CARDICIS - multilingual talkfest in the Caribbean

So - after a long and wearying trip from Vancouver, I have arrived in the DR to attend the CARDICIS 2 meeting. It's being held at the very cool Hilton Costa Caribe Coral All-Inclusive resort in the Dominincan Republic. It's PINK! Very pink. Nice though, and it's very comfortable to not have to carry cash around. So - I got here last night, got my room, wandered around a bit, had some of the Mexican night buffet, blew off the show, the disco and the casino and collapsed into my very comfy queen-size bed (the room has 2 of them) And then after an OK breakfast buffet (high protein, low carbs) I am here in the meeting room. First off is the reporting (in 3 laaguages) of the workshops held yesterday - but there is at least simultaneous interpretation, so I follow at least the language (I missed the workshops yesterday, being stuck in JFK airport) So - after this, we break up into working groups to discuss other items - but the problem is that we no longer have interpretation - and I don't speak French, so I miss more than half of the discussion. (I'm in a Francophone-run group). The meeting is to generate ideas to incorporate cultural diversity in ICT4D projects in the Caribbean sub-region. So they are working on a lot of diverse fronts. There's already been a discussion on the different kinds of creole that exist, and if speakers of different kinds of creole can understand each other. Hmmm... and I find it difficult to understand even the people in the room. It's definfitely interesting to note that I do understand a lot of the people in Latin America, but not understanding the ppl right here in the Caribbean. So - have I been looking too far away to the South and not noticing those right here - my close neigbours? Will think more on that in the next 2 days...