1 00:01:35,410 --> 00:01:42,210 ONE COUCH AT A TIME Surfing into a new sharing economy 2 00:01:47,550 --> 00:01:48,820 Today is the day… 3 00:01:48,820 --> 00:01:51,660 I set off for my around the world couchsurfing journey. 4 00:01:51,660 --> 00:01:52,730 Couchsurfing… 5 00:01:52,730 --> 00:01:53,860 Couchsurfing? 6 00:01:53,860 --> 00:01:54,890 It's ridiculous. 7 00:01:54,890 --> 00:01:56,790 How can you trust a stranger? 8 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:59,000 A lot of things could go wrong. 9 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,070 … something like the YouTube video of the guy going over Niagara Falls… 10 00:02:02,070 --> 00:02:06,550 You know, what if you stay with someone who's like a sexual deviant, or something, and like they kidnap you… 11 00:02:06,550 --> 00:02:08,350 I'm a catholic and… 12 00:02:08,870 --> 00:02:12,540 I don't know, my husband wouldn't want me sleeping on some stranger's couch. 13 00:02:12,540 --> 00:02:15,120 You're going across the continents… 14 00:02:15,230 --> 00:02:20,420 and meeting people you have never ever met before and you're staying in their house? 15 00:02:20,420 --> 00:02:24,150 I know that everyone is screened, but that doesn't mean that they're not freaks. 16 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:26,160 The person could cancel on you… 17 00:02:26,430 --> 00:02:29,050 the person could end up being an axe murderer… 18 00:02:29,060 --> 00:02:31,280 I definitely have issues with my comfort zone… 19 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,110 like this is my space… 20 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:35,400 I'm gonna stay in my space. 21 00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:37,880 So you're saying you've never made new friends before? 22 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:39,500 That's actually really unlikely. 23 00:02:39,500 --> 00:02:41,480 At least these friends have references. 24 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:43,590 The bigger risk in my mind… 25 00:02:43,590 --> 00:02:45,730 is what would happen if you didn't. 26 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:52,480 You know, if you stayed at home, in your theoretically safe little bubble… 27 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:57,590 and never stepped into the opportunity to expand yourself. 28 00:02:57,590 --> 00:02:59,080 It forces you to have this idea of this person… 29 00:02:59,530 --> 00:03:01,750 to have this preconceived notion of who you're meeting. 30 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:05,020 That's my only problem with any kind of type of social network… 31 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:09,050 any of those things, your Facebooks, your Myspace, your Couchsurfings… 32 00:03:09,060 --> 00:03:11,330 your Twitters, your twats or whatever. 33 00:03:11,330 --> 00:03:14,470 Needless to say, we broke up soon after that statement. 34 00:03:14,790 --> 00:03:17,460 So what would a Couchsurfing evangelist do? 35 00:03:17,750 --> 00:03:19,610 I'll tell you what they wouldn't do… 36 00:03:19,610 --> 00:03:21,910 they wouldn't stay in a hotel or a hostel. 37 00:03:22,110 --> 00:03:24,810 So that's it: for these next six months… 38 00:03:24,810 --> 00:03:27,330 I'm couchsurfing the whole way. 39 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:40,380 Meet Casey Fenton. 40 00:03:40,420 --> 00:03:42,490 He is the founder of couchsurfing.org. 41 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,360 So this is my living room, and here's my couch. 42 00:03:48,370 --> 00:03:50,260 — Sit down, welcome. — Thank you! 43 00:03:50,300 --> 00:03:53,690 I was lucky enough to meet Casey back in 2007. 44 00:03:53,690 --> 00:03:57,740 Just a regular guy, feeding nickels into a meter. 45 00:03:57,740 --> 00:04:00,020 So Couchsurfing is a social network. 46 00:04:00,050 --> 00:04:04,870 It's like a Facebook, a Myspace, a tribe.net, a friendster… 47 00:04:04,870 --> 00:04:09,440 except the purpose of it is to get people together… 48 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:13,440 to stay on each other's couches, for intercultural exchange. 49 00:04:13,580 --> 00:04:16,760 So it's like you have a profile online… 50 00:04:16,910 --> 00:04:20,440 and you can search for other CouchSurfers all over the world… 51 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:22,030 and you connect to them… 52 00:04:22,050 --> 00:04:26,690 and ask them to show you around their local area, have a cup of coffee and just chat… 53 00:04:26,840 --> 00:04:31,610 get to know their culture, or even stay on their couch. Hence "Couchsurfing". 54 00:04:31,630 --> 00:04:35,650 — Is Couchsurfing dangerous? — It's like, is eBay dangerous? 55 00:04:36,420 --> 00:04:39,910 You know, people thought it wouldn't be a good idea… 56 00:04:39,940 --> 00:04:44,170 to send a package to someone you don't know using the internet to someone you haven't met. 57 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:49,010 But eBay overcame that problem with technology. 58 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:53,570 Listening to Casey inspired me to want to give back. 59 00:04:53,770 --> 00:04:57,730 I wanted the whole world to know how Couchsurfing could enrich their lives. 60 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:01,980 {\an8}If you could have all the money, or the friendships, the people… What's it all about? 61 00:05:01,990 --> 00:05:04,550 Having deep and meaningful experiences every day. 62 00:05:05,300 --> 00:05:08,950 And those were the very words that inspired the idea. 63 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,830 BBC World News, we're looking at how unemployment is affecting… 64 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,710 We spend more money than we take in. 65 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:23,990 — Do you see a ripple effect here? — Well there is a ripple effect… 66 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:31,790 … having communities where people share things, and do things for each other… 67 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:36,300 We pay for everything. 68 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,280 A lot of people are trying to find what they love… 69 00:05:38,280 --> 00:05:43,550 they're trying to find a situation in life that they like better than the previous situation. 70 00:05:43,660 --> 00:05:45,740 Vulnerable times call for action. 71 00:05:45,950 --> 00:05:48,630 It became clear when the economic crisis hit… 72 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:53,410 it was time to make this Couchsurfing film. It was time to focus on sharing. 73 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:56,560 What would a world look like where everyone couchsurfed? 74 00:05:56,970 --> 00:06:00,520 What would you be willing to share with a stranger? 75 00:06:01,940 --> 00:06:05,100 Hey world! I'm Alexandra and I'm a CouchSurfer. 76 00:06:05,630 --> 00:06:07,470 Unfortunately I'm not rich. 77 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:10,370 And my savings were not enough to fund an entire film. 78 00:06:10,710 --> 00:06:14,680 But being from San Francisco, an innovative tech mecca… 79 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:16,810 I was told about crowd funding. 80 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:19,820 I used kickstarter.com and made a video… 81 00:06:19,830 --> 00:06:23,490 to see if a crowd of people from the internet liked the idea enough to fund it. 82 00:06:23,510 --> 00:06:26,470 {\an8}It's our dream to make a Couchsurfing documentary possible. 83 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,820 So, what do you say? Can I stay with you? 84 00:06:36,060 --> 00:06:38,020 It took a lot of networking… 85 00:06:38,030 --> 00:06:43,150 but I got contacted from strangers all over the world, who also love Couchsurfing… 86 00:06:43,150 --> 00:06:46,300 who wanted to help host, or join me on the journey. 87 00:06:46,950 --> 00:06:50,400 Based on their response, that's where I decided to go. 88 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,260 Six continents, 21 countries. 89 00:06:56,060 --> 00:07:01,000 Funded! This project raised its funding goal on February 28, 2011. 90 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:11,900 I was really surprised when I got contacted from someone… 91 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:14,510 from all the way in Karachi, Pakistan. 92 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,390 Coming from Pakistan as an unmarried woman… 93 00:07:17,390 --> 00:07:19,390 Zohra is an anomaly. 94 00:07:21,950 --> 00:07:23,800 {\an8}I think this a very scary idea! 95 00:07:23,860 --> 00:07:26,020 {\an8}It's acceptable if a man does it. 96 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,030 {\an8}It's all new and unknown out there. 97 00:07:29,430 --> 00:07:32,440 {\an8}You don't even speak their language! 98 00:07:32,930 --> 00:07:33,790 {\an8}I'm thirty-four… 99 00:07:34,300 --> 00:07:36,860 I should have got married by now. 100 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:39,530 My family is actually concerned. 101 00:07:39,570 --> 00:07:41,370 {\an8}Zohra, why are you going to travel? 102 00:07:41,540 --> 00:07:43,340 {\an8}You should get married now. 103 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:49,080 Now they want me to get married as soon as possible, to anyone they can find. 104 00:07:49,580 --> 00:07:56,270 But they don't get it; if I wanted to marry anyone I can find, I would have been married by now. 105 00:07:57,070 --> 00:08:00,620 Not only is it difficult to get visas where she's from… 106 00:08:00,700 --> 00:08:03,200 it's also really expensive. 107 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:07,770 So I'm honored, she's willing to take a risk and join me on this couchsurfing mission. 108 00:08:08,670 --> 00:08:14,140 {\an8}I am at the Bangkok Airport and will meet Alexandra now who is a CouchSurfer, 109 00:08:14,270 --> 00:08:20,010 {\an8}and we will meet at this airport for the first time. 110 00:08:20,780 --> 00:08:23,680 {\an8}It's still some time for her to arrive I think I should just freshen up. 111 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:27,650 I'll be at gate #3. 112 00:08:28,010 --> 00:08:34,250 Zohra and I kept in contact months before this trip, and finally we're about to meet. 113 00:08:38,030 --> 00:08:39,770 Hi! We found each other. 114 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:42,830 My family friends, insisted that we stay with them. 115 00:08:43,390 --> 00:08:46,200 Tonight the couchsurfing commences… 116 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,100 with Zohra's family friends, the Jillianis. 117 00:08:53,310 --> 00:08:54,920 Thank you for having us. 118 00:08:56,890 --> 00:08:59,620 Wow, this place is amazing! 119 00:09:00,450 --> 00:09:02,590 She's just like our daughter. 120 00:09:04,260 --> 00:09:08,330 I'm a bit nervous. A traditional Pakistani family? 121 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:12,650 I'm a loud-mouthed San Franciscan. I hope I don't do anything inappropriate. 122 00:09:15,370 --> 00:09:21,000 Couchsurfing tip: You only have one chance to make a first impression: be careful what that impression is. 123 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:21,750 Sweet! 124 00:09:22,410 --> 00:09:23,500 What's that smell? It smells good! 125 00:09:24,150 --> 00:09:26,420 I've started with this notion as well. 126 00:09:26,450 --> 00:09:29,370 It's like, okay yeah… If you're hosting, you're kind of giving… 127 00:09:29,450 --> 00:09:33,500 and if you're surfing you're… taking, maybe? Or receiving or something… 128 00:09:33,570 --> 00:09:37,850 And it's kinda like this… am I getting credits or something, how does this work? 129 00:09:37,990 --> 00:09:43,770 And it's also like this pay it forward, we all are going to give and take this leap of faith together… 130 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:45,750 and we're all gonna be paying it forward together. 131 00:09:46,050 --> 00:09:48,720 And here we are: total strangers. 132 00:09:50,470 --> 00:09:51,800 Welcome to Bangkok. 133 00:09:54,770 --> 00:09:56,950 — Are you tired? — I'm very tired. 134 00:09:57,120 --> 00:09:59,870 I'm totally not tired, but I'm gonna force myself. 135 00:10:00,350 --> 00:10:01,050 Goodnight. 136 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:07,690 Didn't get much sleep, due to the jet lag… 137 00:10:07,690 --> 00:10:10,020 so I thought I'd check out my Couchsurfing messages. 138 00:10:10,250 --> 00:10:15,200 Awesome, I got an email from Alex Olsson, a CouchSurfer living in Bangkok… 139 00:10:15,250 --> 00:10:16,600 who invited us to drop by. 140 00:10:16,670 --> 00:10:17,920 It's been such a pleasure. 