[oh boy...I hope people have some sense of humour about this. Style via Gruber.]
A Translation From PR-Speak to English of Selected Portions of the Ministers’ declaration on ICT Development
22 June, 2010, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) – Pacific Ministers for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have committed to further development of the region’s ICT systems as a key tool for governance and sustainable livelihoods.
“We met and will definitely meet again in the future.”
In a declaration made at the Pacific Regional Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Ministers’ Meeting in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, they agreed to ‘work together to support the advancement of Pacific countries through improved deployment and use of ICTs in our societies; and endorse the concept of ‘many partners, one team’ in progressing a more coordinated and coherent approach to ICT development’.
“There won’t be much immediate change evident at all but we’re all definitely keen.”
Called the Tonga Declaration, the document notes ICT priority issues and development plans. The ministers also endorsed the Framework for Action on ICT for Development for the Pacific and requested SPC to coordinate the implementation of the framework in collaboration with USP, and other regional agencies and development partners.
“Collaboration is a good thing but we’ll need to have a few more meetings and probably put out some expressions of interest first before anything is decided upon.”
The ministers agreed that the new framework of action should be reviewed before mid-2013, with a Pacific ICT ministers’ meeting to be convened after the review to consider the findings and provide direction to the implementation of the framework.
“The new framework won’t be reviewed anytime soon.”
Ministers also requested that the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) work with the University of the South Pacific, development partners and Pacific Island countries and territories to develop a three year rolling Strategic Action Plan that will be updated annually and to report back on targets set in the framework.
“Yadda yadda yadda...”
The ministers acknowledged the important role of ICT in meeting the Millennium Development Goals and recalled Resolution 64/187 of the UN General Assembly, which highlighted the importance of partnerships with stakeholders in enhancing access to ICT and its potential to provide new solutions to development challenges.
[impossible to translate]
They noted that the Pacific Plan provides a basis for regional cooperation and integration between Forum countries and considered the unique challenges faced by Pacific small island developing states and territories in establishing ICT systems
“We’ve got a pretty wide range of problems and ICT is one of them.”
I've never felt more fucked over by a company in my life than I have been feeling watching BP these past few weeks. This feeling is entirely my own fault, too.
From an Ogilvy case study highlighting BP's re-branding efforts about ten years ago:
"In 1999, British Petroleum merged with Amoco and then acquired the Atlantic Richfield Corporation and Burmah Castrol. The newly re-branded, global BP sought to position itself as transcending the oil sector, delivering top-line growth while remaining innovative, progressive, environmentally responsible and performance-driven. BP sought Ogilvy's expertise to demonstrate to key opinion leaders, business partners and their 100,000 employees worldwide how the company intended to go "beyond petroleum". "
I totally bought this...hook, line and sinker. I trusted them. I believe them and their bullshit.
I LOVED the re-branding approach BP launched about ten years ago. How do you take an old, dirty industry like oil and gas and turn it into something positive? Apparently, by repositioning your old logo into an environmentally friendly and colourful image of a sun. How do you rework a documented history of unsafe working conditions, global environmental damage and corporate staleness into something good? Apparently, by saying that you've moved on.
I'm sure not everyone bought it. I did, though. "Wow...look at how a company with the word 'petroleum' IN ITS NAME can leave it all behind." I thought...
I find myself pissed at Ogilvy as well for helping orchestrate the travesty of BP's re-branding efforts, which has now led, in part, to the environmental holocaust unraveling in the Gulf of Mexico. Their case study goes on to say:
"Our recommendation was to position BP as a new type of global energy company-one that confronts difficult issues like the conflict between energy and environmental needs and takes action beyond what is expected."
Unbelievable, Ogilvy. Are you sure you briefed your client properly?
"The power of the brand rested in the ability of companies to create emotional bonds with products… the better that connection, the stronger the brand."
She said it all here and I refused to think about it. I sat hypnotized by their words, promises and ideas instead of their actions. Is that really what branding is? How did I get so duped?
I will never visit a BP fuel station again or purchase any of their products or services. This brand screwed me and has made me feel like an idiot for trusting them. Entirely my own fault.
A brown pelican is seen on the beach at East Grand Terre Island along the Louisiana coast on Thursday, June 3, 2010. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) via The Big Picture. Totally heartbreaking.
A new initiative picking up local steam is the "Fiji Made" or "Buy in Fiji" campaign. Discounting the fact that I'm unable to determine what the campaign will actually be named yet, there are a few issues surrounding the idea which have been on my mind.
The idea of a Fiji-Made brand being put out there to encourage recognition of the country's products is a good one. At the same time, the idea may be extremely difficult and costly to pull off due to the inevitableover-thinking which will likely be associated with it. There are so many possible variations in the way the idea is implemented that it might be like pulling teeth in order to get any traction. That, however, is neither here nor there. If it's going to happen, it's best for as many people as possible to try and make it happen. Branding Fiji as more than just tropical beaches is a long-time coming. It's something which is sorely needed and it's going to become even more essential when trying to support the growth of other industries. It is this area which I feel is worth commenting on...
What appears to be left out of the "Fiji Made" discussion (at this point, at least) are services. This is relatively surprising when considering Fiji's ongoing push for ICT relevance in the world. Fiji’s service providers need to be able to benefit from the "Fiji Made" push as well. No one is actually saying they won't be but thus far, all the coverage I’ve seen has been about packaging labels and shelf space. Perhaps that's an easier visualisation when planning this thing but it doesn’t change the fact that if we’re only looking there, we could be missing the bigger picture.
