Is This The End?

It's been three years since I started this quest. That's a quite a while. Recently I have been looking for a way to bring it to a close. I think it's about time. I have a life to get on with and stuff.

The thing is I don't want to end it just like that. I want there to be proper closure on it or at least a point at which we can let this go in the knowledge that it has been a beautiful ride. If I'm going out I want to go out on a bang. This is where you come in. Many of you have been with me for months and in some cases years. In many respects you have kept me going. I want to say thanks and the only way I can think of doing it is by inviting you to suggest ways in which I can end it. So what do you want me to do?
Do you want me to go to Chile?
Do you want me to have a massive look-a-like party?
Do you want me to have some plastic surgery?

The choice is yours. Send your suggestions to anyoneknowwhothisis@gmail.com and I will then put it to the vote. Let's make it a god one.

TTFN

An Englishman, an Irishman and an American

So, I said I had some exciting news didn't I? Or at least some news that could change all of our lives. Brace yourselves because we'll find out whether it does tonight.

I'm in Dublin and in a few agonising hours I will be meeting David. Remember David? Boston based David. The David who decided to leave me hanging around next to a pond all afternoon. He got in touch about two weeks ago to say sorry for standing me up and would I now like to meet? My first reaction was obviously no. If he stood me up in Boston why wouldn't he do it again in Dublin? But then I thought about it and then I thought about it a bit more. And in the end I decided that I had come so far that to turn him down would not be doing this quest or myself any justice whatsoever. And that's why I am here.

Deep breaths. Here we go.

Questing & Blogging

I can't believe it's been a month and a half since I last updated this blog. Time has really flown. So you'll want to be brought up to speed then? Yes. I thought so. Well, the bad news (or the good news depending on how you look at it) is that I haven't found The Man yet. The good news (or the bad news, again depending on how you look at it) is that I will be continuing to update the blog as my quest reaches new levels of excitement. I can't really go into it but it'll be fun. I'm off somewhere in a few days and it might just prove to be the greatest day of our lives. I'll say no more.

In other news the young lady I mentioned in my previous post has been back in touch. She's tracked down her sister. And they've met! I think that's incredible.

One piece of housekeeping:

If you want to read my other blog then please visit here. There is not one mention of this quest. That is the way I intend to keep it.

Until next time. Bonjour.

Round-up

So we come to the end of another week in the world of 'The Man' hunting. Out of the 150-odd weeks I have been doing this, I have to say that this week is up there. Right up there in fact. Top ten. Possibly top five. It has been that good. 

Emails have flocked in from Brazil and the US and Canada and Oman (Okay there was just one from Oman). I have many new leads. Some maybe genuine, most I fear are not. Best email of the week was from a young lady in Scotland who told me she had been inspired to try and track down her father and sister. Most random email of the week was from some guy who wanted me to help him track down a dragonfly that appeared in his garden last summer. I don't have the time unfortunately.

I have just got back from meeting someone who spotted a mention of my quest in the UK paper The Metro. He has a lead regarding the guy in the passport photo down below. 

Talking about The Metro, I wasn't very happy about the way they portrayed my quest. They belittled it's importance beyond belief. Shameful.

Thanks to Izzy for explaining what Tumblr is. You can visit her blog here. It's worth the click of the mouse just to see a photo featuring the end of a rainbow. Or is it the start?

Her Name Is Rio

The Brazilian city may have inspired Duran Duran to write a song, but for me it will always be known as the place where a group of Brazilian's huddled around their computer one night and decided to flood my inbox.

Why? Well, judging by the nature of these emails it would appear that there is a man - who may well be 'The Man' - walking the streets of Rio de Janeiro. Unfortunately none of these people have managed to get a photo of him. So what am I to believe? That this is a genuine offer of help from the Brazilian public or one of the greatest wind-ups in the history of this quest?

Only one way to find out I suppose. Where's my passport?

Last Night

It's becoming a familiar tale. On Wednesday I say I think The Man could be in London. On Thursday I get an email from a guy in London who says he took a photo of someone who looks like The Man. He leaves his number so I phone him up. We arrange to meet on Friday night next to Nelson's Column. I'm there at 7pm. It's -2 already and not even my new hat is preventing my ears from turning blue. Damn you Ted Baker. At 7.30pm he still hasn't turned up. (The guy with his photo I mean, not Ted Baker). I get my phone out of my pocket. I call him. No answer. I leave a message. Ten minutes later I call him again. No answer. I'm not happy. In fact, I'm annoyed. I get my bus and go home.

