Tobias
a math grad, a safe profile page, and described by previous surfers as shy and quiet, Tobi was the host i wasnt too sure about yet also the one i was sure would be great for me.
well, cos im a virgin surfer and im not exactly crazy too.
Tobi is the first-ever host to accept my couch request, and will always be my first-ever host. and he was great. i feel really lucky he’s the first person to show me what couchsurfing is.
in fact he’s a math PhD, currently a software developer, plays the incomprehensible accordion, and indeed rather reserved and isnt that clear about the city he lives in, but Tobi’s warmth couldnt be buried under the abovementioned.
right from the word ‘go’, he left work to meet me and took my backpack to his office so i could check out the city. he made me pasta for dinner and prepared a queen-sized couchbed for me. he gave me a key to this cosy apartment so i could do whatever i want, and boy, his apartment had everything i needed. every morning he left for work silently and even kept breakfast around for me.
the whole time i was wide-mouthed cos i had expected couchsurfing to be really uncomfortable and at the beck and call of hosts. i was so wrong.
anyway the fella’s doing quite okay. although his lodging expenses are around €700 a month for this tiny apartment, he earns €5,000 monthly before tax (their tax is mad, by the way). he explained he has a good job and his PhD helps too.
what’s interesting is he really epitomizes what we think of Germans. i told him Germany’s like the birthplace of intelligence, which cracked him up. ive always believed the books, films and music belonging to someone tell much about him, and Tobi has columns after columns of books, in English and German, many of them classics. what stood out was a row of books on JRR Tolkien, not just the trilogy, but books about the writer’s notes and even Elvish. being a film lover myself, Tobi has some titles which impressed me too, but it’s probably his music that’s worth mentioning. like his books, he has countless CDs, which are as diverse as they get, ranging from pop to classical, oldies to metal, and he’s even got a 五月天 album!
that fucked my mind.
then i met Gideon.
Gideon
with all due respect to everyone, Gid brought my couchsurfing experience to another level.
his couch was equally awesome, he let me watch his dvds when he retired to his room, and he showed me around Salzburg the whole way! this was one reason i joined CS, to know a city through its people.
Gid's also a really swell guy, and although i spent all my time with him, he kept me entertained throughout. of which one way was through our common interest in history.
we hadnt really chatted long before he started enlightening me on Mozart and WWII. and, like a true historian, at this point i should state history is subjective and he has his version of it.
the first thing he surprised me with was the revelation that although Salzburg is kinda like Mozart town, the music genius actually hated the place. he just happened to be born and grow up here.
and only in Europe can something like this happen: Gid's grandfather was in the SS.
but he sure isnt sympathetic of any sort. Gid feels especially strongly against how his own country likes to portray itself as a victim of Nazism. he liked to remind me that Austria was more an ally of Hitler's, who allowed its son to walk the German forces right in. it saw pride in having an Austrian rule the great country next door, and many Austrians were actually Nazis.
Gid explained that today the War is such a taboo topic simply cos many Austrians have blood on their hands.
enough of heavy talk. haha.
he also shared a piece of trivia: there are still companies existing today that belong to Adolf Eichmann's and Josef Mengele's families. wow.
and when i asked him about religion in Austria, something that intrigues me since Europe is full of churches, he revealed that since their infamous Church scandal a few years ago, up to 60,000 people have quit.
before he began working in an insurance firm, Gid worked at a cinema, which got him interested in films. his dvd collection is impressive, i must say, with many classics represented, just that he's also a big sci-fi fan therefore in that genre he has everything haha.
Salzburg's really small though, and we covered the place in less than a day. but the company was thoroughly enjoyable, and im lucky to get Gid on a weekend, the only time he'd say yes to surfers.
Justin and flatmates Abby, Kendra
then for the first time so far this trip, i arrived at a flat where my hosts arent locals haha. Justin and friends are Americans working in Prague. the trade-off though was their English fluency, meaning i got a lot more information and conversed more.
and when i say information, i partly mean Justin could talk a lot lol.
the copywriter is my age and does seem younger than Tobi and Gid. and on the evening of my arrival i simply couldnt participate in his monologue! hahaha. i thank him cos he's so eager to share Prague with me and to tell me about his life.
what drew me to him on CS was he's a sportsman and in the communications industry too. and he instantly said yes to me as well.
if im not mistaken he's a rather good tennis player. he also hits the gym and does look well built. he majored in sports management and like me, has done some sports writing.
a lot in common? well we didnt chat much about them cos he was talking so much lol. im sure it would have been nice if i arrived on a weekend cos he's eager to show me around. it's a shame we didnt have much time with each other, yet Justin always gave his best, so im very thankful.
special shout-out to Abby! she's like the mum of the house who takes care of everything. in my itinerary's confused state on the first evening, she provided maps and tours and guides, and those practically set my agenda for the rest of my stay in Prague. and she makes heavenly chocolate cake.
and their block is served by an old-school elevator.
first couchsurfing exploits, done!
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