:00.000+01:00

I know most of you now could be travelling in Europe or north America.. or just a your couch..even this is not a group for this..but I think you can be losing the last chance in your life…but europe and north america are always the same..they are beautiful..but there is a place that your never imagined..i discovered it 35 years ago..when I was opening my eyes to the life.. and.. I just wanna ask you to stop some secondS and think about this..a..place you never have imagined..a place where it is supposed to be a risk when you visiting it..….Once in your life you gotta be there…or Life will no have sense…if you really have the travelling spirirt ..if you are a real worldwalker and a real backpacker ..You mus take the risk….WANNA TAKE A RISK????..A GREAT AVENTURE NEVER LIVED BEFORE.. A NEVER IMAGINED RISK??... watch this videos and visit this websites….and you will know whatta I mean and will understand me!!!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgW8Y7F8DN8

I’LL WAIT FOR YOU..MY COUCH IS …WAITING
GUSTAVO BOLANO PASTRANA

Posted May 30th, 2008 - 2:16 am by GUSTAVO BOLAÑO PASTRANA from Barranquilla, Colombia

June 12, 2008: Celebrate International CouchSurfing Day!

2008-05-21T20:07:00.000+01:00

For more than five years, the CouchSurfing Project has been changing the lives of travelers by helping them make connections with locals, their couches, their friends, and their homes. For many of us, it has revolutionized the way we travel, making it easier to see a place from a local's perspective, or at least with a local's influence, rather than relying on generic tourist information.

On Thursday, 12 June, 2008, join CouchSurfers around the globe in celebrating this member-created holiday. In the spirit in which CouchSurfing was created, we encourage you to do a Couch Search in your city and request a stay on a stranger's couch for that night. If you have to work the following day, a helpful idea is to look for someone in your own neighborhood or near your workplace.

Posted May 21st, 2008 - 1:07 am by Derek Broughten from Seattle, United States

20 % discount on Drinks for CS members

2008-05-21T17:52:00.000+01:00

NOTICE TO ALL CS MEMBERS-

if your travel bring you to Angkor civilization-
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia
Drop by at the Newly open Bar- Rawmale Celebrity Cafe & Spa-
20 % discount on all Drinks for all CS members. location- No. 35-D- Street 55, Phnom Penh Cambodia.
200 metters- Off Sihanouk Blvd. 3 blocks from MOBITEL- 012
for info: pls call +855 92985940

Posted May 21st, 2008 - 4:27 am by Bienvenido Betonio from Phumi Thmei, Cambodia

Brazil is boiling in it's first national meeting.

2008-05-16T17:50:00.000+01:00

Belo Horizonte city is hosting brazilian's firts national meeting. If you're travelling near BH next week, between may 22 and 25th, you are welcome to our meeting. More information in the meeting page: www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=7775

Posted May 16th, 2008 - 11:44 pm by Tiago Aquino Fernandes Lopes from Brasilia, Brazil

CouchSurfing Cares - will it happen?

2008-05-15T17:54:00.000+01:00

Hey is their anyway couchsurfing.com can offer help for natural disasters such as the 7.9 earthquake in China? Like have some people make note that they will take in people who lost their homes right away or a list for long term couchsurfing for people who had their homes knocked down and then be able to submit that to government aid workers so that people wont be crammed into little gyms? It can be a short term provider till the governments find a better place for the person to live or a new home built. It is just another thought on how to use this website as a tool as I think couchsurfing.com is so grand! Maybe this idea will work maybe not, but I have a couch tonight and I know that there are people who had a house one day and next do not.

www.couchsurfing.com/organization.html?gid=3578

Posted May 15th, 2008 - 4:10 am by Rob Klein from Beihai, China

ITunes for Backpackers

2008-05-15T17:49:00.000+01:00

www.playtripper.com is open for business!

It is, in a nutshell, "iTunes For Backpackers". It lets backpackers and independent travellers download music, podcasts, audio tours and travel guides to their iPods from just about any internet cafe, without having to install iTunes. So it is perfect for people who are backpacking/travelling, and want to get some fun new content to help them pass the time on those long flights and bus rides.

It is primarily aimed at the independent traveller/backpacker market, but applies equally to au pairs, ski bums, river rats...basically anyone who is away from home. Nearly all of them carry an iPod or MP3 player, but a common complaint, especially with iPods, is that once you leave home it is very difficult to update the content, because iTunes is primarily synced with your home library. If you are away for any extended period, it is easy to get bored of the same old tunes! Playtripper breaks the dependency on iTunes, letting the user update their iPod from practically any PC, in any internet cafe around the world, whenever they stop to check their emails. They can buy and download songs, then just drag/drop them onto the iPod.

It also has a large directory of free podcasts, in every genre - travel, comedy, sport, music, news, language courses, even yoga! And users who sign up are recommended podcast episodes related to destinations on their route. e.g. if you are in Paris, you might find a walking tour of the city; an audio guide to the Louvre; or an underground music set. It's a great alternative to just reading the same Lonely Planet as everyone else!

Posted May 15th, 2008 - 9:04 am by TRAILLZZ from Bristol, United Kingdom

Party in Sydney for a Latin American Documentary

2008-04-25T17:46:00.000+01:00

This party is to raise funds for a documentary 'Nomadic Hands', which will be filmed throughout Latin America, in volunteer organisations and with individuals that help in the areas of animal welfare, human rights, and environmental conservation.

Time: Friday, May 23, 2008 at 7:00pm
Location: Level 2, The Occidental Hotel
Street: 43 York Street- (Close to Wynard Station)
City: Sydney, Australia
Entry: $10

Entartainment: Red Sword/ Triangle/ Bosom/ Dj Maverick.

Check out www.globalyouthfutures.org or www.nomadichands.org for further info.
LINK: www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=11234

Posted April 25th, 2008 - 12:38 am by Simone Francis from Sydney, Australia

When down the only way is up

2008-03-11T16:33:00.000Z

Most of you have heard or read about my project to cs the world for 5 years..its been a year and a half since i sold my house in England and up until last November everything was sweet sailing..On my dream trip to the Galapagos islands (which coincidently was my first non cs experience) i suffered a freaky fall and broke my crucial ligament. I returned to Guayaquil in Ecuador and waited till after New Year to have surgery which luckily my insurance covered. (part of my project is to experience what kind of effect being away from home for so long will have on me and how couchsurfing can compensate for that) so having to return to england would be fatal for my mindset..

having almost fully recovered i suffered another fall last weekend whilst walking up some steps, my leg gave way and i've now got a fractured knee bone (a possible complication from the first surgery due to part of the bone being removed) so just as i was about to finally leave for Peru, after a second surgery this weekend, now i'm back in bed with my leg strapped for several more weeks..My insurance are covering the most part so its not all bad news

whats my point..well i would like to write a short story for the home page about how amazing my hosts have treated me and how supportive the Guayaquil cs community have been. Without them i would be totally defeated. The surfers have wrote me and visited me in hospital or called the hospital bedside phone. I'm staying with a family now for the second time for a total of almost 4 months, they are helping me with food, gave me a mobile phone, found me doctors, sat beside me through both surgeries pretty much everything to keep me going whilst maintaining two daughters of there own. I truly think they deserve a special mention, my project would have died along with my soul without them. When i arrived here there was less than 30 members, now theres over 300, more than the capital of Quito due to everyone coming together, its a real pleasure to be part of the growth of cs here.

Everyones routing for me to complete this project, i will not give up, its made me more determined than ever, theres so much to learn from cs and be shared with the world, firstly however i want to share this story with you.

Posted March 11th, 2008 - 2:18 am by DJ AJAM from Manchester, United Kingdom

Couchsurfing episode on S.F. Bay Area cable access show

2008-03-08T17:32:00.000Z

This past autumn (don't you just love the word "autumn" more than the word "fall"?), I spent six weeks in the San Francisco Bay Area. While there, I did an interview for a local cable access show, "What's Up Wit' That?", which handles subjects and subcultures that are off the beaten path. Here is the final cut of that episode, which featured myself, Kathleen Jarvis of Sunnyvale, Eric Forsman of St. Louis and founder extraordinaire, Dan Hoffer:

video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5386126647901520802

Also, a short video I made, "Tolerance, One Couch At A Time", can be found here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_WMip7ItXI

I also did an interview with NPR (National Public Radio) on Tuesday, but I'm not sure when it will air. Once I know, I'll post about it here (as well as a link to listen to it once it's online).

Peace and health,

DW

Posted March 8th, 2008 - 7:20 am by Derek The Jolly Green Giant Wallace from North Hollywood, United States

Couchsurfers hit the slopes

2008-02-03T17:31:00.001Z

Just a bit of fun that my fellow Minneapolis surfers organized:

From KSTP Minnesota news: Local members of the international online CouchSurfing.com community strapped skis to their couches and went sledding.

The group raises awareness about their network that allows fellow members who are traveling to sleep on their couches at their homes for free anywhere in the world.

Check out the video of fellow CSers in Minneapolis couch SNOW surfing: kstp.com/article/stories/S334632.shtml?cat=1

Posted February 3rd, 2008 - 5:51 pm by bdreams from Duluth, United States

Candidate for U.S. President Participating in CouchSurfing Project

2008-01-21T17:28:00.000Z

For many years and especially since the 2003 run-up to the invasion, I have been studying media and American politics, and thinking about how to build inoculations against the combination of media consolidation and market fragmentation that helps a relatively few powerful people mislead and misinform so many good people.

This process has lead me to believe strongly that lack of governmental transparency lies at the heart of this problem, and also convinced me that the solution involves a level of transparency that would give anybody with Internet access far greater ability to monitor our public servants and even the press has today. (Details at Wilson2008.com)

Because this is not the kind of solution that mainstream candidates and media conglomerates—both of whom largely achieved their positions by being expert at limiting and controlling information—and because such radical change must take place particularly at the Executive Branch, I decided to run for U.S. President in order to try to bring national attention to this issue, and hopefully guilt the other candidates into making transparency a major part of their platforms.

CouchSurfing comes in to this picture because the project offers a way to travel around the country and spread the message without spending larges sums of money on hotel rooms. The reason I am writing is to announce my effort to the CourchSurfing project and to encourage everybody to join a group that I have set up to coordinate the effort. The group is called “Kelcey Wilson for U.S. President in 2008 - Help create a National Solar Power Grid” and can be found here: www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=9004

With optimism,
Kelcey Wilson
www.wilson2008.com
619.358.3396

Posted January 21st, 2008 - 6:48 pm by Kelcey Wilson from San Jose, United States

Creation of the CS Human Rights Watch group

2008-01-08T17:26:00.000Z

CS Human Rights Watch group was created on the 1st of January 2008 and it shares the spirit of Couchsurfing itself of Creating a Better World.

The Mission Statement of the CS Human Rights Watch group (still open to discussion in the group) is to provide CS members with an easy platform to:

- denounce any abuse of Human Rights worldwide;
- get local information regarding the situation in countries in conflict areas;
- discuss and share information related to Human Rights issues.

We encourage all members with time and will to participate in the group to join us:
www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=9055

Best regards
HRWg

Posted January 8th, 2008 - 11:01 pm by Diogo Quental from Porto, Portugal

Divorced Travellers - New Group

2007-12-29T17:27:00.000Z

Please note that there is a new group for "Divorced Travellers" to share their experiences with CS.

Naturally most CS users are students. Why do you find some single users over 35, obviously well educated with a good income? Are they stingy? Do they take CS for a marriage market? Not at all!

Especially for divorced persons, CS is a great opportunity to travel, because ...
... they are on a shoestring because they often have to pay a great part of their income as maintenance.
... they are looking for new friendships because old friends turned away when the old relationship broke.
... they left behind their old life and look for new experiences travelling around.

This group is open for all singled people who love to travel. You may discuss here for example:
- Where are good places to go for divorced people (with or without children)?
- Find a couch at a host who has made similar experiences.
- Find a travelling partner with the same background.
- How to break prejudices?

Posted December 29th, 2007 - 12:37 pm by Rainer Sens from Zwingenberg, Germany

Jerry Nelsen and www.journeyamerica.org

2007-12-08T17:18:00.000Z

To Jerry Nelson
www.JourneyAmerica.org

Hi Jerry,
I admire your work for Veterans and wish you great success in your adventure and speaking tour. I am enclosing my profile info so your High schoolers can get an idea of the diversity among the people of couch surfing. Not just geographical but in all facets of life.
If I could say one thing to them it would be that traveling is the best and cheapest form of higher education of all. When I was 18 I traveled around Europe for a year and a half by thumb. I felt like I had seen the world! When I returned home and traced my little trip on the globe I saw what a small part of the world Europe is! It has been my pleasure to discover more and more of the world throughout my life and there is still so much to see, so many people to meet, so many couches to surf. Yes, sadly, one can not travel by “thumb” so much anymore, Couch Surfing makes up for what you pay for transportation with a friendly place to stay all over the world! Take advantage of it and go GO!
Rocnjbarr couch surfer from the frozen tundra of Utah!

Rocn Jbarr from Logan, United States

Couchsurfer traveling without money to raise money/awarness for cancer research

2007-11-13T17:08:00.000Z

What I'm doing is a mental little challenge to raise
money for Cancer Research, I have to travel to every
EU Capital City with no money in my pocket. It's
harder than anything I've ever tried, but it's worth
it.
You can see my website www.euro-challenge.blogspot.com
to see more about me and my challenge.

Anyway, if you can help me please send a text message
to my mobile giving me details, because I won't have
access to a computer. I also cant reply to any
messages, and cant call you, because there's no money
on my phone. I can usually ask somebody in a hotel or
something to make a call for me though if you give me
a number or something.
My number is 0044 7934771491

By the way, if you look at the pictures on the website,
you'll see that I'm more normal than I look in the
stupid pictures I put on Couchsurfing! ;-)

Take it easy,
Kris

Promoting CS in Karlstad, Sweden!

