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Booted Racket-tail: Missing the Harbin Hot Springs' warm pool while traveling ... and its deep meditations and onenesses ... deep in the hills of Lake County, California ... Meditation in the warm pool is far-reachingly deep and releasing there, as well as enjoyable ... with its parallels with sitting in Quaker Meeting ... In what ways will we be able to travel to Harbin in virtual worlds, in a virtual Harbin in multimedia, and explore soaking into meditation there, with qualities of oneness, in our own bath tubs with time?

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Missing the Harbin Hot Springs' warm pool while traveling ...

and its deep meditations and onenesses ...

deep in the hills of Lake County, northern California ...

Meditation in the clothing optional, warm pool is far-reachingly deep and releasing there, as well as enjoyable ...


*

... with its parallels with sitting in Quaker Meeting ...



*

Asking far from Harbin, in what ways will we be able to travel to Harbin in virtual worlds, in a virtual Harbin in multimedia, and explore soaking into meditation, and qualities of oneness, in our own bath tubs with time?



hot pool 




warm pool 









heart pool











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Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo: Here are recent courses from a MIT OCW emailing, which I've added to various, following, WUaS, wiki subject pages (using the following format, with which you can add courses to WUaS, as well), 'Linguistics' (http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Linguistics), 'Philosophy of Language' ... MIT OCW 'Paradox & Infinity,' Political Science ... MIT OCW 'Introduction to American Politics,''Anthropology,''Film - Documentaries,''Media Arts and Sciences' ... MIT OCW DV Lab: Documenting Science Through Video and New Media, ... e.g. http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/anthropology/21a-550j-dv-lab-documenting-science-through-video-and-new-media-fall-2012/

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Here are recent courses from a MIT OCW emailing, which I've added to various, following, WUaS, wiki subject pages (using the following format, with which you can add courses to WUaS, as well) ...


Linguistics: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Linguistics
Philosophy of Language: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Philosophy_of_Language


|-
| Paradox & Infinity
| http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/linguistics-and-philosophy/24-118-paradox-infinity-spring-2013/
| MIT
| non-degree
| Prof. Agustín Rayo, Owain R. Evans (Teaching Assistant)
| Browser
|
| English
| Undergraduate




Political Science: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Political_Science


|-
| Introduction to American Politics
| http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/political-science/17-20-introduction-to-american-politics-spring-2013/
| MIT
| non-degree
| Prof. Devin Caughey
| Browser
|
| English
| Undergraduate



Anthropology: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Anthropology
Film - Documentaries: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Film_-_Documentaries
Media Arts and Sciences: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Media_Arts_and_Sciences



|-
| DV Lab: Documenting Science Through Video and New Media
| http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/anthropology/21a-550j-dv-lab-documenting-science-through-video-and-new-media-fall-2012/
| MIT
| non-degree
| Prof. Christine Walley, Chris Boebel
| Browser
| Start anytime
| English
| Undergraduate








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...

Wildflowers by the sea ~ Holiday greetings 2013 !

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Flowers on the sea ~ Holiday greetings 2013!



Ahoy! Ships’ ahoy! Land ahoy! Wildflowers' ahoy! Happy Holidays’ ahoy! World University and School - 
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/World_University - has grown over the course of the year, but the WUaS’s skiff is only just floating, and not yet running before the wind, in full sail, especially financially. 


Flower ~ World University and School is seeking its first high school applicants this autumn 2013 to matriculate online next autumn 2014, first in English, for free, Creative Commons' licensed, MIT OCW-centric (not endorsed by MIT), undergraduate, online, accredited, bachelor degrees. WUaS is planning for our students to be up to speed, should they wish to apply to MIT for a year, for example, during their studies. Please let high school students know, who can use the MIT application information here -


Flower ~ And thanks to Creative Commons’ licensed, wiki (editable web pages) World University and School, with its wiki-openness, and C.C. MIT OCW as academic standard, basis and content, - and eventually for all 7,105+ languages and 242+ countries - WUaS is seeking to generate a flourishing, people-to-people, teaching and learning conversation, with an invitation to edit a page, and teach to your web camera. Wikipedia is in 287 languages, by way of comparison, and we all created this. 


Flower ~ World University and School continues to hold electronically-mediated, hour-long open, monthly business meetings on the second Saturdays of the month at 9 am PT, in the manner of Quakers, and having been doing these in Google + group video Hangouts for more than a year now. You’re invited to participate in these and contribute to World University and School’s burgeoning conversation as well as development of WUaS, decision making-wise. The Google + Hangouts remarkably facilitate international communication. WUaS welcomes you to participate, via - https://plus.google.com/u/0/115890623333932577910/posts - and via this email address - worlduniversityandschool@gmail.com - and via this WUaS blog - http://worlduniversityandschool.blogspot.com/.


Flower ~ In seeking to become a MIT / Harvard of the internet, WUaS’s free, C.C., online, university degrees in many languages will benefit so many people, - and is also a fascinating conversation and process to develop.


Flowers ~ WUaS is also planning a Music School (in all instruments in all languages) ... http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/World_University_Music_School



Flower ~ Editing of the 400 manuscript pages of my actual / virtual Harbin ethnographic book proceeds apace ~ http://harbin.org. I'll send out a book proposal to Yale University in the New Year, as I continue with anthropological fieldwork at Harbin, with potentially 3 or 4 more Harbin books planned – see the Harbin labels beginning with this one - 


http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/search/label/Harbin%20Hot%20SpringsI find Harbin inspiring and fascinating, emerging from the 1960s and 1970s as it does, and especially its pools-centric milieu and influences therein. 

Flower ~ I taught again the "Information Technology and the Network Society" course, on Harvard's virtual island, as well as in a Google + group video Hangout this autumn, with participants across 14 time zones, in a remarkably diverse group of course participants. 

Flower ~ I also continue to teach yoga - http://scottmacleod.com/yoga.htm - but not yet online; I'm curious to explore teaching {and learning} yoga via something like Skype or in a Google + Hangout with a large screen. 


~


Flower ~ I continue to give bagpipe lessons to a young piper in the SF Bay Area, about half of this in Skype or Google + Hangouts, as well as take Skype bagpipe lessons from a teacher via the College of Piping in Scotland.  



~


Flower ~ And I continue to blog daily,  - 
http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/ - which I've been doing now for nearly 5 years, and which is a way to share ideas, even as a kind of conversation, and which I find inspiring in a variety of ways. Read some poems in the ‘Poetry’ label here, for example.



~


Flower ~ And in a variety of ways, I continue to explore thinking out of the box ... with a focus of inquiry on eliciting loving bliss neurophysiology, here, for example - 
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Loving_Bliss_(eliciting_this_neurophysiology) - and here - http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/search/label/loving%20bliss ... I haven't yet found the 'on/off switch,' the 'cello bow stroke,' or the dial, but listening to music is a beginning. 