There's a sad irony presented in this Fiji-Made campaign, as well. I'm a Fiji investor running a company which focuses, in part, on software and application development. I see way too much work being sent abroad to India, China and Malaysia, among other countries. My question is this:
How can Fiji build a brand with the core message being "Fiji-made" when the country itself looks elsewhere in an industry it has been intent on building up? This is frustrating for businesses like mine.
In fairness, I don't see Fiji's government as intentionally swiping at the local service industry at all. In fact, I think this issue is simply not being considered or discussed in the larger scheme of things. It is, however, a HUGE issue for any Fiji-based service provider struggling to build its skills and win local development work.
This essay is also not intended to be a xenophobic rant arguing that foreign companies are screwing local ones over and thus, should be banished. Indian and Chinese firms have as much right to pitch for work here as companies with real operations on the ground. What Fiji's government does not appear to be doing is REWARDING local businesses which choose to have software and application development done in Fiji. I believe that if they did do this, it would do wonders for both encouraging local ICT development further as well as promoting the "Fiji-Made" brand.
When I think about the emphasis and heavy financial commitment Fiji continues to make in trying to establish itself as an efficient ICT destination and developing the country's capabilities, it feels like only HALF of a strategy is being implemented. That half is made up of information technology parks, financial incentives and marketing efforts built around the sole goal of bringing IT companies in to establish operations. All important initiatives, yes, but it’s only halfway there.
The missing part of this strategy (i.e.; the other half) feels significantly more important to the industry's future; namely encouraging the development of local skills. This can happen via tax incentives for ICT-related training, duty-free imports of educational material, books and trade collateral, software discounts, and most important, tax incentives for ANY Fijian business choosing locally-developed custom application or software. Nothing is more critical towards building up capabilities than encouraging this local consumption of "Fiji-Made" services.
There are related issues which will need to be addressed with this kind of incentive-based activity. For example, many non-Fiji IT companies have established local offices as satellite locations for their foreign operations. The Digital Group is one shining example I can think of off the bat. Local tenders are pitched for by these companies but most or all of the development work is being managed and conducted abroad. Fiji as a country loses out when this happens and I'm not referring to just FJ$ going abroad. Fiji loses out because the experience and knowledge of how to build and manage that type of work disappear offshore with very little experience remaining behind. This is a key hindrance to the industry's local growth. To reiterate, the companies which send work abroad have every right to do so. I’m not arguing against their right to conduct business this way. I’m simply stating that in order to really develop the local industry, there need to be benefits to Buy Fiji. That is the purpose and focus of the “Fiji-Made” campaign, after all.
Fiji-based ICT companies with the majority of their workforce in-country should be able to easily demonstrate where their technical development resources are based. In fact, I believe these checks and balances already exist within the garment manufacturing industry.
If a local business or a government ministry wants software and application development, they should be strongly encouraged to use local ICT businesses wherever possible. Not directed, mind you. Encouraged. No one should be penalised for going abroad but getting benefits for working with local companies will become a win-win for everyone (except the companies who send all their dev work abroad). That, however, is just business.
On one hand, there's "corruption". On the other hand, there's its ugly step-sister, "bad ethics".
Nothing wastes company time more in this country (or anywhere, perhaps), than bad ethics. "Corruption" is finite, after all. It's clear to most people what is corrupt behaviour. Ethical lapses, however, seem to be entirely subjective.
I've been thinking a lot about this recently and it's been a recurring topic of discussion in our offices too. It seems to be stemming from the number of ethically questionable people we've had the displeasure of working with over the course of Oceanic's existence. As a growing service provider, we have very little choice but to work with these people. Or do we?
One stinging situation we've been going through lately deals with a client who we built a web strategy for some time ago. The first phase of the project was some pretty straight forward web development and the project went fine, with no real problems or issues. The client was happy. The second phase of development focused on a few specific customer support applications. Our initial proposal provided an outline of these applications, how we would build and implement them into their existing website and at what cost. Again, everyone seemed happy with the strategic approach we suggested.
Some time has gone by since this proposal was put forth but it has recently come up again and the client appears ready to move ahead. Unfortunately, we're being told that they must tender for this service because it's their policy to get three quotes. My argument, not surprisingly to me, is based on the fact that their very tender is built upon a strategic approach and implementation plan WE HAVE GIVEN THEM. Why should any other company get the opportunity to bid for work on a strategy we've proposed? At least, that's my view.
The client stands firm. "It's our policy."
So we now have to waste time following some outdated tender process where we'll most certainly not be the lowest tenderer (since we rarely are). Is this a corrupt practice on the side of the client? No, of course not since they're just following "their policy". Is it ethical? Well...this is the grey area.
I've gotten a number of notes from friends back at home asking me about what we do and how we manage the threat of powerful cyclones/hurricanes in a developing country where, not surprisingly, the infrastructure is a bit more fragile than elsewhere.
It's such a bizarre and surreal experience attempting to prepare for an approaching disaster if, in fact, that's what Cyclone Tomas turns out to be.
