Alexander

Travel information

I am currently

Description

Hi everyone!!!

This is Alexander presenting a bit of himself :)))

Three words that describe me.
1. Honest
2. Sociable
3. Altruistic

Why am I on workaway?
1. I learned from my Erasmus in Bologna that the best way to travel is to get in touch with locals, I think workaway is the perfect strategy to achieve this (like couchsurfing and warmshowers, understanding what is going on in a country, what lives with the locals, what is happening, the good, the beautiful and the bad,...
2. Languages: Learning languages ​​enlarges your chances of making good friends or just talking to strangers on the street, which both make you happy. I love languages: I speak Dutch, English, Spanish and French ; I can read and understand German and Italian. Pretty soon I'll be in Japan so will be learning some Japanese, language is the key to fully immerse yourself in another culture.
3. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to try different jobs in a more informal way. The jobs I tried and very much liked are: language teacher (Comuna Trece 2019) tourist guide, seasonal worker and receptionist (Bogota and Manizales 2019), social worker (Comuna Trece 2019), ... It's also about giving back to the people of the country that welcomes you. I strongly believe
4. Out of all my experiences with different cultures and people from different backgrounds I recently founded the non profit association "Intercambio". The main activities of intercambio are promoting exchange between cultures and guiding volunteers during social projects with disadvantaged teenagers. The first project is taking place in Medellín (Colombia), where we send and train volunteers to teach English to a group of teenagers living in a disadvantaged neighborhood).

MORE INFO ABOUT INTERCAMBIO ON: www.intercambio.be

https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/alexanderdeceuninck



Interests.
1. The culture: for example the different behavior between the south and the north of a country, understanding where the Spanish words "siesta" and "tapas" come from, the Verlan language in France
2. Sports: I practice table tennis on a semi-professional level. I also like cycling, hiking, squash and swimming.
3. Cinema: many different genres with a preference for crime and gangster movies.
4. The social construction of human behavior: particularly criminal behavior (organized crime, prostitution and drugs) and the strategies to combat them. (I studied criminology).
5. geopolitics: strategy of the world, although it's mostly not something beautiful it is something that interests me



My best trips so far (mostly with the bicycle which is my favourite way of traveling)

1. Colombia: I taught English to disadvantaged teenagers and helped with organizing football training in Comuna Trece (one of the poorest neighborhoods in Medellín).
2. I took a trip to Lanzarote to escape the winter in Belgium. It's a fantastic island for sports: I did a lot of hiking and cycling.
3. I've visited my Erasmus friends who live in Italy, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany and Spain.
4. I went on a bikepacking trip from Basel (Switzerland) to Marseille (South of France) it was the first time that I tried this way of traveling and I haven't stopped since.
5. I cycled from Cairo all the way to Jerusalem, it was a beautiful adventure, I was able to meet so many beautiful people on the way, learn about Arab culture, Islam, Judaism, I was invited for a traditional Bedouin wedding, it saddens me so much what has happened throughout history and especially these days, it's an amazing region: the people, the food, the nature,...
6. I cycled from Mexico city all the way to Cancun; was able to enjoy incredible Mexican food, see 3m wild cactuses, meet Zapatistas and hear about their cause, meet various indigenous communities, learn Mexican slang on the streets speaking to people,...

NEW PROJECTS COMING UP

DOCUMENTARY about BICYCLE TRIP through NEW ZEALAND: going to make a documentary about the English language of New Zealand (land of the Kiwis) and the origin of the language in combination with a bit of history. All with the objective of raising money to pay for a local teacher so that the kids in Comuna Trece can follow English classes).

BICYCLE TRIP THROUGH JAPAN

I have 2,5 months in Japan and want to discover the whole country by bicycle.

Interests

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent

More details about my language interests
French English Spanish Dutch

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Gardening

DIY and building projects

Being an elderly companion

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Some knowledge of:  

Helping around the house

Helping with Computers/ Internet

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Able to teach about:  

General Maintenance

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Hospitality/Tourism

Languages

Teaching

More details about your skills

1. Langues: Je parle le néerlandais (langue maternelle) et l'anglais couramment. (Le français et l'espagnol niveau B2); j'ai enseigné l'anglais aux jeunes défavorisés à Medellín (2019)
2. Événements: J'ai de l'expérience professionnelle en tant que barman, serveur et hôte.
3. Travail social avec les jeunes: Je travaille actuellement à Mulhouse comme éducateur dans l'internat du centre sportif régional d'Alsace. En Belgique, j'aide avec l'organisation des activités pour les adolescents défavorisés (Habbekrats)
4. Sports: Je joue au tennis de table à un niveau semi-professionnel et je suis également entraîneur dans ce sport.
5. Hôte: j'ai accueilli 16 personnes via couchsurfing dans ma maison à Gand. Voici un lien vers mon profil de couchsurfing: www.couchsurfing.com/people/alexanderdeceuninck.
6. Réceptionniste et animateur: J'ai travaillé dans deux auberges de jeunesses en Colombie: septembre 2019: Bogota (BoGohostel), novembre 2019: Manizales (Kaleidoscopio).
7. Marketing et vidéos: à Medellin en 2019 j'ai participé à la promotion d'activités de canyoning (acteur) et à Manizales J'ai joué dans une vidéo pour améliorer le tourisme 2019 (acteur) Pour voir la vidéo: https://www.facebook.com/amcoppiano.coppiano/videos/624292281649135/UzpfSTEwMDAwMzgxODcyNjg1ODoxNzMwNTQwNTkwNDE2NTQ4/
8. Études: J'ai étudié la criminologie à l'Université de Gand. Mes spécialisations sont la prévention et la politique de drogues.
9. Je peux vraiment faire rire les gens, mettre un sourire sur leurs visages . Je suis convaincu que c'est l'une de mes plus grandes qualités et j'en suis fier.

1. Languages: I am fluent in Dutch (mother tongue) and English. Moderate French and Spanish (B2). I also worked as an English teacher (Comuna Trece, 2019)
2. Events: I worked in events as a bartender, waiter, host and stagehand.
3. Social work young people: I currently work in Mulhouse as an educator in the boarding school of the regional sports center of Alsace. In Belgium I've experience with organizing activities for disadvantaged youngsters (Habbekrats)
4. Sports: I play table tennis at a semi-professional level and I am also a coach.
5. Host: I've hosted 16 people on couchsurfing in my house in Ghent. Here's a link to my couchsurfing profile: www.couchsurfing.com/people/alexanderdeceuninck.
6. Receptionist: I worked in two hostels in Colombia as a receptionist and I organized several activities: September 2019: Bogota (BoGohostel), November 2019: Manizales (Kaleidoscopio).
7. Marketing and vidéos: In Medellin I've helped with the promotion of canyoning tours (as an actor, 2019) and in Manizales I acted in a video made to improve the local tourism (2019). To see the video: https://www.facebook.com/amcoppiano.coppiano/videos/624292281649135/UzpfSTEwMDAwMzgxODcyNjg1ODoxNzMwNTQwNTkwNDE2NTQ4/
8. Criminology: I studied criminology at the University of Ghent. I'm specialised in drug prevention and drug policy.
9. I can really make people laugh, put a smile on their faces. I'm convinced it's one of my biggest qualities, and I'm proud of it.

Age

31

What else ...

For more info or if you have any questions, you can contact me on whatsapp +32456205167

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies

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  Special dietary requirements