the computer aged

Okay I like being here, but it can be difficult.

 An African flame tree (Peltophorum) on our walk towards Mlimani shopping center.

It has been my observation over the last three decades that Roberta is generally a fairly calm person and in our relationship, I’m the one to loses it and cannot cope with computers.  Well TZ has changed that.  Okay, who among us e-mailing junkies, would not find it difficult to survive without a computer.  How about not having computer access during your “relaxing” sabbatical!  Are you kidding!

Roberta soldiered on, albeit it with less than her usual happy outlook.

 A yellow-headed dwarf gecko (Lygodactylus) that like collecting insects around the Research Flats.  We are grateful to these chappies, as they keep down the mosquitoes.

It starts with that wonderful MacBook Air slowing down in China and then a quick set of e-mails to Todd to prepare for a complete computer overhaul during our 3-day stopover at the University of Maryland before heading off to Tanzania.  There was the several days of happiness after arriving in TZ; MacBook Air going fine.  Then Bill leaves town and all hell breaks lose with the Air. Pleas to Todd.  It all looks bad.  Can’t work with the Air.  Roberta switches to the moribund Dell on the desk we claimed.  There was the earlier story about victory in downtown Dar at the computer store and how we were pleased after installing that 1 GB chip. Roberta was back underway, albeit with a Dell, but no longer struggling with her limping Mac. 

Roberta’s MacBook Air was still around and luring her to touch it, however, it seemed to have a dying HD.  Booting it up was as exciting as watching sediments deposit, but at least it hobbled along, as long as only one program was running.  That said, however, word-processing on that Mac was competitive with the speed of the last glacial advance over North America!  [I’m a geologist, what kind of analogies did you expect!]

Our walk across campus provides us with this beautiful array of flowers which thrive in this climate.  This hibiscus (Hibiscus) is one of many flowering bushes that line the walk down to the department of Geology; this one is outside the department of Zoology.

Over the last week plus, we have been coping with intermittent power supply problems (oh that’s another story; stay tuned), and so it was not out of the ordinary to have the power go out. However, I mention this because in this case it was not an ordinary power outage.  Roberta turns to me and asks - did your power just go out?  But then she notes the air conditioner is running.  Heck, she shouts, my computer just went out!  A high-pitched whine speaks and we wonder about fan or hard disk.  Call Peter (aka Todd in Dar); he’s always helpful. When Peter arrives we turn back on the Dell and he agrees, fan or hard disk.  The next day we haul the Dell to the “experts” on campus.  Yup, mother board died, but the HD survived, so at least a few files could be retrieved.  Peter, don’t forget to get the new 1GB of RAM back. Roberta is not yet in tears….  

At least by this time, the Todd/Phil team (the Mr. Fantastic Wrench team of UMD!) had been activated and a new MacBook Pro was about to come to life and become dressed out with the latest and greatest software, but first there was the wait for it to arrive at UMD, add the software, ship by Fedex and then the big wait – arrival in Dar.  Nonetheless, Roberta soldiered on, back to the old, nearly dead laptop.  She began working at a pace that would bring anyone to tears.  That didn’t mean I was prepared for an alien life form taking over Roberta, which forced her to raise the MacBook Air high into the air (I don’t believe the developers ever envisaged this name association).  Yup, she was about to crash the poor hobbling laptop to the floor.  Quick thinking and fast footwork by the in-office swat team averted the attempted laptop plunge.

Monday, it is a sadly underrated day.  This Monday, nearly at the end of the work day, Roberta, who stepped out of the office to have an emotional break (one needs them when using the above mentioned laptop), soon threw open the door with a big smile and a Fedex box.  Yes this story had a wonderful happy ending and she is back to being happy, calm and smiling.