How many schools can a BMW build?

I just replaced my old car with a slightly less old car of similar type and status.  And the intervening 8 years has brought some strange changes.

I now have a rearview mirror that automatically dims, windshield wipers that adjust to the rain conditions, and a passenger side rearview mirror that points down so I can see the curb when backing up.  Oh, and it’s also the world’s most expensive iPhone bluetooth speakerphone.

While I basically wanted a car with less than 150,000 miles, what I got was overkill.  It needs to get me places safely, but there is a lot of stuff to go wrong in this car, like the run-flat tire pressure sensors (originally developed for military vehicles) that are giving me a warning light even though the tires are filled.

I hate it.  But not because it’s a bad car.  It’s a fabulous car.  I hate it because I am, and you are, all attracted to these bells and whistles like moths towards a flame.  A simpler car would be more reliable, just as safe, lighter and more fuel efficient, and less likely to break-down.  It’s a barrier for us, though, in part because that car isn’t on the market.  So to paraphrase Ronald Reagan, “BMW, break down this wall” and build quality AND simplicity.  Save me from myself.

Because I want to use the dollar savings to pay for a school for 30 to 60 under-privileged children.  Check out Room to Read on what you could be doing with your seat heaters and two zone air-conditioning system…

Build a school for $5,000, or 1/5th of a computer mouse

A friend whom I admire told me a story of his recent trip to Cambodia.

“We visited a school in rural Cambodia,” he said, “and when we walked in, all the students stood up and applauded.”

I contemplated that for a bit while grabbing another bite of lunch, and decided that was not usual cultural behavior.  “Why did they do that?” I asked.

“Because I built the school,” he replied.

Another bout of chewing allowed me to process this, raising my esteem for my friend in the process.  “Um, how much did that cost?”

“I don’t know exactly, around $5,000.”

This conversation led to an entirely new perspective on the world for me: the CSE, or Cambodian School Equivalent.  For example, the average car in the U.S. selling for almost $28,000, that equates to 5.6 Cambodian School Equivalents.  A designer couch?  One CSE.

This should remind us that we have so much in this country, which could be one reason why other countries are both jealous and spiteful. (For those interested in helping education in Cambodia, please check out The Cambodian School Project, among others.  You too can build a school.)

I was not terribly suprised to see, then, that a computer mouse, with 3 year warranty, costs nearly 5 CSEs.  $25,000.  The Worlds Most Expensive Mouse. For the computer that has everything.