Thursday, January 30, 2014

Austria teachings + learnings


The whirlwind of 200 students and 22 international 'coaches' have once again assembled for an intense 10 day learning process.   This year we are focusing on health care.



These are real world case studies with real world consequences.  The students are split into 13 teams and required to do a final presentation to a 'board of directors' type evaluation jury.  Expert lectures on various project management, financial, master/building/space planning, energy + waste processes etc.  It was good to see that this year the students were encouraged to supply ALL of the energy from on-site resources and to 'close-the-loop'.

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It's only the second full day, and i am recovering for a very late nite of curling team competitions (my team did win one of four prizes), beer + schnaps drinking and some authentic Austrian boisterous singing.  And then a second nite of late dinner and drinking and camaraderie.  This IS the essence of life.  The bond between teachers and students here reaches way beyond the classroom - there is a comfortableness (gemuetlichkeit) that is world class. 

1. here we go again...

As my annual euro trip begins, instead of Willie's song 'on the road again'  it feels more like led Zepplin's 'Stairwell to Heaven'....
 

 "And a new day will dawn for those who stand long,
And the forests will echo with laughter...
 Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind?...
 How everything still turns to gold...
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.
"
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Coming down from the Sierra and my mountain retreat into the buzz saw of modern technocratic cities and then into the even higher speed buzz saw of Europe, what can I say?

This blog is mainly for the Sieben Linden ecoVillage visit (3rd year) and my learnings there and comparisons to Twin Oaks, Virginia... so stay tuned.   This is starting next week after an intensive 10 days with the Austrian university.
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It all caught up with me a couple days ago when I found myself on a hi-speed (ICE) german train with a heavily discounted ticket dated for the previous day!  yikes!  say it ain't so!... had to pay full fare plus a small penalty.  I've had fun with sharing that experience with friends at the university here in europe... and one person showed me his watch and explained that when the 'big hand is on the 12, and the little hand on the...  '  



My error was due in part to the many subtle cultural + logistical differences between the USA and Euroland.  Weekly calendars here start on Monday, ours start on Sunday... so I transposed one day.  Hey! that's my (rationale) story, and I'm stickin' with it.

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