In Fiji, there may be an elevated rush at the markets but certainly nothing like the craziness I've seen in America where people seem to feel that if they run out of canned figs, the world will come crashing down. What I see here is a less organised chaos but it still very much feels like some flavour of chaos. What's driving the chaos isn't the approaching storm as much as it seems to be the disparate sources of information about the approaching storm. (I'm a broken record over this, I know. Deal with it.)
When news of this tropical storm hit the airwaves yesterday, the first "official" reaction I saw/heard was to close all the schools. This struck me as like cooking a cylinder of propane in a lovo. The action feels as if it has absolutely no redeemable value other than clogging the streets with massive traffic, causing some mild panic and essentially taking away from the very purpose of early response; namely PREPARATION. People will always have more difficulty getting things done when their children also need to be watched at the same time. I prefer my children to be safely in a classroom while I attempt to manage pending doom but that's just me. If we only had hours to act, then I would understand this decision but that was not the case here.
This is not meant to be a crucifixion of government actions either but I have every right to question any decision when the safety of my kids is at stake...didn't anyone notice how the streets were crowded with children aimlessly walking everywhere after the call for schools to close? That's not cool.
So here we are...it's after 12 noon on Saturday and the latest report suggests that this strengthening and seemingly massive storm will actually hit on Monday, more than 72 hours after the Ministry of Education ordered schools to be shut. The emergency plans have now been "activated" and people are left to source their news and weather updates from whatever avenue they feel is the most trustworthy. There is NO single resource to rely on whatsoever. The MET.gov.fj website feels so poorly developed and managed that it may literally be responsible for people dying should the storm's potential threat become a reality. I don't believe the actual MET office is useless but I do believe a responsible communications plan, like for every other disaster which has threatened Fiji as long as I've lived here, seems blatantly absent from the tool chest of response activity.
Anyway...it is what it is.
Preparing for an approaching cyclone is an interesting experience compared to REACTING to a tsunami or earthquake warning. With the latter events, there's very little time to plan anything (depending on the circumstances, of course). In the six years I lived in Japan, I became used to earthquakes and decided after the first one that I hated them entirely, mostly because there was absolutely nothing that you could do to control pending disaster once it begins. Running under a door jam doesn't really count either.
So far today, we've gone shopping and stocked our kitchen to last us for a while if need be and I've also provisioned enough beer as well. No...I don't sit there getting drunk as a storm like this rages outside but I do have some exaggerated fear of NOT having beer. For a clean cyclone taste, by the way, try VONU. It is now my preferred beverage when faced with a pending disaster.
If this storm does hit, we'll most certainly lose power so knowing what we have in the freezer and the refrigerator is a good idea. I can't realistically barbeque during a raging storm either so whatever we have has to be cooked inside. Later today or tomorrow, we'll fill up a bathtub with water and also fill up empty jugs as well, to plan for the certain water cuts we'll face. There is NO telling how quickly water service can be restored. We have candles and matches and batteries on hand and we'll scatter them around the house to use when needed. By tomorrow, I'll put the storm shutters over the doors and windows.
Incidentally, Fiji is in the midst of a typhoid outbreak. This storm couldn't have chosen a worse time to visit. If we lose water and/or electricity, the threat of an expanding typhoid outbreak is all but certain. Totally sucks.
On the communications front, my Blackberry has always done a great job of keeping me connected to my family back home in the states as well as friends domestically. Twitter has also been a great tool for providing updates both inwards as well as outwards. I try to conserve laptop battery usage as much as possible when a storm hits but as far as staying connected, I've always had success using Vodafone's Flashnet service.
We eventually reach a certain point where we just sit and wait for the power to go out. Phones, computers, the PSP and iPods are charged up in the meantime and various board games are put out for when stuff gets really desperate. I like to beat my 10 year old son's ass at chess. Every now and then, he takes a game from me, too.
Cyclone Mick, which tore through Suva in December, was only a category one storm and exposed some really poor design flaws in the windows of our house. The base of certain windows acted as water captures so when they filled up after just an hour of heavy rain, they overflowed onto the floor of the master bedroom. I can only assume and expect the same will happen tomorrow so I'll take a closer look at what I might be able to rig up to prevent that from happening. My yard also has a tendency to completely fill up with water, making the house appear as if we live on a lake. It's quite beautiful for like 5 minutes, then it makes me nervous as the water rises.
It's never advisable to venture outside in a cyclone but I usually do at some point to ensure that nothing is falling apart around me. Drainage at Suva Point, which sits in a very low area next to the ocean, is really poor and once heavy rain begins, the streets flood. Up to this point, we've been lucky enough to avoid anything really bad but again, we haven't experienced storms over a category one just yet. At this point, Tomas is like a Hell's Angel riding on the horizon, ready to start bashing.
In short, storms like this one are extremely scary for me. At nighttime, when the cyclone's rage and shake everything, it's pitch-black both inside and outside. Although I trust the structure we live in, I never trust the unknowns of nature and crazy wind gusts. I suppose it would be better if I was alone but with three kids, everything takes on a different dynamic.
On a business note, I hate the way these storms paralyze Fiji for extended days on end. I cannot blame anyone for this, of course, but the interruptions are so detrimental towards running a company, that it becomes very challenging to recover from them quickly. Large clients, in particular, seem oblivious to the impact of these storms and the delays they inevitably cause to their projects.
