Posts Tagged ‘computers’
Posted on November 15, 2009
A Year Later in Nepal
Last week marked our one year anniversary in Nepal. Amazingly on one hand, time has really flown by. On the other hand however, considering all the changes we have experienced, our time here has felt much, MUCH longer.
I can say one thing for sure, I have definitely learned and grown a lot since I first stepped off that plane, more than I could have ever imagined. Perhaps it is because I had the chance to step away from the rat race and the normalcy of my daily life back in Vancouver. While adapting to life in Nepal, I also had the time to reflect about what I really wanted out of life, what my real strengths and weaknesses are, and what really matters to me the most. I don’t want to sound cliché, but it has truly been a tremendous “soul searching” experience for both me and my wife.
What do I miss most from back home?
Doritos chips and high speed internet.
The things that I have come to love about Nepal?
The people, it is definitely the people – the people who I work with, laugh with, learn new things with, and at the same time the people who sometimes drives me crazy, my uncanny neighbours, and the fruit vendor down the street who occasionally tries to charge just a little extra for a kilo of apples.
What they all have in common though is their unconditional perseverance. Along with the political instability, the surmounting daily problems and barriers to basic opportunities that we often take for granted, are unimaginable to endure in my mind yet it is a normal part of their daily lives.
And so, they keep moving on, routinely going through the motions of their daily lives often either day-dreaming of a better life or apathetic or indifferent. Yet they are always “present” and “grounded” living each day one day at a time.
Regarding my work and challenges
I work in VSO Nepal’s HIV/AIDS programme as an IT Advisor. However, I feel like I have been more than what my ID cards says I am. I have worn “many hats” as they say, played many roles, and adapted a MacGyver style of working when it comes to helping people grow and learn. Working along with several local Nepali NGO’s regarding information management and related technologies, I have acted as a capacity builder, a trouble shooter, a teacher, a coach/motivator, a mentor, a facilitator, and even a councilor (that’s long story).
Depending on my colleague’s needs, activities have ranged from brainstorming ideas on how to build and maintain their library, developing policies and best practices regarding computer usage/maintenance to testing out new software and going shopping with them to look for the best computer deals and services. So far, my work has not only been interesting but genuine and authentic in way – real, raw, and down-to-earth grassroots.
Of course, the culture and language barriers were difficult at first, but it definitely got easier as time went on (and as my Nepali got better). However, the most challenging aspect of my job is actually figuring out how to learn and work in a totally different way that I am used to working back home.
On being a volunteer
I’ve learned that to be a volunteer (or any type of job that sees you working in different cultures), you really have to be flexible, adaptable, and creative since “anything” can unexpectedly happen. Most importantly I had to learn to be comfortable about “letting go” of some of my own expectations and convictions. On many occasions it has been frustrating and I felt like saying “Arggh, just let me do it and it will get done.” I had to remind myself, it is not about me but about the community that I am helping.
“Change” can be excruciatingly slow but it is definitely happening. As a “changed” person myself, I am simply along for the ride, supporting my colleagues through their necessary growing pains.
Highlights so far…
Work-wise, one of my most proudest moments is seeing my colleagues excited about the projects that we are working on. It’s amazing but simply teaching someone a new skill or trick on the computer, it feels like you are bringing water to a community village.
One colleague was ecstatic that she can now call herself a “Web Content Manager” after learning how to blog or edit their organization’s web site and another is jubilant that he can now optimize the performance of their computer networks. No longer do they say that the computer is just an expensive type writer.
Sometimes I found that a person just needed reassurance that the existing knowledge and skills that they have learned on their own is not inadequate. They often see me as the “Expert” but I often say, “Hey now, you are an expert as well!” I also found that often encouragement is needed for them to continue to explore new ideas, think critically, converse with their peers, and most importantly to not be afraid to make mistakes. It may sound easy to us “Westerners” but in reality, the concept is sometimes foreign in some cultures.
Finally, like any job, I look forward to vacation time. To be tourist when technically you are not one is such a great feeling. Let’s be honest here, travelling, seeing the sights, and learning about new cultures is a big plus about volunteering overseas.