2007-11-01T16:04:00.001Z

On October 26th two ambassadors from Stockholm:
www.couchsurfing.com/people/invinoveritas
www.couchsurfing.com/people/livewire6904
and three other CS members drove all the way from Stockholm to Karlstad (4 hours by car) which is a small city in Sweden. The plan was to get the community in Karlstad more active and promote CS and sign up more members. They had brought with them a couch and a huge sign that they placed in the center of the city! Together with the ambassador for Karlstad:
www.couchsurfing.com/people/cold_erin
and three other CS members also from Karlstad they spent the whole day promoting the network by handing out flyers and explaining what couchsurfing is all about. They also had laptops to show people how the site looks and how it works.
It was a big success! All 600 flyers were handed out and a lot of people seemed interested and thought that couchsurfing would be something for them. Now they are thinking about what city in Sweden to go to next time:)

Pictures from the event:
www.couchsurfing.com/image_gallery.html?id=28OFARK&folder=65...

INVINOVERITAS

One of our own needs help!

2007-10-30T16:23:00.000Z

www.couchsurfing.com/group_read.html?gid=709&post=392985

www.couchsurfing.com/people/tahirah
www.helptequila.com

written by Derek Wallace:
www.couchsurfing.com/profile.html?id=O65VQ0

Some of you may know Tahirah Johnson, an active couchsurfer in the Chicago area...

www.couchsurfing.com/people/tahirah

She came out to the January meet-up we had and she came to the August potluck meet-up as well. Through couchsurfing.com, Tahirah has become a close friend of mine and to some of you as well. For those who don't know, Tahirah is an attorney by day and roller derby skater by night. On August 25th, during a game, she fell in front of another player, who skated over her at the collarbone. She's now being treated at Schwab Rehabilitation Center on the South Side and has an injury to her C4 vertebra. She has partial use of just one arm and no use of her legs, but she has feeling in her limbs.

The Sun Times did an interview with her regarding her injuries. You can find the article here:

www.suntimes.com/news/metro/549681,CST-NWS-roller10.article

There have been a ton of well-wishers writing to ask where donations can be made, as she had no primary insurance at the time of her accident. Checks can be mailed to a charitable trust that has been established for Tahirah:

North Community Bank
c/o The Tahirah Johnson Trust
Attn: Amber Barnhill
1555 N. Damen
Chicago, IL 60622

Donations will be tax-deductible and a Paypal account has now been set-up at the following address:

TheTahirahJohnsonTrust@gmail.com

All funds will be transferred directly into her North Community Bank account and are tax-deductible. Also, people are welcome to send well-wishes to Tahirah at that email address and we will make sure they get to her.

She's in good hands now and the rest of her derby dolls are looking out for her.

She has also wanted me to let everyone know to be on the lookout for a used, or inexpensive power wheel chair that has a tilt system, and also adjustable mid chest side holders, and chest strap. If any one has anything like this, or someone you know that can help let us know, and we will relay this information on to her for you!

Posted October 30th, 2007 - 12:52 pm by MIKKY MOUTH from Sankt Nikola an der Donau, Austria

SAN DIEGO FIRES! help needed!!!!

2007-10-23T16:21:00.000+01:00

Please help the families displaced by the San Diego Fires or those who have lost their homes!! Live by the couchsurfing motto and give whatever you can; your time, a spare room, some food, whatever.

There are many emergency shelters, but couch surfers we can help out too!

Many families with animals are forced to stay outside, so start by taking in a family with a dog or cat. Tomorrow my roommate and I going to some of the major shelters to see if we can help a family.

Thanks! do your part!

-Heather Bradley

Back from a 24 countries Couchsurfing experience

2007-10-21T06:08:00.000+01:00

Hey guys !
After 10 weeks of traveling by train, plane, boat and foot, I'm now back in France with a workload of no less than 1800 hours of video to edit from the people I've met and interviewed, here and there, during this summer EU trip.
An amazing and passionating experience to get hosted in the whole European Union, mostly on the last minute -say day- and always meeting great, smart, open-minded people. Different cultures, different languages, different currencies and fashions, religions and philosophies, different faces and different differences. But we're all the same in the end.
An average of 3 days spent in every EU 24 countries visited.
8 categories of people filmed to answer the same list of 10 questions, about the E.U., politics, money, culture, life...
A documentary shall then be edited and produced within the next year, to show the result of this adventure, thanks in a great part, to all the couchsurfers I was hosted by in

Bologna, Roma, Bari, Patras, Athens, Thessaloniki, Sofia, Bucharest, Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Warszaw, Crackow, Warszaw again, Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki, Turku, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Brussels, Luxembourg, Paris, London, Dublin, Madrid and Lisbon...

...before coming back to France on the 23rd of September.
Since then I moved to a new place and I'm now ready to get started with all the material collected, and to get back to you all with a testimony of the real people's people opinion about Europe and us being together.

A very big THANKS to Couchsurfing and to all of you who make this happening every day. Thank you.

aRno Jullien

Up to Gambia by car to help women there become more indepent

2007-10-17T06:07:00.000+01:00

On March 18, me and 5 more friends will leave from Antwerp, Belgium, to Banjul, the Gambia, not only for the adventure, but to collect money for a project that supports women in Gambia with microcredit-donations.
We go by car, which will be sold in Banjul, and the money will go to this micro-credits project.
At this moment we are looking for sponsors, all over the world, whom would like to help us getting there, and whom want to support the women in Gambia.
For more info. look at our website (in Dutch though...): www.eindhovendegexxte.punt.nl
or contact me on : ankefem1@yahoo.co.uk

Ankh Tsssss

“Come Surf a Rainbow Wave @ AfriKa Burns”- 22-25 November 2007

2007-10-12T06:06:00.000+01:00

The “Creation” - A Tale from umZansi AfriKa

The story begins with CS ofcourse...When a CS member Soulfood4U, received a request from the Burning Man to surf her couch in Muizenberg, Cape Town. Curious about his name, “What’s in the name?”, she asked, seeking an explanation. And so Soulfood4U was introduced to the concept of Burning Man, Black Rock by the CS “Burning Man” himself.

Unable to teleport herself to Burning Man 2007 in spite of her heart and soul’s burning desire to be there, imagine her delight when a message about AfriKa Burns (see www.afrikaburns.com) landed in her mailbox. Mmmm, some bad spam is good spam, she thought! And so the idea of AfriKa Burns lit Soulfood4U’s lantern promising to set her aflame …and the “Come Surf a Rainbow Wave @ AfriKa Burns”, a CS theme camp, was created by the flames and ….and Born from the ashes!!

The “Come Surf a Rainbow Wave @ AfriKa Burns” CS theme camp is inspired by Anais Nin who said that "I only believe in fire. Life. Fire. Being myself on fire I set others on fire. Never death. Fire and life. Les Jeux." And….the traditional three legged African pot.

The pot will be bubbling slowly on the days preceding the burn…flavoured with spices from the East, West, South and North of national and international borders… The intention is to cook up a melting pot of cultures to serve up on the night of the burn …everyone will soulfully savour a “Rainbow Nation” of cultures! Promising to be a sense-sational delight!

While Soulfood embraces the dream of the “Rainbow Nation” in South Africa the concept itself remains debateable in reality…It is her dream and intention to explore ways to make it possible, wherever and whenever possible building bridges or pathways that help people from all backgrounds imaginable to connect under one umbrella, creating a forest instead of the trees she sees. In South Africa the seed varieties planted by our apartheid past still divides our trees. On a social level, the different trees have still not created pathways or bridges between themselves to grow into a forest. So events like AfriKa Burns, whilst holding promise, may just turn out to be a “unicultural” tree. Under CS principles this is Not possible and/or acceptable.

The birth of the dream of a CS couch shaped into a surfboard and painted in the colours of the rainbow riding along three dimensional waves, may be one such bridge. An awsome Muizies couch! At the theme camp, local, and it is imagined international, and even virtual CSers will be welcomed by a warm umZansi Africa greeting with a generous serving of mqombothi, traditional South African homemade beer. A world map will be on display to indicate the location, along with pictures and messages from all “real” and “virtual” AfriKa Burns CS theme camp surfers. Non-CSers who drop by, will be invited to join the CS Theme Camp by completing a “membership form” committing them under oath stating in writing a way that they intend “creating a pathway” to the “Rainbow Nation”. Their message, together with a hastily created “virtual” mugshot will be posted on the world map of CS theme camp burners.

So Soulfood4U invites local and international CSers to join the camp, seeking “real” or “virtual” members to surf the ”Rainbow Nation” couch. Soulfood4U together with others promises to take turns to “tuck you in” on the couch. So quickly send your picture by snail mail (preferably) and/or email when you join the AfriKa Burns meeting, along with your message that “frees” the “Rainbow Nation” from its chains. And watch your message become one of the spices that flavour the melting pot of cultures to be served up on the night of the burn!

For now this is just a dream…one month away from the burn, participation is essential and therefore speedily invited, any help, ideas etc are encouraged and welcomed especially from seasoned burners! Let’s make this dream “bridge” a reality, together!

Join the meeting at ….. www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=3569 and state your “real” or “virtual” status along with a mugshot of yourself, and an awe inspiring message on pathways to the “Rainbow Nation”

Soulfood4U

1000 miles completed!

2007-10-05T05:35:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I made it back to England after walking since August 1st. I'd have to double-check but I think I stayed with about 20 or so surfers and met a lot more than that for dinner, drinks and so on.

I'd be grateful if you could put a post up on the news page just to say a huge "thank you" to each and every one, some of whom went so far beyond the call of duty that they'd need the Hubble telescope to see it in the distance behind them. I'll email them all individually as well.

I tried to get the word out about Couchsurfing and I know TFM radio in England mentioned it almost every time I was on air. The Evening Chronicle (local paper) did a whole page on me when I got back and managed to get the name of the site wrong... And forgot to mention the charity's website for donations! hey ho...

Iain Purdie

CouchSurfers WANTED to host new traveling show

2007-10-05T05:33:00.000+01:00

Hi fellow couchsurfers. I'm producing a new traveling show made specifically for backpackers. I'm looking for multiple hosts from all around the world. We are having casting calls with all the regular people in Los Angeles and New York, but I think the best candidates could be right here on CS.

This is a real paying gig. It will also include flight, food, and accomidations.

It is very simple to apply. Make a video that is less than five minutes. Tell me about the city or cities you love the most. Where would you love to take your friends and play tour guide. Describe a couple of your favorite areas in that city, favorite hostel, favorite foods, or maybe even a unique thing that you experienced as a backpacker.

To submit the video:
You can send a link to montoyafilms@gmail.com

or snail mail a dvd to:
Montoya Films
10061 Riverside Dr. #144
Toluca Lake, CA 91602

I'm not looking for professional videos. I'm looking for a bit of your personality. Just talk into the camera as if you"re telling a friend about your adventures. Include in your email or package a short description of the cities you've traveled to, languages you speak, and a link to a profile that will help me get to know you, like your CS link or myspace.

Good luck

Brian Moraga
Santa Monica, CA USA
www.couchsurfing.com/mapsurf.html?SEARCH[skip]=0&view=detail&sid=d50c3e6e1a80243bb8a15b8bbe442f06

Event:The free trip plan to Chengde--imperial summer resort and watching performances

2007-09-29T05:28:00.000+01:00

Time: 30thSep---3rd Oct(may delay to 4thOct).

Venue: 9:00am, meet in xidan book store, then go to by bus in the Liu Li Qiao bus station.

Participants: 3-4 foreigners (must be very active in party, need us show on the stage.)who have performance experiences should be more better. The local goverment and company host this event, want some foreigners to attend into the big party.

Leader:tom(phone 13718350534), he pay all the tour fee for us and lead us go there.may change anther guy(kungfu boy) as leader.

Itinerary:
30th Sep: 10:00am--3:00pm by bus from beijing to chengde.
Mr ding(phone 13932408756) receive us in chengde city and arrange the transportation and the non- star hotel, clean, double-bed room , private bathroom.

1st Oct, 9:00-11:00am and 7:00-9:00pm there have 2 times performance hosted by the local goverment and corporations for the celebration of the national day, stay there during the performance , you should prepare 2 or 3 programmes in each joint performance on the stage to show yourselves, there will be some prize for you after the trip.

2nd Oct, a whole day free, the host will take us to visit the Mulan Weichang, the former imperial hunting grassland and summer resort in the feudal society there. May returned to the hotel in the evening there is another night show waiting for us.

3rd Oct, the same arrangement like the 1st Oct. But you may have lot of chance go outside in the middle noon between the shows. we may return back to beijing on 4thOct, according the the car arrangement condition.

Notice:
The whole trip's transportation, dinning, hotel, visiting are included, we don't need to pay. But we need to show 2-3 times on the stage during each performance, in the same time we are enjoying a woderful party. All of the other performers are professional.

Any kinds of show are okay for the small city Weichang of Chengde, because the local people seldom have chance to watch the foreigners on stage there. So prepare yourselves for the show, may you have a lot of opportunities, or meet some good friends there. You will be very popuar and welcomed.

About Chengde&Weichang, you can search out lots of information from internet. Such as the imperial garden , imperial summer resort, wild animal hunting grassland in the qing dynasty.

Need reservation: please feel free call tom (phone 13718350534).

Tom Fullice

STAND UP AND SPEAK OUT... world iniciative against poverty

2007-09-22T05:21:00.000+01:00

Did you know that:

Every year over 10 million children starve to death, one every THREE SECONDS?

Over one billion people live with just ONE dollar a day?

The three richest people of the world hold more wealth than 600 million people living in the poorest countries?

Around 18 million people die each year due to poverty-related causes?

Part of the Couchsurfing proyect mission is to participate in creating a better world and to raise collective consciousness. Most of us have opened not just our homes, but our hearts to people from all over the planet that share a common idea: that our world can become a better place, one new friend at a time.

In the year 2000, 189 world leaders committed to reach 8 Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015. This goals deal with issues that range from poverty to gender equality, to sustainable development, to the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria, etc.

