Can't afford to travel?
Benson Wallace shows you how to bring the world right to your doorstep.
Thud, thud. The
PSB chop of approval is granted on yet another temporary residence form. “可以了(keyi le - OK)”. The woman behind the counter gives me a curt nod as
I grab the slip of paper and head for the exit. This is the 4th time that I’ve been to the police station
this month, but it’s not because I’m in trouble. I’m registering a guest who is
about to stay at my house for a few days; a guest that I just met for the first
time. “朋友(pengyou -
friend)”, I tell them, as yet another stranger with a backpack turns up in
my neighbourhood. It’s easier that way. They wouldn’t understand if I told them
the real story (although I swear some of the locals are beginning to think that
I’m running an illegal guest house on the side). “Oh, you’re so lucky,” they
exclaim, “you have so many friends!” I smile and nod, replying, “Yeah, I guess
you’re right. I am lucky”. And lucky I am; just not in the sense that meeting
all these friends were chance encounters.
In fact, all of these
meetings were arranged through a website known as Couchsurfing.com, a network
of travellers and friends of travellers who let each other stay in their homes –
for free. Best of all, it’s free to join, and membership is open – meaning you
don’t need to be referred by an existing member. So how does it work? All you
have to do is create a profile, write a short self-introduction, and upload a
picture of yourself, and you’re ready to “go surfing”. Potential “surfers” can
search the website for potential hosts in a location that they are planning on
travelling to, and then contact them via email. If the host agrees, then a
meeting place is arranged, and a “surfing” ensues. Afterwards, both the host
and the surfer can leave references for each other on the website, which will
appear on their respective profiles, letting other surfers know how their
experience was – be it good, bad, or indifferent – so that the community
becomes tighter-knit, and everyone feels safer. So far, the vast majority of
references (>99.5%) have been positive.
I think most of you can see
how such a system would contribute towards Couchsurfing’s mission of “Participating
in Creating a Better World, One Couch at a Time”. Today, however, I want to
promote Couchsurfing using a slightly different angle – that by hosting surfers
in your home, you can broaden your horizons without ever having to leave Nanjing
Since I first opened my couch
to surfers in February last year, I’ve had a myriad of amazing experiences: I’ve
heard stories from an Australian who travelled overland, independently, through
Iran and Kazakhstan and into Xinjiang province; I’ve marvelled at photos of
Mongolia and Siberia that were taken by a Dutch-Czech couple; I’ve
philosophised with two Finns who had given up “the rat race”, as they called
it, for a lifetime of travelling around the world; and, I’ve talked business
and logistics with an Italian punk rocker who took his band on tour through
most of Europe and 45 out of 50 states of the US. You may have heard of the
metaphor “to see the world through someone else’s eyes” – well, when you host a
Couchsurfer, you can do this literally, through their stories, souvenirs, and
digital cameras.
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| Lunch with Pedro from Puerto Rico |
Bringing the world to your doorstep
isn’t the only benefit you’ll get out of Couchsurfing though. Having a guest in
your house can make you feel like you’re on holidays in your own city, as you
finally find that excuse you’ve been looking for to break from your routine and
take a stroll around Xuanwu Lake, visit the Yangzi River bridge, or go back-alley
bargain hunting. If you really are too busy to go “sightseeing”, invite your
Couchsurfer to participate in your life – show them where you work and what you
do, take them to your favourite local restaurants, tea houses and bars, and
introduce them to your friends. Chances are that what you find boring and
routine, they will see as a fascinating insight into life in a foreign country.
What’s more, you can feel proud that you have shown your guest a side of Nanjing
So far, I’ve hosted 14
awesome Couchsurfers in Nanjing, and that trend looks set to continue, as long
as the “Benson 宾馆 (binguan – guest house)” doesn’t draw too much
attention from the authorities! Couchsurfing has given me hard-to-find insights
into foreign countries and cultures, and satisfaction and meaningful existence
from showing others my life and Nanjing
Benson Wallace is a Nanjing-based
freelance musician, travel writer and corporate trainer
Copyright Benson Wallace 2008
