How to make Couchsurfing more attractive for hosts

Meatless breakfast on Good Friday



The current host-traveler ratio on Couchsurfing
Most of the Couchsurfing introduction events such as Couchsurfing Orientation Day as well as several books on Backpacking around the World have been extremely inspiring. Unfortunately the focus of the media as well as private events is too much on the travelling and surfing part. People are rather interested in finding a host in their travel destination than being a host themselves. I think our common sense and the original idea of Couchsurfing is paying forward and this means we take and give a couch.

It will add a lot more balanced information to the Couchsurfing idea if we also present the aspects and advantages of hosting. As a New Member Welcome greeter I have to scroll down very deeply past the travelling or non-hosting member until I can find a host. Then I'm disappointed again because even these people are preparing for their next big trip. What actions can we take to improve this imbalance between hosts and couch seeker?


How can we improve host-surfer ratio?
Many new signups have empty profiles, do not host or are still on travels; very few new hosts are in sight. This can be very discouraging for hosts and travellers alike.
One of the reasons why the host/surfer ratio on Couchsurfing is so imbalanced is: Couchsurfing Inc as well as the media emphasises a lot more on the travelling than the hosting part.

Every TV show, media article, TV documentary, Couchsurfing's own advertisement only presents how much fun it is for a traveller to surf a couch for free. If the media could emphasise more on the hosting part, a lot of hosts will be more inclined to join Couchsurfing for a longer period. Articles in magazines and newspapers, TV programs and even talkshows about the hosting aspect of couchsurfing will make the Couchsurfing idea much more attractive for those people who would like to enjoy hosting.



The many advantages of hosting over surfing

1. You can stay in the comfort of your own home and social environment while the world comes to you and open your eyes
2. Cultural exchange in your own four walls and possible friendships
3. Language practice with native speakers without leaving your friendly environment
4. Teach, learn and share without the hardships of travelling. We may think of parents with kids or very busy people who cannot always afford to travel
5. Valuable help with housework or repairs. These services are very costly nowadays
6. Nice gifts, invitation to a restaurant or home-made food from a foreign culture
7. Hosting is still a lot cheaper and less stressful than traveling

Many people think that hosting is a burden and the host gives, the surfer takes. In real life it is always a two-way communication, a surfer can treat the host to meals and drinks, buy groceries, help in the household, enjoy their company, give them an inspiring experience, you can travel the world without leaving your house and many things more. Hosting is still a lot less expensive than travelling, even in cases where guests don't give too much of a material contribution. Beyond all the presents, good manners, help in the household there is something even more precious: People open up themselves towards a person they will never have a chance to meet on other occasions.


How to minimise unpleasant surprises with guests
It is never pleasant to hear less than positive comments, especially if we would like to promote hosting. There are some surfers who are rude, disrespectful towards the host and their property, abusive, sponging or even dangerous. A new host may want to contact other hosts in their cities regarding reading profiles(interests,teach, learn, share, types of people they enjoy etc), reading into references, how to evaluate positive and negative references alike, photos etc. Last but not least, the best reference is always prior correspondence, skype and phone calls as well as posts in groups

Point nr. 2 of this page is part of CS FAQ and very often used by less reciprocal surfers to pressure their hosts. In fact, this is only one page of the FAQ which is written by ambassadors based on the TOU. Several threads in groups(Ambassador archives) suggest that the Terms of Use is a commercial contract with grey areas to work around. I have never charged for the couch itself, but asking for donations or an act of thanks such as help in the household, groceries or invitation to dinner has never posed any problems. When in doubt, there is always a way to contact the Membership Dispute and Safety Team.


Conclusion
It is very unfortunate that Couchsurfing Terms of Use are totally in favour of surfers and travelers. New Welcome Greeters have a great potential to motivate the joys of hosting travelers. Official and inofficial events like Teach, Learn and Share Day have a great impact on how to make Couchsurfing more attractive for hosts. Let us educate future surfers and new members to be considerate to their host, so their visit will remain a lasting positive experience in their memories.

UPDATE 5 July 2014:  In late November 2011, Couchsurfing has become a for-profit B-Corporation Basically I have nothing against it except that they continue to extend their services to surfers only. Customer service is poor and the website poorly maintained, many documents written by ambassadors have been removed by the new management. CS has grown considerably in numbers and this also results in new members who are only looking for a free place to stay and no strings attached. People still make friends on CS but there are other channels than the CS website to communicate with each other. Asking for an act of thanks from surfers is still possible but CouchSurfing of today has a tougher stance on asking presents or labour from surfers. The New Member Welcome Team which consisted of volunteers is now non-existent and this has taken away a good opportunity for the community to assist new members.

