Clive Best

For my work here I have been getting into DNN as a content management system and portal builder. Some observations:

1. It is not at all easy to install and configure. Here there have been problems with Vista and IIS 7.0.
2. Once installed it is easy to start building a portal. However I have had problems with some of the standard modules. For example Feed Explorer is a nightmare. It is very cool but cannot handle OPML files unless they are in the specific format they require. URL encoding doesn’t seem to work - EMM RSS feeds fail because they contain an & sign, which even if escaped fail to load, whereas copying the same file to anther site with a simple URL works. I also have the feeling this particualr core module is commercial as whenever there is an error it doesn’t tell you but defaults to view DNN marketplace for sales.
3. Modules we like and seem powerful are “user defined tables” “repository (archives of documents)” “reports” - simple SQL queries.
4. In comparison to say Drupal I would say that this system is commercial first and open source second. There appear to be some very powerful modules for database interfaces including customised forms - but these cost over 100 dollars - assuming that is they work.
5. The performance of DNN at least on my portable is not very good. Perhaps there are some tuning parameters to improve things . Drupal comes with an inbuilt caching system which is an easier solution, and outperforms DNN even running locally.

This morning I completed the biggest road race in Africa - a 10 kilometre run round Addis along with at least 30,000 others. The atmosphere was like a carnival with singing and slogans throughout the course. Last night I thought I would never make it as I went down with a bad stomach after eating Injera at lunch. Despite hardly any sleep and a dose of Imodium I was up at 6-30 waiting for Kaleab who got me the entry ticket and was going to run with me. In the end I just had to go through with it! The start was amazing. The Olympic stars at the front left, and then followed a wave of movement running down Maleb square. I guess we were near the middle as this sea of yellow running shirts set off. Luckily for me there were several bottlenecks round the track which forced everyone down to fast walking speed. Otherwise I doubt I could have run all the way. Half way round there was a fire hydrant spraying water over the road into which we ran. I got completely soaked as everyone partied in this shower. The Ethiopians were great and I think some of their slogans and chanting when we passed government ministries were less than complementary. But it was really good humoured, and finally I passed the finish to get my medal (as everyone else did). The sense of achievement though is great, as last night I was lying awake concerned I would have heart failure running so far at this altitude and at my age (45?)!

Today being Saturday we made another excursion south - this time to Nazret about 150 km from Addis. The road was the normal crazy overtaking until Nazret but then we turned off for another 40 km through wild scenery to Sodere resort. At Nazret there is a huge new complex owned by a construction company. The town is large with shops and traders everywhere. On the way to Sodere we went past many traditional Ethiopian houses which are round made with clay/mud bricks with thatched roofs. The fields are all growing Tett which is used to bake traditional Ethiopian bread called Injera. The road itself is also used for herding cattle, sheep and goats often by children and as usual people crossing and walking anywhere.

Sodere Resort was full of locals who come for baths and swimming in the hot springs. It is near to the River Awash (I think). People come here and wash themselves as the water is bath temperature, and they feel it is good for them. The Olympic size swimming pool is also bath temperature, which is weird. There were a pack of small monkeys scavenging food and breaking into everyone’s rucksacks. One of them smashed a bottle of Sprite. Later we drove back to Mazret and had a late traditional Ethiopian lunch which you eat with your right hand. Mine was hot spicy shredded beef and Injera bread. I may have tried too many spices as my stomach is now a little queasy! Anyway back to Addis and I have been talked into running in the Millenium Ethiopian run - let’s see how I feel tomorrow morning ! There will be 30,000 people and some Olympic champions for a 10 kilometre run. I will probably have to walk quite a bit as Addis is high!

Today I drove out of Addis for the first time for about 45 kilometers to Debr Zeyit. Once you leave the city you appreciate the wide open landscape of the Highlands. There are farms, donkeys, goats, cows and people lining the road. The road actually follows the only railway track in Ethiopia which goes to Djibuti. There can only be one train a day which must go very slowly as people set up stalls and seats on the track. I was told it takes 4 days for the train to reach Djibuti, whereas by road it is 20 hours or so. By the state of the track I can understand why there are so many trucks and lorries on the road. The road surface is reasonably good, but the driving is something else with the horn being the most important instrument.

