Sorry but I have no pictures again this week. In fact, it seems like I have not had much time for doing anything other than work for the last couple of weeks. After spending 5 months wondering when I would start working on my project, I now wonder when I will find a bit of free time for myself.
Monday I went to Bongo to work on one of their computers. It is a fairly old computer that someone had upgraded to Windows XP. It does not have the power to run that operating system well, so I suggested taking a step backward to Windows 2000. I probably should have suggested Windows 98, but that might have been too far back. They agreed and so I came to do that installation. Imagine my frustration when I discovered that the computer could not be made to boot from CD. I was finally able to use another computer to make boot diskettes so I could complete the install, but I was not very happy with the performance afterward and wonder if I made the right recommendation. I had to return later in the week to get the printer to work. I had not even thought about that when I did the installation. Printers just work. But I had to download the installation software from the internet in this case and make an extra trip to set that up for them.
I spent two days at a Teacher's College in Navrongo. The first day I spent some time working on the teacher's personal computer that he had compromised by uninstalling his virus protection incorrectly leaving the computer in an unstable condition. I was able to resolve that after more effort than planned. Then I set up the three VSO computers that I had come to work on. One computer would not boot so I reinstalled Windows. Then I started working on some other computers that had been donated sometime in the past. In this case, the computers came from a Ghanaian firm in Accra. They were brought and plugged in but never tested. I had looked at them before but did not have any tools at the time to help much. Now that I had some tools I was ready to give them another look. Of 16 computers, only 5 worked. In many of them the hard drive had failed. In others, the systems would not bootstrap to the point of even determining what else might be the problem. One only had 8 MB of memory - how many of you can remember computers that small? I was able to piece together one more computer from all the others ones, making 6 working computers from that donation. Along with the three from VSO, he now has 9 computers to teach 200 student teachers with. Does that sound challenging?
I spent much of the weekend working in the VSO office. The office is networked but the original installers laid the Ethernet cable along the most direct path. That meant that many of the cables were in pretty bad shape because the direct cable path was usually across the path for foot traffic. The way the cables were laid also made it difficult to reorganize the layout of the office. So I had been tasked with rewiring the office.
In Canada, I would have gone to the local computer store to get pre-built cabling of appropriate lengths to do what I wanted to do. The longest patch cable that I have found here is 2 meters long, so was of no use to me. So, I had to build my own cables. In brief, the cable consists of 8 individual, colour-coded wires that are run through a sheath in 4 twisted-pairs. The wires are inserted into a clip in a specific order. The wires are so fine, and the opening to the clip is so small, that it is hard to keep the wires in the right order. Once the wires have been inserted into the clip, they are crimped into place. This has to be done before plugging them into any connection. And it is only after crimping them that you are able to test the wire that has been built. If it doesn't work, the connector or clip is cut off and a new one is used. So, each unsuccessful test wastes at least one connector. Saturday, I wasted 8 or so and finally gave up because I was tired and too frustrated to see clearly.
This morning, after some advice from a friend in Canada, and with fresher eyes and hands, I was able to finish what I started on Saturday, so the office is wired more neatly now if nothing else. I plan to add a couple more cables to make it more user-friendly for the volunteers that come in with their own laptops, hopefully allowing them to be more productive at home and minimizing the need for pen drives and floppies in the future.
Does that sound like enough work for one week? The good news is that I have been able to do all of this without getting wet. It rained one day while I was working in Navrongo. I think I might have already written about that day. My work took long enough that the rain had finished before I left for home. I am learning to look ahead for rain, and to alter my travel plans when it looks like I might get wet. Ghanaians understand the rainy season here, and understand not travelling when rain is threatening or when it is actually raining.
Keep posted. I plan to travel some this weekend, so maybe there will be some photos next time.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
09 August Update - Just Because
This is just a short entry with no pictures this week. I have been busy but without doing anything exciting or different.
