Indi-yeah!

India was fascinating and nothing like I envisaged - although I think that Kerala is 'India for beginners' (a bit like Namibia is Africa for beginners!) The places I visited had a gentleness and calm about them - even though they were vibrant and busy - and the tooting car horn was ever-present. Maybe it was the people I met that had those characteristics.

We left via Mumbai and it was certainly busier and more brutish. Sir John had warned me that 'you haven't been to India until you've driven across New Delhi' and I got a flavour of what he was talking about in Mumbai. One thing I would say - is I never felt unsafe in India. Admittedly, I didn;t go walking the streets at night - but I don't do that in any country!

I'll always remember the different yoga teachers I had - expecially the one who intoned 'nooooormal breeeeeathing, very very nooooormal breeeeeathing' over and over as we did the pranayam ... partly because Shafika and I kept singing this as we struggled to wind our way through the crowds at Mumbai airport. The new group on Trivandrum that I will work with next year have produced a distance learning course on yoga and they gave me their materials and the video!

One of the things that amazed us (and drove my colleagues mad) was the procedure for getting a SIM card. You needed a copy of your passport, a photo and to fill in 5 pages of forms. This highly bemused the African contingent who can buy a SIM card on any street corner for a couple of dollars! In fact - when we arrived in Maseru and were met by the conference organisers - the first thing they did was hand everyone of us a SIM starter pack - now that is service!

Pan Commonwealth Forum

We have just completed Day 2 of our conference - the 6th Pan Commonwealth Forum. It is a fantastic experience with nearly 600 distance educators and community development people from all over the world (but mostly Commonwealth countries). We have been talking about the use of technology in technical and vocational education today and how to get the most out of regional cooperation.

In this pic, L-R ... amr, Emma Kruse Vaai from Samoa, Guil Vaz from India, Caroline Seelig from New Zealnad and George Herd from Scotland.

We have a cultural programme every evening and have been treated to all kinds of music and dance from different areas of India - all with the most amazing, elaborate costumes. We announced the winners of the Excellence in Distance Education Awards and also 5 COL Honorary Fellows. This evening we heard wonderful stories of women in India who are developing small businesses and building their skills in very innovative ways.

Tomorrow we will launch the Flexible Skills Development Community Learning Network - which is quite exciting for us. I'm pretty exhausted but it's been great to see so many old friends and meet lots of interesting new people who are doing great work in our field.

Back to Bangladesh

In September I visited the Dhaka Ahsania Mission skills training centres in the slums of the city. Here is my favourite selection of the young people trying to learn skills to earn a living. DAM does incredible work for these young people who otherwise would have no hope of skills training. Many of them have left school with no qualifications - and there simply is not enough provision of basic education. They get literacy training if they need it and they learn a skill to be employed or self-employed ... although many of them end up in the garment industry.

When I meet great organisations like this - I just want to give them all my money and help them to do more ...

Muppet

I am, as my brother often tells me - a muppet! You know I often cannot share photos on this blog with you because I don't have my camera cable or card reader .... I've just discovered the laptop has an integral card reader!!! WHY DIDN'T SOMEONE TELL ME? Like Trudi or Frances who have the same laptop! Duh!

Anyway - no excuse now - so I'll look out some photos of Trivandrum - now I just need to find the time!

workshop number two

... is about to start today. Of 10 college principals  who are coming from Africa, 8 have arrived, one has cancelled and one is still on her way - so that's not too bad. Up until yesterday lunchtime the hotel didn't have a room for us to hold the workshop but we managed to sort that out. We now have to take a boat ride (which will be fun) a few minutes down the river to another part of the hotel which is on a different property. It'll be a nice start to the day.

The participants are all staying in another hotel and they have to get a bus here - but my friend and colleague George is staying with them so I hope he manages to rally them all and get them here more or less on time. This is an important workshop for my main skills development activity this year so it is important that we get it right.

You can find information on the place we are staying here - Le Meridien. It's a huge hotel with both business and tourist guests. They seem to have back-to-back conferences and it's all a little chaotic - but it works in the end. The prople are very hospitable and try to do whatever they can to help - which is a nice attitude to work with.

So I just have to get through the next three days before the 400-odd delegates arrive for the Pan Commonwealth Forum - phew!

It's all very exciting - and a little bit scary :-)

Trivandrum

My time in the capital city of the State of Kerala is coming to an end. Today I will meet the Chairman of the State Resource Centre – where I’ve been working this week – and also visit some Continuing Education Centres. Kerala is an interesting State with high social development indicators, particularly in health and literacy, but in a context of a low productive economy and high unemployment.
We’ve just finished a two-day workshop looking at the SRC programmes and how they might benefit from using open and distance learning methodologies. I’ve been working with the most educated and highly committed group of people. On staff, there are only 10 but we were joined by 15 local academics and subject experts who are part of the SRC extended team.
Their mandate was traditionally literacy training, but given that Kerala has reached about 95% literacy the demand for their courses is changing. We’ve been talking about how they might expand their offering of skills development programmes and also strengthen their extensive (4,000) team of volunteer Community Development Promoters.
Hopefully, there will also be time to squeeze in a little shopping! I’ve already bought some beautiful ‘shalwar kemise’ Indian printed and embroidered long dress, trouser and scarf ensemble … lovely colours and patterns. My colleagues took me to a huge 4-story clothing store with thousands of saris and fabrics and traditional clothes. I resisted the pressure to buy a sari but the shalwar kemise is perfect for me – very comfortable and hides a multitude of sins!

India - the ayurvedic way

I arrived at the Mascot Hotel in Trivandrum at 5am after travelling for a day and a half - so the challenge was - how to stay awake until bedtime?? I unpacked and sorted out my stuff, had a shower, went for breakfast (or was it dinner?) and then looked around the hotel. I found the pool and the gym and then the spa. Ah ha - a massage, I thought. So I booked in immediately for an ayurvedic massage. Our VP (who is Indian) told me I should treat myself to lots of relaxing ayurvedic treatments - and I always do what the boss says!

