Blame It on the Alcohol
Apple Store Manhattan
“Did you hear? Apple lost the prototype for the 4th generation I-Phone”. I had to write about this when I found out about it yesterday from people in a store I was at in Manhattan. This is huge! I could not believe it since it happened so recently but it is truly fascinating. I am a huge lover of Apple media and communications products. Even though I have a Dell laptop, I have always admired the other products which Apple makes. So, when I heard about how, Gary Powell, a young engineer at Apple lost the fourth generation I-phone prototype, I was most intrigued and worried about his future with the company. It seems that in celebrating his birthday (he had turned 27) at a bar in Silicon Valley (California) and while testing the new phone, he accidently left the prototype behind. First, of all, Mr. Powell’s two bestfriends during this escapade should have left him alone. Shame on you, Ms Pauls and Jack Daniels. Second of all, he was testing out the prototype in the field. Maybe the bar where you might be slightly inebriated should not have been the “test field” but hey, it is life. Give the guy a break! Mr. Powell is 27, AND an engineer, AND at Apple. Enough said. I am sure there are people bowing down to him and telling him all day to “take me to your leader”.
Still thinking about going in
The interesting thing is that I had just passed by the Apple store in Manhattan this past weekend to see if I could get a picture of the I-pad and had thought about what would happen if the newest version of any of their products were to be leaked to a rival company. James Bond can make a film out of this one. Apple is known the world around and in the electronics and communications industry, its security measures are legendary. New technological applications are things to kill for these days. You should have known. I am sure Steve Jobs, one of the founding fathers and head of Apple must have felt a little antsy when he received the news as to what had happened. However, since he is a gentleman, he did the gentlemanly thing and called to have the I-Phone returned. I love this man. But seeing how the associated press has not caught on to this story or maybe they have been warned by the feared and notorious Apple police to not do so, it does not seem like alot of people outside the industry know what transpired. Even with all of this, I would still like to be in Mr. Powell’s shoes. Who would not? I do hope that the next time (if there is a next time) that he puts discretion at a premium. But for the moment, I am sure that Jaime Fox’s song is an excuse that he wished he never had.
Cheers,
Adaeze
High Life on the Bus
On my way to the Bolt bus in Manhattan
I came down to DC last week and was so happy with my trip! I just have to tell somebody. I took a bus company called Bolt Bus which leaves Manhattan daily for DC and Philadelphia. It was SOOO cool! It had wi-fi on the bus so I was able to check my email and Facebook accounts. It left ON-TIME and the bus was incredibly clean. Some people may be surprised at my happiness with what you think any paying customer should receive but believe it or not, the bus companies are not known for luxurious amenities. And the best part was that the trip down only cost me US$19!!! How much better can it get?!?!
But of all of the things I really appreciated with Bolt was the access to wi-fi. Technology has changed the way we travel and work these days. For even buses to have wi-fi, you can no longer claim to your boss that you were traveling and therefore had no access to the internet. Well, maybe if you can, if you are good at lying. I, for one, have never mastered that art. And even more amazing was that the wi-fi did not cut off at any point during the trip. Now, all we need for the Bolt Bus to have is some free refreshments. They already do not charge you for the first, second, or third piece of luggage. If I am not flying to DC from NYC, I will be taking the bus. I can not wait to take it back to NYC! Cheers, Adaeze
The Rebuilding of Another American Icon
As an American who just returned from Peace Corps service in West Africa, one of the places I had to visit while I was in New York City was Ground Zero. I needed to pay my respects to those who had lost their lives that day. Believe it or not, since those events happened, I had never been there. I have just been such a punk because I was not ready and did not want to lose my composure when I got there. Well, over the weekend I went out to finally see the remnants of Ground Zero. It was such a quiet place but also one full of hope as I saw the beginnings of what will soon be the 9/11 memorial and museum also known as the Freedom Tower, a 1,776 foot tall skyscraper.