141 00:10:17,970 --> 00:10:20,920 — And we hope to see you again, ok? — Yes, for sure. 142 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:28,320 My God, he was so uncomfortable hugging me. Did you see that? I shouldn't have done that. 143 00:10:29,650 --> 00:10:32,720 It's been amazing, thank you, thank you! 144 00:10:32,940 --> 00:10:36,500 Couchsurfing tip: If you're in a different country, learn their customs. Embrace their culture. 145 00:10:36,570 --> 00:10:41,520 People appreciate the fact that you've come all the way, you brought your culture all the way to their doorstep… 146 00:10:41,550 --> 00:10:44,870 and that's really powerful and they're very thankful for you… 147 00:10:44,870 --> 00:10:48,420 spending time with them and sharing their life together. 148 00:10:48,450 --> 00:10:50,100 This train is going to… 149 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:54,830 Couchsurfing tip: Learn what you can from the locals and do what they do. 150 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:02,550 Thanks to our local host, we got exact directions to our next host, Alex Olsson's house. 151 00:11:06,020 --> 00:11:07,370 Hey, how's it going? 152 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:09,800 — Bobby. — Bobby, Alex. Nice to meet you. 153 00:11:10,020 --> 00:11:11,220 This is Zohra. 154 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:16,300 Couchsurfing tip: In case you didn't know, Couchsurfing is not a dating site. 155 00:11:16,420 --> 00:11:18,850 We're shooting a documentary by the way, hope you don't mind. 156 00:11:18,860 --> 00:11:21,070 — Not at all. — There's no need to put on shirts. 157 00:11:21,250 --> 00:11:27,220 One of the most important pieces of hosting and/or surfing is that of compatibility. 158 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:30,470 They were all super nice guys… 159 00:11:30,470 --> 00:11:33,870 and they were actually on their way out to go party on Khaosan Road. 160 00:11:33,870 --> 00:11:35,600 What kind of lifestyle do you lead? 161 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:39,920 Are you an early to bed, an early riser? 162 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:42,350 Are you someone who wants to go out and party? 163 00:11:42,350 --> 00:11:45,350 If I would have thoroughly gone through Zohra's profile… 164 00:11:45,350 --> 00:11:48,770 I would have seen that it's not in her cultural beliefs to drink. 165 00:11:50,670 --> 00:11:54,660 Couchsurfing tip: Always make sure to read profiles for compatibility. 166 00:11:54,890 --> 00:11:57,000 So we let the boys go on without us. 167 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:02,950 Some of these kinds of lifestyle choices are important to at least understand… 168 00:12:02,950 --> 00:12:04,420 or hopefully you're matched on… 169 00:12:04,420 --> 00:12:07,770 but if you're not, it's important to kind of negotiate up front. 170 00:12:08,020 --> 00:12:11,520 Poor Zohra, what did I get her into? 171 00:12:11,650 --> 00:12:16,350 Let's say you're exploring the world, you're couchsurfing and you get there… 172 00:12:16,370 --> 00:12:18,100 and you meet the person, and there's something… 173 00:12:18,100 --> 00:12:23,120 this doesn't work for me, different schedules, something about it doesn't work. 174 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:24,920 Well, hopefully you have a backup plan. 175 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:29,880 Our ex-host, Alex, told us about his couchsurfing friend, Scott Campbell… 176 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:32,730 who had a very unique couchsurfing situation. 177 00:12:32,730 --> 00:12:34,520 We're at Tailek's house… 178 00:12:34,860 --> 00:12:37,130 it's the house where Tailek lives. 179 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:42,540 This is Tailek. 180 00:12:42,540 --> 00:12:44,410 Originally it was because we were traveling around… 181 00:12:44,410 --> 00:12:47,850 and we were interested in having local experiences with people… 182 00:12:47,860 --> 00:12:53,310 not just staying in a hotel and like, doing tourist things, but having cultural exchange with people. 183 00:12:53,310 --> 00:12:55,130 And then we got this place… 184 00:12:56,010 --> 00:12:57,880 about a year ago here in Thailand… 185 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,250 and the house is really big, has lots of extra space. 186 00:13:00,330 --> 00:13:03,500 I can't believe these people are so hospitable. 187 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:08,250 I don't expect people to be so nice to strangers. 188 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:11,720 Finally, Zohra can witness the Couchsurfing spirit. 189 00:13:11,770 --> 00:13:13,210 When you're a CouchSurfer… 190 00:13:13,210 --> 00:13:17,020 there's a certain level of trust that surpasses the average traveler. 191 00:13:19,210 --> 00:13:21,840 I notice that you leave all of your money next to your bed. 192 00:13:22,700 --> 00:13:24,940 You just trust everyone not to steal all of your money. 193 00:13:25,070 --> 00:13:25,920 Yes. 194 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:28,560 You're in the right place for that. 195 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:31,260 No one would, but I'm just thinking, you could never do that in a hostel. 196 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:33,400 — You can trust that, being a CouchSurfer. — Yup. 197 00:13:34,350 --> 00:13:35,530 That's trusting, man. 198 00:13:37,230 --> 00:13:38,360 That's how it should be. 199 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,120 Considering that Couchsurfing is in its first generation… 200 00:13:42,620 --> 00:13:45,480 Tailek's growing up in a house of sharing. 201 00:13:45,850 --> 00:13:47,610 It's commonplace to him… 202 00:13:47,610 --> 00:13:51,020 learning different languages, learning about different cultures. 203 00:13:51,340 --> 00:13:54,080 I wonder how this is going to affect his future. 204 00:13:56,050 --> 00:13:57,580 Who thought this, 205 00:13:57,720 --> 00:13:59,480 situation would be so nice? 206 00:14:00,090 --> 00:14:03,610 Now you really look like Jesus, just put your hands up a little bit more. 207 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:09,400 Alright, everybody. Cheese! 208 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:17,840 The space, the couch, the travel is almost, I think, secondary to the cultural exchange that happens… 209 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:23,840 {\an8}that every interaction you have, where you're like, this person is incredible, this person is interesting… 210 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:26,240 and I'm seeing the world through their eyes. 211 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:37,500 We're meeting with CouchSurfer Austin. 212 00:14:37,790 --> 00:14:42,990 He was able to teach himself English, by conversing with other CouchSurfers and travelers. 213 00:14:58,180 --> 00:14:59,140 Pho? 214 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:02,580 Phở. That's the one that you've been receiving. 215 00:15:05,180 --> 00:15:08,120 So, have you ever been to the States? 216 00:15:08,170 --> 00:15:09,390 No, I want to. 217 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:13,950 For Vietnamese, if you wanna travel to Western countries… 218 00:15:13,950 --> 00:15:16,460 you need to have a lot of money. 219 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:20,730 The minimum wage here is around 150 dollars a month. 220 00:15:20,750 --> 00:15:22,570 When I was at the ATM machine… 221 00:15:22,890 --> 00:15:26,680 I didn't think about what it was like to be on the other side of a weak currency. 222 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:30,510 Austin scoots us over to CouchSurfer Adam's house… 223 00:15:30,510 --> 00:15:32,680 for an authentic Vietnamese dinner. 224 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:40,680 CouchSurfers around the world, welcome to my house! 225 00:15:41,070 --> 00:15:42,750 Thank you very much. 226 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:47,980 Couchsurfing tip: Although it's not required, it's always good etiquette to bring a gift. 227 00:15:51,020 --> 00:15:54,010 — You've been traveling for three years? — A thousand days, yeah. 228 00:15:54,140 --> 00:15:57,600 — So you're finally settling down. — That's the thing, you know, I was like… 229 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:02,800 I realized that you gotta know when to stop. It was my time to stop. 230 00:16:02,810 --> 00:16:05,920 I was a fish in the bowl and I wanted to see what was outside. 231 00:16:06,140 --> 00:16:07,930 And I made that leap of faith… 232 00:16:07,930 --> 00:16:11,930 and i suddenly was in the ocean with all these new creatures I'd never been before… 233 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:14,240 and I was swimming around and… 234 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:17,760 you know, the ocean never settles, you move even when you're not moving. 235 00:16:17,770 --> 00:16:21,610 What I was searching for was not actually what I was searching for. 236 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:26,760 It was what I'd left behind, it was just to do it with somebody else. Not to be alone. 237 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:31,080 And I found this person right here, and now we have this wonderful baby on the way… 238 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:32,890 which doesn't mean that life is over… 239 00:16:32,890 --> 00:16:35,970 it just means that there's three of us now, doing the same thing together. 240 00:16:45,690 --> 00:16:47,610 {\an8}I don't think we can underestimate… 241 00:16:47,610 --> 00:16:52,360 {\an8}how big the role the digital revolution has played in accelerating collaborative consumption… 242 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:56,460 {\an8}not just in terms of creating the efficiency and trust that make it work… 243 00:16:56,460 --> 00:17:00,880 but actually fundamentally changing people's behaviors around sharing. 244 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:03,820 So now we're bussing from Vietnam to Cambodia. 245 00:17:03,820 --> 00:17:06,770 Sometimes you get on each other's nerves when you travel… 246 00:17:06,770 --> 00:17:09,370 and Zohra is a little nervous. 247 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,410 Traveling with a Pakistani passport is not easy. 248 00:17:12,590 --> 00:17:15,020 They just think she's a terrorist or something, I don't know. 249 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,990 — You shouldn't be saying that word, please. — I'm sorry… 250 00:17:19,310 --> 00:17:24,330 — Look, I'm trying to make light of this. — No, but this word is not right. 251 00:17:24,540 --> 00:17:28,620 So we get to the border, and they won't let Zohra into Cambodia. 252 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:31,200 And we can't understand what they're saying. 253 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:33,450 And now she's not talking to me. 254 00:17:33,770 --> 00:17:36,680 First, you know, in couchsurfing fashion… 255 00:17:36,910 --> 00:17:39,760 my hope is that when people are having a challenge… 256 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:41,240 they actually try to work it out… 257 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:44,730 they actually try to understand each other's perspectives… 258 00:17:44,780 --> 00:17:47,850 and they actually go there to try to work it out. 259 00:17:47,850 --> 00:17:50,240 Finally, she starts walking back. 260 00:17:52,110 --> 00:17:56,920 — That was a lot of drama. — Do you know why? 261 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:00,700 — I got the security guard's phone number. — You got the guy's phone number? 262 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:02,830 Are you serious? 263 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:08,830 — Are you serious? — He was so nice to me, I said "I'll call you". 264 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:10,590 Okay! 265 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:13,580 I apologized for my off-color comment. 266 00:18:14,330 --> 00:18:17,840 She explains to me why my joke was not so funny. 267 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:19,600 And I learned something. 268 00:18:20,270 --> 00:18:22,840 So it's a very important piece of the system… 269 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:26,190 the reference system, and leaving the negative references. 270 00:18:26,270 --> 00:18:29,420 It's kind of a last resort in some ways, I think. 271 00:18:29,420 --> 00:18:32,520 It's when you can't work it out, but you need to let other people know… 272 00:18:32,790 --> 00:18:36,350 that there's something dangerous, or something bad or something inappropriate. 273 00:18:36,970 --> 00:18:41,820 But I think they don't end up having to leave a negative reference, because they want to work it out. 274 00:18:41,820 --> 00:18:46,160 They talk about it, they figure out what the problem is, and they hopefully resolve it. 275 00:18:46,270 --> 00:18:50,910 And that to me is awesome, because that is our mission and vision in action. 