Was it relaxing - no, not really. Was it nice? hmmm ... not sure. The masseuse was tiny - but she was so strong! First she made me remove ALL my clothes, then tied a cord around my waist and draped a bit of muslin between back and front as a vague attempt at modesty! Then I had to lay on a HUGH redwood massage table (which was VERY hard) and she proceeded to completely smother me in hot oil. I felt a bit like a turkey! The oil smelled herbal and slightly sweet - like burned sugar or toffee. The massage was ROUGH and FAST. I was expecting a deep tissue massage but this was more like a rub down with an oily (very oily) rag! It was almost impossible to turn over without sliding around and falling on my chin. Thankfully I had told her that I didn't want oil in my hair or on my face!

The massage lasted an hour and it took nearly as long in the shower afterwards trying to soap off all the oil. Once I got over the shock and got used to it, it was almost pleasant - and my skin is definitely not dry now, but as massages go, I think I'll stick to what I'm used to. There's another treatment which Asha recommended, which involves having warm oil dripped in a steady, swinging stream back and forth across your forehead (thoughts of gentle water-boarding came to mind when she descibed it to me ) I think I'll give that one a miss!

Changi Airport Singapore

I told you how friendly and attractive Changi airport is - now I can show you the pics ...

Where IS Vanuatu?

...my friend June has just asked ... and then I realised that I should explain. Well, it's in the Pacific, south of Solomon Islands and west of Fiji!

Commonwealth Pacific nations are Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa, Tuvalu, Nauru, Kiribati, PNG & Tonga. Fiji used to be a member but they've been suspended following a military coup (in 2006, I think)

So I guess I'll be working in these countries in the coming years - I just been invited to PNG next year. I was last there in 1984!



and then the earth moved

Took a couple of hours off from answering emails and preparing for the workshop tomorrow - so I could go snorkelling. met a nice Kiwi called Mike and his Scots wife (who never told mer her name) who have been here for 15 years. They run Big Blue Scuba.

We went out into the bay to a place called Pango Cove - 6 people were diving - 3 first timers - and I was the only one snorkelling - so I had my own guide - Max. (are all dive masters called Max?) Young bloke, asked me all about my work and was interested to hear about the problem of lack of skills training in his own country. I told him how lucky he is to have a job where he gets training for an international qualification (PADI)

I've just learned - from their website - that you can do PADI qualification by elearning - yay! I've always struggled with learning to dive because I tend to do resort diving with John when we are on holiday - and the lessons are just too short for someone as thick as me! John gets it all first go but I really struggle with calcualating 'bottom times' and working out whether the air in my lungs in expanding or contracting! And if I don't get this stuff right I'm going to DIE! I've always said that the PADI manual is one of the best examples of distance learning I've ever seen - I expect their elearning is pretty good too!

That's why I stick to snorkelling most of the time - still get the views but I don't have to worry about too much about the physics. Except there was a scale 4.5 earth quake while I was in the water this afternoon!!! That was rather different.

Anyway, I saw loads of beautiful coral and tonnes of fishies - parrot fish, angel fish, bright, bright blue starfish as big as a dinner plate and so many more that I have never learned the names of. I try to memorise what they look like so I can check their names when I get back - but never quite manage it. I need to get some underwarter identification cards.

Snorkeling in Vanuatu? - one for the bucket list!

Vocational training in Vanuatu

I am working with the Vanuatu National Training Council - there's only 4 of them but I have to say they are the most efficient group I have ever met! It is a real pleasure to work with them - Sam, Gerald, Emmanuel and Janet. They have arranged my programme so that I have had meetings with all the key TVET and skills development stakeholders in Vanuatu. They pick me up and drive me to all the meetings and make sure I have important stuff like water and SIM cards. VNTC are hosting a workshop for COL which starts on Sunday - to plan pilot programmes to deliver vocational literacy in Samoa, PNG, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. They have me organised right down to the last name badge and workshop folder - great stuff! We are very much in the hands of our partners when we work in Commonwealth countries and usually things are a little haphazard - but not this time :-)

Today we drove around the entire island of Efate to visit the Epule Training Centre. 5 staff, less than 50 students - 4 vocational areas. We got there at 11am and they had already broken for lunch. Unfortunately I think the students spend more time cooking and gardening than in the classroom and workshops. The facilities were better than I expected. The centre is between Onesa and Matarisu. We started in  Port Vila.

Great roads in Vanuatu! great beaches ... great food (but very expensive because of the cost of transport) ... strong tourist industry ... all sort of quietly efficient!

If you ever get the chance to come here ... come!

Port Vila

Vanuatu must be the nicest Pacific island nation (although I quite enjoyed New Zealand - does that count?) There are good roads and everything seems to work pretty well ... they speak English and they have French chefs! What more could I want? It's pretty hot and humid but I'm used to that and after the dreary weather in Wellington - this is quite a change.

I'm here to work with the Vanuatu National Training Council - and some people from Samoa, PNG, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. From Sunday, I am facilitating a workshop to help develop vocational literacy courses in these countries. Before that I've got lots of meetings with people who work in skills development here. They've also arranged to take me out to a rural training centre - looking forward to that - I always enjoy meeting students and seeing how things happen in situ.

Go here if you want to learn more about Vanuatu!

