Monday, January 28, 2008

Thai Massage - A Group Exeprience

As part of my students' learning experience in Bangkok, I took them to have a traditional Thai massage. All 7 girls were put in a single room, given cotton PJ's and were laid on the flour to be tended by s group of tiny Thai women who proceeded to make us all very happy (photos to follow). Just in case people wonder why I would take my students to engage in such a 'questionable' activity, I am enclosing an article explaining what amke Thai massage such a unique epxrience.

Traditional Thai Massage, like many aspects of Thai culture, derives its origins from ancient India, and arrived in Thailand through Buddhist missionary monks who were also trained as healers. Along with the spread of Buddhist faith, the traditional massage techniques gained popularity for their abilities to relieve ailments like backaches, headaches, tension, and fevers. First time recipients are often amazed at its rejuvenating abilities, especially after a cramped, long-haul plane ride or a tense day hunched over their computers at work. Many people may think of massages as self-indulgent pampering, but Thai massage's surprising rejuvenating abilities come from the fact that it is actually a holistic therapy with ancient roots in traditional medicine and has been practiced over the centuries as a form of healing.

Thai massage technique is based on the concept of invisible energy lines running along our bodies. It is linked to the ancient Indian yoga philosophy that our life energy is supplied to our bodies along 72,000 lines that run along our bodies. That's why some of the stretching poses of Thai massage resemble the stretching poses of yoga - to give the body the same holistic benefits. Thai massage focuses on ten key energy lines along our bodies and uses pressure techniques to release the blocked energy along those lines.

Along with releasing blocked energy, there's a spiritual element to Thai massage as well. It's believed that the masseuse is healing the recipient by giving love to the patient through his or her hands. Back in ancient times, the masseuse would say a prayer to centre the mind in a meditative mood before performing a healing massage. This meditative awareness gives the masseuse the power to sense the energy flow and blockages in the recipient's body so that the ailing parts can be healed. When done properly, the masseuse should feel as relaxed as the recipient, because Thai massage is supposed to be a spiritual act that nourishes both the giver and the recipient.

Thai massage is very different from other types of massage. Unlike western massages, Thai massage doesn't use oils and you remain fully clothed. A pair of clean, loose-fitting cotton pyjamas is always supplied for you to change into at the start of the Thai massage. The masseuse uses pressure and stretching techniques, done in a rhythmic, rocking motion. A Thai massage session usually lasts two hours; for the most part, you are lying prone on your back or stomach, but the massage ends with a series of stretches in which the masseuse twists and flips your body sideways, backwards and forwards.

Instead of the standard massage table, Thai massage is done on a mattress on the floor. The masseuse uses her thumbs, arms, elbows, knees and feet, so expect her to climb all over your body and even walk on your back. Don't be alarmed or embarrassed if you find the masseuse suddenly on top of you straddling your groin area - its all part of the traditional technique. Like most Thai people, Thai masseuses are usually quite friendly and may chat or giggle to put you at ease, but there's no need to strike up a conversation with the masseuse, nor is it expected. The best way to enjoy the experience is to simply lie back, close your eyes, relax and let the masseuse do her work. At some point you may actually fall into a snooze as y our aches and tensions get kneaded away.

After a Thai massage, it is normal to find your body aching in places that didn't ache before. That's because some people may suffer from repressed stress or tension that has made their muscles tense unconsciously. This muscle tension may be so subtle that it's unnoticeable by the sufferer, but these tensed up muscles are the cause of energy blockages in the body. These energy blockages are released during Thai massage, which causes the resulting discomfort. A few more massage sessions usually relieves this type of ache.

History of Thai MassageThe Traditional Medical Massage of Thailand, more commonly known as Thai Massage, is one of the world's oldest healing modalities. It originated in India during the Buddha's lifetime, over 2500 years ago, and was brought to this world by a saint, the "Father Doctor Shivago Komarpahj", a contemporary of the Buddha and some say his personal physician and the physician to the King of India.


As Buddhism spread out from India, this healing medicine spread with it. Early in its development it found its way to Southeast Asia where, for centuries, it was performed by monks as one element of indigenous Thai medicine. The Thai people, like many others in the orient, saw illness as an imbalance in the body/mind/spirit and they would seek help at the local temple. They were treated with the four elements of traditional Thai medicine:

  1. nutritional counseling (focusing on diet)
  2. herbs (given both internally and externally)
  3. spiritual counseling (primarily meditation and the Buddhist principles)
  4. Thai Massage (which formed the backbone of the physical treatment).
While its evolution is clouded by the passage of time and the lack of written records, one can see that it is greatly influenced by yoga, Ayurvedic medicine, and traditional Chinese medicine from the movements (which often mimic the asanas of yoga) and attention to pressure points (similar to the nadis of Ayurveda and meridians of Chinese medicine).

Thailand is situated along the great trade route between India and China. Its history and culture, along with its medicine, is affected by its location. While Thai massage appears to have its roots in both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, there has been some research which suggests the terminology used is more closely akin to Ayurveda, possibly indicating a closer alliance with India. However, many scholars believe India to be the root source of Chinese medicine also, so it is possible the Thais simply had a greater familiarity with the Indian language, particularly since this tradition was handed down along with the sacred Buddhist teachings, often inscrolled in the Indian languages of Pali or Sanskrit.

Traditional Thai massage today still retains elements of this strong spiritual connection. Practitioners start their work day with a prayer to the Father Doctor, which is recited in the original Pali language, and are remined of the Four Divine States of Mind of the Buddhist teachings: compassion, loving kindness, joy, and balance. For one must begin with compassion - for self as well as for others - and from that compassion springs forth loving kindness - or simply the wish for well - which leads to a feeling of vicarious joy which enables one to find balance or equanimity in life.

Thai massage has undergone a subtle shift as a result of western influences, which greatly increased in the 1950's and continue to this day. Traditionally practiced in Buddhist temples by monks specializing in this "manual manipulation", the work in Thailand today is no longer limited to the temple setting. When western medicine came into vogue, traditional medicine suffered a downswing. It went somewhat underground, and re-emerged years later after western medicine was no longer viewed as always superior. There was undoubtedly always a "folk" element, being the massages given by family members to each other within their villages, particularly as women were not allowed into the temples and so could not receive Thai massage from the monks.

Now Thai massage is practiced throughout Thailand, at massage schools, old traditional hospitals, in hotels catering to westerners, on the beaches, and seemingly around every street corner where there is an enterprising Thai! Some of these venues are not legitimate, particularly within Bangkok, and many therapists have received only minimal training. Yet other venues offer astounding treatments by masters of this blend of stretching, acupressure, meditation, and healing art.

Source: www.bangkok-hotels-bangkok.com

China Opens Our Eyes


It seems to be our community's impression that what we witnessed in Shanghai is pointing out the most overwhelming threat to the West in terms of what the Chinese are currently doing and planning to do in the next 50 years. It does not matter how much one has read about it or saw pictures and TV shows about it. Walking the streets and hearing the Chinese people talk about their future gives you the chills... There seems to be no stopping them... And how do Western countries fit into this, we ask?

