In 2005 I tried stimulating people in Mali to write for Wikipedia when I was in Bamako. Some articles were written, some more when I offered the equivalent of 1 US$ per article. With my limited knowledge of Bambara I added some more structure and I translated parts of the interface by asking if people understood the words I had found in a dictionary. For a long time almost nothing happened apart from inter-language bots and even spam bots and vandalism. Today the Bambara Wikipedia reached 200 articles.

Ok, even though I've been working on Mac OS X in Brussels, the 23rd and 24th of February. For the rest, Amsterdam is treating me well.  Hyves is exciting and offering many challenges. Living with Robin is great. Unfortunately it will be over soon. He found a place through social housing (after 9 years of waiting) and I will be moving to another place myself the 1st of March.

In the beginning of November Robin asked me if I'd somehow be interested in renting a place in Amsterdam. I had been thinking of moving to Amsterdam after Trento, but I considered his question a bit preposterous. Fortunately he rented the place himself and now we're room mates! During my years abroad I sometimes considered Amsterdam the only place left to live in the Netherlands. Going around here on foot and by bike I learn to appreciate my own country again. The bikes are amazing, transport is so efficient (if you don't go by car).