Update November 2014
The already brittle website has been downgraded by the new management and the whole situation has worsened considerably. Many groups and events are transferred to FB, many members communicate through other media like Whatsapp, BBM, Skype and last but not least the ol' phone and email! Some groups on Couchsurfing still provide great information about what and why things happened! I still maintain my hospitality subnetwork and use the above-mentioned media....

Common misconceptions on Couchsurfing

With the very recent unproportional growth of Couchsurfing, we observe that currently many people have misconceptions about Couchsurfing.
I have heard some comments from people outside and sometimes inside Couchsurfing which may or may not be the reality



. These statements do not represent my own views, although I partly agree with them:


1. The primary reason why people join Couchsurfing is a free place to stay.
2. Hosts are all the same, travelers are all backpackers
3. CS represents "a big love into the world" Utopia.
4. Couchsurfing is dangerous and full of people with mental disturbances
5. Hosts who posts rules on their profile are very negative, uptight and anal
6. Couchsurfing is to help travelers without money.
7. Couchsurfing is secluded from the real world.
8. All couchsurfers are hippies and far left wing
9. Negative references are rare. Those who received them will never get a couch again
10.a. People host because they are lonely and have no life outside CS
b. Consider the host's place as yours and the host your maid
c. Use the internet 24/7 for chatting and don't mingle with the host. The host doesn't need the internet, it's just a luxury



What can we do to clarify these misconceptions?
In this case I can only talk about my own hands-on experiences, the positive and negative ones alike. My experiences are oberwhelmingly positive and the few negatives don't have convincing or even hidden profiles. It is important to tell potential members that exactly as in the world outside Couchsurfing not everybody can get along with everybody. As a New Member Welcome greeter I will always tell the new surfer to use common sense, intuition and observe subtle actions such as words, movements or the eyes next to profile and references. I would suggest reading some profiles, coming to meetings, attend a Couchsurfing Orientation Day or ask a question to the Advice for Hosts group on Couchsurfing.If anybody has an idea about another misconception, please let me know or write a comment on my article. How do you deal with misconceptions?

Update 5 July 2014:
In the meantime, some of these 'misconceptions' have widely become the reality on Couchsurfing. However, it is still possible to avoid this kind of experience by selecting your hosts and surfers carefully 

To discover your own boundaries within exotic waters

There is nothing more inspiring than the cultural diversity in Indonesia. Couchsurfing has helped me a lot to learn about these differences and even learn the language and culture of my ancestors. Made up of 50% Asian genes, I have been formed by predominantly Western cultures. I have always thought that I was "openminded" and that it was easy for me to blend in societies different from my own. For sure it is definitely easier for me than for many other travellers. After living in countries outside my usual boundaries, I found a huge difference between knowing a culture and to actually blend in as though it was your own. It is undoubtedly easy for me to respect a culture but quite a challenge to live it as though it is my own.

I had close contact with Couchsurfers in many countries and found that they tend to be different from the average person in their own culture. In fact you will find globalized circles in nearly every country.They have travelled, speak many languages on a native or near-native basis and even spent their formative years in a Western country. I found that expatriates or globalized locals could teach me a lot about the local culture, yet they are more likely to find a common ground for communication with me.

As to the Asian cultures compared to the west, there are a few very pronounced differences that I would like to draw attention to.I have lived in Indonesia, have some friends or relatives there. Very much aware of the differences myself, I found that local people who have not yet been exposed to other countries were not always tolerant towards our views. Most of them have only traveled the Western world as flash tourists hence their opinion is much based on prejudice along with scenes from cheap sitcoms.

Nowadays Indonesia starts to develop and open up to attitudes outside their own box. Younger people tend to raise their kids to develop their own identity, more self-confidence, more democracy and autonomy for their own decisions in life. The core values in Asian societies are more community- than individual-based as opposed to their Western counterparts.

Privacy rights
This is one of the widest gap between Asian and Western societies. People ask your age and income, don't stop their interrogation until you tell them what they want to hear. Neighbours are curious about your life without really caring for you. If they feel that they don't get enough information to spice up their daily coffee hour, they either insist on getting more to put on their cake or even fabricate some weird stories.

My heart missed a beat as I walked out of my door and heard loud conversations about the local doctor who was allegedly too old to give birth to her newborn baby. At the age of 37, she became the talk of the town. In their view, this lady must have received artificial insemination because it is impossible for such an old woman to have a natural birth. The very educated and well-traveled people may be the exception to the rule. However, I have been explicitly irritated by well-traveled people with university degrees who didn't seem to be aware of those who were not prepared to disclose enough private information.

