Today I was on a deadline. Since I was not going to have any spare time in the evening, I needed to find a sympathetic soul in my lunch break - a daunting task, given the fact that everybody else in the city was going to spend that exact same time actually having lunch. I got lucky nearby the university: Dominik had a look of stunned disbelief when I explained my project to him, but was up for a short chat.Dominik did not talk much about himself, but rather wanted to know more about my motivation for Meet a Stranger a Day; as it turns out he has found a different, excellent way to get to know people - he's a couch surfer. For those of you not familiar with the concept of couch surfing: couch surfers all over the world offer to provide you with a roof and a bed in their home for a few nights, under the condition that you will do the same for others (edit: Dominik has emailed me to correct this - there is no such condition. See also my shiny new couch surfer profile). It's a concept that enriches the life of both the host and the guest; whoever offers a couch can meet people (and make friends) from all over the world without all the hassle of actually traveling - and in return, the traveler is a guest more than a tourist.
Dominik was not very comfortable with being on camera, and seemed to grow more and more self-conscious. We decided to wrap it up after 16 photographs, of which I've selected the third.
My thanks go to Dominik, for his spontaneity and goodwill.
Camera-shy.