Bangladesh

Arrived late last night in Dhaka after a long, long flight. I spent 8 hours in Changi airport in Singapore which must be the most beautiful and interesting airport in the world.I was last at this airport in 1988 so it's changed a bit! They really cater to transit passengers with gardens, massage and beauty services, kids playgrounds, computer games areas, free internet cafes plus the usual assortment of high-end retail. They even offer a free city tour – which I was going to take but then the weather was terrible and I got sucked into shopping! There is a butterfly garden and a Koi Pond garden both are full of orchids – absolutely stunning. Can't show you the pics because I brought the wrong camera cable L

Reading matters

One of my quiet enjoyments in my new life in Canada, is my journey to work on the West Coast Express train (which my dad says is so slow that it can't call itself an express!) It gently winds its way along the edge of Burrard Inlet and you can look across the water to the North Shore and see the mountains - snow-capped for about three quarters of the year.

When I reached the Waterfront Station today and climbed three fligths of stairs to the street level (thighs burning and lungs wheezing on a Monday morning!) I noticed something I'd never seen before - a book exchange box. it's such a wonderful idea and I was reminded that we saw them at every station on our epic train ride around BC ... yes, I know, I still owe you those stories! But what a charming, friendly thing to do - people leave their unwanted books on a shelf or in a box at every station and other travellers can exchange their books or just take one - for a small donation.

I was just thinking how well endowed we are in the western world when I was reminded that in Rwanda, there is still not even a single public library. My friend Paul who is a staunch Rotarian, told me recently that even thought they have made great progress, they are still trying to raise funds to build the first public library in Kigali.

You can read the full story here ... and of course, if you want to make a donation to help the Virunga Rotary Club in this fantasic effort, that would be wonderful. (Although I was a little disappointed not to see our names on the list of Founding Members even though we made our donation ... maybe Paul will fix that?)

I've just seen that you can support the fund raising effort just by making your next Amazon purchase via their search engine on this website. Go buy yourself books and support a nation to develop a reading culture ... made even more important now that Enlgish has become the official language and millions of francophonie are busy learning English.

Time to go home

Victoria Inner Harbour & Empress Hotel

Of course the sun is shining today and Victoria looks glorious - the sea and sky are blue, there are multicoloured flowers in the hanging baskets all through the harbour and downtown area ... everyone is happy and smiling ... there are street markets and entertainers and .... we have to go home!

As we speak, we are winding our way between the beautiful Gulf Islands of the Spirit of Vancouver Island ferry on our way to Tsawassen. It's great that they have internet service except that I'm supposed to be writing a conference paper, not writing my blog!

All in all, a lovely weekend of R&R - just what the doctor ordered. We've eaten too much, laughed a lot, had some nice walks and of course, enjoyed some unparalleled shopping! And I'm looking forward to having a few more weeks at home/in the office before my next trip - which is going to be Bangladesh - New Zealand - Vanuatu! Stay tuned for more travel news ....

Weekend in Victoria

John and I are spending the weekend in Victoria on Vancouver Island. We were here in June with the wrinklies and liked it so much that we decided to come back. There's lots to see and do - we especially like the BC Museum where we're learning all about the history of Canada and especially the First Nations People. It's raining today so that's probably where we will go - also to the IMAX theatre - I love those movies.

We are staying downtown near the harbour - which is really pretty. It's great to sit and watch the boats and the people go by (when the sun shines). The BC Parliament building is right here too - and at night it is all lit up - beautiful!

I've discovered there is also a cider farm so we might go there on our way back to the ferry tomorrow. Oh and of course there's lots of opportunities for retail therapy!

Make a plan ... come visit!

The Secret Powers of Time

My friend Sara, who lives in Sant Pere des Ribes near Barcelona, sent me this fascinating video. Made by Prof Philip Zimbardo from Stanford University, the presentation makes a case for why we need digital classrooms - but it is so much more than that. It gives a very different angle on cultural, social and religious responses to 'time'. This might sound unrelated, but the 'medium is the message' as McLuhan was fond of saying!!!

Check it out for yourself - The Secret Powers of Time.

Thanks for sharing Sara!

Early morning run

Early this morning I was getting my kit on to go down to the hotel gym to pound the treadmill – when I suddenly thought ... what are you doing? Why don’t you go for a run outside? It’s a bit of a no-brainer – early morning in Kigali is lovely, cool and clear and sweet-smelling, all earthy and green. I ran around the dirt rounds between the hotel and my old house, passing Harvey & Helga’s house and the place where Paul used to live. It was great to be outside in the cool sunshine (it’s going in to winter here) and get my runners covered in red dust.

I saw lots of children going to school and lots of children not going to school, hauling huge jerry cans of water or big bundles of wood for the fire on their heads. There were people everywhere (as ever) and several big trucks passed me, spewing vile diesel fumes. The biggest change I noticed from when I used to run these dirt roads – is that I was not followed by a gang of giggling and jostling kids calling muzungu, muzungu! (white foreigner). Maybe they see so many muzungus now that we are no longer sport.

I had such a great time, bouncing over the bumps and holes in the roads, trying not to slip as I ran down steep slopes with lose stones and just enjoying the feeling of being there – that I ran far too far and suddenly realised I was completely worn out – then I had to walk back! Now my legs feel like lead and I’m not sure how I got back up three flights of stairs to my hotel room. The joys of life!

elearning Africa Conference

The eLearning Africa conference www.elearning-africa.com was a mixed bag of stimulating discussion, meeting old friends, making new contacts, African ‘organisation’ and rushing around trying to get to hear all the presentations I’d marked on the programme.

My colleague (from Botswana) George & I, co-presented at the ICT in TVET Summit, held jointly by COL and UNESCO-UNEVOC. We presented the new Flexible Skills Development Initiative that we are working on together with colleagues from TVET institutions in Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. George shared some interesting ideas on quality in TVET and his PPT is in great demand.

