Global-Mariner

EXPLANATION TO THE ABOVE PHOTO - - -

Above photo is NOT a wedding photo, although it looks like it, but has a completely different explanation.

At the beginning of this century, Kit Yu and I were sitting talking on our coach - our tea cups in our hands - as usual.

Suddenly our conversation touched the subject of going to a photo studio and let a professional photographer take a real propaganda photo of us, so that we had something to laugh about, when we got old - - - Now its about 20 years ago - - -

Then came the discussion about what clothes to wear, - which would certainly be a problem for me, because I am NOT a picky dressman, but usually wear a pair of faded blue jeans and T-shirts or big, baggy sweaters - - - -  And Kit Yu is not much better when it comes to fashion.

Then Kit Yu disappeared, - and when she came back, she wore a fantastic Chinese silk "cheongsam" with gold embroideries, and almost tighter than her skin - and with the well known long slit up her thigh - - -

And me????  I had NO idea that she actually had a "cheongsam", - and I almost fell down from the coach - - - WOW - - -

The "cheongsam" must be the most sexy womens dress in the World, - tighter than the skin, - and it reveals every curve and bulge on a womans body - - - and Kit Yu had such a "cheongsam", and I had NO idea - - -

She would wear her "cheongsam" at the photo studio, - but what about me??????  I am NOT a picky dressman, and usually just wear blue jeans and a T-shirt or a baggy sweater - - - So, - what to do?????

Oh yes!!!!  Actually I HAD an outfit that matched Kit Yu's red "cheongsam" - my Chief Engineer's uniform - black with gold stripes around the sleeves - - -  THAT would suit Kit Yu's red "cheongsam" perfectly.

I wanted to use my old Danish style uniform from Rhederi M. Jebsen, because on Danish Engineer's uniforms the gold stripes around the sleeved have red stripes inbetween - - and thereby looks better!

Another thing is, that it is during the years in Rhederi M. Jebsen of Aabenraa - Denmark - that I really got close to the Far East, - I even lived there- and my ship was sometimes chartered to China - and used Chinese crew - - - 

Therefore my Jebsen uniform would suit the purpose perfectly, because of it's relations to the Far East - - -

But disaster stroke!  My old Danish Chief Engineers uniform did not fit anymore!  It must have shrunk????  Hmmmmm - - -  What to do then?

Well, - I had my American uniform, - the one I used at sea at that time -, but it has NO red stripes between the gold stripes - - -

But it fitted perfectly and with Kit Yu's "cheongsam" we were well off, - and we caused quite some attention, - twisted heads and BIG eyes - when we stepped out of our car, because it is certainly NOT everyday you can see a tall, longlegged Chinese girl - slim as an eel and with not even one gram excess fat on her body - wiggling down the road in Middelfart, - dressed in red silk with golden embroideriers, - and with a long slit up her thigh - - - -  

About the "cheongsam":  It is said that it was made upon request by the Chinese enperor himself!  He found, that the men could NOT consentrate themselves with all those fantastic looking Chinese girls around, - and that disturbed the men during their important work, - so something had to be done about it!

The cure was the "cheongsam", that covered the whole body, - but showed everything!  However, -the Chinese Emperor found that this was NOT sexy at all and would NOT disturb the men - - -

And that way the most sexy woman's dress in the World was conceived - - -

Another one of those pictures Kit Yu and I had taken by a photostudio here in Middelfart, - Denmark.

I consider this photo to be the best photo taken of us - - - -

During the session, the photographer was VERY impressed with Kit Yu's "cheongsam" - - -  Alter all the photographer was a woman herself!

Therefore I was told to move away from the session, and were offered a "chair" made of mainly steel pipes, - and NOT comfortable - - - -

There were no armrests, - so I put my arms across the breast and waited faithfully until the photographer finished her solo pictures of Kit Yu - - Then the photographer stopped and told Kit Yu to go over to me, and place herself behind me - - -  I just sat on this steel chair and waited for whatever would happen - - - Quite curious and full of expectations - - -

And then it happened - - - -

Suddenly I could feel Kit Yu's arms around me, - and that made me look "funny" or maybe stupid? - because to my knowledge Chinese women must NOT show feelings towards men in a public place - - -  And here Kit Yu embraced me like that - from behind - just like she does, when we are home - - - ?????

