Today our field trip took us to the plant of Solar Dynamics where we saw how they make solar water heaters. It was a very interesting, enlighting and entertaining trip and I am happy I went. I also got to hold a photovoltaic panel (10W) for the first time and it was really nice!! (May sound stranger- oh well).
I do think, however, this other field trip I have for the next week and a half will be way better and more informative. Looking forward to it!
Friday, April 25, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
RE in Practice!
I've now gone 2 weeks, 1 day into the most exciting course yet. This one deals with mitigation and adaptation to climate change impacts. It addresses how we can use technology, etc to reduce our continued pollution and also more cost-effective (mostly) measures, such as renewable energy technologies to protect ourselves from rising oil prices, etc. Needless to say I love it! Right up my alley!
Last week Friday I had the pleasure of going to a house. It was that of the Consulate of Ghana (Hon) who happens to also be a medical practitioner (Dr). He has solar panels installed at his house as well as a wind turbine. He showed us how he was able to run his entire medical practice (including air conditioning) on the power generated (he pays US$3-4 each month and that is roughly the cost of the meter) and how he was able to cut is bill from his house from about US$600 to US$40-50 per month, all running on the same system. We got to see first hand how the different components are connected and their workings. Additionally, he also has his own water from his own tank and all that stuff.
That further served to inspire me! I ended up making several calls to J'ca (after online searching) to find companies that deal with these alternative energies. I found 3 and I know there is more. Overall they were expensive, but quite doable. (Need more info? Contact me) I am hoping to be able to help convert my place of abode into such a place, even starting out small.
I go to another place on Fri. This is where they make solar water heaters so that should be another exciting trip. Looking forward to it.
Last week Friday I had the pleasure of going to a house. It was that of the Consulate of Ghana (Hon) who happens to also be a medical practitioner (Dr). He has solar panels installed at his house as well as a wind turbine. He showed us how he was able to run his entire medical practice (including air conditioning) on the power generated (he pays US$3-4 each month and that is roughly the cost of the meter) and how he was able to cut is bill from his house from about US$600 to US$40-50 per month, all running on the same system. We got to see first hand how the different components are connected and their workings. Additionally, he also has his own water from his own tank and all that stuff.
That further served to inspire me! I ended up making several calls to J'ca (after online searching) to find companies that deal with these alternative energies. I found 3 and I know there is more. Overall they were expensive, but quite doable. (Need more info? Contact me) I am hoping to be able to help convert my place of abode into such a place, even starting out small.
I go to another place on Fri. This is where they make solar water heaters so that should be another exciting trip. Looking forward to it.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Sanity Break Part 3
Well I spent the last couple of days of the break fighting the flu and I'm happy that it didn't get worse than it did. I went to town on Sat because I stayed home Thur and Fri and had a need to go out. On Fri I ended up ordering KFC (yeah, they deliver). It took over an hour and the excuse was rain, but hey. I didn't push it. Also, the fries were just as horrible as the ones I had earlier in the week. But it was either that or twice the amount for pizza and call me cheap but I wasn't feeling to spend so much money.
I called my "touring" friend and we both went to town on Sat. I got a few things I needed. We ate pizza. Then took the bus home. Came home, slept, woke up and chatted with a friend I hadn't spoken to much in a while so that was cool. Also spoke to my family and that was also cool. Spent the few min before bed watching tv.
Sun was church at Jackson. It was cool too. Got a pen and pencil set because of my first time visit. After that I went to the Carrington's home to have lunch and that was nice...except I slept during the 1st hour waiting for them to prepare the stuff. Came home, slept (not very well) and then woke up, ironed and watched tv. A nice, peaceful, ordinary end to the break.
I called my "touring" friend and we both went to town on Sat. I got a few things I needed. We ate pizza. Then took the bus home. Came home, slept, woke up and chatted with a friend I hadn't spoken to much in a while so that was cool. Also spoke to my family and that was also cool. Spent the few min before bed watching tv.
Sun was church at Jackson. It was cool too. Got a pen and pencil set because of my first time visit. After that I went to the Carrington's home to have lunch and that was nice...except I slept during the 1st hour waiting for them to prepare the stuff. Came home, slept (not very well) and then woke up, ironed and watched tv. A nice, peaceful, ordinary end to the break.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Sanity Break Part 2
My break continued with a trip to Harrison's Caves. At first we were contemplating whether or not we should go since it was raining, but then we decided to venture out and hope for the best. So a friend and I who live in the same general area took the UWI bus to town and waited for another friend. We then took the the bus to the caves. The one we took was a bit off the road that leads to the caves so we ended up walking a bit but it was cool. We got to experience the real country air with the lack of exhaust and wonderful sty smell.