Today, halfway trough the deadline, many countries are still far from providing the help their promised and from keeping their commitments.

Last year 23.5 MILLION PEOPLE participated worldwide in the STAND UP campaign, searching to raise awareness on world poverty, and setting a world Guinness record for the largest number of people standing up for a cause in 24hrs.

This year, our goal is even higher. On october 16-17 we have to STAND UP AND SPEAK OUT, letting our world leaders know that we will no longer keep quiet, and that they must keep their promises, NO EXCUSES.

Couchsurfers all over the world can join this campaign by attending local Stand Up events, or by organizing their own. The process is very simple. You simply have to check the official web site to see if there's and event taking place near you or register your event at:

www.standagainstpoverty.org

making sure it takes place between 9:00pm (GMT) on the 16th, and 9:00pm (GMT) on october 17th.

When the moment of the event comes up, you must ask people to sit or kneel down, and then to STAND UP.

After the event you must register your Stand Up numbers on the webpage for them to count for the Guinness World Record, if you go to an already planned event, the organizers will register your participation for you.

It doesn't matter if you Stand Up on your own, or if you gather as many people as you want. You can promote this campaing at your school, work, congregation, or simply gather all your friends and family toghether.

The world needs action. WE ARE THE FIRST GENERATION THAT CAN END WORLD POVERTY. Others have fought agianst segregation and apartheid. Our time has come to act, to make a difference, to STAND UP.

Join millions of people around the world on october 16 and 17th, and help the CS project change the world one couch (and one pair of feet) at a time!

For more information visit :
www.standupagainstpoverty.org

For Latin America and the Caribean you can find information in spanish at:
www.cinu.org.mx/levantate2007

Bárbara Lazcano

Pittsburgh Regional Weekender - You are invited!

2007-09-17T05:14:00.000+01:00

This Oct. 5th - 7th, 2007 will be the
First Annual Pittsburgh CS Regional Weekender!

The couchsurfers of Pittsburgh, PA invite all members in Pittsburgh, and surrounding areas to an event filled weekend here in the Iron City! We would like to present to you the best Pittsburgh has to offer as well as a couch. We would like to welcome all CS members who reside within a reasonable driving distance. We look forward to meeting new friends, hosting nearby members, and establishing a stronger CS network within our region. While we are excited to host our First Regional Weekender, we are already looking forward to finding out what your city has to offer.

We look forward to seeing you at some or all of the events! Please let us know how many are in your party and we will secure a couch for the nights requested!

Please join the following group for updates leading up to the event:
www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=6793

Invites have been extended (and not limitied) to the following surrounding areas; OH, MI, MD, DC, NY,PA, WVA, and VA, and nearby Canada.

Here is a run down of the events scheduled:

1st Annual Pittsburgh CS Regional Weekender

************************************************************

Friday Oct. 5th, 2007

Kickoff:
Unblurred Art Crawl on Penn Ave,
Garfield/Lawrenceville
www.pennavenuearts.org/ (click on Penn ave
corridor map)
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

CS Regional Weekender Pre-party:
9:00 pm - ?
Brillobox
4104 Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
(412) 621-4900

~~~~~~~~~

Saturday Oct. 6th, 2007

-Brunch:
10:00 am
DeLuca's Restaurant
2015 Penn Avenue, Strip District 412-566-2195

-Sightseeing:
11:00 am - 2:00 pm
around Strip District, Steps of Pittsburgh Walking
Tour,
and downtown

-Official CS Pittsburgh Regional Weekender Meet Up:
2:00 pm - 7:00 pm
www.zenithpgh.com/
BYOB
86 South 26th Street, Southside 412-481-4833

CS Southside Bar Crawl:
7:00 pm - 2:00 am
Begins at The Lava Lounge
www.lavaloungepgh.com/
Dj Doug spins 80s hits.
2204 E Carson St, 412-431-5282

Last Call for alcohol.....:
1:45 am
Jack's
1121 E Carson St, (412) 431-3644

For those still standing:
2:00 am - ?
White Eagle (After Hours Bar)
www.myspace.com/whiteeagle

~~~~~~~~~

Sunday Oct. 7th, 2007

Open Day
(You get to pick! Groups will be formed at Zenith on Sat.):

Steelers Tailgating

Andy Warhol Museum
www.warhol.org/default.asp

Thrift Store Hopping

BodyWorlds Exhibit at the Carnegie Science Center
www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/bodies/

Hiking

Dale Chihuly exhibit at the Phipps Conservatory
www.phipps.conservatory.org/

Kelly Ryan

Thailand CSC

2007-09-14T05:16:00.000+01:00

Announcing the Thai Collective
This issue we have very exciting news to share with you: As you read this, we are making preparations for our 5th and soon to be most productive CouchSurfing Collective. The Collective will be held in Thailand for four months starting December 1st, 2007, and we are now accepting applications for a small number of very specific volunteer positions. We hope you will apply to represent the interests of all CouchSurfing members by joining us in Thailand! But first we need to tell you a little more about the purpose of this unique Collective.

A Collective for Volunteers
As members, we all enjoy hosting and surfing with each other thanks to the day-to-day efforts of many hard-working volunteers, including the CouchSurfing Ambassadors and the Volunteer Leadership Team. Yet we now realize that we haven't given these volunteers nearly enough support. That's why we've decided to make some important improvements to make volunteering much easier and more rewarding.

The first step was the hiring of our second and third paid employees this June. The job of our new full-time Volunteer Coordinator, Jim Stone, is to see to all the needs of current and future volunteers and to organize them into expert teams. Mattthew Brauer, our new full-time General Manager, has been hired to organize our many ongoing projects and to help prioritize tasks for these expert teams. These two have freed up Casey Fenton to Coordinate the Technology Team, whose focus is to create software tools for these teams. Now we are ready for the next step, which is to recruit a small group of our most motivated volunteers who will build and supervise these expert teams. These team supervisors will also have the option to stay at the Collective in Thailand.

A Collective for the Future
In the past we've used Collectives to accomplish critical short-term goals. This time we're using it to build the long-term future of CouchSurfing. The Collective will allow us to bring this small group of present and future team supervisors together under one roof to plan and build their volunteer teams. With the help of our new project organizer and volunteer needs manager, these team supervisors will keep CouchSurfing the best and easiest way to connect with surfers and hosts worldwide as well as maintain an always free to use service for our members.

We're now looking for highly skilled and experienced members who wish to become volunteer team supervisors, whether or not they can join the Collective. Supervisors will have the opportunity to attend the Collective and enjoy free meals and accommodation. However, these positions are long-term volunteer commitments extending beyond the Collective. Does this sound exciting to you? If so, apply to join us in Thailand for a fun and amazing learning experience with CouchSurfing's most talented members.

We're committed to making the Thai Collective the most productive and most accountable use of member donations yet. This includes a focused mission, specific job descriptions for each participant, and high standards of achievement for each position. The positions include the volunteer team supervisors, a few software developers to assist their needs, and a Collective House Manager. You'll be hearing more from us about the Thai Collective in the coming months.

To read about all of our plans and needs, please visit the Thai Collective FAQ page on CouchSurfing. Please note that you cannot reply to this message, however you can pose questions on the FAQ page.

Jim Stone

Thanks to our 10,000th verified user!

2007-09-08T05:13:00.000+01:00

Today we passed the 10,000 mark on our number of verified users! Thanks to András ( www.couchsurfing.com/profile.html?id=3MQTFK ) of Vordingborg, Denmark for helping make CouchSurfing more secure!

If you're not yet verified you can help make a difference by letting other members know that both your name and physical address has been confirmed by a trusted and unbiased third party. We match your name with the one on your credit card and we mail you a letter to your physical address with a code that you then type in on the website to authenticate you can receive mail where your profile is listed.

More verified members means increased security within our community. Learn more about the verification process here: www.couchsurfing.com/verification.html

Jim Stone

Mississippi Dreamin

2007-08-28T05:09:00.000+01:00

Michael Sean is getting ready for his 1800 mile trip down the Mississippi in a canoe. He is planning on couchsurfing the whole way, staying in CS host houses along the river. If you would like more info or find out how you can help, shoot him an email. Michael Sean will proudly display the couchsurfing logo on his canoe. If they give him one.

Michael Sean

Surf a mutant sofa in the desert: Burning Man festival to see its first CouchSurfing camp

2007-08-23T05:08:00.000+01:00

Surf a mutant sofa in the desert: Burning Man festival to see its first CouchSurfing camp

Over eighty members of CouchSurfing are to form a camp of the same name at the Burning Man (link: www.burningman.com) festival, an annual event that takes place in Black Rock City, the name of a temporary town that rises every August in the Nevada desert to exist for one week only.

Burning Man, a festival dedicated to art, self-reliance and radical self-expression, will start on Monday, 27 August and will continue for a week. Last year’s event drew 40,000 people from around the world. CouchSurfing members also organized a party using a CouchSurfing group devoted to the event. This year will see the first theme camp dedicated to CouchSurfing, and a “mutant couch” will become the centerpiece of the camp.

Neither the CouchSurfing camp or Burning Man is officially connected to or funded by CouchSurfing. However, Casey Fenton (link: www.couchsurfing.com/caseyfenton), co-founder of CouchSurfing.com, says the website was partly inspired by Burning Man and that “a large portion of the first members of CS were burners”. The name “burners” refers to enthusiasts of the event. “These people created wildly individual and colorful profiles, setting the stage for the amazing collection of people that CS is now”, Casey adds.

Pointing out similarities between the to organizations, Casey says, “CouchSurfing and Burning Man both inspire people to do great things and reach for the stars. Both encourage people to get involved and participate instead of spectating.”

The initiative to set up a CouchSurfing camp for the festival was born nowhere else but on the CouchSurfing website by enthusiastic CouchSurfing members. “There were several posts on ‘Burning Man’ group calling for someone to take the lead on doing a CS camp. I decided to go ahead and put it together and take the summer off from school”, says James Lathrop, known to his campmates as Sofa King in Charge (link: www.couchsurfing.com/profile.html?id=1OASNIF). “The only rule that I've stuck to from the beginning is that every single member of CouchSurfing camp is a member of CS.”

Lathrop said he first expected around 20 people to register but the popularity exceeded his anticipations and now there are 85 CouchSurfing members signed up to be part of the camp. “That posed a special challenge to me to make sure that everyone was fully prepared for the experience”, says Lathrop, who will be attending the event for the fifth time. According to Lathrop, most CouchSurfers at the camp will be Burning Man “virgins” – a term used to describe first-time attendees of the festival. “I think that is because most of the veterans in CS are already with other groups of friends or other camps.”

Lathrop and his campmates are currently building the Mutant Sofa from many donated couches that is to become the symbol of the camp. Lathrop says it will be his first interactive art project for Burning Man festival, so named for its yearly ritual burning of a large wooden effigy.

Lathrop is not the only person taking the initiative to put the camp together. Other camp organizers include Howard Chong (link: www.couchsurfing.com/people/chongman99), Thomas Ploszaj (link: www.couchsurfing.com/people/studebaker), Kelly Cochran (www.couchsurfing.com/people/bikiniskigirl), and Jay Walsh (link: www.couchsurfing.com/people/jaywalsh). Rachel Fiori (link: www.couchsurfing.com/profile.html?id=77LGCK) took on tasks of preparing the camp kitchen, shower, and dirty water disposal. The festival requires that all attendees bring their own water to drink and use at the event, and the dirty “grey water” must be evaporated or transported out of the event. By US federal law, it cannot be dumped on the desert, and the festival organizers make great efforts to return the desert environment to its natural state after the events.

This will be a “virgin burn” for Rachel, who is an active CouchSurfing host in San Francisco, California. Fiori, known to her good friends and campmates as Princess Fiori, says she is overjoyed to be in the same camp as a few of her CouchSurfing friends. Not willing to stop hosting even while traveling, Fiori will be providing a ride from San Francisco to Black Rock City to two Italian CouchSurfers. She also plans to open her home in Black Rock City for anyone that needs a place to stay during a cold desert nights. “Campo de Fiori tent space is available for surfing while my home base couch is not. Feel free to surf on over to the Mutant sofa or Campo de Fiori.”

The CouchSurfing camp will host pot-luck party on Wednesday of the event, with help from Cochran. It will also hold a pancake breakfast on Thursday morning, with Walsh flipping the pancakes. The breakfast will be given out for free, as commerce is completely disallowed at the event, and even bartering is discouraged. But Walsh is no stranger to serving up free pancakes. In addition to being known in San Francisco for his pancakes at CouchSurfing meet-ups, he says, “I hosted an all-pancake breakfast at my camp two years ago, and was really excited to find out that CS Camp wanted to do one as well.” Interviewed in his San Francisco home while testing his batter that he transport to Black Rock City, Walsh added, “Nothing beats pancakes for breakfast out in the desert.”

For more information about the Burning Man event or the CouchSurfing camp, you may visit these links:
www.burningman.com
www.couchsurfingcamp.com
www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=434

Mattthew Brauer

Cycling against the Darfur Genocide and couchsurfing along the way

2007-08-23T05:06:00.000+01:00

I have been an enthusiasi member of couchsurfing since 2005 and next week, I am going to start a 600 kilometers bike ride in the south of France. I am raising awareness about the genocide in Darfur and funds for Darfur refugees. Individuals have been sponsoring money to a non-profit called Global Grassroots, which works in Refugee camps in Chad, in honor of the kilometers that I will ride. I want to continue to raise funds or this worthy cause! I will be couchsurfing during my bike trip and I have already had many generous CSers agree to host me along the route. To find out more about my trip, to get involved, or to read my trip blog visit

www.cyclingfordarfur.com

ROBYNBIRD

Terrible earthquake in Peru... how to help

2007-08-18T05:05:00.000+01:00

As many of you already heard, last wednesday (August 15th)Peru suffered a terrible earthquake from 7.7 degrees .
People from the South (Chincha, Pisco and Ica took the worst part. To the date there are more than 500 human victims, lots of hurted people and many material damages (more than 60% of the houses in Ica felt down and more than 80% in Pisco).
As you understand the governmet and private institutions are making their best efforts to help people in the disaster area, but I think it could get better "with a little help of our friends".
I just wanted to say that we should be organized and informed about the places or organisations where we could send our help.
Here is a web page from a local newspaper where you can find out how to help or donate and where:

www.elcomercio.com.pe/ediciononline/HTML/olecportada/2007-08...