~


Flower ~ My home in the east bay hills of the San Francisco Bay Area, and in the city of Oakland's watershed, in the community of Canyon, above a redwood forest, continues to be inspiring in so many ways.








Canyon, California




Flowers ~ Here are a few of the poems I've written this year, which I think you'd enjoy ...  





Resplendent Quetzal: Light lumens illuminated lightly

http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2013/11/resplendent-quetzal-light-lumens.html



Blue Bird-of-Paradise: Harbin Waters’ Cosmic Consciousness

http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2013/10/blue-bird-of-paradise-harbin-waters.html



Green sea turtle: Light, Float, Sit

http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2013/09/green-sea-turtle-light-float-sit.html



Swimming iguana: Email to Cynefin and "Light Float Sit," as well as 12, "Blackberries: Harbin Haiku-ish" poems

http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2013/09/swimming-iguana-email-to-cynefin-and.html



Young tapirs: "Harbin was alit in mid-evening," Complete recording of "Hair"

http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2013/07/young-tapirs-harbin-was-alit-in-mid.html




Sea Turtle: Jim Morrison of "The Doors" ... wow ... "The Doors --- Liquid Nights," So potent, this poem-video, how to rif as I listen, with - but don't watch, because I write - this here now? Jim sings a powerful energy ... I rif back with.

http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2013/07/sea-turtle-jim-morrison-of-doors-wow.html



Scarlet Begonias Firefly: Let's re-write, re-rif a poem with this pipe major - Jim Morrison - here now which poem of mine? http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/search/label/poetry These? ... read and sung with nature in the video behind for what serendipity and Grateful Dead, moving toward Jim Morrison energy to open the doors of perception? "The blueness of the sky at night: I do choose to write the muse of bliss unfolding,""Firefly: I came upon a feast of lights spread speckle 'cross hill and vale," Drove into town … to write my book and explore putting my poetry to song …

http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2013/07/scarlet-begonias-firefly-lets-re-write.html



St. Helena Gumwood: 'Great Gatsbys' in film, Loving Bliss Generation, ... Inspiring inscription to Gatsby, Audio text online for free but not in mp3 file format, WUaS Library Resources, English literature courses that focus on loving bliss, or even generate such courses vis-a-vis WUaS over the years, and to inform, over time, WUaS's English Department's focus?, (Yay for the invention/synthesis of ecstasy {MDMA} :), We/I/WUaS may have to write this 'loving bliss' subject into the academic discipline English literature, There's certainly a beginning of this in my poetry, How to get to these loving bliss neurophysiologies, and related, bodymind qualities of experience, and for 9 hours per day (e.g. over the next 40 years, not to belabor a quest of mine), for example, when and as one wants them (where is the metaphorical on-off switch / 'bliss' dial / cello bow stroke? :), and vis-a-vis WUaS, as well - e.g. this wiki, loving bliss subject, and even in Quaker ways?

http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2013/07/st-helena-gumwood-great-gatsbys-in-film.html



Big, green, iridescent forests speak to me in Oregon, on the road to Reed

http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2013/06/big-green-iridescent-forests-speak-to.html



Blackfin cisco: Blackberry blossoms blush Purple softly, at Harbin, Fruit soon to come

http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2013/05/blackfin-cisco-blackberry-blossoms.html



The Gazebo Light Show at Harbin

http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-gazebo-light-show-at-harbin.html



Turkish condor: Powerful poetry from Alysia Harris (who's doing a Ph.D. at Yale in linguistics) ... "Cab Rides and the Morning After" and a duet "Harris and Jasmine Mans "Black and Blue"" ...

http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2013/01/yellow-corolla-monsieur-nikhil.html



Yellow corolla: Monsieur Nikhil Bannerjee, master raga player, moved me along the way

http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2013/02/turkish-condors-powerful-poetry-from.html



Water lily flowers: In warm pool chez Harbin

http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2012/12/water-lily-flowers-in-warm-pool-chez.html



... Accessible here at the 'poetry' label ... 
http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/search/label/poetry ... 



And here's my Holiday Greetings' letter from  last year, with more poems ...  




~


Flower ~ 

World University and School is becoming a warm ocean (Caribbean?) of flourishing learning conversations ... enjoy the waters and the free, MIT OCW-centric diplomas.