It has been such an amazing experience so far and even though our placement ends in January, our adventure isn’t over yet.
Posted on October 17, 2009
An IT Checklist (and other things to know) for New Volunteers
Greetings to all new VSO volunteers who are coming to Nepal. Here is what you need to know regarding IT…
- Bring your own laptop – your laptop will be your source of entertainment (movies, tv, music, photos, etc.) and it will allow you to work from anywhere (at home, at Cyber cafes, wi-fi enabled restaurants etc.). Don’t rely on your partner organization to provide you a working PC (some are ancient). You can purchase laptops in Kathmandu but they are expensive since the shop keepers tell me that they get hit with excess import taxes. A decent laptop can run from 60,000 to 75,000 npr. If you have no choice or realize that you do have to purchase a laptop in Nepal, have no fear since all brands are available and the services at some shops are pretty extraordinary (ie. “free” software, support, extra add-ons if you bargain). For my work here, I like small and compact laptops, especially if you plan to carry it around from office to office, district to district (no need to break your back). Netbooks are worth it in my opinion (if you are the Internet-Word-Photo-viewing only type of person). If there is no DVD/CD drive, just get the extra external optical drive and leave it home when not needed! Don’t forget to bring back-up CD’s of your operating system and software – you never know if and when you have to reinstall them (you don’t want to install anything from here either). Integrated web cams and mic is a must.
- Anti-virus software – DO NOT mess around with this aspect. Pay for a decent anti-virus software program as the free ones will not cut it. Without a doubt YOU WILL come across viruses, especially in some places where Internet is still on dial-up and sharing files via flash USB drives (pen drives as they call it here) is the norm. Read my previous post of recommended anti-virus programs. Regarding anti-virus updates, you can plug your laptop into any cyber cafe. If you are in the Kathmandu valley, fill up at the VSO office.
- Electrical plug outlet adapters and surge protectors – re: plug outlet adapters, it would be good to bring your own high-quality adapters but you can also get good ones here. Re: surge protectors, if you have a good, high-quality one bring it for the sake of your laptop. Poor power surge bars will eventually drain your laptop battery (our brand new laptop used to last for 3 hours and now it can barely last for 1). However, you can also purchase high-quality surge protectors in town for cheap.
- External hard drives and USB flash drives (pen drives) – for backup and file sharing, it is a must! Sure, you can burn DVD’s of your important data, photos and files but they do fill up fast (and if you are a photo addict like I am, you will need it). You can purchase inexpensive drives here (Transcend is the popular brand – 120 GB for 9000 npr) but heck, bring your own anyways. Pen drives bought here are really inexpensive and pretty reliable.
- Upgrading your laptop – I am not sure why (maybe because parts can “easily” be imported in) but upgrading RAM and laptop hard drives is relatively cheap.
- Thinking about a Desktop computer? – For only 25000 – 35000 npr you can get a pretty fast clone PC. But get a laptop.
- PC or Laptop support/troubleshooting? – If there isn’t any IT volunteer or any tech-savvy volunteers around, VSO Nepal outsources their IT needs and perhaps you can use the same company as well. If you are out of valley, I would head to your local cyber cafe and start from there for advice. The IT industry is booming here in Nepal.
- Laptop bags and gear – a protective sleeve for your laptop is always good (for dust, spills, flying dal bhaat, whatever) as well as a good bag. You can get a good notebook style messenger bag but it’s not as convenient as a good backpack designed for notebooks. It’s easier to carry, you are more mobile and flexible, especially if you are on a motorbike. A notebook lock is good but I never really used mine.
- Internet Providers in Nepal – still debatable on which ones to use as every volunteer has had good and bad experiences with each company. Check with VSO Nepal for their updated recommendations but here is my list of companies to use.