Now I know it sounds like a bit of fun - making me hang around in sub zero temperatures while you are at home in the warm watching the Darts - but it's not very nice is it? I'm never going to turn down an opportunity to meet someone who might have vital information. The time I do will be the time the information is genuine. That's the way life works. It means I am open up to abuse. And abuse is bad.

It's not just the fact that I was bloody freezing though. What also annoys me is that, as strange as it sounds, I also have a life. Last night I had an offer to have a drink in the warm with a friend. But I had to say 'No' because some guy thought he'd be really funny. So now of course my friend thinks that I would much rather be sat at home starring at the wall rather than having a drink with her. Terrific. And I can't tell her why I couldn't have a drink because she wouldn't understand. I'll have to buy her a present now to show her that she is much higher up on my priority list than walls.

I have no option, therefore, but to make a plea. Please stop. Please stop the pranks. It's beginning to ruin my life and have dramatic consequences on the size of my wallet. Thank you kindly.

NB: If you want something else to read while you are sat at your desk supposedly working, may I recommend Mike Gayle's To Do List. 

Just When I Thought I'd Finished...

...I realise I am not.

Just before Christmas my good friend Sharn handed me this passport photo. He had found it in a derelict building site somewhere in London. Now, I know what you are thinking. I am thinking it too. It couldn't be, could it? It couldn't be The Man?

There have been sightings of The Man in London. From all the emails I have been sent, London is the most popular place for sightings. Indeed, I myself chased someone who I thought could be The Man through the London Underground system before I lost him at Bank. And now this passport photo. Gradually I am becoming convinced that The Man I took a photo of in Sydney actually lives on my very door-step. How weird would that be? And what happens if the guy in the passport photo is actually The Man? That would be even weirder. To think that a friend, who I didn't know when I took the Sydney photo, just stumbled across a passport photo of The Man. That's just too spooky. 

So here is my 2009 request for you. If you live in London please keep your eyes open. And if you spot someone who you think could be The Man, stop him. Get his phone number, his email, anything. Sightings are great but I can't do anything with them. I need to be able to contact them. Actually, do this wherever you are. At the very least you'll get a mention on here and that, I think you will agree, is CV material.

Right, I need a lie down. This is too much.

The Reading II (A Sequel)

I've had a fair few emails since my attempt at an undercover manuscript reading in Borders the other week. Some of which have been complimentary, some of which not so much. But anyway, I thought I'd do it again. This time though it won't be undercover. It'll be very much out in the open. So next Sunday at 12pm I'll be in Hyde Park with a few sheets of A4 and a few beers. Basically I'm having a picnic. So if you want a few drinks, a sandwich or two, a game of Flicket (cricket with a flipflop) and a story about a bloke tracing his friend's clone, then this is the event for you. There are five of us at the moment (although four of them think it is just a picnic) so if you want to join us email me at anyoneknowwhothisis@gmail.com so I can get an idea of numbers and work out whether I need to bring a microphone. Cheers.

10,000 Hits

We have passed the 10,000 hit mark. Thanks to everyone who has visited. I know it's not 10,000 readers, I am not sure how to work that out yet but I will do when I have a spare five hours. Big thanks for those of you who have sent emails of support. I'm humbled that there are people out there who I don't know and they are showing an interest and wishing me luck. 

No thanks to those who have sent abusive emails. Although they do keep me amused. You call me sad for doing this, what does that make you then? You have set up a fake email address to contact me. Oh, I see, that's just you having a laugh. I understand now. You're not sad at all.

It Was Not A Boston Tea Party

I don't really know what to say. Boston was a disaster. I can't even bring myself to talk about it. I can't believe how much money I have wasted on this stupid quest. It's pointless.

Bean Town

For those of you who don't recognise it, this is Boston, Mass. One of the greatest cities in the World in my opinion. And I'm going. I'm going because I got an email. Through this blog. From one of you.

The photo above wasn't taken by me. It is very much the copyright of www.markdilley.co.uk.

