Saturday, March 16

Anib appeared in the middle of the morning with some workmen. One fixed the toilet in the room I use on the second floor, and the others checked the water pump.

Molly prepared us a sweet jackfruit while this took place. Since I love sweet jackfruit I stood and watched her unpeel it; something I had never actually seen before.

Tangaraj had a job driving someone to the main railway station. At 14:00 Tangaraj’s friend took us in his rickshaw to see Paul at SISP. Irma showed him the presentation that she had made to Sirkku and took him through the logic of it.

She explained to him about the grant that SISP will receive, and they began talking about the next phases of the project, and how Defy might get involved in the larger idea in some capacity.

I photograph the cat that lives in SISP when it starts to take an interest in me in the mistaken belief that I might have access to catfood. Given the fact that the black dog gets called Blackie, I conclude that the cat probably gets called Ginger.

While Paul and Irma talk about how SISP might develop and the needs that it serves, I will turn my attention to a more specific problem: the computer classes for girls that they have both mentioned.

I will conclude that everyone, including me, has approached the problem from the wrong angle. We should not offer computer classes at all. We should find a problem that needs solving and invite the girls to solve it; and solving it should involve learning some computer skills on the way.

I will then remember the electro-dough I once saw demonstrated at Pixelache, probably by Steve, and turn my attention to Arduinos and Raspberry Pis. By 17:00 I will have a project in mind that combines both strands. I will sucessfully explain out loud.

Tangaraj will turn up to collect us and we will go to the beer shop to see if they have what we want. They will. They will also charge us a random price and chuckle delightedly when Irma points this out. Everyone, including us, will have big grins when we leave the shop.

We will spend the evening on the balcony, talking excitedly, while drinking our favourite British Empire beer.

Relaxation will settle around us.