Doing the Laundry in Africa...

It's my neighbor Joe doing his laundry Sunday afternoon! Very innovative man!

Random Night out in Windhoek

Telecom Namibia to provide broadband Internet services

Telecom Namibia plans to deploy asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) technology by the end of this year, the company said this week. This follows the signing of a contract between the company and Huawei Technologies under which the latter will deliver ADSL equipment for deployment at 120 locations throughout the country to provide ADSL related products for residential and business users. The cost of the contract was not disclosed.



Frans Ndoroma, MD of Telecom Namibia (left) and Teddy Lee, Huawei's fixed network product manager for southern Africa (right), signing the ADSL contract in Gobabis last week. All smiles!

"Telecom Namibia will rollout the ADSL service in the capital city, Windhoek first, ahead of a national rollout that will see the extension of the ADSL footprint to other major centres of the country by December this year. The project will be implemented in two phases," said the email statement released in Windhoek. Telecom Namibia managing director, Frans Ndoroma and Teddy Lee, Huawei's fixed network product manager for southern Africa, signed the contract in Gobabis last week. As part of the contract, the parties will install 7,088 ADSL ports over the next three months that will provide users in Windhoek and across the country with quality Internet connection.
Once installed, ADSL provides a continuous always-on connection to the Internet with uninterrupted access to the worldwide web and instant e-mail messaging, the statement said.

"Adding ADSL to our product offering represents another milestone. Rolling out of ADSL is one example of the commitment we are making to support our customers' information communications needs," said Ndoroma. Lee said Huawei is very excited about this opportunity to work with Telecom Namibia to bring the benefits of high-speed connectivity to businesses and consumers in Namibia. "We are honoured to strengthen our partnership with Telecom Namibia by providing ADSL technology, which shall bring broadband services to customers in Namibia," said Lee. Source

Pool Party with 562 Children!

This Saturday we joined Marybeth and 562 of her little friends from Katatura at the municipal swimming pool. Marybeth tries as often as possible to bring joy to these underprivileged children's lives by taking them to the pool, organizing soccer matches, and spending 7 days of the week with them. I was delighted to find that most of these children were happy to talk and for the most part were very intelligent! Above all else they were incredibly sweet and had an amazing time at the pool this day.



There is Marybeth posing with her new traditional Oshivambo dress. The dress was given to her for her birthday recently by a youth group who was also present at the pool. Marybeth has helped the youth group organize a couple of plays that will show this Wednesday. The plays address HIV Aids issues and domestic violence.


The pool is actually a beautiful oasis in this dry desert climate. At $5 entry, I will definitely be returning for another Saturday afternoon. This here is the deep end of the pool. Not too many swimmers here.


Now have a look at the shallow end! Whoa mama! That's alot of kids splashing and swimming!


Sexy teeth...I had a blue lollipop that stained my teeth pretty badly for the rest of the afternoon. "Hey Michael, did you know your teeth were blue?" (!)

Last week I learned of the cancellation of the very program that has led me to Africa. I was very dissapointed to learn of this event as was the Polytechnic of Namibia and the Commonweatlth of Learning in Vancouver. The program has enabled me with invaluable tools for cross cultural communication and management. I have learned and shared so much about Africa, quite a mysterious place for some, and in turn raised awareness of Canada. (No my friend it is not a state in America!) As simple as it is this cut is a huge blow to Canada's international presence and appeal.

Seems this cut is not widely known, this is the only article I could find in the press.

Edit: Although this does affect the program I was a part of, it does not directly affect me or my terms with the Polytechnic of Namibia. The funding no longer remains for any more students to undertake a similar venture.


Embassy, September 27th, 2006
FEATURE By Geoff Regan
Cutting Scholarships Not a Welcoming Sign
It has become a cliché to say that our governments must equip Canadians with the tools necessary to thrive in our interconnected, ever more globalized world. Unfortunately, this is not as obvious as one might think–at least not in the Canada of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Under his minority Conservative government, Canadians are having to scratch and claw to keep alive any and all international education programs that we have, or once had, under the former Liberal administration.

On July 28, the Conservative government announced its refusal to renew two of this country's most prestigious international scholarship programs, the Fulbright and the Commonwealth scholarships, for their five-year term. Furthermore, contributions from CIDA to scholarships at Canadian universities, including Dalhousie and Rimouski, have also been quietly cut. And on Monday, the Youth International Internship Program was eliminated.

It simply makes no sense for the government to make these choices. These cuts are not a necessity when the finance minister is sitting on a $13 billion surplus.