And just at that moment the photographer pressed the shutter on her camera - - -

And here is the result!  Me sitting with my arms across, - looking funny - and Kit Yu behind me with her arms around me - and looking absolutely lovely - - -

But I love that photo, - and later on I reminded Kit Yu about the fact, that a Chinese woman should NOT show feelings to a man in a public place - - -

But Kit Yu could correct me and teach me something here, because Chinese women COULD actually show some feelings, - but she HAD to be MARRIED to the man, - then NO problems - - - - - -

So VERY good that we vere actually married at the beginning of this century, when Kit Yu decided to stay in Denmark, - and not living in "sin" anymore like we did in China and Hong Kong - - -

ABOUT KIT YU

Often I am asked where I met Kit Yu - or how I met Kit Yu - and in order to take the mystery out of that, I will clarify those questions here - - -

I first time met Kit Yu on the big stairway up to "Mariners Club" in Middle Road, Hong Kong - - - And I got stunned by her beauty, - and that she was so easy to talk to, as if we had known each other for years, - which we actually had, but only by mail - - -

How I first got contact with her? 

One fine day in the middle of the nineties, I read my e-mails - as usual - and inbetween I found a mail from an unknown girl, from China - - - -

This is quite normal, and I immediately put my delete-finger in position, because I presumed that she was one of those many, many "golddiggers" that tried to get a cheap ticket out of China, by catching a Western man - - -

But before I deleted the mail, - I just took time to read it first.  And how wrong I were!  She was absolutely NOT a "golddigger", - or at least she wrote completely different from what "golddiggers" usually do. 

She simply told me, that By coinsidence she had stumpled upon my old website, - and had found out, that she and I had the same talents and the same interests, and therefore she would ask me if I would like to meet with her next time I took a trip into China?

She was convinced, that a meeting between us would be just as interesting for me as it would be for her!  

The "Golddiggers" don't write like that, - and I thought that I could safely open the attachments, she had included.  In those days attachments did NOT show up as thumbnails as the do now, but you had to click on a link in order to open up for the photo or whatever it was.

And that could be dangerous, because how much virus and other computer destroying programs would I open for?????  But since I had felt that she was NOT a "Golddigger" then I took the chance and clickked on the attachments, - and it was NOT virus or anything else harmful - - - -  

I saw a photo of a very pretty Chinese girl, - looking so kind and good and gentle -, and far from what the "golddigers" usually look like.   The other picture showed her standing in what I saw as a door in a Buddhist temple, - and I saw, that she really was a beautiful woman - - -

But I was suspicious!   What if she actually were a "golddigger", - but just adressed the Western men smarter than the "golddiggers", so that they did not feel like that?

Anyway, - I was in the process to plan an expedition into the delta of the Pearl River in order to find that particular island that during the opium war was referred to as "Dane's Island" - - - -

But first I had to finish some activities in Korea, - where I went all over and climbed mountains and visited magnifiscent temples - and more, - and I explained to Kit Yu, that it would take me about 2 years more in Korea before I planned to go to China - - -

But then I would visit her if she would help me to find "Dane's Island" inbetween the thousands of islands in the mighty delta of the Pearl river - - -

She would be a perfect guide, because coming from Guangzhou, she speaks the local language as well as "putunghua", so she would be a perfect guide to find the right train, bus, ferry or whatever - - -

Then I could find out, if she really had the same interests as me, and loved travelling and exploring -

As you have found out now, she really was adventurous and loves to travel and explore just like me - - - - Not with a tourist group- , but just by ourselves to places far away from the tourist trail - -

And when it comes to sharing talents with me, she really was an artist and could paint and draw having graduated from the art academy in Guangzhou  - - - So Kit Yu did NOT over-exaggerate when she said that she had the same talents and the same interests as I have - - - -

And did we create art and music? - And did we travel and explore? You bet we did - - - and it was good!  

And we have been together ever since - to this day - and hopefully forever - - - 

After having explored China and Hong Kong for some time, we once found ourselves resting on a small grassy shelf on a mountainside - perfect for resting and taking a nap - and with a great view over the South China Sea, which shone like silver with the Sun reflecting in the waves  - - -

Completely unmotivated - and like half asleep -, I suddenly said to Kit Yu:  "Pure Jade, - where do you want us to live? Should we live in China where you was born, - or in Denmark where I was born, - or in Hong Kong where you live now - and where I lived in the seventies?" - - - -

Kit Yu - "Pure Jade" - answered - also half asleep -:  "I cannot answer that question, because I do not know Denmark, - and have never been there - - -"

She had - however -been in Europe - and loved it -, but only in the big countries like France and Germany, but NOT Denmark.  Being a designer she was in Europe in order to arrange exibitions for the company she worked for

Then we continued our rest on the mountainside, but afterwards I thought, - why not invite Kit Yu - "Pure Jade" - to Denmark when my next vacation comes up?

And so I did!

Above picture shows one of the first shots I made of her while in Denmark - - -

Our house is on a peninsula, - surrounded by water on three sides -, but you cannot see the water because of forest inbetween.  Then I took Kit Yu - "Pure Jade" down to the water one day, - and this is the picture I took of her.

Kit Yu loved the water, - and the next step would be to take her for a ride min my speed boat.

And did she like it?????

