Sofia's Myriad of Colors

I am editing my Couchsurfing profile. I thought I would post it here as a memory... This was my life for many years until 2021 when Shinpei passed away.

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CURRENT MISSION

To learn... about as much as possible.

ABOUT US

I am honest, am eager to learn more about the world, like to laugh and heal. Shinpei, my husband, has a high sense of integrity and also has an uncanny ability to communicate with people from any country, in any language... It is amazing to watch. He is extremely interested in the computer programs and software design, music and making music, animals especially cats, being at home, Jump Magazine, and the mysteries of the world.

I love nature, animals, dancing, singing, painting, and spending time with people. Some topics of conversation that I enjoy might be: books, movies, hobbies, bird behavior, English teaching, any kind of dance, green architecture, botanical medicine, other languages, what you can find in places that we don't usually notice or see, the ocean, under the table, behind a building, in the ground...

PHILOSOPHY

I think that people should do more critical thinking. I think that we should think more about the future of the planet, heal ourselves, and recreate our wonderful world for all creatures.

MY INTERESTS (THESE HAVEN'T CHANGED)

I would like to design green, sustainable buildings and communities, especially with green roofs. I would like to teach and learn about more of the medicinal plants of the world.

Do you know about streaming or building websites? I'm interested in collaboration with that right now.

Are you interested in changing the world? Let's think of ways to do that through sustainability!

I love to sing in collaboration with musicians and DJs! I can sing while you play the guitar, keyboard, or make music with the computer! I would love a collaboration.

TRAVELING EXPERIENCE

Since I started, I've hosted some really wonderful people. Everyone has a great story of life, and everyone has something to share.

I also used to live in a 20 person commune in San Francisco. We all lived in a huge warehouse. It was great. We dumpster-dived and made our own beer, had some bio-diesel buses, recycled rainwater into the toilets. However, I felt that people were not respectful enough of boundaries, and came to understand how important they are in maintaining a peaceful relationship with the people around you. It was great to experience a lot of people. Also, during my travels in Europe, a lot of people kindly invited me into their homes. I was able to experience places from the inside. I believe that connecting with locals can give much greater benefits than staying in hotels and even hostels.

Movies: Tomorrow (2015), Baraka.

Music: Supercar, Kaskade, Young the Giant, Depeche Mode, Paul Simon, Aphex Twin, Rosentwyg, Ludovico Einaudi,

Books: To Be Human Against All Odds, The Neverending Story, The Missing Piece Meets the Big O, The Pillars of the Earth, The Patchwork Cat, Moonshadow(DC Comics), Mind Games, The Disposessed, Nausicaa.

AMAZING THINGS I'VE DONE

Maybe just noticing how amazing one moment is... It doesn't have to be special or famous, it just has to be real, and hit you in the core of your being, and make you think, if not say, "Wow! I am alive! This is amazing!!"

When I was a teen, I found an oak to sleep in for the night. These big trees hold you when you sleep. I had wonderful dreams and it seemed as though I was in an embrace. Luckily, I don't move much when I sleep. Not recommended for people who do....

When I was visiting La Coruña in western Spain, I walked into the church just as they were having Sunday mass. The swinging incense burner filled the church with billowing smoke, and with the singing, the whole atmosphere was mesmerizing.

After a month of traveling around Europe by myself, I had redefined myself as to whom actually was. Everywhere I went, I visited museums, and thought about who I was and what I thought about the world. I was 22 at the time. Every time I moved from place to place, I had to tell people who I was, and I think that this very act enabled me to redefine myself each time. By the end of that month I could see who I actually was, without the constraints of how people and I myself had defined me in my own country, and felt very at peace. At that moment, I was on a train, traveling from Madrid to Sevilla area, and had just seen Heironymous Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights. I began to draw a sketch. It was only about five minutes, but it was the deepest peace that I had ever experienced, that I had touched what we might call God, and through the hand of the Universe, had produced a picture of peace, a sleeping child.

I am often saving small insects from the terror of Death Indoors. I especially like the beetles, because their reaction to being outside again is so intense. There are some particularly cute green beetles that live in Japan. A few times I have experienced their exhuberant joy. The moment that the outdoor air hits them, they suddenly grip my finger with their little hands, tense up their small bodies, and lift and open their antenna. I usually put them on a plant. It is so obvious how happy they are. Recently, I have taken to giving them some sugar water before putting them anywhere, because they are usually very thirsty and hungry if they have been inside for a long time.