There is a lake at Debre Zeyit full of fish who seem to just stay still as if they can’t be bothered to swim. The setting is rather pleasant. Of course there are more famous lakes further on, especially in the Rift Valley, but I had to get back to meet Doug the American expert who arrived last night. On the way back I took the picture of the horse powered taxi service. Most of the villages seem to use these to get around off the main road, where there are dirt roads/tracks.

I have been here one week now and am beginning to get a feel for the life here. Firstly the weather is great - sunny but not too hot. Addis is at 2400 meters and the air temperature can be quite cool in the evening, heated by the strong sun during the day. The city itself is a mix of contrasts. There is real poverty in some parts, and new apartments in others. Addis is a relatively new capital, just 150 years old. Emperor Haile Salasie’s palace is now the president’s palace and there are a lot of government buildings in the centre. At the same time there seems to be quite a lot of development going on, especially on the Bolle road which leads to the airport. The Ethiopian economy is growing fast and this is evident in the building work. However there are some depressing shanty town areas where the poor try to eke out a living in bad conditions. There seem to be a lot of amputees, cripples and old women begging for money. I usually give them some money as I feel over-privileged living as I do in a Hilton apartment! There are some state funded housing projects in development for the poor and hopefully they help the people in need.

The people are really nice and have a laid back attitude. I cannot get used to the shops and I was taken on a tour of the Mercato. This is Africa’s biggest market and is a real experience. One part of the market sells car parts which are supposedly taken from stolen cars. It seems that if something is taken from your car you can buy it back again there. Another big area sells used tyres - and these are used to make shoes !

I enclose a picture from the fruit market - this was the best stall there. The old produce from all the stores was piled into a central area where it slowly rotted.

I went on Monday to the EU delegation which is near the Bolle road. The security was incredibly high and it seemed more like a military base than an embassy. However, I was eventually let in and saw the AU liaison staff which was good. They actually advised me well on the dentist problems, although I haven’t seen them yet at the AU.

My Italian dentist had assured me that my sensitive tooth would hold out. But 0n Monday I started work at the African Union, with very bad toothache. It worsened on Tuesday to become unbearable - so a dentist I had to find in Addis Adaba - a complete nightmare. Toothache takes over everything - you just cannot focus on anything else . If you believe in Intelligent design - then why did God put nerves in teeth ?

After some phone calls I found a Chinese dentist who was booked until 4 days ahead. At that moment I decided to drive there anyway as agony was setting in. The guy was good, he saw me immediately and - despite old equipment -  I think he did a very good job in the circumstances. The story is not over yet because yesterday afternoon I had to go back to remould the crown, as the first hadn’t taken - more pain as the temporary crown has now moved slightly.

But —- the price of the crown is 10% of what it would be in Europe !
I am thinking of organising dentistry tours to Africa for people who cannot afford European fat cat prices.

I arrived yesterday and am staying in a room at the Hilton. Today I went to sign the rental car agreement and buy some things, and then went for swim in the pool. The weather is sunny but not as hot as you would imagine. Addis is at 2400 meters, which is higher than Cervinia, so although the sun is very powerful, it never gets above 25 degrees and can get really quite cold at night. This place is full of people and I begin to realise that Addis is the diplomatic centre of Africa, and many people stay at the Hilton complex. I am still hoping to get one of their apartments, which are actually cheaper than the rooms and more private. If I am going to stay 6+6 weeks then I would also like to cook my own food, prepare breakfast etc. There is plenty of time to sort that out. However I managed to get an Ethiopian SIM card - but SMS seems to only work within Ethiopia. It even has 3G - but for some reason network connectivity doesn’t work. Meanwhile I will survive on very expensive Hotel broadband - which is not too bad.