Getting up to speed.

I started blogging in 2006 as I was travelling quite a bit and needed somewhere to share my stories and photos with my friends, family and publishing contacts. Back then Blogger was the only decent blog publishing tool and limited bandwidth in places like Vietnam was a continuous struggle. Frequent power cuts and software glitches meant I’d often reel off paragraphs of text in some overpriced, hot and hectic internet cafe only to see it disappear as quickly as I’d typed it. With the birth of my first child in 2007 I dropped off the blogosphere and now with her finally starting school and as the workload/travels pick up again I find myself attempting to pick up where I left off. It’s amazing the range of social media tools out there now and simply choosing which publishing tool is frankly baffling. At least internet speeds have improved. And I've become quite addicted to Twitter. On a recent trip to Vietnam I was delighted to be able to pick up wifi in most places and the majority of hotels will let you on but only for an exorbitant daily fee. Accessing Facebook proved tricky (but possible if you change your DNS number) – what is clear is that the tourism industry still has a long long way to go in catching up with social media trends. Onwards.

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Pacific encounters

Feathered head Hawaiian Islands, Late eighteenth century Feathers, basketry, fibre, dog canine teeth, pearl shell, wood H. 81.0 cm, HAW 80 The British Museum Went to the re-opening of the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts at the University of East Anglia and was impressed by the refurbishment and launch exhibition: Pacific Encounters: Art and Divinity in Polynesia 1760-1860. A wooden bowl, supported by two figures with shell eyes and teeth of cut boars' tusks, is just one of 270 rare and extraordinary sculptures, ornaments and textiles in the exhibition; striking giant feathered heads from the Hawaiian Islands with dogs teeth and pearl shell eyes and woven feathered helmets, all used as ritual objects. The red, black and yellow feathers came from honeycreepers unique to the islands. One, a rare U-shaped breast pendant from the Marquesas Islands seen at Tahuata during Cook's second voyage in April 1774, has hundreds of red and black abrus seeds gummed to the upper surface of its ...

Yaly Couture

15th March 2005 HOI AN Staying at Ancient House Resort on Cua Dia, a small boutique hotel with spacious, immaculate and stylish rooms. Can imagine that this would be a good place for honeymooners, as the service is discreet and the gardens and pool are beautiful. Got an upgrade on the second day to a room with a balcony so I can now sit outside and write, which is a marked improvement. I get free bike rental here so I’ve been out exploring. Riding a bike after so long and in Asia was a thrilling experience. Make me think how much quicker I could get about and see so much more. Today I cycled off the beaten track for a good 2 hours until I came to a boatyard where I pulled up for a refreshing drink. Don’t think these people see many white faces round here. I was drinking alone then suddenly there were about 15 faces staring at me. Curiosity got the better of one old man who hopped on his moped and escorted me down the road! I noticed that even this far out, huge speakers blast out propa...

The new rocket fuel

Just returned from two weeks in London, where I've been freelancing for a specialist provider of financial information on the renewable and clean energy industries worldwide. The work has given me a clearer picture of the technology being developed to support the growing interest and funding being directed at the sector. No more is this evident than in the NEX, a global index, which tracks the performance of 'companies worldwide whose technologies and services focus on the generation and use of renewable energy, conservation and efficiency, and advancement of low-carbon energy solutions.' A quarterly update on the performance of the NEX shows a gain of 25.3% in the first quarter of 2006. An increased interest from investors and the effects of rising oil and gas prices have contributed to this rise. The best performing sector was biofuels, biomass and waste-to-energy sector. Ethanol and biodiesel could well be the fuels of the future. My rocket fuel has been provided by the ...

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