Editing CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.2 (section)

==Interview with [http://www.marcoyserman.nl/fotos/photos-of-me/?photo=40 Marc]==

From now on in every newsletter we want to introduced you to people who travelled and/or couchsurfed a lot recently. We hope this will inspire you for your future travelplans. This edition we'll start with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/oysie/ Marc], originally from the Netherlands, but currently living in Berlin

1. How did you find out about CouchSurfing?

An Amsterdam friend of mine had been hosting people already for some time, and he kept bugging me with saying it is really something I should do. So I finally signed up and I was gone: totally fell in love with the concept, the openness and the trust between people who are everywhere just that: people.

2. How did you participate in CS until now?

I have mostly been a nomad until now. 4 years ago I left Holland with the idea to travel for maximum a year. It became 2 and then 3 and then 4......
I met hundreds of CS'ers, people who hosted me, who I traveled with, who I did activities with, who I met on meetings, parties, took a bike tour with, hitchhiked with, walked through the desert with and even hosted in a temporary home I had :)
It is just amazing that there is a community of people all over the world (that is still growing!) who want to share their life, their experiences, their everything

3. How do you combine traveling with your professional life?

This question is a typical northwest-European question, that is only asked by people from there :-)
If you are traveling in other places in the world, you will never get that question. You will hear questions like: what did you learn as a human, what kind of people did you meet, what amazing experiences do you have if you travel so long etc.
I'll answer the question like this:
Actually, if you travel outside of the 'material' western world, you discover how hospitable people are. Especially in the African, Arabian and East-european societies people invite you all the time for tea, dinner or to stay over, also outside of CS. And in these cultures it is often an offense to do something back, so you have a hard time spending money!
Also: Traveling over land by hitchhiking, local buses, local trains is extremely cheap and beautiful: the whole fact of traveling 'slow' makes you really get to know the countries, the people and the culture.
OK OK, if you really want to know:
I worked and saved some money before I departed, and because I have a free job (I am a teacher/director of theatre, circus and voice) it is quite easy for me to work on the road (but I didn't really need to).

4. What is the most special experience you ever had through CouchSurfing?

That's a difficult question, I had so many amazing experiences:

- Being hosted in an Hotel in Jordan, because the CS member was the owner.

- Climbing the Tablemountain in Capetown in midst of the day in summer (stupid!) with a local guy from the townships.

- After a 42 hours drive in a 'bush-taxi' from Guinnee via Senegal to Gambia being invited to a wedding of the brother of a CS'er. The whole high-society of Gambia and Sierra-Leone turned out to be at this wedding, and 2 smelly CS'ers.

- Hitchhiking all over Moldova, because my host didn't feel like staying in the capital and going to school.

- After walking for days through the Negev desert getting a shower at a CS'er who was also a 'national trail angel'.

5. What is the most special place you ever visited?

Pffff, same problem as above..
If I really have to choose:
Visiting the San people (Bushman) in the Kalahari desert in Namibia.
These people are so amazing: If you look into their eyes, you see a deep wisdom and the fire of a child at the same moment.
I was able to speak with them, because their second language after their own (the language with the 12 'clicks') is Afrikaans, which is related to Dutch!
Because it was apparent there were no young girls walking around with babies, like you expect of 'tribe' people, I asked why.
Their answer: We don't get children before the age of 30, because then you are wise enough not to project your problems on your children.
....
I rest my case

6. What is your favorite means of travel?

Hitchhiking.
Slow, really being inside of the country, meeting locals. The best way!
Once I had a ticket from Hamburg to Israel because it was the cheapest I found. The only thing was that I was in Porto, Portugal. :-)
I already booked a Ryanair ticket from Portugal to Hamburg via London.
And then I got an offer to drive with truck drivers from Portugal via Belgium to Hamburg, so of course I didn't use my ticket!!!

7. What should every traveler bring in his/her suitcase?

- Book: the little Prince
- Object: a red nose
- Paper and marker for Hitchhiking
- Not enough money, so you will improvise
The suitcase itself should be small and < 15 kg. I had many cases that I took my day pack to visit someone for a few days, and I ended up traveling with it for many weeks. It made me realize I actually didn't need the stuff in my 'big' bag :-)

8. what would your advise be to other (new) travelers?

- Always follow your intuition. It is always right! (No need for explanations)
- Travel slow!!!! Stay for a long time in a country! I tried to be for at least 6 weeks, or even a few months, because you slowly sink into the local culture and really start to understand on a deeper level about the people, the land, the culture.
- Never by return tickets (or worse: RTW tickets).
Because I followed my intuition, I ended up in places and with people I couldn't have planned at all on forehand.


If you follow the flow of life and surrender, it will show you the beauty of what traveling is really about: the Journey inside.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/oysie/ Marc]