Oh yes, - just look at this photo where she is smiling almost from ear to ear.  GREAT fun - - -

Kit Yu in her diving geat on our fast motoboat - "Wobbegong"

This one I consider to be one of the very best photos I ever took of Kit Yu - - -

The story behind the photo is, that we had taken our motorboat and raced over the ocean to the Jylland - Jutland - side of Lillebaelt, where there is a good and peaceful beach - far away from everything - - -

After playing and splashing in the water, we decided to take a walk along the coast, but Kit Yu complained that she was not yet dry after the dip.  Never mind - you will dry up while we walk - I answered.   But how can I leave the beach in my swimsuit only? - she answered.  So THAT was the problem!  She did NOT want to show herself if she did not consider herself decent!

Well, - she eventually made herself decent by wrapping a towel around her, - then it was OK to take a walk - - -

On the way back to the beach I had been slightly delayed by some photo work, but was now catching up with her - - -

And what a sight!  She looked absolutely lovely with her towel around her - and more sexy than without it!  She knew that I was behind her, and she knew that I had a camera with me - and that made her female wiggle a little bit more clear - and I surrendered completely - - -

I HAD to photograph this, - and pre set my camera settings, so that I could just fire the camera when the right moment came instead of fumbling with shutter speeds and apertures -and risking that the magic moment was gone - - -

But suddenly Kit Yu turned her head and slowly caressed a flower at the side of the path, - and that was the magic moment I waited for - - - I "clicked" the shutter - and here is the result - - -      And it was perfect - - -

Maybe the BEST Kit Yu photograph I ever took?????  At least it gives me very good memories of a wonderful summer - - -

Kit Yu - "Pure Jade"- did not only love our motorboat trips, - she enjoyed sailing too - - -

I named my classic Nordic folkboat after her - - - and she did NOT like it at all!  "How can you name a boat after me????" she said-  "That is NOT nice."

But I taught her, that in Denmark it is the highest honour a woman can get, if her man's boat carries her name - - -  She believed me, and could see all those boats in port having womens names, and she could see how the men cared for them and loved them - - -

Here Kit Yu at the tiller - - -  She learned quite fast how to keep the wind in the sails instead of loosing it - - -

The joy of sailing is also the joy of enjoing when the anchor is dropped at a beautiful place - - - -

Here Kit Yu is enjoying the water and islands of what later became a maritime nature park - "Naturpark Lillebælt".  Our island - Fyn- can be seen in the background, - and the island just behind Kit Yu - "Pure Jade" is a neighboring island Fænø - - -

At anchor at a beautiful fjord nearby - - -

Herre we have anchored at another beautiful place, - and Kit Yu's instincts immediately promted her to find food from the sea bottom - - -

Here Kit Yu climbs onboard our boat with her catch - - -

Beautiful woman, - beautiful boat, - beautiful weather, - beautiful ocean - - - What more can an old sailor ask for?????

A final photo of Kit Yu and I - - - - -

Just to let everybody know, that we are not always dressed up in silk with golden embroideries. and uniform with gold stripes up to the elbows - like on the "propaganda" pictures in the beginning of this page.

No - usually we look like on this photo, where we explored a smal island.   A friend from Canada visited us, and I decided to show him some REAL Denmark, - and off we went to the smal island Lyø, where the Canadian took this photo of Kit Yu and I - - -

End of story was, that Kit Yu became VERY happy for Denmark, - and wanted to stay here - - -

However, - she could only stay a short period.  I think it was 1 month on her tourist visa - - -

But she came back again, and if she would stay longer this time, we had to marry - - -

Marriage however - was not important for neither Kit Yu nor me! Why should a priest or an official government type interfere with such a private thing????  Marriage was a private thing between Kit Yu and me, but not really!  Because - if Kit Yu should be allowed to stay here with me, we had to get married!  Another thing was, that it was an advantage to be married when considering the sick tax laws in Denmark - - -

So, - in 2002 we went to the city hall to fix the formalities - - - and that was it, - but in fact we were just as happy in China or Hong Kong, when we lived in "sin" - simply meaning that we were NOT married, - but is that a sin?????  Of course not!  Not in our book!

Furthermore:   When Kit Yu first approached me and wrote, that her impression of us was, that we had the same talents and the same interests, - she was absolutely right - 100% right!  But how could she really know????  Well - never mind - she just knew and that proved to be correct - - -  I call it "female wisdom" - - -

Further purpose of this web site - - -

Enough now about how and where Kit Yu and I met,. - and how she ended up in Denmark!    Now the mystery about that should hereby  be solved- - -

This web site wil also cover travelling and exploring some of the best places on Earth - - - -  and diving, - not to forget!

Being a sailor there will also be lots about ships of all kinds,- steam ships,- motor ships,- sailing ships, - navy ships - - - and much more!

Please enjoy - - -