- Mobile phone – you can bring your own GSM SIM card enabled phone but if it is an expensive one, I would be wary about bringing it as there is a chance that you can lose, damage, or get it stolen. You can get a decent mobile phone here (and it will for sure work) for 2500 to 3500 npr. Out-going volunteers can pass you their old phones as well (very convenient as you do not have to go through the hassle of registering for a phone number). However, if you do need to register for a new number, Mero Mobile and NTC are the popular (and most reliable) service providers in the country (as side from the registration fee, you would also need a passport photo and a photocopy of your passport). Like all telecom companies, they do have their business-driven Pros and Cons (ie. Mero moble users calling another Mero mobile user is cheaper than calling an NTC user, NTC has cheaper rates but hard to get SIM card for some reason).
- Email (and related web services) – most often volunteers create new email address accounts while they are working in Nepal. The big 3 email providers, Microsoft Live Mail, Google Gmail, and Yahoo! Email each have their own perks and depending on which company your friends mostly use, it will also likely determine who you sign-up with as well. This matters the most when it comes to chatting and accessing useful web services that you may find useful for staying in touch with friends and family back home.Here is quick summary of these services:
- Yahoo! – with your Yahoo! account you will not only have email but access to Flickr (for photo sharing and storage), Delicious (for storing and sharing bookmarks on the web), Yahoo! Groups, and Yahoo! Messenger for chat.
- Google – along with Gmail, you can setup your own Blog with Blogger, manage your photos on your computer and share them online with Picasa, chat with other Google users on Google Talk (and Gmail if you have chat enabled). Google also has Groups. Like to map things? Google Maps is neat. Google is my choice.
- Hotmail (or Live mail from Microsoft) – you got blog with Live Spaces, MSN messenger chat, photo sharing and management with Windows Vista or 7, and lots of other services. You can’t go wrong here.
- Mac – if you are on a Mac, well you have all of the above plus your own cool world (MobileMe).
- Facebook is a notable mention – it is has everything you need especially if all your friends and family are on it. VSO Nepal even has a Facebook group.
- Blogs – need a web site (blogs are really web sites)? Then I recommend Blogger.com, Wordpress.com, or Tumblr.com. Windows Live Spaces is included with your hotmail account.
- Software – aside from the aforemention chat programs above, Skype is a godsend for video, chat, and phone calls. You should have your basic office applications such as Microsoft Office. Be aware however, most organization that I have worked with are still using older versions of Microsoft Windows and Office (Windows XP and Office 95/2000) for obvious $$$ reasons so you may stumble upon file compatibility issues (.doc vs. .docx). OpenOffice is great but if you are working on a document that was originally in Word or has to be submitted in Word, DO NOT use OpenOffice as you may find yourself having many formatting and layout headaches/issues.Finally, here is my essential list of software to load your laptop with:
- Anti-virus software of course
- Microsoft Office (or OpenOffice) and a backup/restore CD of your laptop or operating system
- Email software: if using Hotmail, download Windows Live Mail to email read your email offline. Gmail via Google Gears. Mozilla Thunderbird is another free email software package.
- For photos: Picasa is free as is Windows Live Photos.
- Web browsers: Google Chrome is nice, light and fast, Mozilla FireFox is neat, if you are living in Microsoft land go with Internet Explorer.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader (but get the full Acrobat version if you can or install PDF Creator)
- Skype (did I mention that already?)
- For blogging offline, Windows Live Writer which is great when you don’t have internet access and you can draft your blog entry and have it ready to go.
- Video and DVD’s – VLC Media Player, it plays everything.
- CCleaner – a useful all-in-one cleaning program that clears out the junk and organizes your computer (makes your computer go faster and can free up hard drive space.)
If anybody else has any other suggestions, feel free to share them here.
Posted on September 5, 2009
How’s my patient?
I use analogies all the time when trying to explain about information technologies, best management practices, and maintenance concepts to my non-tech savvy colleagues. However, finding the “right” analogy that sticks with certain people can be an interesting challenge as well (because it can backfire).
At work, I try to illustrate that organizing and managing your electronic documents, files, and reports is like organizing your wardrobe, your closet or even food pantry and maintaining the health and longevity of your computer is like maintaining your motorcycle or car.
(Backfire: many Nepalese have told me that they only bring their vehicles to the shop when it breaks down…sigh).
One new analogy that I have come up with that seems to be very receptive to my colleagues is the notion that I am their “IT Doctor”.
