by Kathy | Dec 11, 2012 | Uncategorized
It seems appropriate to start an entry about pace by saying “oops, its been two weeks since I posted last.” For a woman who has a tendency to zip around to get things done its a bit difficult to adjust to a very different pace to things living here in Kampala. Transportation being one. There is traffic like most cities (except the part where rules aren’t actually followed), but luckily I don’t have to drive in it. However, that means I have to wait for someone to drive me in it and that generally means coordinating transportation with my colleagues and that means waiting. And waiting. And sometimes more waiting. And while I can be a very patient person, when it comes to waiting I’m really not. So I’m having to find my happy place with waiting. Making it time to breathe and think. Or just be. Because there is waiting every where here. I think it will probably be good for me in the long run and I wonder if when I go home I’ll act differently or if I’ll go back to zipping around. Will people find me noticeably slower paced? Somehow that doesn’t seem possible. I’m not sure I can actually go slower. I think I can just learn to wait between things.
by Kathy | Nov 27, 2012 | Uncategorized
I am in South Africa for the first time. I arrived in Johannesburg yesterday. On the ride from the airport, I’ll be honest I thought it looked a lot like San Jose, CA. Until we passed a shanty town and then I was reminded that there is so much more here than meets the eye. ThoughtWorks office in Johannesburg is in Braamfontein area. It has a great feel, the office is very vibrant so that probably colors how I’m looking at the area as a whole. We have a mix of people here from many parts of Africa and several vistors from our other offices around the globe. Intermingling globally is a big part of how ThoughtWorks works and I am definitely benefiting from that right now. I had lunch today with folks representing 7 countries (7 people plus me) and I learned more about African countries in that lunch than I had probably learned in my entire formal education. And there is so much to know. Following the political histories of each of these countries is complicated and I don’t expect I’ll be able to learn it over a lunch, but I’m very glad to have the opportunity to hear the stories. I learn best from stories so this is a perfect environment for me. While everyone is passionate about what they know and happy to share they are also not didactic and don’t judge my ignorance. I’m grateful for that too because that could stifle questions if I felt I would be judged. And I’m not alone as we are all learning from each other. That’s why I called it the best lunch ever. The food by the way was Nando’s which is tasty, but it could have been porridge and I’d probably say the same thing.
by Kathy | Nov 20, 2012 | Uncategorized
Yesterday evening I went to the Mobile Monday event here in Kampala, these events are not surprisingly similar in every city I’ve seen. The topic was different as the problems here are different and in some ways very basic. I am so used to the simplicity in the US of unlimited. Unlimited internet, unlimited SMS, unlimited phone calls or at least nearly so. I buy a plan and don’t worry about usage (in general that is, I’ve definitely gone over and paid the price but its rare). Its to the point where I can’t even tell you how much I use, I don’t keep track. But here, you pay as you go. You prepay for your minutes or kb and when you eat that up you buy some more. Its actually kind of stressful. Especially when you have to worry about how much will this call or download cost me? And, sorry mom, but I’m actually watching the clock while I’m talking to you to make sure I don’t go over the amount of minutes that I have bought on my international plan, (which I buy in 45 minute increments). No worries, skype will save me from these worries, oh wait, actually I have a limit there of kb up and down so maybe only video on occasion, and if I run out no more for me until the beginning of the next month. Not to mention bandwidth. When was the last time you didn’t view something or comment or blog because “it just eats up bandwidth” or would use up your allotment?
Just think of the market opportunities that are being missed (hello Rhapsody or Pandora). And I think if companies started to realize the money to be made in making the power ping and pipe a given this problem would start to dissolve. Someone needs to break the ground on that and I’m curiously looking around for that company (Smile is an interesting one for example with its new 4G LTE, I’m watching to see if they are going to change the market or merely find their place to make money in it).
Constraints do cause a lot of creativity and if you want to talk of how to bring the most value for the least cost, write a software application to solve a problem here in Uganda and you will quickly learn what is of value. It will have to be mobile to be pervasive and it can’t be taxing on your service or no one will use it. You’ll quickly spot waste and want to eliminate it or you won’t survive. I hope new organizations can pop up to remove some of these constraints and I hope that the mindset of value and efficiency the constraints create persist.
by Kathy | Nov 20, 2012 | Uncategorized
Maribou Stork – by Bird Brian on Flickr
This is the Maribou Stork, the “ugliest bird in Uganda” not my words, that’s just what everyone tells me. I think its kind of cool, this picture doesn’t show the wing span but it is a very large bird. There are many of them and they hang out in a tree by my office. They look like pteradactyls flying around which gives a prehistoric feel to the neighborhood. This weekend I’m hoping to get out of the city and see more nature but so far this is my favorite animal.
by Kathy | Nov 13, 2012 | Uncategorized
After a 24 hour or so journey I made it to Kampala last night. That much time on airplanes is really draining, though sleep helps time pass. It also sets up a surreal feeling which the jet lag keeps up. I went through Amsterdam and swapped planes. That was my first time in the Amsterdam airport and it was really nice. Great to take a break in the lounge and see the internet. It is really sad that I seem to go into withdrawal without it, I really barely looked at my email, but just having it there helped me feel connected. My next flight took me through Kigali, but we didn’t get off the plane, just waited for others to get on and off. Does it count as my having been in Rwanda? Or do I have to get off the plane to make it count? After an hour wait we moved on to Entebbe. Getting my luggage off the carousel was a relief. I always stress a little when I check bags even on a non stop, but this time I checked three bags and my luck held out because they all showed up on the carousel! This put me in a good mood as I walked out into the crowd to look for a sign with my company name on it. Sure enough, there was Max waiting to pick me up. That was my second stress, what if no one picked me up? I’ve never been so happy to see a stranger.
Max took me out to his car and I started around to the passenger door to get in when he said “no, no, not unless you’re driving.” Because, Uganda follows the British driving rules and the passenger door is on the other side. Max is a great driver, mind you they aren’t as lane conscious as we are in the states so that caused me to close my eyes a couple of times and hit my imaginary break. He took passing slow cars to a new level for me. I think it will be a while if at all before I drive here and if I do I’ll be one of those passed I’m guessing, as opposed to doing the passing.
by Kathy | Nov 11, 2012 | Uncategorized
People who know me well know that I know how to pack light. For the last three years I’ve traveled with one 22” carry on and I’ve used that for most of my trips even if they are two weeks long. If I’m going away on a really short trip I go with a smaller duffle. I make all my clothing choices up front and plan my outfits and I wear any heavy stuff on the plane. I’ve gotten good enough that I don’t find myself wishing I’d brought more or something else, unless I forgot something entirely like socks and then I just go buy it.
But now I find myself packing to go to Uganda and it’s really stumping me. I’ll be there for 6-12 months. I know my carry on is not going to cut it. I want to bring things I use regularly so I don’t have to hunt for them at the start and I have to pack for business as well as exploring. And apparently sharpies and stickies (a ThoughtWorks mainstay) are not so easy to come by so I need to bring some of those along. My first attempt at packing was an abysmal failure. Three bags packed to the gills. I feel that I should at least be able to schlep them myself 20 feet. So I pulled everything out and started weeding (mostly clothes). Now I still have three bags to check, but at least I can manage them all (though it will be entertaining for people to watch). I just don’t know how much lighter I can make it without buying everything all over again once I get there. And I don’t really know why I’m so disappointed to have three bags. I think I just like the feeling of being unencumbered by my things. But I’m about to embark on a 20 hour journey, I appear to be ready and I hope I can find someone to help me schlep my bags when I get there because it just won’t be pretty.
