7/3/2015 - UNISWA

We had just a tentative arrival time of 9 AM at UNISWA, so we specified to leave at 8:30 (though we estimated only 15 minutes travel time max, the boys always insist on brushing their teeth after breakfast and possibly other primping).  Finally all aboard at 8:42, we still arrived at 8:51 and quickly located the Dean's office, who introduced us to one of the lecturers in the physics department, who was to lead us to the room where we would give our talks.  It was a couple buildings away, but we found it set up with a laptop and projector when we arrived.  

  

  

Our talks were supposed to be 10 minutes each, starting with one I had to introduce us, the University of Rochester, and the IGERT program and what we were doing in Swaziland (I added some slides yesterday showing what we had already managed to do at Nhlangano Central).  However, perhaps due to enthusiasm and uncertainty about the background of our audience (all professors, lecturers, etc. in the sciences, but with very different research), we mostly ran over quite a bit.  We got through everyone, though, and the dean gave us a presentation introducing himself, UNISWA, and the type of research it was concerned with, which was very much tied to concerns for the Swazi people, mostly concentrated on the problem of clean water.  He also introduced us to a few tidbits of Swazi culture.  We then all gathered to talk about research and share the tea sandwiches, coffee, tea, and 'Swazi buns' that had been set out during the talks, which were delicious.  The dean expressed that he wished his students were here to hear about our research, and also, that we were able to do the science demonstrations for them.  I explained we thought they had probably seen similar things, and we hadn't wanted to insult anyone, but he countered that it didn't matter, the students were always happy to see demos (which makes sense - I never tire of seeing them, either).  

After the conversation died down and we had written out our contact information, the dean and the head of physics took us through a tour of the labs and the limited equipment they had.  Erik presented the dean with a copy of 'The Jewel in the Crown,' who did not understand initially that it was a gift, and we had a good laugh before he graciously walked us to our van and bid us goodbye.  

  

  

Our next mission was to buy supplies for our next solar cell workshop.  We found a 'Build It' - a store we'd come to love as much more helpful than Home Depot - and found the same soldering irons, some adhesive and paint for the frames, and most of what we needed except they were all out of solder.  We found one small roll at the next store, but that was definitely not enough.  The third store had some, but it was insanely expensive because - as we found out later - it was Pb-free.  However, we were running out of hardware stores in a country smaller than the wildlife park we had visited the week before, so we bought two spools and hoped it was enough (about $37 for both of them!).  

Back at Malandela's, we worked together to repair some of the broken frames and match them up with glass that fit.  Leah and Miles got ready to visit their respective Swazi friends, and took off on the minibus together to Mbabne.  Leah was spending the weekend with Thandeka, her friend from college, and Miles with Jason, the young man he'd met our second day here skateboarding, who was into physics and whom Miles had agreed to help build a skateboard ramp this weekend.