As Americans, we clearly are the economic driver for much of China's current development. As we continue to consume everything in sight with our huge appetite, the Chinese proceed to build a power house that is going to dwarf us very shortly. And guess what? They do NOT consume much themselves. Yes, they are buying cars at an alarming rate and even apartments, but - at the end of the day - they save, and save, and save while we go further and further into debt...

My gut reaction to China has been -- I need to re-learn everything I have been teaching my students in business school!! Our text books are already outdated... our case studies are outdated! China's economic model is vastly different that what we have been teaching our students in the US, and it is working! Now what do we make of that as business scholars?

from Newsweek Special Issue 2008, Can America Get Back on Top?

Fareed Zakaria, “The Fearful Superpower”

“When the history of these times is written, surely the great trend that will dominate the accounts…will be the rise of China and India and how they reshaped the world… Global growth is a marvel to behold. But it is also producing massive complications and dislocations. It creates high demand for raw materials and energy. ..Envrionmental degradation proceeds in much of the world on a colossal scale. And these problems get exacerbated by changes in climate, rainfall, and habitation…. There is no way to turn off the underlying global growth, nor should one try. Every previous expansion of global capitalism has led to greater prosperity across the world. But this is a massive, complex process that requires enormous focus and attention…The world we are entering will need new solutions to its problems. There are too many new players for the old structures to work… Welcome to the post-American world.”

Minxin Pei, “An Unlikely New Ally”

“Like many people, the majority of Chinese today don’t care much for the United States. Even though most Chinese continue to admire American culture and to like Americans, 57 percent of Chinese in a recent Pew poll said they viewed the country “unfavorably”…China’s government, however, does not share this antipathy. Many Chinese leaders are quite happy with the United States these days…Washington’s preoccupation with the War on Terror and its costly adventure in Iraq have given Beijing valuable strategic space…During this period, the Chinese economy has doubled in size and Beijing’s global influence has grown beyond recognition… Tsinghua University’s Chu Shulong, a highly regarded specialist on the United States…puts it best: “The U.S. has lost its prestige-or soft power”…the United States has suffered in terms of reputation, moral superiority and overall capacity to shape the global political agenda. ..

Kishore Mahbubani, “Make Way for the Rise of Asia”

“Having transformed the world, Americans should be asking themselves whether and how they too need to adapt. Yet there are no signs that this process is taking place. .. There is not even a hint of fresh American thinking on a range of global challenges. An Indian academic, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, once said that the difference between India and China was that while India was an open society with a closed mind, China was a closed society with an open mind. The same comparison can be made between China and the United States today. America’s leaders are acting like China’s emperors did in the 19th century. Then China failed to adjust to the rise of the West. Today the United States in failing to adjust to the rise of Asia.”

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I am very tempted to go back to China to Fudan University, that is one of the Scholarship's Charter schools. I talked at lunch while there to the university's deputy rector and he said they have a constant need for foreign professors and would love to have an e-business exeprt come... All I want to do is go there for a longer period of time so I can REALLY comprehend what is happening there...

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Thailand -- The Land of Smiles and Commerce

Thailand has left many of our students smiling and happy. Everywhere you look, there are kind people bowing to you and saying "thank you" with a smile on their faces. And they have surrounded themselves with the most colorful bits and pieces of their culture like a psychedelic sea...


And while they are at it, they bargain and bargain and sell you anything they can :) And it is all so cheap, that you feel so lucky that you jusy buy and buy and buy... From trinkets all the way to momentary pleasures...

Thailand is a middle income country with 95% literacy (mostly in urban areas, though). It is also a homogeneous society with most people being Thai with an 11% Chinese minority in the country. The majority of people are Buddhists.
Here are the key features of Thai society as told to us by the professor who gave us the lecture at Chula university:

1. Buddhism
2. Belief in fate and karma
3. Group conformity
4. Role of the extended family

a. Little privacy

b. Respect for elders taught very early

5. Role of the family in decision-making
6. Growing influence of women
7. High respect to monarchy

Thai Values include:

1. Namjai, “Water of the heart”

2. Mai pen rai, “Never mind, it doesn’t matter”

3. Krengjai “ It’s ok, No problem”

And, in addition:

An act of direct criticism is regarded as a bad manner

As a high context culture: may more readily learn and remember the totality of images and messages than those from low context cultures.

They prefer Western products

Collectivist culture: word of mouth communication is quite influential

They value tradition and long-term commitment





Bao Steel - A Chinese Giant Run by "The Iron Lady"










With the incredible boom in construction and manufacturing in China, steel is one commodity that is in great demand. Therefore, the steel industry is at the core fo the Chinese economy. We went out of Shanghai to visit Bao Steel and drove into a vast industrial area close tothe Shanghai port to enter the company's industrial complex. The Bao Group owns many other enterprises, once of them being the hotel we had our lecture at. We were met by the deputry manager of one of the steel plants who spoke no English and had no lecture prepared for us. He clearly was told only to welcome us and take us on a tour. When our students proceeded to ask him tons of questions, he seemed somewhat taken back by it. And, oh by the way, he received several phone calls on his cell phone while talking to us and proceeded to answer them! At the end of his talk and our short Q&A, he took us on a tour of one of the plants which was undergoing maintenance work, so we saw no production taking place. Even then, we could not take any pictures and were rushed through the facility quickly with zero explanation as to what we saw!
Bao Steel is one of the largest and richest companies in China. It is run by a woman nicknamed "the Iron Lady" who is an anomaly in Chinese business since she is an engineer who came up from the ranks to head this huge conglamorate.

