Can’t say I blame them, but still…huge and pretty eucalyptus, gone.
Scared of the wind
Dumbbell squash
Another oddly-shaped volunteer squash from the plant near the chiquero (pigsty).
18.5″ (47 cm) long. We could have let it get much larger, but at this stage it’s still like a summer squash.
And there will be many more.
One Laptop Per Child goes to high school
We were at friends’ house when their daughter, now in grade 2 of high school (North American 8th grade) brought out her school-issued laptop. Unlike the kiddy OLPC units that the little fashionistas use – i.e., this:
the high school version is quite a cool little laptop. Whereas she never used the one above, preferring the family’s desktop computer, she loves having her own laptop now. (Who wouldn’t?)
It runs on Ubuntu Linux, and has full access to the universe of open source applications. I haven’t been able to find much info about its specs (and didn’t have my specs along to read much on the small screen), but saw that it had Open Office and WINE installed, amongst many other programs.
For some families, our hosts explained, this is their only computer.
And they are all connected! When one has internet access, so do the others – not necessarily at blazing speed. We had internet problems recently, and could from time to time connect to a signal from a Ciebal laptop nearby, sometimes with internet long enough to check email and a web site or two. Plan Ceibal also provides open internet access points throughout the country. In 2007, Uruguay became the first country to place an order for laptops – 100,000 of them. By now, it’s over half a million. For a country of 3.5 million. Pretty cool.
How to open the simbra
An effective, inexpensive alternative to a gate (which is called a portal in town, but a portero 10 kilometers inland, in the ‘interior’).
Fence permit?
No, you cannot install that fence because…
…well, depending where you live, you might think the statement continues, because you don’t have a proper permit.
The passageway for cows and machinery, in which I planted fruit trees that will have to move, included a gate only on the road, leaving the back open. To prevent the cows in the back from destroying the fruit trees, I cut out a section of (useless) fence elsewhere, and dragged it to the offending gap, but I could not install it.
Because immediately two neighbors showed up, and next thing I know they had done it for me.
Alambrero’s key chain
How many alambreros does it take to screw in a light bulb?
I don’t know. But this is what you get back when you leave just a key with the guy doing the fencing.
(Alambre = wire; Alambrero = guy who does wire fences)
Ain’t it good to know…
…kitten has become comfortable.
Ahh, the little fashionistas…
In this back-to-school season a couple years ago, a friend of our son went to Tienda Inglesa with him, and apparently got a brief look at a ubiquitous Uruguay tradition through a newcomer’s eyes.
I’ve never thought of it before, but the uniforms we wore in primary school really do look kind of stupid, he confided to us afterward.
The car that isn’t there
Taken some time ago, this would be impossible tonight because the car is in the shop where they’re fixing the problem they said they had fixed a week ago. At that time, they were going to clean or replace the acceleration sensor to fix the hesitation the car has had for a couple years. Instead they replaced the ignition coil, which helped. For a few days.
Evening now approaches on day two. I hope they know what they’re doing this time. If last time is a clue, they’ll probably call at 7:30 PM or so to tell me it’s ready so I can jump on my bike and ride to get it AT THAT MOMENT.
Kitteh sez…
…you haz da priorities wrong.