276 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:55,360 The man you are about to meet has been dubbed the world's biggest freeloader. 277 00:18:55,390 --> 00:19:00,290 And surprisingly, it's a tag that Ramon Stoppelenburg wears like a badge of honor. 278 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:04,810 Because he's come up with a travel scheme that makes him the envy of millions: 279 00:19:04,810 --> 00:19:06,730 touring the world for free… 280 00:19:06,730 --> 00:19:11,770 using the power of the internet, and relying on the hospitality of others. 281 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:17,950 — Welcome to my palace in Phnom Penh. — Thank you, it's good to be here. Wow, it's beautiful! 282 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:21,980 I once traveled around the world for free, using the power of the internet… 283 00:19:21,980 --> 00:19:26,400 and that made so much influence in media and online history… 284 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:29,770 that people started calling me The Godfather of Couchsurfing. 285 00:19:29,820 --> 00:19:34,840 I have to admit, I was pretty excited to meet Ramon. He's a legend. 286 00:19:35,340 --> 00:19:39,560 He was able to travel for two years, without spending a penny. 287 00:19:40,090 --> 00:19:43,740 I always wanted to travel the world, and I never had the money. 288 00:19:43,740 --> 00:19:45,790 You always need money to travel. 289 00:19:45,790 --> 00:19:48,770 The purpose of my project is that I don't have any money with me… 290 00:19:48,770 --> 00:19:51,320 I don't spend any money, I don't even want money. 291 00:19:51,550 --> 00:19:54,330 I admit, I am an economic refugee. 292 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:58,920 So I didn't want to pay that much money on tax… 293 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:03,790 I don't want to make that much money, because the costs of living are so high. 294 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:05,230 Have you decided on dinner yet? 295 00:20:05,230 --> 00:20:08,730 — I mostly stay with the budget food. — It's all budget food. 296 00:20:08,730 --> 00:20:12,000 — Yeah, 2.50 or 1.50. — Are you serious? 297 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:14,300 This is Cambodia! 298 00:20:15,130 --> 00:20:18,120 Why not pay for your trip like every other backpacker? 299 00:20:18,990 --> 00:20:24,140 Because if I have to pay for a trip, I have to work to get the money… 300 00:20:24,140 --> 00:20:28,120 but I just kept on dreaming that it's not necessary to work for money… 301 00:20:28,380 --> 00:20:33,710 and came up with this idea, and decided that there is also another possibility: 302 00:20:33,850 --> 00:20:34,840 without money. 303 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,980 My parents never grew up with the idea of: ask something on the internet. 304 00:20:40,830 --> 00:20:42,720 But does that mean that you're too lazy to work? 305 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:47,760 No, not at all, I just see that there are more possibilities in life than just work only. 306 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:56,010 I made my point, you can travel the world for free that way, you can use the internet to make dreams reality… 307 00:20:56,330 --> 00:21:01,630 but to a certain extent. And after two full years of traveling, I was like that... 308 00:21:01,630 --> 00:21:06,220 maybe after Canada, this is enough. Let's grow up now. 309 00:21:07,530 --> 00:21:14,440 Couchsurfing tip: Traveling is the perfect opportunity to go outside your comfort zone and overcome your fears. 310 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:17,930 He'll eventually come to you. 311 00:21:19,120 --> 00:21:22,090 — See? Here, hold the cup. — No, thank you. 312 00:21:22,090 --> 00:21:24,630 He's roaming around like a lion. 313 00:21:24,630 --> 00:21:28,860 Zohra, really, what is your fear of cats? What happened in your childhood? 314 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,840 — Did you get bitten, because my cat doesn't even bite. — No… 315 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:34,540 He will just walk past you… 316 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:38,800 — … and you'll feel his tail going by you, and that's it. — Yes, well I felt it this afternoon. 317 00:21:40,300 --> 00:21:43,680 I'm holding him, I'm holding him… 318 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:46,810 Look, I'm holding him, he can't get to you. 319 00:21:46,810 --> 00:21:48,040 Look at his eyes. 320 00:21:48,620 --> 00:21:50,290 Yes, his eyes. 321 00:21:51,770 --> 00:21:56,680 Ramon took us to one of his favorite surprises, Dr. Fish Massage. 322 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,530 If I was going to give Zohra crap about the cat… 323 00:21:59,530 --> 00:22:04,680 then the least I can do is stick my feet in this body of water, and let these fish suckle on them. 324 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:15,320 Come to me babies! 325 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:17,870 Oh look how popular you are! 326 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:19,530 You're popular. 327 00:22:21,770 --> 00:22:23,240 So on our walk home… 328 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:27,840 we come across this random block party. And everyone was just dancing. 329 00:22:43,570 --> 00:22:47,600 Normally if I was back home, maybe I would have been a little bit more shy… 330 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:51,920 but I was in a different country, so we danced. 331 00:22:53,120 --> 00:22:56,240 Couchsurfing tip: Travel like nobody is watching. 332 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:27,180 You suddenly have this out of the blue person jumping in your life… 333 00:23:27,260 --> 00:23:30,910 who you share things with for only a short period. 334 00:23:31,100 --> 00:23:35,340 And you get to know each other a little bit, in that short period… 335 00:23:35,340 --> 00:23:40,680 and then they jump off again, but both have been feeding information… 336 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:45,400 on their background, on my background and on life here… 337 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:48,060 so it's always beneficial. 338 00:23:49,050 --> 00:23:52,510 Zohra and I sat in the airport together for one last time. 339 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:55,240 The Americans have increased the Drone Attacks… 340 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:57,680 and our government can't do anything but condemn the attacks. 341 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:01,530 Suggest, who should step up to stop these attacks on the sovereignty of Pakistan? 342 00:24:02,030 --> 00:24:03,710 And we are sitting together. 343 00:24:05,360 --> 00:24:10,080 I think it's not the common people who have problems with each other… 344 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:12,400 like, you are an American and I am a Pakistani… 345 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:14,360 and we are sitting together and we are friendly. 346 00:24:14,590 --> 00:24:16,280 But I think it's just the politics. 347 00:24:17,360 --> 00:24:22,720 When I stepped out of the airport, I was so afraid of couchsurfing… 348 00:24:23,100 --> 00:24:27,400 that I was thinking someone will snatch my bag in Thailand… 349 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:33,820 or if I stay at someone's home… 350 00:24:33,820 --> 00:24:36,480 I might get robbed or raped. 351 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:38,890 From this couchsurfing experience I learned that… 352 00:24:38,890 --> 00:24:44,120 the world is not that unsafe as I thought it would be… 353 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:48,330 and I learned to do makeup. 354 00:24:49,360 --> 00:24:51,560 As much as we got on each other's nerves… 355 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:53,690 I'm sure gonna miss her. 356 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:56,830 Now to South Africa… 357 00:24:56,890 --> 00:24:58,400 Now to South Afric…! 358 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:06,400 You scared me there… 359 00:25:11,610 --> 00:25:14,000 My next host, Sifiso Mazibuko… 360 00:25:14,620 --> 00:25:17,550 picked me up from the airport. And we never even met. 361 00:25:18,510 --> 00:25:20,990 My good friends don't pick me up from the airport. 362 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:25,400 Good day. I will see you at two o'clock. 363 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:26,960 Ok, cool. All right. 364 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:30,600 — What language is that? — That's Zulu. 365 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:33,610 Back in the day, black people would have to live in a certain area… 366 00:25:33,610 --> 00:25:35,490 white people would have to live in a certain area. 367 00:25:35,500 --> 00:25:37,690 Well, black people had to live here. 368 00:25:41,950 --> 00:25:43,390 It's a party over here, y'all! 369 00:25:49,610 --> 00:25:51,660 — This is where you sleep. — Really? 370 00:25:51,790 --> 00:25:55,360 Um… Not a whole bunch has changed in that regard, but now it's become… 371 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:58,700 I suppose it's no longer a racial oppression, it's become an economic oppression. 372 00:25:58,700 --> 00:26:01,640 We still have the majority of black people still living in the townships… 373 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:04,040 so very little has changed in that regard unfortunately. 374 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:06,650 Because ultimately, you know, if you don't have skills… 375 00:26:06,650 --> 00:26:08,810 you can't get a great job, if you can't get a great job… 376 00:26:08,810 --> 00:26:11,370 you can't move out of the slums as it were. 377 00:26:11,620 --> 00:26:12,520 I just thought of… 378 00:26:14,650 --> 00:26:15,990 surfing in the sense, of… 379 00:26:16,660 --> 00:26:18,420 surfing in the sea. 380 00:26:19,830 --> 00:26:22,530 But I couldn't understand where the couch fits in… 381 00:26:22,630 --> 00:26:24,700 And I thought, maybe… 382 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:25,660 maybe 383 00:26:26,430 --> 00:26:31,270 {\an8}you watch and observe and you relate to people who surf. 384 00:26:31,340 --> 00:26:34,770 I didn't understand what it meant. 385 00:26:34,940 --> 00:26:36,940 Now I know. 386 00:26:38,410 --> 00:26:41,960 {\an8}I'm such an easygoing person, I can get along with anyone. 387 00:26:42,220 --> 00:26:44,410 But when I meet an Afrikaner… 388 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:47,420 I know for a fact that we are not going to be friends. 389 00:26:48,430 --> 00:26:51,420 If you see me as a human being… 390 00:26:52,170 --> 00:26:54,410 then it's going to be a whole lot easier. 391 00:26:55,210 --> 00:26:58,970 It's gonna be a whole lot easier if you see me as a human being. 392 00:26:59,580 --> 00:27:02,170 And you forget that I'm black, or whatever. 393 00:27:02,750 --> 00:27:04,570 Because I could be your best friend. 394 00:27:04,570 --> 00:27:06,430 I could be your next best friend. 395 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:09,320 Now we're driving from Durban to Capetown. 396 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:54,220 Sean responded! 397 00:27:54,410 --> 00:27:55,520 If I would have told you… 398 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:57,690 that we would have been able to meet up with a stranger… 399 00:27:57,690 --> 00:28:02,620 by writing to someone by running my finger across the screen, in the car… 400 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:04,430 you wouldn't have believed me. 401 00:28:04,860 --> 00:28:07,320 Got the day off, shout if you wanna do something. 402 00:28:07,690 --> 00:28:08,480 Sweet! 403 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:20,220 I've hosted a bunch of people, over the first two years of doing it… 404 00:28:20,510 --> 00:28:22,940 and I got to meet some interesting people from places. 405 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:27,610 Sean generously offered for us to take one of his yoga classes. 406 00:28:38,110 --> 00:28:39,310 The next day… 407 00:28:39,310 --> 00:28:42,940 Sean's roommate, Karl, invited us to his family's farm. 408 00:28:44,970 --> 00:28:46,970 CouchSurfing? What's that? 409 00:28:47,610 --> 00:28:49,960 Couchsurfing, it's where people come and stay at your house. 