mrjemm's VirtualTourist Home Page

Hola you bunch of others.

As you may have guessed, I am rather unabout right now. Yup, I am spending a lot of time away from the net. Basically, now I am back to working offshore and rarely get online or am travelling and likewise, not often wired up. I was recently in Asia, meeting some good friends- both old and new, but now am riding through a rough sea between oilfields. Have no doubt that I'll be back before too long. Take care, Jem.

Did the backpacker thing. Threw away the Lonely Planet, realised we're all tourists, even at home. Found myself looking at other people's guide books again. Now soak up any resource going, why not? Travel to learn, so learn to travel. Hope I never stop. No plans to. Been lucky for a few years, after living in Asia and then going back to UK, managed to stumble on a job that took me right back out there- heheheheh! That's over, but ah well, just have to pay for my pleasure, everyone else does, it's only fair I guess. Been going alone so long now, maybe it's time I should open my eyes and see what others do, and how they do it.

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Yummm

Enough rest, now for change.

It has been a while since I made any changes to my homepage, and the time has come. Having been around VT for a few months now, my use of the site has changed and my feelings on many things have too. VT has affected me in many ways and I hope that my corner of it is a worthwhile addition, as many kind people have suggested.
Some people say that friends made on the internet are not "real", but it is clearly a very mistaken opinion, as I have learnt recently; and I am very happy to call numerous people here my friends, and to truly consider them so.

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Latest update

Not just planes to get there

In fact not planes at all if I had any choice in the matter. Or what I mean to say is, if I had the time and money to make that choice a feasible one.

I can't stand flying. It scares me silly. Ever since flying in a nasty storm on the way back from a trip to Baltimore where the lightning was illuminating the cabin like a strobe at a full moon party and the turbulance felt more solid than falling out of the top bunk.

I've never let this actually stop me from flying though, just dread it and sit there ruining the upholstery with my nails. I'm getting better, but I will always take a surface route if I can.

As a kid, I had a Vespa, and so found myself getting a Bullet in India and renting bikes in Thailand. This was great fun and now I have my own beast for a bit of Euro travel and always rent one when I get away.

My greatest love (alongside diving) however, is sailing, so any chance to get on a boat is grabbed with delighted greed. Be it a 5 foot tender, a 50 foot racing cat or a 500 foot ferry; I just love to be on water, any water. I just spent 3 years working offshore, and decided to come ashore; it wasn't the being on a boat that did that- I still want to be on them.

On land, if I don't have a bike at hand or must do a long trip, trains are great. Except in the UK, where they're abysmal, horrendous, disgusting, foul and so on. (That lady's legacy lives on). NL-HK by train was a fantastic journey, 1 hour on a UK train is purgatory.

Still, it's better than a bus.

Which is (ethically at least) better than a car.

Tuk-tuks are a pretty awful vehicle actually, but still better than a plane.

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Niknak (RIP Herve V).

Excuse my habits, I'm a creature of them.

I must add that I am very much me.

You may find that I have a lot of opinions that don't quite match other peoples. Just like everyone I guess, I don't claim to be unusual or unique. I also have my own likes and dislikes that I tend to air.

Food is one thing that gets to be a recurring theme in any conversation I have,so I will most likely mention it now and again. Likewise coffee.

If I get the chance I will get in some diving pictures and tales. My love of motorbike travel will hopefully get an airing too; it's massively under represented on VT!

Please don't be offended. I don't want to offend, but as I said, my opinions are not everyones. I warn you I am rather fervent in my dislike of some things UK, namely the Daily Mail (and Express), English towns and the national obsessions, such as football and that princess.

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Relax for a bit

The easy option

I have been taking lots of pictures of bugs, plants and graffiti, all of which look interesting to me, but they don't always fit in so well with the travel theme. I would have put some in as travelogues on this page, but I have run out of travelogue space. This means I have been stretching the limits of tentative travel connections and putting them onmy travel pages, within the towns or regions were they were taken. Who knows, you also may like to go looking at the less obvious aspects of places when you visit them. Perhaps you also like looking at bugs- there're enough Entymologists out there, so it may be so. Likewise graffiti, it's a popular topic and aspect of graphic design/art right now, so I am sure some of you will be interested in the attention I give it.
Presently the bugs are in my Edinburgh pages, plants are there and Grampian, and graffiti is Barcelona. Soon however, there should be a few of each of these going into my London pages.

In the meantime, sit back with a Guinness and something to read.

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Ships in the night

Some mothers do ave'em

I have found that within VT, as with all society, there is a great variety of personality and opinion. At times I have upset people, and likewise have been upset too. To anyone that I have offended or insulted in any way, I apologise. At times I do enjoy confrontation and argument can often be a great way to discuss matters, but also it can be taken too far and too seriously. A little flexibility on all sides is a great thing, I hope I can keep some and develop more.

We have the choice to maintain distance from each other, but the chances to meet and increase our understanding of others as well as ourselves are valuable too and I hope not to waste them. Pass me by if you wish, but I'd love you to stop and say hello.

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Always greener...

Outlook and envy

There are so many things I want to do and so many places I want to go and see, I know I will never accomplish more than the merest fraction of these. Looking around here, I see a large number of people have done so many of my wishes and it would be so easy to be envious of you all. This is a self defeating process, so I will limit my jealousy to a select few of you lucky buggers!
Only joking, I know I have done quite a lot in my own way, and I am happy. Whatever I do now is a bonus, but I refuse to stop dreaming and hoping to go one step further, every step I take.
Recently I was told that my department is being closed down and I must find a new position within the company or a new job. This is a hard thing to hear and could restrict my future movement, I hope I will overcome this hurdle soon.
Likewise with travel, my talents as photographer and writer are limited and I can look at all your efforts and covet your skills, but I will instead just try more to be happy with my own. I gave up on photography years ago, yet have found my enthusiasm returning, and with practice, my pride in some pictures.

Peek-a-boo!

Yup, just me, popping by to show you what all my time away from here has been for. As you may well know, I am back working offshore, and getting online very rarely, so I don't get to natter with you reprobates nowadays, however, it's all been worth it to me, as I have now managed to get my arse in gear and start to live my dream. And here it is. 35 feet of steel pleasure. Presently near my family home, but hopefully moving down to Spain come next summer.

Whaddya reckon Daarth? Now I've been spending some time in Norway, I am tempted to take it there too- maybe migrate between the 2. Hmmm.

Since the last picture, it's taken a while, but finally been painted, a rather more fun colour.