Category: MyTake
-
A knife in my Bad Back? – Backstabbing!
Given my evident lack of progress, I saw my doctor this morning and asked him for advice on next steps. He neatly explained to me that one of the three hernias (L3-L4 for those who really want to know the gory details) I have is the one causing the pain on the left side of…
-
Back to Bed, with Flowers
It came as a complete surprise to me. This was a long weekend as today is a US Holiday. Andrés and Ana went to Washington to visit my sister. I was home alone for a few days. While in the house I spent most of my time upstairs. I was there when the door-bell rang…
-
Bad Back Worse
My doctor recommended I go to the Chiropractor. Since I cannot drive a car or walk long distances, I search the Web for one which is locate close to home. I found one a mile away from the house who takes my health insurance. The Chiropractor saw me Tuesday and said my back looked pretty…
-
Still Bad Back
My back is progressing slowly. Thats is the good news. Now I have more mobility but I quickly found out that I cannot t sit down for more than 20 minutes in a row. The pain and stiffness are easy reminders as to why this is not possible. So I decided to pay avisit to…
-
Bad Back Back
My back is progressing very slow in spite of all the additional medicines I got from my doctor. One of them is a pain killer which helps but it is just a panacea. I know… Although I can now move around the house (slowly and gingerly ) I cannot sit for long periods of time.…
-
A Bad Back
I woke up this morning with severe pain in my the left side of my lower back. In addition, I also had apparent infection in my right eye which was all stuffy and wet. When it rains it pours indeed… I managed to take a shower and get dress and was ready to make an…
-
Donor iInterest on OLPC
Last Friday I received a call from the Mission of Spain to the UN requesting a meeting to discuss possible support for OLPC. So I had to wear a nice tie and shirt for the ensuing meeting which took place today. The meeting with the Mission’s Deputy went quite well. I presented UNDP’s take on…
-
Donor Interest in OLPC
Last Friday I received a call from the Mission of Spain to the UN requesting a meeting to discuss possible support for OLPC. So I had to wear a nice tie and shirt for the ensuing meeting which took place today. The meeting with the Mission’s Deputy went quite well. I presented UNDP’s take on…
-
On Leave In Bogotá
I am back in Bogotá for the first time in two years. And once again, I must admit the city has changed for the best. Before, when I left twenty or so years ago, it was a small, gray and cold city, in addition to dirty and a tiny bit on the boring side. Today…
-
In the press but…
Early this morning, I got a call from a UN colleague who told me that I had made an article in a local press web service. The article is here: http://www.innercitypress.com/undp121306.html. Inner City Press has been running for a few days an exposé on UNDP. It is clear that inside information is being furnished to…
-
Out of (South) Africa
Flying from Maputo to Johannesburg, which takes 45 minutes, is an efficient gateway to easily notice the huge gap between the two countries. The same goes for most of the sub-Saharan African nations. It is almost like flying from Mozambique to a Latin American country at the speed of sound. The first time I visited…
-
Maputo in May, again
Six months is probably not a long time to expect and run into major changes in most countries. Mozambique is, of course, no exception. Maputo is still an intriguing city with its beautiful geographical surroundings and coastline that hosts the grayish Indian Ocean. Unlike New York City, time in Maputo is less expensive and much…
-
Dominican Republic
This was my first time back in Santo Domingo since 1999. I must admit the city has changed quite a bit. The first thing one notices is the development of physical infrastructure, buildings and roads specially. The long and beautiful ride from the airport to Santo Domingo has now been transformed into a 6 lane…
-
Bangladesh Mission
Great trip to Bangladesh. We have an SDNP project with great potential and lots of resrouces. The Staff is top notch too and support from the host institution is rock solid. The report spells out the recommendations I am making which in a nutshell call for a refocusing on more development oriented (less techie) pilots…
-
Ecuador
Lack of both time and connectivity prevented me from using the Net more effectively in Quito. The recent volcano eruption was also to blame, at least partially. I could neither connect from the hotel room as the UNDP SITA config had changed and I was not aware of it. At any rate, the hotel was…