Oh my god, the internet is so freaking fast here (probably any where). I am at the Amsterdam Airport waiting for Chris' plane to land in over an hour form now and got here two hours ago. Very wierd being here. I just got a Starbucks coffee and am eying up Burger King. I would never think of doing that any where in the States but have not had good food in such a long time that BK sounds good. Sooooooo bad.
So I am looking at some wooden clogs and tulip bulbs from my prech in the middle of the airport lobby. Everone has winter clothes on and I just left a hot box of humidity. I welcome the cold, for now of course. I still hear alot of Americans/Canadians everywhere I go. Tanzania and now the Dam.
So it was wierd yesterday when I left the jobsite and then the gang at the hotel. I missed everyone at the jobsite because they were on lunch and I wanted to get out of dodge. So I never got to say bye to some of my favorite people on the job. Some very nice and funny characters. The gang was like leaving your family for the first time (not really but is as close to describing it as you can). We've been hanging out for every day for the last two months or so. Good poeple and hope to stay in contact with them. Alright, I need more coffee as I couldn't sleep as well on the red-eye fas I would have hoped.
When I am at the Koffee shops, I'll make sure to write (don't laugh).
Cheers.
P
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
It has landed
(sorry, this was written over a week ago)It has landed: the $650 million dollar, 15,000 Km, undersea fiber optic cable by SEACOM. It was a huge dog and pony show for 6 fibers, each smaller than a hair. It was anticlimactic seeing a cable the diameter smaller than a soda bottle too. But, if you were stack encyclopedias as high as the Empire State Bldg., this is how much information can travel per second through this cable. Very fast and with a large capacity. Depending who you listed too, the communication cost will be reduced by 50 – 90%. The system will not be operational until June of this year.
Well the light is at the end of the tunnel. I am here until Wednesday (5th) and heading to Amsterdam and Rotterdam for 7 nights. It will be a well deserved vacation for me. Sorry I haven’t written that much lately, mostly just sick of the internet here. It is just beyond slow here which is a good thing we are putting this cable in. Today is Sunday and we are working, well I am mostly watching people work. The group of people I have been hanging out with took a trip to the small island which I can see from the job, actually could swim if I was Mike Phelps. From what we have heard the little island is a nature preserve and is beautiful I am bummed I can’t not go but there actually might be progress on the job today (that was sarcasm). I’ve been told by one of the drivers that brings one of the locals here that there is two different times – African time and Mzungo (white people) time. In Tanzania, it is usually African Time. I feel it is more like “no rush, the job will get done” but the pressure is on to get the foundations completed and ready for the 10th of March for when the prefabricated buildings arrive. If things are not ready, it will cost a lot of money to have people and equipment sit around.
I haven’t really done too much here. I did go to the local market where they sell all the touristy wood carvings and almost everything else. They ask for an absurd price for something (which is actually is still cheap in US dollars) and then you bargain with them. I am not a good bargainer, I can get them down about half and then I just cave in because it is still so cheap. Too bad I have very little room in my suitcase. The market is pretty cool, just a bunch of sheet metal buildings that are small and I hit my head all the time trying to get in these things. Everyone is friendly and too friendly when they want you money. One guy wanted to trade for my crappy watch, I should have but I am addicted to time – nature of the work.
If I can in Amsterdam, I will upload as many photos as I can. The internet will be much better for that, it really does take for ever here.
Well the light is at the end of the tunnel. I am here until Wednesday (5th) and heading to Amsterdam and Rotterdam for 7 nights. It will be a well deserved vacation for me. Sorry I haven’t written that much lately, mostly just sick of the internet here. It is just beyond slow here which is a good thing we are putting this cable in. Today is Sunday and we are working, well I am mostly watching people work. The group of people I have been hanging out with took a trip to the small island which I can see from the job, actually could swim if I was Mike Phelps. From what we have heard the little island is a nature preserve and is beautiful I am bummed I can’t not go but there actually might be progress on the job today (that was sarcasm). I’ve been told by one of the drivers that brings one of the locals here that there is two different times – African time and Mzungo (white people) time. In Tanzania, it is usually African Time. I feel it is more like “no rush, the job will get done” but the pressure is on to get the foundations completed and ready for the 10th of March for when the prefabricated buildings arrive. If things are not ready, it will cost a lot of money to have people and equipment sit around.
I haven’t really done too much here. I did go to the local market where they sell all the touristy wood carvings and almost everything else. They ask for an absurd price for something (which is actually is still cheap in US dollars) and then you bargain with them. I am not a good bargainer, I can get them down about half and then I just cave in because it is still so cheap. Too bad I have very little room in my suitcase. The market is pretty cool, just a bunch of sheet metal buildings that are small and I hit my head all the time trying to get in these things. Everyone is friendly and too friendly when they want you money. One guy wanted to trade for my crappy watch, I should have but I am addicted to time – nature of the work.
If I can in Amsterdam, I will upload as many photos as I can. The internet will be much better for that, it really does take for ever here.
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