410 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:53,020 How did you hear about it way on the farm? 411 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:57,150 On the farm, we've got internet on the farm, so… 412 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:02,840 I like that it's a community of like-minded people who… 413 00:29:03,770 --> 00:29:06,190 are willing to open their homes to other people… 414 00:29:06,350 --> 00:29:14,280 and allow you to view different countries from the inside, and not as a tourist. 415 00:29:14,780 --> 00:29:18,490 — So you grew up around these parts? — Yeah, I grew up in that house right over there. 416 00:29:27,750 --> 00:29:29,750 This place is like a museum. 417 00:29:29,750 --> 00:29:30,980 It's crazy. 418 00:29:37,370 --> 00:29:39,400 — How is it? — The tea is awesome… 419 00:29:40,030 --> 00:29:42,160 Um, well, -ish. 420 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:46,970 A house like this, me, a hundred years walking in there with you guys? 421 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:52,750 Forget a hundred years ago, forty years ago, there's no way, it was never ever gonna happen. 422 00:29:52,750 --> 00:29:55,560 Well I suppose depending on the owner of the house but… 423 00:29:55,930 --> 00:29:57,450 You might be working there… 424 00:29:57,450 --> 00:30:00,940 Yeah, you'd probably have to leave me outside, you know… 425 00:30:01,100 --> 00:30:02,440 to look after the horse. 426 00:30:02,730 --> 00:30:05,600 South Africa's riddled with a checkered history. 427 00:30:05,850 --> 00:30:09,280 And right before my eyes, history is being made. 428 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:15,730 I promised I wasn't gonna do this! 429 00:30:28,470 --> 00:30:31,280 Stay well, my brother. 430 00:30:31,940 --> 00:30:32,980 Nice. Go well. 431 00:30:33,250 --> 00:30:34,080 Yes. 432 00:30:34,450 --> 00:30:35,280 Ohhh girl! 433 00:30:37,130 --> 00:30:41,070 I am genuinely going to miss Ifiso and South Africa so much. 434 00:30:41,690 --> 00:30:45,180 I can't even fathom that fourteen short days ago… 435 00:30:45,180 --> 00:30:49,870 I was meeting Sifiso for the first time, he was holding up that sign in the airport… 436 00:30:49,870 --> 00:30:53,080 and before that moment we were complete strangers. 437 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:57,420 Couchsurfing in general, it just brings such diverse groups of people together… 438 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:00,760 and even though it's all done in fun… 439 00:31:01,740 --> 00:31:05,080 there is so much important exchange that goes on under the surface. 440 00:31:06,460 --> 00:31:10,920 When one travels for long periods of time, they can get a little stinky. 441 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:12,810 Couchsurfing tip: Use the resources around you. 442 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:20,910 You smell nice. Told ya? 443 00:31:24,380 --> 00:31:25,560 Nice. 444 00:31:26,010 --> 00:31:28,560 — You happy? — I'm very happy. 445 00:31:34,570 --> 00:31:37,850 Morning, Alex! Here's your tea. 446 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:42,720 So Emile, Bianca and I are taking their car, and going on a road trip… 447 00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:44,880 making loads of stops along the way… 448 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:48,650 from Botswana and ending up in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. 449 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:55,180 So, do you guys know any interracial couples? 450 00:31:55,180 --> 00:31:56,030 No. 451 00:31:56,260 --> 00:31:57,730 No, I don't know anyone. 452 00:31:57,730 --> 00:32:00,520 Not one? Really? 453 00:32:01,100 --> 00:32:02,570 It doesn't happen around here. 454 00:32:02,700 --> 00:32:05,200 Like I said to you, I won't have any friends left 455 00:32:06,100 --> 00:32:08,940 or family left if I have a black girl in south Africa. 456 00:32:09,170 --> 00:32:13,580 Well you probably will, you know, but… no no no no 457 00:32:13,610 --> 00:32:15,480 You can't go that way. 458 00:32:16,430 --> 00:32:18,540 Me and my sister had this conversation the other day… 459 00:32:18,540 --> 00:32:22,030 and it's like, we have nothing against it, it's just like being gay for me… 460 00:32:22,650 --> 00:32:25,950 I've got nothing against it, but it's just not for me, and I don't want it in my face. 461 00:32:27,150 --> 00:32:28,060 You know what I'm saying? 462 00:32:28,060 --> 00:32:33,120 If I've learned anything with my experience with Zohra, and traveling thus far… 463 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:35,400 we all have our cultural baggage. 464 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:40,970 It just so happened that Emile and Bianca were pretty keen about having a romantic getaway. 465 00:32:40,970 --> 00:32:43,770 So this is where we decided to part ways… 466 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:49,420 I was gonna go on with the film, meet with locals and continue capturing the Couchsurfing spirit. 467 00:32:52,910 --> 00:32:55,740 — Is this the house of Steve Kim? — Yeah, exactly. 468 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:00,720 — Steve. — Bianca, nice to meet you. 469 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:10,830 Here… 470 00:33:12,140 --> 00:33:14,220 I cleaned the bed myself. 471 00:33:16,300 --> 00:33:20,320 It was lot of work. Two blankets. 472 00:33:22,860 --> 00:33:26,170 For the outside of Zimbabwe, like asians, you know… 473 00:33:26,170 --> 00:33:33,210 when we came here, we were surprised to see the rates of HIV infected people. 474 00:33:33,210 --> 00:33:36,830 They were so shocked by the AIDS situation in Zimbabwe… 475 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:39,760 they decided to open a kids daycare centre. 476 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:45,040 15% of the inhabitants in Zimbabwe live with HIV. 477 00:33:46,030 --> 00:33:48,760 And we closed last December. 478 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:49,520 Because? 479 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:55,150 We were short of financial support. 480 00:33:55,150 --> 00:33:58,920 I paid all of expenses with my own money. 481 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:03,200 Even though the Kims had to shut their doors… 482 00:34:03,500 --> 00:34:07,320 they would still take their van, and give away medicine for free. 483 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:10,750 We are going to see some kids who is HIV positive… 484 00:34:10,750 --> 00:34:15,210 and I would like to visit them, to give some medicine and what they need. 485 00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:25,000 — How about your daughter? — She's fine. Laura? 486 00:34:27,260 --> 00:34:30,480 — Yeah, she's growing up. — Oh, she growing! 487 00:34:31,370 --> 00:34:34,880 Before you said your ears' problem, but now it's ok. 488 00:34:40,830 --> 00:34:42,520 Laura, how old are you? 489 00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:43,950 She's now 4. 490 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:55,960 This' HIV positive baby list. 491 00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:05,340 Wow, you is so handsome than last time! 492 00:35:05,340 --> 00:35:08,140 Ok, I give cough medicine. 493 00:35:08,140 --> 00:35:12,380 The little bit that they have, they decided to share with strangers. 494 00:35:14,890 --> 00:35:18,760 We are human beings, they are human beings. We all are human beings. 495 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:24,840 That's why we did it, just to cover something. Not everything, we cannot. 496 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:29,630 I love money, she loves money! We want to be rich, but we're human beings. 497 00:35:29,630 --> 00:35:31,440 We want to share something. 498 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:36,810 This Korean family is so cool, they have just opened their homes to me… 499 00:35:36,810 --> 00:35:42,320 and I'm getting a nice comfortable bed, and I'm looking forward to some good sleep. 500 00:35:42,650 --> 00:35:43,710 Community. 501 00:35:43,710 --> 00:35:50,600 Like, am I going to feel close to people? Feel like I'm surrounded by people I like, who love me? 502 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:52,350 Am I gonna feel those feelings? 503 00:35:52,350 --> 00:35:58,780 If you don't have those, suddenly things start to feel a little weird… 504 00:35:58,780 --> 00:36:02,800 like, I don't know, I just feel a little empty, I feel like I wanna go home. 505 00:36:03,660 --> 00:36:08,410 But if you can get that need met, then you can probably travel for quite some time. 506 00:36:08,410 --> 00:36:10,280 Even after all of their kindness… 507 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:14,830 they wanted to cook me an authentic Korean barbecue, on my last night. 508 00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:27,420 Wow, this looks amazing! 509 00:36:30,300 --> 00:36:31,640 Cheers! 510 00:36:31,660 --> 00:36:34,460 What you find is that people often… 511 00:36:35,370 --> 00:36:39,200 {\an8}think of a pinpoint in their own life, or something they want to change… 512 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:43,180 {\an8}and they start changing their behavior around that one thing… 513 00:36:43,180 --> 00:36:45,760 and then they suddenly start to extend into other verticals. 514 00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:52,250 So it's often, I'm going away for a month, maybe I'll try renting out my house… 515 00:36:52,250 --> 00:36:56,080 or I'm going into this new city, oh, look, there's a really interesting property… 516 00:36:56,080 --> 00:36:59,320 I don't want to stay in a hotel, or I'd rather go and stay with a local. 517 00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:03,400 And they try that and then it reinforces that these ideas work… 518 00:37:03,420 --> 00:37:06,060 and then they come back and they're like, ok, what else can I do? 519 00:37:13,070 --> 00:37:16,090 That's Chelsea. She's originally from Oregon. 520 00:37:16,090 --> 00:37:18,860 She moved to San Francisco as an internet entrepreneur. 521 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:24,110 She loves her some technology, and has some really interesting ways she uses it. 522 00:37:24,110 --> 00:37:27,610 I started a website when I was fourteen, called Free Mania. 523 00:37:27,610 --> 00:37:31,720 I'm sending out a newsletter to 80.000 people on Fridays… 524 00:37:31,720 --> 00:37:34,650 It's exciting. I tell them about free stuff. 525 00:37:34,970 --> 00:37:38,990 One thing led to another, and I was making really good money. 526 00:37:39,390 --> 00:37:44,300 More than my parents, so that was awkward for me. 527 00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:47,900 There's no words to describe that, because at the time… 528 00:37:47,900 --> 00:37:52,200 I lived in Rogue River, Oregon, and there's no such thing as an internet entrepreneur. 529 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:54,240 Chelsie's always been a little ahead of the curve. 530 00:37:55,960 --> 00:38:01,000 Chelsie decided she could rent her life while she was gone. Her apartment, her car… 531 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:04,940 so she could subsidize her trip and make it possible for her to come… 532 00:38:04,940 --> 00:38:07,690 help on the documentary shooting. — We're not in Kansas anymore. 533 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:19,680 Just in time! Hi, you made it! 534 00:38:21,520 --> 00:38:26,810 When couchsurfing in Morocco, I was a little apprehensive about choosing my host. 535 00:38:27,150 --> 00:38:30,520 But Walid, through our many interactions over the internet… 536 00:38:30,910 --> 00:38:32,730 I knew he was gonna be a gem. 537 00:38:37,230 --> 00:38:39,240 Walid was a graphic designer… 538 00:38:39,450 --> 00:38:44,080 and he was willing to host us all, in one room of his apartment which he shared. 539 00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:55,040 This is your couch? Awesome, perfect. 540 00:39:01,770 --> 00:39:03,240 Tour, can I see? 541 00:39:03,710 --> 00:39:06,250 Okay, the bathroom could use a little cleaning. 542 00:39:07,160 --> 00:39:08,350 No, I like. 543 00:39:09,790 --> 00:39:11,260 Depending on where you are… 544 00:39:11,260 --> 00:39:15,500 be really flexible about your expectations… 545 00:39:15,500 --> 00:39:19,000 and your interpretation out loud and on your face. 546 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:22,510 But still, something was really special about this experience. 547 00:39:23,230 --> 00:39:28,860 This is unique that a twenty-six-year-old lives outside of his family's house when he's not married. 548 00:39:34,410 --> 00:39:37,850 Is this the computer you used to contact me on Couchsurfing? 549 00:39:37,930 --> 00:39:41,180 Yeah, this is my home computer. 550 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:44,040 Nice. 551 00:39:44,360 --> 00:39:46,170 — You don't like? — I like. 552 00:39:46,410 --> 00:39:50,480 — You play Rubik's cube? — No, I use it to fix this. 553 00:40:05,930 --> 00:40:10,280 Couchsurfing tip: Facebook surgery. Get off your computer and experience. 