I'm sure that in Coushsurfing we all share more than couches. It's about friendship, support and to be with your CS fellows in the good ones and in the bad ones too. I think our travelers community understands how people is feeling right now and that many of them are willing to help, just they don't know how.
For that I'm sending you this list published in "El Comercio" local newspaper.

Hope you all are ok and that all this ends in a short time.

Thanks to all people from the groups Peru, South America and other ones for their support and thoughts.
Rocio Jimenez Sablich
(Lima - Peru)

DONATIONS:

IF YOU WANT TO DONATE BLOOD:
-Health Ministry: Avenida Salaverry block 8
-Youu can also do it in all the blood banks from the following hospitals:Dos de Mayo, Loayza, Essalud Rebagliati, Almenara, Sabogal, Fuerzas Armadas, Policía Nacional and Hospital de la Solidaridad.

TO DONATE FOOD AND CLOTHES:
-Nationa Stadium North platform , in Santa Beatriz
-Air Group Nº 8 from Lima, in Callao
-All churches from Peru will collect, also with "Caritas del Perú" organisation, clothes, water and food.
-San Borja Municipal governmet: Avenida Joaquín Madrid, block 2
-Pentagonito circuit: San Borja Norte Ave. with Boulevard
-Ebony shopping center:San Borja Sur Ave. with Parque Sur, block 1
-Plaza Vea supermarket in San Borja shopping center
-Jesús María Municipal governmet has 3 campaign tents in San felipe Ave. block 9. They'll be collecting food, medicines and water.

FOR PEOPLE IN THE US:
-To help you can call to:(001) 202-462-1081 / 202-462-1084 and 462-1085.
Also the St. Matthew's church from Washington DC will donate to Peru all what they collect in the mass from this sunday Aug.19th.

IF YOU WANT TO DONATE MONEY:
-Banco de Crédito del Perú:
193 199999998 0 15 (Moneda nacional -Soles),
193 199999999 1 16 (Moneda extranjera -US$).
-BBVA Banco Continental:
0011-0444-4444444444 (soles),
0011-0444-4444444446 (US$),
0011-0444-4444444447 (euros).
-Scotiabank:
3022500(US$),
5074657 (soles)
-Interbank:
2000000001118(US$),
2000000001119(soles)

IN SPAIN:
-You can send your donations to the following bank account:
Banco La Caixa (Barcelona): 2100-0479-21-0200048852.

IN CANADA:
- You can send your donations to the General Peruvian consulate account,in Toronto, Sismo Perú 2007
Account, # 06702 113 - 4329 from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)

Rocio Jimenez Sablich

CouchSurfing Wiki Founder Gets Banned From The Wiki He Founded

2007-08-02T05:00:00.000+01:00

Today the founder of the CouchSurfing Wiki got banned from editing the Wiki he founded almost one year ago. He deserves this, since he has shown to not fulfill the mission in any kind of way.

Four weeks ago he moved some articles that don't fit the CouchSurfing Wiki anymore to another wiki. These articles were about the Center of Adventure Economy and free software. We, the CouchSurfing Inc., can not allow this to happen. We know that these articles do not fit the mission, but we want people to give people a false impression. So we want to keep these articles on our wiki.

And consequently we let our hired staff spend their time by restoring all the articles and blocking the creator of the Wiki from editing. We are even thinking of blocking everyone from editing, because who needs a wiki anyone. It does not increaase Intercalifornian Understanding.

Kasper Souren

A CouchSurfer's Perspective

2007-08-02T03:52:00.000+01:00

I checked my watch nervously, as my travel companion frantically tried to pick up a cell signal so we could call and alert Vincent to our delayed arrival. After difficulty in navigating Paris' complex transportation system, we just missed our southern-bound train and didn't want our host to sit out in the cold at Marseilles' uncovered station for hours waiting on us to find our way.

In retrospect, it now seems a bit odd (sketchy even perhaps) that we had never before met Vincent, but were taking a risk and staying with him anyway. I didn't know even know the most basic things about him: his place of birth, pets' names, setting of his first kiss -- things I generally knew about even the most casual of my acquaintances. But not Vincent. No, Vincent was just a fellow member of an online travel group of which I was a part. I stumbled across his profile while researching ways to finance a month-long assignment in France. The most interaction we had prior to our meeting on his turf was an e-mail exchange or two. Yet, he was retrieving us at the station and taking us to his secluded Provence villa for four nights. The setting for a made-for-TV, Texas Chainsaw Massacre-esque slasher flick perhaps, but we were edgy girls accustomed to taking risks. On the contrary, had my mom back home in my conservative Tennessee town known what I was doing, she might have croaked.

That was the reaction I initially got -- and often still do -- from many friends and acquaintances when they hear I am using "backpackers clubs" like Hospitality Club (www.hospitalityclub.org) and Couch Surfing (www.couchsurfing.com) as means of budget travel. My former roommate referred to the travelers I would meet up with as my "Match.com dates," when in reality that couldn't be further from the truth.

Hospitality Club stresses that it is not a dating service (Match.com enthusiasts, read no further), and should you try to use it as such, your messages to other members will not be delivered. Through an extensive application process -- including a background search that requires you to submit your passport number -- Hospitality Club volunteers screen each person who is admitted, as well as scan every e-mail sent through the website to make sure all content is appropriate. It may seem too Big Brother for some, but after receiving a marriage proposal or two via Couch Surfing, I welcomed Hospitality Club's stricter policy. (Disclaimer: It should be said that I have had only positive experiences using Couch Surfing, as well, but have gotten a questionable e-mail or two to which I didn't respond.)

Both organizations are completely free of charge. They were started with the intent to unite the globetrotters of the world and those who thrive on exploring it. Anyone can join, and it can be used for as little as getting recommendations when visiting a new town to finding a free place to sleep or a local tour guide.

Vincent turned out to be a wonderful host and someone I would like to get to know better. After hitting a home run with him, my friend and I moved eastward along the Cote d'Azur, staying each couple of nights with a different Hospitality Club member or Couch Surfer. A month later, we had spent no money on accommodation and gained several new friends.

I continued to use these convenient services throughout the duration of my time living abroad. When I finally returned to the United States, I fell into post-travel depression. No longer could I pick up on a whim and fly to Morocco or hop a train and be in Germany in an hour. Grounded by a real job and lack of travel funds, I sadly changed my profile status on each web group from whatever exotic locale it had previously said back to New York.

That's when the e-mails really started pouring in.

I had never before thought of using these sites from my home base to get my travel fix. When you're in Europe, you get used to meeting backpackers everywhere you go. In the States, it's generally just the overly obnoxious tour groups and retired couples who block your path, not the fun-loving Aussie or pint-drinking Brit backpackers you so frequently encounter around every corner in other countries. Because the United States is so big and we lack an array of transcontinental transportation options (i.e. cheap cross-country trains, budget air carriers), I couldn't really envision someone "backpacking" across it. However, much to my surprise I discovered that the backpacker community does, in fact, live on in my own country -- and dominantly at that.

Excited by my influx in correspondence, I began reading through my inbox. Among others, there was a Korean businessman coming to town for work, a Finnish guy who wanted to ditch his parents and see the real New York, and two Canadian girls just border-hopping for a weekend of fun. I eagerly replied to each e-mail, and before I knew it my social calendar was full for the next three months.

That's not to say I haven't had a strange experience or two. Due to the law of probability, with every barrel of apples, you're likely to find a rotten one. Tim from New Zealand was the worm in my barrel of otherwise untainted fruit. He showed up at my apartment, joined my friends and I for a night out, and proceeded to offend everyone but perhaps the bartender by his lack of tact and opposition to American foreign policy. We all have our opinions, but someone should have explained to Tim the significance of the expression "when in Rome" -- particularly when he was openly bashing the very country he was visiting.

Luckily for me, those Tim occurrences have been few and far between, and I chock them up to cultural differences. Now, two years after delving into the world of online travel, it's not out of the ordinary for a normal week to include lunch with an Icelandic couple, coffee with a Chilean and after-work drinks with a bunch of unruly Greeks. Emma, an Australian Couch Surfer, and I hit it off so well that she's even looking at moving to New York and taking up residence in my spare room. Although, each and every time I make these new friends, I can't help but envy their freedom and nomadism. Still, I know one day my time will come, again, and for now, it's just nice to be able to give back.

- Luna

An Interview with a Nomadic Ambassador

2007-07-28T05:03:00.001+01:00

Nomadic Ambassador DJ AJAM is currently couchsurfing...the world! He has recently opened his own "CouchSurfing shop" on his website, with all profits going to CouchSurfing.com. He shares some thoughts with us about couchsurfing, travel and life.

1. Hi Adam, could you tell us about yourself?

I'm a 28 year old from Bolton, Manchester England. Started DJing when I was 17, became professional when I turned 22, a year exactly to the day my dad passed away. For the last 6 years since then I've been DJing all over Europe as a career as well as working for a record distribution company for 5 years promoting and selling vinyl records all over the world. Whilst working I did a BA in Film Writing and Creative Writing in Manchester, part-time. In the second year of my degree my mum passed away sending me almost to the brink of depression. Somehow i pulled myself out, returned to finish my degree and now I'm pursuing the noble career as a writer.

2. How did you hear about CouchSurfing?

A friend of mine, who is also now a couchsurfer took a 1 year pre-planned trip around the world. Whilst in Asia, he met a guy from America who was using cs. He knew it would be the kind of thing I'd jump on, when he returned he gave me the website and I was hooked immediately.

I hosted in my house for over a year, never actually surfing myself, however after hearing all the stories from my guests, my desire to travel exploded ever more.

3. And what do you do now?

I quit my job to become a professional writer as well as DJing any opportunity I get. I now class myself as a world traveler, hopefully the next modern-day Hemingway currently exploring every country & writing the first book about couchsurfing the world.

4. Couchsurfing the world? For how long? How will you afford it?

After losing both my parents, my sister and I inherited the family house, I had to decide if I wanted to keep it or not which meant getting a mortgage for half the estate to give to my sister. The other option was to sell everything and use the money for the trip of a life time. The hardest decision of my life, however I'll only regret the things I didn't do right!

I plan to travel for 5 years, I'm in no rush, the last year i will spend writing the book and getting it published etc.

5. But what's left to do after doing the trip of a lifetime?

If the books a success then maybe I'll buy a boat and sail around the world, hosting people as i go, we can sail out to sea and crack up the music real loud. Also I've been writing a film trilogy for the last 5 years and a TV Series so I've plenty to crack on with. The book will hopefully give me the voice i need to break into the film industry. I'd like to start a family I guess at some point, not just yet though, I've the whole world to see.

6. Are you worried that CouchSurfing will change or not even last the length of your trip?

Yes, maybe it will change slightly, finally sell out to a big corporation, i hope i can complete my book before that happens if it does. I know that the admins work round the clock to keep the site running and the temptation of such an offer would be hard to knock back. I'm not thinking of the future too much, or the past, I'm living in the now and theres no better feeling than that.

7. So back to the trip. How's it going so far? Good/bad experiences?

Truly amazing, I've had so many wonderful experiences, I've attained over 5000 emails which i send my journal too, receiving copious amounts of replies from my readers about how much they are enjoying it. I'm growing as a writer everyday. I've not had any really bad experiences, more a case of some couchsurfers are more involved than others, to them its more than just having someone staying in their house, its about sharing, welcoming, creating bonds of friendship stretching across the globe that last forever. When I meet tourists, I find myself giving them advice that I've learnt from my hosts, priceless info you can't learn from Lonely Planet and tour guides.

8. Where do you have the time to couchsurf, write and respond to 5000 emails?

Sleep is the cousin of death they say, I guess i don't sleep much, I'm a good organizer of my time, and I'm quick to reply to emails, I used to work 8 hours a day back home like everyone else, without this commitment I've plenty of time to do what needs to be done to make my project as successful as possible.

9. I heard you're promoting Couchsurfing. How do you do that, besides surfing?

Proceedings of each book sold will be donated to CS keeping the website alive and hopefully away from membership funds and advertising. I'm hoping to donate a dollar per book. If every couchsurfer bought a copy you do the math, it would keep cs alive for a very long time. I hope to donate the largest sum in the CS history. Everyone I meet in the street I tell them of my project and introduce them to CouchSurfing. Although I do speak to everyone I meet I'm very particular about who I think would make a good CS member. After traveling for almost 8 months, I know how important it is to have the correct personalties and attitudes for the growth of our CS family.

10. So what do you think "Couchsurfing" is? Just a free couch or something else?

It's way more than a free couch, it helps travelers not only save money but utilise there time wisely, sometimes I've been lucky and my hosts have taken me to the places I wanted to visit instead of having to get a tour, its also a great insight into how places differ, how families live together, on occasion I get to try home made food from all around the world. also i feel safe knowing I have a host as soon as I get off the plane or bus, i don't have to worry about my belongings etc. Deep down CouchSurfing is a spiritual organisation, even in this world of fear and terror there are people out there that want to reach out and greet strangers into there home, even the parents of some of the hosts I've stayed with welcome the idea, liking the thought of having young people come and go from all around the world.

11. And do you think that CouchSurfing is really "changing the world"? Or is it just another traveler website?

It's changed my world for sure, I would have traveled regardless but couchsurfing reduces a big part of the stress and worry. It also leaves me with a friend in every country that I can always revisit making my world a smaller place.

