Worlds best tiles. Worlds lowest prices

This was the large sign at the back of parking lot. After making the assumption that the extraordinarily low prices being referred to was for the tiles I began to wonder where on the planet I might find better tiles for a lower price. I decided that possibly the marble tiles from Agra like those used in the Taj Mahal would probably be better – and cheaper if you were the right person in the right place. That got me to thinking about advertising standards in developing countries. It certainly wouldn’t be high on the list of priorities for a government like that in Tanzania. It is, nonetheless, an important area of government intervention. The establishment of institutions that facilitate transactions and reduce transaction costs (in the broadest sense) is without doubt one of the cornerstone roles of a government. The debate over the extent to which governments should intervene in a nation’s affairs is one which I think wastes a lot of breath – a bit like arguing how much milk should be added to tea – it’s such a subjective topic and theories abound in support of each shade of ideology. This little topic has been gnawing at the back of mind since the onset of the ‘FINANCIAL CRISIS’. If ever unregulated greed has turned back and bitten the snouts of those digging deeper into the trough then this is the time. And I consider this event to be another reason for steps towards global integration culminating in a globally regulating government – setting up institutions for the betterment of humanity.

Meanwhile, as the world's affairs continue without my guiding hand, I've been slaving away with a crew of our workers (and newly arrived plumber - Lee) building the passive cooling roof frames and putting on the mirror-like roofing sheets. It's hot work when the midday equatorial sun is tearing into you from above and below as you try to avoid hitting blistered hands too many times with a hammer. I go through phases of feeling jubilant at the progress we are making and thoroughly exhausted and fed up with this entire continent. But the lifting of the roof pieces have proven that some of the magic that existed earlier in the year is still around. The shared explosion of adrenalin and exertion as we heave the roof pieces into place gets everyone buzzing at this shared achievement, it's the one moment on site that used to bring everyone together under Darren's command. And now we are lifting again I feel (and I'm sure the labourers do too) both Darren's absence and his presence.