554 00:40:21,260 --> 00:40:23,870 To me it seems like it should be a balance, I guess. 555 00:40:24,890 --> 00:40:28,840 On one side people really want to know about you, and who you are and where you come from… 556 00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:31,370 so if you assimilate too far, they aren't going to learn anything. 557 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:39,130 But at the same time, you want to learn and experience and understand it and jump in and feel it… 558 00:40:39,210 --> 00:40:43,390 what it is like to be in that place or live in that place, so you do want to assimilate. 559 00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:48,320 So I think you kinda need to find that healthy balance, where you're still sharing who you are… 560 00:40:48,320 --> 00:40:50,680 in a way that people can feel and connect with. 561 00:40:51,230 --> 00:40:55,880 I wanna do this Morocco experience differently. 562 00:40:55,880 --> 00:41:03,420 Like, I am only here for a short period of time, but I really really really wanna live like you do. 563 00:41:04,860 --> 00:41:08,200 — I wanna be a Moroccan, while I'm here. — Ok. 564 00:41:08,700 --> 00:41:11,720 So you're going to teach me how to do it? 565 00:41:12,420 --> 00:41:14,450 Ok. First thing, you need to wear the scarfs. 566 00:41:14,850 --> 00:41:16,760 And put it on your head. 567 00:41:22,430 --> 00:41:24,330 — You want to pray? — Yeah! 568 00:41:24,730 --> 00:41:26,630 So I wake you up at 5 o'clock. 569 00:41:28,620 --> 00:41:31,200 — 5 AM? — Yeah. To do the first prayer. 570 00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:33,580 Walid got the time mixed up. 571 00:41:34,220 --> 00:41:35,850 He meant to say 4 AM. 572 00:41:37,450 --> 00:41:38,940 It's 4 AM now… 573 00:41:39,180 --> 00:41:42,010 and now before the praying we need to wash. 574 00:41:45,370 --> 00:41:47,070 Inside and outside. 575 00:41:48,720 --> 00:41:49,310 It's finished. 576 00:41:54,270 --> 00:41:55,560 Allahu akbar. 577 00:41:57,930 --> 00:41:59,320 Allahu akbar. 578 00:42:03,560 --> 00:42:09,760 So when we're praying, we say "Allahu akbar", which means… 579 00:42:10,140 --> 00:42:12,090 — "God is great". — "God is great". 580 00:42:13,450 --> 00:42:18,750 Isn't that what they say when terrorists martyr themselves? 581 00:42:18,880 --> 00:42:21,650 Yea, because they was thinking that they go to the heaven. 582 00:42:22,860 --> 00:42:25,080 What do you think of extremist Muslims? 583 00:42:25,420 --> 00:42:27,160 Extremist Muslims? 584 00:42:27,390 --> 00:42:29,130 I don't think they are Muslims. 585 00:42:29,980 --> 00:42:31,000 Interesting. 586 00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:34,470 Because in Islam nothing tell you to go kill people 587 00:42:34,670 --> 00:42:37,040 and do anything cruel. 588 00:42:37,340 --> 00:42:40,110 We have a lot of opportunity now to get the information. 589 00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:43,310 From the Internets now. 590 00:42:43,310 --> 00:42:44,720 Now I think it is very… 591 00:42:44,720 --> 00:42:46,510 — Important? — Yea, very important. 592 00:42:46,510 --> 00:42:48,850 A very huge, large resource 593 00:42:48,850 --> 00:42:50,980 where you can find everything in reality. 594 00:42:56,240 --> 00:42:57,530 It's pretty awesome. 595 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:00,510 Places are a lot about the people… 596 00:43:00,510 --> 00:43:05,390 and when you have people that you can stay with and be comfortable with and happy around… 597 00:43:05,390 --> 00:43:10,810 it's like, this is amazing, there's musical instruments and paintings, and… 598 00:43:11,550 --> 00:43:14,110 lots of noise outside and commotion… 599 00:43:14,860 --> 00:43:16,540 everything you really need. 600 00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:43,900 Couchsurfing and traveling, they happen at the same time, but they're different. 601 00:43:43,900 --> 00:43:46,330 People couchsurf for different reasons than they travel. 602 00:43:46,330 --> 00:43:50,010 It's not about, oh, I'm gonna go travel and I'm gonna get a free place to stay. 603 00:43:50,010 --> 00:43:55,040 It's, I wanna connect to people, maybe I'm dealing with this thing in my life… 604 00:43:56,030 --> 00:44:00,010 Whatever, whatever it is, there's just so many different motivations for why people couchsurf. 605 00:44:00,160 --> 00:44:01,870 And at the end of the day, I think it's just… 606 00:44:02,120 --> 00:44:04,090 it's about human connection. 607 00:44:25,760 --> 00:44:28,300 Raph is a CouchSurfer I met in New York. 608 00:44:28,300 --> 00:44:32,040 I hosted him for a week, and now he's here to return the favor. 609 00:44:33,480 --> 00:44:38,910 They have a tremendous sense of who that person is by the time they actually meet up face to face. 610 00:44:39,040 --> 00:44:46,030 And that's because technology creates the different channels to give you very different dimensions of… 611 00:44:46,030 --> 00:44:47,200 is this person trustworthy? 612 00:44:47,200 --> 00:44:51,230 Raph insisted that he showed Chelsea and I the French countryside. 613 00:44:51,850 --> 00:44:57,230 A lot of American people think that going to Paris is going to France. 614 00:44:57,230 --> 00:45:00,960 That that's France. No, it's not. Like, this is France. 615 00:45:01,690 --> 00:45:04,620 Paris is just one tiny part of France. It's just… 616 00:45:06,730 --> 00:45:08,910 Une petite partie de la France. 617 00:45:08,910 --> 00:45:10,350 It's beautiful out here. 618 00:45:11,360 --> 00:45:14,910 You said I'd get bored, but I get bored anyway, I get bored in San Francisco. 619 00:45:16,490 --> 00:45:18,490 — Where's your internet connection? — I got internet right here! 620 00:45:18,490 --> 00:45:20,600 Traveling I always chase internet around… 621 00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:24,140 I can't wait until the day that internet is everywhere. 622 00:45:24,360 --> 00:45:27,310 As long as there's internet and I get to an airport I'll live anywhere. 623 00:45:27,310 --> 00:45:31,660 I think in the future, when babies are born, you know when they cut the umbilical cord? 624 00:45:31,660 --> 00:45:34,140 They're also going to put in a USB port… 625 00:45:35,690 --> 00:45:40,780 so we can live off of our own electricity, and plug in our iPhones, and our laptops… 626 00:45:41,500 --> 00:45:42,650 I think that's the future. 627 00:45:44,300 --> 00:45:46,650 So Raph, your parents don't speak any English? 628 00:45:48,160 --> 00:45:52,760 Uh, I guess they can say hello. Like that: 'ello. 629 00:45:52,780 --> 00:45:53,600 Hello. 630 00:45:54,030 --> 00:45:56,900 Are you hungry? 631 00:45:59,070 --> 00:46:01,760 She says she wants to try to talk English now. 632 00:46:01,760 --> 00:46:04,590 Okay, perfect, we're good at that. 633 00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:07,950 This house was originally a ruin. 634 00:46:09,440 --> 00:46:12,810 There was no roof, nothing, and my father did it. 635 00:46:14,410 --> 00:46:15,690 Bonjour! 636 00:46:16,030 --> 00:46:18,800 And you do a lot of the air kissing. 637 00:46:20,250 --> 00:46:26,650 I feel weird about that when it's, when a guy has a big beard, you know, like… I do! 638 00:46:28,760 --> 00:46:31,550 Where do I kiss, how do I do this? 639 00:46:37,020 --> 00:46:39,710 Do your parents know about Couchsurfing? Who we are? 640 00:46:40,780 --> 00:46:43,360 — They know you, they remember you. — They do? 641 00:46:43,360 --> 00:46:44,810 — Of course! — From what? 642 00:46:44,810 --> 00:46:47,340 I've talked about you. A lot. 643 00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:52,490 You hosted me in New York, Central Park, and you gave me the keys of your flat. 644 00:46:53,050 --> 00:46:54,350 {\an8}Straight away. 645 00:46:54,780 --> 00:46:58,250 {\an8}Wow! That's a proof that you really trust me. 646 00:47:00,250 --> 00:47:03,260 — Instant friends! — It was so nice, so generous of you! 647 00:47:03,840 --> 00:47:05,290 How can I forget that? 648 00:47:06,110 --> 00:47:08,300 Couchsurfing tip: Learn a bit of your hosts' language. 649 00:47:08,810 --> 00:47:11,910 Thank you very much for this dinner. 650 00:47:15,420 --> 00:47:16,780 Maybe you won't like it! 651 00:47:23,210 --> 00:47:26,590 The downside of the internet is that we're connecting in a… 652 00:47:29,100 --> 00:47:30,760 mostly shallow way. 653 00:47:30,760 --> 00:47:36,200 Most people are spending hours and hours a day sucked up in social media… 654 00:47:36,350 --> 00:47:38,200 and… sorry. 655 00:47:43,850 --> 00:47:46,650 Have you ever had a very bad experience on Couchsurfing… 656 00:47:46,650 --> 00:47:52,680 like, hosting very naughty people or being hosted by very rude people? 657 00:47:52,680 --> 00:47:54,060 Yeah, I think so. 658 00:47:54,840 --> 00:48:01,240 My first time trying to couchsurf actually, in Italy, I stayed with this guy in the countryside… 659 00:48:01,240 --> 00:48:04,620 and he was amazing, he made this amazing dinner, and wine… 660 00:48:04,620 --> 00:48:08,190 and then, he wouldn't stop hitting on me. 661 00:48:08,190 --> 00:48:12,910 And I made it clear this is not why I came, this is not what I want… 662 00:48:13,290 --> 00:48:17,960 and he just sort of wouldn't let up. He was like, oh, you are the most beautiful girl… 663 00:48:17,960 --> 00:48:20,760 I never see beautiful girls like this… 664 00:48:21,150 --> 00:48:23,630 Like, all Italiano, yeah? 665 00:48:23,630 --> 00:48:26,620 And at one point I just got up and I'm like: 666 00:48:26,620 --> 00:48:28,670 alright, I'm gonna go do the dishes and then I'm going to bed. 667 00:48:28,780 --> 00:48:30,940 And, you know, had I been younger… 668 00:48:30,940 --> 00:48:34,010 or not had as much experience or confidence, I probably would have been really afraid… 669 00:48:34,010 --> 00:48:37,660 but I sort of trusted my instincts and I knew he wasn't a bad person, but… 670 00:48:37,660 --> 00:48:40,510 it was definitely not a good situation, you know. 671 00:48:40,510 --> 00:48:42,600 And I was alone and in the country. 672 00:48:54,920 --> 00:48:58,380 It's so cool being here, and seeing how you grew up. 673 00:48:59,500 --> 00:49:03,920 It always feels very intimate to see that and meet someone's parents. 674 00:49:05,120 --> 00:49:09,790 This house has stories, it's full of stories. 675 00:49:10,940 --> 00:49:13,340 — If the walls could talk, right? — Yeah, there's an aura. 676 00:49:13,340 --> 00:49:15,200 There's something coming out of it. 677 00:49:15,200 --> 00:49:17,480 We're perfect strangers, Raph and I… 678 00:49:17,480 --> 00:49:21,660 he's opened his home, and made us amazing meals… 679 00:49:21,660 --> 00:49:25,770 taken us off to the country with his parents, and treated us like family. 680 00:49:40,280 --> 00:49:44,640 Eric told me the best way to experience Paris is by bike. 681 00:49:45,320 --> 00:49:49,320 Problem is, I didn't pack one. — So one of the cool things about living in Paris… 682 00:49:49,320 --> 00:49:51,320 is that they have this public bike system called Vélib'. 683 00:49:51,320 --> 00:49:56,010 I have the year membership, so it's 29 euros for the year… 684 00:49:56,010 --> 00:49:59,290 and it's pretty good because you can use it unlimited, I mean, so cheap. 685 00:49:59,520 --> 00:50:02,780 So you go to any of these stations and there's like 400 around the city… 686 00:50:02,780 --> 00:50:06,190 and you pick up a bike and use it for up to 30 minutes for free… 687 00:50:06,190 --> 00:50:09,020 you drop it off wherever, and then next time you need it you get another bike. 688 00:50:09,400 --> 00:50:13,950 So when people bike share, they reduce carbon, reduce congestion… 689 00:50:13,950 --> 00:50:18,030 they get healthier, they have a different perspective on the city. 690 00:50:19,920 --> 00:50:25,880 You talk to bike sharers, and they would actually say how it's not just about that ride to work… 691 00:50:25,880 --> 00:50:28,570 it changes their whole experience of the days. 692 00:50:33,960 --> 00:50:35,800 I'd been to Paris before… 693 00:50:35,800 --> 00:50:38,560 but never experienced it quite like this. 694 00:50:38,890 --> 00:50:44,160 Wow, it made me wonder, if we're able to share our apartments, our bikes… 695 00:50:45,020 --> 00:50:46,510 what else is next? 696 00:51:00,760 --> 00:51:04,990 No matter how many millions of positive experiences people have all over the world… 697 00:51:05,800 --> 00:51:08,200 the number one question I always get is: 698 00:51:08,460 --> 00:51:10,760 What if your host is an axe murderer? 699 00:51:18,540 --> 00:51:19,770 What are you doing?! 700 00:51:20,380 --> 00:51:21,560 Preparing my couch. 701 00:51:24,140 --> 00:51:27,610 So this is Hans. He's my host in Koblenz, Germany. 702 00:51:29,040 --> 00:51:30,090 Ze Germans… 703 00:51:30,890 --> 00:51:34,640 I always loved to have people in the house that were different. 