Cyclones suck. I hope Tomas avoids us completely. In the meantime, we'll do what we can to prepare for him and hopefully, learn some new lessons for next time. As a natural cynic, I don't think that will happen but that doesn't stop me from hoping. Stay safe, Fiji...
Both new and used books in Fiji are ludicrously expensive. Unfairly so, I think. A friend of mine who runs a resort in Fiji told me about a huge amount of books and other reading material he sourced from a school in the United States a few years back. His intention was to distribute the material to a local primary school in the village near his property. When the container arrived into the country, Fiji's tax authority insisted he pay thousands of dollars in duty to clear the shipment. He refused and thus began one of those island experience odysseys all too common in this country. In the end, I believe he told them to either burn the entire lot or just let him have the books. Someone, somewhere, must have finally realised the ridiculousness of the entire drama and let it all through...but as usual, I digress...
I'll estimate the average new-release soft cover books available in Fiji run FJ$40-60 with new hardcovers almost double that (easily $90-120)...yes, they can be found for cheaper but not typically the stuff I want to read. Not surprisingly, there's a healthy trade circuit among the expatriate and local community and I think books are among the fastest items to disappear when someone migrates out and sells their stuff.
For my kids, however, the situation is more dire. The quality and selection of books they can get here seems entirely crappy. There are one or two decent bookstores to choose from but given the voracious appetite for reading that my kids have (which I'm quite happy about), I can't easily drop thousands of dollars per month on literature. The Internet has certainly made things a bit easier when it comes to reading material but the side effect to that is less actual book reading. In my house, my kids have read and re-read their books a number of times. Some months ago, I walked in on my 10 year old, Ethan, reading a dictionary. He was up to the letter M and it made me feel like shit or, more appropriately in terms he might be able to understand, MANURE.
Last month, Amazon released their global KINDLE edition, and in a single split instant, everything changed. I had been waiting for this product for years and was always impressed with the reviews I've read about it. Although I very much enjoy reading, I wouldn't call myself a crazy bookworm. If I have books, I read them. If not, I might think about reading but I don't always have to have something in my hand. The KINDLE, however, always struck me as a perfect solution for the developing world reader. Ease of use, simplicity, content...
Before a trip back to the states in January, I ordered one and had it delivered to a friend's house in Los Angeles, where I was stopping off before heading to the east coast. I wasn't really expecting to get so attached to it myself, actually. I like good design and was keen to see how how it was developed as a product but I think I truly intended for the kids to take advantage of it. When I arrived in LA and opened up my new toy, I was immediately sucked into being a believer.
On Monday this week, Connect.com.fj was apparently hacked by someone (or someones) who have issue with the company or for whatever reason, wanted to demonstrate their skills. It's been an interesting thing to watch the reaction.
To begin with, I have to give some credit to Connect Fiji for their corporate response. Although it took over two hours (!!!), they did openly admitted to the breach and did their best to reinforce to customers that it was just the website which was hacked and no customer data or network services were interrupted. Articles about the hack appeared in multiplenewssources around the country. That, in itself, is a pretty far cry from the kind of response Connect would have provided just a few months ago when their previous executive team was in place. At that time, and for the 8+ years prior, the company communicated very little to it's customers about problems and issues with its services unless and until they had to. At least, that's my opinion. For a communications company, the irony that they were piss poor communicators should not be lost on anyone. They have improved significantly and that's been demonstrated by this one event.
So their site gets hacked and they spring into action, taking the site down, reinstating the links to webmail services and sending out a communication to its entire customer base, acknowledging the breach and explaining what they were doing.
Monday, February 1, 2010 Dear Connect Customer, Please be advised that our corporate website was hijacked and our engineers are working to restore the site. There is no effect to the provision of internet services or to our email, hosting and customer data bases. This was an isolated incident and Connect is currently reviewing our security measures to ensure that we manage such intrusions more effectively in the future. Please contact our Customer Services on 330 0100 or follow us on Twitter <https://twitter.com/connectinternet> or Face book <https://www.facebook.com/pages/Connect-Internet-Services/234773120059?ref=ts> to keep to date on the latest information regarding our service.
This is not bad at all and is actually a fairly decent template for any company which faces an information security breach and needs to communicate something to it's customers. Acknowledge, address, respond and plan for the future.
I think the response breaks down slightly when actually visiting the Twitter and Facebook accounts, to be honest. So soon after this security issue, the latest tweet on their Twitter page references a craving for noodles and hot bread.[UPDATE: CONNECT has since removed this tweet. Too bad.] Either the account should be used for network/services status or it should be used for personal musings. I don't think it should be used for both and I'm certain that if I was a Connect customer with a service issue, I wouldn't be interested in the latter. But I digress...
The public response that I saw, not surprisingly, was grinning and sarcasm directed at the company. Everywhere I've ever lived in my entire life, the local telecom company is hated and Fiji is no exception. They are the largest Internet provider with the most customers so by default, they are going to have people whinging about things. It has always been like this and will always be like this as long as they're around. At the end of the day, however, there's very little that is funny about a website being hacked and I write that representing a company who manages websites and web servers for many of Fiji's largest organisations. The last thing I want to see is a client's web server compromised because some person somewhere gets bored and wants to prove that they can do it. Frankly, it's an irresponsible way of proving the existence of skills. If there is an opening in a web server's security, the responsible thing to do would be to simply let the business know about it (and even try to upsell your own security knowledge as a consultant). Trying to embarrass a company, however, is juvenile.