12. How do you think CouchSurfing differs from other social networking sites?

First of all the security is way better than anything I've used before, the actual site is much more professional than similar sites and constantly being modified based on the members input, and what I like most about CS is that you actually go about making plans to meet people rather than chat nonsense in cyberspace. the site shows a different kind of dedication to a purpose than other sites which are filled with profiles showcasing fake relationships with people they have never met. Also at the moment CouchSurfing doesn't demand a joining fee, lets hope it stays that way and members continue to give donations instead.

13. Absolutely. Now, tell me about your Couchparty gigs. What's that about?

With me DJing for free, its a great way to do a party, inviting the local CS members together to meet one another and grow as a community. Some clubs have donated free bottles of spirits to me which i share with the members, the parties we have had so far have been great, I hope to make them bigger as I travel, maybe even one day making a global event..

14. Sounds exciting! Now, I heard something Couchsurfing T-shirts for sale. Can you give details?

The shop is now up and running! All commision charges will be donated to CouchSurfing every month. Check it out on-line..

15. So how much will the T-shirts be? And what percentage of sale price goes to CS?

All prices are on-line, on average about 3-4 dollars of each item goes to CouchSurfing, the rest covers the cost.

16. Thanks Adam. So where are you now? And where to next?

Now in Panama, I'll be here about a week then hit Colombia. After that, my next continent's South America.

DJ Adam's profile can be found here.

Roy Abraham

Surfing Between the Border Lines

2007-07-26T04:12:00.000+01:00

"Surfing Between the Border Lines" (working title), an independent, feature-length documentary film exploring the growing phenomenon of couchsurfing is currently in pre-production. Three filmmakers and newbie couchsurfers will spend three months couchsurfing the globe while filming their experiences to share with the world. Making use of interviews, found footage, newscasts, and live action sequences, "Surfing" is a film that will take audiences on an epic journey across hemispheres, time zones, and border lines to explore the possibilities of what can happen when strangers meet and decide to be anything but.

Directed by Rachel Evans, a couchsurfing member from Chicago, Illinois, "Surfing" is set to begin filming in late July of 2007. The filmmakers will travel between New Zealand and Iceland and all points in between. This film will mark the entire film crew's inaugural experience with couchsurfing and will not only chronicle their journey but will seek to situate the phenomenon of couchsurfing within modern culture and to dissect its social relevance, causes, and implications for the future and to discover what, if anything, the world at large can learn from this collective of people.

"I'm fascinated with this concept of pay-it-forward social hosting," says Rachel. "That something like this exists against the backdrop of a world in which there is a growing media-supported trend of both personal and national paranoia and in which most people no longer even know the names of their neighbors is supremely interesting to me both as an American and as a member of a rapidly globalizing society."

A website for the film is set to launch in mid July. Until that time, anyone with questions, suggestions, or a wish to donate much needed funds to the film can email Rachel directly through the couchsurfing.com website - her user name is raeevans. Anyone interested in hosting the crew and participating in the film may also contact her through the site.

Rachel Evans

Discover Estonia during Pärnu beach camp

2007-07-26T04:11:00.000+01:00

Estonia, as a small country alongside the Baltic Sea does not very often stay on the routes of travelers. However, there’s a special reason to visit this little country very soon now, because of the big HC/CS camp held from 28. June until 1. July.

The camp is organised by a little group of enthusiastic Estonians who want to bring together many like-minded people, share the cultures and friendship. The dates for the camp have been chosen carefully, because when the camp is over, there’s a brilliant opportunity for the campers to head to Tallinn and see estonian traditional Song and Dance Celebration.

Camp itself have two full-days, from which one is concentrated on Estonian culture, other day on all the other cultures that meet up in the camp. Program contains little concerts, movie-night, folk-dancing and much more.

Probably the most enchanting about this camp is the place – isolated beach and naturally beautiful camping area in the middle of the pines. People fond of hiking can find much to discover in the surroundings of the camp place.

Even though the camp starts in less then a week, it’s still not late to register. More information is provided on the webpage www.hceesti.ee

Katrin Niisuke

The urban adventure: 17 days of hospitality exchange

2007-07-19T03:57:00.000+01:00

During the second half of August, the worldwide hospex community will participate in a unique cultural project in Bremen/Germany. For the duration of 17 days our bunch of friendly people reaches out its helping hands to redesign an entire seven storey building and to foster internationality among the participants. The living complex consists of 110 accommodation units that will be teared down after the project. This in turn means that there are simply no limits to imagination and creativity. Members can sign up under: hc-goes-sproutbau.piranho.de The only restrictions are that members have to stay for at least 5 days and that there is only place for 10 members per day, so be quick!!!

- polarfox

Mexico Couchsurfers open doors (and couches) to the world

2007-07-13T03:59:00.000+01:00

As the biggest event worldwide for the celebration of cultural diversity and international dialogue nears its opening day, the local Couchsurfing community of Monterrey, Mexico is ready to receive all the CSers that will take part in the activities of the 2nd Universal Forum of Cultures.

The Forum is a non-profit, global, civil society event that seeks to promote cultural diversity, cooperation, dialogue and celebration of the richness of our modern world. Local CSers have been deeply involved in the organization of this event, the follow up to the Universal Forum of Cultures Barcelona 2004, and have begun to organize a series of CS events and meetings for all the travelers that will visit the city during the 80-day event.

This event is free, and is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to present inniciatives to make this world a better place and Couchsurfing is an important part of this project. We want also to take the opportunity of this event to present CS to the almost 1.5 million attendents to the Forum, and will be organizing events sponsored by the local CS community.

For more info on the event click on www.monterreyforum2007.org

- Adrian Monfort

Bula Fiji first major event a success!!

2007-07-12T04:03:00.000+01:00

Bula Fiji, which is the Fiji CS Collective, had our first major get together last weekend. We were excited and honored to be joined by fellow German CS, Jörg Wimper and Lene Juergens. On Friday, July 6th everyone who is based in the capital of Suva traveled down to the jet set town of Nadi for what was the beginning of a weekend filled with, sun, sand, laughter and a great cultural exchanged. The tiny room that we all bunked in didn’t dampen the spirit (in fact this made it more fun) as we shared jokes, stories, ideas and laughter. The highlight was the day cruise to the popular Beachcomber Island where we all indulged in a cocktail of swimming, kayaking, parasailing, beach volleyball and exchanging more stories & ideas on how we could improve CS in Fiji. Bula Fiji member Fenton Lutun organised this first major get together and more exciting ones are already planned for the upcoming months.

Losana & Simon McGowan-Greaves

europAlive : A documentary about today's and tomorrow's Europeans

2007-07-05T04:10:00.000+01:00

A project is taking shape in Europe, aiming at connecting people with each others through a documentary taking place in all the 27 EU countries.

The challenge here is to travel to all European capitals (or main cities) in order to make filmed interviews from different categories of people, who represent most of each country's population : students, workers, housewives, jobless, homeless, artists, businessmen and retired persons, for the most general panel.

The idea is to go and meet these people and ask them the same questions,so that it's possible to compare our answers and share our visions with everyone else in the EU and abroad. No budget, only volunteering work, as Couchsurfing demonstrates through its members it can be a reality in a cynical, money-driven world.

aRno Jullien

Mongol Rally 2007

2007-07-05T04:08:00.000+01:00

On 21 July 2007 I Sam Brettingham, 21, a Sustainable Design student at Falmouth University College and my team mate James Binning, 20, an architecture student at Cambridge University, will travel from Hyde Park in London, to the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar as participants of the 2007 Mongol rally. The Mongol Rally will take us and another 199 teams on a journey of nearly 10,000 miles – a third of the way across the world. Participants will be driving on the worst roads imaginable, pass through five mountain ranges and cross three deserts on the way, all in cars with one litre engines or less. The mighty steed in which we have decided to drive in is a Suzuki SJ410.

We will be leaving London on the 21st July and driving to Prague for the 22nd where there will be a fantastic party and gathering of all those taking part. Our route will take us south through Turkey, hugging the Black sea, into Georgia, Azerbaijan, across the Caspian sea in to Turkmenistan and then north through Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and finely into Mongolia. If there is anyone along the way who would be willing to put two smelly yet charming travelers up for a night we would be greatly appreciated, otherwise it will be sleeping in the jeep! Do get in touch.(jb561@cam.ac.uk)

The Mongol Rally isn’t only about the adventure and having a memorable experience though. Last year’s event raised over £200,000 for its partner charities and in 2007 the Rally is expected to hit the target of a quarter of a million pounds. The principle charity is Mercy Corps, an international development organisation, which supports rural communities and herding families in Mongolia through a range of economic, educational and agricultural programmes.

With help we hope to raise £1000 for Mercy Corps and any contribution to the cause has been greatly appreciated. There is also an opportunity for team sponsorship, if anyone is interested don’t hesitate to get in touch.

For online donations to Mercy Corps go to www.justgiving.com/samboandjimbo and for more information about the Mongol Rally visit www.mongolrally.com (here you can also find a list of all participating teams) and for our team web site take a look at www.rally.microbros.com.

Sam Brettingham

New Couchsurfing documentary

2007-07-05T04:04:00.000+01:00

Filmmaker Derek Antonio Serra plans to shoot a documentary on the couchsurfing phenonema over the next two years. Based in Cape Town, South Africa, Serra will host travellers in his hometown as well as couchsurf himself, and capture these experience on HD video.

In July he will be hosting surfers in Cape Town, as well as meeting up with other surfers being hosted by CS2 members in the city. Serra's first couchsurfing trip will take him to Malaysia, Phillipines and Indonesia in August/September this year, where he hopes to be hosted by couchsurfing enthusiasts. The documentary will thus carry the perspectives of both hosts and surfers,

So, if you live in South Africa, Malaysia, Phillipines or Indonesia, or plan to visit Cape Town, and would like to participate in this documentary, please check out Derek Serra's profile at www.couchsurfing.com/people/DEREKSERRA and get in touch him to discuss the matter further.

Derek Serra

Documentary Filmmaker Seeks Couchsurfers to be Part of Film Project!

2007-06-20T04:14:00.000+01:00

Dallas grassroots filmmaker Steven Pomerantz has been fascinated by the couchsurfing community over the past year and plans to shoot a documentary film about the CF community.

The project, tentatively titled, "7 Days / 7 Couches" will take Steven to 7 different cities over a 7 day period to meet and stay with interested hosts who would like to be filmed and be part of this exciting project.

"The idea of this film is to show what this community is all about and focus on a wide variety of hosts/couchsurfers bringing to light that humanity, kindness, open-mindedness and free thinking are still part of this world we all live in together," states Pomerantz.

Filming will begin late this summer and will be submitted to film festivals worldwide in 2008. Previous short films by Pomerantz have been featured in film festivals worldwide, along with Pomerantz being awarded one of the top 25 finalists in the 2006 AMEX/Tribeca Film Festival 15-Second Clips Competition.

All couchsurfers that live in the U.S. and are interested in more information about participating can check out his couchsurfing profile at dallasdocguy or email him at babyxeropictures@aol.com.

Steven Pomerantz

Couchsurfing goes to Burning Man 2007

2007-06-16T04:16:00.000+01:00

Couchsurfing Camp has officially been formed for this year's Burning Man festival! So far about 65 CS'rs have come together from all over the world to coordinate and create the first official Couchsurfing Camp at Burning Man, 2007. Over the past couple of years the adventurous nature of couchsurfers have found themselves on the playa, and last year there was a Couchsurfing meet-and-greet hosted at the C4 camp out of Canada. This year Couchsurfing Camp has joined up with the Black Rock International Burner Hostel at the burn to create the first International Village -- and there will be a pot luck style CS meet-and-greet at Couchsurfing Camp on Wednesday afternoon Aug 29th starting at 4pm. More information about Couchsurfing Camp can be found through the website www.couchsurfingcamp.com

Sofa King in Charge

the Luck of Seven

2007-06-07T04:17:00.000+01:00

contact noel a hidalgo (aka noneck) global explorer Phone: +1.917.657.6999 (till 7 july) http://luckofseven.com press@noneck.org

on 07 july 2007, noneck noel (aka noel a hidalgo) will depart new york city for a journey around the world to learn from you. affably named "on the luck of seven" or "luck of seven." this is an open-source journey documenting free culture, social innovators and global change.

for seven months, i will stand on the seven contents, dive into the seven oceans, and contemplate seven topics of freedom. while on the way, i will document the journey through stories, photos and videos. this is not my story, this is our story. though your hospitably, donations, projects, connections and friends, our stories will merge into one.

as i wander the earth, my broad shoulders will bear seven topics of freedom: free culture; free and open-source software communities; couchsurfers, bloggers, fellow travelers and vloggers; agents of progressive social change; barcamp, coworking and meetups; happenstance, and climate change. all work will be produced under a creative commons license. all-in-all, this 21st century anthropological view of the personalities in physical / digital world we cohabit will always be freely available.

before departure, i am seeking 700 people to donate USD $11.11 for a total of USD $7,777. in exchange for providing my travel budget, each donor will receive a copy of my self-published book. with a less than, five weeks to go, i am well on my way to meeting my goal. as of 4 june, 2007, 141 generous donors have contributed over $3,000.

along the way, i am looking forward to partnerships with organizations to share good practices. as the clock ticks, i am constantly seeking out partnerships in promotion, equipment, research but most importantly teaching. for example, at home in new york city, michael david vineyards, a family owned vineyard and market located in lodi, california, is sending a few bottles of their award winning seven deadly zins and seven heavenly chards for me to taste. the wine will also be featured at the last few events i have in new york city. while in prague, transitions online, a czech non-profit who works with young, up and coming eastern European journalists, has asked me to help teach a week long session on new media journalism. while on the road, mobileactive and i will work together to report on the use of mobile phones for activism, campaigns, and civic engagement.

this trip will germinate many projects. first, through the blog <> i document the journey though text, audio, photos and high-definition video. second, i will self-publish at least one book, detailing more intimate parts of my path. third, will be a documentary movie. filmed in a first person perspective and shot in high definition, my goal is to have the movie ready for distribution before the end of 2008.

as for fundraising, once i reach my travel budget of USD $7,777, i will donate 75% of profits to non-profit communities that exemplify the luck of seven.

not an alternative - brooklyn coworking & community organizing - a little over a year ago, i was exposed to a wonderful community of artists, political organizers, freelance workers and free thinkers. not an alternative & the change you want to see gallery calls a modest williamsburg store front home. daily you can come joining us for coworking brooklyn or for monthly salons and performances. as not an alternative looks to expand their offering, i am donating 25% of this projects profits.

couchsurfing.com - open source communication & karma economy - imagine a world where you can travel the globe and have a buddy in every town. imagine, a traveler coming into your home and together you learn from each other. now imagine, these connections stemming from a social networking site. in spite of what most read or watch on television, there is a vast network of free spirits who have no problem opening their doors and allowing fellow travelers to share their home. as an avid host and supporter of couchsurfing, i am donating 25% of profits.

drupal association - open source technology & tools for change - since 2004, i have found myself immersed within a socially astute and technology savvy community who understand the importance of peer to peer communication and dialogue. world renown as one of the best content management systems, late last year, the drupal community established a non-profit to help guide and oversee the drupal project. as one of the new york city organizers and evangelists, i am donating 25% of profits.

using the website, book and film to provide a look at where our early 21st century stands. the remaining 25% of income will be used to establish a not for profit organization that promotes the ideals of this project.

for information: luckofseven.com or contact: press@noneck.org phone: +1.917.657.6999 (until 7 july 2007)

NONECKNOEL

The Rotterdam Mini-Collectove has started!