704 00:51:34,640 --> 00:51:37,020 So when Couchsurfing came along… 705 00:51:37,020 --> 00:51:41,080 I didn't do anything different than before, but I just had brought a platform. 706 00:51:41,530 --> 00:51:44,110 So he paid his neighborhood kid to pull a tractor… 707 00:51:44,330 --> 00:51:47,740 he got a couch, fixed it all up, rigged it together… 708 00:51:47,740 --> 00:51:50,190 and now we're actually gonna couchsurf. 709 00:51:53,360 --> 00:51:55,600 For an official entrance to the couch… 710 00:51:55,600 --> 00:51:57,500 please use this door. — Okay. 711 00:52:04,740 --> 00:52:06,730 — I like it, I'll take it. — You'll take it? 712 00:52:06,730 --> 00:52:08,090 — I'll take it. — It's free! 713 00:52:08,920 --> 00:52:10,440 Free? Free.99? 714 00:52:10,440 --> 00:52:13,210 Hans wants to show me the German countryside… 715 00:52:14,540 --> 00:52:15,720 via motorcycle. 716 00:52:15,720 --> 00:52:16,890 Are you serious? 717 00:52:18,410 --> 00:52:25,000 Couchsurfing tip: As a survival tip says: always say yes. Even if it stretches you outside your comfort zone. 718 00:52:25,310 --> 00:52:29,040 Which I am definitely stretched. 719 00:52:43,230 --> 00:52:46,480 Hans took me to meet a fellow CouchSurfer, Christian. 720 00:52:46,480 --> 00:52:49,500 And I was so amazed that this guy, despite his condition… 721 00:52:49,500 --> 00:52:54,380 works, earns his own money, has employees that work for him… 722 00:52:54,590 --> 00:52:56,140 and that impressed me so much. 723 00:52:56,140 --> 00:52:57,790 Hi, I'm Alex. 724 00:53:03,600 --> 00:53:08,570 CouchSurfing is also about challenging oneself. 725 00:53:08,570 --> 00:53:11,370 to expand the comfort zone. 726 00:53:11,370 --> 00:53:14,360 But if he wants to travel, as he wants to meet people… 727 00:53:14,570 --> 00:53:20,160 he has a chance to really go and see the places, and also he says he invites the world to him. 728 00:53:20,810 --> 00:53:26,720 People who visit me or surf my couch 729 00:53:26,990 --> 00:53:29,790 mostly do it on purpose. 730 00:53:29,920 --> 00:53:33,760 They want to get a new impression. 731 00:53:33,860 --> 00:53:36,400 They want to challenge themselves. 732 00:53:36,460 --> 00:53:38,730 They want to learn about 733 00:53:38,830 --> 00:53:41,900 what it is to live with a disability. 734 00:53:42,270 --> 00:53:46,410 Christian had a very interesting take on the economy of Couchsurfing. 735 00:53:47,240 --> 00:53:50,740 In a normal economy, a good has more worth 736 00:53:53,680 --> 00:53:56,850 when it's few, 737 00:53:57,050 --> 00:54:00,890 when it's not owned by people. 738 00:54:02,150 --> 00:54:04,090 Like in the communications business 739 00:54:04,190 --> 00:54:08,730 it's more worthy when more people own it 740 00:54:08,860 --> 00:54:12,100 because then you have more chances to use it. 741 00:54:12,560 --> 00:54:15,500 That's the change of a whole paradigm. 742 00:54:15,630 --> 00:54:16,860 It's been awesome… 743 00:54:17,070 --> 00:54:21,200 and we'll see each other again one day. 744 00:54:22,060 --> 00:54:23,600 You know, people ask me about impact… 745 00:54:23,600 --> 00:54:25,470 and what impact can Couchsurfing have on the world… 746 00:54:25,470 --> 00:54:28,940 and how would you know if you've actually achieved something meaningful? 747 00:54:28,940 --> 00:54:32,430 Couchsurfing for a part is kind of an illusion… 748 00:54:32,810 --> 00:54:36,750 because you're thinking about cultural exchange that you do, and you find it so nice… 749 00:54:36,750 --> 00:54:38,810 but who is exchanging the culture? 750 00:54:39,050 --> 00:54:42,760 It's like a small minority of people that have internet access… 751 00:54:42,760 --> 00:54:44,830 that know English to communicate… 752 00:54:45,040 --> 00:54:47,310 so If I go to india and exchange culture… 753 00:54:47,310 --> 00:54:51,720 I sit there with a retired army doctor, and exchange philosophical thoughts… 754 00:54:51,720 --> 00:54:57,680 but the average Indian, in the village, who is happy when he's filled his stomach... 755 00:54:57,680 --> 00:54:59,960 he does not have any interest in cultural exchange. 756 00:54:59,960 --> 00:55:01,920 I never really thought about it this way. 757 00:55:03,340 --> 00:55:06,170 Is Couchsurfing actually making the world better? 758 00:55:06,810 --> 00:55:09,290 Or are we just a bunch of haves who are fooling ourselves? 759 00:55:09,560 --> 00:55:12,480 So it's actually a small group of elite people… 760 00:55:12,480 --> 00:55:15,690 that walk around, you know, and think, hey, we are great, you know… 761 00:55:15,690 --> 00:55:19,020 we are entering a new world, you know, we're starting something… 762 00:55:20,190 --> 00:55:24,080 which is not bad, but I think it does not change the world… 763 00:55:24,080 --> 00:55:26,250 in the way that Couchsurfing claims. 764 00:55:27,510 --> 00:55:30,620 But I argue and say that it is making the world better. 765 00:55:30,620 --> 00:55:34,890 It's not solving all the world's problems, not ending world hunger or poverty… 766 00:55:34,890 --> 00:55:40,940 — It starts a process. — But it creates… It creates an understanding… 767 00:55:40,940 --> 00:55:44,510 and it creates awareness, in those of us who have… 768 00:55:44,510 --> 00:55:49,080 because we're the people that have the resources to make these changes. 769 00:55:49,280 --> 00:55:51,680 So that is making the world better. 770 00:55:51,690 --> 00:55:53,020 It's a start, it's something. 771 00:55:53,020 --> 00:55:56,440 if a powerful idea reaches, you know, 10% of a network… 772 00:55:56,440 --> 00:56:02,010 that powerful idea will just take off like wildfire and engulf the entire network. 773 00:56:02,170 --> 00:56:05,500 The way I understand there are about 1.4 billion people… 774 00:56:05,500 --> 00:56:08,190 in the developed policy-making world, something like this. 775 00:56:08,190 --> 00:56:12,400 So if we could reach 10% of these people, that would be maybe 140 million people… 776 00:56:12,400 --> 00:56:13,800 maybe that's the magic number. 777 00:56:13,800 --> 00:56:17,160 But if it doesn't reach 10%, it will be like it never existed. 778 00:56:18,360 --> 00:56:22,400 Hans told me in Germany, it's common for the locals to use ridesharing. 779 00:56:22,750 --> 00:56:24,360 Since I needed to get to Berlin… 780 00:56:24,360 --> 00:56:27,130 I thought I would do what the locals do, and try something new. 781 00:56:27,130 --> 00:56:30,200 So, when you take a car trip… 782 00:56:30,720 --> 00:56:33,640 often there's the driver and there's four empty seats. 783 00:56:33,640 --> 00:56:37,370 What ridesharing is is have you actually take the capacity of those seats… 784 00:56:37,370 --> 00:56:40,380 and match it with other passengers that are going in the same direction. 785 00:56:40,380 --> 00:56:42,970 — Okie dokie. — Let's do this. 786 00:56:45,450 --> 00:56:48,010 — Do you do rideshare often? — Oh, yeah. 787 00:56:48,010 --> 00:56:56,330 Yeah, because it's way too expensive to drive alone, so I do this every time I have to go home. 788 00:56:56,700 --> 00:57:00,270 {\an8}The cost of owning a car, maintaining and insuring it… 789 00:57:00,270 --> 00:57:02,910 people are realizing that's a hassle I don't have to deal with. 790 00:57:02,910 --> 00:57:05,680 I don't wanna deal with that hassle. So they're kind of moving along from now on. 791 00:57:07,360 --> 00:57:08,670 Mitfahrge… what? 792 00:57:08,670 --> 00:57:11,310 "Mitfahrgelegenheit". 793 00:57:11,310 --> 00:57:13,530 "The opportunity to drive with". 794 00:57:14,300 --> 00:57:15,920 — Is that what it translates to? — Yeah. 795 00:57:16,080 --> 00:57:17,950 Could you come up with a longer name?! 796 00:57:17,950 --> 00:57:20,220 If we look at all the extrapolation graphs… 797 00:57:20,220 --> 00:57:23,550 if we let things go as they'll go, we are going to have more cars than people. 798 00:57:23,550 --> 00:57:27,880 There's also another thing that's called Take My Car… 799 00:57:28,830 --> 00:57:34,460 and they can, like, put an ad on, and you can say: 800 00:57:34,460 --> 00:57:40,830 I have a car, you can have it for a day and you pay 15 euros and you can take his car. 801 00:57:40,830 --> 00:57:44,300 An interesting study actually that carpooling had done in Germany… 802 00:57:44,300 --> 00:57:51,200 where they did a survey of 18 to 25-year-olds, and 80% said they'd rather own… 803 00:57:51,200 --> 00:57:54,780 if they had to choose, 80% would pick the smartphone over the car. 804 00:57:54,780 --> 00:57:56,520 And that's pretty powerful, like… 805 00:57:56,520 --> 00:58:03,820 that's people saying I don't need to own a car as this symbol of "I've made it in the world". 806 00:58:03,820 --> 00:58:06,520 I can actually have more access through my phone. 807 00:58:07,360 --> 00:58:11,500 Because at the end of the day, it's like: you can't take it with you when you die. 808 00:58:11,800 --> 00:58:15,370 — It's really about having access to use it, right? — That's right. 809 00:58:15,370 --> 00:58:19,100 I think that cars used to be the ultimate symbol of ownership. 810 00:58:19,790 --> 00:58:27,020 So if we can change people's attitudes towards cars, then anything becomes possible. 811 00:58:27,320 --> 00:58:29,470 — Thank you so much. — Yeah, you're welcome. 812 00:58:29,470 --> 00:58:32,780 — You gave me a ride right there… — Yeah, it was one of the best… 813 00:58:32,780 --> 00:58:35,690 "Mitfahrgelegenheit" I had so far, so… — Me too. 814 00:58:35,690 --> 00:58:37,530 One of the most interesting. 815 00:58:39,070 --> 00:58:40,160 Thank you so much. 816 00:58:40,840 --> 00:58:42,650 Ow, Gabe! 817 00:58:43,390 --> 00:58:47,770 I'm meeting one of my old friends, Gabriel Stempinski, in Brussels. 818 00:58:48,140 --> 00:58:50,320 He says he has big news to tell me. 819 00:58:53,340 --> 00:58:56,240 Gabe, look at you! 820 00:58:57,480 --> 00:59:00,800 Gabe showed me the sights, such as the famous peeing child. 821 00:59:01,080 --> 00:59:04,060 I think its one of the oldest statues in the city. 822 00:59:04,640 --> 00:59:07,610 There are a couple of legends about how it came about. 823 00:59:08,120 --> 00:59:12,570 The one I like is that there was a little boy that saved the city by pissing the fire out. 824 00:59:12,570 --> 00:59:14,430 So I asked Gabe the big news. 825 00:59:14,600 --> 00:59:16,960 And he says he fell in love… 826 00:59:17,870 --> 00:59:19,870 with a CouchSurfer. 827 00:59:20,940 --> 00:59:26,640 I'm conflicted, because in case you forgot… — Couchsurfing is not a dating site. 828 00:59:26,640 --> 00:59:30,060 — Couchsurfing is not a dating site. — But you get a little tempted… 829 00:59:30,060 --> 00:59:31,960 sometimes you see people who have really attractive photos… 830 00:59:31,960 --> 00:59:33,350 and a lot of times they're not wearing shirts and stuff. 831 00:59:33,550 --> 00:59:36,790 It's like the best dating site. Ever. 832 00:59:37,370 --> 00:59:38,700 In the world. 833 00:59:40,030 --> 00:59:42,480 But there are a lot of really cool people on there. 834 00:59:42,480 --> 00:59:45,450 Sure it's not a dating web site, but if you find yourself in the situation… 835 00:59:45,450 --> 00:59:47,930 where obviously you're getting along with the person… 836 00:59:48,460 --> 00:59:50,250 all I say, and this is just one man's opinion… 837 00:59:50,250 --> 00:59:50,970 embrace it. 838 00:59:51,530 --> 00:59:53,320 It's not a dating site. 839 00:59:54,280 --> 00:59:58,460 But it is a community site, and definitely a part of community… 840 00:59:58,460 --> 01:00:01,580 or something that a strong community fosters is healthy relationships. 841 01:00:04,000 --> 01:00:09,560 My last Couchsurfing travel partner to join me on the trip was David Vega. 842 01:00:09,560 --> 01:00:15,070 He's a pretty regular guy, works for a big bank, works nine to five… 843 01:00:16,120 --> 01:00:18,730 and the only one of his friends to couchsurf. 844 01:00:18,840 --> 01:00:22,860 He saw my Kickstarter campaign, and was really compelled to write. 845 01:00:23,740 --> 01:00:26,570 I couldn't wait to meet the person behind the messages. 846 01:00:27,210 --> 01:00:31,660 Now it sounds crazy, but just after one conversation… 847 01:00:32,320 --> 01:00:34,600 we booked a whole month of our lives together. 848 01:00:34,600 --> 01:00:40,560 And so technology reduces the barriers to exchange, creates many more ways to explore. 849 01:01:21,660 --> 01:01:23,210 So I'm at baggage claim. 850 01:01:31,210 --> 01:01:31,800 Alex! 851 01:01:32,300 --> 01:01:34,300 — David Vega! — What up, girl? 852 01:01:42,840 --> 01:01:46,670 — Is this your first time couchsurfing? — No, I've done it a couple times before. 853 01:01:47,840 --> 01:01:50,220 — What about you? — Is that a joke? 854 01:01:51,240 --> 01:01:53,770 I'm a Couchsurfing professional. 855 01:01:53,770 --> 01:01:55,390 I've seen your profile. 856 01:01:55,740 --> 01:01:57,690 I've seen it too, I've read yours. 857 01:01:58,380 --> 01:02:00,080 Yeah, what'd you think? 858 01:02:00,590 --> 01:02:02,670 Well, it was good enough to get you here. 859 01:02:04,720 --> 01:02:05,790 We're on our way. 860 01:02:07,130 --> 01:02:10,430 Uhoh. My phone is dying. 861 01:02:13,260 --> 01:02:14,540 I know, major fail. 862 01:02:15,360 --> 01:02:16,970 That's one of my biggest survival tips. 863 01:02:16,970 --> 01:02:20,550 Always charge your phone when going to a new country. 