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House Sitter John And Shahrzad Giffen
Location: Alton, Canada |
Age: 62 |
Experience: 2 yr 3 mo |
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About John And Shahrzad Giffen: |
Back in 2016, after having been in relationship with Shahrzad for about 4 months, I turned to her one day and said, “hey, wanna travel the world with me, starting with India”. Within weeks we had both rented out our homes, donated or sold the bulk of our “things”, and freed ourselves to live with what we can carry on our backs. For 6 years now we have been circumnavigating the globe as Nomads, coming home to Toronto to spend time with our blended families (we have 4 kids Meg 32, Tess 30, Kimia 28 and Matt 26) and friends. In 2020, we were travelling thru Columbia and decided to return home to set up a base in an Intentional Community called www.wholevillage.org where we have been based for almost 3 years now. It's an active farming community where 20 of us (new-born to mature adults) share care for animals (Cows and Chickens), and acres of veggies and fruits. Our journeys often take a spiritual path as we visit Ashrams, Monasteries, Zen retreat centers or connect in with the Gurdjieff Foundation Communities in and around the world. We have both cared for dogs and other various pets through the years with our kids. We both are quite handy and have many renovation and maintenance skills as we continue to Landlord our 3 properties here in Toronto. And of course living on an active farm presents endless opportunities to join in on the co-creating of spaces. We are currently seeking long term home sitting opportunites (2 to 4 months). Preferred locations include Sicily, Southern Italy, Mexico, Greece, Canada (Ontario, BC) Open to others.
Happy to share more
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Shahrzad's professional background includes:- Fluent in English, Farsi, French, Italian, (some Spanish)- Pharmacist for 10 years, Boston, USA.- Immigration Consultant, 10 years, Toronto, Can.- French Patisserie/Cafe, Founder and Operator, 5 years, La Boheme, Toronto, Can.
John's professional background includes: - Fluent in English, (Some French, studying Italian)- Chartered Professional Accountant 10 years, Toronto, Can- IT Professional (Mgr to VP levels) 15 years, Telecom and Financial Services, Toronto, Can- Volunteer / Facilitator Men's and young Men's organizations (https://ontario.canada.mkp.org/ and www.btmcanada.org ) (Police background Check available)
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profile viewed 1,412 times
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References 2
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Airbnb Hosts |
Homeowner in Various World Locations, Europe |
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August 2022
They where very nice, we would like to host them again
Daniel, Honey Harbour, Canada
February 2020
Excellent, together with his wife, we loved it. Welcome, Sempreee...Sincerely, Alexandra
Giron Chill Out, Girón, Colombia
February 2020
John and Sha are beyond words - both super cool humans whose presence makes everything better!
Tala, Minca, Colombia
February 2020
John and Sha, great people, good atmosphere, very friendly and tidy. Lovers of nature and all the good, I would be happy to see you again at any time.
Pablo Andrés, Barranquilla, Colombia
November 2019
Immaculate and very pleasant guests. I would have them back anytime!
Adela, London, Canada
April 2019
They are a wonderful guest So friendly, kindly, and polite. It was very clean when they left the guesthouse. they were polite correspondence I was happy to be able to greet them
Mitsuo, Kyoto, Japan
February 2019
John was a good guest. Good comms, tidy and quiet
Patrick, England, United Kingdom
February 2019
John was at my house just a few days and everything was ok. I recommend John to the AirBnb cummunity.
Miguel, Carcavelos, Portugal
February 2019
Great guest, highly recommended.
Renata, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Wonderful guests!
Cristina And Hal, Asheville, NC
January 2019
John and Sha were a pleasure to have in our home. Neat and tidy and communication was very good. Any host would love to have them.
Vicky
September 2018
John and Sha were fantastic guests. Welcome back anytime!
Gary, Sylva, NC
September 2018
Great guests!
Sean, Independence, LA
September 2018
John was a great guest who chose to stay in Memphis for a couple of days as they were passing through. They were clean and quiet guest with great communication who didn't require much. I'm glad they… read more
Sabe, Memphis, TN
September 2018
Great guest! Would have back again anytime :)
Jackie, Murfreesboro, TN
September 2018
They were really nice and they left the apartment in good condition
Aggeliki, Athens, Greece
September 2018
Having John and Sha in the house is an experience. Wise and respectable persons, excellent sense of humor! I loved them! They are always welcome.
Μαλάμω, Greece
August 2018
Nice people, easy to communicate and very polite. We wish them a safe journey back home!
Evi, Greece
August 2018
It was very nice to have John and everybody else as guests. I would really like to host them again.
Dimitris, Crete
August 2018
I would definitely host them again and i highly recommend them to anybody out there!!!
Mint, Athens, Greece
July 2018
It was wonderful to meet John and Shahrzad. We only can recommend them!
Caroline, Romanos, Greece
February 2018
John and his wife were friendly and good guests .
