August 31, 2001

Travelogue Warning: It's (Still) Random


Finally, I have more photos! »

I began work yesterday at NetAfrique.com. It was a day that was not unlike any first day in a new office; people didn’t pay too much attention to me and I sat at my empty desk wondering where the bathroom was located, what happens at lunch, etc. All of my questions were answered soon enough, though, and now I am in full swing planning workshops and projects galore. (Check out my strategy and monthly schedule. » )

If anyone has books on web design and development to donate, please contact me. We could use them for the office and/or our Ghana Institute of Journalism project in web communications (Miriam Langer, perk up your ears! :) )

The atmosphere is friendly and casual. We listen to JoyFM most of the day, which has hilarious call-in shows "for the ladies." Many a romantic dilemma cures the afternoon slump.

One of my colleagues was wondering why we are called the GeekCorps and looked up "geek" in the dictionary. Unfortunately, the synonym was fool. Really helps my credibility! (I am already ruined with my non-corporate look and tendency to crack jokes and dance in the office, though.)

The heat is going to kill me. It will. Our office is on the second floor of a concrete building and it has windows all along the wall where we sit. There are no curtains. Of course, I'm the only one who seems to be feeling the heat and sweating profusely. The bright side is that my dried-out, Santa Fe skin will be replenished with moisture, and since I tend to doze off in the cold instead of hot weather, I should be able to stay alert.

A huge plus is that my office is a five-minute walk from Geekhalla, and the street is lined with snack sellers. I have sniffed out fish pies and pineapple juice.

NetAfrique has fewer than ten employees, and they are busy producing web sites for Ghanaian clients. They specialize in content management systems using ColdFusion. They are doing a good job with that, so at first I didn't understand why I was there, but I now know that they need me to act as a consultant who can offer advice on branching out with new technologies and different designs in order to appeal to a more international audience. (Whew!) Now, I don’t have a computer of my own to use at the office and we only have Internet access via *the* company phone line and a dial up from 6 to 9 a.m., so it’s time for me to be creative with how I will consult. It’s truly amazing what does get produced here with so few resources. Also, people in the office don’t limit their capabilities to just design or just programming--they tend to do it all.

All in all, all is well. I am accepting the fact that I am a walking freak show and not really blending in, but I have picked up a few Twi phrases and it’s a good start. This morning Auntie Rose looked at me with a smile and said, "Oh, Alisa, you are trying. You are trying."