As well, there are increasing signs that the Conservative government won't take the steps necessary to ensure new Canadians can practice their professions in Canada. Actual spending on programs to recognize foreign credentials is markedly down since the Conservatives took office.

None of this would have happened, of course, had the New Democratic Party not decided to bring down the government for the sake of a handful of extra seats. This new and unfortunate attitude towards international education comes compliments of that decision. As a result, at a time when Canada should be simultaneously reaching out to the world and welcoming its expertise, we are instead retreating from it and building firewalls.

In contrast, during the last federal election, the Liberal Party of Canada promoted the expansion of international education scholarship programs. To create new opportunities for Canadians to study abroad and encourage more foreign students to come to Canada, the Liberal party committed to providing $150 million over five years to assist with the extra financial cost that international study entails for Canadian students.

This initiative would have helped to increase Canada's influence and stature abroad, and provided young Canadians with a valuable international learning experience.

A country's domestic economy cannot survive by looking only inward. Expansion of trade and the development of strong international links are as much the building blocks of an advanced economy today as having a large industrial workforce was 30 years ago.

Without strong international links, no country can expect to build a modern economy. Programs such as the Fulbright and Commonwealth scholarships integrate top Canadian students into the international milieu. The value of fostering that expertise in Canada cannot be underestimated.

In fact, not only must Canada have the expertise to stay competitive in the international marketplace, we must also recognize that the labour market is becoming increasingly mobile. We can't assume that there will be enough professionals in Canada to meet our needs. The need for medical professionals in Canada is a perfect case in point. There are doctor shortages across the country. To meet this need, we must be a player in the international labour market for doctors. Not only does this mean providing competitive salaries, benefits, and good working conditions, but it also requires that we make it easier for quality doctors to have their credentials recognized in Canada.

During the last federal election, Mr. Harper made a promise to new Canadians. He told them "the biggest barrier to newcomers is the frequent failure of Canada to recognize legitimate foreign credentials." He vowed to do more to ensure that foreign-trained professionals meet Canadian standards and promised to speed up the process so that they could put their skills to work. Instead of honouring the previous Liberal government's commitment, the minority Conservative government committed only $18 million, over two years, to establish a Canadian Agency for Assessment and Recognition of Credentials.

The Liberal budget of 2005 provided $75 million to help with the recognition of credentials for foreign trained doctors alone. And a total of $283 million to help foreign trained workers from all fields. This was part of a comprehensive $2.4 billion package to increase immigration to Canada and significantly speed up the integration process. All told, more than $1.9 billion was cut from immigration programs by the Conservative government in their last budget. This is no way to support Canada's need for immigration or to support international education.

If we are to succeed, Canada needs to effectively engage the international community. Slashing funding for immigration programs and cavalierly jettisoning prestigious international scholarships clearly shows that the Conservatives do not understand this fact of modern life in our interconnected world.

Geoff Regan is the official Opposition critic for Human Resources and Social Development.
Source

Taking in some culture in Windhoek

This week I was lucky enough to attend three musical events which were quite varied. On Wednesday I caught the Oscar Herrero, a well known flamenco guitarist from Spain at the Warehouse Theatre. I was encouraged to go by my Spanish professor at the Polytechnic. I have started taking Spanish lessons at the university so that I might one day be fluent in another language. Actually, the show was mandatory if you are taking Spanish; my professor arranged for free tickets for the entire class! The show was really well attended and we had a great time soaking up the flamenco rhythms.

Friday I found myself back at the Warehouse Theatre for Jeff Sharell and DJ Oil from France who were performing as part of their 17 country tour of Africa. At each stop these two electronic artists collaborated with a group of local musicians to fuse their electronic sounds with traditional African sounds. The band on stage consisted of Jeff and Dj Oil running the Macintosh, three percussionists, one flutist, on one saxophonist, guitarist, bassist, and two singers. Although short, the band played some really nice arrangements. I spoke with Jeff after the show and he told me that they had only three days to put together the show. I suppose that this is the case at all stops on the tour. Jeff said the best show yet was in South Africa.

Jeff Sharel and band.


After the show we wandered over to El Cubano next door for another show with DJ Cool. We met with lots of people here and had a blast before heading to Chez Temba for some late night dancing.