Chheak, Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia
September 2017
Amazing guests, very clean, social and kind! We communicated very well during their trip and they left their room and the house in very good conditions. They also communicated their needs and we… read more
Mary&Marina, Florence, Italy
September 2017
John and Sha are good guest! From the first email contact they were nice and kind.... . During their stay Communicating with them was very easy. They respected our apartment leaving it in order and… read more
Silvia & Luana, Rome, Italy
April 2017
John and Sha are very nice persons, sociable, friendly and respectful, me and my family enjoyed hosting Joh and Sha. We highly recommend to other host in the world and we welcome to stay with us in… read more
Dil, Kathmandu, Nepal
April 2017
John and his partner Shahrzad are nice and polite people who are quiet and have practically no demands. They went by the house rules and I was surprised they left the place as clean as it was when they arrived. Look forward to hosting them again.
Suresh, Coimbatore, India
March 2017
We recommend John and Sha to all other Airbnb hosts. It was a delight having them to stay. They would be welcome back anytime.
Lynne, United Kingdom
March 2017
Mrs&Mr.John were very friendly couple. It was a great pleasure to host them. We would love to host them again…
Anand, Orrville India
February 2017
Thank you for visiting. Pleasure to host you
Bala, Tiruvannamalai, India
February 2017
John stayed with us for 2 days and we had a wonderful time hosting him.
Karunya, Chennai, India
September 2016
Fantastic guests, pleasure to host!
Shona, Kilbarchan, United Kingdom
September 2016
It was so nice to have you here - if felt like we had know each other since a long tome. I have a feeling this was not the last time to have you here... all the best and much love Felix & Sarah
Felix & Sarah, Torridon, United Kingdom
May 2015
John was a fantastic guest to have at Baker Road Beach House. He was very engaging, kind and neat. He left everything in perfect order!
Robert, British Columbia, Canada
Date of Service Jan 1, 2022
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Airbnb Host |
Homeowner in Toronto, Canada |
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Here are some reviews that were posted for Shahrzad when she hosted her home on Airbnb for several years before 2017.
Nov 2016
Shahrzad is a great host and I felt at home immediately. The room is big enough, and the house very comfortable. The neighborhood is quit and safe and there are a lot of restaurants and cafés on St Clair Street. The house is only a few minutes walk away from buses/streetcars/subway. I stayed there for two weeks and had a very pleasant time!
Andrea B., Vienna Austria
Sept 2016
I stayed at Sha's house for 7 days and it was such a perfect decision. Clean and Comfortable. Those two words fit for this house. Room and loo are clean and well-organised so I was thankful to Sha. I was also in deep sleep as neibourhood is so quiet by night. On the day of my last stay, I took a walk with Sha' lovely dog, Monglie. Lovely Sha and Monglie made me feel like home rather than "just accommodation". If you are looking for such house, thats the one. Enjoy the good vibe.
Boyoon J. , Souel South Korea
August 2016
I really enjoyed meeting Shahrzad. She has a beautiful home and a sweet spirit. The bed was super comfy and the room quiet.
Robert H., Fairfax CA.
July 2016
sha is a very good host, friendly, open-minded and just everybody is welcome. we absolutely enjoyed the time. moreover little mogli was a very cute host, too. her place is in excellent connection to the local public bus tram and subway system, so shas house displays a perfect Base Camp to Explorer amazing toronto. we can defintely recommend to share some time with her, mogli and the house. think about staying at her place. Best wishes tobi + hanna
Halle, Germany
July 2016
The room is cute and clean. And the details in the house manual made the overall experience seamless!
Talia H. Vancouver, Canada
July 2016
Awesome stay here with Shah! Her and her place are so welcoming and warm. She was very accommodating to us and tried her absolute best and succeeded in making our stay pleasant and stress free! Good location, allowed us to see a lot more to Toronto than I had thought!!
Taryn, Saint Albert, Canada
July 2016
I had a wonderful stay at Shahrzad's lovely home. I immediately felt welcome and safe upon arrival, and had a beautiful stay until the moment I left. Her home is clean, comfortable, incredibly well-equipped, and I loved the sense of privacy during my stay. It was also amazing having a host who was so welcoming, gracious and considerate. Shahrzad's communication was incredible throughout my stay and prior to. GREAT location, in a beautiful neighbourhood. I would definitely stay here again. Thank you!
Laura L, Canada
June 2016
Sharzad was a wonderful host. The room was cozy and the house is in a great neighbourhood. Good access to public transport. Wold love to stay there again.
Selma C, Cologne Germany
May 2016
I truly enjoyed my weeklong stay at Sha´s. The house was inviting with character, my room upstairs was cozy and the place really felt like home away from home. The pictures of the house are very accurate and the location near streetcars and buses was great. Shahrzad is a kind, easygoing and warm person and it was a pleasure to get to know her. And of course Mogli was just adorable.
Anni N., Lappeenranta, Finland
May 2016
Sha was a wonderful host. She was welcoming and accommodating. The room was clean and comfortable. Since the room was in the basement and the ceilings are very low I would not recommend for taller people but other than that everything is wonderful. The location of her home is perfect for getting around the city and there are lots of good restaurants and shops around. Her dog is adorable and I really enjoyed my stay.
Lynn W. Canada
April 2016
The host is friendly. Little dog Mogli is so cute.
Shunyu I., Ottawa, Canada
March 2016
The welcoming was very warm and friendly. The room was exactly as described and even nicer than expected. Very recommended.
Thomas B., Stuttgart, Germany
Date of Service Jan 1, 2018
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