Singapore - A 'life' version of Facebook

When Noel Lau set foot in Turkey five years ago, he got the keys to a house of a man he was meeting for the very first time.

Lau knew little of the Turk called Huseyin as they had been acquainted only online and that, too, for only two weeks.

Despite this, Huseyin offered him a room with a comfortable bed and a spare key so Lau could come and go as he pleased.

For an avid traveller like Lau, bunking in with complete strangers, or couch-surfing as it is known, is a great way of making new friends and saving one's money.

"As much as I enjoyed sightseeing around Istanbul, I also enjoyed the evenings when I came back and shared a meal or drink with Huseyin and his housemate.

"We shared about our lives in our own countries and our experiences. It was one of my most memorable travel experiences," said Lau, who had himself hosted strangers at a rented house in Spain just four months earlier.

While the practice may seem as risky as hitchhiking, especially in today's world, couch-surfers, be it the host or guest, have three security measures they rely on: references from others, donations to couch-surfing organisations and vouchsafing from other members.

Lau said donations made via banks would curb identity fraud among wily individuals thinking of exploiting the trust offered by strangers.

While for Lau, couch-surfing is one way to stretch the ringgit, but Abbey Thangiah, a couch-surfing city ambassador for Kuala Lumpur, said the opportunity for a cultural exchange trumps economic reasons.

Most surfers, the 33-year-old quantity surveyor pointed out, were well to do.

"People are just interested to meet with others. Members share a vision of a world where people can explore and connect," Abbey, who has been couch-surfing since late 2010, said.

Describing the practice as a "life version of Facebook", the popular online networking site, Abbey said there were an estimated three million members worldwide.

The trend, he added, was picking up in the country -- noting that the numbers of those attending its weekly gatherings were increasing, with more Malaysians becoming aware of the practice.

The movement has also been spurred on by the budget airline industry, which turned Kuala Lumpur, according to Abbey, into a "transit point" that subsequently led to couch-surfing becoming more popular here.

He added that in general, people found surfing more comfortable, compared with staying at a hotel alone or going on a guided tour, which he described as "somewhat regimented".

"If you are a people person, you can't relate to people as much via these other travel methods," he said.

While it has a diverse group of members, ranging from professionals to travellers and those as old as 70, Abbey said couch-surfing was more popular in urban areas.

Jazvina Lahre, an executive producer for a media company, said she got into couch-surfing after a suggestion by a colleague who knew she often hosted her Australian friends when they visited Malaysia.

Since then, her only regret was not doing it earlier.

"After hosting several women who travelled on their own, it gave me the courage to follow in their footsteps," she said, adding that budget constraints had kept her at bay.

Lahre added that couch-surfing had also helped boost her confidence and taught her to adapt quicker and better to different surroundings.

Sean Augustine,  New Straits Times

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