We sponsored some ladies who work in TVET from Botswana, Kenya, Zambia and Namibia – and they all made the most of the experience. Luckily, one of them won a new mobile phone in a Microsoft business card draw – that was great! There were more than 1000 people there from all over the continent discussing a huge range of emerging issues in elearning. As always, I missed more than I saw/heard, but I especially enjoyed sessions on mobile learning and open education resources. Shuttleworth Foundation are doing interesting things in literacy with mobiles – i f0rt it was gr8, cuz itz new 2 me! I heard a keynote presentation from Gilly Salmon, whose work I have admired for some years. She told us about the Media Zoo at Leicester University – where lecturers can go to learn and experiment with new teaching and learning technologies. That reminded me that we have a Second Life account and it's about time that I went there to see if we can use it for skills development courses. There was also a rockin’ Bishop from the Gambia who uses Twitter, Facebook, blogs and all the social media to communicate with young people in his diocese.

I met loads of people that I used to work with in Zambia, but also colleagues from Rwanda & UK and new friends from Nigeria that I only met a few weeks ago. It’s gr8 (sorry!) to hear that the groundwork in distance education which we did in Zambia about 6 years ago is standing them in good stead now. I met someone from the Open University of Catalunya - which is a virtual university based in Barcelona - lots of good stuff going on there with the Campus for Peace and we may be able to collaborate with them.

All in all a worthwhile trip – next year we go to Tanzania. Sorry, no pics – I didn’t even get my camera out of my bag. Josiane from UNEVOC promised to share hers with me.

sad story of Jamaica

Before I went to Jamaica, my impression of Kingston was one of violence, drugs and gang rule. If you are a regular reader of V-F-V then you will know that my experience was not like that at all and was very positive.

Now I see in the news that the streets are being ruled by gangs, people are getting killed and the authorities have little authority. All because the US wants a drug lord extradited. The people are protecting him because he provides for them in a way that the government does not. But he does so with money earned by selling drugs to users in the US. It is yet another example of the steps this world is taking towards anarchy and ultimately an apocalypse.

I am thinking of my friends Anita, Gordon, Jeanette, Halden in Kingston. I hope and I trust that they are safe.

Next stop Lusaka, Zambia

I’m on my way to Zambia and then Rwanda – last planned trip for some time (apart from the train journey across the Canadian Rockies – but that’s another story!)

In Zambia we are working with the Ministry to develop national policy that will help technical colleges to introduce more flexible delivery methods into their programmes. The aim is to help increase access to technical and vocational training. We are supporting a national stakeholders’ meeting to discuss a draft policy and strategic framework development by my friend George Herd. We worked together in Botswana for 3 years.

We are both attending the eLearning Africa conference. First we have a pre-conference workshop on ICT in TVET where both George & I are presenting – and we have to manage group work with 80 participants! We will be launching the new COL Flexible Skills Development Initiative – which we are piloting in Zambia, Kenya and Nigeria. Then we get to just enjoy the conference. It will be a huge gathering of people involved in all forms of elearning in Africa. I hope to meet some interesting people and learn about their experiences .... exciting times!

Nigeria is SO Africa ... but SO full on. It's like everything I've experienced in Africa in the past 13 years - all at the same time. Everything is very familiar to me but there is just so much of it. I can't begin to describe the number of people, the cars, the mile after mile.

I was taken to a market today and it went on and on, stall after stall, dark alleyways, drains, steps and bumps, holes in the ground ... water, people ... school children, stall holders, shoppers, barrow boys .... the colours, the fabrics, plastic and tin ... smells, drains and fruit and sweat and heat ... sounds, music, laughing, calling out to me ... Obiyo, Obiyo (muzungu in Kiswahili) We were only there for about 15 minutes because it was just too intense.

I have to be on the road in 8 hours and I still need to sleep and finish about 4 emails and pack 2 suitcases and a backpack ... better get on with it.

Had a great final day at the workshop today – haven’t read the evaluation forms but they said some very nice things about me and the work we’ve done together & I think I’ve helped them to get where they’re going. They held a party for me and there was dancing and singing and we’ve had a lot of laughter this week – so that must be good! Nigerians are really the most hospitable people and good fun to boot!

BTW - I wrote this last night but the power went off so I'm posting it from Lagos airport - and this version of Blogger comes from an arabic country - so all the commands are in arabic. I didn't think I'd be able to sign in - until I realised it reads right to left - then I guessed and found the right button - yay!

International consultant? Pah!

Post script to yesterday’s post – now there’s a mixture of ancient and modern language – does it make sense?

After seeing the fatal accident and the style of driving here, I now know why Nigerians always wish you ’journey mercies’ when you are travelling! I thought they were just being polite and hospitable ... but I think they mean it.

My years spent living in Rwanda have prepared me well for my work. I’ve learned to wash when there is water, read when there is light ... sleep when there isn’t! I know how to flush a toilet when there’s no running water and how to bathe when I only have a bucket. There is a geyser in my room and it has a red light on it – but I’ve yet to find out how to get the water out!

Last night I had to make a pillow for my bed by wrapping some clothes in a kikoy – because the bed pillow is about 10 inches high and made of stone! I know my Red Cross friends will say I’m a softie and I don’t have to put up with anything like what they sometimes go through, especially when they are in disaster management situations, but ....

My evening meal has just arrived and the toasted sandwich I ordered seems to have mutated into a plate of chips with tomato ketchup ... ah well, be grateful for small mercies – at least I have food. And I’m sure there’s a bar of chocolate somewhere about my baggage!

And I'm grateful to have internet ... even if it is a wet piece of string ... I have strategies for blogging in developing countries too. After losing so many posts because the power goes just as you hit 'publish' - I've learned to write my posts in Word before I put them on the blog - yay!

And I love being here in Africa even if Nigeria puts a whole different spin on it ... am I weird or something? I’ll still be glad to get home though ... especially as the wrinklies (aka my parents) will arrive in Vancouver next week. They’re on their way to Toronto first to visit Niagra Falls – thanks Danielle, I owe you plenty ... then they come to us. Look out Canada!