My own initial response to this hack was to check that Oceanic's own servers were not being threatened. We have, in the past, also been victim to attempted intrusions to some of our larger client sites in the form of DNS attacks and related activities. They're not fun and end up wasting a great deal of time and causing lots of stress. I'm certain that the few other web hosting companies in Fiji would agree that having servers attacked is not enjoyable.
Not that it really makes a difference but Connect's website was developed by an Australian company last year and for all I know, is still being hosted by those guys. Although it may be Connect's responsibility, if the site is not hosted by them, then the Australian company should have some explaining to do. Also, "hack" could mean something as simple as an ex-employee having access to a server password versus an actual technical intrusion. People should keep that in mind before assuming that Connect's entire systems are somehow not secure.
At the end of the day, there was clearly a breach somewhere and Connect is being forced to manage it. Their first reaction via communication was actually a good one...they should probably have their site back up and running by now or, at the very least, provide some information on their webmail page about why their site is not there. They should also rethink how they're using Twitter and Facebook to communicate to their customers. I'd like to see similar activity from all the infrastructure providers in this country to do the same.
Cyclone Mick is the story of the day here in Fiji today.
Although it's currently classified as a strong Category One storm, you wouldn't be able to tell from the abundance of rumours about the cyclone making their way through the coconut wireless in Suva. Official communication is so poor (outside of the trusty radio) that these rumours are able to flourish.
Many people have noticed what is clearly a publishing problem on the MET.GOV.FJ website. At a time where people around the world are clamoring for accurate weather information, this is definitely an issue. I've seen multiple references to this error on a number of Facebook pages and Twitter postings. If you haven't seen it, the "latest updates" page is serving up the following information and has been for at least the past 5 hours or so...
It's up to the reader to figure out exactly what this message means. I'm fairly technically proficient but I'm at a loss and would even be happy settling for a non-current edition of that product just so I can find out what the friggin' forecast is.
Incredibly, perhaps, is that a more disappointing page appears elsewhere on their site. When following links to the latest Cyclone updates, I found this gem:
Just to be perfectly clear, this page on Fiji's national weather service website, states that there are no cyclones around.
The fault here lies not with the weather office but likely with some other department in the folds of Fiji's government. The weather office's job is NOT to make sure they have a functioning website...in fact, I'd like them to be spending all their time on weather-related analysis, not dicking around with a website which clearly does not suit either the publishing requirements of their office or the information consumption requirements of an increasingly nervous public.
Their lack of attention to the importance of the communication channel is what needs to change.
Be safe, Fiji...
[For anyone interested in following the storm, will keep posts going via my TWITTER feed.]
Some RAW video before the power went out is below...no, no cyclones here.
In what is now feeling like a weekly occurrence, we were met today in Fiji (and throughout the Pacific) with a pretty terrifying tsunami warning at around 11 a.m. Compared to the action of last week's tsunami drama, today definitely had a different feel.
For starters, it was significantly more frightening.
I don't want for this to be interpreted the wrong way but for anyone who has ever spent real time in the Pacific, they'll know that generally, people in the islands are not the fastest moving bunch. In most cases, it's simply because there's no reason to hurry. At 11 a.m. on 8 October, however, I saw more average people running than I ever have before. Indeed...it was surreal.
I would be pretty quick to dismiss the speed of Fiji's public reaction with the fact that is was late in the morning of a work day and there's no better excuse to leaving the office for the day than under the threat of an approaching tidal wave. In reality, the communication around this seismic event was most definitely not a duplication of last week's lunacy. Even then, it all occurred in a very haphazard way. Although people were getting the message to move, it felt like there was still a great deal of disorganisation in the action. At least where I was in the immediate outskirts of central Suva, I saw people scattering in all directions. Traffic turned into an immediate nightmare, as well. When I finally did evacuate my office, I knew the chances of quickly getting up to my family in the hills above the city were pretty much nil. Instead, I chose a friend's house just up the road from my office but still quite high that I knew we'd be safe. Even then, it took me over 30 minutes to drive a few kilometers.
Consider the following photograph I found on Facebook today of the traffic scene in Tamavua:
First, I don't know who actually took this photograph so I'm unable to credit them and to be entirely honest, this could very well be a picture taken on any given day in Suva given the etiquette of some of the drivers. However, it was taken today at the peak of the evacuation to higher ground. I was well below this area and made the wise choice to not try to make my way up here. Although this was quite far away from where I was, the traffic I experienced was directly related to this mess.
Back to the topic at hand, though...people did MOVE, at least in Suva. I later heard that police had even blocked off access roads INTO the central business district which is a surprisingly proactive move on their part. It's likely last week's drama, still so fresh in people's minds did play a big role today in the reaction and the glorious weather didn't hurt either. I couldn't help to think what the response would have been had it been raining, though. Even more of a concern, suppose this all happened at 9 p.m. or in the middle of the night?
There's an order to the chaos in Suva at times and it was demonstrated today in full colour.
I'll even give kudos to the local media who generally did a pretty good job of keeping the news flowing, intermixed perhaps with a bit too much lame 70's pop music, but beggars can't be choosers. If you asked me whether I would prefer to drown listening to Abba verus Vijay Narayan's voice, I'd probably choose the former anyway. But hey..that's me.
