Stuffyoushould.com
Hey,
I have a new site: stuffyoushould.com
please check it out.
thanks
Andrew
Back to fast internet
So, I once again have not been very good at keeping this blog up to date. But, in my defense, i often didn't feel like it.
Keeping a blog while travelling in a place with slow internet connections is not fun... and i like fun stuff. Uploading pictures can be more painful then putting pins in your eyes.
I had met up with my sister and her husband for the last few weeks and left them on their way to mount Kilimanjaro. Instead of a week trek, I took a 10 hour bus ride, 14 if you count the 4 hours we stood on the side of road due to some hose snapping, to catch a flight to Dubai. I am writing this in Dubai where i will be for the next 96 hours (that is the full length of my transit visa).
What do you do when it is plus 50? Indoor skiing perhaps?
Wrestling monkeys…
..have been waking me every morning at 630ish. There is a tin roof on this building i've been staying in. Every morning the damn monkeys start by throwing mangos on the roof and then running/wrestling across it. It kind of sounds like a hail storm smashing on the tin.
Spent the last couple days volunteering with soft power education.. Really great organization.
Tomorrow i am off to murchison falls. Apparently it contains the world's largest concentration of hippos and crocodiles. Hopefully, i don't wake up to them wrestling... and if i do, hopefully it isn't with me!
Uganda
Here are couple photos (which have taken ages to upload). The picture with the kids is pretty interesting. They first tried to get me to look at the chameleon on the stick. They then started following me when i left the gates of the place i was staying. They wanted to take me around town and show me a view point. I went with them for about two hours. I asked them how much money people usually give them and asked them what they were going to spend the money on. I'm always a bit hesitant to give money to kids but felt these guys deserved it. They said they wanted money for books and pens for school.
Half way on our tour, our group of about 8 turned into 3. The two "ring leaders" told the others to stay behind in their local language. They said the other kids would wait and we would pick them up on the way back. I figured they were just trying to cut them out of getting anything. The three of us continued to the view point . They led me to one of the most impressive view points i've ever been to. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera on me at this time (you can search sipi falls view point and i'm sure google will help you out). Then we started walking back. I told them I wouldn't give them money but would give them books and pens. They were happy and agreed. And on the way back, we picked up the other boys like they said, went to the store and gots some books and pens. I was really impressed with the kids, so i gave them a little money as well.
When we got back to the gate of my place, they wanted a photo. They want me to come back and give them a hard copy. I told them i probably won't be making it back. They told me to send a friend with the photo... any delivery volunteers? I'm sure Peter and the boys will be hanging out on the weekend infront of the sipi lodge waiting for tourists. They told me they are their every weekend.
Uganda
Well, i made it Uganda and have been here a week now. Things are well. Internet access is suspect and often slow.
I found myself a kayaking school on the nile. Plan on staying here for a few days. They give you a gun in your kayak to fend of crocs and hippos! (not true).
I will try and post some photos over the next couple days if time permits.
The biggest fly i've ever seen just landed on the table.. time to go.
Full of drugs and ready to go
There sure is a schmorgesborg of stuff you can get shot up with before you leave the country. I never know if I should get all the recommended shots or not. I think they'd recommend leaving the country in a bubble if it were possible. So, I loaded up with my selected vaccines, paid my 205 bucks and ended up puking and sleeping all afternoon. Hopefully now I'm good to go in Africa!
“My life is just fine”
I was mad at the advertising on a new website and this email exchange followed. I like the affirmation at the end of the last email.
1st email:
Hi,
Your new ad format (the ad at the bottom of the screen which opens another ad when you close it) is really annoying.
Just my two cents.
Andrew
2nd:
Hi Andrew,
Thank you for your feedback regarding online advertising and XXXXXXX.com. As this unique channel for content delivery continues to develop, we work hard to find a balance between accessible content and creative advertising ideas that allow us to offer our content online without subscription fees. Your feedback is very important in helping us understand appropriate guidelines. I will offer your comments as an example of what our readers think; this will help to refine future advertising standards that work for both our readers and our advertisers.
As a note though, the ad should close once the “X” or “close” button is clicked. However, clicking on any portion of the rest of the ad will navigate to a URL of the advertiser’s choice.
Thank you,
3rd email:
Thanks,
I appreciate your response.
I understand that the X or collapse should close the ad. When you close this type of banner ad, a smaller ad in the bottom left pops up from the same advertiser. That is what is annoying!
Thanks again
Andrew
4th Email:
Oh ok, I understand what you’re referring to. We used to provide the advertiser that extra logo exposure and have since moved away from that format, but felt inclined to continue prior campaigns the way they were originally offered.
Do you remember which advertiser this ad was promoting?
5th Email:
it was macco and dunlop ford i think... those were the two i saw.
Ps. i will get a life soon an stop writing to complain about advertising! haha
6th Email:
No Andrew, I really appreciate your feedback. I was worried some ads had slipped through the cracks, but those were both advertisers who had bought campaigns based on the original format; so I’m afraid it’s our due diligence to leave them running that way. New campaigns, however, should close completely when prompted.
Thanks again for your help, and I’m sure your life is just fine J
Off to Africa
So I bought a ticket to Uganda and am leaving in 2 weeks.
Here is the plan so far:
June 2, fly to Uganda from Regina
July 7th, fly home from South Africa.
So far there is nothing in between. Any ideas?
Photos I missed and took
Well, I'm back in Canada now, and have been for a couple weeks. One of my favorite things about travelling is taking photos of situations which I find amusing. One great photo I missed was the tourist in Mexico wearing sunglasses, a pink button up shirt done up to the top, speedos and sandals....on the side of a busy a highway.
I was looking through my photos and found a few others that I will post over the next little while.
Grape Girl
This was at a festival in Llata, Peru. All the kids were dressed up and there was a parade. Check out the wet patch behind the lady in green pants. We were just standing there, and the mom backed up a step with grape girl, removed a few grapes, the youngster did her business and then stepped back in the crowd incognito. I backed up a few steps to take the photo. I was standing right beside the guy in the whitish/grey shorts when the action went down.
