Today's chuckle - a couch-surfer's story

@JudyEv (323706)
Rockingham, Australia
November 30, 2017 5:32pm CST
We belong to an international organisation called couch-surfers which allows you to host people from around the world and also gives you the opportunity to request accommodation, or just a friendly contact, from other members when you are travelling. It is designed to allow cheaper travelling and is especially popular with younger people who don’t mind sleeping a night or two on the floor or couch perhaps. Some of our couch-surfers have remained friends and we visited several when we were overseas. They often have funny stories to tell and have provided us with some fine entertainment. One young German lad had a job in our town Donnybrook in Western Australia. He had a job which required him to live onsite in the hotel there but he would come out on weekends occasionally. His name was Christian. We visited and stayed with Christian in 2015. He is married to a Russian girl he met while travelling and they now have a little boy. The story of the relationship would take too long to divulge here so I’ll save it for later. He told us that while travelling in Indonesia he was invited by a local person to a family celebration. There was an old lady sitting off to the side at the party and Christian approached and said ‘Hello, I’m Christian’. The old dear looked him up and down without smiling and eventually said ‘I’m Muslim’. The photo is of some wall art in Christian's home town.
31 people like this
26 responses
@LadyDuck (455004)
• Switzerland
1 Dec 17
It would have been more appropriate to say "My name is Christian", imagine if he was a Spanish and his name was Jesus, how it would sound "Hello, I am Jesus"?
7 people like this
@LadyDuck (455004)
• Switzerland
1 Dec 17
@JudyEv I know that when we traveled in the United States, every waiter coming to our table used to say "Hi my name is...", there are no space to imagination.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
That would be even funnier. Perhaps now he says 'my name is Christian'. If my name was Christian, I wouldn't have thought about it being taken the wrong way.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
@LadyDuck This is much the better way.
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11121)
• Malaysia
1 Dec 17
Haha that is so funny! That's why traveling abroad can be very interesting.
6 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
Yes, we've had some marvellous experiences when we've been travelling too.
3 people like this
@toniganzon (72317)
• Philippines
1 Dec 17
religion seems to be a very big issue there!
4 people like this
@Fleura (28941)
• United Kingdom
1 Dec 17
@JudyEv @toniganzon I don't think it was a big issue necessarily, the lady was probably surprised that a stranger came up to her and instead of introducing himself, apparently stated his religion. I mean if you were not familiar with the use of 'Christian' as a name, you would be surprised - imagine if someone introduced themselves by saying, for example 'Hello, I'm Sikh'.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
@Fleura @LadyDuck gave a very funny example too. What if a Spaniard introduced himself by saying 'Hi, I'm Jesus'.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
Where he was it must have been - at least with the old lady.
2 people like this
@WorDazza (15836)
• Manchester, England
1 Dec 17
You never know, the old dear may not be as daft she seemed. She might actually be called Muslim.
4 people like this
@WorDazza (15836)
• Manchester, England
4 Dec 17
@JudyEv He would have probably been killed for impersonating a prophet!!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Dec 17
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
I guess that's a possibility. @LadyDuck said it's lucky our friend wasn't a Spaniard called Jesus!
4 people like this
• Eugene, Oregon
30 Nov 17
Very funny and he would have to explain.
5 people like this
• Eugene, Oregon
1 Dec 17
@JudyEv Not at all. It would stop you for a moment.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
Yes, he would. Her comment wouldn't be one you'd be expecting would it?
3 people like this
@FayeHazel (40250)
• United States
1 Dec 17
That wall art is great. I think it's a wonderful idea , cheaper for the traveler and nice for you as well. Do they screen people so that no harm comes to the hosts?
4 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
There are various safeguards in place and references that you can access. Like everything else, you should be careful as they can't cover all eventualities.
2 people like this
@FayeHazel (40250)
• United States
1 Dec 17
@JudyEv Ah good to know there are some safe guards in place
2 people like this
@much2say (53699)
• Los Angeles, California
1 Dec 17
Too funny! I love that wall! I've seen articles on how artists have masked plain or eyesore walls with cool art . . . I enjoy seeing these photos!
4 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
It seems a popular way of beautifying cement or brick areas.
2 people like this
@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
1 Dec 17
That is quite funny!
3 people like this
@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
1 Dec 17
@JudyEv I wonder if his names created all sorts of other situations for him too.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
It's not a response you'd be expecting is it?
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Dec 17
@valmnz I imagine after that he might have said 'my name is Christian'. Did you read Anna's response?
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111956)
• United States
30 Nov 17
I like the wall art Remind me of my depression years.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
It is skilfully done. There were a lot of similar ones in that town.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
30 Nov 17
LOL, I love it!
3 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
I thought it was very funny.
1 person likes this
@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
1 Dec 17
Ha ha! She must have thought- why is telling me this first thing--good poker face from her-hahaha!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Dec 17
@MarymargII She probably thought it was very confrontational.
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
No doubt she wasn't very impressed at all!
1 person likes this
@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
7 Dec 17
@JudyEv Probably thought: Who starts off a conversation like this? haha!
1 person likes this
@ilocosboy (45161)
• Philippines
1 Dec 17
He he, that was an honest response. That must be good, I mean being a member of couch surfers. When we're doing outreach orogram, we can sleep on anything at night.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
We stayed with couch-surfers in Bavaria and they were very kind to us.
3 people like this
@Hannihar (129111)
• Israel
1 Dec 17
Now, I get it. She did not know that was his name and thought he was telling her he is Christian. That funny. That organization sounds great.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
That's right \. I wonder if he now says 'my name is Christian' when he introduces himself to strangers rather than 'I am Christian'.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (129111)
• Israel
3 Dec 17
@JudyEv Judy, that is a good one.
1 person likes this
@YrNemo (20272)
1 Dec 17
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
Christian will have a good story to tell won't he?
1 person likes this
@YrNemo (20272)
1 Dec 17
@JudyEv I think that lady was looking at him because she was puzzled more than anything. It sounds silly to go around telling people your religion, that lady must have thought.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (168439)
• United States
1 Dec 17
Quite a picture..Couch surfers sounds a lot like Air B N B.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
Except that you don't pay for your bed. It's especially good for younger people. It's almost like having instant friends.
@1hopefulman (45125)
• Canada
1 Dec 17
That is an interesting organization. I have never heard of it.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
Most of the backpackers we meet have heard of it even if they are not members.
1 person likes this
• United States
1 Dec 17
that's a very funny story and I had to laugh. Being part of a couch-surfer group sounds really interesting
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Dec 17
We thought it was very funny. We've met some lovely people through couch-surfing including an American couple in their 50s who rode their bikes right across Australia from Sydney. The Nullarbor Plain is quite inhospitable especially on bikes!
@Fleura (28941)
• United Kingdom
1 Dec 17
Yes I can imagine that. After all it is quite a strange name when you think about it, and you never come across people called 'Muslim' or 'Hindu' as far as I know! I used to work with someone whose surname was Christian. She was always having to explain it and got into the habit of saying 'Christian - like the religion' so one day she got a letter addressed to 'Dr Religion'
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
It isn't that common a name for sure. Your friend would have felt she was knocking her head against a brick wall.
1 person likes this
• United States
1 Dec 17
That's really funny.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
@Frenzys9 (172)
• United States
1 Dec 17
That site sounds so cool! I bet it is perfect for people who just got kicked out of their home.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 17
Well, maybe but it's not supposed to be a permanent thing. Usually it's just for a few nights at the most but depending on the host and guest it can be for longer.