The best news is that I have not been caught in another rainstorm. I have taken the time to listen to the locals and follow their advice. I have learned that when they scurry for cover, it isn't long until it will be too late to scurry for cover. I have spent a couple of afternoons doing more work at a locale than planned, just so that I could stay under cover until the rain stopped.
Yesterday I was in Navrongo, for example. The sky looked rainy all day. I made it there and worked for a few hours before the storm hit. When it did, there was one flash of lightning that I only say out of the corner of my eye and it was followed immediately by a crack of thunder that shook the entire building. Then the rains came to the point that it seemed that everything would flood. The power went out for about 1/2 hour, and I though I would have a pretty dull afternoon - unable to work and unable to leave. The power soon came back and I was able to finish my work. And about 5:00, when I had to leave for home, the sky was still cloudy but it didn't look like rain anymore. Getting out of the parking lot was an adventure, as it had been turned into a mud pit. Both back and front wheel went in their own directions at various times and I was sure that I was going to fall over. I made it out okay but then sprayed myself with mud as I picked up speed on the paved road and the dirt came off the tires.
That was my adventure to report this time, and it didn't even happen last week. Statistically, there are 31 VSO computers that I have worked on in the past few weeks. I am happy to report that only three do not work at all, and that parts from those three have been used to either get other computers working or improve the performance. So it has been a better result that I originally feared when I first started looking at them.
And from here I can begin to do the training that is part of the project. That will be basic introduction to computers and to the hardware, maintenance, Excel, Word, PowerPoint and the use of the spreadsheet we are providing for analysis by the district statisticians.
And I am also looking forward to doing more travelling in the future and to enjoying what I can while I am here in Ghana.
The best news is that I have not been caught in another rainstorm. I have taken the time to listen to the locals and follow their advice. I have learned that when they scurry for cover, it isn't long until it will be too late to scurry for cover. I have spent a couple of afternoons doing more work at a locale than planned, just so that I could stay under cover until the rain stopped.
Yesterday I was in Navrongo, for example. The sky looked rainy all day. I made it there and worked for a few hours before the storm hit. When it did, there was one flash of lightning that I only say out of the corner of my eye and it was followed immediately by a crack of thunder that shook the entire building. Then the rains came to the point that it seemed that everything would flood. The power went out for about 1/2 hour, and I though I would have a pretty dull afternoon - unable to work and unable to leave. The power soon came back and I was able to finish my work. And about 5:00, when I had to leave for home, the sky was still cloudy but it didn't look like rain anymore. Getting out of the parking lot was an adventure, as it had been turned into a mud pit. Both back and front wheel went in their own directions at various times and I was sure that I was going to fall over. I made it out okay but then sprayed myself with mud as I picked up speed on the paved road and the dirt came off the tires.
That was my adventure to report this time, and it didn't even happen last week. Statistically, there are 31 VSO computers that I have worked on in the past few weeks. I am happy to report that only three do not work at all, and that parts from those three have been used to either get other computers working or improve the performance. So it has been a better result that I originally feared when I first started looking at them.
And from here I can begin to do the training that is part of the project. That will be basic introduction to computers and to the hardware, maintenance, Excel, Word, PowerPoint and the use of the spreadsheet we are providing for analysis by the district statisticians.
And I am also looking forward to doing more travelling in the future and to enjoying what I can while I am here in Ghana.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Gambaga Escarpment, July 2006
The past week was a busy week and also a relaxing week, if you can imagine that. I travelled to Bongo on Monday and worked on computers at Bongo Senior Secondary School and Gowrie Secondary/Technical School. At Bongo SSS I had to postpone what I wanted to do because they were busy with finishing off the school year. I had learned my lesson earlier about keeping people from their work. They are too polite to tell me that I am holding them up, and I work along oblivious to their anxiety. At Gowrie I was able to do what I wanted to do. And I made the whole trip without getting wet. After the previous week that was an added bonus to any travel.