Looking at this gaping area that used to be where the Twin Towers stood before the bombings of September 11, 2001, I was filled with so much emotion. So much loss of life happened that day…Any loss of life is bothersome to me. I don’t care where it is. But like any great city and great people, it will rebuild again and again and again. I also could not help but to be amazed at the powerful technology being used to make this rebuilding possible; the 3-D diagrams showing the new memorial, the computer technology used to manipulate the cranes and of course the experienced human beings guiding all of these components together. Very, very impressive.
![FreedomTower3-798837[1]](http://adaezetome.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/freedomtower3-7988371.jpg?w=228&h=300 "FreedomTower3-798837[1]")
The future Freedom Tower
Me at what will be the Freedom Tower site
I owe a great deal to the United States, its people, and that blue passport. It is the only country I have ever really known and the only country which allowed me to accomplish all of the things I was able to accomplish in my young life. Yes, the US is not perfect. Not by any means but then again, show me a country that is perfect. Last time I looked, there was not one but contrary to popular belief, I do not know everything.
We, Americans, have our own problems and in time we as a people will be able to work them out to the best of our ability. However, the opportunities available for everyone and anyone in the US makes it the perfect country for me.
Visiting Ground Zero was so interesting and emotionally liberating. It was great to see all of the different cultures and people who call themselves Americans there. Well, not sure if everyone there was an American but even if they were not, it did not matter because they came to see the rebuiling of this area of the City. The technology that is being used to reinforce the memorial and the museum is going to make them even stronger than the buildings that were there before them. For me, the fact that I was also seeing the makings of something even greater was just another testament to what America can accomplish after so much pain. So, build on New York City, build on.
Cheers, Adaeze
Definitely High-Def
Samsung Flat screen HDTV
I was amazed! I could not believe what I was seeing! The picture was amazing. It was in High-Definition, often abbreviated into Hi-Def or even shorter HD. We are so busy that we have to abbreviate everything. Where is humanity going with all of this? Anywoo, the picture clarity was so remarkable that I had to do double takes when they were showing certain passes. My friend with whom I am staying with, Swedish Delight has a flat screen Samsung television with amazing high-definition quality. When I left for Peace Corps, high-definition televisions, especially the flat screen ones where beginning to really take off. When I got to Togo, I saw flat screen televisions but realized that they were not in high-definition. The picture quality was always grainier and the quality of the sound was not as good.
![46-1080p-lcd-hdtv[1]](http://adaezetome.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/46-1080p-lcd-hdtv1.jpg?w=300&h=300 "46-1080p-lcd-hdtv[1]")
If American football can sound and look this good on high-definition television, I can not wait to see some fashion or cooking shows. But since NYC has so much to do, I would rather go to the actual fashion show or be in the audience of the cooking show. Sadly to say, I still need to do more research on American football to see what the big deal is about this sport. I am always told that the best way to experience the game is to go to the stadium and see it in person; be in the stands. Yeah. Okay. Whatever. Watching the game did teach me one thing though, I definitely know what television I am buying next; definitely high-def. Cheers, Adaeze
Going Digital With the Gas
My favorite hang out spot
We went to another beach today. Lomé has ten beaches and it has been my sister’s mission to take us to every beach there is every weekend. Not complaining. Not complaining at all since I LOVE the beach. I love to sit there reading my Economist magazine or the Nigerian fashion magazine, Ovation.
Half way into our drive, the car needed to get gas and my brother-in-law, whom from now on, shall be called the Tuareq decided to stop at a local gas station to filler’ up. He did not have cash on him so he whipped out his prepaid gas card to give to the gas attendant. The gas attendant ran inside the gas center, retrieved the handheld card swiping machine and swiped the Tuareq’s card. When the receipt rolled out, he ripped it off and gave the card back to the Tuareq. This scene was not bizarre to me but it made the other customers at the pump literally stop what they were doing and look at the Tuareq and his gas debit card. Suddenly, you heard someone on the other side say with pride that it was a great thing that Togo was in the middle of developing itself and acquiring new technology.
Handheld credit card machine
Thank you, the Tuareq for bringing along your gas card. Thank you, Lomé for accepting it!
