Day 3 (21 January 2014) in Hermanus, South Africa

My jetlag is still a big problem for me. This was the worst night, I slept only four hours. I woke up at 2:30am and couldn’t sleep then. In the same way as yesterday I was picked by SANSA driver. Today was a big day for my scientific mission, though I did not have enough sleep. I was scheduled to give an hour long public lecture to SANSA scientists, postdocs, and graduate students. The presentation, which took an hour and 10 min followed by several Q&A, went out very well. 

 During my presentation at SANSA!

Well! Well! Another astonishingly brilliant idea I just witnessed here at SANSA, i.e., mobile laboratory. Yes! Mobile laboratory! How it works? Well! The normal van has been remodeled in the way as you see in the figure below. It is equipped with two movable flat screen TVs, refrigerator (for storage), an elongated shade. The TVs are connected to the cars audio system or can be plugged to a laptop if necessary. The car also has extra battery, which can be charged by the car’s ignition system while the van is running, to operate the TVs and refrigerator.  That means you can take this mobile laboratory to any remote area that does not have electric and operate it. So, you drive the van to any school and extend shade on both side of the van, get the kids to sit under the shade and move the TVs to face outward through both side of the van door (the van can open on both sides).  Then you showed them simulation or movies that can easily demonstrate how things work or how technology operates or how to solve mathematical problems or any basic science demonstration. The idea is to inspire the little kids to love science technology using easy, attractive and inspirational way. Isn’t it brilliant idea? What a brilliant individual who came up with such astonishing effort to advance science and technology to the kids even to very remote area in a very simple but attractive way. Make no mistake this is also cost effect way, compared to bringing the kids to the center, to advance science and technology; and I wonder if other countries can follow similar foot step. Keep it up SANSA!! 

 

 Mobile laboratory Van!

  Inside view of the mobile laboratory!

 Humm! you can also demonstrate basic principles of science and math

The ministry of science & technology supported it! well done!

My day concluded with interesting dinner with two very much hopeful young SANSA scientist (Drs Zama and John). We had a real fun at another ocean view restaurant called  Quayside Cabin!

Just out side Quayside Cabin restaurant!

Day 2 (20 January 2014) in Hermanus, South Africa

Jetlag! Ya! That! I had a terrible jetlag problem in my first night in Hermanus. I crashed to bed early (~7:30pm local time) and woke up twice with long hours wanders to went back to sleep. Since the guest house includes breakfast, when I stepped out of my room in the morning, I was greeted by a lady and directed to the dining room where a fruit salad and orange juice were waiting for me. She then gave me a choice what my main breakfast will be, and I chose omelet with mushroom and tomato. It was delicious!

SANSA car with the driver

 

SANSA main gate!

A little bit latter a car from SANSA came and drove me to the SANSA compound where I’ll spend my week. My host toured me around the different facilities and centers of SANSA. I was astounded with what I saw; it is really way more than my expectation. What attracted me most was the science center, which is dedicated for public outreach program. It is full of demonstration materials, from models of solar system to models of satellites and rockets, and many more practical materials. The center has steadfast staff members, and one of them told me that the center is always busy in accommodating visitors from elementary to high-school students and teachers. This reminds me a popular saying in Ethiopia “Flowers of today, seeds of tomorrow”, and the outreach program to young generation is my favorite topic. Another center that lured my attention was the space weather center, a room congested with flat-screen TVs hanged at the top of the wall, portraying the real-time data from many of space weather satellite; from SDO, STEREO, ACE, and from many ground based instruments. 

 Space weather center!

Science center!

Unlike scientists in the US, who do not have dedicated and fixed lunch time, here at SANSA there is fixed lunch time (1:00 – 1:45pm). John (my host) told me scientists are allowed to have lunch at flexible time. We had to walk about a mile to get good lunch which we did. Finally may second day concluded by having a group dinner with Lee-Anne (SANSA managing director), her husband and John. They took me to one of the beautiful ocean view see food restaurant “Ocean Basket restaurant” that serves fantastic food.

Group dinner at Ocean Basket restaurant!