On Tuesday I went to the Bolgatanga Municipal office but only for a short time, again doing what I needed and wanted to do and getting back to the office without getting wet.
Wednesday I stayed in the office and did some updates to the computers here. Mostly I stayed around to have lunch with the two volunteers in Sandema who are getting ready to return home. It was still a busy day.
Thursday I travelled to Sandema. They had brought back four computers from Accra. They were the last to pick their computers so got the remaining keyboards, and there were only two. Since I knew this I brought an extra keyboard with me, strapped to the back of my motorbike. I didn’t think about the result of riding across the rough road to get to Sandema, so was a little surprised to find out that I had lost 10 keys during the trip. It was still good that I brought that keyboard because the ones they had been given did not fit any of the computers. Even with the missing keys I was able to do what I needed to do and headed home about mid-afternoon.
On the way home I stopped in Navrongo to do the work that I had planned to do on Friday morning. When I stopped there, I saw that I had lost another dozen keys. That keyboard is now useless I would say. And stopping in Navrongo on Thursday was a good thing because Friday it rained while I would have been travelling.
Saturday I decided to do something different and so I got up early and went for a motorbike ride. I went through Wulugu, Walewale, Langbinsi, Gambaga, Nalirugu, Nakpanduri, Bawku, Zebilla and back home. This traversed the entire Gambaga escarpment. The ride took about 6 hours and covered almost 300 kilometres. The morning started off cool and pleasant. It wasn’t until I stopped in Bawku around noon that I realized how warm it now was, and that my arms and legs were a little sunburned. Probably more than half of the trip was on dirt roads or mud track.
This is a picture of a house that I saw as I was leaving Nalirugu. The design of the plaster is what caught my attention and I thought it was worth a picture. I saw one more house, a little later, with the same design. Other than that there is nothing spectacular about the house.
Leaving Nalirugu I had to cross a stream. I came down a hill and saw that the only bridge was barricaded and I didn’t see an alternate route. Someone passed on a bicycle and said it would be okay to cross. He went and looked more closely and assured me it was alright. I wish now that I had taken a picture of that bridge. It was still connected to the road surface, at least half of it was. The other half was an open hole with the surface slanting down towards it. I thought about it and didn’t see an alternative so made the decision to go for it. It really wasn’t as bad as it seemed like it would be as I looked at it and thought about sliding off into the ravine below.
Nakpanduri is the highest point on the escarpment. This is a picture taken on the road as it begins its descent to the valley below. It is a pretty dramatic descent and a nice view.
There were times during my ride that I felt that I could have been anywhere, and it didn’t really feel like I was in West Africa. It was an enjoyable experience, and one that was probably better now while it is cooler than during the hot dry season. It is interesting to see that the temperatures at home in Ontario are currently higher than what I am experiencing here in Bolga. Last night, in fact, the temperature went below 26C overnight and I slept without a fan.
I decided after this trip that I am a better traveller than a sightseer. I enjoy going to points of interest and seeing what is there. But I probably enjoy more the travel to get there. On this journey I enjoyed moving and seeing the land and how people live and work, and I was happy just to keep on going without stopping.
I did take a picture of farming in Africa but the picture does not do justice to what I felt as I saw it. Picture a short-handled hoe that requires the user to bend double or more at the waist to use. Picture a row of corn or millet that stretches for ½ km or more, and a field that covers more than a hectare. With that hoe and in that posture, the farmer will weed the field by scraping away the weeds and piling dirt around the corn or millet stalks. It seems like an unending task. I thought back to my assignments as a young boy in the small backyard garden at home. I did not like that task and found some way to do it poorly enough that I wasn’t asked too often. I think I ended up pulling the vegetable plants instead of the weeds, perhaps my subconscious finding a way to get out of the task. I hope that you can imagine this because the picture just doesn’t show it well.
I have written enough for this time and so I will close. There are more stories to tell, but not this time.