As their IT Doctor, the title seems to possess a high moral standard as I am either assessing a “spaghetti-like” local network, resuscitating a sickly old desktop, or even attempting to exorcise a possessed laptop (I wasn’t able to solve Elijah’s solo-moving cursor problem).
As a trustworthy authority figure, I also provide IT health consultation (ie. always exercise scan your USB drives/external hard drives twice a day, etc.) and prevention advice (um, you do not know where that USB drive has been, so always use anti-virus protection, see my previous post about Anti-virus protection in Nepal).
An “IT auto mechanic”, another analogy that I sometimes use or the typical repairman may in fact provide the same technical services and also the same advice but ahhh the allure of the title “IT Doctor” seems to have more credibility, better bedside manners, and is a lot more sexier than the prototypical laid-back, geeky IT consultant.
IT Doctors work for the greater good …. we want to help prevent the spread of viruses, educate the community about IT health issues, through mainstreaming and sensitization, and help alleviate IT network empidemics from potential mass data lose biblical proportions.
- possible mission statement for the fictional organization,
“IT Doctors without Borders”
Case in point, compare the number of medical drama shows that are out there to the number of IT drama shows.
Coming soon analogies…
- Creating web sites is like cooking.
- Matching volunteers with partners is like internet dating and rollercoaster marriages.
- Organizing a workshop in Nepal compared to back home is like a jazz band versus an orchestra. – from Julie
Posted on August 2, 2009
In this case, smaller is better
So today, it is with deepest regrets to say that my relationship with Shiva Ratri has ended prematurely. We had fun on our dates, logged many late night hours on the Internet, travelled together to various places in Nepal, etc., BUT it just didn’t work out as I was looking for something different to compliment where life is taking me at the moment. So with the help of a friend, we were able to find Shiva Ratri a new home and quickly purchase our latest addition to the family (drum roll please) little Dal Bhaat – the Toshiba’s NB200 mini-notebook.
(yes, I give nicknames to my computers)
Why you may ask? Well, maybe it is because I am getting a little older, wiser, and having less tolerance dealing with crap, and the thought of lugging the HP Compaq 6530s around (starting at 2.27 kg plus accessories) during our travels is as appealing as listening to a Celine Dion album 24 hours a day. I physically “could” do it but why punish myself (my SLR camera gear already weighs that much)?
In my mind, trading it in was worth it because within a year or so we’ll be digitally planning our travels at the beaches, comfortably blogging at French cafe’s, sharing photos with the Pope, and keeping ourselves entertained during long Eurorail rides (now you can download digital editions of Lonely Planet’s entire collection).
Why this netbook
I’ve been keeping an eye on the netbook scene for a few years now, ever since the first Acer Eee PC’s came out followed by attempts from HP (they also have a tablet PC), Dell, MSI, and Sony – one of the first models but so typically Sony-esque expensive (the One Laptop per Child project is still the visionary pioneer). Being mobile yet powerful at the same time was high on my list, especially now. However, these first generation netbooks, although portable, were still awkward to use, power skimpy (500 MB of RAM and 8 GB hard drive?!?!? C’mon!?!), and still VERY expensive (a few hundred dollars more and you could have yourself a power notebook). Speaking of which, who could forget the Macbook Air (I must admit I fell into the media hype).
Then one day, I stumbled upon an advertisement in The Kathmandu Post about Toshiba’s NB200 mini-notebook line. I don’t ever recall hearing about Toshiba making a netbook before so I was immediately intrigued and quickly sought out a computer store to see this product in person. I was utterly amazed – for the price, power, and upgrade possibilities, you definitely can’t go wrong (others seem to agree, see Laptop Magazine & PC World). It looks like Toshiba took a wait-and-see approach as this netbook looks flawless, even perhaps taking a page out of Apple’s design playbook.
Noticeable features:
- Of course, it’s light (a little less than 3 lbs / 1.4 kg) and easy to handle – literally like a notebook.
- The keyboard layout is the big draw as it is just spacious enough without making your hands feel cramped. The raised keys also makes typing much more comfortable.
- USB Sleep-and-Charge ports – you can charge peripherals even when the netbook is off.
