laptop's back!

Today’s meetings at Plan Netherlands went quite well. Lots of interest in moving forward with media and technology. They are meeting with people at headquarters tomorrow and hopefully after that we will have a green light for a small group of people to move forward on a concept for using new media and the web for better outreach in several aspects. More later on that when things get going more. I will be involved through the US office and 2 of the African offices that are part of the YETAM project I’m working on with Julie will also be involved.

I just got handed my laptop! I'll add the photos and stuff to the blogs I wrote.... :-).

YAY!!!!

Jumping!

Saturday was an easy day. We slept in late and then we ran errands with Ben and Joa. I called and was told my laptop was ready for me at the office so we went there first. Well, it wasn’t ready or at the office. Hmmm. Sigh.

So then we went to the trampoline. Very cool concept. (See videos). It’s this square on the beach with 8 mini rectangular trampolines put together and you pay 500 cfas (about $1) to jump for 15 minutes. The kids adore it.





We went to eat at a place by the water for lunch and then stopped for fruit, veggies, and some amazing French style pastries. We took a swim and a shower to cool off. Clare is sooo brown now. She looks even more beautiful with all that color and the pink cheeks. Joa took us to the French Cultural Center for a Festival of Music around 5. It was in downtown Dakar which has some nice character and some older colonial homes, etc. The music – some was great and some not so great. Ben fell asleep in Clare’s arms which was totally sweet.

We had dinner and then picked up the unrepaired laptop and my hard drive…. Just hoping Plan Netherlands can fix it!

On Friday afternoon I took my first public taxi and was actually able to tell the guy where I wanted to go. Well, sort of – Clare mainly directed him as she has a better sense of direction and I did the talking. He asked if I liked “simple. .I got very confused as we went back and forth about whether I liked simple or not. Finally he said “you know, Sim Ple the ragga singer”and I realized he was saying “Sean Paul” who was playing in Dakar on Friday night!

I called Daniel to see how he was doing and he told me everything is fine. He got Clare’s grades and she also got straight A’s!

laptop withdrawal

So the first week is over.  I feel like I spent so much time getting settled, with technical difficulties, and in meetings and conversations that I didn't get as much done as I would have liked.  The conversation is really important though.  

My laptop is going to be erased and repopulated with the contents of my hard drive -- that's the plan anyway.  Hopefully it will be ready tomorrow morning....  and hopefully it will work!

We got the workshop designed today, so that's good.  There is still so much to do though.  I leave for Amsterdam late Saturday/early Sunday to meet with Plan Netherlands about the project and ways that it can link with some of the things they are developing on-line to better engage people in 'Northern' countries in what is happening in the communities where we are working, the issues people are facing, and how local people want to resolve them.

Really hoping my laptop is back soon!

crash

First let me apologize for the 3 posts in one -- I had written them but couldn't get on line to post them.  I will try to caption any photos.  And if you see a photo with an arrow below it, it's actually a video!

So I decided also to transfer all my emails from when I last backed up my computer to my hard drive so I could work on them even without internet.  They cut the power here most days from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and then the generator kicks in, but it makes the internet go on and off too.

So after doing that, I come in after lunch yesterday, boot up the computer and get the blue sceeen of death -- fatal system error.... trying not to think about it.  And feeling really lonely without it -- I've become quite attached to my laptop!  Not to mention I don't want to have to deal with getting all my email, files and software back!  My phone hasn't worked since I got here, so I'm a bit out of touch.  I borrowed a phone from Joa and got a sim card today, so hopefully I will soon be connected. 

I did get a chance to skype with Daniel, and today when I finally got on a computer just now, he'd written to say Mom!  I got straight A's.  So that's super good news.  I will call him later if the sim card and phone card combo works.

Things aren't so great with me given the laptop deal, but Clare's doing alright at least -- settling in super well and made a new friend at camp.  We moved in to Mie's house night before last and have been eating well ever since. Lots of fruits and bread, cheese, etc.  We ate really good Ethiopian food last night.  And today Julie brought us a hair brush to borrow since Clare forgot hers and we couldn't find any here.

Rwanda postponed their training, so we're trying to figure out how we can keep on track.  We had a great meeting with the Plan Senegal team yesterday to plan for their part of the project.I also handed their equipment over to them. Seems like it will be pretty neat.  Today Julie and I have been working the whole day to develop the training workshop that starts on the 30th.  We want to be sure everyone in all the participating countries has a shared vision of the project. People are really liking the Flip Cameras and I have requests to purchase a dozen already!  

OK off to have a small coffee.  Been so exhausted since I got here....