All the best to you all in the New Year and beyond, 

Scott




Scott MacLeod



PO Box 442, 

Canyon, CA 94516


415 480 4577

sgkmacleod@gmail.com
















~~~

Bengal Florican: Merry Christmas ... Lovely and old (originating from the 1440s) 'Introducing Nine Lessons & Carols - 2012,' Singing wiki page at WUaS links for eventually singing via the Internet

Asia Blue Quail: Enjoying these Youtube videos of bagpiping in India, Bagpipe Tutorials at WUaS ... Bringing my pipes to India and curious about how to connect with people with music, and especially playing for people and together. :)

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Enjoying these Youtube videos of bagpiping in India ...


Kolkata Bagpipe Band

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF7OJmJHjPg

Indo Tibetan Army band

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uEN5SkaZ54

Indian Army Band Pipe & Drums - 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgW0HnY9crA

Massed Pipe Band 3 assam regiment & Assam rifles Indian army

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66AQVac1Z6A


and this article ...

"Hill girls trumpet bagpipe band - St Philomena’s in Kalimpong achieves rare feat"
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1131105/jsp/siliguri/story_17530518.jsp


*

Bagpipe Tutorials at WUaS ...
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Bagpipe_Tutorials


*

Bringing my pipes to India and curious about how to connect with people with music, and especially playing for people and together. :)


*

Wondering if I will meet the Stuart Liddells and Jack Lees, the greatest GHB pipers in India, serendipitously, and learn how they may engage Scottish Highland Bagpipe music in ways informed by India. Such musical cross-pollinations are fascinating.













...


Blue Grosbeak: Traveling, London, Culture, Britain and India, 'India' wiki, Subject page (and beginning of online, C.C., MIT OCW-centric universities, and in many languages, there) at WUaS

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Hi M,

Greetings from London. Nice person from near Geneva, where she works, who lives in France and is Italian, with 2 sons, not on plane, was sitting in my row - nice to chat and connect a little. Mentioned World University and School to her, saying she could Google search on these 4 words. The "Daily Mail" tabloid with a price of 60 p slipped under the middle seat from the row behind in the course of the night flight ... bland food ... in British culture land for only a little while. Flight to Chennai, India, departs in 2 hours. Fun to be traveling.

Scott


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Curious about culture in India, and its far-reaching timelessness, its 'Rudyard Kipling sounds,' its ancient philosophies, festivals, temples, art and women in saris, its religiosity in the modern world - 'modernity' - even as I see a lot of people from India in Heathrow airport, many dressed in genes and western clothes, all traveling by air around the world.


*

Hoping to linger a lot in temples in India as I travel, soaking it all in (writing, drawing and making music, with, along the way).


*

'India' wiki, Subject page (and beginning of online, C.C., MIT OCW-centric universities, and in many languages, there) at WUaS -

http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/India -

http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/India#World_University_and_School_Links.


How to invite these pages to 'sing?'

















Blue-headed Quail-Dove: Wondering how to engage WUaS while traveling for teaching and learning ... http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/India ... in flourishing ways ...Chennai International Airport ... in India ... 2:51 am ... warm 80 degrees

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Blue-headed Quail-Dove


Wondering how to engage WUaS while traveling for teaching and learning ... http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/India ... in flourishing ways ...



Flowers with strong scent in the woman's hair on the shuttle bus, with little child sitting next to her - Indian buses are interestingly illuminated and while this one didn't have moving xmas lights, or the jazz of Bollywood music, the light was grey green surreal in the morning hours - to the plane

*

Chennai International Airport ... in India ... 2:51 am ... warm 80 degrees ... colorful Indian airport in various phases of construction ... taxi drivers, women in saris, a sense of vastness and the feeling of different approaches to time ... slow going night time pace ... sleepy Indians (and myself) waiting ... developing world ... a little smoke in the air ... on to Kolkata (Calcutta) at 5 am ... saw parts of 'Slumdog Millionaire' on plane ... made 2 Tamil language speaking friends who came to the US for Masters' degrees from India and now work there as industrial engineer in biomedical field in southern California and in finance in Las Vegas ... liking the openness, friendliness and connectedness of Indians here (their speaking English helps) ...

Walk out of the Chennai International Terminal, India, and into the Domestic Terminal, and the whole air system becomes very Indian. Many, most, wear modern clothes, the Tamil language is on loudspeakers, ... and it's the middle of the night ... culturally surreal or transformative ... perhaps.














                       




...

Snow-Partridge: So many people here in India, in Kolkata, some speaking both Bengali and Hindi and English, would benefit from online, MIT OCW-centric World University and School, How to connect toward a flourishing, learning conversation, and online?

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So many people here in India, in Kolkata, some speaking both Bengali and Hindi and English, would benefit from online, MIT OCW-centric World University and School.  How to connect toward a flourishing, learning conversation, and online? Advertising?


The internet is just becoming fast enough in India to support online learning and real time conversations probably in and around cities.


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Hi Dwaitayan and Dwaitashree,

Very nice to meet you.

Here's the The College at WUaS if you might  be interested -
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/The_College_at_World_University_and_School#World_University_and_School_Links

Best regards,
Scott


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Bengali, wiki page at WUaS -
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Bengali_/_Bangla

Hindi language -
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Hindi_language
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Hindi_language#World_University_and_School_Links

India, wiki page at WUaS -
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/India


*

MIT OCW translated-courses
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/translated-courses/

MIT OCW audio-video-courses/
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/audio-video-courses

MIT OCW -
http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm


















...


Jungle Bush-Quail: India film while traveling. .. a traveling film ... how to structure one? ... WUaS's wiki 'Film' and 'Documentary Film' subjects, How to make your own travel film? (1-4 minutes long, in a day?), MIT OCW resources - DV Lab: Documenting Science Through Video and New Media, Per our conversation on startups in India, here's an interesting interview on the MIT Media Lab in India

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India film while traveling. .. a traveling film ... how to structure one? ...


How to make your own travel film? (1-4 minutes long, in a day?)


"Great One-Minute Travel Films, How to Make Your Own"

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/08/05/best-one-minute-travel-films-youll-see/


"How make your own travel film?"

http://www.traveloutthere.com/belgrade/make-your-own-film


"How to Write, Direct and Edit Your Own Movie"

http://www.wikihow.com/Write,-Direct-and-Edit-Your-Own-Movie



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 Will look to add these to WUaS's wiki Film and Documentary Film subjects ... but simple begin.


'Film - Documentary,' wiki page -

http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Film_-_Documentaries


'Film,' wiki, subject page links -

http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Film#World_University_and_School_Links

http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Film


*

And here are some MIT OCW resources ...