China Eastern Airlines - A Chinese Company in Transition




























During our field visit to Shanghai, we were invited to the training center of China Eastern Airlines. The Airline has been in the news lately due to its talks with Singapore Airlines (SA) who offered to buy over 20% of the company in return for SA getting an entry point into the lucrative and fast growing Chinese air travel business. SA offered close to $1 billion to China Eastern. China Eastern desperately needed the cash infusion since its debt to asset ratio is about 94 % (during their presentation to us they claimed they do not have to worry about profit, which makes them a stronger competitor)! Since the Chinese government owns over 60% of the company, the government immediately got involved in the M&A talks by encouraging China Air (its offical airline) to offer even more than $1 billion to China Eastern to difuse the SA offer. SA announced that it will not enter into a bidding war with the Chinese Central government and withdrew its offer.
Our presenter, the deputy director China Eastern's training center and the former director of the airline's maintenance department, told me privately that he was hoping SA will come back to the table and the merger will go through. China Eastern is not known for its service and the offer from SA is an incredible opportunity for them to learn from the best in the world. In addition, their offer would have immediately put cash into the company, which China Eastern really needs right now.
To date we have been watching the news to see what will be the end result of this negotiation. However, all the indicators are pointing to the Chinese government getting its way and forming a larger airline that will be locally owned and controlled right before the Olympics and the World Expo, not allowing a foreign entity enter their market.
Our presenter spent a good portion of his lecture talking about a marketing campaign the company launched last year to honor China's diverse culture by holding events in flights (a different one every week) to demonstrate the various cultural aspects of their country. Yet when asked whether the campaign was extended to foreign markets, he quietly responded that it did not. We wondered, therefore, why would the company spent a whole year almost to tell their own people about their own culture without taking the time to use this extensive effort to draw in new foreign customers...
Lastly, we visited an area dedicated to flight attendant training (see above pictures), where our students had fun getting into the airplanes' parts and pretending to close and open emergency exits. We did not get any official explanation while there and it seemed clearly that it was not something they were prepared to do for us. Once we finished wondering the srea, we were sent on our way...
China Eastern, by the way, is the 3rd largest airline in China and it does offer flights to several overseas destinations. Currently you cannot use the web to purchase tickets online from them. The presenter admitted that they are still far from knowing how to invest in web technology.
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From The New York Times; January 9, 2008
“A decision by minority shareholders of China Eastern to reject a tie-up with Singapore Airlines and a Singapore government investor has set the stage for an unusual corporate battle in China.
It has paved the way for a possible counterbid for China Eastern by China National Aviation Holding, the parent of Air China, the country’s biggest carrier. China Eastern, which is based in Shanghai, has vowed to fight any counteroffer to retain its independence.
Both China Eastern and Air China are majority state-owned companies.
At stake, analysts say, are plans to force the consolidation of China’s aviation industry and turn Air China into the single dominant carrier in China, which has the world’s largest aviation market outside the United States.
The outcome could give Air China a powerful grip over China’s two main aviation hubs, Beijing and Shanghai, and the lion’s share of the Chinese market for domestic and international air travel…”
“China Eastern’s chairman, Li Fenghua, said after the shareholder vote that he would oppose any bid by China National to replace the Singaporean investors and would attempt to keep the deal with Singapore Airlines and Temasek alive.
But China Eastern might not have much choice, analysts said. Singapore Airlines and Temasek are expected to walk away from the deal rather than offer a higher price.
China Eastern, which is carrying a huge debt burden and has suffered a succession of losses, still needs a strategic partner. Technically they would be bankrupt in any other country, but they still have government ownership plus government subsidies.”
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The presenter during our visit to China Eastern talked about China Easter’s goal to become a “one stop solution” for the Chinese travel industry but acknowledges that the airlines net asset is “pretty low” and is therefore a “problem.” He stated that the airlines goal is by 2010 to become “the leader in all aspects of safety and security management and maintain the reliable operation record in East Asia. No air accidents!” They expect at least a 10% growth rate annually and aim to become “a leader in all aspects of aviation management in Asia and place Shanghai as the hub of their net operation system by 2010.” Furthermore, they want to “achieve a four star level of SKYTRAX in service quality, be the best carrier for domestic flights and competitive in international flights.” One curious note, they want to become “the most tasteful company in the world” with the best food aboard planes!

Monday, January 21, 2008

A Visit from our Global Scholar – HE Jan Nordlander

Throughout the journey we have diplomats/business people/researchers/scholars/experts in their field sailing with us for a leg. Typically, our visiting Global Scholars offer 2-3 seminars available for the entire community as well as taking meals with our students and staff. In addition to these roles, Global Scholars are also available to join our classes to give a short presentation and speak about their job or their expertise.
Of first visiting Scholar is His Excellency Jan Axel Nordlander, who is Sweden’s Ambassador for Human Rights (there are only 8 such ambassadors in the world!) . His tasks are threefold: to represent Sweden’s seat at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and in other international organizations such as OSCE’s Human Dimension meetings; to undertake country visits, alone or with other EU Human Rights Ambassadors; and on behalf of the Swedish government to liaise with Swedish and international NGOs. He has retained his interest in education, and has been for many years a trustee of a graduate school in Asia and a fellow of a Swedish research institute. His Excellency studied law at Uppsala University in Sweden. After starting his career at the Ministry of Higher Education, he joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1974 and subsequently served in several postings in the Middle East, South and South East Asia as well as North America. During this time he also continued studies in arts and political science; for example, the Swedish Foreign Ministry sent him to Cairo for one year to learn Arabic and Arabic history. In several of his postings, international public law and human rights were high on the agenda. Such was the case in Jerusalem, Damascus, Beirut, New Delhi, Phnom Penh and Rangoon. He gave 2 seminars: The Global Status of Human Rights and Human Rights Education and Human Rights Defenders as well as visited my classes. During his first lecture, I took the following notes:
When it comes to Human Rights, we need to ask ourselves 3 questions: how do we measure them? What can we expect? And how do we implement them?
If we pick up any major newspaper’s headlines for a day, like the Bangkok Daily, it is clear that there is a dire need all over the world to protect human rights. We see violations in many parts of the world: Sudan, Congo, Sri Lanka, North Korea, Burma, Iran, Russia, China… and the list goes on…
How do we assess, however, where we stand? The UN has a count and a list of the countries that have ratified and various Human Rights Conventions, which are those covering: Children rights (most countries- 193), Women rights (185 countries), Racial Discrimination (173), Civil/Economic/political Rights (160), Anti-Torture (145), and Migrant Workers Protection (37).
The numbers show that we are making progress in terms of the legal framework of human rights. Those that ratified the Conventions are required to report to the UN about their compliance and be scrutinized by a committee that will publish the results of their scrutiny. It has now become politically incorrect not to comply. A country can “lose face” and be shamed for non-compliance by the global community, which many (but not all – look at North Korea) want to avoid. So the UN is playing an important role as are NGO’s that file “shadow reports” from the countries themselves, but it is the individual duty of each country to protect its human rights.
The organizational structure that supports this legal framework consists of the UN General Assembly whom the Human Rights Council reports to. The Council is supported by Treaty Bodies who are further supported by special rapprerteurs (sp?) that deal with specific topics. We cannot expect them, however, to act as courts of appeal (The European Union already has its own court of appeals)The question is what should they provide? Should they provide emergency help when needed? Serve only as inspectors? A Mandate of peacekeeping can be a problem for place like Darfur. Sri Lanka is another example of a country that is rapidly closing its borders for further UN monitoring and they are backed up by India and Pakistan. China has been advised to get closer to the opposition building in Burma for the mere reason that one day there will be a regime change there and it is in China’s interest to be close to them as well. However, that advice has so far not worked.
However, the role of the UN is to not only criticize countries about their Human Rights violations. It is to offer assistance and built confidence that they can actually accomplish better protection of Human Rights. Most countries will be willing to accept this assistance due to the “shame factor” even if they are not always sincere in accepting it.
Yet, the time has come to shift the attention of the world from legal action to implementation of the UN Conventions. It is time for countries to adapt national frameworks following these international conventions. Building and strengthening national institutions to create or improve the rule of law and its enforcement should be the new focus. And there should also be access to justice by underserved groups who are the targets of Human Rights violations. Most important, there should be an individual right to complain if your rights have been violated AND proper compensation given (although not following the US example).
Furthermore, there is a new concept being introduced of “Universal Periodic Review” which will mandate that every 4 years, there needs to be an assessment using equal standards for all countries. The scrutiny will be based on the data collected by the Commission of Human Rights and the countries themselves. Once this will be done the right way, it will be the most useful tool! The final report will need to also include measures to improve the situation in the specific country but not include any punitive measurements.
In essence, the truth is more important than penalties! The victims need to hear that someone has assumed the guilt in order to start the process of reconciliation. Reparations happen seldom but are just as important and there is a growing global consensus that they are needed!
Economic sanctions do not always work. They worked in South Africa but they will not work in Burma, for example. They are not smart tools because they usually hurt the population at large. In Burma, posing visa restrictions on the ruling regime and their families has been effective in spite of the fact that they are the equivalent of a “mosquito bite to an elephant”… Once they restrictions were published by the media and on the Internet, they became person-non-grata in the capitals of Europe where they were used the spending their money lavishly.
So the forecast is; “the sky id still cloudy, even though I see some rays of sunshine”… There has been improvement is freedom of religion, racism (the Durban Conference was very well received), and so forth. In the fight against terrorism we need to be cautious not to play into the hand of the terrorists by violating their human rights, which is what they are seeking as a justification!
In conclusion, we have made progress, but not much progress. But be patient and we shall most likely succeed further!

