We've been busy, with me at work and Mari at exploring. I depend on her to be my guide - or I should. Whenever we're in the old city, trying to navigate the maze of streets, she'll say "Go left," I'll say in frustration "NO! Go RIGHT." Then we'll go left and she'll be vindicated. I never learn.
She still puts up with me after 43 years, though, and even preparing me delicious meals. Here's a picture of the repast she created two nights ago!
Kava
Coffee is an art form in Croatia, even that which comes from machines. Here's what one gets for 3 kuna (about 50 cents) from the machine outside my office. The computer and monitor are scale references:
Not much, you say? Well, you're probably right about overall volume, but I can guarantee you that there is at least as much coffee in one of these cups as in anything from our Keurig machine back home. If you like strong coffee, this is the place to be! (Right, Liz?)
RIT Croatia - Dubrovnik Campus
The Dubrovnik campus is housed in one building near the sea. So let's take a short tour of the digs.
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| My office which I share with Deb LaBelle (my desk is nearest the door) |
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| The teaching lab filled with new Macs |
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| From a Lab Window It doesn't due justice to the view of the sea |
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| The "Quiet" Lab where students can work on Dell PCs |
Coming from Rochester, one thing you note right away is that students do not, in general, own their own computers. This means that everything they need for assignments must be available on all the Macs and PCs on campus. The lack of personal accounts means they also have no permanent storage other than that on USB thumb drives, DropBox, etc., which they must reattach at the start of each class.
I think I've addressed the ISTE 230 Database issue by using SQLite so that they can keep the DBMS and the associated database files on a USB thumb drive. I'm still working out the logistics for ISTE 422, the Application Development course, as not all the tools I need (e.g., jUnit, SVN, etc.) are universally available. Fortunately I have a couple of weeks to work with the IT folks here and in Zagreb to make sure the environment is up to snuff.
Rain
"It's raining, it's pouring. The old man is snoring. Went to bed, and he bumped his head, and he was swept into the Adriatic by a Dubrovnik thunder storm in the morning." (Sorry if the meter is bollixed).
When it rains here, IT RAINS! Everyone carries umbrellas, but mostly as a triumph of hope over experience. Maybe an umbrella will keep you dry - from the chest up - but only if the wind doesn't catch it and blow you away (see Mary Poppins). Students coming to my class on Tuesday were soaked, and they wanted extra credit for just showing up (they had a point). I managed to make it home during a break in the shower; by break, I mean I ended up soaked only to my waist.
The rain also wreaks havoc with the water system. "Boil water" advisories are all over the media (we've learned enough Croatian to understand this); those who can use bottled water. The water color has slowly changed from dark brown to a light ocre since the worst of the storms passed. We'll see what things are like a couple of days from now when the weather is supposed to turn back to sunny.
Buza
We found the second Buza last night. It's actually quite close to the first one, just in the opposite direction on the wall. This one lets you get a drink and sit right on rocks overlooking the sea. Depending on how much you drink vs. admire the view, this can be dangerously adventuresome.
We didn't stop to have drinks last night as there was a steady drizzle. We'll visit it the next time we have a clear night. I may even let Mari guide us there.
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