|-
| DV Lab: Documenting Science Through Video and New Media
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/anthropology/21a-550j-dv-lab-documenting-science-through-video-and-new-media-fall-2012/
| MIT
| non-degree
| Prof. Christine Walley, Chris Boebel
| Browser
| Start anytime
| English
| Undergraduate






Dear Mainak and Sati,

Per our conversation on startups in India, here's an interesting interview on the MIT Media Lab in India ...

"MIT Media Lab to launch its biggest ever India-based design workshop in Mumbai in early 2014"

http://social.yourstory.com/2013/12/mit-media-labs-launch-biggest-ever-india-based-design-workshop-mumbai-january-2014/ ...


which I've added to the following two, wiki

Media_Lab_at_World_University_and_School -
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Media_Lab_at_World_University_and_School

India -
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/India.


I may contact them per this article and setting up workshops vis-a-vis World University and School.

Nice to walk with you today!
Scott




                                                             


























...

Eastern Great Egret: Sounds in the night in Kolkata (Calcutta), India, Tagore's "A Moments Indulgence", I lie in my bed in the home of the parents

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Sounds in the night
in Kolkata (Calcutta), India
are many and varied ...

Car horns' combined
at 4 in the morning
sound like a dinosaurs' gathering, ...

Clink, clink clink - the metal pole
hits the ground, ...
the night watchman sounds
like he's awake around 2, 3 and 4 ...

This city is vibrant and awake
in the dream night ...

first Muslim call to prayer at 5 am
in this predominantly Hindu city
where Bengali and Hindi and English
are much spoken ...

a sound system turns on ...

someone starts singing ...

a group of women walk by talking ...

is that a snare drum? ...

and all so early in this sound-alive morning.


And the recent Sikh parade
was so colorful, and celebratory,
with garlands festooning the trucks ..

Religious parades are still many here,
and almost kind of hippy ...

We visited Tagore's house yesterday ...


*

Here's Tagore ~


'A Moments Indulgence

I ask for a moment's indulgence to sit by thy side. The works
that I have in hand I will finish afterwards.

Away from the sight of thy face my heart knows no rest nor respite,
and my work becomes an endless toil in a shoreless sea of toil.

Today the summer has come at my window with its sighs and murmurs; and
the bees are plying their minstrelsy at the court of the flowering grove.

Now it is time to sit quite, face to face with thee, and to sing
dedication of life in this silent and overflowing leisure.'

Rabindranath Tagore


*

I lie in my bed
in the home of the parents,
my friends,
of my best friend from high school,
listening to sounds in the night,
in Kolkata (Calcutta),
in west Bengal,
here in India! ...
and, lingering,
wonder about
sitting, quite, with you,
and singing the
music of bliss loving, ~
a kind of Krishna consciousness,
having visited Mayapur first today ~
face to face,
bodymind with bodymind,
and especially with love and care.



















...

Barau's Petrel: A Bengali World University and School, and in Bengali ... and MIT OCW-centric?, Here are Bengali Wikipedias in Bengali (mobile and browser, and eventually in voice) and English, as 'building blocks' for World University and School's Bengali wiki subject pages, and university and schools, Wiki is very grass roots ... and MIT OCW-centricity is a great academic and STEM standards, with much innovative collaboration ahead

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Hi Sati,

Here are Bengali Wikipedias in Bengali (mobile and browser, and eventually in voice) and English, which we can all edit,

 and which are 'building blocks' for World University and School's Bengali,  wiki, subject pages,

and Bengali WUaS university and schools ...


(English) Bengali Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengali_Wikipedia

(Bengali) Main page of Bengali wikipedia
http://bn.wikipedia.org/

(Bengali) Bengali Wikipedia mobile version
http://bn.m.wikipedia.org/


World University and School's Bengali wiki subject (and the beginning of an accredited MIT OCW-centric university - http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/translated-courses/ - in Bengali, eventually)

Bengali / Banga language, wiki, subject page at WUaS ...
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Bengali_/_Bangla

Scott


*

Wiki is very grass roots ... and MIT OCW-centricity is a great academic and STEM standard, with much innovative collaboration potential ahead.






















...


Smew: India, Google here, Growing World University and School contacts, India is very socially-enwebbed in so many facets of life ... unusually for me, who has been going solo for many years in a sense. In addition, it's also somehow very connected, culturally and thinking-wise

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Hi M,

Thanks for your nice birthday greetings.

The Majumders saw me off at Howrah Train Station in Chennai, Inida, about an hour ago, and I'm now on the train to the town of Bodhgaya and Ravgir (with hot springs mentioned in the Mahabarata, now a pilgrimage site, I'm told), in the next state over, Bihar, I think. There's a Hindu woman with bindu and sari sitting across from me in 6 person compartment, caddy corner, next to her husband whose only son works for Google in Dehli (with 500 people under one roof - and where the only other Google workplace in India is in Hyderabad). She's the school supervisor at a K-12 Christian School, the Nazareth School, originating from Kentucky. I told her a little about World University and School, like Wikipedia with MIT OCW, and after the three of us trying to exchange emails which didn't seem to go through from our smart phones, she promptly called her son, I think, and told him about WUaS almost like a kind of telephone relay getting the word out about WUaS. (The Google email just came through from Pallav, her husband, 30 minutes or so after sending). Her son is thinking about getting a MBA possibly in the US. I'm really appreciating Hindu culture and Hindu women such as Rinku who speaks excellent English can be both very kind and kind of symbolically all seeing.

India is very socially-enwebbed in so many facets of life ... unusually for me, who has been going solo for many years in a sense. In addition, it's also somehow very connected, culturally and thinking-wise.

The Majumders were wonderful particularly with a kind of intercultural communication in so many ways, offering fascinating glimpses into Bengal society. After spending nearly 2 days in travel agencies with very helpful, strong, reliable Main ... very inefficiently but socially ..  I now have a great itinerary visiting a natural area possibly with elephants, and including the towns of Dalton Ganj, Betla, Ranchi, Bhubaneshwar, Puri, and arriving in Chennai by overnight train on the 14th of January, then flying away on 18th Jan to the San Francisco Bay Area. :)

Love,
Scott
























...


Black-throated Loon: The whole train station looked like a 'sleep over,' Sketching the Bodhgaya Mahabodhi Temple (an UNESCO World Heritage Site), As the monks were chanting in the early morning, I also pulled out my practice chanter and played with, India has so many people!, MIT OCW-centric WUaS (free and MIT), besides possibly becoming a Ph.D. student, MIT OCW's Sloan School of Management courses, for example - http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/sloan-school-of-management/ - which is also MIT's Business School, and which many people and students in India seem to be studying? Collaborating with Google in India?

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Dear Majumders,

Thank your for your wonderful hospitality in Kolkata. It was very fun to visit with you. It was also especially nice to talk with Gautama on the phone during our visit!

