It’s one thing to focus on the greatness of classical Greece - traditionally that has meant Athens was the major, sometimes only focus. But isn’t it strange that classical Greece was also a strife-ridden, dangerous place? I’m referring to the continual tension among the city-states that seems to be mirrored in the internal factionalism of those poleis – the “stasis” or continual strife. What do you make of this — what’s your opinion? How might all this be explained? What factors contributed to the problem? Why was it so “Greek” to be a war with one’s neighbors?
So our plan to be in Lanzhou at our partner institution Lanzhou University of Technology will not work this year (no foreigners in Gansu Province), and our international director has us on the Beijing to Hong Kong train — only a 25-hour trip. We can do that. Let’s call it quality time for our group, and an opportunity to meet other rail travelers. Our historical focus will change from Silk Roads ancient and modern to the geopolitical and economic history of a maritime entrepot, the Hong Kong of almost seven million persons. We also get to visit our partner institution in Guangzhou (The Guangdong College of Foreign Languages and Art), just a two-hour train ride after we depart HK. But only for three or four days there, though we will be able to visit some classes, spend time with their students, faculty, and administrators, and visit some key sites in GZ. More later, especially the Travel Study China Report on the ETBU website.
Things are heating up on Tiger Mountain. You might say we start hot — there’s no other option in August and September — and we cool slowly. I hope we all have some fire in the heart to get some great things done this year!