Where are the cars?!?

Mopeds
After spending three weeks in Bamako, I would like to postulate that a countries wealth is inversely proportional to its number of mopeds. I have both lived in and visited a number of developing countries (Zimbabwe, Senegal, Mexico, Ecuador) but I have never in my life, check, never fathomed that so many mopeds could exist. All is made possible by the Chinese who have made new 100cc mopeds available for under $500. Given their price and “quality” it is no shock that one of Mali’s fastest growing industries has become moped repair.

Everyone rides

Needless to say driving in Bamako has definetly been an adjustment especially at night when it feels like you are driving into a swarm of fireflies. Mopeds in Mali give a whole new meaning to checking your blindspot but I have already found myself reverting to the “blind gradual lane change” I mastered in Chicago traffic.

Google Analytics

Week 1 GeoMap

Google just disrupted another entire web industry with the release of another free service Google Analytics. A while ago, Google purchased Urchin a leading webstat service with a license fee that ranged from the hundreds to thousands of dollars a month. Google has made it free meaning it’ll soon get an even greater understanding (if that’s possible) of the webs usage and it also happens to tie in brilliantly with their adwords service.

Colored bubbles
Here is a wonderful article from Popular Science about an inventor’s 11 year quest to create color bubbles. Not only is in inspiring to read how the quest to create a toy has resulted in a breakthrough in how we can use dye, when reading this, I couldn’t help but remember the feeling I got as a kid watching the Absent Minded Professor invent flubber.

Apologies due

First, I would like to apologize for the months of negligence to this blog. I am still suprised people have found it interesting enough to read/follow so I will do my best to keep it up to date again. I have actually found blogging as a great way to record my experiences and due to my handwriting keeping a journal has just never worked.

Geekcorps Mali

The Geekcorps Mali Team

For those who don’t know, I am now in Bamako, Mali. Upon the end of my first term as a volunteer in Senegal with the Geekcorps, I had the opportunity to apply to be the country director/program coordinator for IESC/Geekcorp’s program in Mali and in the end had the great fortune to be selected. It truly is a dream job for me as I will finally get to pursue my passion for blending IT with development to hopefully help make at least a small difference in Africa. In the future, I will try and elaborate on what exactly our program is trying to achieve. For now, our program website: mali.geekcorps.org (make sure to check out the news section) is a great way to see what we do. I have just finished my first two weeks here and despite the constant smell of burning garbage am starting to adjust well. I have a nice home, an incredible staff to work with and can attest that despite the poverty, Mali has a lot of charm. The depth and diversity of its culture and history alone are staggering.

Fete du Ramadan
My arrival coincided with the end of Ramadan, the month where Muslim’s around the world fast for a month as a testament to their committment in their faith. The end of Ramadan is marked with a huge celebration similar to our Christmas where families are visited and kids are given new clothes and if they’re lucky sunglasses. Moussa one of our local tech geniuses was kind of enough to invite him to share the holiday with his family.

new duds

girl in shadows

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