I arrived in the city of Gaya in the state of Bihar in India last night and the whole train station looked like a 'sleep over,' with much of the platforms covered in colorful, full length, sleeping bags, and pads and blankets, as people waited for their trains in the cool night. When M called this morning from Kolkatta, I was sitting just outside Bodhgaya Mahabodhi Temple (an UNESCO World Heritage Site), with my sketch pad out (I'm a beginning sketcher), drawing pictures including one of the main temple, together with the yellow gate # 2. (As the monks were chanting in the early morning, I also pulled out my practice chanter and played with ... and playing worked musically and innovatively and was enjoyable). A few of my sketches, and this one in particular, with pastel colors, came out alright. Thank you for your call, M. Last night I stayed in Gupta House (from the Lonely Planet guidebook, - and still quite alternative and kind of hippie, in a developing India), where I arrived about 11pm, was picked up at 7am this morning, and tonight I'm staying in the Shashi International Hotel. Bodhgaya receives an annual visit from an important Buddhist leader tomorrow morning, which sounds interesting and which I hope to attend.

India has so many people!

Warmly,
Scotty



*

Saurav, Pallav, and Rinku!

Very nice to meet all of you in a variety of ways, both on the train to Bodhgaya, Pallav and Rinku, and electronically, Saurav! It's great that you work for Google in India, Saurav ... and I look forward to learning more about this.

Saurav, let's try to meet in a Google group video Hangout in late January or early February, after I return to the US in late January, unless we can serendipitously Hangout while I'm traveling in India, when internet wifi for travelers is variable. (I seem to have good access now and should have it through this evening)

Here are some related World University and School resources you might be interested in ... 'Applying to World University and School which is seeking its first high school applicants this autumn 2013 to matriculate online next autumn 2014' - http://worlduniversityandschool.blogspot.in/2013/11/applying-to-world-university-and-school.html ... and ... 'Admissions at World University and School' - http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Admissions_at_World_University_and_School#World_University_and_School_Links.

What might be some of your interests in MIT OCW-centric World University and School (free and MIT), besides possibly becoming a Ph.D. student (per what your mother said - and since WUaS isn't planning at this point to offer a Masters of Business Administration), and possibly in business, drawing on MIT OCW's Sloan School of Management courses, for example - http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/sloan-school-of-management/ - which is also MIT's Business School, and which many people and students in India seem to be studying?

WUaS, for example, might be interested in collaborating with Google in India.

Cheers,
Scott























...

Red-tailed Tropicbird: Greetings from Bodh Gaya - a seat of Buddhism ... (more here about my trip - http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com - in the 'India' label), Have you been to any of the following hot springs in India, or know about them?, May head to the hot Springs at Rajgir, mentioned too in the Mahabharata - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajgir - in a day or two, People in India are so connected, - seems to be due to Indian philosophy - and are also so numerous ... fun traveling, Happy New Year (with Holiday Greetings' link)!

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Hey L and Angela and Victor,

Thanks for your nice birthday greetings, L. Greetings from Bodh Gaya - a seat of Buddhism ... (more here about my trip - http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com and, it seems, here - http://scott-macleod.blogspot.in - in the 'India' label).


Have you been to any of the following hot springs in India, or know about them, - all of which I could possibly visit in the next few weeks? I may head to the hot Springs at Rajgir, mentioned too in the Mahabharata - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajgir - in a day or two.

Tarabalo -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarabalo

Taptapani -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taptapani

Surajkund hot spring -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surajkund_hot_spring

Deulajhari -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deulajhari

People in India are so connected, - seems to be due to Indian philosophy - and are also so numerous ... fun traveling.

Just heard the Karmapa speak over a loudspeaker, - was meditating in a nearby grassy glade, near a beautiful temple - with an excellent translator.

Love,
Scott










































...



Asian Openbill: Rolling out World University and School, first in English, for undergraduates, matriculating this autumn, 2014, online with Google India (in Wikidata plus). Is this possible?, MIT OCW's "Mechanisms of Drug Actions" ... http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/biological-engineering/20-201-mechanisms-of-drug-actions-fall-2005/index.htm - which I (anyone could as well) added to the following 4, beginning, wiki, subject pages at WUaS - Biological_Engineering, World_University_Pharmacy_School, Pharmacology, Medicine (links' section) -

Next: Green Magpie: Betla, state of Jharkhand, India, The Palamau Tiger Reserve is teeming with life, visually and beautifully, Intercultural communications are interesting to observe and play out differently than in U.S. and uniquely to India Hindu (Kolkata) – Buddhist (Bodhgaya) – Muslim (Betla) Bengali – Hindi – Hindi Mugli language – 32 languages … The village of Betla is beautiful … mostly Muslim, Anthropological sites for students galore in and around Betla and in Jharkhand, in many ways, Jharkhand separated from Bihar over resources in 2000 … how, in Dehli, did this work and on the ground? Who benefitted and what are some of the narratives vis-à-vis Indian religiosity? Betla Journal, Elephant riding this morning was a delight, Tourism guide English instruction in Google + group video Hangouts from-to any language organized via WUaS? Bagpiping in India and Tagore
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Hi Saurav, Pallav and Rinku,

Saurav, I'd like to co-explore collaborating with you rolling out World University and School, first in English, for undergraduates, matriculating this autumn, 2014, online with Google India (in Wikidata plus). Is this possible? Who would your team be? Shall we contact PN, a research director at Google (and whom I know in person a little bit) about this, with you as the lead?

Pallav and Saurav, to give you an idea of how WUaS works, here's a recent MIT OCW course, here's a recent course (in your field professionally, Pallav) -

"Mechanisms of Drug Actions" ...
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/biological-engineering/20-201-mechanisms-of-drug-actions-fall-2005/index.htm -


which I (anyone could as well) added to the following 4, beginning, wiki, subject pages at WUaS:

Biological_Engineering -
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Biological_Engineering

World_University_Pharmacy_School -
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/World_University_Pharmacy_School

Pharmacology -
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Pharmacology

Medicine (links' section) -
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Medicine#World_University_and_School_Links

Undergraduates would take 32 of these MIT OCW online courses over 4 years for a free, Creative Commons' licensed, undergraduate, MIT-centric, WUaS, bachelor's degree.

Please come into conversation with your team at Google India near Dehli, Saurav, about this as well, in addition to us possibly contacting PN about this.

Best,
Scott













...


Green Magpie: Betla, state of Jharkhand, India, The Palamau Tiger Reserve is teeming with life, visually and beautifully, Intercultural communications are interesting to observe and play out differently than in U.S. and uniquely to India Hindu (Kolkata) – Buddhist (Bodhgaya) – Muslim (Betla) Bengali – Hindi – Hindi Mugli language – 32 languages … The village of Betla is beautiful … mostly Muslim, Anthropological sites for students galore in and around Betla and in Jharkhand, in many ways, Jharkhand separated from Bihar over resources in 2000 … how, in Dehli, did this work and on the ground? Who benefitted and what are some of the narratives vis-à-vis Indian religiosity? Betla Journal, Elephant riding this morning was a delight, Tourism guide English instruction in Google + group video Hangouts from-to any language organized via WUaS? Bagpiping in India and Tagore

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Mr. Ro met me and picked me up at 5:38 am, but train was late, in Dalton Ganj … interesting name re my Dalton letter about love (city is grungy in the early morning)… The word Ganj has something to do with gathering place, (in addition to my association with marijuana)