2007-06-04T04:19:00.000+01:00

The Tech Mini-Collective has officially begun in Rotterdam, Netherlands! Volunteer developers and programmers from all over the world will come together to work on making the CS website faster, more efficient and more stable. The Mini-Collective will focus heavily on bug fixing, improving the infrastructure and training new developers.

You can find out more about the Rotterdam Mini-Collective in the Wiki page Also, be informed about everything that is happening day by day at the Collective in our official blog.

Remember, if you are a programmer/developer, we are still accepting applications for you to join us at the Collective, just send us an email to cs-dev-applications@googlegroups.com

- The CSCR Team

Duke

London Hosts showed impressing hospitality!

2007-05-30T04:19:00.000+01:00

During the days of the LONDON CALLING 2007, hundreds of CouchSurfers from allover found themselves surprised by the unbelievable hospitality of the London Hosts.

The Organizers of this Global Gathering have not only built the biggest CouchSurfing event ever, but also made sure that it was successfull for each and everyone.

It is up to the CouchSurfing Community now to pay Respect to one and all of the Organisation Team who put tons of efforts into this.

We want to simple thank all of you who made this priceless amazing event possible.

MIKKY MOUTH

Berlin Beach Camp May 24th-28th

2007-05-22T04:20:00.000+01:00

CouchSurfers are getting ready to attend the Berlin Beach Camp 2007 which goes from Thursday May 24th 2007 until Monday May 28th. It has been organised by Michael Habermann (http://www.couchsurfing.com/miicoo) via his website (http://www.happy-traveller.de).

The Berlin Beach Camp is not officially affiliated with any hospitality exchange network. However, it does tend to draw a majority of participants from Hospitality Club and a large minority from CouchSurfing, along with members from smaller hospitality exchange organisations. Thus, it is an ideal occasion to ignore "hospitality exchange branding" and just have lots of fun with like-minded people.

The program will consist of 4 days of fun activities including city walking tours, sports games, movie screenings and dancing. There'll even be a Free Hugs Campaign, organised by Couchsurfer Aaron Schultz (http://www.couchsurfing.com/profile.html?id=1EIN30U).

The campsite is called “Strandbad Grünau” (Sportpromenade 9, 12527 Berlin), a beautiful scenic area of Berlin’s southeast. The location has been rented exclusively for this occasion and boasts of a white sandy beach and a crystal clear lake, right in front of the camp. Accommodation is by way of camping or laying sleeping bags in the dormitory. Each participant is expected to pay 5 euros per night or 15 euros for all 4 nights.

As of writing, over 800 people have signed up for this gathering.

LINKS:
Berlin Beach Camp (MEET) http://www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=987
Berlin Beach Camp (Group) http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=1141
Free Hugs (Group) http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=4109

Azarethroy

Evolution Solutions: ‘World that Transcends Money’

2007-05-21T04:21:00.000+01:00

‘Human Capital’ Organizes in GiveGet Nation’s ‘Help Yourself by Helping Others’ E-Pool

Evolution Solutions, a New Haven, Connecticut-based, non-profit social enterprise, announced today the launch of the 1.0 version of its free person-to-person human resources sharing application, GiveGet Nation (www.givegetnation.net). First there was the Internet, connecting people everywhere. Then came Amazon, cutting out the middle man. Next, eBay gave a free window to millions of entrepreneurs. In 1998, people started Googling the world's information--and the Internet would never be the same.

And now, its founders say, GiveGet Nation will do all these things, all at once--without money--by circulating the limitless human product, labor, intelligence and spiritual capital of the world through pooling. “The human capital of the planet is beyond measure and is therefore priceless. It’s time we shared the bounty to heal the planet and help one another. That’s why GiveGet Nation was founded,” say founders Timothy Wilken, MD, and William Shanley. “By efficiently putting to work and circulating what’s already abundant via our e-pool, GiveGet Nation helps to improve the quality of life for people, set the world free from scarcity and save the Earth through synergy.” “Imagine living in a land where you don’t need money to get what you want in life and you’re free to share what you can afford. That world’s not here yet, but at GiveGet Nation, we’re working to manifest it,” said media producer William Shanley from his New Haven office. “We want to help you, your family and neighbors near and far experience a new world that’s beyond money. And we think we’ve got the right formula to make that happen. Our secret? We’re over money because the values people share are worth more than money.”

“Ours is a virtual new world that runs on both quantitative and qualitative dimensions of life, just like Mother Nature,” said Timothy Wilken, a physician and synergy scientist from his home in Carmel Heights, California. “Giving and receiving are really two sides of the same coin – the on-going, universal process of free exchange called ‘life.’ Our new culture of free exchange is based on values and principles that can’t be quantified, mortgaged, privatized or traded in the fragmented economy of Wall Street. Tragically, there’s not been a whole economy in ‘civilization’ since the invention of money. Now we’re going to change that. Think of us as the Humane Economy. We’re making a world that transcends money.” In GiveGet Nation, people can Give, Get and Share: Goods, Actions, Knowing and Spirit in an infinite number of categories and combinations. Share a babysitter or lawnmower. Volunteer to help rebuild New Orleans. Provide expertise. Find help for anything. Express and self-create. Adopt a family. Mentor a young entrepreneur. Give goods whose value is beyond money, like those special items you’ve been storing, don’t want to sell, and would prefer to gift to someone who values them the way you do. “Learn to live more freely. The only limit is your own imagination,” say Messrs. Wilken and Shanley.

GiveGet Nation is free. There are no middle men, fees or commissions of any kind. All transactions are unmediated and use whuffie, a post-scarcity, reputation-based currency voted when a transaction is complete. Whuffie was invented by science fiction writer Cory Doctorow. The greater a person’s whuffie, the greater their reputation for integrity in GiveGet Nation.

About the Science

Dr. Wilken went on to explain the science of GiveGet Nation. “GiveGet Nation is a gifting tensegrity, we call Giftegrity. A tensegrity is the exhibited strength that results when push and pull have a win-win relationship with each other. Tension is continuous and compression discontinuous, such that continuous pull is balanced by equivalently discontinuous pushing forces. We apply that principle to giving and receiving. Buckminster Fuller explained that these fundamental phenomena are ‘not opposites, but complements that could always be found together.’ GiveGet Nation’s economy runs on the power of the win-win relationship between desires to give and get. That’s why we call it Giftegrity.”“No matter how rich or poor, everyone has gifts and wishes and genius to share,” Mr. Shanley said. “GiveGet Nation provides the level playing field so everyone can play the infinite game of life. Think of us as the gifts and wishes e-pool where miracles happen when people’s values match.”

Values are Unlimited and Free

"Values are the basis of all moral, political and economic behavior." -- Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motor Cycle Maintenance

Human values like love, freedom, joy, creativity, growth, abundance and values fulfillment are examples of the primary sources of meaning upon which all goods, services and money are based. Human values are what people are really after in life; they are beyond measure and reside in an unlimited, qualitative domain that bridges both subject and object.“The wonderful thing about human values, the more you share them, the stronger and more attractive they become,” Dr. Wilken explained. “It’s like the relationship between a performer and an audience. A feeling bond is created that empowers the experience and performance for each.”

Conscious Evolution

“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems.” --Mahatma Gandhi

“Join the freedom movement,” Mr. Shanley urged. “Experience our new world of sharing. Help evolve GiveGet Nation. Let’s create ‘a world that works for everyone.’ That’s our Golden Rule.”“In GiveGet Nation gifts and wishes meet love and gratitude, so be fearless and register. Post gifts, wishes and shares. It doesn't matter which. All are fuel for our synergic, human values dynamo,” said Timothy Wilken. “Read author Marilyn Ferguson’s inspiring stories. Watch our movies. Unleash your spirit. Change the world. It won’t cost you anything you say can’t afford.”“Enhance the universal dance,” said William Shanley. “Help yourself. Dream a new future. Become your ideal self while helping others at the same time. So come on, Earth Seeds, let's Save Mother Earth and bring love, joy and abundance to all! Spirit’s calling out to us: ‘Give all you have to love and you will be all things.’ Visit GiveGet Nation. You might just learn to live free.”

About Evolution Solutions, Inc. Evolution Solutions, Inc. is a registered non-profit corporation based in New Haven, Connecticut whose sole purpose is to educate, inform and provide the means for people to consciously evolve “a world that works for everyone.” For more information about Evolution Solutions, Inc., its founders and associates, please visit the website www.givegetnation.net or contact William Shanley. Contact: William Shanley, President, 1+203+497+9334 or w.shanley@sbcglobal.net.

Shanley

CS Documentary premieres in Montreal

2007-05-20T04:22:00.000+01:00

During the last year, CouchSurfer Pierre-Yves Beaulieu directed a 22 min. documentary film about CouchSurfing. This film was produced as a university terminal project. It was shot in Montreal during October 2006 and it is approximately 2/3 in English and 1/3 in French. It features CouchSurfers Aaron , Anuj , Duke, Rico and Trey. Without being a marketing tool for CouchSurfing, the film aims to promote the CouchSurfing spirit and the positive values it involves.

The premiere is set for May 31st in Montreal (see www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=2208 for more detailed infos) and the film will eventually be sent to a wide bunch of festivals all over the world. If you have questions or wish to suggest cool festivals in your area, you may send an email at couchsurfingfilm@gmail.com

Groulx

Announcing The CouchSurfing Leadership Team

2007-05-12T04:26:00.000+01:00

Our CS community has recently passed its 200,000 members mark. Congratulations to everyone one of you for helping CS make a difference in the lives of people all over the world! More couches in more places and more people exploring the world, yet feeling at home wherever they go, making friendships that bridge cultures and continents. As CouchSurfing continues to grow, so does the way the organization operates. We have had several successful collectives now, and have learned a lot over the last four years. In the beginning, the Founders and a few Admins (trusted volunteers brought on board by Casey) maintained all the day-to-day business needed to run the project. This worked fine while CS was smaller, but the time has come for a more formalized organization structure with clear, transparent leadership and accountability, just like any other successful non-profit company.

Our purpose first and foremost is to serve the mission of CouchSurfing. In creating this structure, we are committing to excellent service to the community, effective and regular communication, a transparent decision-making process, quality operations management, and accountability to our mission and membership. To achieve this goal, we have established a Leadership Team comprised of Founders, Admins and a few dedicated, long-term volunteers. The core values of the team are:

Focus. Our top priority is to achieve the mission of CouchSurfing and serve the volunteers and members. Focus on the mission means that CS resources (workforce, finances, etc.) are dedicated to projects that directly serve to achieve the mission. The mission serves as the main criterion for determining which undertakings to support.

Service. Leadership is dedication to the mission, the members and the project, and is inclusive in nature. We strive to bring people together. We are representatives from the community and are open to voices from within the community. Leaders work closely with Ambassadors and volunteers to ensure that the needs of the members and the project are being met.

Structure. CS is a non-profit company that must operate with effective leadership whose purpose is to achieve the mission. The leaders serve as navigators determining the course of the company and making the strategic decisions about the future of CS, taking into consideration input from Ambassadors and the community as a whole. We have defined a clear policy for the Leadership Team, which includes the requirements for membership, a consensus decision-making process, policy for removal from the team, emergency provisions, public records and accountability. For more information on this policy, please see: www.couchsurfing.com/wiki/Leadership_Team

Quality. We have defined the attributes and qualifications for leaders that will best serve the CouchSurfing organization. We are creating a peer-review system to insure leaders and volunteers meet high standards, are accountable for their actions, and are constantly challenged to grow and improve. For more information on this please see: www.couchsurfing.com/wiki/Leadership_Qualities

Communication. We strive for transparency in the organization. Decision making processes and the operation of the Leadership Team is open record, including: - Leadership Team members and area of focus - New appointments to the Leadership Team, including selection process - Regular communication about operations process, including quarterly leadership progress reports - Financial Records - Policies and guideline

The Leadership Team members and area of focus are:
Casey Fenton: President and Visionary Leader, Founder
Dan Hoffer: Operations Leader, Founder
Aldo Golja: Policy Development, Member Safety
Chris Burley: Tech Team Coordinator
Duke: Community Building, Translations
Heather O'Brien: Public Relations, Content Writing (Newsletter, Internal/External Communications), TV/Documentary/Media Projects
Jesse Fenton: Finances, Documentation, Verifications
Jim Stone: Volunteer Coordination, Verifications
Promitheus: Ambassador Coordination
Rachel diCerbo: Member Disputes and Safety, Chat Room Coordination
MrRico: Media Coordinator
Mattthew Brauer: Homepage News, Member Projects, Internal Communications

Many members of the Leadership Team (we wish everyone could make it!) will gather in North America at the end of May to refine the structure and policies. Those who can't be in attendance will still participate remotely. One goal of this conference is to solidify CS's leadership model and implement a solid, stable organizational structure. This structure will be more like a traditional non-profit company than the looser "ad-hocracy" model used in the past. However, the new structure will create a way for any volunteer to eventually take on as much responsibility as he or she desires and to participate in the decision-making corresponding to that level of responsibility.