Friday, January 18, 2008

Random Pictures from Around Shanghai










































































































I





Have been having lots of problems getting picutres to upload onto the blog both on board the ship and in the nternet Cafes. Just bear with me while I try and best way to resolve this problem!

Side note -- sea has been very rough as soon as we left China. Although the son is finally shining and it is much warmer, we are all reminded about the challenges we face daily teaching and working under an ever rolling sea :(((

Now I am now in Bankok and at an Internet Cafe where I seem to be able to upload some random pictures, including one from the local newspaper about the terrible fog in Shanghai. So here they are!
At the top you are seeing a model of the city I photographed at the Urban Development Center that shows how the city will develop by the year 2010, when the World Expo will arrive here. It is trully incredible and makes you re-think China as a "developing country"...

































Learning about Chinese Tea






















We took off the visit the famous city of Hangzhou so that we can get away a bit from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai for a day and go up to the mountain area. The city is known for its tea growing sector (the best in China) as well as the West Lake which is a major recreational area for those seeking to get away from the city. It is 3000 years old, versus Shanghai that is only 700 years onld.
We drove for almost 3 hours in miserable weather as the temperatures dropped further and the rain kept pounding the bus. But as the bus started climbing the road leading to the tea plantations, everyone perked up. There were beautiful little hotels and tea house everywhere we passed a tea plantation and the air felt so crisp as the scenery became greener and greener (Shanghai, by the way, claims to become a truly green city in the next 10 years with over 40% of its land dedicated to “green spaces”. Hard to believe right now, in spite of the landscaped beauty of some of the center city’s parks).
Dragon tea, that came from Hangzhou was considered to be of the best quality and was strictly used 2000 years ago as herbal medicine due to its rich nutritional content. After the Han Dynasty, when tea was only drunk by rich people, local people learned how to plant it in the mountains and thereby made it more accessible and affordable to everyone. The reason this region can still produce the best teai n China is because of the mountainous location, the 16 degrees Celsius temperatures which keep it fresh and the downward flow of the water, says our guide.
One important fact – tea leaves must be picked up by delicate fingers if they are not to be damaged. So only women do the picking of the best tea leaves. The best tea is picked up only early in the morning when there is dew of the leaves. The leaves are left indoor to dry for 2 hours. Then they are heated and pressed slowly by hand into steel bowls. They can never get too dry (must have at least 5% moisture left) or else they lose their nutrients. Green tea that is mostly grown around here is supposed to clean your mind and flush away any fat. It is even good for your eye sight, they claim.
One hundred families used to run the whole tea business in Hangzhou up until 10 years ago. The central government has now allowed no more than 500 families to become growers and sellers. These families, our guide says, have all become rich as a result even though they share their profits with the government due to the very large number of foreigners that now visit Hangzhou and buy the tea grown here. Over 20 million visitors come each year to the area. A Maglev high speed train is being planned to bring in more people from shanghai with a ride that will only cost 40 Yuan and will take 2 hours.
Once we get to the tea plantation, we are taken to a presentation room where a young and perky tea grower’s daughter proceeds to give us a light and funny talk about the tea grown here. She opens by telling us that all the tea made in this plantation is handmade, which is what makes it so pure and precious. The tea therefore is not only drunk, but eaten as well since it so rich in nutrients. Tea can be used for so many things, she proclaims; teeth cleaning, face mask, losing weight, and even an “eye massage” (when you put the water into the cup with the team leaves, first put your eye close to the cup and let the steam cleans it). We even got a recipe for making a tasty tea mix with a mix of green tea, dried orange peel and dried huckleberry as well as advice to add to teaspoons of green tea into a chicken’s cavity before making chicken soup in order to absorb all the fat!
She tells us the proper way to drink green tea – use 2 finger pinches for 1 cup and pour water into the cup 4 times. As the tea leaves soak more water, they release a progressively sweeter taste. Never use boiling water. Your water should be no more than 190 degrees Fahrenheit and try to steep the tea leaves for about 3 minutes.
Green tea varies based on the time of the year it was picked. Spring tea is the best and the earlier you pick it (like April), the better. The lowest quality tea she called “mother-in-law tea”, while the best was “virgin or empress tea”. The best tea was rumored to be picked up with girls’ lips so as not to damage its delicate leaves! Empress green tea sells for 250 Yuans for 125 grams and is supposed to have the equivalent nutrition of eating 5 apples a day. She also told us to remember that the lighter the green color of the tea, the better. In order to maintain its freshness, put the tea container in the freezer and it will last up to 5 years!
As any good salesperson, she proceeded to unveil packages of empress tea and started packing them into containers on the spot demonstrating how generous she is with over-packing the containers so you can get “more for your Yuan.” Of course we all ended up buying some of the tea so that we can take home with us not only the tea itself, but the tremendous traditions surrounding its making and memories of its fresh scent and taste we felt while listening to this amusing Chinese girl…






More about the Internet in China


As you guys already know, I have dedicated a lot of my career to studying and teaching about the Internet. And this voyage is no different. I resolved to visiting as many Internet Cafe's as possible and reporting back on my impressions. So here we go.....

My first Internet cafĂ© visit was in Hong Kong, in a room adjacent to a large and modern gaming area in a shopping strip floor full with computer stores. I had little trouble connecting and working on my blog. The young man at the reception desk knew English and ventured even a smile while greeting me. I felt at home despite of the fact that somewhere in the room a guy was blasting Britney Spear’s music with no consideration for other while watching a music video online.