32 languages in the area around the Palamau Tiger Reserve


Legacy of British 200 years in India has faded even more than the legacy of the 1960s, but it’s still present



Betla is on edge of amazing natural area 

Palamau Tiger Reserve

Felt very connected and connecting in this natural area … ecosystem preserve in contrast to much of India


Very local peoples (trippily local in a cool way) were eating groundnuts just inside Palamau Tiger Reserve entrance near Tourist Canteen (with Heart shaped pool in cement, curiously – re Harbin)


Walked in to the Reserve itself in afternoon … another Indian started tip toeing or ‘egret-walking in’ kind of in a 1960’s way, as if he could be dramatizing tripping on acid discovering a new world, and as a kind of dance, or even becoming a wild animal himself, at one with nature in this preserve … as I, by myself, was walking in feeling my way into this biome for the first time, sitting on a log here with beautiful pattern … seeing these beautiful deer then different beautiful birds, hearing an owl … The Palamau Tiger Reserve is teeming with life, visually and beautifully …



*


Intercultural communications are interesting to observe and play out differently than in U.S. and uniquely to India


Hindu (Kolkata) – Buddhist (Bodhgaya) – Muslim (Betla)


Bengali – Hindi – Hindi Mugli language – 32 languages …



The village of Betla is beautiful … mostly Muslim


Muslim call to prayer … school children (k-6) next to Hotel Van Vihar (government housing, I think) … singing their lessons … nice … interesting … it’s a public school I later learned.



*


Anthropological sites for students galore in and around Betla and in Jharkhand, in many ways


Linguistically … ecosystem wise … unique tribes … plant wise and culturally and vis-à-vis World University and School … ethnomusically and tourism studies-wise … E.g. How do tour guides in the three main religions in Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand, - those with much experience, for example, and who have developed a reputation – navigate the cultural differences and conflicts around this business, vis-à-vis their religious and world view differences and vis-à-vis the new category of subjectivity called tourists?


Indian guides’ communication is also very interesting with each other and in terms of employees +


I saw monkeys, langurs, deer, Gaur (bison), kingfishers, peacocks all in the reserve from a jeep. The guide, dark skinned, and from Betla, had striking resemblances to my cousin, SB, in Oregon. 


 * 


Jharkhand separated from Bihar over resources in 2000 … how, in Dehli, did this work and on the ground? Who benefitted and what are some of the narratives vis-à-vis Indian religiosity?



Off soon at 7 am for tour in preserve …



Indian guides’ communication … 


Palamau Tiger Reserve




*


3:30 pm


Tourism guide English instruction in a Google + group video Hangout to any language, … beginning, intermediate and advanced … vis-à-vis WUaS … with volunteers … and Tourism guide Hindi instruction


The guides I traveled with today, Aman and the pilot Tasauar-Ansari, both Hindi speakers, to Bodiradhi (town?) and to a nearby Parvoti Temple, where we climbed up steps, then to a picnic on the beach of 3 rivers coming together (the Koyle and two others), then waiting and watching the construction of a small road over railway tracks, - where I met Bobeanand (sp?) , chief engineer of the project, whose father in law lives in Mayapur, with its Krishna Consciousness temple (ISKCON) – and then visited the amazing, extensive, Palamau Forts, old and new - both don’t speak English very well. Their knowing English would be invaluable. Maybe WUaS could help focus this in a Google + Hangout …


Betla seems a little bit farther removed from the religiosity of other places in India. Perhaps it’s the Palamau Tiger Reserve natural area influence, or the Muslim / Mohammedan influence. The new and old Palamau forts were extensive – really extensive - fortifications from the 1600s I think.



January 7?


Yesterday evening, I played my bagpipe in the Van Vihar hotel briefly then just outside it. About 10 people gathered around, quite a few from Bengal, and after I had played a few tunes, I asked if the girls in a family of 4 would sing, and they started singing a Rabindranath Tagore Bengali song of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ … somewhat different but recognizable … interesting ethno-musical potential, too … then I played some tunes. Later we talked in the lobby of the hotel and exchanged emails. The girls didn’t seem shy when singing when they’re father robustly started singing and they followed suit … perhaps I’ll do such with my kids eventually … wonder about Bengali song and this hybridization … as well as the Scots in Bengal when Tagore was writing, - culturally.


After our talk, another man, Satyendra, asked if he could accompany me to the little, very little, shops in the center intersection in town. I said yes … I’m not entirely used to Bengali’s openness and connectedness and friendliness … and we walked in and he looked like he had a slight disability, walked with a photo slightly pronated and could have been epileptic or something, but we talked, and he went in to get rum asking if I’d like some – no, I don’t drink – paid possibly less that was asked in this 3 sided stall of a liquor store with a heavy gate and lock across it, and whisked away with his hand any possible protest from the sales person – Indians tend not to get upset and keep from erupting in anger in general … so I’m not sure about this interaction. Satyendra had first bought be two packs of chocolate biscuits, partly possibly in thanks for my piping – he said he really likes musicians. He might possibly have been coming onto me in an Indian way … not sure … but he was also friendly and it was interesting talking with him a little.



Someone in the hall just said that Bengal was under the British for 200 years … and didn’t seem to mind … a lot of cross-fertilization …



I bagpiped in the area in front of the Palamau tiger reserve and in the public school this morning.



Elephant riding this morning at 7am was a delight … just me and the guide, named Imam Udin (sp?) - the elephant driver guide could have been the person who ‘tiptoed through the tulips’ in a very egret way yesterday as I was just beginning to explore the Reserve … I think he’s smart and am not sure about the extent of his English … India is so old … 



Just got my laundry off the line on the roof and took a much welcome shower … my clothes hadn’t dried yesterday, so they stayed out overnight, and were dry after a day traveling around … Back to the gate to the preserve for a ‘safari’ at 4:30pm.


Heading to the town of Neterhat tomorrow, at the southern end of the Palamau reserve, then to Ranchi, which used to be a capital city under the British, and is the capital city of Jharkhand, and which could be interesting, although played down in Lonely Planet guidebook.


More piping this evening …



Around 7pm … knocks on my cold hotel room door for the second night in a row … not used to such … who’s knocking I wonder, and where’s my happy light within, Hindu / Buddhist consciousness, being of service and connecting inter-culturally? … a friendly Bengali and two relatives this time, inviting me out to play my bagpipes … he was mentioning curious allusions to sharing the bus … and something about a campfire … I go out to play my bagpipes ...




In general I feel safe from theft in India (although I'm also careful) – India seems to have much integrity, significantly due to its religiosity, I think.



*

Wednesday, January 8, 2014


The room is cold in Betla and the sun is shining outside, as I awake. I depart from this little Muslim village next to the Palamau Tiger Reserve in a little more than an hour for Neterhat and then Ranchi, Hatia train station (one of two stations in Ranchi). Mr. Ro, the tour operator, one of two partners with Mr. Asla, a Muslim, has been helpful throughout. He speaks English quite well, and has navigated the slightly stronger energies for me of dealing in a Muslim world of little negotiations about money and about tour itineraries for example. In addition to some unanticipated guide fees, only partially mentioned in Kolkata with VF (a Hindu, first wearing a forehead mark and a leaf on his head when I went in with Main Majumder), the Jharkhand tour operator, who arranged much of this trip, I gave Mr. Ro 500 rupees extra yesterday about the 9700 rupees I paid in total (plus guide fees for about 5 days). Negotiating about itineraries and money with hints of latent anger with Muslim Asla is part of the process, and VG was good, in general, helped get me a cheap price for this trip, and has to negotiate much of these processes, too. Mr. Ro has been a skillful mediator. His phone number is lower on the Betl Tours’s business card, where Mr. Asla and Mr. Ro are partners. 


