Day Two and Feeling Good

The five USB flash drives that I purchased for my teachers are stuck somewhere in Boston or Lisbon in my checked baggage, among other small things like that for class. I say to myself over and over, “At least it wasn't the computers that were lost. At least it wasn't the computers.”

Today I scrounged around in all my bags and ended up finding a perfect total of five used but still functioning emergency flash drives that I had hidden in various bags in case of emergency during our time in Haiti. Thanking my lucky stars right now as I reformat them and put on the materials that were on the other prepared drives.

Had a great talk with Ned over lunch today. STEP UP is hoping to build an applied technologies shool where students can go to learn how to fix computers, create solar energy and other things that can help them get a leg up in a developing country. This school could have an incredible symbiotic relationship with the laptop program at São João. Students that go on to this applied technologies school could learn how to better fix the XO laptop and build up quite a little market in computer repair. Students who participate in São João's program who may not have otherwise had an interest in school or technology may now want to attend a school such as the one STEP UP wants to create. There are just a wealth of good things to talk about if this pulls through.

It's Sunday so between the laptop over-thinking I have also been laying on Ned's dock, soaking in the sunshine, then sitting on his porch and watching the waves. It's been a quiet day but a good one. By tomorrow morning I will be fully prepared to visit the São João school, see the teachers and get ready for a great week of planning, organizing and learning. This works out quite well, since tomorrow is Monday and there's no time to lose! Also hoping to talk to Roberta at STEP UP about speaking with UNICEF, the UN, USAID, etc. Will probably send her a copy of my funding proposal to see what she thinks.

Until tomorrow-

B