Day 1 (19 January 2014) in Hermanus, South Africa

Wow! After more than 16 and half hours on the air, I arrived safely in Johannesburg. Humm! South African airline is very much ok; not my best nor my worst choice. The immigration process is relatively laidback. However, one thing staggered me, which I have never done it in any of my travels before. The lady who was making queue direction before we see an officer requested me to take off my eye glass, which is not sun glass but normal glass that helps my poor sight. I said okay—and took it off, and then she asked me to wear it back. Humm! That is peculiar, and I’ve no idea why she queried me to do that. After I passed the security, I decided to convert local currency. O! man, I guess the South African government do not have shortage of hard currency like many other African countries do. I said this because; they charged crazy commission, i.e. about 16%.

 Descending to Cape Town

 Looking down to Cape Town Suburb

Then I progressed to my connection flight and boarded the plane to Cape Town ontime without any delay. Looking down Cape Town, the beautiful beach side city, looks amazing. At Cape Town international airport I was then greeted by my host (Dr John Bosco) from SANSA (South African National Space Agency). He acquainted me with the driver of the SANSA car and another young fellow who came to the airport with them. I was a bit fatigued, unfortunately there is more to reach the final destination; excess of an hour drive to Hermanus where SANSA is located. Actually it was fun driving with people that you know well, eyeing the beautiful landscape on our way to Hermanus. Now I know why South African is known with magnificent wines; I have witnessed a lot of wine farms on my way to Hermanus. 

 Here we go to Hermanus

At Hermanus, you cannot find that many good hotels instead quite a number of guest houses with great quality are in abundant. I was taken to one of these guest houses. After I checked in, John offered me two options: (a) to have relaxed and got rest for the day or (b) to be fetched after an hour and be taken to the beach (this time Indian ocean). To make my colleague (back at BC) jealous as they are in the middle of freezing, I picked the second option and went to the beach which is amazingly beautiful. After we have an early dinner and glass of beer, my John drove me around and showed me two opposite way of life suburbs within this small town. Finally, before he drove me back to my cave, he took me a beach side bar, which looks like “white only bar”, because I did not see any, other than the waiters. That was my first day. See you tomorrow!!

Enjoying the Indian Ocean sea breath

Day 14 in Chile (November 8, 2013)

Remember that I mentioned yesterday that I was waiting my flight back home? Well, here I'm now sitting in the VIP lounge of Lima airport in Peru. Peru? what a hell am I doing here? Just to make the long story short, our flight from Santiago was on time and we boarded and started our journey and flew about 3hrs. The pilot announced that he experienced electrical problem and he has to make emergency landing in Lima, Peru. When we landed safely, thanks to God, we were greeted by many fire tracks and police cars. After we landed, we were told to stay in our seat and we did for almost an hour, and the pilot again announced that the plane is out of service so we had to exit. They took us to the building by bus and we sat there and wait for their announcement, finally we were told to exit the airport and come back to the counter and recheck our flight with the available flights. At the end I got a seat on another airline, which is Lan airline that will be departed at 9:10am and arrive in MIA at 2:30pm. I'll catch another flight to BOS at 5:00pm and arrive in Boston at 9:00pm. Interesting incident, right? The good news is that everybody landed safely!! I'm now siting inside the VIP lounge of Lima airport and blogging the story. Cross your finger for me to have uninterrupted and safe flight.
O! gush! finally I made it to my home safely. 

Day 13 in Chile (November 7, 2013)

Marina and I went back to the site to check if everything is working ok, and yes indeed everything has been working as it is supposed to be. We then copied the data and left the site for Physics department to serve for Julio Martin’s MSc thesis defense, which went out very well followed by little cocktail. The department head then took us out for lunch. Finally, Marina drove me to the airport and that concluded my successful mission to La Serena.
O! Ya! Remember that I lost my Fitbit at Santiago airport security check point? Well, I found it. Here is how I did, when I passed through the security to catch my flight to Miami, I asked the security guy about my Fitbit that I lost at the airport security point. He asked me the date that I lost it, and I told him 26 October, then he took me to the lost and found department and introduced me to the lady. She made several calls and she found it and asked someone to bring it to her office. They did and it was my Fitbit. Thank you Santiago airport securities, you guys are so honest. And now I’m seating at Santiago airport VIP lounge, waiting for my flight back home. In general, my trip to Chile has been a success! Beautiful country and amazingly nice people, and looking forward a career long collaboration with Chilean scientist.        

      BTW, here is the compound where I stayed in La Serena!                                      

                                                    Physics department building of La Serena University!