Privacy in the states in India is different here than in the states, culturally. And family and extended families seem much more significant. Subjectivity – social roles – are very different – in terms of what’s possible, what exists  - for example, religiously, souvenir stand-wise, musically, tourism wise, taxi wise, monk-wise, doctor and lawyer and engineer-wise, than in the US. India has so many people!!!



As I was talking with the Majumder some days ago vis-à-vis World University and School, expanding circles and networks seem to be important - how to expand the networks of academia – Cornell, University i (Sat, Main and my father were all professors in the same department at the University in Pennsylvnia), of extended family (and in Bengal), of Google, of the SF Bay Area, of Reed, of companies, for example – as WUaS grows.


Dogs trot past the window. Sounds of mostly Bengalis and their kids (including the African Bengalis I played my pipes for last night, and who later came into my room), I think, on holiday, in the corridor outside my room, in this slightly run down hotel.


It’s time to pack, and then walk into the Palamau Tiger Reserve once more to commune there in its beauty. And to eat a bite of the 3 little Cadbury’s Dairy Milk chocolate bars, one pretty young Bengali and the African Bengali, I think, Rintu Ghosh, by name, gave me after my piping.



It’s time too to continue to revise my Harbin ethnography and finish doing this. And it’s time to put an 8-10 WUaS slideshow presentation together for Chennai and with PV.



Also, I’ve been asked “Are your married?” many, many times … it's one of the most oft asked questions … in addition to “What is your name?’ and “Where are you from?” asked in very friendly ways. India is quite traditional and friendly in some ways.


















...

White-breasted Woodswallow: Neterhat, state of Jharkhand, India, Magnolia Sunset Point, Netarhat Regional School, Neterhat Notes, Internet and wiki WUaS in Nalanda and Betla and India, Communication and language in India

Previous: Green Magpie: Betla, state of Jharkhand, India, The Palamau Tiger Reserve is teeming with life, visually and beautifully, Intercultural communications are interesting to observe and play out differently than in U.S. and uniquely to India Hindu (Kolkata) – Buddhist (Bodhgaya) – Muslim (Betla) Bengali – Hindi – Hindi Mugli language – 32 languages … The village of Betla is beautiful … mostly Muslim, Anthropological sites for students galore in and around Betla and in Jharkhand, in many ways, Jharkhand separated from Bihar over resources in 2000 … how, in Dehli, did this work and on the ground? Who benefitted and what are some of the narratives vis-à-vis Indian religiosity? Betla Journal, Elephant riding this morning was a delight, Tourism guide English instruction in Google + group video Hangouts from-to any language organized via WUaS? Bagpiping in India and Tagore
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Woke up in Netarhat this morning in beautiful hilly area of Jharkhand, far from the busy-ness of Indian cities, in as quiet a place as Ooty (Udhagamandalam), in the Nilgiri hills, in the south in around 2004, - in the south of India.

No hot water or heat, or shower, or laundry machines, and a cool, damp room were part of it (so I slept in my clothes, and relatively long and warmly), but after a sunset at Magnolia Sunset Point, -


on a road past the beautiful Netarhat Regional School (which could almost be a Fettes College, in Scotland, which I attended from 1976-1977 – a British Public School complete with multiple football pitches, with buildings in a circle, beautifully) –


where Magnolia, a British Maiden jumped her horse off a cliff because she couldn’t consummate a relationship with an Indian shepherd, which is memorialized in quite plasticky sculptures, and where I met Adit Ram (a journalist who has studied in Cardiff, Wales, and who also works for the HT) and Prit Jh (with a Tourism MBA) and Gaut Sing and Amit, all from Ranchi, where Adit was ‘covering the sunset,’ and most of whom speak good English, the Prabhat Vihar hotel (in a 'chain' of government owned hotelts with the Van Vihar hotel) was a nice place to stay. Adit and Prit are doing journalistic work on Tourism sites in Jharkhand. Like most Indians, they are both encouraging and welcoming and supportive and warm, and while these are quite educated, and modern, Indians have much less material resources than people in the US. This morning they gave me a 2012 guidebook to Jharkhand, called “Jharkhand: The Hidden Jewel” edited by Swati Mitra, New Dehli, India: Goodearth Publications. Thank you!



Indians celebrate a lot. This morning I had heard that people were going to get up for the sunrise around 5:45 am. Two people knocked on my door, including my pilot / driver, Tasauar-Ansari, a little after 6. I locked my door and went up to the roof. I was surprised when most of the people in the hotel, it seems, were up for the sunrise by 6:30 it seems – a sunrise party on the roof. Where else but in India would one find a festive sunrise celebration, of people simply watching and photographing the sunrise? And I was glad to see Adit, Prit, Gaut and Amit again. We talked a fair amount more.



Traveling through beautiful Jharkand


Various sites

Waterfalls

Farms

Life in rural, beautiful India



Paying extra for meals for Tasauar-Ansari (Driver) and Aman (Guide) unexpectedly was interesting experience, since Vishwajit Giri (in Kolkata) and Mr. Roy (in Betla) hadn’t talked about this, and while the amounts were nominal, it gave me a feel for paying people eventually at World University and School, and wanting to pick and hire the best possible people. I was a little annoyed at the 50 Rupee per meal costs, and while all of 90 cents or so, for each meal, its unexpectedness and our Jharkhand tours or Betla tours, took me surprise, and I felt caught in a web of sociality. In a way, in this very small business situation, Tasauar-Ansari was the driver, and hired by Betla, and Aman, as the guide, and a kind of tag along, and I gave Aman 200 rupees yesterday as guide, and Tasauar-Ansari was presumably going to get paid by Betla Tours. He was driving a nice and comfortable Indigo brand car, his brother’s car, who lives in Dubai or Saudi Arablia. It was a five hour trip back to Betla from Ranchi. And I was able to hire this two Indian lads, so they earned some money over a couple of days. (How could I pay more, but for different work is a good learning question, vis-à-vis WUaS?)


Tasauar-Ansari (Driver – around 26 and a skillful, relaxed driver) and Aman (Guide – around 20 with only slightly more English than Tasauar-Ansari)

Both are from Betla
Tasauar-Ansari had 4 kids at home, and Aman isn’t yet married.


I rode with them for 36 hours, and their norms and language were interesting to observe. I definitely want to help in India. 




Internet and wiki WUaS in Nalanda and Betla


Navin Kumar was able to google the Indian Wikipedia in Nalanda on his mobile phone


And a man was able to google both World University and School’s and my own home page – http://scottmacleod.com - on his mobile phone in front of the Betla Tours office in Betla



There are relatively few walls in India, in houses, in sociality, in driving (with few lines on the roads, and a honk and move ahead style of driving), and metaphorically, as well. 


Lack of money in India, and relative harmoniousness, due to the religiosity, I’d hazard …



Talking with Gaut, Prit and Ami this morning … about Jharkhand as a new state in terms of economics, history and politics - subjects Indians don't go to readily, in my experience.



The potential for World University and School in India, - and in Jharkland, in particular?


So many people need and want jobs here, and WUaS could hire them, but managing them would be interesting … both lack of perfect English and lack of norms for work and good work could be an issue …



Google Hangout with Adit and vis-à-vis getting the WUaS word out … ?



Communication and language in India … missed communication, miscommunication, and dropped communication … language is spoken, not understood, and is dropped, and begins again … in the car with two non-English speakers such as Tasauar-Ansari and Aman




