Quality control

This holds particular weight when in reference to a globally certified laboratory. The standard to achieve is perfection and anything short of that will be well documented as an audit finding. This cloud-mingling goal is difficult to obtain and more than that, to maintain. The trick is to try and keep the substantial citations to a minimum. I am realizing that there is a very real market for those with logistical engineering skills. Simply getting paperwork moved from one signature to the next is extraordinarily difficult. However, the fella that has been supervising the IAVI lab is a sharp cookie in the last term of course work for his MBA and is just a pleasure to work with. He sees this issue and is eager to help us fix the process rather than each problem individually. The promise of making advances in lab proficiency is stimulating my nerdiness fantastically.

In other news. Kahler, Katy, and I took a little trip into town today to get our passports re-stamped as the initial mark is valid only for thirty days. Our immigrations liaison Mr. Taho (phonetic spelling there, I have no idea how he really spells it) took a look at our passports and said 'oh no'... I really can't think of anything more terrifying off the top of my head. He took our passports and said he would go talk to someone and if he didn't come back we should just run (normally I would fully appreciate this type of humor but, I think it only hit with about 36% force as I was slightly concerned about going to Zambian jail). I asked him to toss me the keys before he went and he shook his head. Probably for the best as I would likely last no more than four minutes on the crazy Lusakian roads.

He survived to come back and tell us that Katy could go get re-stamped as she had a visitors mark where mine and Kahler's was business. He said that he would take care of things on Monday and that there was nothing to worry about. I believe him, and as it is I have little choice seeing as he has my passport, haha. It made for an interesting morning for sure. I did get the chance to record some video of downtown that I am going to try to post here shortly.

There is another dog at the compound now. her name is Foxy and she looks just exactly as you would imagine a Zambian street dog to look. Kinda frail and homely but, she is about a thousand times more friendly than Jimmy. I don't know that I have told you about Jimmy. I know Katy has recorded a bit about him. He is just fine with all of the ladies here but man, there is something that he does not relaly like about Kahler and I. He has a habit of trying to eat our ankles. Seriously, I have thought about shaving my shins if it will get that pest off of me (ok not really so serious).

Well I have a full basket of clean pressed laundry next to me to put away and I am going to sign up to take the GRE here at the International School of Lusaka to make my resume for PhD programs a bit more competitive. I took the GRE to get into SRPH about a week after I registered and gave zero effort to study for it. As a result I scored exactly as I should have which fortunately was still sufficient to get into my MPH program. I do not want to staple it to hundred dollar bills and shoot it to a bunch of well recognized PhD programs as it would just be a waste I am sure.

It is nearly the weekend for me and it is for all of you! So enjoy it and I will try and find some interesting things to write you about int he next couple of days! All is well.