I wrote those lines more than seven weeks ago and had actually spent a couple of hours writing and was close to hitting the post button. I am starting to believe there is a direct link to my trying to blog and loss of an internet connection. In addition to the normal power outages and non-functioning towers, we learned our computer has both software and hardware issues and are awaiting a go-ahead from Dell to get it repaired under warranty. And in case all that was not enough, the article below illustrates another ongoing obstacle:
Mozambique: Six Months to Repair Sub-Station
13 March 2012Maputo — It will take up to six months to rebuild the electricity sub-station that was destroyed by fire in Maputo on Sunday, according to the spokesperson for the electricity company (EDM), Celestino Sitoe, cited in Tuesday's issue of the independent newsheet "Mediafax".
The fire left very little of the Maputo City number five substation intact. Sitoe said that replacements for almost all the components will have to be imported.
While the equipment is imported and assembled, the nine neighbourhoods that depended on this sub-station will be supplied for other sub-stations. This puts the city's power system under greater than normal stress, which means that repeated power cuts are likely over the next few months.
EDM claimed that by Sunday night it had rigged up alternative connections for all the areas that usually depend on sub-station five. "Mediafax" reports that this was not strictly true: the Eduardo Mondlane University, for instance (which is where the sub-station is located) suffered prolonged power cuts throughout Monday.
EDM does not yet know what caused the fire. An EDM team is still working at the ruins of the sub-station to ascertain the causes and calculate the losses.
We live across from the Mondlane University sub-station and did not actually get power restored for three days. Since then, we have lost power at least once each day and my guess is this will continue until long after we leave. Sometimes I think this country has the equivalent of the Munchausen Syndrome.
In any case, I am going ahead and sending what I had written early (that was not lost) while I have the capability. Will also start a new blog with more recent news and hope that it does not take two months to complete!
The fire left very little of the Maputo City number five substation intact. Sitoe said that replacements for almost all the components will have to be imported.
While the equipment is imported and assembled, the nine neighbourhoods that depended on this sub-station will be supplied for other sub-stations. This puts the city's power system under greater than normal stress, which means that repeated power cuts are likely over the next few months.
EDM claimed that by Sunday night it had rigged up alternative connections for all the areas that usually depend on sub-station five. "Mediafax" reports that this was not strictly true: the Eduardo Mondlane University, for instance (which is where the sub-station is located) suffered prolonged power cuts throughout Monday.
EDM does not yet know what caused the fire. An EDM team is still working at the ruins of the sub-station to ascertain the causes and calculate the losses.
We live across from the Mondlane University sub-station and did not actually get power restored for three days. Since then, we have lost power at least once each day and my guess is this will continue until long after we leave. Sometimes I think this country has the equivalent of the Munchausen Syndrome.
In any case, I am going ahead and sending what I had written early (that was not lost) while I have the capability. Will also start a new blog with more recent news and hope that it does not take two months to complete!
It feels like a lot has happened in those four months. First major event was finally receiving all the furniture we ordered so we no longer had to sit on lawn chairs in the living room. The second major event, less than two weeks after receiving said furniture, was I left for the states. Started in Atlanta, went back for Christmas in Atlanta, and had one final night and hug with my grandson before heading back to Maputo.
My sons, Kevin and Brian, drove down from Virginia with my mother for Thanksgiving in Atlanta. Our first four generation picutre.
We had a nice time fighting over who got to hold Ben, enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner prepared by Eric and Meredith, and even managed a little sightseeing. See how well you know Atlanta by guessing the location of the sights below:
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I drove back to Virginia with my sons and Mom, a drive that is too short for two days and too long for one day. I had a delightful two plus weeks catching up with friends, doing aerobic classes, going back to book group, and enjoying all the accroutements of western civilization. Even the visits to the dentist and the doctor seemed fun. Bunked at the Doris Doran hostel in the Goodwin House Retirement Center, sleeping on the sofa. It is a little unnerving, but I actually liked it. Great fitness room and pool, good food, free wine, walking distance to the stores...not a bad life. Plus, everyone thought I was in really good shape because I could swim a lap without stopping and stay upright on the elliptical.