Just gave this contact information to a young man from Orissa sitting next to me -

sgkmacleod@gmail.com


Heading on the 15:55 train to Bhubaneswar from Ranchi, where Rinku Nath will pick me up at 4:45 am and take me to Hotel Upasana and site seeing in the morning, now under the auspices of a different travel agency, Akma Travels, organized by Gau Pod, whom I liked a lot.


Spending two days in travel agencies in Kolkata a few days ago, about 4 and 5 visits to each, with Main Majumder has been invaluable.


It surprises me how few Westerners and foreigners I’m seeing, but also appreciative of even the little bits of foreign currency that a few tourists bring in for India.


Prabhat Vihar Hotel seemed to have so many people ‘on staff’ and probably could pay them a pittance or even nothing at all.



How can WUaS tie its education into the great need for jobs and income in this country?


And, like Google, could WUaS first start an office here?


So many people have come up asking to connect with “email ID” or take a photo, and with such a huge population, there is endless need, and very little opportunity. And Indian philosophy seems to soften people, and focus them inwardly, and on their deities – someone just said Indians have 27 million deities, and everybody bumps along, even as trash piles up on the side of the road, and so many buildings are either dilapidated or unbuilt. The standard of engineering can allow a large new bridge to collapse in two places (took a photo of this) over the Koyle River where Tasauar-Ansari and Aman first had a picnic, and even a focus on getting more money is probably problematic religiously, and the people I’ve met haven’t found their way to the stock market in India or all the financial thinking and culture that goes on in the U.S.



There are many budding industries here that would involve great changes in cultural practices in India. For example, a waste disposal industry would hire many, and involve setting up dumps in every village and town, and a media education campaign, could similarly create jobs. It’s big business in the U.S. for example. But I wonder if there’s a kind of inertia to change. The trains are old, but much used. There are a few nice cars, but many use bicycles, rickshaws and area on foot. Workmen and work-women in saris do bridge repairs in bare feet (men), or carry lumber on their heads (women). There’s kind of inertia here, and no clear plan anyway with so many people, possibly partly due to religion, yet India is an ancient beautiful song.



Harbin Hot Springs on the India hotel model? Sort of …




India is an ancient beautiful song.


Riding the elephant with Imam Udin as the elephant driver was great. Was he the Imam of the Mosque in Betla? He was delightful in quite a few ways.



And seeing the teeming, ancient, monkeys (red-faced and with red behinds), deer, and other abundant animals was cool.


The elephant seemed to be dancing and smiling a little later as she came in from another ride, and I was dancing with here.



Hope to get access to the Internet and blogging today or tomorrow, and re WUaS’s monthly business meeting on Saturday.














Oriental Pied Hornbill: Tourism guide English instruction in Google + group video Hangouts from-to any language organized via WUaS? Added the following 'English for Tour Guides' resources to the WUaS Hospitality and Tourism, wiki, subject page ... http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Hospitality_and_Tourism

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Tourism guide English instruction in a Google + group video Hangout to any language, … beginning, intermediate and advanced … vis-à-vis WUaS … with volunteers … and Tourism guide Hindi instruction ... 

Let's begin this now in Google Hangouts ... 


Here are some main, current, group pages: the WUaS G + 

https://plus.google.com/u/0/115890623333932577910/posts


and WUaS's G + company page - 

https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/108179352492243955816/108179352492243955816/post



both accessible here - http://scottmacleod.com/


*

Added the following 'English for Tour Guides' resources to the WUaS Hospitality and Tourism, wiki, subject page ...

http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Hospitality_and_Tourism#World_University_and_School_Links



'''English for Tour Guides'''

English for Tour Guides. 2014. [http://www.englishclub.com/english-for-work/tour-guide.htm English for Tour Guides]. (Vocabulary, Vocabulary Quiz, Answering Questions, Explaining safety, rules and etiquette, Showing Places of Interest, Sample Tour Guide Speech). englishclub.com/english-for-work/tour-guide.htm

Orey, Michael (Yi-Chun Hong). 2005. [http://sh0814.myweb.uga.edu/Portfolio/document/EDIT6400.pdf Lesson Plan: Conducting Tour Guide with English]. Taiwan:  sh0814.myweb.uga.edu/Portfolio/document/EDIT6400.pdf.

Travel/Tourism. 2013. [http://www.englishformyjob.com/ell_traveltourism.html Travel/Tourism]. (If you work (or would like to work) in the tourism industry (as a travel agent, tour guide, flight attendant, etc.), and want to learn the most useful English terms and expressions used in your field, these exercises are for you! They will help you to speak better English, to use proper words, and to communicate better with anyone you deal with. All of the exercises are free). englishformyjob.com.


'''Hindi for Tour Guides'''




















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Blue-bearded Bee-eater: Neurophysiology, What are the neurophysiologies of reading? ... of worshipping (in India, where this happens a lot, and very eclectically, in my experience), of diurnal rhythms of wake and sleep, or thinking, of creative writing, etc. almost in terms of the brain / bodymind, and even as a computer? How to characterize such neurophysiologies, as biology - this flush of chemicals, that biologically?, Neurophysiology World University and School Links

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What are the neurophysiologies of reading? ... of worshipping (in India, where this happens a lot, and very eclectically, in my experience), of diurnal rhythms of wake and sleep, or thinking, of creative writing, etc. almost in terms of the brain / bodymind, and even as a computer? How to characterize such neurophysiologies, as biology - this flush of chemicals, that biologically?

Then how to characterize them differentially? What goes on neurally? ... for example, in the neurophysiologies of logic or caring? How to learn from these vis-a-vis loving bliss generation, vis-a-vis the neurophysiologies of traveling? of loving? ... of doing research in science? In what ways would it be possible to generate neurophysiologies that we choose?


Neurophysiology World University and School Links -
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Neurophysiology#World_University_and_School_Links












Green Bee-eater: WUaS's open, online, hour-long, monthly business meeting tomorrow, January 11th, at 9 am Pacific Time is cancelled, MIT OCW-centric WUaS in India and in Hindi, Admissions at WUaS, WUaS financial report from December 2013, February 8th WIUaS monthly business meeting (2nd Saturdays of the month at 9am PT))

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Dear Universitians,

World University and School's open, online, hour-long, monthly business meeting tomorrow, January 11th, at 9 am Pacific Time is cancelled. I'm traveling in India with very poor internet access.

I have been sharing information about WUaS with people I've met in India, many of whom speak English, from which matriculating, undergraduate students in autumn 2014, in addition to Americans and others around the globe, might come for MIT OCW-centric, Creative Commons' licensed. WUaS degrees. Traveling in India helps me to see that free, online MIT OCW-centric (e.g. http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/audio-video-courses/) WUaS would be of great value in a developing country like this, both in English and in Hindi, to begin, for example, - in addition to wiki schools in all 7,105 languages (Wikipedia, by way of comparison is in 287 languages).

Admissions at WUaS -
http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Admissions_at_World_University_and_School

I'm attaching the WUaS financial report from December 2013.

Next month, on February 8th, Juan Mendez, in Spain, will likely head WUaS's open, online, monthly business meeting in a Google + Hangout, and Scott will be recording clerk.

All the best,
Scott











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