On Tuesday I went to the Bolgatanga Municipal office but only for a short time, again doing what I needed and wanted to do and getting back to the office without getting wet.
Wednesday I stayed in the office and did some updates to the computers here. Mostly I stayed around to have lunch with the two volunteers in Sandema who are getting ready to return home. It was still a busy day.
Thursday I travelled to Sandema. They had brought back four computers from Accra. They were the last to pick their computers so got the remaining keyboards, and there were only two. Since I knew this I brought an extra keyboard with me, strapped to the back of my motorbike. I didn’t think about the result of riding across the rough road to get to Sandema, so was a little surprised to find out that I had lost 10 keys during the trip. It was still good that I brought that keyboard because the ones they had been given did not fit any of the computers. Even with the missing keys I was able to do what I needed to do and headed home about mid-afternoon.
On the way home I stopped in Navrongo to do the work that I had planned to do on Friday morning. When I stopped there, I saw that I had lost another dozen keys. That keyboard is now useless I would say. And stopping in Navrongo on Thursday was a good thing because Friday it rained while I would have been travelling.
Saturday I decided to do something different and so I got up early and went for a motorbike ride. I went through Wulugu, Walewale, Langbinsi, Gambaga, Nalirugu, Nakpanduri, Bawku, Zebilla and back home. This traversed the entire Gambaga escarpment. The ride took about 6 hours and covered almost 300 kilometres. The morning started off cool and pleasant. It wasn’t until I stopped in Bawku around noon that I realized how warm it now was, and that my arms and legs were a little sunburned. Probably more than half of the trip was on dirt roads or mud track.
This is a picture of a house that I saw as I was leaving Nalirugu. The design of the plaster is what caught my attention and I thought it was worth a picture. I saw one more house, a little later, with the same design. Other than that there is nothing spectacular about the house.
Leaving Nalirugu I had to cross a stream. I came down a hill and saw that the only bridge was barricaded and I didn’t see an alternate route. Someone passed on a bicycle and said it would be okay to cross. He went and looked more closely and assured me it was alright. I wish now that I had taken a picture of that bridge. It was still connected to the road surface, at least half of it was. The other half was an open hole with the surface slanting down towards it. I thought about it and didn’t see an alternative so made the decision to go for it. It really wasn’t as bad as it seemed like it would be as I looked at it and thought about sliding off into the ravine below.
Nakpanduri is the highest point on the escarpment. This is a picture taken on the road as it begins its descent to the valley below. It is a pretty dramatic descent and a nice view.
There were times during my ride that I felt that I could have been anywhere, and it didn’t really feel like I was in West Africa. It was an enjoyable experience, and one that was probably better now while it is cooler than during the hot dry season. It is interesting to see that the temperatures at home in Ontario are currently higher than what I am experiencing here in Bolga. Last night, in fact, the temperature went below 26C overnight and I slept without a fan.
I decided after this trip that I am a better traveller than a sightseer. I enjoy going to points of interest and seeing what is there. But I probably enjoy more the travel to get there. On this journey I enjoyed moving and seeing the land and how people live and work, and I was happy just to keep on going without stopping.
I did take a picture of farming in Africa but the picture does not do justice to what I felt as I saw it. Picture a short-handled hoe that requires the user to bend double or more at the waist to use. Picture a row of corn or millet that stretches for ½ km or more, and a field that covers more than a hectare. With that hoe and in that posture, the farmer will weed the field by scraping away the weeds and piling dirt around the corn or millet stalks. It seems like an unending task. I thought back to my assignments as a young boy in the small backyard garden at home. I did not like that task and found some way to do it poorly enough that I wasn’t asked too often. I think I ended up pulling the vegetable plants instead of the weeds, perhaps my subconscious finding a way to get out of the task. I hope that you can imagine this because the picture just doesn’t show it well.
I have written enough for this time and so I will close. There are more stories to tell, but not this time.
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