Taking the sisterlocks to the beach
Cheers, Adaeze
And Then There Was Light…
![images[7]](http://adaezetome.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/images7.jpg?w=495 "images[7]")
Anyone who knows me can tell you that I am a Law & Order connoisseur. I love the entire franchise. I would skip out on parties just to watch the newest show of the season. Not really going to get into a debate as to which particular entity from the franchise is the best because I don’t really care. Just know that I love them all and it’s criminal to not. Earlier this evening, I was sitting in the living room with the family watching Law & Order with Jack McCoy now as the District Attorney. It was an episode that I had not yet seen and was dying to see. It was a really interesting episode; a real who-done-it. It was the last 20 minutes of the show; so you know the police have lined up their suspects about to cart them off to the DA’s office. Out of nowhere, everything goes black. It wasn’t just the television, but the entire house. The lights had gone off. And looking outside and seeing how pitch black it was, it was obvious that the lights had gone off in the entire neighborhood. The only lights which were on were the neighbors in front of us. They have a generator. Very practical thing to have in a place like Togo.
Law & Order: Season 19
A couple months ago, I saw on France 24, the French national news channel that some European countries and companies were trying to invest in a huge solar village in the North African desert. It is an expensive and expansive project involving many players, many factors, and of course, many monies.
Solar Energy Cells: The key to solving Africa's energy problems?
Cell Phone Culture
- iPhone 2G; my brother-in-law’s model
I was carefully studying the iPhone of my sister’s husband today and was happy to know it was the genuine article. Togo is inundated with fake iPhones and other electronic gadgets coming from Chinese cities. A couple months ago, the newest version of the iPhone (3G model) had come out in NYC. I mentioned it about a month ago and Sira, my sister and her husband were both amazed because they had not heard of or seen it. Then a couple of weeks ago, we started seeing ads for the latest iPhone on French channels which were broadcasting to Togo. My sister’s husband became jealous. I asked why technology takes its time to get to Togo. And they both looked at me and laughed. I guess it was a question to be laughed at considering I am in a country that just got wireless a couple years ago. But wireless is so bloody expensive, it is not yet something the average Togolese has in their homes. When Sira installed wireless into the house, it cost US$650 and then she has to pay a monthly bill of US$120! I can’t even imagine a cable company technician trying to pass that price off in the US to a customer and
- iPhone 3G model
leaving with all of his/her teeth in his/her mouth. I think rioting would be in order.
However, certain technology does get to Togo much faster than others. Take for example, cell phones. The newest and most expensive cell phone will be in the hands of the market women selling beans. I remember a memorable occasion when I was very Peace Corps chic and taking the bush taxi. For those who have never been to a developing country or taken transportation while visiting a developing country, a bush taxi is a taxi which is usually meant to seat 5-13 people depending on the size of the car which range from a small compact car to a mini-bus. Of course, the taxi driver, in his quest to make as much money as possible fills the taxi to dangerously bulging proportions. It was my fate that day that I found myself in a 13-seater mini-bus that had 20 people jammed packed in AND with a baby goat and two very big and noisy chickens. I wanted to kill the chickens; not because I was hungry but because I was just that annoyed. But in the middle of this tomfoolery, the man sitting next to me pulls out a cell phone that cost more than everybody in the bus and probably the bus itself. And of course, he started playing with it. It was a beautiful cell phone that I had never seen before. Then as I started observing more and more people, cell phones like his were everywhere. Very expensive cell phones starting from US$400-US$1,400 if you had it like that. When I asked some friends and my family about what I thought was a recent trend in cell phone culture, they all explained to me that the cell phone is a status symbol. Clearly, I had no idea. According to them, people do not see your wireless at your house and they do not always see you in your car. What do they care? But they see your cell phone all the time when you get calls, along with your clothes, your hand bag and shoes if you are a woman, and the perfume or cologne you are wearing. Those are the things you are judged upon. I then added sarcastically, “Of course, if you are in the most superficial group imaginable.” Then I thought about it and realized, it is not that much different in the US. I like beautiful things too and can understand how people might react astonishingly at seeing a very expensive and rarely seen article being displayed. If someone was to pull out the Motorola SLVR L7 Diamond phone costing a measly US$75, 000 when it came out a little over three years ago, I might look. Somewhat.
