1. BIE project rocks!!!
2. We start podcasting
3. Travel to USA

Bonjour!! Comment ca va? How is everything over here!! I haven’t been able to come here lately. Well it has been a hard work starting of year. The good news is that we finally finished the BIE project. And is so nice and so good that I really feel proud of it. It was like my dreaming came true. I mean, at first it was just a simple and humble idea, but as time past the project started to grow itself and the job was harder and harder. Finally there is the result. Last week we hold a presentation for UNODC office and it seems everybody like it even thought many of those people are not involved in detail with geographic information. But most important is that I’m sure of the dedicated and top quality job that we did. I put all my energy to do that well. It was a challenge and finally I did it. That is another proof of human capabilities and the virtuosity of endurance.

What is the BIE project? Spatial Information Bank. We are deploying a Spatial Information Infrastructure in the SIMCI Project. It uses technologies, policies, and arrangements in order to organize, disseminate and share spatial information. The final product was reflected in a on-line catalogue accessed through Internet. In that catalogue people will find spatial information documented and all the directions in order to access those data. The most importat goal of this project is that it not only benefits the SIMCI project but also the involved groups that uses spatial information in order to take spatial related decisions in Colombia. I mean, any little improvement in geospatial information matters in our country is a step forward toward development. And I kind of feel this is a great leap.

I cannot yet put a link here to the BIE web since the UNODC staff are still evaluating and judging the site. I guess in a couple of week it will be fully available. Now the work is almost done but not finished at all. We still have to work in one of the modules of spatial information and we need to focus on organizational profile.

I’m so proud of the BIE project!!! I put my mind of it for a long time. It’s like my child. And I hopes it grows well.

When one project is coming to and end another is just beginning. Yes, is the idea that I wrote in a previous post but I didn’t want to reveal it to not spoil it at all. I am podcasting guys!!!

It started like everything being just a crazy idea that no-one paid attention. But as we gave time and thought to it seemed the perfect project. Yes another project. I’m working with Oscar and Orlando, who finally decided to be in the project. We will making a podcast about spatial information and geospatial sciences. Sound good, doesn’t it? Actually we recorded our first episode last Friday. It was exciting man. After a long time waiting for a mixer coming from USA (I bought it in Amazon because in Colombia it is a steal to buy electronics devices due to the high taxes we have to pay), we also invested in microphones and a good site to host our show. The purpose is to make a weekly episode. It will depends mostly of the load of work at SIMCI. But as I figure it out, it will be plenty of work.

As I was saying the pilot episode was last Friday. We still haven’t uploaded to internet because we exaggerated a little bit and recorded almost fifty minutes. The more time you record the more time you need to spend editing the final audio. We are also giving the final touch to the weblog and our giggle. It’s not easy to find good and free music to run your show.

Hopefully “Geografia para Llevar” (“Geograpy to go”, that’s how is called out podcast) will be a major impact in geospatial communities in Colombia and we hope to do a great job running this project. The idea of making radio sounds like a dreaming to me. Since I was a child I remember falling sleep with a radio under my pillow. Listening to the radio has been one of my major pastimes from the very beginning. I definitely like the idea. I cannot imagine marrying a wife who can’t stand me listening to my radio some time in the night. I probably will never marry. He he.

This post is full of news. I should have divided into three. In the middle of these projects and works I haven’t realized that my vacations are coming. After a long time without vacations at last I will have my prize. So exciting man, I’m going back USA after three years. I hope to find so many old friends that I made in the ELI in Alabama. This time I will be in Philadelphia and will be this summer. I hate hot weather but I should deal with it since my grandma and ma are going too. You know, winter would be very heavy for them. Anyway mi mom is more excited that me. I sure understand her since this is her first travel abroad. I feel she really deserves it and more than that since most of her life she has dedicated her time to us and a few time to herself. I will make sure she enjoy this trip. I definitely should buy a new camera. That would be great.

Porque aca vinimos a lo que vinimos
Originally uploaded by jp_ardila.

Many people liked my last post pics. I have uploaded all of them to my flickr account and you can see that at: http://flickr.com/photos/bluejp/
Hope you like it
JP

Just when another week of hard work was almost finished messages from heaven started to pour. It was a dull afternoon with nothing going on just waiting to leave and say bye, when suddenly a never seen in years torrential rain started to pour. It was like others heavy rains of the last year but this was accompanied by hail. It was amazing. Being in the office we started to feel like going out and have fun. After some incredulous sights we were just out and with the jaw dropped because of the spectacular and never usual landscape of the 100 street in Bogota. I mean, you guys in higher latitudes you are use to see falling snow and other weather conditions. But in Bogota this was a seldom heavy rain and we rarely see this kind of phenomena in our city.

The traffic collapsed and it was a childish air due to the hail carpet covering the street. It was beautiful and hail was luring us. After that, we enjoyed taking pictures, walking on the ice, and hanging around.

I could even punch Sanrocas with ice balls and with no compassion at all. I conked her as much as I could and she tried to do the same with no luck. Well that was like going back in time and being children for a while. That’s how a boring usual afternoon turned into a exciting time thanks to unusual messages sent from heaven. Later, going to French class I was helluva happy as I wouldn’t have expected.
Thanks God!!!