Thanks to our UWI IDs, we paid $15 BB instead of $40 and $30 for non-nationals and locals respectively. The caves were actually kinda cool...and slighty daunting. But it was a good experience I think. They had these tram-type cars and tour guides that "twanged". Real touristy thing they got going there. But it was cool....and daunting...and entertaining.
We left there and walked back to the place from whence we walked before. At first we were going to go to Welchman Gully, but then the entrance was a bit further than anticipated so we went to the bus stop to wait (there is only so much walking hungy people are willing to do in the sun). We eventually got a bus and got to town really hungry so we headed straight for food. I had pizza; had better, had worse (I think), but thankful for it anyways.
Thursday was our day to stay home and rest. But it seems Wed night leading into Thurs I had some kinda bug. During the day on Thurs I was kinda lousy-feeling, but I've felt worse and it wasn't overly bad. I watched tv a lot. My close-to-mid-night snack was hot limeade and wholewheat biscult flavoured with non-drowsy multi-symptom and a gulp of regular, room temperature and pressure water straight from the tap. Hopefully I will wake up feeling a lot better as I have plans to go out on the road to do more sight-seeing.
Thanks to our UWI IDs, we paid $15 BB instead of $40 and $30 for non-nationals and locals respectively. The caves were actually kinda cool...and slighty daunting. But it was a good experience I think. They had these tram-type cars and tour guides that "twanged". Real touristy thing they got going there. But it was cool....and daunting...and entertaining.
We left there and walked back to the place from whence we walked before. At first we were going to go to Welchman Gully, but then the entrance was a bit further than anticipated so we went to the bus stop to wait (there is only so much walking hungy people are willing to do in the sun). We eventually got a bus and got to town really hungry so we headed straight for food. I had pizza; had better, had worse (I think), but thankful for it anyways.
Thursday was our day to stay home and rest. But it seems Wed night leading into Thurs I had some kinda bug. During the day on Thurs I was kinda lousy-feeling, but I've felt worse and it wasn't overly bad. I watched tv a lot. My close-to-mid-night snack was hot limeade and wholewheat biscult flavoured with non-drowsy multi-symptom and a gulp of regular, room temperature and pressure water straight from the tap. Hopefully I will wake up feeling a lot better as I have plans to go out on the road to do more sight-seeing.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Dr. Incomp
Sometime last week I went to the doc. I was feeling nauseous for couple days and I could not attribute it to anything. There were other stuff but they aint that important. But I was amazed at this lady who considers herself a doc for students and other people (I think she has a private practice as well). I tell her what my issue is. She attributes it to stress. I should point out that she has not asked my diet, if I am having sex or any other info I believe could have determine why I was feeling that way. I doubt I wear a sign that sings "Virgin" or that my eyes were shouting "stress!!". In any case, that made me view her as very incompetent. Sadly, others will agree.
Is this a twisted reflection of UWI on the whole? Hmm...
Is this a twisted reflection of UWI on the whole? Hmm...
Sanity Break Part 1
So as of 3 something last Friday, my sanity break started and I have been enjoying it.
Fri I chilled at home, slept and watched tv. It was wonderful
Sat I watched Transformers for the 2nd time while ironing, then I went to a mall to chill with a friend. I bought me some frescante espresso and boy it was good! I also bought roti and chicken. We then walked around and looked and bought a few stuff here and there. After we left there, I went to the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination for a play entitled "For Coloured Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf". It was interesting...not quite like other plays I have seen. Will leave it there.
Sunday I went to church in St. George. It was the Greens C.O.G and it was cool. Left there, came home, ate, slept, woke up and watched tv. Another good day.
Monday I went to Sheraton Mall again, but this time it was by bus and this time I was with another friend. We got there early and hungry, so we went to KFC. Sigh. I decided to buy a chicked sandwhich that we call a zinger. It had the zing but it lacked the size and FRESH vegetables I am used to. The fries were a mess! They were horrible! I thought the J'can fries were lacking but I would have MUCH prefered those to whatever these people served. At least the 7up was ok. For the record- not a good 1st impression since this is my first time eating KFC since being here.
We left KFC and walked the mall about 2.5 times (at least). Sometime during our walk, we decided to see if the movie theatre was open for us to get tickets. Our 1st visit was futile. The girl didn't know what movies were showing and could only give a vague idea of what time the booth would open. We return sometimer after the estimated time and it's still not open. So we go back upstairs to the theatre to enquire. This is when we met the projectionist who was really nice. He gave us the schedule and told us about the specials and made his recommendations. After that, we ended up changing our plans, because at 1st we were gonna watch a 7pm movie. But we realise that we could see one at 4 and get home via bus instead of taxi which was rather expensive. So that's what we did. We saw 10 000 B.C. and I thought it was cool. (Btw, the girl to which I referred to in the beginning is the girl at the ticket booth...communication is a big thing that seems to be lacking apparently).