- Motorola SLVR L7 Diamond Phone
I really need to stop lying. So, I will stare for a minute. Only for a minute. But not because of the real diamonds plastered all over it, but because I would want to make sure the person actually did not get blinded and fall out from looking at it. I would need to be prepared to help them up. I am not sure if I will ever pay more than US$100 for my cell phone given how many times I drop it but I know I will never pay US$75,000 for my phone. Now, if someone wants to give it to me, I guess I will be forced to take it because I am not an unreasonable person. After all, it is quite rude to deny a gift.
Cheers, Adaeze
Loc’d Up Tekky in Togo
View from my favorite internet cafe
So, I spoke to my brother the other day via SKYPE, the internet phone service company. Since, I have Wi-Fi (most of the time) at my house and phone calls to the US are enormously expensive, SKYPE is the favorite alternative because of its very inexpensive rates through the internet. I was able to get a year long subscription of unlimited calls to landlines and mobiles to the US and Canada for $30! My brother and I were benefiting from the subscription that day. I have affectionately called him Mr. Man since he was 6 years old. At that time he was 6 years old going on 26. Now, he is a handsome male of 19 years old going on 49. Incredible how time flies. During our 3 hour conversation, the subject of my hair came up. Naturally, it would because I can talk about my sisterlocks to anyone, anywhere, any time. But this time around, it was Mr. Man who brought up the subject asking me why I had cut off my traditional locs in the first place. I gave him my feeble reasons and he just could not understand. He seemed mad. And it made me laugh because you would have thought that I had cut off his hair. But I understood later that it was a shock for him. Mr. Man identifies women with locs as being very strong-willed and confident, which I am. I started my traditional locs when he was 2 years old and I was 15. So, all his life, Mr. Man had only known me with locs. For the first time in my life, Mr. Man told me how gorgeous my traditionl locs were and how he really liked them. Where was he the night I had decided to cut them? Oh, I remember, I did not have SKYPE and I did not have any more credit on my prepaid phone or any money to go buy more phone credit. Remember, I was Peace Corps chic. There is no such thing as cell phone subscriptions here in Togo. The only way to go is to buy prepaid phone cards and that can be very expensive if you are blabbing to people in the US, Europe, South America, Togo…ok, the whole world. I am so glad you came and saved me, SKYPE. I know Mr. Man was happy that we were using SKYPE as well.
He almost fell back in astonishment when I went home earlier this year with my new do of microbraids. So, Mr. Man wanted to see pictures and I decided to get my camera and all of the accessories out. It suddenly dawned on me that the technology we were using to communicate was really cool. Amazing, actually. I mean, first we were both hooked up to the internet in our respective countries (he in the US and moi in Togo), and then we were using an internet phone service company where, finally, I would have to upload my pictures from my digital camera to send to him via email. I started wondering about how Dr. JoAnn Cornwell, the originator of sisterlocks managed to get the word out about her new style back in 1992. Some of these technologies were not available for the masses back then. And all we had was word of mouth. Granted that word of mouth is always the best form of advertising but pictures and video say a thousand more words and can last longer than any mouth can. Hear, hear!
We have come along way in terms of new technology and so has the way in which we showcase our sisterlocks. We went from a calendar to fotki albums and blog photos. I love perusing through the many blogs of sisterlocks wearers on the web. And I love the genuine support the community shows to each other. With all of this technology, the sisterlocks community’s reach can be worldwide. The loc’d community’s reach is worldwide. I have met loc wearers of all races, colors, shapes, and sizes. I know a Swedish girl with some beautiful blond locs in NYC and I have run into Japanese loc wearers in France, Germany and Indian loc’d brothers in Prague. Ooohhh, and don’t get me started on the debauchery I had committed with the loc’d brothers and sisters in Salvador (Bahia), Brazil a couple years back. I love the fact that locs are not relegated to one skin type, hair texture, or ethnic group. And with technology, we are able to communicate and share pictures about our daily lives. Since, new technology surfaces about every 6 months, we will continue to show the world the beauty of locs in many more exciting ways to come. I can not wait! Here’s to the long road ahead.
Agou-Akoumaou, TOGO
Cheers, Adaeze
