Today I was going to try to disable that Deep Freeze program that was preventing any changes to the computers. I was also going to try to test Edubuntu Linux on the one computer that didn't have a fully installed version of Windows. I managed to get Ubuntu running on it and was simultaneously trying to get Puppy Linux (a small memory resident version of Linux) running on one of the other lab computers, when Kristen and Norma stopped by. Norma had visited with the new director regarding her desires regarding the computer lab, especially since Probigua (a local language school) has it's name splashed all over it. It turned out that she had no interest in doing anything with this computer lab for the time being. She did ask that we check out the computer in their library and the other computer lab, which served the children in their K-6 program. We shut everything down, locked the lab, dropped off the key and headed to the library to begin there.
Like every other computer I've encountered in Guatemala, excepting the two we brought with us, maintenance is an unknown term. The library computer was no exception. We booted it up and the librarian logged in for me. From there, it was as if I was walking through a pool of molasses syrup. For the next two hours, I did battle with it and pretty much lost every one of them. (I'm seated at the computer behind the counter.)
Finally, just before we decided to have lunch, I logged in and let it running. I thought that if some program was starting at log-in, perhaps it would be finished by the time we returned from a light lunch. We ate in the school courtyard, near the playground.
For the most part, it was more accessible after lunch and I finally was able to run my Advance SystemCare 3 (ASC3) software that does such a good job of cleaning up computer garbage. It also defrags the hard drive, which was especially needed as this computer was the most fragmented I've yet encountered. After ASC3 finished running, the computer was much more responsive. I then tried to uninstall the antivirus program that was installed, since it was about six months out of date. Unfortunately, the school does not have Internet access. I wanted to replace it with Avast, which I just downloaded, but every time I tried to uninstall it, it spontaneously rebooted prior to finishing the uninstallation. I finally gave up on it just after 2:00 p.m., vowing to return on Friday to continue battle.
Leaving the school, we walked back to the part of town near the mercado, while looking for a bookstore that Linda wanted to visit. We found another book store, which we visited, and were just about ready to give up when we found the one we've been looking for for the past two weeks.
From there we went to Pollo Campero for a second lunch or an early dinner, since our first lunch had been light. I also wanted to do some on-line research with our netbook, which I'd been lugging around. I'd hoped to find a downloadable virus signature file for the antivirus program installed on the library computer, but couldn't find one. Instead, I just downloaded the lastest version if it and will install it on Friday. That should do the trick. I was also able to determine the purpose of another program installed on the library computer.
Leaving Pollo Campero, we stopped by Dispensa Familiar for a few items, but ended up only picking up crackers to go with the soup we had made the night before. We then headed over to where we pick up the bus to return to our apartment and almost immediately boarded a chicken bus heading for Alotenango. When I paid our fare, I mentioned where we wanted to get off and was pleased when it was right at the road to our apartment. Our success might better be attributed to the fact that a local Guatemalan resident also exited when we did. While walking up the road to our apartment, we talked briefly with her. She seemed amused when I referred to us as her neighbors.
Back home, we video chatted with Donna, Max and Robyn in Houston and Donna, Nic, Cos and Gia in Los Angeles. We tried to video chat with our friend Judy, who lives across the Mississippi from Burlington in Illinois, but the combination of our Guatemalan infrastructure and her Illinois infrastructure was just too much for Gmail to deal with. We'll need to try that again.
The evening included a movie, blogging and Internet research. I've been looking for job opportunities since I've arrived and, to put it bluntly, the fishing has been pretty dismal. In the last sixteen days I've only applied for one position and it was with a nonprofit headquartered in Houston. I found it amusing that the position is located in La Antigua, Guatemala.
Tomorrow we meet John, the In-Country Director of Child Aid, to go with him to a village school near Lake Atitlan. This will be an exploratory trip for us. The school has a sixteen computer lab that "no functiona." Our job will be to try to determine if it is worth trying to make them operational or if junking them and trying to start over would make more sense. It should be an interesting excursion. If the computers have potential, we'll probably spend our seventh week in Guatemala somewhere on Lake Atitlan near the village school.
(Acknowlegement: Today's photos were all taken by Linda)