Traffic in Nigeria

I always seem to be talking about traffic – it does kind of fascinate me .. perhaps because I spend a lot of time on the road?

Road use in Nigeria is VERY different from elsewhere. The roads are pretty good around the metropolitan areas – especially Abuja. But there are no white lines painted anywhere. And after careful study of driving for about 10 minutes, I realise why – no-one stays in any lane. They all drift (or dash) across the road so they can get further a few milliseconds faster. There is a definite lack of robots (traffic lights to my non-South African readers) and people have to edge their way across 3 lane highways to cross them – nightmare. Having said that, the traffic flow in Abuja is surprisingly good – and the volume not so high.

Lagos is another story. The city is much older, with smaller, less well maintained roads and the traffic jams are legendary. The drivers just edge and push and won’t wait or give way for anyone. Everyone I met over the last couple of days was late for meetings because of traffic grid locks. I am now about 300kms north of Lagos and the driver who brought me here did so at an average speed of 120 kms/h ... often reaching 160 or 180 kms/h. And the road was full of massive, heavily laden lorries and we experienced several bursts of torrential rain. The speed wasn’t too bad near Lagos but once we got out into the rural area and the potholes started, he would swerve across the road alarmingly and aquaplane wildly in the rain. By the time we arrived, I had jumped on the brakes so many times and I was so tense that my shoulders were nearly attached to my ears!

Sadly, as we neared Ondo, we passed a recent accident where a motorbike had lost control and both the driver and passenger were dead on the road. A very sobering sight.

Remember ladies and gentlemen, better to arrive late than to be late.

Abjua

I haven't seen much of Abuja but everyday we drive past the Central Mosque - which is beautiful. There is also a very modern central church.

Travelling to Nigeria

I was rescued on the way to Abuja by a very nice lady I met on the plane – and I didn’t even know I needed rescuing!

Mrs S is the Head of Chamber in the National Assembly and had been to the UK to learn about British parliamentary procedure (like we are any kind of good example!) She was concerned about my welfare and took me under her wing when we arrived at the airport ... organising porters, whisking me through baggage collection and passport checks. This was fortuitous as the promised driver failed to arrive so Mrs S’s driver shoved her 3 big suitcases, my 2 and assorted hand luggage into her official car. Then she brought me to my hotel, interrogated the night clerk (we arrived at 4.30am) – who denied having a reservation for me – and inspected the room before declaring it fit for my use. She exchanged my dollars for naira and even sent her driver back the next morning with a mobile SIM card and airtime – extracting a promise from me to call her if I had time to visit the National Assembly this week! What a kind and hospitable person!

The hotel is fine – circa 1960s, the AC rattles like a drum and most of it is clean! I’ve been to the gym and in the pool in an effort to stay awake – my body is still 8 hours behind me so it’s hard not to sleep and I didn’t get much rest on the plane. Just how many small children is it possible to get in business class??
The other fascinating thing about the flight was the size and number of pieces of hand luggage brought on by most passengers. Nearly everyone had 3 large carry-on cases and some had all kinds of big bags and packages! It took the cabin crew some time to stow it all before we could take off.

I asked Mrs S about it and she said “We Nigerians like to shop and shop and shop!”

Blue Ice

John has loaded the full photo set to Flickr - if you want to see more ... he's a happy boy! Click here John224488

New blog name?

I should probably call this blog On my way from Vancouver! The news never seems to be about Vancouver at all - just what I'm doing when I'm away from there.

Ok, let's change that. John and I have just bought a boat! She's currently called 'Blue Ice' and is a 32ft Bayliner Avanti power cruiser with 2 VERY big engines. John has been wanting a boat ever since I've know him - not much call for them when you live in Francistown or Windhoek though! So at last his dream has come true - which is nice. I had no intention of buying one but when he persuaded me to go and see some, I got on to this one and just loved it from the first moment - It's a bit like a caravan inside. I've left him at home fretting about moorage and insurance and all that good stuff. I'm sure it's going to cost us a fortune - but you're a long time dead and we decide it's about time we made the most of living in fantastic british Columbia. We're hoping to get a 'slip' (note nautical term) at a marina about 15 mintues drive from our house - from where we can get to lots of interesting islands and coastal places.

His plan is to drag me out of the house every weekend I'm a home (well in the summer anyway) to stop me from working all the time. Sounds like a plan.

Any of you who are planning to visit - remember to bring your sea legs!
It's just 2 weeks before mum and dad head west - looking forward to that.

Things to hate about Windhoek

Of course it's changed ... but for the better?

Well the price of houses has risen astronomically in certain areas - not in others (where we have ours!) There is evidence of Chinese businesses everywhere - including the huge new hotel being built on Independence Avenue .... many, many Chinese shops selling cheap, worthless goods that last only a few weeks. We were greeted at the airport by an Air China 747! Is that positive or negative ? I don't know but they bring in cheap labour and locals believe it is putting them out of work. Unemployment is 38%.

Crime levels seem to be escalating, as does corruption. The hotel where I stayed (where I first met John - you know the story) has deteriorated and is very expensive but the service is lousy ... and the place is surrounded by 'ladies of the night' - who were never so evident before. Don't get me wrong - I'm not singling Namibia out - it's just that these negative social aspects didn't used to affect this beautiful country not so many years ago. I guess it was just a matter of time.

One thing I won't miss - today it is month end AND Easter break and the crowds in town were phenomenal! The queues for the ATM were hundreds of metres long! I had to fight to get out of the hotel to my taxi (not helped by the fact that a large number of rather strapping young lads from a sports team had just disgorged from their coach and were trying to get into the hotel!!)

The times they are a-changing! (but we still have fantastic sunsets!)

