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QUEEN OF NORWAY'S DREAM CAR
| Couch Surfing Around the World |
| Written by Queen of Norway |
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QUEEN OF NORWAY LIVE - FLIGHT Q001 CouchSurfing with Marianne and Anni
Click the PLAY button to listen to the podcast On my first show (May 25th 2009) I hosted Marianne from Norway and Anni from Finland. They have been CouchSurfing the World for a few years now. No wonder they have lost count of how many couches they've crashed over the years! They are sharing some of their wonderful experiences with us on the show. Stay for free. Free guiding. And friends all around the world. The CouchSurfing Project is a free, Internet-based, international hospitality service. As of March 2009 it has more than 1 million members in 232 countries, and it is currently the most visited service on the Internet, averaging more than 30 million daily page views. So there is no doubt about this service being popular! Members use the website to coordinate contacts and home accommodation with other network members around the world.
Marianne (33) is a dedicated CouchSurferMarianne started travelling at the age of 17 and she has been a member of CouchSurfing.org since 2006. CouchSurfing is a great way of travelling that she does not hesitate to recommend to others! "I read an article in Dagbladet (one of the main newspapers in Norway) in September 2006 , and I didn't even finish reading the article before I had signed up as a member! I have always been travelling a lot, and I just knew that this lifestyle would fit me perfectly", says Marianne. "CouchSurfing gives you the chance to stay with the locals, which is great since you then get to know the city from the inside." Marianne is usually travelling alone, and has not had any negative experiences on her travels. "As a woman you need to use common sense and trust your instincts. Respect the cultural differences and dress appropriately for the environment that you're in", she says. "The referance system and the rating system on CouchSurfing.org is part of the safety system, and information like this is good for you to read. It will give you an impression of the person, and if you feel unsafe you can also choose to stay with women only", says Marianne. She has been travelling mainly alone, and she has stayed for free during travels in the United States, Costa Rica, UK, the Netherlands and Italy several times as well as many other places. She explains that as soon as you start making new friends, you keep wanting to go back. "I just love CouchSurfing. It's a fantastic way to meet people and make friends. CouchSurfers are so much more open minded and just ready to go out and live life, and they're not like the people who just want to sit in their couch and watch TV.", she explains. "I recommend CouchSurfing for adventurous people - for people that want to get to know the culture and the city from the inside. It's really a great way to make new friends!", says Marianne.
Marianne's CouchSurfing page: http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=1JHOSR0
Anni (31) has CouchSurfed the World with Animal Anni became a member of CouchSurfing.org in 2007. A friend of her's was supposed to host a guy from the United States, but for family reasons her friend couldn't host him, and asked Anni if she could host the guy. As the good friend she was, she said yes. She thought it was a great experience and became a member of the network. Since then she has CouchSurfed in many different countries as well as offered her own couch to many CouchSurfing friend. "I have been travelling several months in Europe. I mainly travel alone, and I have only had good experiences on my travels. You have to trust your instincts, and I also have backup plans and I read up on the area where I am visiting. I study the map and make sure that I know where I am and where to find the local hostels nearby - just in case. You should also have the number to the taxi.", says Anni. "Also remember that if you're standing on a street corner studying a map, you are clearly targeting yourself as a tourist! Don't do that! Rather go into a cafe or a shop and ask some of the locals there for help.", she explains. "I have learned a lot about not only new cultures but also of my own culture from hosting people from other parts of the world. They keep on asking all kinds of questions, and you have to find an answer for them, so I think I have actually learned most about my own culture.", she says with a smile. The average age for a CouchSurfer is 27 years, ranging from 18 to 80+, so age should not be an argument for not CouchSurfing or not hosting CouchSurfers. "But you just have to remember that CouchSurfing is NOT a dating site!", says Anni, as she points out that using the network for such purposes is strictly against the rules.
Anni's CouchSurfing page: http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=32Y29TK
The International CouchSurfing Day - June 12th - 10 years anniversary! Marianne and Anni is telling that the 12th of June is the International CouchSurfing Day. And this year CouchSurfing will be 10 years, so there will be arranged events in many of the big cities. So just check out the website at CouchSurfing.org - mayby you'll even join for some international celebration!
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