Dj Cool at El Cubano


Saturday was supposed to be a quiet night but after dinner out with the Germans I found myself with Judith at the Blitzkrieg Bunker Bar. I had heard about this place before, but not being a huge fan of metal I have never attended. This joint is really unique, there was graffiti all over the walls as everyone and there cousin had tagged the place up. The music was pretty heavy as was the drinking. I met a lot of good people at the Blitzkrieg bar. Everyone knows each other in this tiny little metal loving community. God I wished I had taken my camera as there was some very funny moments. Our new friend Sven as celebrating his birthday and he had to be taken home in a shopping cart! I will be back at Blitzkrieg to take some photos of this strange place.

Gobabeb 2006

Tomorrow I will head back to the Gobabeb Research Facility for a conference on renewable energy sources organized by the Polytechnic of Namibia and the Gerter Institute of Namibia.  I was last at Gobabeb for the Rotary International meeting in March of this year.  I really enjoy going to the desert.  It is so quiet and the terrain is so rugged yet fragile.  I shall depart Friday morning and return Sunday afternoon. 


 

Johannesburg, South Africa 2006

Looking out over suburban Pretoria from the ITS head office. Beautiful trees and houses, clean air, a blue sky above. What more could you ask for?


This is the entrance of my guest house. Truly a beautiful old estate.


On day three I visited the mall for the first time with Christoph. It is just about the only place you will find people walking freely around. The mall itself was quite impressive. There we ate amazing Italian at a place called Cappuccinos.


Although I did not formally meet with the University of Pretoria, I did visit to check out the campus.


Sunset at the Emaldri Guest House. So lush and green.


Day 5 in Johannesburg. I found myself on the campus of the University of Johannesburg (UoJ) at 7am. Just enough time to grab a coffee and watch the sun take its place in the sky.


View of inner city Johannesburg from the UoJ. There were much better views but I could not get a decent photo.


Architecture at the UoJ. It is rumored that the architectural students actually designed most of the newer buildings.




A really pleasant campus overall. The people I met were really wonderful too, and helpful!


My impromptu city tour of Johannesburg. Apartment blocks like this one are everywhere. Most were posh residences before the masses left town. Now most are used as squatter pads.


Note the kids hanging off the third floor.


Johannesburg is also known to house magnificent buildings such as this one. A diamond in the rough.


Loved the copper window solarium on this building. I think it was actually copper, not impossible in the city of gold.


Shop till you drop at Rajah's.


This street was actually found in Johannesburg. The trees that hang over the street are Jacaranda's and I just missed their bloom which is expected in a few weeks.


Back in Pretoria central at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). The city scape is seen in the distance.


I noticed a trend at the two campuses as they focused on creating natural environments around the grounds.




Another impromptu tour of Pretoria central. My driver Kevin really provided a great service to me!


UNISA is a distance education university, with headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa. With approximately 200,000 enrolled students, it qualifies as one of the World's mega universities.


Pretoria teachers college, now also part of the University of Pretoria.


Another shot of UNISA.


A splendid little gated community in Pretoria's suburbs. These gated communities are very popular in an attempt to avoid criminals. Unfortunately for those that buy within the complex, the trend is for organized criminal groups to also buy a house inside the complex, rob each house in turn and move out one day with all of the community's valuables. This might be an extreme case, yet it is a popular story among South Africans.


At MonteCasino, a casino slash mega complex which houses nearly 20 restaurants. You can walk for hours along the streets designed based on a famous Italian city that was destroyed during World War II. We ate Italian here again. It was really wonderful! p.s. No gambling.




After dinner we head into Sandton to check out some live music. Here I am at the Blues Room. It was so good to get back to a city where things to do are plentiful. There is only so much available in Windhoek! The club was really fantastic. The band played swing and jazz. You entered the building through a mall, where you went down to a lower level. Then you had to go another level down to get to the 'Blues Room'. Real underground Jozi style.


My friend Cristoph and his friend Isabelle. We had a great night! Don't they look scary? Like scary Johannesburg people! Watch out!


Christoph and I halfway down to the 'Blues Room'.


Truly a fantastic trip. I was incredibly drained having run around all week with training and interviews. Still it was a great memory! Thanks to all my Jozi peeps. Ill be back.

I began my day at 5:30am on Friday.  I had a driver arranged to take me into the city of Johannesburg and get me to the central university.  The reason we had to leave so early was due to the immense amount of traffic that flows towards the city each day.  Due to the crime in Johannesburg, most people live in Pretoria but travel each day to the city for work.  Even as we hit the highway at 6am traffic was already starting to get heavy.  Between Joburg and Pretoria there are numerous suburbs and industrial parks.  We hit heavy traffic as three major highways came together just outside the city.  Opportunistic drivers took the shoulder to avoid the deadlock.