New volunteers may join by gaining ambassadorship and proving their ability to handle the responsibilities and tasks of ambassadorship. Ambassadors may then take on a specific volunteer role with more responsibility by joining a working team, such as tech development or communications. As these volunteers responsibility and trust grows, they will become the pool from which new leadership team members are selected. We need more committed, hardworking, mission-dedicated people on the Leadership Team! Like a traditional management team, the existing leadership will make decisions to "promote" trusted volunteers, using the process outlined in the Leadership Team Policy. CouchSurfing grows and changes at a rapid pace. This leadership structure is sturdy, yet flexible, and can best adapt to our growing and evolving community. We have a large responsibility to guard the safety and privacy of our members as well as the stability of the organization. This structure ensures that a team of long-term volunteers are responsible and accountable for meeting the needs of the CouchSurfing's mission: facilitating a way to experience intercultural understanding via hosting and surfing couches.

Leadership can only be effective by listening to the needs of the community. With so many active participants, it is impossible come up with a system that is optimal for all members -- you just can't please everyone! That said, we are open to feedback and improvements before presenting the new organizational structure to the community at large within the next two months. This is an exciting time for CS! CouchSurfing is stronger everyday thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Ambassadors and volunteers. We are constantly impressed by and grateful for the contributions to the CouchSurfing Project and it's mission of making a difference not only in the way we travel but in how we relate to the world.

Fenton

Couchsurf photo exhibition in Montenegro

2007-05-07T04:32:00.000+01:00

An photo exhibition dedicated to couchsurfing idea and travels is going to take place in Herceg-Novi, Montenegro on 27th of may. Jason Brown (CS - JASONCONGA) will expose photos from his couchsurf travels and will be available to all visitors with his stories from different countries and couchsurfing experiences! Details about this happening can be found at the Meet chapter...http://www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=2274

Bulatovic

The OpenCouchSurfing Campaign

2007-05-07T04:31:00.000+01:00

Today saw the launch of OpenCouchSurfing Campaign: www.opencouchsurfing.org

Our mission is to: Participate in creating a Better and More Open CouchSurfing Organisation, one Freedom at a time. We believe in the spirit of CouchSurfing, of creating a better world through understanding. We believe this purpose is best served by a truly Open Organisation, one that is representative of the CouchSurfing community as a whole. We believe information should flow freely through an Open Organisation. We have realized that this Freedom will not come from within the Couchsurfing core itself. We believe in being able to help Couchsurfing by opening the organisation from the outside.

Take action now, sign the petition: www.opencouchsurfing.org/petition

Macdonald

CS member currently attempting to climb Mount Everest

2007-05-02T04:33:00.000+01:00

David Klein, of Budapest is making his third attempt at climbing Mt. Everest. This time, he's attempting to summit without the use of supplementary Oxygen. You can check his progress, or drop him some encouraging words at his website, www.expeditions.hu Wish him good weather, he's never been much for luck - Adam Shor.

Shor

Save The Wild Bison Canada, Northern Bison Campaign

2007-04-30T04:34:00.000+01:00

"Free Roaming Human- Cross-Country on Foot for Wild Bison" For Immediate Release- April 29,2007 Contact Kalanu Buffalo, kalanubuffalo@yahoo.com

Starting on May 15, 2007, former Buffalo Field Campaign volunteer and current Northern Bison Campaign Coordinator Kalanu Buffalo will be embarking from Victoria, B.C., on a cross-Canada walk in honour of wild bison in Canada and the United States.

"Few people are aware that there are wild bison left in North America." said Kalanu "Fewer still realize how threatened their future is. My goal; the goal of all wild bison activists, is to see wild bison roaming this continent again. I am embarking on this journey to spread the message that the buffalo need to roam, the buffalo need protection, our wild spaces need protection, and wildness itself needs to be honoured and respected above industry, development and domestication."

During this journey, the only non-foot transportation Kalanu will be taking will be the ferry from Victoria to Vancouver and the ferry from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland.

"The purpose of avoiding vehicle travel is to make a point that we want wild buffalo to re-populate this continent again, and we want them to do it on their own four feet, not in the back of a cattle truck."

If you would like to help provide Kalanu with accommodation or food along the way, or would like to arrange an interview or speaking engagement, please send an email to kalanubuffalo@yahoo.com. For more information on the Northern Bison Campaign, and to stay informed on the Free-Roaming Human journey, visit www.savethewildbison.org

For more information on the Buffalo Field Campaign, visit www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

Buffalo

CouchSurfer in Florida seriously injured in bicycle crash

2007-04-28T04:35:00.000+01:00

Nancy Heinrich was seriously injured with possible brain injuries in a bike accident several days ago. She was starting on her cross-country bike trip from Sarasota, FL to St. Augustine, FL to San Diego, CA. The accident occured outside of Wauchula, FL. She was having problems towing her Bob Trailer behind her bicycle during headwinds. The Bob trailer fishtailed and made the bike crash. Nancy flew over the handlebar of the bicycle onto the pavement. If she wasn't wearing a helmet, she might not have survived the accident. Nancy had to be airlifted from Wauchula, FL to a major hospital in Tampa, FL. She had to have several CAT scans and a possible operation to relieve pressure on the brain. Also, possible facial cuts from broken glasses. The accident occured on her second day of her trip. More news will follow if I here anything.

Myors

Hitchiking the World- From Dream to Reality, not a penny on transport

2007-04-24T04:36:00.000+01:00

Since January 1st 2003, Ludovic Hubler, a 29 year old French graduate with a Master of Science in Management, has been touring the world by hitchhiking with the challenge of completing the tour without spending a single cent on transport. After more than 4 years with his thumb up for over 139,000km through 48 countries, he has now finally arrived in Mumbai.

Having appeared on over 30 TV stations and hundreds of newspapers across the world, he continues to share his experiences of hitchhiking 1,500 Kilometers of the Sahara desert, crossing the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans on sailing-boats, traveling to Antarctica on an ice-breaker and navigating his way through guerilla warfare and checkpoints in Colombia.

In addition, Ludovic is involved in three humanitarian missions in Brazil, Indonesia & Central America, as well as in a "mentoring" project for French children with cancer. Having been invited to speak at over 200 schools, universities, and community groups around the world, his presentation covers variety of issues from globalization & environmental issues to more personal reflections & lessons learned on the road."

Ludo's Cs profile id is LUDOWORLD More information about the adventure is available on his website at www.ludovichubler.com, via this TV report : www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNu6ngZ8naQ or via the following interview : www.e-margaux.com/en/story/ludovic-hubler/

ShAi*

Eurohop to offer 30% Discount for CS members

2007-04-21T04:37:00.000+01:00

Traveling Spain & Portugal? Eurohop! Spain & Portugal, the Iberian hop-on hop-off, offers all CS members a 30% discount on full prices. Just enter the promotional code CS0207 in the booking form and surf the Iberian Peninsula and its couches at your own pace. Eurohop! Spain & Portugal is a flexible transport network designed for the independent traveller and backpacker interested in discovering the Iberian Peninsula. The network allows travelers to customize their own adventure around 11 magnificent destinations: Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, Zaragoza, Toledo, Granada, Cordoba, Seville, Salamanca, Lagos and Lisbon with special links to Pamplona and La Tomatina. All Eurohop! Passes are valid for traveling from May 1st to October 31st.

Get the 30% off with promotional code CS0207 www.eurohop.es

Cisterna

Beijing to Paris 2007 Carfree event

2007-04-19T04:38:00.000+01:00

As a participant of the B2P event I seem to be the first one to join the CouchSurfing community and I'm really astounded by the possibilities that are created by that. I want to inform you through 2 links about the B2P rallye: First is the project group's website that you can find under beijingtoparis.com/ (in 4 languages). Many B2P members will be crossing Asia and Europe at different times and will certainly be happy about every CouchSurfer they can meet and talk to. I myself am starting in the opposite direction for several reasons. My website can be found under www.parispeking.de (bilingual, English & German). I hope that you too see this as an interesting project.

B2PRix21

An idea: Coucha Palooza World Fest 2007

2007-04-14T04:39:00.001+01:00

I've begun a topic for discussion and consideration that has far reaching benefits for CS organizational growth and public exposure. Look things over and see what you think. I didn't want to bring the topic into Brainstorm Group until specifics are more defined and the popularity of the event tested. http://www.couchsurfing.com/group_read.html?gid=4100&post=180421#gp... BTW, I had one other key event pop up on radar (thanks Adrian) http://www.couchsurfing.com/group_read.html?gid=800&post=179567 If planning and execution are done well over the next 10-11 weeks, we'll have something that puts CS on a world stage! Our activity stats will go through the roof I think. Please don't hesitate to participate in pros/cons discussion. I realize this kind of thing may take up to FIVE organization teams to pull off over a 25 week promotional period. Thanks for everyone's input on this.

KALAHEO

Couch Surfer on verge of completion of South Asian Motorcycle Odyssey

2007-04-09T04:40:00.000+01:00

CouchSurfer Srinidhi Raghavendra and his partern Kishore Patwardhan started off on a South Asian Motorcycle Odyssey under the aegis of Borderless Bikers and are not on the verge of completing the tour. To know more about their tour please visit their website www.borderlessbikers.com.

Raghavendra

Developer chat launched on IRC

2007-04-05T04:44:00.000+01:00

The CouchSurfing.com Tech Team has an IRC channel. On the Freenode network, #couchsurfing-dev. We hope that all CS developers will start to use the channel for informal discussion, developer chit chat, and hopefully even developer meetings. For more on how to access the channel and IRC in general see: wiki.couchsurfing.com/en/IRC

Macdonald

Walk 4 Charity

2007-04-05T04:42:00.000+01:00

I have a walk i will be doing in May going from where I am living now to CA on foot hoping maybe i can get on the main site I am raising money for the children of major childrens hospitals i will be walking through that dont have any insurance and the Ronald McDonald House only takes care of part of the bill this will be for the familys who cannot afford to pay the bill i would like to see if I can get this published in Couchsurfing and try to get help for my journey across the US which I will be starting in AR going through OK,TX,NM,AZ and finally CA.

Wieger

Boston CSer to Bike Cross-U.S. for Affordable Housing Charities

2007-03-27T04:40:00.000+01:00

Starting June 7th, avid biker and active Boston CS member Terra Curtis will be leaving the comfort of employment and residence in Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA) to raise money and awareness for affordable housing. In order to do this, she will be biking from Providence, Rhode Island to Seattle, Washington - in total approximately 4,000 miles across the North American continent. She will be riding with a program called Bike & Build (www.bikeandbuild.org) along with about 30 other riders from all over the U.S. on this specific route. The program has 6 routes in all, and in total almost 200 people involved every summer. Bike & Build knows that biking across the country is enough to raise some eyebrows, but participants also raise awareness for the cause by giving nightly presentations in local communities and also by assisting at affordable housing construction sites. In order to fund the trip, every participant must raise at least $4,000 - approximately 50% of which goes to facilitate the ride (food, shelter, etc.), and the remaining 50% goes directly to local affordable housing organizations en route.

Terra has had great success thus far in her fundraising efforts, but she has not yet reached Bike and Build's $4,000 goal (nor her own $5,000 goal). She has set up a personal webpage (travellingterra.blogspot.com) where readers can become more informed of her trip, monitor her progress, and most importantly, donate to the cause. Both monetary and in-kind donations are welcomed. The program pre-arranges for accomodation (campsites, church basements, community centers), so the best way for the Couch Surfing community to become involved in Terra's efforts is to educate themselves on the affordable housing issue and to donate funds, kinds words, and encouragement!

Curtis

New Members Greeting Group looking for Greeters

2007-03-24T03:45:00.000Z

Would you like to give back to Couchsurfing? How about joining the New Members Greeters Group? We are in need for people that can greet new members in languages other than English; especially Polish, German, Swedish, French, and Spanish - if you are interested, please contact Amanda Odhner at this link! www.couchsurfing.com/profile.html?id=1NNXMGK

Odhner

www.mynameisbill.com

2007-03-24T03:44:00.000Z

Fellow couchsurfer Bill Bowles is broadcasting his travels to the world via an online podcast project. Bill has a talent for film and is using that talent to share his passion for travel, art and couchsurfing. Every day he posts a 2 minute podcast to share a part of his trip with us. Each video is accompanied by related links to the right. Couchsurfing.com has appeared next to the videos more than once on as Bill meets and stays with more of the CS world community. He's already stopped by Edinburgh and met members of the CS community here. You can check out his time staying with Couchsurfing hosts in Scotland at www.mynameisbill.com/20070314.html. If you are a fan of travel, art, couchsurfing, and the internet as a communication tool you'll enjoy these podcasts. He's off to Madagascar soon and I can't wait to see who he meets there!

Granacki

People are stranger, when you are strange

2007-03-23T03:47:00.000Z

Is it hard to trust people? Is the world is as scary as it sounds?

Traveling always been my passion while its alone it’s more fun. After long wait I made up my mind to go for little fun out of my world, Nepal. I took my flight direct to Delhi on 27th February 2007. After I reach there I found Delhi true, furiously developed within a decade. As I talk to the people they said the Gurgaun, IT hub city, has changed its face just like that with in a decade while it was a dingy, village before, likewise the metro, the flyover bridges joining the other city had made Delhi in the hype of development and easiest for commuting.