The second Internet cafĂ© I visited was in Shanghai right across the street from where we docked the ship. It was up 4 flights of dark unlit stairs behind an entry way covered with a blanket and some plastic sheets. It had more than 200 computers but was mostly empty. The reception we got from the young girl sitting at the front desk seemed very cold and unpleasant but it could have been because she did not speak English. She and a guy smoking a cigarette standing next to her at first refused to show me how to plug in my flash drive. After insisting that they do (with hand gestures), the guy crawled under the cubicle with my designated computer and plugged it in. However, from that point on, I was not able to use the content on the flash drive to upload it on the Internet (into email or my blog). Every time I managed to get on the Internet, my connection timed out after a few seconds. I was cold (it was freezing with no heat in the building) and agitated and somehow felt being controlled. I lasted 30 minutes before I gave up and left. On my way out, the guy gave me a strange look. I wondered whether he was the one playing with my access…
My third Internet cafĂ© was in a business area in Shanghai. On a 3rd floor of a building decorated with large posters of the World of Warcraft videogame, another large and dark room filled with cigarettes smoke awaited. The room was full with young people many of whom had headphones on and were playing video games. When I started inquiring again about using my flash drive, I was directed to a special section in the room that had extensions for plugging in the USB drives. Initially I could not navigate through the Chinese characters online to get to the files on the drive but could not get a single person who spoke little English to help. The one person I approached that seems to know what I was saying, backed off when I pointed to my screen and asked where my files were. Then I started having problems connecting to the Internet and even once I did, I could not reach my blog and had problems uploading my pictures to my gmail account. As I started asking my colleague who came with me to check her blog and found out she could not get into it either, my sense of discomfort grew. And then I noticed the presence of a guy that was not there before sitting right behind us smoking a cigarette and observing us behind out backs… Despite my discomfort I decided to carry on an online chat with my son in New York, which went on without any interruptions. However, when I tried to download a music file he had sent me of his recent jingles, nothing worked despite a seemingly successful download. So off I went (I was once again very cold and agitated)…

Finally, I also had a talk with our young tour guide (a 21 years old recent college graduate who spoke excellent English) about her Internet use. She told me that many of her peers circumvent the Chinese Central Government’s blocking of Internet sites by using proxy servers (I posed the question to the vice-rector of Fudan University about the university’s role in restricting Internet access to students and, after consultation with his other colleagues in the room, he said the only restrictions are those imposed by the Central government). Those servers need to change all the times because the minute they get discovered, they are being closed. So the Chinese Internet users are constantly sending each other phone text messages to update the safe proxy servers list available. She also told me the Facebook and YouTube are very popular right now in China and that she has been spending lots of time on Facebook since she is new to Shanghai and have been able to make good friends that way. Yet she also said “this is very bad. The Internet takes time away from real relationships and I have to make sure I do not use it too much.” She pays 1000 Yuan a year for her ADSL access and says all her friends have Internet access. When I asked her about using the Internet for business, she said there is very little use of it for that purpose. Having told he about my specialty in e-business, she said I ought to come to China to help built that business sector since many Chinese have become very inspired by the success of the Alibaba Internet site and its IPO.

From the New York Time's Article, February 4, 2008
Great Firewall of China Faces Online Rebels


For a vast majority of Internet users, censorship still does not appear to be much of a factor. The most popular Web applications here are games and messaging services, and the most visited Internet sites focus on everyday subjects like entertainment news and sports. Many, in fact, seem only vaguely aware that China’s Internet universe is carefully pruned, and even among those who know, a majority hardly seems to care.

But growing numbers of others are becoming increasingly resentful of restrictions on a wide range of Web sites, including Flickr, YouTube, Wikipedia, MySpace (sometimes), Blogspot and many other sites that the public sees as sources of harmless diversion or information. The mounting resentment has inspired a wave of increasingly determined social resistance of a kind that is uncommon in China.

This resistance is taking many forms, from lawsuits by Internet users against government-owned service providers, claiming that the blocking of sites is illegal, to a growing network of software writers who develop code aimed at overcoming the restrictions. An Internet-based word-of-mouth campaign has taken shape, in which bloggers and Web page owners post articles to spread awareness of the Great Firewall, or share links to programs that will help evade it.

In almost every instance, the resistance has been fired by the surprise and indignation when people bumped up against a system that they had only vaguely suspected existed. “I had had an impression that some kind of mechanism controls the Internet in China, but I had no idea about the Great Firewall,” said Pan Liang, a writer of children’s literature and a Web site operator who first learned the extent of the controls after a friend’s blog was blocked.

Ann Li China's Debriefing

Ann Li is a student counselor on board the ship. She is from Shanghai and despite the fact that she looks like a teenager, she has a master’s degree and is highly intelligent. She gave us an important briefing before disembarking in China:
· The Chinese flag is read with four stars. The center big star stands for communism while the other four represent the 4 classes of people
· 3rd biggest country in size in the world (same as US)
· Most population in the Eastern part of country that is also more cosmopolitan
· Western part of mostly agricultural
· Yangtze and Yellow river crossing the country are called “the cradle of civilization”
· There are 23 provinces as well as autonomous regions (like Tibet and Mongolia)
· 5 key municipalities (like Beijing and Shanghai)
· The Han Chinese are the biggest ethnic group and therefore follow the “one child policy”
· There are 56 different ethnic groups
· 2 provinces – Hong Kong and Macau – are rules by a capitalistic system. You need a permit to travel between them and the mainland
· China has 3000 years of written history with 2 key dynasties – Xia and Qing.
· The dynasties created a pattern of change that influences the way Chinese thing about provinces splitting and re-uniting and that is why the Chinese believe the Taiwan will be some day theirs again, for example
· The Chinese people were responsible for 4 great inventions: paper, printing, the compass, and gunpowder
· One of the most important events in Chinese history is the Opium War from 1684 to 1840 which marks the beginning of semi-colonialization
· 1911 is the year of the Revolution that marks the end of the feudal system in China
· The “Anti Japanese War” took place from 1937 to 1945 (not WWII)
· The Civil War took place from 1945 to 1949 (marked by the creation of Taiwan)
· The PRC was founded on October 1, 1949
· The Cultural Revolution, led by Mao, took place from 1966 to 1976
· In 1976 a period of reform and opening up began when the Central Government declared that “Getting Rich is Glorious!”; a Chinese saying developed “It does not matter if a cat if black or white as long as it can catch mice”…
· A core value is the Chinese society is harmony between humans and nature and in interpersonal relationships. It is supported by Confucianism that preaches being kind and hospitable to others
· The social order in China is divided into 5 cardinal relationships:
1. Father-son
2. Emperor-subjects
3. Husband-wife
4. Older-younger
5. Friends
· The society is hierarchical in nature with respect for elders being emphasized
· The culture is based on particularism (the concept of self), formality (rituals and tradition), and Guanxi (the bigger your social network and the more long term, the more powerful you are).
· A key cultural concept is the concept of “face”; “giving face” means agreeing to do a favor for you, “losing face” means being refused, and “gaining face” means having many support you publicly
· China is a “high context society” which means “yes” does not really mean agreement unless in the right context. There is always a hidden meaning and one should try to read between the lines
· The religious cornet stones are:
1. Confucianism which promotes inner reflection
2. Taoism which promotes exultation; no need for verbalization
3. Buddhism which promotes inner peace
· Key cultural guidelines: speak only when you have something of value to say!
· During an academic lecture, the students do not interrupt the professor with questions; you need to allocate time after class for that
We were also reminded of the saying that while we visit China we should “take only memories and leave only footprints”…

We were also informed by her later in the “Cultural CafĂ©” about the importance f the upcoming Olympics to China. The 2008 Beijing Olympics them is “One World. One Dream.” The games are going to open on 8/8/08, eight being a lucky number in China symbolizing luck and prosperity. The Olympics mascot come in different figures representing China’s national animals (like the Panda) and key nature elements (like fire, ocean and air).