I received an SMS during evacuation time, too...Vodafone Fiji must have gotten permission from someone in government to fire that one off and I'm more convinced than ever it's a valuable and effective lifeline for content in times of emergencies. My friend on pre-pay service, however, got no such message so I can only assume that as a high-value post-pay customer with Vodafone, messages to people like me were prioritised. [No...I don't really believe that.] The mobile network was very strained and unable to connect any calls for me for over an hour. Some people on Twitter and Facebook seemed furious over this but in Vodafone's defense, their network (or anyone elses' for that matter) is simply not designed for EVERYONE to use at the same time. It would be unrealistic to expect that communications work for everyone but Vodafone's 3G data service was actually quite fantastic. I have no idea if some voice traffic (i.e. government) were priortised for emergency communications but that could be an explanation.
If today was a test for Fiji in tsunami preparedness, I'd give it a C+. This is a pretty significant improvement over the failing marks from just a week ago, though. I'd be willing to move it up to a B- if we could get some reggae on the radio and better traffic management. My bigger fear is that we'll face a "boy who cried wolf scenario" for the next time and people will not move as quickly. I do hope that's not the case.
Not to be outdone by the Tsunami scare of seven months ago, this morning's earthquake off of Samoa was yet another lesson in the ongoing saga of island communication challenges.
Around 6 a.m (Fiji time)., a very large quake struck in the ocean, immediately generating a tsunami. Around 6.30, I start seeing news about it on CNN International clearly reporting the Pacific Tsunami Center's warning of a tsunami generated. I flip over to BBC and sure enough, BREAKING NEWS is being highlighted there as well. A tsunami has definitely been generated.
I flipped the channel to local programming on FijiOne and was met with a recording of a morning church service. I swore in frustration and put on the local radio to hear the familiar banter of nothing important being said. I scratched my head in disbelief...here I've got 2 international news sources clearly reporting tsunami warnings for the country I was in and I couldn't get any local confirmation at all? By this point, NZ newspapers were already reporting the story.
Let me guess what will likely happen over the next week or so in Fiji...
Someone will write a letter to the newspapers lamenting the fact that there was no efficient public communication.
A few regional academics, NGOs or government people will chime in about what the communication process should be and what should happen next time. It may even be quite forcefully argued that doing nothing will eventually and definitely cause the deaths of people.
Some additional discussion may continue for a week or so.
Within the next six months, another earthquake/tsunami will occur.
[RETURN TO STEP ONE AND REPEAT]
I walked into my office at 8 a.m and NO ONE even knew about the warning. The first local report I saw came from FM96 who reported the tsunami warning on their LAST news story of the 8 a.m. update. The next news update reported the story first but only to inform the public that the tsunami warning had been canceled, more than 20 minutes after the estimated hit to our coasts. Kudos to FM96 for at least reporting it. FijiTV went from the church service to a kid's show, arguably to keep the children of Fiji calm as waves washed over them.
Am I being melodramatic? Yes and no.
There was essentially NO communication to the Fijian population this morning. Zero.
The media organisations have no excuse when it comes to their REPEATED failure to communicate to the public. When the international agency responsible for reporting tsunami warnings issues one, then that is all these organisations need to get the word out. Any excuses about how local confirmation is needed but the guy who needs to confirm it has run out of mobile credit and can't be reached on his home telephone because the copper was stripped out of his neighbourhood's phone wires by a bunch of roving (and entrepreneurial) youths is not a reasonable argument.
It's just a matter of time until people die in Fiji, too. This isn't rocket science. At that point, FijiTV's religious programming will certainly be the appropriate content to air.
[UPDATE #1.: The seriousness of this particular earthquake/tsunami is becoming more evident. Samoa got hit pretty hard and although it's obviously not as deadly as the Indonesian tsunami years ago, I think it does show the sheer vulnerability in the pacific region. Yet again, we're being given a preview of what Fiji will, inevitably, face at some point. A "Fiji-time" response is unacceptable.]
[UPDATE #2 : Nice to see the ConnectMe's website step in to provide a decent (and growing) overview of the morning tsunami along with collection of links. One more slap in the face to the local media's poor efforts.]
If there’s ever a time where piracy should be allowed, it’s now.
Just to be clear, I’m not intending to argue FOR piracy as much as I am arguing for some leniency towards it right now. I’ll acknowledge the amounts (albeit overinflated) of revenue lost to the country in taxes due to piracy. I’ll acknowledge the blatant ignorance of copyright law which is so pervasive. I’ll acknowledge the impact a consumer’s familiarity with terms such as “cinema copies” has on the country. However, the absence of cheap entertainment is simply more trouble than its worth at this time.
The reality of life in Fiji now, not unlike so many other parts of the world, is represented by struggle for many people. I’ve been amazed at the sheer increases of our food shopping bill each month. Fuel has always been highly priced and continues to climb. Any and all imported items seem to cost well over 30% of what they were just 6 months ago. Consumption, very much a part of any society, has simply been hard to do.
Perhaps one of the few guilty pleasures people did have was the ability to amuse themselves with cheap entertainment and pirated DVDs, so readily available, was one simple way of appeasing a frustrated and bored populace.