Every corner of the city is in construction and nevertheless the tall number of buildings, sophisticated shopping mall in the outskirts of Delhi seems it is going to change its face sooner and for better. While I recall my memory I used to think Delhi to be as dirty, crowded as I’ve seen on television. But the moment I reached there I found true Delhi. Clean and sophisticated. Yet when you cross Delhi, Haryana is there holding its true village and same old village life, Guitha( briquette made of animal dung), camel, lakes, small rocky sides and large fields. One thing was to be noted, I saw good roads reaching out into the deep in the village. I find it confusing still. While I was ready for my flight back in Nepal, my father said be careful unlike foreign its danger. I wonder why my father said so. Isn’t India a foreign land? Or did he say purposely that South Asia is not still safe to travel alone.

No matter how, it is to my eyes still I think as you sow so you reap, as you treat people they treat you likewise. So did happen this time too. I know I’m good at talking people and treating them well and so do people talk to me and treat me well. While I was roaming in around Delhi, I met different people and the memorable time was in a park near Cannaught place. It was moment to remember because I saw people approaching to you with a recommendation letter from people around the world just to clean your ear. Young boys with small cups for tea and coffee while sitting in the park and endless talking to a tribal astrologer from Bangalore who said he had been traveling to the world with his skill in reading peoples fate charging $100 for an hour in U.S.A. With high interest in Nepal, then being only Hindu country he said he couldn’t get out of the shock for days when he heard Royal massacre. He was an interesting man to listen because I felt like watching movie clip since he was from south, he has a unique accent.

It was amazingly bargaining place at PalikaBazar. The underground market was full with fancy clothing wares, shoes to toy shops. It would be too hard to tell what it was like a Rs.2000 Salwar kameez, you could get it for Rs.200 buck. Initially they would tell you high price eventually if you intend to go out and see other shop they would give you tell you the price which would be hard for one to say no I don’t want your piece. Back in the park, while I was talking to the old man he showed me a vibrating brush which you can brush your hair as well as use it for body massage. Said the guy asked for Rs.400 and he got for Rs.50. I was stunned at his bargain because just half a hr. ago I got that same old thing for Rs. 100. I was not as smart as I must have been. But then I ease by saying to myself anyways I got Salwar kameez for Rs.200 bucks.

Other thing I must put into words which was another feel good thing was I made a call from a mobile cart. I called for which he said Rs.2 for a call. I thought the mobile cart phone service was better than the shop which cost me Rs.5 for the call before. So I made a call but then he said it’s Rs.6. I search my purse for six rupees fetch only two coin of one rupee of Nepalese and Indian currency and Rs.10 note of Nepalese currency. I didn’t have the change so I offer him Rs. 10 Nepalese Rupees he generously said that would be fine. I started moving towards Jantar Mantar, a monument. A young boy with colorful long bead mala approached to me said Rs. 10 each. I said I don’t need it. But the boy followed me so eventually I said can you give me for one rupee each. I got one of the things and gave him one coin I still had Nepalese one rupee coin I put my idea I have one Nepalese rupee can you make it another one for me. He was excited to get Nepalese Rupee and gave me two mala for exactly Rs.1.62. I found Delhi being Nepalese friendly and quite nice to travel alone because there was not need of an interpreter since I was communicating in English and if needed people would talk in Hindi as in turn I was answering in Nepali which didn’t seems too hard for them to understand. And moreover it was fun when people have wide, warm smile when they ask me where I was from. Most of the people I talk there had little connection with Nepalese and they were quite familiar with Nepal itself. I didn’t miss my place as much as I would if I had been traveling somewhere because Delhi has inhibited large no. of Nepalese. Every corner, shops or on the street I found Nepalese everywhere I go.

People are strange, when you are stranger

My parents didn’t like the idea when I said I want to see India on foot and the transportation system, like the railways. They thought I had hollow in my pocket so they gave me few cash for my airfare on my departure. Later I made my plan to visit Tanakpur and come through Mahendranagar on the bus. I know they would not like the idea me using the bus so far so didn’t correspond with them while I went out. I start my journey back to my place, early morn at 7:00 from Ananda Vihar, Delhi. As I was said the bus would start at 7 and by 3/ 4 in the noon it would reach to Banbasa. And I made my plan to reach by then and have a visit to Tanakpur for a hr. and by 6/7 I would head towards Mahendranagar.And when I reach my country there would be no problem to stay at least I knew the place little well. First it was being my home land and other being that I’ve already spent my days working there 5 years back. To dissuade me, the bus stuck into the traffic jam somewhere in Gaziabad. While we reach Banbasa it was already 9:00 at the night. SCENE: Me alone in the night with 3 young boys who were coming back to their place from Mumbai. While I ask them where were they going? Said they live near by the border of India and Nepal and it is just a matter of crossing the bridge, they reach home. While we were discussing and waiting for a rickshaw a policeman came, exactly at the moment I remember a typical Indian policeman with a danda. As he threat the rickshaw driver if he charges more than 10 rupees each he will be in trouble. As I find him at least an authorized person there in the middle of nowhere. I was stuck and didn’t know how far it was to get to Mahendranagar moreover I was only girl there. I know it is wise to save yourself than be into it and then try to save yourself. I promptly asked him if he was a police man, he said yes and he is on duty. OH! MY SAVER, Thank God! While I asked him how far it is to Mahendranagar he said it’s far and it’s impossible to reach by this time. He suggested me to stay in a hotel for the night and go by tomorrow morning after the gate opens. I thought it was a wise idea. People said there is a jungle, no lights on the side of Nepal and would be risky to move at this time. Since the boys had given me word after they cross the bridge they would shelter me for that night so I asked their view on staying in the Hotel. But they oppose saying the policeman were trying to scare us while it’s for sure we would be left with nothing if we stayed in Banbasa. Since looting, robbery is very common there. They also assure me of being able to reach their place that night if we cross the bridge. But how on earth would I jump on to their thought while I heard there’s a jungle and we do not have lights on the other side of the bridge. Then I thought, it’s better to be looted by a native than being Raped, Looted and then tortured by someone else like a typical Bollywood movies. However I agree on them and start on my journey with them by then one of the guy had convinced a rickshaw to get us to the bridge and eventually on the way they even convinced him to take us to their place while they would provide him shelter, dinner for the night and could return back in the morn and would even pay Rs.350 for the ride.

It was definitely bloodcurdling situation for me; first I being only girl on the move at that night and other thing the policeman with other three of his colleagues followed on the bike. Like in the typical Bollywood movie, any moment they would attack us and rob us or may be even rape me and then throw me in the river. Again my brain worked, I took out my hairbrush which vibrates, and I hide it under my shawl. I feel it’s so humorous now. But to that moment it was only weapon which could have scare them for a second or truly help me. The brush itself has a story behind which I already have mentioned. However it was a wise choice at last. To amuse me it didn’t turn out the way I thought, the policeman talk to the people at the gate and let it open and said till this border line you were on our security now you have to travel on your risk. We thank him for being so kind and professional. We move further now I had no fear yet I didn’t keep my hair brush in my luggage. I still had to get a bed to lie on. And why on earth would I entirely believe I’m safe?

It was 12 in the midnight we were still scrolling on rickshaw on the bumpy road until lastly we reached and we separated since one guy took me to his aunt’s place and heaven’s amusement they were playing loud music and dancing. It was a celebration of holi. The guy introduced me to his aunt and I can remember everyone were crowding me as if I’m an alien. May be they thought the guy brought a girl from Mumbai. The ladies insist me for a little fun. I said I was dead tired can u lend me a space to lie on? She understood how was I feeling and let me her bed. I do not know when the party ended. But All I know is somewhere around 4 in the morning I heard noise, people shouting for help, and then I remember the guy saying it might be possible of an elephant attack in the middle of the night. But I was literally exhausted and so sleepy even I was hungry, I could not accept the meal the lady offered me the other night. I made up my mind even if there is an attack I rather die than run or bulldoze my body. Yes I was alive; the attack was far in the village. Thank god we were untouched. However as usual early morn I have to go for toilet straight from my bed. So I tried to search in the house but couldn’t find one and that very time one of the daughters of the house came and said: DIDI jungle januhuncha? (Want to go to Jungle)Hell no, I’m in need of a toilet no sightsee this time. Then I was told the exact meaning of Jungle januhuncha?(want to go to Jungle) The lady offered me a glass of milk and roti. By then the rickshaw driver arrived and we bid goodbye to all of them and I thank everyone for being there on the bizarre night.

The whole trip was so weird that I spend a lot hr. with them I only know two boys name, the guy who lent me his aunt’s place, Vikram, a.k.a Sheru and the rickshaw driver Intejar, Whom I spoke while heading towards his aunt’s place and while returning the next morning, I realize Intejar was good on talking. He had well thought that if you do well, good thing happens to you. In fact, all the other three guys were with that well thought. I’m actually very selfish kind of person. I hardly could believe that all happened to me. But I came to realize that people are strange when you are stranger. There aren’t enough words for thanking them for the thing they did for me. Even in the future we may or may not meet but I have my lesson learned open yourself widely. Everyone is a friend to you. It doesn’t need much to help somebody.

By Bijita Shrestha P.O.Box8974cpc94 Anandapur Teenchuli Nepal hbcstaycool@yahoo.com 9841258452

Shrestha

A Postcard for World Peace

2007-03-23T03:46:00.000Z

Couchsurfer Beto Severino [www.couchsurfing.com/MASERAL] has spent the last 3 months on a "Postcard for World Peace” project. Its a simple idea of sending postcards with Peace messages to the world. All the received postcards are published on his blog: [postcardworldpeace.blogspot.com] At present, he has received more than 60 postcards from over 25 countries! Beto's mission is to "show that real people from every corner in the world want Peace! We want to raise our voices and generate an impact in individual’s views of life."

Azarethroy

Couch Surfing in Cooper Young

2007-03-10T04:47:00.000Z

This week-end Cooper Young had the pleasure of hosting four Nomads of the Couch Surfing tribe. If you haven't heard of Couchsurfing.com go check it out. As a former roadrunner of sorts I find the concept f****** brilliant. Here's the deal; you register your couch on-line and then people who are traveling and need a place to crash can book your couch and vice-versa. Of course they have references and all that and you can decline a guest if you don't like the look of their profile or just don't have the schedule for it. They even have a section for musicians! No more sleeping in the van for lack of hotel funds!

Eric & Bob, of the Couch Surfing Show hail from Arizona and are both ex-marines. They were sent to me by way of Kellen Kjera, local Cooper Young photographer and CS host veteran, who'd been boarding them for about a week. Eric and Bob are Couch Surfing the entire WORLD! over the next two years. Episodes air weekly on Couchsurfing.com; be sure to check them out. They were both great guests; cleaned up after themselves and were very respectful to my home. Eric even offered to fix things around my house. Nikga and Emily are from San Francisco and did not actually couch surf at my house but spent most of their time at the Cooper Young Youth Hostel. I had a chance to visit with them over dinner. Emily showed me a fantastic device for women called the "pee-style". It basically allows a woman to pee while standing. Emily confided "It took a little getting used to and the first time I ended up pouring it backwards and p***** myself, but now it's great and can't imagine peeing any other way." More gadgetry for road life; I love it. Where as, Eric and Bob had been mostly Greyhound bussing from town to town Emily and Nikga were doing 'Ride Share' through Craig's list. This in combination with Couch surfing is almost too much to fathom! Not even the most zealous 'Dharma Bum' of the 50/60's could have imagined internet thumbing? One thing to remember when you're hosting a couch surfer- almost everyone they stay with wants to party and make sure they have a great time- so- before you plan out all sorts of festivities, ask first, they might prefer to just do laundry, eat a home cooked meal and sleep.

Here are a few related websites of interest: Couchsurfing.com, Craig'slist.com, Hostels.com, Rideshare.com, Icarpool.com, Thewaronthem.com

Louie

Stop the dolphin and whale killings in Taiji

2007-03-08T04:48:00.000Z

Help save the dolphins!The first link is a film and the second is the petition. The film is pretty full-on. http://www.glumbert.com/media/dolphin http://www.petitiononline.com/golfinho/petition.html

Benabu

Couch Surfers with Disabilities

2007-03-02T04:49:00.000Z

A brand new group has been formed called Couch Surfers with Disabilities. It is open to all who are interested in getting people from all over the globe help to make CS even better for anyone with any kind of disability/limitation/ difference. I am really glad to have non-disabled people in the group, since I hope to foster the understanding that people are all the same at heart & we all have something valuable to offer, if only we are willing to open the way.

Hopefully, many will join and we can work together to create ways of determining levels of accessibility, a working definition of accessibility for the CS community, and generally raising consciousness of the varying needs of disabled travellers, among other things. Looking forward to all we will accomplish together! Blessings, ellynpeace.

ELLYNPEACE

Bank Rovers

2007-02-23T04:49:00.000Z

News article in Nijmegen University Magazine 'ANS' February 2007 Nijmegen University 'ANS' Magazine http://www.ans-online.nl/ans-februari-2007/bankrovers. You can download a copy of the Feb 2007 edition of 'ANS Magazine' in PDF Format via the Nijmegen University 'ANS' web-site at: http://www.ans-online.nl/podpress_trac/web/1572/0/ANSfebruari2007.p... Magazine feature is in 'Dutch' but Both links have contact details for Sjors Overman & Erik Dennisen who were the writers of the article, and can supply English translation.

Wright

Did Couchsurfing open your eyes?

2007-02-21T04:50:00.000Z

An anthropology major at Columbia University is writing her senior thesis on Couchsurfing. Specifically how couchsurfing and cross-cultural communication help to eradicate xenophobic fears. Did couchsurfing open your eyes in a surfing or hosting experience? She's hoping for some international response to this. Got time? Drop a line to http://www.couchsurfing.com/email.html?id=J8S6VA

Jeong