A fairly wealthy business person with a good command of English asked me bluntly along these lines:" You certainly send your mother a check every month, right? Or maybe she sends you a monthly check, doesn't she?" I was very close to calling him names but refrained from doing so because he had a generous caring heart for other people. Nevertheless, I'm going to tell him that he made me feel like being shackled on the torture bench, mercily interrogated by the Inquisition.

One example of privacy differences:
In most Western countries, any individual has the freedom to do what they think is appropriate for themselves. The advantages: People become more creative, self-confident and responsible for their own actions. On the downside, sometimes people with less stable characters may not always be aware of moral boundaries or ethics. In Indonesia, a lot of actions and behaviour seem to be dictated by the rules of the society. One example: if people dress differently from the social norm, people on the street will follow and ridicule them. If you join a sports club and refuse to wear their uniform because you think your body only belongs to you, you will be gossiped about at best and openly insulted at worst.

Respect for the elderly
I have seen a lot of words like "respect for the elderly" in the couch description of Asian Couchsurfer's profiles. I would rather replace the word "respect" with "obedient". Travelers don't always realise that what some non-Western cultures call respect is in fact a rigid, one-sided top-down system where society simply demands unrestricted obedience towards somebody who is considered older or senior to you. It is the society who unapologetically judges a person for not strictly following social rules.Young people do not always have too many opportunities to ensure their personal growth. However, I have observed that adult authority is slowly evolving in Indonesia and parents support democracy......

I suggest any person who would like to surf the couch of a non-globalized Asian family or receive an Asian couchsurfer in their home should realise the impact of this culture on them. It is good to be aware of what some cultural regulations really mean and compare them with their own personal perception. Couchsurfing or any other hospex site is still a very insightful journey to discover one's own personal boundaries when they try to immerse in more exotic waters.

Flora and Fauna at Teluk Bahang national park

Teluk Bahang National Park is possibly one of the smallest but most interesting and easy to explore national parks in Malaysia. I have hiked both Monkey Beach and Keracut Beach with my mother, tourists that I met on travels and some of my friends. The pictures with the animals were taken as I hiked either completely on my own or with some Dutch travelers that I met in the park.

This time was the first time that I hiked with Couchsurfers from Malaysia. Couchsurfer Chau, his friend Chin and myself hiked to Keracut Beach. This is pretty much a local and quiet beach, due to the fact that people have to hike to this beach. Chau prepared a great picnic lunch and just name what is missing: sandwiches, different types of canned tuna, cucmbers, tomatoes, onions, drinks. Thank you Chau for organising such a great day.

We hiked in the morning and it was pleasant because we were not exposed to the scorching Malaysian heat. It was quite a big pity that the monkeys, lizards and other inhabitants of the national park had their day off on that Sunday. Nevertheless, Chau, Chin and me got to know each other quite well and we had great conversations. Actually I prefer such outings with local and non-local couchsurfers rather than an uncomfortable couch with a host who considers you a stranger and who provides nothing more than a place to sleep. Living close-corner with travellers whose company I don't prefer too much would add more to the suboptimal experience.

Well, Chin and Chau have been great company who enjoyed food and picnic lunches as much as they enjoyed nature and trekking.The National Park was well-organised and they maintain a little turtle sanctuary on Keracut Beach. I was lazy and tired in the afternoon and chose the boat to return instead of hiking in the heat. The boat was less expensive than I thought, RM 10,- or 2 EUR. For the first time I saw the whole national park from the ocean side from a boat. Something nobody should miss for such a reasonable price. It was my first time on a boat either and it is a great experience to experience the park from different viewpoints.

Hidden eating places on Penang island

Teluk Bahang national park bus station
If you are bored while waiting for the bus between teluk Bahang and Balik Pulau, you may stop at the mamak(muslim Indian) stall right next to the bus stop. Not only that the owners help you with travel information but they have one of the best home-cooked chicken curries. The vegetable stir-fry is unique and their protha delicious.

Balik Pulau
The Balik Pulau laksa is of course more famous and located on a busy street corner at Jl. Sungei Penang. It is tasty and unique. They prepare a unique home-made curry blend that he would probably not even disclose under torture. However, he explained that he put fish, tamarind and shrimp paste into his laksa. Please never forget to try his fresh nutmeg juice.

Just next to the Balik Pulau Laksa is a good durian vendor. A nice old man whose name I need to ask the next time I buy famous Malaysian durian from him. He gave me a durian which has been nibbled off by a squirrel. These little animals know exactly which durian is good and which is not.

The wet market close to the bus terminal is worth a visit. Here you will find more durians and delicious hawker food. Bus 501 leaves Teluk Bahang bus station every 1/2 hour past the hour and provide a marvellous ride through the hills and fruit farms. Make sure you'll be there 1/2 hour before because the bus doesn't wait for you.