Later on, Pat, our academic dean, who is a Buddhist and was once a Buddhist nun told us more about the pillars of China’s spirituals belief.

Confucianism is based on the belief that the heart and mind are one and human nature is essentially good. Its values are sincerity, righteous behavior, humanness and similar others.

Daoism (or Taoism) belief is in the Dao = The Way which is based on the principles of Wu Wei (action through inaction), Chi (the universal life force), Ying/Yang (the male/female balance), and Hsien (immortality). Buddhism came to China from India in the 1st century CE and emphasizes that everything has a potential to be good and that we can get out from under a life of pain and dissatisfaction and achieve nirvana (the balance between passion and wisdom). Harmony is a critical element of all those three and a word we heard repeated over and over again during our stay in China.

Shanghai As Explained to Us by Our Local Chinese Guides

Our guide, a pretty little girl named Irene (so many of the girls around are slim, petite, pretty and ageless looking that it makes you wonder about their growing cosmetics industry and how it still manages to sell them any products) introduced herself by letting us know that every Chinese person’s English name is one they have actually just picked up from the dictionary! She went on to guide us through a bus trip of the foggy, cold, and rainy streets of this huge city of 22 million people emphasizing that it is by far not the largest in China one of the most important ones as it is the economic center of mainland China.
As we shivered in the bus, she also shared with us the fact that most places we will visit in China do not have central heating (including people’s homes) so we should not expect to feel much warmer and that the rain is a constant in Shanghai (they basically have 3 seasons of rain). Just as cold as it was during our whole stay in Shanghai (close to zero degrees Celsius with even some snow flurries at the end of our first day), it can get brutally hot in the summer here, with temperatures reaching about 40 degrees Celsius. Each one of the guides we had reiterated the fact the global warming is the cause for every bad weather we may experience. China has embraced this notion even while back in the US I have friends who refuse to believe there is such thing as global warming…
It is hard to believe when you witness the skyline of Shanghai with all its high-rises that Shanghai used to be a small finishing village and its name actually means “go to the sea” in a local Chinese dialect. The new city is now labeled the “Manhattan of Shanghai” and its amazing growth only began in 1997. Every single guide we had was very proud to let us know that there are now over 2000 buildings in the city with 20 floors and above!
Another element of the city the locals are very proud of is their public transportation system. As we sat in traffic jams every time, we were re-assured that the current 9 lines subway is going to be expanded to 12 lines by 2010 so that all over the city every residence and office will be no further than 900 meters from a subway station! Subway tickets are only 3 Yuan’s and buses are free for seniors so everyone can actually use the public system. Furthermore, many of the big freeways crossing the city will be turned into 3 story freeways to ease congestion and the roads in the center of town will all go underground to allow for pedestrian traffic everywhere.
2010 is an important date for Shanghai since it marks the year the World Expo will open here. Just like Beijing is preparing everywhere for the Olympics, Shanghai is using the Expo as its milestone for many projects around the city. Its curtain call will open the stage of over 60 million visitors within a 6 months period and unveil the extremely hard work that went into making Shanghai a metropolitan force to be reckoned with.
All this tremendous growth comes with a heavy price for the residents of the city. Many of our young guides talked about how expensive it is to buy an apartment in Shanghai now. Before the 1980, all apartments were owned by the government who then made them available for purchase to the public for very cheap prices in the beginning of the 90’s. Since then, prices have escalated to a point that a regular apartment in the city costs $2000 per sq. meter on the average. We were also told that there are now some apartment buildings asking as much as $10,000 per sq. meter! Many young people can no longer afford the buy and end up living with their families. Some places have started renting apartments to tenants who live with “flat mates”. Renting is still considered in China to be a ‘no no’ because every family wants to own some property and use it to build their assets. Everyone, I have been told, believes that prices will continue to go up therefore renting will be a grave mistake; “like throwing away your hard earned money.” Residential construction is everywhere and the new buildings have names such as “Likeville” (that one had a banner on front with a quote from Frank Sinatra, of all people, about enjoying life!)
Many outside investors are enjoying the boom in real estate in the city. The Japanese have built the biggest shopping mall recently. However, not too far from the shopping center (whose front resembles a Disneyland attraction, not any different than others, even though Las Vegas comes to mind more often), the old streets of Shanghai are still full with traditional merchants selling in open markets anything from produce to household items for “real prices”, not the prices only Expats and tourists and upper middle class Chinese can afford.
So how do you reconcile the Maserati/Ferrari dealership with the street dealers asking you, “want Rolex watch?” everywhere on the adjoining streets? In this Chinese labeled “Golden Land”, that lights up the skyline at night and had every Western luxury available, what does the average person feel about this juxtaposition? One of our guides is an older man. He was laid off from being an engineer a few years back when many local factories closed to make room for the new foreign investments. Now he works as a guide after spending 3 years teaching himself English (he is working on his Japanese and German as well). He claims he is finally making some good money (I presume a lot of it has to do with the tips he is getting) and smiling he tells me: “Chinese are best in two things: making money and cooking! Chinese food is best in the world and now we are also allowed to make money again.”
Money is the most pervasive talk everywhere and it is mixed with a great sense of pride of where China is right now. The future is the focus of every talk we get. Referencing the past is only to discuss briefly the darker times while moving on quickly to the promise of the future. As Kissinger said, China wants to prove to the world that its last 500 years have only been a slight diversion from its 5000 years of glory. In other words, China is “back on track”!
We cannot help ourselves feeling slightly cheated having our guides try to sell us a Disneyland-like version of Shanghai peppered with a few hard facts such as that Shanghai has moved way from being a city of light manufacturing to having 80% of its jobs in the service sector. And, according to one of our guides, being a teacher right now is a very good job because many of them make money on the side tutoring students after hours. And university professors still get government housing for free. He wants his daughter to study to be a teacher or a banker. There are more and more women, he says, that are choosing careers in the growing financial sector of Shanghai. “Shanghai women strong because they all work,” he says. “So their husbands now all learn to cook!”
One of the young guides tells me that no matter how far along women in get in corporations or private companies, Chinese women will always put their family first. Considering that all of them only have one child and that children here go to school from 8 AM to 5 PM, you wonder whether the emphasis on family is strictly attitudinal or do these working women actually have a lot to do in their homes? One thing became clear – as we passed an elementary school at noon and saw students leaving, we were told almost all need to go home to have their lunch served by their mothers or grandmothers. A small number of schools offer lunch in cafeterias now that works are moving to live out of the city into more affordable housing.
And speaking of kids, I was also told that kids in the city are all studying almost around the clock seven days a week taking many extracurricular activities mostly focused on academic topics rather than sports. So many of the parents are convinced, I was told, that good grades are the only way to ensure a child’s future as a member of the middle class. Since the Chinese culture is driven by a strong family structure, there is little rebellion from the children. Yet, the Internet cafĂ©’s I have visited were full with youngsters doing nothing for hours except playing video games, smoking cigarettes and seemingly having no other care in the world…