- Typical yet essential: integrated web cam, enough USB ports (with 3), mic and head phone sound jacks (built in speakers suck), SD Card Slot, WI-FI / Bluetooth.
- Upgradeable RAM and HD (already packed in 2GB of RAM – upgrades are inexpensive here).
- Bright LED-back lit screen.
- 9-hours of battery life?!?! (6-cell battery)
- They power adaptors is significant smaller as well – looks like a small stick of butter and thus lightens your total carrying load.
- The overall design has an artistic look to it – the chrome bar is a nice touch.
- Did I mention it was light? Weighing almost the same as the Macbook Air, the NB200 is much easier to handle with it’s compact, smaller dimensions.
As a long-time HP fan, I will miss the Lightscribe technology and their 6-in-one integrated media card reader. However, there are a few HP netbooks on Amazon.ca
My other big concern of course was the lack of an optical drive. But after pondering about this for a bit, I realized:
- How often will I be watching DVD movies on this thing? I can always get a digital copy.
- I seldom create CD/DVD’s as backup. Most of my data is backed up or transferred via external hard/flash drives or online.
- Finally, I can always get the 13-ounce external optical drive (it’s cheaper on Amazon.com) and leave it at home when I don’t need it (done).
I won’t miss it that much.
Adjusting and new revelations
I find myself more intimately closer to the screen of my NB 200; my head is posed in a way like I’m peering through a microwave oven and my hands are more ergonomically upright like playing a piano. The new weight is God send as, like night and day when comparing how easy it is to carry around. Just like how parents handle their second, third, or fourth child, I can be more care-free in terms of handling little Dal Bhaat.
As well, seeing the World Wide Web and other applications through a 10.1 inch screen isn’t as bad as I had thought and it also gives me a better appreciation of good, solid user interface design. thegreenpages.ca and this blog actually looks better and my favourite news web sites are more compact and easier to read. Google Chrome is definitely the best web browser to date that works well in a netbook environment (although I hear Firefox isn’t far behind). Space on a netbook screen is so precious and doing away with the application title bar, creating the all-in-one address/search bar, and performing tasks easily with the least amount of keystrokes and clicks is just another Google innovation.
One awesome space saver is the “Always show bookmarks bar” (CTRL+B). Turn that off under the Tools section. Why do you need to see it all the time? The best part is, when you open a new tab or window, the bookmark bar temporarily displays until you browse to a web site.
In terms of web development and software, Gimp, although annoying and I want it to act like Photoshop, works fine and I’m quite content with Microsoft Visual Web Developer EE. I have all the browsers and utilities installed and I’m testing out iTunes. On another note, VLC Media Player works amazingly well as Quicktime is choppy.
I’m still getting little Dal Bhaat ready for prime time use and at the same time drooling at customized accessories on the Toshiba web site (I still have a few things on my radar).
Toshiba has come a long way in terms of their innovation and design. Overall, the Toshiba mini NB200/205 blows the competition away.
Posted on July 23, 2009
Got to love those Nepali women
Today, GWP is hosting a HIV/AIDS orientation picnic at a local park where the general public, mostly women attend a fun-filled day of learning about HIV/AIDS in a relaxing outdoor environment. My male GWP counterparts have been raving about this day since I got here (and of course the nature setting wasn’t the main draw) and originally I was going to go. However, it is day 5 for me here in Hetauda and I’ve only scratched the surface in terms of the work that I needed to do (ie. planning, training, etc.). I declined the invitation last minute and stayed behind hoping to provide coaching to whoever was left in the office.
To my delight (and I wasn’t surprised), the women of GWP were willing and ready to spend the day learning about Microsoft Word, Excel, and how to do excessive custom animations in PowerPoint. From what I have seen so far, I really admire Nepali women’s dedication to learning.
To the GWP women who stayed behind: Pratima you are awesome and a work horse, you lasted many more hours on the computer than I did that day; Awdeeti, it’s too bad you live 2 hours away by bus from home and I know you wanted to stay longer; Nisha, slow down, you work faster than the computer can process.
It was another good but sweltering hot day.
Love it!