Frankly, I’m hoping that this crackdown on illegal DVD shops eases up and these businesses start operating again. It may not be politically correct but I’d rather have groups of youth sitting inside a house watching some cheap, grainy DVD than standing on a street corner looking for something to keep them busy. The latter is a much bigger strain on society.
I respect the position of the people who needed to make their case but perhaps this is one time they need to sit back and take one for the team. Fiji needs entertainment in whatever form it can get. A widespread access to pirated films, as ridiculous as it may appear to some people, actually does serve some greater good. I don’t believe 100% of the issue is a negative.
The people who are going to benefit from this crackdown are the Internet Service Providers who will likely see an increase in data usage from customers starved for content. An increasingly connected user base in Fiji will begin to realise that the Internet solves their media hungry appetites. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
So I've been traveling on business for the past few weeks back in the United States and that explains the absence of blogging. There's always an initial desire for me to go into some rant about how fast the Internet is over there, or how much variety there is in food or how many friggin' television stations there are to choose from but today, I will restrain myself and spare you, dear reader, the details.
I've been jet-lagged most of the week...neither fully here nor there...having difficulty putting things into focus but as the week has worn on, it's gotten a tad better. I have, however, been waking up at 4.30 pretty much every morning, counting the dogs barking in the distance in a futile attempt to fall back asleep. When I reach over for my Blackberry, the fight is over and I've lost.
At 7.30 a.m. on Thursday, I began my ride to the office in my friend's car, which I've had while my own vehicle is in the shop. I turned the corner by the Laucala Bay McDonalds to see the all-too-familiar LTA guys out on patrol and some guy standing by his now-captured vehicle with a look of "who me?" on his face. Poor bastard, I thought...
I navigated through the cones catching the eye of the LTA worker as he glared at my wheel tax sticker on the window. I didn't expect any problem, of course. Then again, how many people look at the wheel tax sticker before getting into a car. I drove through the checkpoint and then heard a thud as the LTA guy smacked the back of the car.
What the...?
I pulled over, already beginning the scream in my head....no, not today..not at 7.30 in the morning.
"Sir, your vehicle registration expired on September 2nd." he said.
I looked at my phone to see the date.
September 3.
Shit.
"Oh no...I am SOOOOOO sorry...this is not my car and I had absolutely no idea that the registration was expired. I can't believe it." I pleaded, perhaps a bit too forcefully...
"Can you step out of the car, sir?" Mr. LTA said. "May I see your license?"
I hopped out and stood on the sidewalk, realising at that point that I was making the same "Who me?" face that the other poor bastard was. I looked down the sidewalk towards him but he was showing me no love. We were both screwed and forced to face the shame on our own.
Mr. LTA then kicked me in the stomach and smashed me across the face with a tire iron...
Ladies and gentlemen, if there's ever a time in your life when you just know that it's a good idea to simply turn around and go home for the day, this was one of those times. If you've ever wished to be laying in bed, jet-lagged, counting the guttural utterances of neighbourhood canines, this was one of those times. Anywhere but here...anywhere but here.
There was only really one thing to say.
"Excuse me? There must be some mistake."
Impounding fee: $72 Driving an expired license: $50 Driving an unregistered vehicle: $50 Re-registration: $65 Renewal of driver's license for one year: $14
Mood, first thing on a Thursday morning: Priceless.
A letter in the Fiji Times today seemed to demonstrate yet one more problem with Fiji's emergence from a monopoly telecommunications environment. Some consumers refuse to let go of monopoly thinking:
Congratulations Vodafone. For many years, the people of Fiji had to put up the exorbitant mobile phone charges under Vodafone. This unethical business of ripping continued until the arrival of Digicel.
Now the people of Fiji have to suffer again at the hands of Vodafone's high internet charges and the pathetic service.
Charging $39.95 for 1 GB and $69.95 for 3 GB is a big rip off.
Above all the speed of the internet is very slow. It will continue till Digicel starts to provide internet services. In the meantime, Vodafone will continue to make as much money as possible.
It seems no one can stop Vodafone.
Vodafone has been giving a lot of pain to the people of Fiji and it has kept its record intact.
This could be a legitimate letter to write but ONLY if we were living in a non-competitive environment. Some people seem to be forgetting that we actually have CHOICE now, something that has been missing from telecommunications life in Fiji up until just recently. What is the letter writer's problem then?
When Oceanic began business, I was paying almost $4,000 per month to Connect for a 128k dedicated connection of questionable reliability. I could whinge and complain a great deal but there was no other option available. When Unwired Fiji came onto the scene and offered an alternative, I switched. It would have been pointless for me to begin complaining about Unwired's pricing if I had a problem with it.
It was a few months ago when I started hearing rumours about a Fiji Government call centre opening up at the old FVB building in downtown Suva. It was apparently slated to be a 24 hour operation. I initially interpreted that to mean that the building would remain standing for 24 hours but not necessarily that people would be inside working.
A week or so ago, however, I saw the official announcement on the news. The 24 hour Fiji Government call centre was up and running, staffed by 12 people who would hear complaints on water and roads, listen to issues related to billing errors and even provide weather updates. The operation was established by the Ministry of Works which, given so many of my experiences with them over the years, might as well have been re-branded as the Ministry of Silly Walks.
Tonight, 21 July, 2009, I made my first call to them.
