Me: I'm half American, half Hungarian and I've just moved to Paris from Berlin; I'm slowly turning into a bit of a vagabond without a real Heimat; I like cold weather because you get to wear sweaters; I am always losing my keys in my pocket; I'm not terribly artistic myself but when music touches me profoundly I tear up; I love unique flavors but am a mediocre cook myself; I like hosting get-togethers and facilitating people meeting each other; I love the smell of Scotch and wish I could buy it bottled as cologne; I like hip hop and salsa but my hip hop and salsa dancing skills leave a lot to be desired; I'm a slow reader, but I love to read nevertheless; I like browsing used bookstores and inevitably end up buying too many books (did I mention that I'm a slow reader?); except for the really bad stuff I believe in trying anything once; I saw my first opera when I was five; I like to read at a desk and to write on my bed; I will do anything for the people closest to me; I believe in networking and like connecting people; I sing out in the shower; I love abstraction and think modern dance is one of the most beautiful art forms (although I know next to nothing about it); I think most of my problems could be solved by meditating more; I like hole-in-the-wall restaurants the best, but I think everyone deserves a "gastronomique" experience from time to time; in a past life I was a psychotherapist; in a future life, I'm a jazz pianist; I love driving a fast car but won't own a car as a matter of principle; I'm very easy-going but also highly opinionated, and I don't find this contradictory.

I moved to Paris in August '12 to start a master's degree. Trying to keep my mandolin fingers in shape. Figuring out how to meditate on a full-time schedule. Cooking up plans -- and Mexican food.

Solving problems; listening; learning languages; impromptu jam sessions.

Favorite literature: "The Book of Laughter and Forgetting", J.M. Coetzee, "Doctor Zhivago", "Angels in America", Jonathan Franzen, Kafka, various Hungarian poets (József Attila, Pilinszky János), various English-language poets (Elizabeth Bishop, Yeats, Paul Muldoon, Dan Chiasson).

Favorite nonfiction: the late Wittgenstein, Simone Weil, Charles Taylor, Tony Judt, Louis Menand, "Why Nations Fail", Banerjee and Duflo, Hardt and Negri, the Economist

Favorite music: An eclectic mix, certainly. Not "everything," mind you--but if the main ingredients include soul, experience and honesty then there's a good chance that I like it. Within that, I tend to have an especial spiritual and emotional connection with a number of classical composers (Bach, Vaughan Williams, Pärt, Beethoven), jazz artists (Thelonious Monk, Count Basie, Christian McBride), and folk traditions (klezmer, old time/bluegrass, Irish). I also love hip hop (MF Doom, Freddie Gibbs, Madlib).

Favorite movies: I don't watch so many movies, but when I do get around to it, I tend to go for these really visually impressive, aesthetically driven, "arty" films (Jim Jarmusch, Werner Herzog, Ingmar Bergman, Steve McQueen). I also liked the last James Bond movie.

Favorite Operas: the Ring cycle, The Marriage of Figaro, The Barber of Seville, Rigoletto.

Favorite TV shows: The Wire, Mad Men, Downton Abbey, Parks and Recreation.

Favorite musical instruments: mandolin, guitar, lute, pennywhistle.

Favorite musical instruments I don't play: sax, violin, cora, voice.

Favorite food: Vietnamese.

Favorite city: Prague.

Favorite season: fall.

Favorite boot: urban cowboy.

Favorite airplane refreshment: ginger ale.

Favorite primitive tool: atlatl.

Favorite book binding: cloth.

Favorite Jesus: Christ Superstar

Great things to read (and read about). Great people to love. Interesting problems to understand. A musical instrument to doodle around on. Cocktail glasses.

You're awesome and you think we can increase each other's awesomeness.