Then, back in the car with Kevin and Brian for Christmas in Atlanta. Carl had arrived in Atlanta a few days earlier AND his father made a stateside trip from Hawaii for the Four Generation of Y Chromosome Swartz's.
Yes, those are knickers. Believe there is some royal blood in the family tree.
Although it was wonderful to have everyone together our holiday was deeply affected by the tragic deaths of two Peace Corps Volunteers in a traffic accident just before Christmas. This totally consumed Carl's time, including a trip to accompany one of the bodies on Christmas Day, tempered the holiday spirit, and disrupted all our plans. All paled compared to what the ordeal of the volunteers' families. It made having our family together seem all the more important. On a happier note, here is an overview of how we spent our holiday. If you need or want to make it more interesting, count Ben's outfits. The rest of us seem to have a penchant for gray.
So, off this goes while I can! Stay tuned for more exciting adventures!
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| Hi Grandma! I am skyping (sorry, couldn't resist one more picture) |
Hi Pam! thanks for writing and catching us all up on your holiday travels and adventures. So sorry to hear of the loss of the 2 Peace Corps folks, however. The pictures are wonderful, how nice to have so many generations together!
ReplyDeleteI hope all the mix ups with shipping and machines/systems get cleared up (at least in time for the next ones!)
Falls Church is sunny and cool today, we pretty much missed winter this year, as I'm sure you've been informed already. Trees blossoming and daffodils everywhere. We're going to try to get down to the cherry blossoms (ahead this year)by about 5:30am on Saturday to stroll the Tidal Basin as we have annually for the past 18 years. One yeear I was a week before delivering my son Jamie (almost 10 now) and so we borrowed our senior neighbor's wheel chair and I rode around the Tidal Basin in grand style when I got too tired to walk. Anyway, getting back to laundry etc. typical Sunday afternoon : ) Hope all well, and thanks again for sharing your experiences with all of us! Best regards, Shari Fishman (one of your kick boxing students)
Hi Pam,
ReplyDeleteIt is soooooo good to hear from you and know that you arrived back "home" safe and sound after such a wonderful trip stateside. It was great to see you, hear all the tales, and look at pictures of your lovely family. Sad, too, about the Peace Corps volunteers--certainly makes one thankful and feel blessed for all we have.
As mentioned earlier, we have had no winter to speak of--a couple of snow showers(never amounted to anything and roads were always clear)and one time when I had to help shovel ice from the sidewalks at the library--good exercise since you aren't about for the aerobics! Daffies are all up, out, and in some place all gone--hyacinths are blooming, cherry blossoms at full peak today, and trees are getting that light green fuzz when seen from afar. Won't be long now before yellow dust drifts about and already one hears lots of sneezing, coughing and sees watery eyes and red noses.
Budget time is here, and we go on Thursday night to Council for the budget worksession. HHS is the same night, and they have at least 5 departments that night--all the depts. will fittend into two nights with Council and then CIP talks start. Flat budget this year, which still means some minor cuts to maintain that 0% increase, but no layoffs, which is more than wonderful. Now the challenge is to get some increased compensation for City staff. Not sure how that will go.
Ebooks are going great guns and soon (in next week or so) we will offer free downloadable music (3 songs a week that you get to keep)--all you need is a valid MRSPL library card and pin. Called Freegal and we're excited by it. Just go to our website and click on downloadable resources on the left hand side to see it all.
Know the frustration of sporadic or non-existent Internet. Just got back from St. Maarten and with all the solar flares and extra people on the island for the regatta, it was more than frustrating to get a message out. Finally gave up and packed up the PC and just enjoyed the beach/water!
Hope you are well and that the job is going well. Can't wait to read the next installment from you--it is always so interesting--again you should write a book! Love the pics, too! Ben is a mighty lucky boy to have so many doting folks drooling over him.
Cheers, Mary Mc