Our Captain - Our Hero


Captain Dionysus (like the Greek God) says jokingly when asked what does he do: “My crew does the work, and I take the credit!”. A Greek, that is one quarter American (his grandfather was an American reporter in Greece) and has American born children, has been on the sea since he is 16 years old (over 30 years). He was born to a farmer in one of the Greek Islands and worked his father’s land that extended to the seashore. Like many in his Island, he dreamed since he was a child to go off and join the marine industry. Being “old fashioned”, he claims he always tried to work for the ship owner and not for the corporation that now run the cruise industry. (BTW, He worked for the Israeli owners of the ship Topaz for many years). Today there are only 2-3 companies dominating the cruise industry market. Crew’s slaries have dropped down considerably as consumer prices have been diluted. For the crew members, the standards have really gone down, he claims. The irony is that the industry will continue to expand and there will be more and more cruise ships. The ships that are being built today will be able to carry as many as 500 passengers! “However, we are not ready for it!” he emphasizes.
He has already sailed 9 times around the world, lately with a Japanese group of wealthy individuals who were visiting VIP’s in the different ports he took them to. But he likes sailing with our students, he says, since we are a “lively bunch”. And yet he claims, “the worst cargo on a ship is passengers!”
He believes his job is one of the most difficult there is but also one the proof that “society can work with different nationalities and cultures peacefully and productively.” His crew has over 20 nationalities working. “Mutual respect is the most important leadership skill for working in a multi-cultural team.” He said. “Remember that you cannot force
He worked on many ships and told the students he regards those ships as his children and therefore had loved working on all of them. He also told them he loves his job very much and that they should all strive to work in a profession that they have a passion for. He also told them they are very lucky to have this Scholarship experience and to remember that this voyage may be the highlight of their lives!
He told us that the ship we are on was built in Scotland and has more open deck then the current cruise ships so you can feel the sea more. However, because it has so much word in its interiors, it will be taken off the sea in 2010, which in his eyes will be a pity since he thinks it is a beautiful ship.
Finally, the students wanted to find out whether he has seen the deterioration of the oceans due to environmental problems and climate change during his recent travels. He responded by saying that “pollution is everywhere and is only getting worse… But we all are responsible for it! We are hypocrites if we do not acknowledge that!”






















































































































































Tuesday, January 15, 2008

With Students in Shanghai

Brrr.......cold Shanghai was a challenge to our touring schedule and our bodies, but we made the most of it. I managed to upload this pictures in anotehr Internet cafe in the city after considerable problems with blocking on this blog by the Chinese servers. So, folks, it is ture -- China does have imposed a lot of restrictions on Internet access. The Internet cafe was mostly full with over 200 young men playing video games, watching videos and listening to music. Smoke filled the drak room and a big guy situated himself behind me and Karen (another professor from the ship) while we tried to write email, chat online and post to our blogs... Brrr..
I will spend time tomorrow, hopefully, transcribing my notes from our stay in China. One bottom line lesson tonight, though: I am going to have to re-think a lot of what I have been teaching my students concerning international business! China has re-written all the rules!!!

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Internet Cafe Shanghai


We made it! After a long night sail, we got up in the morning to a cold and rainy view of Shanghai harbor... shivering we wondered the streets close to where the ship stood and got a glimpse of many empy street (considering that it was a Saturday morning). Yet we managed to go to a local supermarket and get a view of the Western worl re-packaged in Chinese packaging next to small eateries where food was cooked outside on a hot plate or big pot for steaming soup and vegetables.

Later we got on a tour bus and dro0ve through the city to take a look at thev impressive developments all around. Images of new York City come to mind with a mix of Disneyland as you ooh and ah at the tremendous building and shopping centers. The streets are clean and it all seems like almost part of a sci-fi movie... The students keep asking for shopping areas and ignoring the gleaming buildings. I am trying to peek around corners through the foggy bus windows for a glimpse of side streets that may conceal the old China, with little luck.

Tonight we are off the see an acrobat act. Clearly a tourist attraction but one that hopefully will relay some of the amazing traditions of Chinese culture. Shanghai does have a bit of a Vegas showmanship to it, though. Lots of hotels with gold decorations and greek sculptures adorning the entrances. Or maybe it is only the view from the bus...

Well folks, I have not been able to upload pictures here to my blog. Will try again tomorrow. I am also very cold, sitting in this Internet room full of empy booths and little lightingwith no heating....

Thursday, January 10, 2008

This is ironic...

I have not blogged for a few days since I have been waiting to land in Shanghai, find an Internet cafe, and spent some quality time writing and uploading my pictures...
HOWEVER, here we are, still on the river leading to Shanghai Harbor for more than 2 days with no movement!

From the local news...

Coal ships stranded as fog causes power crisis
By Dong Zhen and Lu Feiran 2008-1-11


THE fog engulfing the city this week has had major flow-on effects, including a dire shortage of thermal coal, disruption to water, air and land traffic and a deterioration in air quality.

The Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration yesterday opened emergency water channels to allow coal-supply vessels to make deliveries. Administration officials said continuous fog had caused water visibility to drop below 100 meters on the Huangpu River and waterways at the mouth of the Yangtze River. Shipping traffic was suspended, keeping regular coal-supply vessels out of city waterways.

By yesterday, the city's coal supply for electricity generation had reached crisis point, prompting the authority to open green channels for large delivery vessels.

The administration is giving priority whenever possible to the coal ships that must use the deep-water channel to reach the city's major power plants. Coal vessels with minor defects will also be allowed to operate as a temporary measure to help relieve the shortage.

Daqing 63, a vessel carrying 20,000 tons of coal pulled into Luojin dock under heavy fog yesterday. The coal arrived just in time to support continued operation of the Luojin Power Plant.

General shipping traffic at the mouth of the Yangtze was only open for about an hour after 9pm on Wednesday before all vessels were required to stop and anchor or return to ports.

As of late yesterday afternoon, shipping traffic was still suspended, with some vessels already stuck for days.

Authorities said yesterday more than 500 incoming ships were waiting at sea to visit Shanghai.

SO...

I will get back to you as soon as we find out whether we will even go into the city on not :((

STAY TUNED....

Thursday, January 3, 2008

The students are here!







