"Exterminate all the Brutes"

The past 4 days I introduced some of the IT classes of the Polytechnic into the upcoming server hardware, that will be installed at the Library of the Polytechnic. I hope to find people who are interested in maintaining the thinclient system later on. That’s why I’m thinking of dividing the system in two parts: one for training at the IT dept. and the other part as a running environment in the Library. David Chigama a GNU/linux lecturer from Zimbabwe would love to study and maintain such a System.

Frank, our cook, finds a “chamaeleo dilepis petersi”, that he kept in a box for us until we got home. I don’t believe my eyes, when I see it.
Later I try to tell David the sensation and feeling it causes. I explain, that it might be about the same sensation for a malawian to see snow, for the first time in his life.
That animal is moving forward so incredibly slow and quiet. After holding it in our hands for about half an hour it still behaves as if it was still not beeing seen. In fact it still isn’t there at all.

Monday afternoon, the 9th of october 2006, 16:41h CAT sharp, we’re lucky to meet some karatekidz from Blantyre on their secret mission.
The kids hide in the bushes near our home. After some negotiation with the “head” of the gang, they’re posing for some pictures.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

The first chamaeleon we sight is a so called “elephant-ear-chamaeleon” (Chamaeleo melleri). The kids from the neighbourhood and Frank, the cook climb into the tree to catch it for us. It doesn’t seem to be as happy, as we are. It spits and shows us his black tounge, that would give us a rash, if we touched it.

Five days after our arrival in malawi, the administrative issues are sorted out in the way, that we can move on for a visit at the Polytechnic (University of Malawi).
The Lecturers, the Librarian, the Secretaries, the Drivers as well, as the Porters are pleased about seeing the old face again. We’re welcome in a very warm way in Malawi

Just that everybody can relax: We’ve arrived safely in Blantyre last Saturday. It was just very difficult the last days, to get Internet and a working cell phone number. And monday-thuesday we had some troubles with the immigration offices and our visas. As Switzerland doesn’t belong to the european union, swiss people are treated differently, when entering Malawi. “Teo nana mawa” (Cya tomorrow).