Leaving Windhoek

I picked up a foul African cold on my way here so I've been pretty crook for the whole trip - unfortunately. However, it was great to catch up with old friends and colleagues and see how much they have progressed and achieved since I last worked with them. I've got several potential projects here - so that is wonderful.

Also enjoyed catching up with my friend Rachel who was the first person I met when I came to Namibia in 1996. We nattered a couple of evenings away and I'm going to miss her ... again!

Busy filling suitcases and sorting out the ton of paper I've picked up on this trip. Looking forward to seeing that nice guy in Vancouver - what was his name? Ah yes, John! It seems like I've been away for months.

And in 3 weeks I have to do it all over again ... assuming I get a new passport in London on my way home tomorrow - but that's another story!

good times

I had a lovely last night in Nairobi - meeting up with old friends. First I caught up with Tony and Flora Okuku who we worked with at the technical college in Botswana. They are Kenyan and returned home just before we left. We didn't have long together but learning of their hectic life in Nairobi made me very grateful to be living in Vancouver. They are both very talented artist/graphic designers and are great fun to be with.

Then I met Harvey and Helga - Harvey was my TeaM Leader in Rwanda and we've kept in touch for years. We had such a good time catching up on news of old freinds and colleagues. Helga has had breast cancer since I last saw her and she looks fantastic. She has really recovered well - she puts it all down to her great treatment at the Marsden Hospital. It was weird - like we'd only seen each other last week. But then, we were a pretty close team in Rwanda - spent a lot of social time together ... and Harvey is a great team leader.

Got to go and catch a plane now - on my way to Windhoek - yay!!

I've just realised

I like Vancouver ... but I LOVE Africa. This trip has made me really homesick.

Driving for hours through Kenya has been hot and uncomfortable - but I've seen so many interesting places and people. It was hot and sunny in Nairobi today and then it rained cats and dogs! Meeting some old colleagues from past projects in Botswana and Rwanda tomorrow.

More news on Meru and the work we're doing in nurse education soon ... it's exciting stuff - upgrading for community nurses by distance learning.

Did I say 2 hours?

SIX hours later after first being told - the plane is coming from Harare – you must go down to the gate ... go through security, take your shoes off ... sit and wait ... they bring cool drinks. “It’s coming” ... “There’s a technical problem, no, the President of Zimbabwe has delayed the plane ... it’s 10 minutes away, we are in constant touch with them ... no, it’s not coming – go back upstairs.

We waited in the bar area because it was the only place to get power for the laptop and iPod. The guys in the bar drank beer and had a good time. I met a very nice Rwandese called Sam Kanyarukiga who used to be DG of CIPEX in MINECOFIN and now works for COMESA in Lusaka. Spent some happy time gossiping about people we both knew in Kigali.

They brought food – a bad sign, and bad food – we couldn’t eat it. The airport was hot and humid. The guys in the bar drank more beer and got very loud and annoying. The sky darkened and the rain came and I was reminded how much I love the sound of a deluge on a tin roof – the guys in the bar drank more beer and got louder. An Ethiopian Airlines plane had to abort a take-off because of the weather – very scary to watch. “The plane can’t come now because of the rain!”

Eventually, we go downstairs again – through security, take your shoes off – no sign of the plane. We wait again. We finally took off at 19.00 and landed at 22.00 – I was hoping that the driver sent from the hotel to meet me would still be there. My bags came through first – and joy – they had not been tampered with! I cleared the airport at 23.00 – and joy again – the driver was there! I was very grateful. Moving to the hotel would have been easier by boat – the rain had come so hard and so quickly that the floods were knee height. And it’s scary driving in Nairobi at night because no one stops at the robots for fear of being car-jacked .... eish!

Finally got to bed at midnight ... a little bit weary.

Nasty shock!

So we’re driving from the hotel in Lusaka to the airport – having spent the whole morning rushing around, packing, filling in stolen baggage claim forms, getting photocopies, paying the hotel bill – when suddenly I screamed to the driver “STOP THE CAR!” I’d just realised that I didn’t have my little envelope of US dollars. I searched through all my bags and the nightmare was real – the envelope was not there. “We have to go back” I said and the obliging chap raced back to the hotel. I rushed in and found the porter who helped with my bags and we took the lift up to the top floor – it went so slow! I ran down the corridor and entered the room – and sure enough, up against the inside wall of the safe was my envelope of dollars – PHEW!! I don’t know how I missed it – but I did. Can you imagine how stuck I would be without those?

I was now seriously late for the airport and I still had to submit my baggage claim to SAA as their horrible pilfering staff in Jo’burg cut the lock on my new suitcase and stole my clothes and perfume! Brand new bag which John told me not to buy for this very reason – don’t you just hate it when men are right? Especially when it means you lose your new Chanel!!!

The driver drove like Jensen Button to get me to the airport – the lady at SAA said “go and check in while I process your claim” – I dashed through security and when I checked in the assistant told me the KQ flight was delayed by 2 hours!

How was your day?

On my way ...

... again - back to Africa this time. I have a stopover in London where I'm meeting with the Girl Guides Association - I'm hoping that we can work together to develop elearning materials for leadership training. I may even manage to meet Naomi & Johan who recently moved to London to work at the South African High Commission - hope so.

Then it's on to Zambia where we are looking at national policy for introducing technical and vocational education (TVET). I am only there for 2.5 days and the team there had a plan to drive me all the way up to the Copperbelt but I hope I've persuaded them to stay in Lusaka. I would have met my friends Richard and Trish - but Richard has just taken a job in Sudan and Trish is now back in Scotland.

