MY ZIMBABWE: Newsletter 2015

They say no matter how big you think you are, there will always be someone somewhere bigger than you. Accordingly, there will always be room for further learning. This year was no exception for me. Here is a selection of my lessons for the year (gore rezvidzidzo):

1. THE LITTLE THINGS FIRST

Ten years ago I enrolled for a mathematics degree with the University of South Africa, a distance education institution. I made good progress for a while

until the hyperinflation years in Zimbabwe when finding my next meal became more critical than finding the critical points of an equation. Ever since we emerged from hyperinflation, the degree has largely remained in the doldrums until this year. Trade winds are blowing again and signs are that my studies are regaining traction. One trick that paid great dividends in my exams this year is a philosophy known as "the little things first." In a nutshell it involves getting all the small bite-size questions in the bag first before wrestling with the big ones. Sometimes that implied starting with the last question and tackling the exam paper backwards. It is a technique originally promoted by my O Level maths teacher Mr Masango but I only rediscovered it this year. I have also successfully applied it to my daily "TO DO" lists.

2. GEARING FOR MORE SKILLS

I also learnt how to change the bearings on this Gwatamatic gearbox.

There was a slight incentive to learn that skill because the alternative would have been to send the gearbox all the way to Johannesburg. The new skill is not likely to make me much money though. My migration to German gearboxes was in a sense hoist by its own petard. They are so reliable that opportunities for maintenance income are now much reduced.

3. ADVERSITY GOES HAND IN HAND WITH OPPORTUNITY

During the year a major supplier sprang up a new set of supply conditions affecting a contract that was already in progress. This sudden turn of events put me under tremendous pressure. To cut a long story short, I had to walk away from a long association and develop new supply chain solutions. In hindsight, it was a blessing. As Tiny Rowland put it, adversity goes hand in hand with opportunity. I discovered better value hardware suppliers where I would never have looked if I was not under pressure. Furthermore earlier in the year I had, out of curiosity,built a Gwatamatic control panel by myself.

Before then I had always subcontracted the work. The experience proved life-saving when the supply chain turbulence struck. I also retrieved my programming notes, dusted them and embarked on a crash course in PLC programming.

A PLC(programmable logic controller) is the industrial equivalent of a PC.

There was a happy ending. I'm glad to say I still managed to complete the threatened contract, ahead of schedule too.

My new found PLC programming skills should speed up future research and development cycles if I can code new concepts in-house.

4. MEAN VALUE THEOREM

When I wasn't hyperventilating, I was ventilating a braai fire.

I think I have discovered the optimum braai temperature for boerewors in particular and sausages in general. It is 435 degrees C. There are two ways of achieving this temperature. The first is just to light the braai with plenty of charcoal and leave it alone for 30 minutes. It's temperature will gradually rise until it peaks somewhere well above 500degrees. As it dies down, it is bound to pass through 435 degrees at some stage. An infra red thermometer is the easiest way of detecting that optimum stage.

The second method is to half fill the braai with charcoal. That way a temperature gradient arises at the boundary of the charcoal. Somewhere along that thermal gradient, the temperature is bound to be 435 degrees. Once again an infra-red thermometer would be useful to find that point.

5. ONE MAN's MEAT

There is nothing new under the sun. I suspect the Vietnamese have also found an optimum braai temperature for cobra in lieu of boerewors.

The cobra is in the background.

One man's meat can be another man's poison. Or rather one man's friend can be another man's meat! If you find that photo disturbing, just remember that the Indians would be equally disgusted by our beef barbecues.

6.CULINARY ACROBATICS

For the first time in my life, I learn't to flip flapjacks:

https://youtu.be/ppOS-uqrIv4

If you wish to read about the rest of my tour of Vietnam, please see separate post below.

7. SMALL ONES ARE MORE JUICY

The standard capacity of the Gwatamatic is just under 300 litres.

This year I successfully managed to miniaturize it by a factor of ten to 30 litres.

Invaluable lesson were gained from the experience. The lessons should come in handy for the final push by another factor of ten to three litres, the household size.

"Kudzidza hakupere."(Learning does not end).

YEAR HIGHLIGHTS MONTAGE

Plotting something or other.