Welcome to the websites of Babak Fakhamzadeh. Here, on the homepage, you can find the latest from the categories Travelogues, Reading, Assignments, Own stuff, Photography and the blog 30YearProject.com. For the latest from other categories, check the menu on the left.
SACSIS.org.za
new 
5 May 2008 | Assignments | 95 views, 46 clicks, 0 comments
SACSIS, The South African Civil Society Information Service, is the brainchild of Fazila Farouk. SACSIS is "a nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question: How do we make democracy work for the poor?"
The CMS behind the website is an easily adaptable and homegrown system which has been proven to work under extensive strain and usage. This CMS has been extended over the years and earlier versions of the system ... more »
Alan Weisman - The world without us
new 30 April 2008 | Reading | 2399 views, 58 clicks, 0 comments
A nice thought experiment on what the world would look like without humans, assuming that all humans, for one reason or another, would suddenly cease to exist.
At the same time, too often, the book brings together small, though reasonably interesting tales on how humans have messed up their habitat, from overfishing to nuclear refuge to overpopulation, that, too often, the book's not about what the world would look like without us, but how we've been using the riches we've been blessed with.
Then, the relatively unconnected stories are interesting, but feel off topic too often.
Fit for a queen
new 30 April 2008 
| 30yp.com (blog) | Flickr stream | 163 views, 1 comments
Partook in two days of training for HDN, in Zambia. The country coordinator did a very good job, but not everyone was as committed, and I am not talking about the trainees.
For the second day of training, which was my day to talk about and train on HealthDev.net, we obviously needed decent internet connections. The IT center we did the first day in had, for some reason, issues with their internet connection. I asumed we'd scout for alternative location after the training, but not so.
On the second day, the internet not having improved at the training center, the country coordinator and I had no choice but to scout around for an alternative location, with the regional coordinator being 'held up'. ... more »
Woe
new 28 April 2008 | 30yp.com (blog) | Flickr stream | 92 views, 0 comments
Rouzeh advised me to stay in the Protea hotel on Cairo road, where wireless internet is free and plentiful. However, at, as it turned out, more than 190USD a night, a bit above budget. My contact in Lusaka, Zambia, wanted to book me into the Silverline lodge, still hefty at 112USD per night. I myself asked if I could be booked into the Chachacha backpackers, reasonable at only 20 euros per night for a double, with, internet available in the lobby.
I assumed I was going to end up at Chachacha. I ended up at Silverline. Skype is working, yeah, but I can't access any website. While virtually drowning in work, my hours are being stolen from me.
Then, to make things more in line with other long hauls, my luggage didn't arrive in one... more »
Online offline
new 25 April 2008 | 30yp.com (blog) | Flickr stream | 104 views, 0 comments
With two days work as a consultant for SAfAIDS, one day work at SAfAIDS as a visiting HDN employee, regular work for HDN, close-to-last-minute work for a South African client, SACSIS and internet connectivity that makes connections in South Africa seem like extremely broadband, it's been a hectic week. Not to mention the time I'm spending with Rouzeh.
I found it surprising to see that, on the surface, so little has changed in Harare. The streets are structurally more quiet, but that's pretty much the only thing. After ten, nothing seems to be going on anymore, I haven't seen the bar in the lodge open yet.
The same shops, some new ones, busy, even classy, exp... more »
In transit
new 21 April 2008 | 30yp.com (blog) | Flickr stream | 85 views, 0 comments
Arriving in Jo'burg, waiting for my luggage to slide down the belt, a small, rather cute dog was being walked around by a minder, sniffing the bags. Sniffing mine, the dog stopped, sat down, at looked at its 'owner'. Did I have any fruits or cheese? One apple indeed and, in my checked in luggage, two nice little cheeses, but I didn't tell anyone that of course.
I was allowed to eat the apple on the spot. Then, when my luggage arrived, I made sure I skirted the dog, which was now sitting nearby, next to another traveler's backpack.
Cairo airport is nothing like how I remember it to be from my last visit. Then again, I don't remember it at all.
I bought the tic... more »
Spead freak
new 20 April 2008 | 30yp.com (blog) | Flickr stream | 108 views, 0 comments
The past week, visiting Holland, I've been running around more than the squirrel Hammy from Over the Hedge on a good day. Both work, HDN as well as my own, and then meeting old friends because, when you visit your home country once or twice a year, there really can be a lot to talk about.
Last year, a childhood friend tracked me down with whom I'm now in quite regular contact. Just a few weeks ago, a second childhood friend tracked me down. Obviously, these mega popular social networks are at least good for something.
In both cases, we'd hung out a lot, as kids, but lost track some 20 years ago. Twenty years! Obviously meaning that I'm ... more »
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