I Had This Perfect Dream, Barcelona

If you didn't get it from the title, those famous lyrics are from the mighty Queen Anthem 'Barcelona'. I have been playing that a lot in the last day. Not because I am the biggest Queen fan around but because I am going there. Did you know Barcelona was on the coast? For some reason I didn't realise that. I am shocked with myself.

No More Spam

I am absolutely sick to death of people spamming this blog. It is becoming the one-stop shop for virus protection, Viagra and body enlargement operations. I am not interested in any of them and I am sure neither are you. I have therefore taken the executive decision to remove the ability to post comments. If you would like to get in touch with me please email anyoneknowwhothisis@gmail.com. Cheers.

Which Way To Holland?

It's the afternoon after the day before. The day before in which something truly horrific happened. I can't quite believe it. I narrowly avoided one of the most unpleasant nights of my entire life. And that came on the back of the worst news...ever. Amsterdam is one scary place.

Holland Calling!

Okay, now I can hardly control myself. The adrenaline is pumping. I have a lead!!!!!!! At long, long last I actually have a lead. Some guy has been in touch to say that he might know who The Man is. They live in Amsterdam so I am going. Next week. This is just incredible. I might have done this. I might have found my friend's look-a-like!!!!!

A New Chapter

I'm not really sure what is going to happen to my quest now. I haven't totally given up on it but I have just moved. I've moved from Gloucestershire to London to pursue a career in advertising. You can't really pursue a career in quest completing while pursuing a career in advertising. It just doesn't work. It could change but for the next few weeks I am concentrating fully on my career. I have a competition to enter.

I'm An Addict

Recently I have had loads of invites to join Facebook. I deleted them to begin with but they just kept coming back in droves. I gave in and signed up and now I am an addict. I seem to spend a ridiculous amount of time on there. Anyway, I have set up a Facebook group to help me find this man. I have also started looking at hundreds and hundreds of profile pictures trying to work out whether I can see The Man. It's been a long week.

Edit: Facebook group has been deleted.

He Didn't Visit The Mall This Morning

So after work I hung around a bit just in case The Man happened to be in Bristol for the day. It was a long shot I admit but I believe that he could be anywhere at anytime. No one can argue with that. Unless he's dead, which I sincerely hope he is not. When I was in Oz I bumped into a guy I knew from school. Surely probability would favour us bumping into each other in Bristol, but no, we bumped into each other in Perth. Why then shouldn't I bump into The Man in Bristol?

He wasn't there this morning though. I'll try again tomorrow.

Let's Do This

It's January. It's 2007. It's time for a new start. I am going to put as much effort as humanly possible into finding this guy. It is just wrong to let a man who looks just like my friend Jon, walk around the World as if everything is fine. It really is time to find out who he is.

Anyone Know Who This Is?

Hello. My name is Jonathan Lee. There is a strong possibility that before reading this you hadn't heard of me. If this is the case I can only apologise for butting into your life without so much as an introduction. 

You don't really need to know much about me. Yet. All I will say is I'm 22, have blue eyes and wear size 12 shoes. This is despite the fact that my right foot is ever so slightly shorter than my left as a result of an operation I had when I was much, much younger.

'So what is this about?' I hear you cry. Well, settle back, maybe with a cup of tea and a biscuit and let me tell you...

Not so long ago I was in Australia. I played cricket in Perth for a while before heading over to Sydney. It was while I was in Sydney that I took a photo. This photo...

Good isn't it? Now normally I would delete such shots, not least because that lady on the left really scares me. I couldn't though. I couldn't delete this photo because there is someone else in it someone amazing. This guy...

Can't spot him yet? Okay, let show you. There...

I know it's a bit pixelated but you can just about make him out. Now the guy above is Jon, probably my best friend - if we still have such things as best friends at 22 years of age. The guy below is not Jon! I know it looks like him, but it's not him. Honest. You see, Jon wasn't in Sydney at the time. He was back in England. In Tesco! So who then is this guy? Who is he? Is he Jon's long lost twin brother?! Is he someone pretending to be Jon?! I need to find out.

I want to find out who this guy is. I want to meet him. Buy him a beer. Maybe a BLT sandwich as well if I am in a generous mood. I need your help though. If you think you know who he is or you may have seen him please get in touch. E-mail at anyoneknowwhothisis@gmail.com. Together we can find him.