864 01:02:20,960 --> 01:02:22,720 But she's expecting us. 865 01:02:24,460 --> 01:02:25,720 Hey, think she's here? 866 01:02:25,720 --> 01:02:27,980 I don't know, I mean, there's a girl waiting there, it doesn't look like her. 867 01:02:27,980 --> 01:02:30,060 Yeah, that's her. It looks just like her. 868 01:02:36,490 --> 01:02:38,640 — Hi. — Hi, darling! 869 01:02:38,940 --> 01:02:41,740 — Nice to meet you. — Nice to meet you too, welcome. 870 01:02:42,000 --> 01:02:44,590 We immediately bonded with Marcelle. 871 01:02:46,560 --> 01:02:49,880 So welcome, guys. Like I told you, it's very small. 872 01:02:52,560 --> 01:02:54,090 I'm already breaking things. 873 01:02:54,860 --> 01:02:56,030 Lovely. 874 01:02:57,230 --> 01:03:02,440 So you're going to stay here, guys, it's not so big, but that's alright. 875 01:03:02,440 --> 01:03:03,580 It's perfect. 876 01:03:03,980 --> 01:03:09,160 Her place may be small, but her heart, huge. And that made all the difference. 877 01:03:09,160 --> 01:03:10,920 You will trust us with your key. 878 01:03:11,720 --> 01:03:14,540 Yeah, everything you own is here? 879 01:03:14,680 --> 01:03:18,750 Yes, all our stuff is here, my whole life is in that bag. 880 01:03:18,750 --> 01:03:20,520 — Yeah. — And I have your key. 881 01:03:20,700 --> 01:03:22,250 — Yeah. — Cool. 882 01:03:22,510 --> 01:03:24,170 — It's a deal. — It's a deal. 883 01:03:26,380 --> 01:03:30,860 — You will not run away. — And I will not lose this, I am very, very responsible. 884 01:03:32,480 --> 01:03:37,200 Did you remember, we are friends for a long time, but we've just met each other for two hours. 885 01:03:37,200 --> 01:03:39,470 Yes, but we're friends for a long time. 886 01:03:39,470 --> 01:03:41,290 — We just hadn't met yet. — Yeah. 887 01:03:41,920 --> 01:03:42,830 I like that. 888 01:03:42,830 --> 01:03:47,770 Without any hesitation, she offered to cook for us our first Brazilian meal. 889 01:03:49,200 --> 01:03:50,250 Bon appétit! 890 01:03:52,680 --> 01:03:54,700 — I like it. — It's good. 891 01:03:55,770 --> 01:03:57,480 It almost tastes like popcorn. 892 01:03:58,060 --> 01:03:59,150 Popcorn? 893 01:04:00,480 --> 01:04:02,360 My little stove. 894 01:04:03,370 --> 01:04:04,640 You know it's funny… 895 01:04:07,550 --> 01:04:13,790 me and my roommate live in a 2500 sq. ft. house, and we still step on each other's toes. 896 01:04:15,180 --> 01:04:17,080 This really puts things in perspective. 897 01:04:18,510 --> 01:04:19,500 I know. 898 01:04:21,740 --> 01:04:24,970 I'm not even sure where we're gonna sleep exactly. 899 01:04:26,110 --> 01:04:27,450 It's gonna be intimate. 900 01:04:28,280 --> 01:04:30,800 — What's our couch? — Ah, yeah. 901 01:04:32,570 --> 01:04:35,280 A very efficient use of your space. 902 01:04:35,480 --> 01:04:39,360 Marcelle told us of a Couchsurfing meetup right on the beach. 903 01:04:43,340 --> 01:04:46,270 Like you said, it's commonplace to get to meet people online… 904 01:04:46,270 --> 01:04:50,410 people you haven't met in real life before. 905 01:04:50,760 --> 01:04:53,440 And because this is such a commonplace thing… 906 01:04:53,440 --> 01:04:56,920 that barrier, and that fear, is kind of removed from the picture. 907 01:04:57,180 --> 01:04:59,320 And that is a pretty powerful thing. 908 01:04:59,530 --> 01:05:01,950 Once you have that barrier removed… 909 01:05:02,830 --> 01:05:05,580 it may only be a couple of other smaller barriers… 910 01:05:05,580 --> 01:05:10,840 which may even be just technical, or what your imagination allows you to think of. 911 01:05:12,620 --> 01:05:16,520 For those just ready to dip their feet into the idea of Couchsurfing… 912 01:05:16,520 --> 01:05:20,350 going to a meetup is a great way to get used to the community. 913 01:05:20,350 --> 01:05:25,070 We'd just arrived to Rio, and already we had a group of Couchsurfing friends. 914 01:05:32,580 --> 01:05:35,710 Ok. You have to feel it. Feel the music. 915 01:05:49,790 --> 01:05:54,330 David was drawn to a specific CouchSurfer's profile, Ryan Fix… 916 01:05:54,810 --> 01:05:58,330 and had arranged to meet him at his house at Ipanema beach. 917 01:05:58,330 --> 01:06:01,260 So I wanted you guys to meet me here in my place… 918 01:06:01,260 --> 01:06:05,740 just so I could give you guys a sense of a pretty unique view. 919 01:06:06,190 --> 01:06:08,270 I've never seen anything like this. 920 01:06:08,270 --> 01:06:14,280 One of the seven hundred favelas in Rio, it's called Cantagalo… 921 01:06:16,910 --> 01:06:21,920 and we're overlooking Ipanema beach, facing towards Arpoador. 922 01:06:22,120 --> 01:06:27,850 There's really no difference between someone like me and you and this and that… 923 01:06:29,210 --> 01:06:34,350 with someone like Bono, or Branson or Obama, or any of these people. 924 01:06:35,280 --> 01:06:38,840 You know, we all start from the earth and we go back to the earth. 925 01:06:39,630 --> 01:06:43,550 Some people come into life with more privileges… 926 01:06:43,550 --> 01:06:49,600 but at the same time, because they have so many privileges, they don't really have the drive. 927 01:06:49,600 --> 01:06:53,610 But then you see other people that come from really tough places, like the favelas… 928 01:06:53,610 --> 01:06:55,820 and they do amazing things. 929 01:06:56,010 --> 01:07:00,490 The majority of my focus right now is in this area, collaborative consumption. 930 01:07:00,840 --> 01:07:02,520 Collaborative consumption? 931 01:07:02,890 --> 01:07:08,140 It's a global trend that's been developing over the past six years… 932 01:07:08,140 --> 01:07:14,000 and it's connected to many different manifestations of sharing… 933 01:07:14,000 --> 01:07:20,350 so Couchsurfing being one, bike-sharing programs, car-sharing programs, all of this. 934 01:07:20,350 --> 01:07:26,830 And the way that people live, the way that people work, the way that people consume is changing. 935 01:07:26,830 --> 01:07:31,520 The future is not certain, and we can either embrace it, or we can fear it. 936 01:07:31,950 --> 01:07:34,140 And if we fear it we're controlled by it. 937 01:07:35,290 --> 01:07:39,550 So so many people are controlled by fear, and so therefore… 938 01:07:39,550 --> 01:07:45,520 they try to build certainty into their future, security into their future. 939 01:07:45,520 --> 01:07:48,200 But it's a myth. It's not reality. 940 01:07:48,800 --> 01:07:51,050 Just when we couldn't get any more inspired… 941 01:07:51,050 --> 01:07:54,880 Ryan realized he was late, for a tandem paragliding date. 942 01:07:55,900 --> 01:07:59,530 I really think what Ryan said struck a deep chord within David. 943 01:07:59,720 --> 01:08:04,170 He was now ready to jump off a cliff and build his wings on the way down. 944 01:08:22,860 --> 01:08:26,030 Do I love what I do? I can't say I love what I do. 945 01:08:26,360 --> 01:08:29,600 My job doesn't offer a lot of creative outlet. 946 01:08:29,600 --> 01:08:33,440 So that's part of the reason why I'm on this journey in the first place. 947 01:08:33,840 --> 01:08:42,240 When I'm home and I'm working, and when I'm in my work schedule, I feel like time just flies. 948 01:08:42,250 --> 01:08:44,700 I blink and it's two weeks later. 949 01:08:44,700 --> 01:08:47,000 I blink again, two months have gone by. 950 01:08:47,000 --> 01:08:50,600 I blink again, holy cow, two years have gone by… 951 01:08:50,600 --> 01:08:53,610 and what have I done with my life in the past two years? 952 01:08:53,610 --> 01:08:57,580 I can't even remember twenty percent of what had happened. 953 01:08:57,920 --> 01:09:05,200 If I won the lottery, some people would buy a huge house, the fastest car, et cetera et cetera. 954 01:09:05,200 --> 01:09:08,650 Me? You would never see me, because I'd be gone. 955 01:09:08,650 --> 01:09:12,400 I would sell all my goods, I would have no possessions… 956 01:09:12,400 --> 01:09:15,790 and I would travel the world. Unfortunately I can't do that… 957 01:09:18,170 --> 01:09:21,200 because I need to make a living. I need to earn a living. 958 01:09:29,710 --> 01:09:30,780 Good night. 959 01:09:30,860 --> 01:09:33,310 — See you tomorrow. — See you tomorrow. 960 01:09:34,220 --> 01:09:37,870 It's been very good having you here guys. 961 01:09:39,040 --> 01:09:41,850 — Thank you. — And you've been an amazing host. 962 01:09:42,190 --> 01:09:47,150 Oh, cool, it's good, good to hear. You are a very nice guest. 963 01:09:49,230 --> 01:09:50,640 Have a good night, guys. 964 01:09:52,060 --> 01:09:54,070 — Good night. — Good night. 965 01:09:54,070 --> 01:09:56,220 — See you tomorrow. — See you tomorrow. 966 01:09:56,220 --> 01:10:00,600 You know, you meet people and they barter their nanny time… 967 01:10:00,600 --> 01:10:03,870 they never pay for things like haircuts and accountants… 968 01:10:04,080 --> 01:10:07,130 they only travel with Couchsurfing, Airbnb… 969 01:10:07,310 --> 01:10:10,940 when they travel they use ride-sharing and bike-sharing systems… 970 01:10:10,940 --> 01:10:14,730 when they're away they rent out their car, they rent out all the other stuff in their lives. 971 01:10:16,350 --> 01:10:19,580 There, I still think they are the few. 972 01:10:23,790 --> 01:10:26,400 Ryan was headed to a social business conference… 973 01:10:26,640 --> 01:10:30,570 and since David was so interested in the subject, he invited us to come along. 974 01:10:30,880 --> 01:10:32,990 {\an8}There comes a point where the balance tips, you know… 975 01:10:32,990 --> 01:10:38,880 {\an8}like ok, wait a sec, what I do professionally twelve hours a day is weighing too much. 976 01:10:38,880 --> 01:10:41,920 There are increasingly more people throughout the world… 977 01:10:41,920 --> 01:10:44,960 that are reaching this moment of catharsis, where they're like… 978 01:10:44,970 --> 01:10:48,920 wait a sec, I like my job, you know, I like my house, I like my cars… 979 01:10:49,120 --> 01:10:53,920 but what legacy am I living, and what legacy will I leave? 980 01:10:55,070 --> 01:10:58,730 David had so many questions about what it was like to work for yourself. 981 01:10:59,000 --> 01:11:01,160 And they advised that before we leave… 982 01:11:01,160 --> 01:11:04,090 {\an8}we check out this co-working space, called The Hub. 983 01:11:05,160 --> 01:11:08,890 Because people don't necessarily need to work in a traditional office space. 984 01:11:08,890 --> 01:11:14,220 Even if people work for a large company, there's a benefit to working in a collaborative workspace. 985 01:11:14,220 --> 01:11:16,190 The concept here is, 986 01:11:16,320 --> 01:11:18,760 like the hub in San Francisco, 987 01:11:18,790 --> 01:11:20,790 this is a shared space 988 01:11:20,830 --> 01:11:22,560 adopting the co-working model. 989 01:11:22,650 --> 01:11:25,470 — Serving massages, here at work? — Yeah. 990 01:11:26,720 --> 01:11:30,280 — Join us, come in, come in. — Let's go. 991 01:11:41,080 --> 01:11:44,380 {\an8}I think that we're returning to these multiple mini-currencies… 992 01:11:44,380 --> 01:11:49,720 {\an8}and you see that in everything from, let's say, on the micro-level of Burning Man… 993 01:11:49,720 --> 01:11:51,390 to something like Bitcoin. 994 01:11:51,600 --> 01:11:54,520 So, it's fascinating to watch… 995 01:11:54,520 --> 01:11:57,230 but I think people are beginning to realize that, ultimately… 996 01:11:57,230 --> 01:12:02,170 the income is just an intermediate step to an experience. 997 01:12:02,570 --> 01:12:05,500 Whether that's a belonging, let's say a car… 998 01:12:05,500 --> 01:12:09,440 that's also for a certain experience or certain social proof… 999 01:12:09,580 --> 01:12:14,460 and I think people are bypassing that intermediate step and trading directly. 1000 01:12:14,460 --> 01:12:17,690 I think it's gonna become very empowered with technology… 1001 01:12:17,690 --> 01:12:20,840 and that's gonna become more and more prevalent and I think it's a good thing. 1002 01:12:22,460 --> 01:12:24,400 Remember Gabe from Brussels? 1003 01:12:24,620 --> 01:12:29,340 Well, he messages me to let me know he's going to surprise Shiva… 1004 01:12:29,470 --> 01:12:32,830 by proposing to her at the Couchsurfing headquarters. 1005 01:12:32,970 --> 01:12:34,750 And he asked me if I could come. 1006 01:12:36,330 --> 01:12:39,100 It is on the way to our last destination. 1007 01:12:40,060 --> 01:12:42,270 We're gonna go pick up a charger for the camera… 1008 01:12:42,270 --> 01:12:44,670 from the art director of the Couchsurfing headquarters. 1009 01:12:45,440 --> 01:12:48,010 — They have a shitload of cameras. — Should I be coming out and gonna stay at the car? 1010 01:12:48,030 --> 01:12:49,880 {\an8}No, I want you to meet everyone. 1011 01:13:12,090 --> 01:13:14,410 It's a beautiful night, 1012 01:13:14,410 --> 01:13:17,500 we're looking for something dumb to do 1013 01:13:18,360 --> 01:13:23,100 Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you! 1014 01:13:25,230 --> 01:13:27,740 Is it that look in your eyes, 1015 01:13:27,740 --> 01:13:31,040 or is it these dancing juice? 