Monday, 29 August 2011
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
Forced home office
Basically, the home office concept does not exist in Uganda. Nobody believes that anybody could possible get some work done while at home. Home basically consists of dinner, fighting for the remote control and finally TV and bed.
AMFIU get's its power from the main power line running somewhere along the road. So in order to connect to this main line, there's a smaller supply line from our office building spanning a few other premises until it reaches the road and the main power line there. Recently, our neighbour decided that he didn't want our power supply line crossing his premises anymore. In fact, common regulations require us to be in possession of a letter by each premise owner expressing his/her agreement to pass our power supply line above his premises. Of course we don't have such letter, so one day one of our neighbours must have had a quarrel with his wife, was bitten by an ant or found a cockroach in his breakfast... He called the UMEME guys and had our power supply cable removed. You can see our cable hanging down from the pole (red circle):
AMFIU kept on running for 2 days on backup power and everybody thought it was a regular power cut, but once our backup was empty that was the end of it. Nothing was working anymore. No phones could be charged anymore, no computer was working, no lights, no hot water for tea (!!), no servers, no internet and no emails. It almost felt like the end of AMFIU. No communication coming in, no communication going out, we were deaf, dumb and blind.
While a family in a home with no power would bring the existing kids to bed and get busy producing new babies - well, that's not quite what happens at the office. Still it is nice, because you spend some time chatting with your colleagues, what you might not have done otherwise. But after knowing all the details of each cousin second grade, I'm itching to get some work done. And in fact - home is the place to go: There's power, internet, email, water, tables, chairs, a terrace and even sodas, gnuts and some chocolate. Eh - don't forget to get some work done!!
AMFIU get's its power from the main power line running somewhere along the road. So in order to connect to this main line, there's a smaller supply line from our office building spanning a few other premises until it reaches the road and the main power line there. Recently, our neighbour decided that he didn't want our power supply line crossing his premises anymore. In fact, common regulations require us to be in possession of a letter by each premise owner expressing his/her agreement to pass our power supply line above his premises. Of course we don't have such letter, so one day one of our neighbours must have had a quarrel with his wife, was bitten by an ant or found a cockroach in his breakfast... He called the UMEME guys and had our power supply cable removed. You can see our cable hanging down from the pole (red circle):
AMFIU kept on running for 2 days on backup power and everybody thought it was a regular power cut, but once our backup was empty that was the end of it. Nothing was working anymore. No phones could be charged anymore, no computer was working, no lights, no hot water for tea (!!), no servers, no internet and no emails. It almost felt like the end of AMFIU. No communication coming in, no communication going out, we were deaf, dumb and blind.
While a family in a home with no power would bring the existing kids to bed and get busy producing new babies - well, that's not quite what happens at the office. Still it is nice, because you spend some time chatting with your colleagues, what you might not have done otherwise. But after knowing all the details of each cousin second grade, I'm itching to get some work done. And in fact - home is the place to go: There's power, internet, email, water, tables, chairs, a terrace and even sodas, gnuts and some chocolate. Eh - don't forget to get some work done!!
Saturday, 2 July 2011
Kampala Hash House Harriers (KH3)
I wish I was there every Monday - I'd be so much fitter! But at least once in a while I manage to join in to have fun and verify that I'm still ok to run 10k straight.
Last Saturday we ran a relay from Kampala to Jinja - the source of the river Nile. 26 teams, each with 9 persons plus cheering crowd. Each person running approx. 10k up and down and left and right through Lugazi's sugar plantations and Mabira forest. Check out Timothy's cool clip about or team, the "No Hopers" ;-)
Last Saturday we ran a relay from Kampala to Jinja - the source of the river Nile. 26 teams, each with 9 persons plus cheering crowd. Each person running approx. 10k up and down and left and right through Lugazi's sugar plantations and Mabira forest. Check out Timothy's cool clip about or team, the "No Hopers" ;-)
Sunday, 1 May 2011
Only in Africa
Ah, time for some news - this time no kids, no work, no vacation. Life in full and fun.
Those of my age (OMG) will still remember those old Coke and Fanta cans. At some time in the 80s (?) they changed the opening clip of those cans from "pull it off" to "push it in", didn't they? Obviously for environmental reasons, since those clips had become an inherent and yucky part of any street, park or picnic area. I thought they had died out - but not at all! They are still around and growing strong. Actually, there is no real meaning to what I am writing here, but it just filled my heart with so much nostalgia... do you remember when we took them apart and used to shoot the ring with the small clip? Haha, what a ball!
And on another, a somewhat more serious note... Did you ever have a high voltage power line in your garden? It's one of the many goodies you may get 4 free. A recent storm took it down, sparks were flying and staff reported "there is fire coming out of the cable!". Unfortunately, the cable also came down in front of the entrance gate of the compound so there was no way the metal gate could be opened and hence, no car could neither enter nor leave the compound. One of the many absolutely unexpected obstacles you can encounter here ;-)
Those of my age (OMG) will still remember those old Coke and Fanta cans. At some time in the 80s (?) they changed the opening clip of those cans from "pull it off" to "push it in", didn't they? Obviously for environmental reasons, since those clips had become an inherent and yucky part of any street, park or picnic area. I thought they had died out - but not at all! They are still around and growing strong. Actually, there is no real meaning to what I am writing here, but it just filled my heart with so much nostalgia... do you remember when we took them apart and used to shoot the ring with the small clip? Haha, what a ball!
And on another, a somewhat more serious note... Did you ever have a high voltage power line in your garden? It's one of the many goodies you may get 4 free. A recent storm took it down, sparks were flying and staff reported "there is fire coming out of the cable!". Unfortunately, the cable also came down in front of the entrance gate of the compound so there was no way the metal gate could be opened and hence, no car could neither enter nor leave the compound. One of the many absolutely unexpected obstacles you can encounter here ;-)
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
The braids are off, but...
Time to go! After 2 months with braids and without washing the hair, its now time for them to go! What took 5 hours to twist and roll, took only one hour and eight hands to get undone.
The scrubby look is purposely, since Leona features the next day as...
...queen Boudicca of the Celtic Iceni tribe. It's Rainbow School's Roman Day and everybody comes in togas, armour, sandals, brings roman food, or comes as one of the Celts who challenged the Romans!
The scrubby look is purposely, since Leona features the next day as...
...queen Boudicca of the Celtic Iceni tribe. It's Rainbow School's Roman Day and everybody comes in togas, armour, sandals, brings roman food, or comes as one of the Celts who challenged the Romans!
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