Teaching computers in Arabic to groups rather than individuals has been challenging, but enjoyable. I can manage to communicate all the course material, but I sometimes have difficulty understanding their questions.
Useless but impressive
Today I was teaching them how to configure the special effects in Linux Ubuntu, which is of no practical use in the real world, but looks very impressive and helps people to believe me when I tell them about how Linux Ubuntu has many advantages over Microsoft Windows. The real advantages are that it is protected from virsuses without needing antivirus software, it is more stable, it is faster and it is free, but none of these things impress them as much as the fact that you can make the windows do all sorts of crazy animations when you minimise, maximise, open & close them. I finished at 10am exactly, cutting the lesson a bit short, but I am trying to teach them that if they want a full lesson, they must arrive on time. It may be a losing battle.
A Video I use to demonstrate crazy animation effects in Linux Ubuntu
Bank job
After the lesson, Adel (owner of the Institute) asked me to come with him to one of the big banks to see if they are interested in training in Linux Ubuntu. Even the big international companies end up using pirate software on their computers, because genuine copies of Microsoft Windows are simply not available. As a result they end up exposing their important data to security risks due to computer viruses and the inability to receive the latest security updates. Despite this, many people are skeptical about whether a computer is really a computer you're not using Microsoft Windows.
I followed Adel as he walked straight past all the security, up the stairs and right into the branch manager's office, without telling anyone what he was there for. Perhaps my presence helped him get away with this, since there are very few foreigners in Aden, these days. The manager was semi-interested at first, but was suddenly interested when we told him that the course can be taught either in Arabic or in English, depending on their preference. He might not be convinced about the need for Linux Ubuntu, but he is keen for his employees to come and improve their English by attending my course.
No technology in the technical college
In the afternoon, I was invited to go and speak about my course to some students studying computer science at university. I could not believe that this was the technical college when I saw that the place was falling apart and I did not see any computers anywhere. Their professor wanted them to hear about the course because he thought it would be beneficial for them, but they did not seem particularly interested. I later found out that they were about to sit an exam, after I had spoken to them, so their reaction, or lack of it, was probably more due to nervousness about the exam.
Numb Bum
In the evening, I went to one of the big squares in town, where they have been showing the world cup games on a big screen. The world cup is on expensive sports channels in the middle east and, although I have these channels on a shared satellite system in our neighbourhood, the picture is very fuzzy. It was not much better in the square, because the screen being used was too shiny and all the street lights reflected off it. Also, there were so many people watching, I couldn't get close enough. At half-time, my bum was very numb and I needed the toilet, so I decided to come home at half-time to watch the rest of the match at home. My neighbour tells me that there is another place in town where the quality of picture is better, so I may go there with him for the quarter-finals next week.
Low-definition fuzzyvision. Only available in Yemen!