In the city we first arrived at the University of Joburg campus only to find out that my meeting was actually at the main campus on the other side of town.  Thankfully we left early so I was not to be late for my meeting.  Even upon arriving at the main campus we were able to stop and have a coffee in the faculty lounge.  One thing of interest is how many people here drink really bad coffee i.e. instant.  It was nearly impossible to get a good cup of drip brew.

The University of Joburg campus was really impressive.  The school has nearly 50,000 students.  The campus itself is very clean and the various buildings are architecturally beautiful.  My meeting with the MIS officer went great.  She was very receptive to my questions and I picked up a few things that I would like to put into practice at the Polytechnic.

I finished a bit earlier than expected.  This turned out to be a blessing as it allowed me time to digest what we had discussed and tour the campus a bit more.  There were lots of students milling about, and I marveled at the diverse nature of the student body.  There were quite a few students of Indian origin, as well as quite a large Muslim population.  

After taking the tour I got hold of my driver and we met to make our way towards Pretoria to see Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).  Since we still had a bit of time my diver suggested we explore the city a bit.  We went up and down the streets of Joburg viewing the decrepit nature of some of the buildings and the rejuvenation of other areas as the city makes attempts to scramble a decent city centre for the 2010 World Cup.  Joburg reminds me most of Detroit, a city that has been sacrificed for sprawl.  There are many parallels to the Detroit Joburg similarity, both cities underwent severe racial tension and crime, both have magnificent buildings that are now so decrepit and run down it could bring tears to your eyes.  One of the major differences is that Joburg's run down city centre is a hive of activity.  The less fortunate have taken the city centres abandoned buildings as their own and squatting is very popular.  Some of the buildings do not even have windows any more but you can still see signs of life.  The streets are bustling too.  We were very cautious as we drove to keep valuables out of sight to avoid any opportunists.  I was very fortunate for having been able to see this magnificent city with my driver, while surely tourists armed with cameras and cargo pants would certainly never venture into these parts.  Actually, my Lonely Planet guide suggested not even setting foot in these areas.  

We traveled through the suburbs on our way back to Pretoria.  It was amazing how the city changed as we crossed the Nelson Mandela Bridge towards the more posh areas of the city.  Looming in the rear view mirror was the city of Joburg.  It looked so vacant, yet we now knew that inside it was bustling with people struggling to survive.  

Pretoria central was different that I imagined it.  Bear in mind that I stayed in Pretoria's suburbs during my stay so this was actually the first time seeing the city centre.  It was more traditionally African than the neighboring suburbs and Joburg.  There were quite a few small informal shops set up on the outskirts and the bus station was teaming with people.  

TUT sits on a hill overlooking the city of Pretoria.  It is a really pleasant view.  Joburg and TUT must be on different schedules as most of the students here were off for holidays or between exams.  Too bad, I always enjoy seeing what the student population is like.   My meeting here also went exceptionally well.  The student body at TUT is also nearly 50,000 yet our budget outlook, management structure, and corporate culture feels much the same.  Since very few students were around after my meeting I had a security guard give me a quick tour of the campus.  It is pretty clear that a great deal of money is allowed to tertiary institutions in Southern Africa, the education levels need to be increased so Universities are rightly treasured.  

Heading back to the guesthouse, Kevin gave me a tour of the city of Pretoria.  Talk about value added.  It was great to have these mini tours between my stops on this day.  He was able to show me many points of interest and give me some history.

Pretoria Day 4

I was back at the office on Thursday for another session with the ITS software company. Thursday was definitely the most productive day as I met with Bernard who was responsible for showing me the in and outs of the financial portion of the system. I have not yet done a great deal of analysis on our financial records but there seems to be a lot of possibilities.

Knowing that I was to have to get up at 5:30 the following day to trek into Johanessburg I planned for a quite night with intentions to hit the sack early. I was offered the opportunity to check out the opening of the Latin film festival with the B&B headmaster. I happily accepted the invite as an opportunity to soak up some culture. The film festival opened with a reception which included Latin infused snacks like mini fajitas, homemade salsa and tortilla chips. There seems to be a large South American community staying in the Johanessburg/Pretoria area. We met quite a few from Argentina who had been in the area for almost 25 years. The movie we saw from Uruguay entitled El Viaje hacia el mar (Seawards Journey) was basically a simple feelgood movie which offered very cute humour.