Next I go to Kenya where I have meetings in Nairobi before driving for about 4 hours to Meru where am supporting a materials development workshop to create a distance degree programme for community health nurses. Back to Nairobi for more meetings and I hope to catch up with Flora and Tony Okuku who used to live in Botswana and also my Team leader from Rwanda, Harvey and his wife Helga, who now live in Nairobi.

Finally, I'm going home ... home to Namibia that is. I've got a week there meeting lots of different organisations and it will be great to see old friends and colleagues. My only sadness is that Sharon will be on a school field trip to the desert so I shall miss her - but especially looking forward to seeing Rachel and her little lad Ben.

I'm back in Vancouver on Good Friday and planning to eat a lot of chocolate!

Time to go home

Well my time in Trinbago is over although I wouldn't say the work is done. It has been a hectic week but one of the brightest spots has been meeting one of the 2 COL Focal Points in the country - Karen. Karen has given up most of her week to work with me, arranged meetings and transport and driven me back and forth across the island. She even took me to buy a dress even though she hates shopping! I thank her for the time she gave me and the great conversations we have had as I've learned about this compex country and together we have tried to plan the way forward for COL's contribution to distance and felxible learning in TVET.

I've also spent a good deal of time with the curriculum development team working on an in-service TVET instructor training programme. I'm hoping for good things from this group. My morning today was spent with representatives from all the TVET stakeholders and we had a very useful exchange about the use of technology and distance methodologies in their work. I've met Ministers and Permanent Secretaries and TVET Directors and Managers and now it is time to go home.

I don't know when I'll be back ... but I've certainly enjoyed being here. Thanks to one and all.

Trinidad

Do you want to know what is surprising about Trinidad? Did you think it was a Caribbean beach holiday island full of tourists? Well I did ... and it's not! It is very industrialised and there's not a tourist in sight. The hotels are all business hotels and the place is full of oil company types.

They have fantastic shopping malls and the government offices are clean and bright - if a little cramped - toilets are clean and there is generally good infrastructure - apart from the roads which I have already told you about. Even the mutatus (minibus taxis) are clean and shiny and don't have any dents or hanging-off bumpers or chickens/mattresses/bananas on top .... not what I'm used to at all!

Some of the architecture is out of this world - here is a picture of my favourite (new) building - the National Academy for the Performing Arts.

Kingston to Port of Spain

It is really not so far from Jamaica to trinidad but this journey took me about 10 hours - because we stopped in both Antigua and Barbados. After the first stop I was squashed in with 2 very large ladies on their way to Guyana - big hair, big ladies, lots of gold jewellry and about 6 items of cabin baggage each! The situation was not improved when a baby vomitted 2 rows in front of us!

But my arrival in Port of Spain was a real surprise. The airport was clean and quiet and everything went very smoothly. For the first time I used my official passport so I cleared Immigration and Customs very quickly ... my bag was second off the plane and I was in a taxi and speeding towards the hotel within 30 minutes - bliss!

PoS was NOTHING like I envisaged. I had no idea that Trinidad has oil and gas and the city is very modern and developed - although squashed in with incredible old colonial buildings. Many systems are very British and I feel very much at home here. People tell me that there is a problem with corruption and not enough of the oil dollars help to rebuild the country - which is a shame.

Hotel is ok - people are very friendly and I am spreading my time between various Ministries and a training institute - so spending a good deal of time in vehicles. Far more than I need to but the worst thing about PoS is the traffic is the very worst I have ever encountered ... anywhere!!!

Blue Mountains

OK, I'm about 5 days behind myself but let's try to catch up...

The Blue Mountains are a welcome respite from the heat of Kingston - the air is cool and as we got higher and higher the fog came in and it was white and eerie. The roads were pretty good until we got near the top where the rain had washed some of the tarmac away. The only danger was from the local drivers who live in massive houses up there - they drive on the single track road at high speed. We stopped off at Newcastle Barracks - where the British forces were stationed and saw all the crests of the various battalions. Gordon was full of stories about the history of the site.

We visited The Old Tavern coffee plantation and were warmly welcomed by Dorothy Tynman who showed us where Miss Pansy sorts the beans and she roasts them. I was a little alarmed when Dorothy invited me to taste the beans (yes, chew them raw - yuk!) She made us coffee and told us all about the plantation and her life there. Now I'm not a coffee drinker but even I enjoyed Dorothy's coffee. I bought a bag of beans for John.

We also visited Strawberry Hill hotel - the most beautiful spot on the edge of the mountain overlooking the whole of Kingston and the sea. The rim pool looks devine and the rooms are very cool and colonial. There was a lady playing fantastic jazz and it looked like a wonderful place to spend a weekend away from the city. Apparently it is owned by the guy who used to be Bob Marley's manager! I've got loads of photos but still no way to upload to this computer - go here to see more pics http://www.islandoutpost.com/strawberry_hill/

So if you have a spare few thousand and want a two centre holiday - I recommend a week on a Jamaican Beach and then head up into the hills and relax at Strawberry Hills... perfect!

oh dear ...

... loads more to tell about Jamaica and my trip to the Blue Mountains, visiting a coffee plantation and a fantastic guest house .... and then my journey to Trinidad ... and how it isn't what I expected at all.

and my first day working here when the Minister didn't turn up for our meeting (which she asked for!) and working with some interesting people ...

But I am just too tired and I guess it will all have to wait for another day.

sorry ... good night!

new experiences

Last night, my kind hosts, Anita and Gordon - took me to see two sides of Kingston. We went to a small town called Port Royal which is on a promontory just outside Kingston Harbour, past the airport. To get there you drive along a spit of land caleed the Palisadoes with the Atlantic on one side and the Caribbean on the other.

Port Royal is very historic - it is where British troops defended the island years ago and Gordon- who is a consumate local historian - told me it had the reputation of being the 'wickedest' city in the world during the 17th century when it was a centre of shipping trade and a place for pirates. Apparently it was famous for gaudy displays of wealth and loose morals! The seas all around purportedly still hold sunken treasure. It has been hit by several earthquakes which have left the buildings all askew. The town is pretty poor now just a fishing village and a place to go to eat fish on a weekend.