1016 01:13:31,580 --> 01:13:36,110 Who cares baby, I think I wanna marry you. 1017 01:13:37,200 --> 01:13:42,780 Just say I do! 1018 01:13:51,140 --> 01:13:52,140 Yes. 1019 01:13:53,210 --> 01:13:54,680 Yes. 1020 01:14:18,080 --> 01:14:24,490 This is a pretty huge part of both of our lives, and I'm really grateful that Couchsurfing exists. 1021 01:14:29,610 --> 01:14:34,850 This is the desert of Black Rock City, Nevada, home to Burning Man. 1022 01:14:35,980 --> 01:14:40,760 Children, here we are at the playa at Burning Man. 1023 01:14:42,700 --> 01:14:45,320 And what are we doing? We're sharing. 1024 01:14:45,880 --> 01:14:49,690 I couldn't believe it that something like this existed on the face of this Earth. 1025 01:14:49,950 --> 01:14:52,670 It was beyond anything I'd ever seen at that point. 1026 01:14:52,670 --> 01:14:55,950 And I remember driving out of there… 1027 01:14:56,320 --> 01:14:59,610 after just seeing all of these people really going for it… 1028 01:14:59,610 --> 01:15:04,640 really putting the most creativity they possibly could, you know, creating their dreams. 1029 01:15:04,700 --> 01:15:06,750 Sharing what we've got! 1030 01:15:07,900 --> 01:15:09,930 Sharing what we've got, giving! 1031 01:15:10,190 --> 01:15:14,010 I had the idea for Couchsurfing, but I felt like it was still inaccessible to me… 1032 01:15:14,010 --> 01:15:19,760 I couldn't connect the dots from where I was to like doing something and really going for it. 1033 01:15:20,080 --> 01:15:22,230 And when I met all of these people at Burning Man… 1034 01:15:22,240 --> 01:15:26,010 and I saw what they were doing and how they were just going for it… 1035 01:15:26,010 --> 01:15:29,340 and they were just people like me, it helped me connect the dots. 1036 01:15:29,340 --> 01:15:33,340 And I remember leaving at sunset, on Sunday… 1037 01:15:33,340 --> 01:15:37,210 and telling myself, "I can be that guy", so to speak, "I could do something… 1038 01:15:37,210 --> 01:15:40,540 "I could try my hardest and do something interesting". 1039 01:15:40,940 --> 01:15:47,130 And so that just changed my mind and gave me the perspective and inspiration to really go for it. 1040 01:15:47,130 --> 01:15:51,640 I'd been to Burning Man before, but this was David Vega's first time. 1041 01:15:51,640 --> 01:15:55,160 Still getting into the groove, I don't feel a hundred percent here yet. 1042 01:15:55,160 --> 01:15:58,240 Just kinda like slowly transforming. 1043 01:15:59,070 --> 01:16:03,480 The concept for Burning Man was inspired about twenty-five years ago… 1044 01:16:04,190 --> 01:16:06,120 at Baker Beach in San Francisco. 1045 01:16:06,330 --> 01:16:11,980 {\an8}It was just an 8-foot man, but of course burning human figures always draws attention. 1046 01:16:12,550 --> 01:16:16,540 It was a gift, it just was public beach and we just gave it to everybody. 1047 01:16:24,940 --> 01:16:27,820 It's not enough just to say "love, everybody!". 1048 01:16:28,060 --> 01:16:32,500 It's about finding your being, sharing your being, recognizing it in others. 1049 01:16:33,070 --> 01:16:37,000 Coming out here for a week, sharing what you have… 1050 01:16:38,170 --> 01:16:42,380 finding people, sharing what they have with you. 1051 01:16:45,180 --> 01:16:48,330 It's such a startling economy. 1052 01:16:49,980 --> 01:16:53,420 An emotional agreement… 1053 01:16:54,800 --> 01:16:56,700 for fifty thousand people! 1054 01:16:57,370 --> 01:17:01,720 And now, to imagine that it turned into the massive event that it is. 1055 01:17:01,720 --> 01:17:03,850 In gift economy you need each other. 1056 01:17:04,330 --> 01:17:06,370 You can't just pay somebody else to do it. 1057 01:17:06,370 --> 01:17:12,090 And we live today in the world, in the West, at least… 1058 01:17:12,090 --> 01:17:19,390 where our quantifiable needs are, for many people, fulfilled and overfulfilled. 1059 01:17:19,630 --> 01:17:21,680 But they're still starving for something… 1060 01:17:21,680 --> 01:17:25,320 and they're starving for the things that can't be measured, you know, almost something personal. 1061 01:17:25,320 --> 01:17:29,280 I want to be fed, I want real relationships, I want authenticity, I want intimacy. 1062 01:17:29,550 --> 01:17:35,550 And these things are, I mean, you can pay someone to fake it. 1063 01:17:35,800 --> 01:17:38,270 But you can't pay someone to actually care. 1064 01:17:38,270 --> 01:17:40,270 Remember my friend, Alex Scott? 1065 01:17:40,480 --> 01:17:43,550 Well, she finally decided to leave her space. 1066 01:17:43,550 --> 01:17:48,110 … electrifying my taste buds, it's delicious! 1067 01:17:48,620 --> 01:17:52,990 And somebody's mom just came up and handed it to me… 1068 01:17:52,990 --> 01:17:54,410 and then somebody handed me this beer. 1069 01:17:54,410 --> 01:17:56,830 Even our cars, you can get a ride, get a free ride. 1070 01:17:56,830 --> 01:17:59,610 — Share rides, sharing art… — Make a friend. 1071 01:18:01,580 --> 01:18:04,670 — Hello! How are you? — Good, how are you? 1072 01:18:05,550 --> 01:18:08,760 — Pretty good, what's your name? — Pretty good, pretty pretty good. 1073 01:18:08,760 --> 01:18:11,440 I actually just ate a pulled pork sandwich and it was amazing. 1074 01:18:12,750 --> 01:18:16,240 — That lady right there. — Oh yeah, mama… she's my neighbor. 1075 01:18:16,240 --> 01:18:23,250 In pre-monetary cultures, very often status would go toward the person who gave the most… 1076 01:18:23,960 --> 01:18:27,390 to the community, rather than the person who had or controlled the most. 1077 01:18:27,390 --> 01:18:29,950 You know, here, it's all the people that are all about that. 1078 01:18:29,950 --> 01:18:33,030 That get more satisfaction at giving than you do receiving. 1079 01:18:33,030 --> 01:18:36,250 They don't want status over people, they just want to be with people. 1080 01:18:37,020 --> 01:18:39,520 Playa? I'm surrendering day by day. 1081 01:18:41,150 --> 01:18:45,550 The first day I got here I felt like MOOP: Man Out Of Place. 1082 01:18:46,110 --> 01:18:52,920 But little by little I'm starting to interact more, and to kind of get the language, and the attitude, and… 1083 01:18:53,110 --> 01:18:54,190 it's beautiful. 1084 01:18:54,190 --> 01:18:58,190 And you enter into a sharing economy or a pay it forward system… 1085 01:18:58,190 --> 01:19:00,650 you're able to kind of let your guard down a little bit, you're trusting that… 1086 01:19:00,650 --> 01:19:03,420 Well I'm just gonna trust, this is all gonna work out… 1087 01:19:03,580 --> 01:19:08,200 I'm gonna pay into this system, and this system will provide, these people'll provide… 1088 01:19:08,200 --> 01:19:11,560 and these are people who I believe and believe in me. 1089 01:19:12,030 --> 01:19:16,560 It was very nerve-wracking almost to give gifts out. 1090 01:19:16,560 --> 01:19:20,880 I saw those rings, and the DJ would have those rings and just give them out. 1091 01:19:20,880 --> 01:19:23,440 I carried them for two days, I didn't give any of them out. 1092 01:19:23,790 --> 01:19:25,420 Why? I don't know, I just… 1093 01:19:25,420 --> 01:19:29,070 I just didn't have it in me to just go up to people and just start giving them and handing them out. 1094 01:19:29,290 --> 01:19:30,510 But like, today… 1095 01:19:31,260 --> 01:19:34,830 we were walking around and that's all I was doing and it was so amazing… 1096 01:19:34,830 --> 01:19:40,970 I mean, people were so happy and so, you know, wanting to just come and hug and be around. 1097 01:19:40,970 --> 01:19:43,040 I don't know why it took me so long to do it! 1098 01:19:43,690 --> 01:19:45,950 I've never seen such beautiful things before! 1099 01:19:45,950 --> 01:19:49,580 Even witnessing generosity inspires people to give. 1100 01:19:51,080 --> 01:19:54,240 So gifts create ties. 1101 01:19:54,960 --> 01:19:57,950 And you could even say that community depends on gifts. 1102 01:19:58,060 --> 01:20:00,920 And if you have no gifts, then there's no community. 1103 01:20:01,070 --> 01:20:03,050 When people have met all of their needs… 1104 01:20:03,280 --> 01:20:09,050 they can really get into a point in their mind and their heart, when they can really transcend. 1105 01:20:09,230 --> 01:20:12,190 And they can transcend and create, and ask themselves: 1106 01:20:12,190 --> 01:20:14,200 if I can do anything, with my time… 1107 01:20:14,200 --> 01:20:17,550 I'm not trying to meet these needs, I'm not distracted by meeting these needs… 1108 01:20:17,550 --> 01:20:21,760 of, like, community and love and food and whatever, I've got those set. 1109 01:20:22,010 --> 01:20:24,140 What can I create with other people? 1110 01:20:25,160 --> 01:20:31,100 I was really hoping, more than anything, to be able to interview Casey Fenton on the playa… 1111 01:20:31,100 --> 01:20:35,660 but there was no cell phone coverage, I had no way to contact him… 1112 01:20:35,660 --> 01:20:40,650 and there's fifty thousand people sprawled out like one gigantic couchsurf. 1113 01:20:40,800 --> 01:20:45,080 If I could take that feeling from this world, and bring that to the default world… 1114 01:20:45,320 --> 01:20:48,890 and contribute, instead of just taking all the time… 1115 01:20:49,130 --> 01:20:54,410 I think that is where this journey ends and the next one begins. 1116 01:20:56,140 --> 01:21:00,920 And then it all made sense: we are entering an age of sharing. 1117 01:21:01,760 --> 01:21:04,030 As I walked through the playa it hit me: 1118 01:21:04,670 --> 01:21:08,360 Couchsurfing is just a planet in this galaxy of sharing. 1119 01:21:09,150 --> 01:21:11,500 And due to the omni-access of the internet… 1120 01:21:11,950 --> 01:21:16,480 the potential to connect safely in new ways that were never possible before… 1121 01:21:17,440 --> 01:21:18,760 are now possible! 1122 01:21:18,860 --> 01:21:22,520 I mean, the sheer magnitude of opportunity blows my mind. 1123 01:21:22,520 --> 01:21:24,380 And no, I'm not on drugs. 1124 01:21:25,310 --> 01:21:28,490 From couchsurfing literally around the world… 1125 01:21:28,880 --> 01:21:33,080 bike-sharing in Paris, to ride-sharing in Germany and through Africa… 1126 01:21:33,240 --> 01:21:34,760 co-working in Brazil… 1127 01:21:35,160 --> 01:21:38,440 and even crowdfunding to raise the money for this project… 1128 01:21:38,840 --> 01:21:42,170 without even knowing it, I have been living a shareable life. 1129 01:21:42,800 --> 01:21:48,090 And given access to a world that once required only money as its barrier for experience. 1130 01:21:48,480 --> 01:21:52,510 But now, sharing and social currency are subsidizing money. 1131 01:21:53,400 --> 01:21:56,670 Sharing can change the way we meet our basic needs. 1132 01:21:56,960 --> 01:22:00,650 The way we can do business, and how we interact with each other. 1133 01:22:01,130 --> 01:22:05,150 By using underutilized resources, like someone's couch… 1134 01:22:05,440 --> 01:22:07,340 it becomes a win-win for all. 1135 01:22:08,040 --> 01:22:12,040 When you are willing to share with a stranger, you forge deep connections… 1136 01:22:12,330 --> 01:22:15,640 and the stranger is no longer so strange. 1137 01:22:28,800 --> 01:22:33,760 The man had just burned, it's literally the last shoot of the film… 1138 01:22:35,900 --> 01:22:40,940 and who do we run into, out of 50000 people? 1139 01:23:09,330 --> 01:23:13,840 Casey continues to be a passionate champion of the Couchsurfing spirit… 1140 01:23:14,270 --> 01:23:18,240 He now splits his time between Couchsurfing and new innovative projects that have social impact. 1141 01:23:19,750 --> 01:23:22,080 Zohra started her own film business. 1142 01:23:22,240 --> 01:23:25,450 And to the relief of her family, Zohra is getting married in the fall. 1143 01:23:26,990 --> 01:23:30,890 Tailek is now a lot bigger… 1144 01:23:31,060 --> 01:23:35,060 and they continue to host guests from all over the world. 1145 01:23:35,430 --> 01:23:39,930 {\an8}Chelsea had some epiphanies of her own at Burning Man… 1146 01:23:37,240 --> 01:23:39,930 I've unconsciously realized for a while that… 1147 01:23:40,330 --> 01:23:43,570 I am addicted to technology a little bit. 1148 01:23:43,740 --> 01:23:47,370 Chelsea is using her internet powers for good by pioneering the Sharing Economy movement. 1149 01:23:50,010 --> 01:23:53,010 David still works for the bank… 1150 01:23:53,310 --> 01:23:56,920 but is still looking for a social business to join. 1151 01:23:58,050 --> 01:24:00,220 Gabe and Shiva are happily married. 1152 01:24:00,890 --> 01:24:03,060 I've been hosting a CouchSurfer for about 9 months. 1153 01:24:04,690 --> 01:24:06,860 Yeah, any day now he'll be moving on. 1154 01:24:08,030 --> 01:24:10,330 "Occupy Shiva" 1155 01:24:11,500 --> 01:24:15,230 Alexandra has co-authored a book with Gabe and Chelsea, a practical guide to the new sharing economy. 1156 01:24:15,240 --> 01:24:18,570 Alex and her boyfriend keep their couch open for surfers like you! 1157 01:25:29,050 --> 01:25:31,160 We've got to radically share now. 1158 01:25:32,410 --> 01:25:34,170 It's giving time! 1159 01:25:35,340 --> 01:25:36,800 Give-a-lujah, children! 1160 01:25:37,770 --> 01:25:39,870 Somebody gimme a give-a-lujah here!