Bukit Jambul Shopping Complex
is a great place to shop and Mydin supermarket is one of the cheapest next to Tesco on the island of Penang. If you arrive there in the afternoon, you will find a lot of cheap fresh food and fruits of the season. Just a sample of foods you may like to find here: Pulut udang(sticky rice with a spicy shredded shrimp wrapped in banana leaf and grilled on charcoal) for 50 c, pancakes for 80 c, nasi lemak with special curry for RM 2,50 etc etc.

Traditional Sundanese Wedding on 6 February 2011 in Garut

Last weekend my friends Wiwi and Novia invited me spontaneously to Garut to attend their friend's Daughter's wedding. I thought already that I would be thrilled but I never thought it would be that extremely unforgettable. Garut is a beautiful little town in the mountains just 60 km from Bandung. Tourist attractions include the Cipanas hot spring area, several treks and the Papandayan crater. Kampung Naga, a socially secluded village with members still living in the past without technology, electricity and transport is probably the most impressive place in the Garut area. It is reminiscent of the Baduy society which I have visited before but unfortunately I didn't have the chance to visit these beautiful places. Our schedule was very packed. Instead, I made some new friends like Pak Dadang and his family. We had a lovely food tour in lovely and fairly cheap traditional restaurants. The gurame fish with green chilli is one of the very great dishes

The next day was different from the original plan where we were supposed to go to the church and then eat. Because I was considered part of the Pak Dadang family,he started knocking on my door at 5.30. I was still asleep but didn't need too long to get ready and pack my suitcase. Afterall, it was worth all the energy. We did have an interesting cultural exchange already in the car and found Pak Dadang very openminded towards other cultures including the ethnic Chinese.

All the family was gathered at Pak Dadang's place and before getting my bridal make-up, I joined them for a small breakfast consisting of rice, chicken and some vegies. Later we had risoles(crumbed spring rolls) and lemper(chicken cooked in coconut milk stuffed in a sticky rice roll) for morning tea. The makeup artist started transform my face until probably nobody would recognise me. I thought she needed very long to transform the ugly duckling into a Sundanese beauty;-P. My hair was too short and stood out like a lion, so she modified my hairdo and put a Sundanese hair decoration into my hair.

The bridal escorts were dressed in blue kebayas(Sundanese Indonesian traditional tunic) and sarongs. I spent some time talking to the Wedding celebrant, MC, his assistants, Pak Dadang's relatives, the Ustads(Moslem scholars) and penghulu(traditional Moslem Wedding officer). The MC spoke some English but my Indonesian was actually fine.

So if I remember well the ceremony started in this order:
1. Serah terima or bridegroom handover from their family to the bridal family. The bridegroom's family handed over presents to the family of the bride. Everything was represented from quilts, fruit baskets, canned and dried food, crockery, pots and pans etc
2. The real ceremony, both parties agreed on the money and gold to "buy" the bridegroom
3. Praying several chapters of the Qur'an before and afterwards
4. Traditional Sundanese singing
5. The most fun of all, the "Nyawer" ceremony. All of us would throw some money and candies or instant noodles into the crowd. everybody will try to be the first person to pick up some money or candies. Well, in my beautiful dress I was the last and felt like an elephant dressed as a princess

Bridegroom and escorts got ready to go the the rented building where the wedding reception continued. Wiwi and NOvia arrived with faces so astonished as if they saw a monster from outer space. Apparently all the make up and dress had changed me quite a bit.

This was probably one of the highlights of my stay in Jakarta and meeting unforgettable people like Pak Dadang and his family.

German Christmas cooking with CS Indonesia

Magdalena and Faiza have organised many cooking classes. This time they planned to organise a German class, so I decided to give them a helping hand










They had many cooking classes starting from French, Cambodian, Thai, the several regions of Indonesia and recently the German class. German pre-Christmas(Advent)cooking has always been the highlight of the Christmas tradition in many countries. This time we decided to transfer this atmosphere from Germany to Indonesia. We haven't stopped enjoying the beautiful Rinderrouladen(beef rolls), Rotkraut(red cabbage) and an improvised mixture of potato dumpling and baked potatoes. It was perfectly organised and I started to doubt whether I'm professional enough to join in into the organisation








It was a fun experience making Rotkraut(red cabbage) together. The pot was so light that we needed four people in total, three to hold the pot and one to stir.















We had to wear name tags so it was easier to remember people's names. These are Bratäpfel(baked apples) a la CS Indonesia with them displayed on the dish. It was a wonderful cultural exchange, very playful with some sort of party atmosphere.Magdalena hosted me the night before and we went out for shopping. This has been one of the highlights how the Couchsurfing idea is transformed into practice by having cooking class parties