Author: ranginui

Fiji Day 5 – User Training

Today we focused on more indepth user training, basically carrying on from
where we left off on Monday. So we got into the nitty gritty of cataloguing
including setting up frameworks and plugins.
The highlights of the day were the Diwali morning tea, with fantastic Indian
sweet and savoury tidbits to eat. Then for lunch Joan the Head Librarian
took me to a restaurant that does Fijian food. So I had Palusami with corned
beef, Dalo (taro), Coconda and some incredibly hot chili things.
It was a great lunch, filling and delicious.

Im writing this entry on the bus on the way to Nadi, im staying at the Tanoa
International Hotel there, mostly because it has free shuttles to the
airport so I wont have to get up to early tomorrow.
If they have internet there ill post this otherwise it will have to wait til
I get back to NZ.

Fiji Day 4 – Tech Day

Today we spent the day covering the tech side of Koha. The topics we covered
were

  • Installing Koha (2.2 and 2.4)
  • Back ups and other scheduled tasks
  • Preferences, Privileges, Issuing Rules
  • Customising Koha/Templating
  • Zebra
  • New Features, where now.
  • Loading data
  • Deployment scenarios – 2.2 and 2.4 and 3.0
  • Overview of data model 2.2 and 2.4 and 3.0

It was a pretty productive day we covered a lot but I think in a way that
wasnt information overload.
I’m back at the hotel now having a shower before we go out for Japanese food,
yes I know its weird thing that when you visit a country everyone there
wants to take you out for non-local food 🙂

Fiji – Day 3 – First day of training

Today I got up nice and early and had breakfast, then got in touch with one
of the Chris’s from USP and organised a ride, so I didnt have to try and
take the server in a taxi. After getting a tour of the library I powered the
server up and was most relieved that everything worked.
We then broke for morning tea, which was really good, they do a good latte
at the student cafe. We then worked out a bit of a plan of attack for the
remaining days and then had some fantastic and very cheap Indian food for
lunch.

That afternoon we got cracking on the business of demoing/presenting Koha. I
think there we about 18 people there with lots of questions. It went pretty
well was my impression, hopefully they felt the same. Tomorrow I talk mainly
with the techy people, which should be fun, ILS’s just arent that
complicated really so im not sure I can fill in a full day, but we’ll see.

Im back in the hotel now chilling out, 8.30am start tomorrow, so I will need
to be up by 7am.

Fiji Day 2

Today we got up earlyish and had a big cooked breakfast at the Hotel, then
we hit the road, first back to Denerau Island to look at the other hotels
and the port. Then made our way towards Suva, stopping at resorts and
roadside mango stalls. I just ate what was perhaps the most delicious mango
Ive ever eaten, that we bought on the way.
We got to Suva about 6pm, and then got some food to take to Jane who was in
the middle of her double shift at the hospital.
I then checked into the Pennisula hotel, and relaxed. Im not sure what the
plan is for tomorrow, I left an email for one of the Chris’s at USP, but if
i dont hear anything by about 9, ill head into the USP and see if I can find
them.

Air New Zealand Bites

The do it yourself airline.
So I rocked up this morning to check in for my flights to Auckland and then
to Nadi. I had the server with me, so I was over my luggage allowance by 5
kg. I didnt mind coughing up the $50 they got me to pay for excess luggage,
but the couple in front of me were 8 kgs over and didnt have to pay. Strike
1 against air nz. So I walked over to customer service to pay the money and
get a receipt. Then they made me walk back and pick up the box with the
server in it and carry it over to oversize baggage, even though once again
it was smaller than the suitcase of the dude who was in front of me. It
better bloody be in Nadi when I land is all I can say.

And it was, after picking it up and meeting Uncle Gordon, we went back to
the hotel he and Emily were staying in and I got changed. Then we headed up
the road to the wedding reception. After eating a tonne of good food and
listening to some speeches, we left and did a bit of sightseeing. Mainly at
the Sofitel hotel on Denerau Island, to see how the other half live.
Then it was back to our hotel and a fiji gold, some tv and bed.