IT Internship with Mercy Corps: 2010

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The Open Source Software !!

Hi all, today I want to talk about one of the most interested thing I observe here from the technical side. All of us (Iraqi IT Interns) visit many universities like Stanford, Berkeley (California) and Maryland, this most issue that i notices that all these university use open-source programming language to teach students the programming algorithms, high level programming and they didn't depend on the famous software companies like Microsoft, Apple,...etc (only if there is a lab. gift from this companies to that universities) and I am really surprised from that at first because in Iraq most of the college that I see uses Microsoft products (you know that there are no copyright in Iraq so it is very cheap!!).
And even when I now in the Mercy Corps they use open-source programming and platforms, all these universities and most of the companies want to be independent from Big software producers, they want to be free !! and I thank in Iraq we need to big switch to this type, and as an Instructor and IT Director in my university I will try my hard to do this change.

my friends I want your comments .......

Expo Center

in the previous days there a show in Expo Center in Portland named "Energy Trust Better Living Show", in this show many companies offer the new technology of Solar and wind power beside many healthy products.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Alice in Wonderland in 3D !!

a month ago Serbest tell me that he goes to the movie theater (Cinema) in the Saint Louis to see the Avatar movie in 3D which and encourage me to see the 3D movies. then I browse the INTERNET to see where the 3D theaters and what is the new 3D movie.
Alice in Wonderland is the new one and there is a near theater to me (LLoyd Center Cinema)which Floyd help me to find it.

Portland Clinic

after the wonderful travel to Mount Hood, in the next days I have a many pains in my body. so after three days I thought that I should see doctor for that. So I went to Portland Clinic which is very near to my apartment building and after some paper work they took urinary sample to analysis, after that a doctor talk to me and she said that every thing is OK, you should just drink many water and doing more sport.

The Mount Hood

There is a very nice Mount in the portland city called the Mount Hood, there are alot of snow on this mount most of the time. Floyd offer me to go with him and his family to this mount and It is really a wonderfull time we spent it there.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Dinner in the Bija House

Bija Gutoff working in the Mecry Corps, she is very nice women. She offer me a very generous offer to have a dinner in her house with her husband , I go there and we talking about many things concerning Iraq and my Internship experiment and the interested thing is the dinner it self because they bought Halal meat!! and most of the food on the table is look like arabic food like rice, salad ,hummus and many Delicious dishes.

OHSU Visit

Gretchen Ansorge working in the Mercy Corps and responsible for Middle East, she offer me a generous offer to meet her brother John, he is working in the OHSU (Oregon Health and Science University) and he is responsible for online medical courses for Instructors.
I should take the Ariel Tram to get to his job place, which new experiment to me to do that.
He explain to me all the technical issues concerning the online training be side he show me the most of the OHSU buildings which is very interested place.

The Mount Tabor

after bowling game Floyd ask me if I want to see the mount Tabor that is a wonderful place, it is like a forest on the hill and even the drinking water treated there for the city.
And after you walk to the top you will see all portland city from where you are standing!! it is amazing!!.

Bowling .......

Many Sports events and activity you can be involved when you live in USA, in the previous sunday Folyd call me to have coffee together and after that we go to the bowling place.
it is my first try to play bowling, but really it is an interested game. I spent a very nice time there even I loss the game!!

Portland Saterday Market

One of the most interested activity in the portland is the open markets that done in the river side in the weekend days (every Saturday and Sunday). many people came with their home made products that includes: home antiques, printed T-shirts, wood stuff, jewelers, and many others goods.
Beside that some bands playing their songs and the people coming from many places and many of them tourist. It is really nice activity.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Polling places of Iraqi Elections 2010 in USA

View Iraqi Elections Places 2010 in a larger map

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO THIS LINK:
http://www.ocv-ihec.com/Activity_CountryAr.asp?IDCt=USA

Wholes Food

with Dan

In the prevoise two days, Dan want to show me the Wholes food ready-made food, which is very neer to my apartment, I go there before, but I didnot know about all these type of ready food, Dan show me many things like some vegetables , cakes, soupes, and many other types of food
beside you can have it and eat it inside the Wholes Food and you can bring it out.
I bought green Pistachio (it is my favorite). Dan is a very supported colleagues in side Mercy Corps. He introduce my to many helpful people and alwayes ready to anser any question that I need here.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Calling Options

Hi all, In this article I will try to summrizes all the way that we found to call our families and friends in Iraq from USA:
1. www.lowratevoip.com:
in this site you can make calles with 0.11 euro it is not very cheap but it ic accurate account (not like some other sites as we will see) and the calls will be from your Phone !! , beside you can send SMS too. it is available to PC , MAC and Linux.
2. www.wisevoip.com: this offer 8 - 9 cents to call,but working on windows (PC) only.
3.callingcardsoutlet.com : from this site you can find the suitable calling cards to you (with less prices),but this cards has a broblem that your balance mony is not accurate so when you buy one and use half of your balance you may recive Email telling you your balance is 0.00 !!!!.
4. Google Voice: this site is very usefull in sending FREE SMS to Iraq, but with respect to make calls it is too expensive.

and finaly if your family or friend have lindline please ask them for that number to call it bucause it is always cheap price and more rigid than mobile espisslly Baghdad Lindline.

please if you have any other information please SHARE it with us....

Jalal