We arrived to very large music emanating from a stack of speakers outside a bar in the car part (reminiscent of Africa!) It was the kind of noise that makes your ears bleed! There were people, children, dogs all around, sitting outside cafes and bars and listening to the music - a regular Friday occurance. We went to the famous Gloria's restaurant which is simply a mass of tables set out in the road outside a small kitchen and they serve the most amazing fish - if you don't mind a wait of a couple of hours. we had king fish and it was devine! I also tried a local food - bammy which is made of cassava.

When we had eaten, we scurried back to the car - so as not to be deafened - and next stop was the very lovely Morgan's Harbour Hotel and Marina - how the other half lives. A very old, colonial hotel, dark, serence, quiet with a row of beautiful yaghts parked on the quay.
There was a party going on for the young and beautiful. Truly a tale of 2 cities.

Must dash - we are off to the Blue Mountains today - more on that later

sunset activity

I went out of my hotel just before sunset (I'm in Kingston, Jamaica, by the way) to look at a park over the road. When I got there, I had the most amazing experience. The park was beautiful with lots of brightly coloured bougainvillia and palm trees ... but it was also laid out with a walking/running path and was full of people, young and old, taking their daily exercise. The atmosphere was fantastic. There was a cool breeze and people were busy in groups and on their own, running, walking, some doing yoga, others doing pushups and stretches. A few people sat on benches and some schoolchildren were gathered in the middle of the park.

Of course I joined in and walked a couple of turns ... the path is marked so you can count the kms if you want to. I can't really explain it but it was peaceful and energising and just a really nice place to be. It's called Emancipation Park.

Let the Games begin

It's the day before the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics and Vancouver is completely BUZZING! Roads are closed, flags are flying ... visitors and officials and TV crews are everywhere. Today the olympic torch came to Tri-cities - it was fun trying to get across the main through route to get to the station!

On my twice daily Downtown walk between Waterfront station and the COL office I see a sea of turquoise and lime green - yes my favourite colours ... but also the favourite colours of the President of VANOC (Vancouver Olympic Committee) and therefore the colour of the anoraks of all the thousands of volunteers who have come to help assist the visitors and athletes and pick up litter and provide security and welfare services and transport and so it goes on. Vancouver is always multi-lingual but as I pass people in the Downtown streets I hear Spanish and french and half a dozen other languages I can't even recognise. This is the second olympics games that I have lived through and the organisation of such a mamoth event still astounds me.

The sad thing is the weather - we are scheduled for more rain this week and this weekend - which is a real pity because not only will everyone get wet but they won't see Vancouver in all it's glory. And there is a big problem with lack of snow on the north shore mountains - no problem at Whistler but nearer to the lower mainland the snow line is just too high and all they have been getting is a nasty mix of snow and rain. Apparently VANOC have been bringing in snow and shoring up some of the moguls with straw bales.

The 1992 Barcelona Olympics were great because we were part of it, but we think Vancouver will put on a fantastic show and we can't wait for the opening ceremony on tomorrow - even if I do only get to watch it on TV!

I just wish I had a Union Jack to fly on my car or put in the front window like all the Canadians are doing. GO UK GO!

WikiEducator

I've just finished a WikiEducator basic training coure. If you've never heard of WikiEducator - it is a system where educators all over the world can collaborate on the development of open educational resources. There are tens of thousands of people involved and the resources can be shared and used by anone. I've achieved Wiki Apprentice Level 2 and I'm hoping to get Level 1 when our facilitator takes a final look at my wiki page.

You can see it here... http://www.wikieducator.org/User:Alisonmead

It still needs a lot of work - but of course, I'm just a beginner!!

It's a good course (and ANYONE can do it) so I do recommend you try if, like me, you need to have wiki demystified. Go to www.wikieducator.org to find out more

I have just learned the basic skills and now I need to start using them - or losing them - if I am really going to 'know' how to use a wiki. Now, where am I ging to find time for that?

credit where it's due

Tom was in Vancouver this week ... en route to his new job in Mexico ... and we failed to meet up - very sad.

I'm thinking of Lesley and remembering my birthday party in Francistown which was arranged by dear Danielle. So here's a photo of Les, Dan & I at said event and yes, we are stuffing our faces with the most gorgeous chocolate cake made by Sally. We are actually dining on Sally's stoep - and she cooked the whole meal ... fabulous chef that she is. I seem to remember that I might have had one too many glasses of Veuve Clicquot that night!

Here's to friends...

I can't believe ...

... it has been so long since I last wrote on this blog ... and I have so much to tell you all that I don't know where to start!

I think I need to approach this in a more systematic way but here are the (very) edited highlights ...
* furniture arrived in Vancouver while I was in Solomons - John was not happy!
* mad panic when I got back to get unpacked and clear the guest room in time for Christmas
* Laurence & Aleisha came for Christmas - loads to share with you there
* we've taken up ice-skating!
* have been on snowy mountain walks
* we miss Sid and George - who are happy and healthy and still living in Francistown
* we miss our friends from Francistown - but at least Danielle and Tom are in Canada
* work at Commonwealth of Learning is exciting, challenging and frantic!
* Rwanda was accepted into the Commonwealth - yay!

Lowlights
All other news pales into insignificance against the news we received at the beginning of January that our friend Lesley had finally succumbed to the brain tumour which was diagnosed last year. Very sad for everyone who knows this remarkable family. Our love and thoughts go to Guy, Tess and Maggie - and we will always remember Les as the vibrant, funny, thoughtful, lovely person that she was. This is my favourite photo - taken of Les and I on my birthday.