For starters, it took me forever to find their number. I visited just about every Fiji news site, portal and government online presence as I could and although I was able to find plenty of news stories about the call centre operations and opening, none actually listed the damn telephone number. This is not surprising given the frequency with which I see news reports about newly launched websites without any mention of a URL..but I digress. After clicking through a history of FijiTV's daily broadcasts for the ten days, I found a video file which I had to download and then view so I could hear the telephone number read out to me. For the record and future reference, the toll-free number is:
132 777
Oh...why was I calling?
Well..it's like 11 p.m. and it's friggin' cold as hell outside and I wanted to take a hot shower. I went into my bathroom to find that there is ZERO water coming from the taps. Such a disappointment. So I decided to take advantage of this futuristic new service and call it in.
The call centre has got a decent automated phone system which offered me some choices but I zeroed out to the operator and my call was immediately answered by Emma who wanted to know how she could help me. It seemed ridiculous to me that I was making this call at 11 p.m. at night since I've never even been able to get utility help during the day but here I was, givin' the government the benefit of the doubt.
Emma asked me who I was (Jonathan) and where I was calling from (Suva Point). She asked whether other people in the neighborhood were also having the same problem (I didn't know). She told me I was the only person who had called with such a complaint but she apologised for the hassle (!) and told me she would find out what the deal is and call me back. I didn't ask when that would be since I doubted a call back would come in a timely fashion but I thanked her for her help, hung up and went searching through the house for some bottled water so I could at least brush my teeth. I don't intend to sound ridiculously cynical here but it's just about impossible to get service from the utilities that I actually pay money to in this country, how the hell am I going to get it for free from a government department? That written, Emma was very professional, attentive and helpful.
Ten minutes later, my mobile rings. It's Emma calling me back to report that yes, indeed there was a problem. She told me that "a water main burst at the FMF dome". I didn't have the heart to explain that it was now the Vodafone Arena because it hardly seemed relevant and I was so surprised to have even gotten a call back. She went on to say that I should rest assured that "workmen were busy right now repairing the problem and I should expect water supply to be up and running tomorrow."
Seriously. That's just awesome. Emma rocks. So does this service.
It's not about actually having to fix the problem as much as it is listening to a "customer" and giving them information in return. There are a number of companies around that could benefit greatly from following the lead of the Ministry of Works here.
Thumbs up, Ministry. Well done. You've made it look easy.
[UPDATE 6.30 a.m. / 7 hours later : We have water.]
I'm often taken aback at the things some people will say on the record. Like the pirate DVD sellers in Fiji who have been pleading for more time to make their businesses "legal", they seem entirely ignorant of the ridiculousness in their arguments.
"I'm sorry, officer. Please allow me to continue growing marijuana until I'm able to find a new job. Ya know how it is."
Consider the following from yesterday's (9 July) Fiji Times, which interviewed the executive director of Suncourt Wholesalers, Champak Lal Bhikha. In the article entitled "Trader Defends Signs", Lal Bhikha attempted to make the argument that signs proclaiming "NO REFUND" were essential when conducting smooth business operations. Says Lal Bhikha:
"If signs in question are not displayed then shops will be often busy serving people who are not sure about purchases and in no time come back for a refund or exchange. We have 10 to 15 such cases every day."
I feel for you, Sir. Those damn pesky customers. Why can't they all just go away?
Most people who have visited Suncourt (and many other hardware businesses in Fiji) know that 90% of the time they spend in the store seem to be taken up by a confluence of various headaches punctuated by the need to actually find assistance, wait for hand-written requisitions to be filled out, explorations of whether items are in stock, lengthy waits to pay and then the ridiculous security process prior to taking your purchase out the door. I wrote some years back about a 45 minute visit to Manubhais & Co. for a single bag of nails when there was almost no one else in the store. This is the experience carved out by hardware retailers, it seems. Even more surprising is their open admittance of the foolishness. Lal Bhikha goes on to say:
"Who will pay for time spent on serving the customer when the customer is seeking refund? Each docket has at least three to four pages and the minimum cost is at least $1," he said.
Here's your answer, Mr. Lal Bhika. YOU should pay for time spent. That's what running a business is about. Why are so many businesses here so fast to put additional customer restrictions or hindrances on to a shopping experience when the fault lay with themselves? Shortfalls in a businesses ability to manage customer returns is not the fault of the customer.
The Department of Fair Trading has now actually had to deem those signs illegal, much to the disappointment of the shopkeepers that hang them in their stores.
Here's an idea for an entrepreneurial retailer; market your store as one which gladly accepts returns if the customer is not 100% satisfied. That's a store I would visit over and over again. Standing behind your product can be a differentiator in this market. Imagine that?
Will some people take advantage of such a business? Yes, probably. Will most people take advantage? No, of course not. The kind of trust and confidence that a business shows in its own products and services will win over customers. People will know that if they buy something and it doesn't work, they can return it.
I await the store that respects me as a customer. Some are better than others, yes..but I am unable to name any retail location off the top of my head in Fiji which I think genuinely appreciates my business and even tries to honour the old adage that the customer is always right. It's not true of course. The customer is sometimes totally wrong but that doesn't mean he/she should be kicked in the ass on the way out the door and told that the piece of shit they just bought can't be returned.
If I never had a reason to NOT go to Suncourt, I have a good one now.
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