Off we went with our 150 or so students on board (we will pick up some more when we get to China), and almost immediately hit rough seas :( Not a great introduction to life on the ship for many of them... The lines at the doctor's office were pretty long that first day.
But with all that, we managed to have a "circle of global friendship" ceremony on the deck (pictues to come) and found out all the different countries people came from. It turns out that with the crew members on board, we have over 50 countries represented here!
We have all learned to speak slower and look into a person's face when we talk to make sure they understand us!

The students have brought lots of excitement into our fold. Many of them it is the first time they are on a boat like this and/or traveling so far from home. Many seem very young to me, so they remind me of my kids every day :)

Here is a part of the speech our executvie director made as we welcomes the students:

“The buzz word in a lot of campuses nowadays us the internationalization of education, essentially through study abroad programs. If you go on a semester abroad, you experience mostly a certain university, a certain country, a certain culture. On this voyage, The Scholar Ship, you experience several of the above in one…Moreover, the intensity of the program and life on the Scholar Ship campus provides a total immersion type of environment with an abundance of learning opportunities. The program we are in is a unique project that is fully international in the constitution of its faculty and student body, transnational in scope, vision, and a combination of theory and field study.
While this environment offers so many opportunities, it also imposes some constraints on our freedom of action, of movement, because others need to enjoy their freedom as well. Therefore, the respect of others’ freedom us not only desirable but necessary for the physical, emotional, and intellectual comfort and integrity of all of us…this environment provides countless opportunities for learning and experiencing different ways of seeing and doing things; from classes taught by different faculty from various schools and traditions around the world, to classmates and shipmates from very remote parts of the globe, to the challenges of a closely knit community the members of which come in with different values and habits.
I invite all of us not only to seize the opportunities that present themselves to us, but to be entrepreneurial and take initiatives to help create other opportunities in the very fertile environment we have been fortunate to find ourselves in. You are the young men and women of today, future leaders of tomorrow. As the world is getting smaller and smaller, this is a wonderful and one of the best simulations of the study and work environments many of you are likely to find yourselves evolving in.
You have chosen the Scholar Ship for its richness, its diversity, its mobility, its multi-institutional courses and its program based on standard classroom education as well as experiential learning, its perspective and mission, in which intercultural communication skills and the awareness of global issues hold highly privileged places. ..
Let us open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts, and start the most exciting journey together as a multicultural learning community. With our collective will and effort, nothing can stop us from reaching the goals of our voyage and beyond!"

I had a chance to meet some of the students I will start teaching tomorrow. I have students from the US, Germany, Spain, Finland, Denmark, Ghana, Russia, Mexico and Bermuda so far. They are all trying hard to mingle with other not from their home country and the staff is working hard to initiate many such encounters. It is amazing to see that already on the second day of the drip, the breakfast tables are mixed and convesations are flowing freeily between people from very different backgrounds.

Today I met one of the few "adult learners" on board. She is my age and comes from Montreal. She is haring a room with a girl from Finland who is her daughter's age. She confessed that they both feel a bit out of place, but she is trying to connect with others while her rommate is somewhat reserved and shy. We have a wonderful psychologist on the ship (an Egyptian woman) who, I am sure, will be very busy in the weeks to come...

I am off to a planning session for our "learning circles" which are the equivalent to an academic department and will govern our port programs. I will help lead at least 4 of those programs in different countries, which will be a challenge, I am sure. We will need to make sure students are learning not only in the classroom but also as they visit each country. My students will be keeping a video journal to document their experiences. I plan on posting them all to YouTube once we are done, so everyone can share in this unique learning experience.

What is a Learning Circle?
A Learning Circle is an academic “home” in The Scholar Ship program, similar to a university department or division, which organizes the exploration of themes in an interdisciplinary area of study.
A Learning Circle is also a group of students, professors and other staff who explore a set of related themes through classroom study, planned activities onboard, port programs, and informal interaction.
A Learning Circle is a set of related subjects (classes) addressing themes that meet the programmatic objectives of The Scholar Ship.
Throughout the voyage, members of each learning circle participate in academic field study during port calls to explore themes belonging to their learning circle. Members also gather in small groups to share how their knowledge and perspectives gained through study and experiences relate to the themes of their particular learning circle. Through these interactions, students attain a broader understanding of the material they are studying, and from a more practical and holistic perspective.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Some Random Observations


Our Executive Director is from Morocco. He is so mellow and full of positive energy. He reminds me of a father you do not want to disaapoint because he has been so fair and non-judgmental... I am looking forward to having many more discussions with him about his Muslim religion... There is so much we need to know now more than ever... The ship was supposed to go to his home country but for some security reasons, we are not. That is why we are going to Turkey, instead. the voyage was planned to give students an insight into Hinduisim (India), Budhism (China), Christianity (Spain), and Muslim (Turkey) with potentially some others cultural influences coming from Africa (South Africa).


We had an interesting discussion during dinner the other night. One of the staff asked our Chinese IRC a question concerning the over population of males in China and whether this will bring to an possible increase in the "perceived value" of females in that society. It was fascinating to hear her response. She was uncomfortable at first to discuss the concet of "value" as it relates to women but after awhile started discussing how closed her society is and how unlikely it is that Chinese men may seek brides from other countries due to the lack of eligible Chinese women... It is these kind of discussions that I have so much looked forward to before I joined The Scholar Ship...








The academic staff is starting to form strong bonds but we are told much will be tested once we have been confined to closed quarters for a long time while struggling to get our work done and keep our students engaged. A couple of the staff memebers have been on the previous voyage so we clamour to hear of their experiences. At the same time, however, I want to keep a totally open mind and not be biased in my expectations. So I really do not know if my individual experience will end up being somewhat similar to theirs or not. One thing is clear, those of us that came with companions on board, may have a different view on things. Will my "single status" be a benefit or a disadvantage? Time will tell...

Last Day of Training -- Are We Ready Now?


We spent a tremendous amount of time in our faculty group being briefed and trained to a point of almost information overload. A lot of what we needed to learn is still being formulated since we are only in a post-pilot stage. So there are many grey areas and our key word has become our "f - word" or "flexibility". We promised to point it out to anyone who may sound like they are getting stuck in seeking a rigid answer to everything (I fell quickly into this predicament several times...). The other moto we developed is: "everything is a teacheable moment" which enables us to welcome ambiguity into everything that may happen...

Peggie, our inter-cultural training director is leaving us after 5 intensive days of training. Somehow I wish she stayed on board so that all the things she has tried to make us aware of and sensetive to can be re-checked with her once we meet our students... Due to the fact that we are actually going to develop our own community as we go along, there are so many unanswered questions regarding our ability to handle inter-cultural issues that will surround us, no doubt... Yet somehow it seems that everyone on board is very dedicated and serious about our mission, so Peggie's departure may be be just at the right time for us to test our choice to be on this voyage...








Last, but not least, we were reminded that we are embarking on an ocean crossing and MUST be always ready to evacuate the ship... oh boy... that part, however, was coupled with a comment from our Greek safety officer that in his 30 years on ships, he never worried about safety issues that were a result of a natural disaster rather he most feared the danger posed by having many drunks on board... Therefore, our students have a 4 drinks limit while we have none:)