So, where have I been and what am I doing? It has nothing to do with travel and everything to do with blood...

I've spent the last few months working on HemoSpat - bloodstain pattern analysis software for forensic scientists. It is used to analyse projected bloodstains from a crime scene to give investigators data for directional analysis and crime scene reconstruction. This can then be used to reconstruct a timeline of events.

You can read more about it on the HemoSpat web site.

Since I haven't written anything about travel for a long time now, I thought I'd recycle some old material. This is based on an email I sent after a trip to England in February 2001 to meet up with my brother Sean.

When I was travelling around the world, it was sometimes a challenge to get a conversation going with non-English speaking travellers. One method I used which was quite effective is the 'Ask a silly question in their language' method. I developed this method as I met people from all over the world and was looking for a way to engage them because it can sometimes be intimidating speaking a foreign language. It works something like this:

[I meet a Dutch person.]

Me: Oh, you're Dutch - I can practice my Dutch then.
Dutch Person: Oh? You speak Dutch?
Me: Hou je van pindakaas? [Do you like peanut butter?]
Dutch Person: [laughs and responds with something in Dutch which of course I don't understand]

...conversation ensues...

The key thing here is to open the conversation with a laugh to make it easier to continue the conversation. Making it a question allows them to respond in their own language, making them more comfortable. Making the question silly usually makes them laugh, which puts them more at ease. If it turns out that it doesn't make them laugh, then it can be a little awkward and either they have no sense of humour or you might need to find a new question...

Try it!

Note: It doesn't seem to work in my own language. People tend to look at me funny and back away slowly when I try it.

I used Hong Kong as my hub when traveling around Asia. I spent a total of about a week there, mostly in Kowloon, and experienced first-hand the abrogation of personal space. Hong Kong was not quite what I expected, but it was an interesting place nonetheless.

As usual, to see my photos you must sign up and log in. Your email address will not be folded, spindled, mutilated, or sold to the highest bidder. I promise. [Here's my Privacy Policy.]

When you log in, a box will appear on the left hand side of the page with a link to the photo gallery. If you have log in problems, please email me and I'll sort it out.

In January I spent a few days wandering around Macau. I really enjoyed the more laid-back pace after Hong Kong, and the culture there is a fascinating mix of Portuguese and Chinese.

As usual, you must sign up and log in before you can see my photos. Your email address will not be folded, spindled, mutilated, or sold to the highest bidder. I promise. [Here's my Privacy Policy.]

When you log in, a box will appear on the left hand side of the page with a link to the photo gallery. If you have log in problems, please email me and I'll sort it out.

I've posted a few pictures from my brief trip to Germany in November. I spent about two weeks there - my first time in Germany even though I lived so close to it for a long time. I flew into Hamburg from Dublin and spent a couple of days there, then went to Hildesheim to visit Julia, a friend I met in Ireland, and then spent a few days in Berlin.