We went back to town an caught the UWI bus to campus, then the bus to go home.
Tuesday we set out at 11. We went to town and then took a bus to go to the museum. That was interesting and cool. I recognised a lot of the artefacts based on my previous work in a museum. We then went back to town to catch another bus to go to the $2BB movie and get lunch as well...Sheraton must know us well by now. The movie was cool. Unlike the damn bus we took back to town. We got on this bus and the min I got on I regretted it. It was apparently in a race with another and the driver was drving like an ass! What pissed me off most was when we were close to the terminal. It was racing to beat the other bus and almost ran into the behind of a car that stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross the road! The man could have killed people! Fortunately no cars were coming in the opposite direction because he would have collided with them, and fortunately the pedestrial was on the other side because she would have been seriously hit and the hospital being close was no comfort at all! I was pissed! And more so when I didn't say anything! I wanted to go back and remind him that he's not playing with the lives of animals or just an empty bus but people's lives!!!! But I didn't. Bad girl!!!
We were able to take the UWI bus to campus but the other bus left just as we were walking to it. Not cool. We decided waiting an hour wasn't worth it so we decided to take the regular bus home and hope we get a good one. On top of missing the bus, we caught the rain. Good thing it stopped for our walk home in the dark.
I am tired, but I'd say I had a good day and looking forward to having more.
Fri I chilled at home, slept and watched tv. It was wonderful
Sat I watched Transformers for the 2nd time while ironing, then I went to a mall to chill with a friend. I bought me some frescante espresso and boy it was good! I also bought roti and chicken. We then walked around and looked and bought a few stuff here and there. After we left there, I went to the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination for a play entitled "For Coloured Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf". It was interesting...not quite like other plays I have seen. Will leave it there.
Sunday I went to church in St. George. It was the Greens C.O.G and it was cool. Left there, came home, ate, slept, woke up and watched tv. Another good day.
Monday I went to Sheraton Mall again, but this time it was by bus and this time I was with another friend. We got there early and hungry, so we went to KFC. Sigh. I decided to buy a chicked sandwhich that we call a zinger. It had the zing but it lacked the size and FRESH vegetables I am used to. The fries were a mess! They were horrible! I thought the J'can fries were lacking but I would have MUCH prefered those to whatever these people served. At least the 7up was ok. For the record- not a good 1st impression since this is my first time eating KFC since being here.
We left KFC and walked the mall about 2.5 times (at least). Sometime during our walk, we decided to see if the movie theatre was open for us to get tickets. Our 1st visit was futile. The girl didn't know what movies were showing and could only give a vague idea of what time the booth would open. We return sometimer after the estimated time and it's still not open. So we go back upstairs to the theatre to enquire. This is when we met the projectionist who was really nice. He gave us the schedule and told us about the specials and made his recommendations. After that, we ended up changing our plans, because at 1st we were gonna watch a 7pm movie. But we realise that we could see one at 4 and get home via bus instead of taxi which was rather expensive. So that's what we did. We saw 10 000 B.C. and I thought it was cool. (Btw, the girl to which I referred to in the beginning is the girl at the ticket booth...communication is a big thing that seems to be lacking apparently).
We went back to town an caught the UWI bus to campus, then the bus to go home.
Tuesday we set out at 11. We went to town and then took a bus to go to the museum. That was interesting and cool. I recognised a lot of the artefacts based on my previous work in a museum. We then went back to town to catch another bus to go to the $2BB movie and get lunch as well...Sheraton must know us well by now. The movie was cool. Unlike the damn bus we took back to town. We got on this bus and the min I got on I regretted it. It was apparently in a race with another and the driver was drving like an ass! What pissed me off most was when we were close to the terminal. It was racing to beat the other bus and almost ran into the behind of a car that stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross the road! The man could have killed people! Fortunately no cars were coming in the opposite direction because he would have collided with them, and fortunately the pedestrial was on the other side because she would have been seriously hit and the hospital being close was no comfort at all! I was pissed! And more so when I didn't say anything! I wanted to go back and remind him that he's not playing with the lives of animals or just an empty bus but people's lives!!!! But I didn't. Bad girl!!!
We were able to take the UWI bus to campus but the other bus left just as we were walking to it. Not cool. We decided waiting an hour wasn't worth it so we decided to take the regular bus home and hope we get a good one. On top of missing the bus, we caught the rain. Good thing it stopped for our walk home in the dark.
I am tired, but I'd say I had a good day and looking forward to having more.
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