Tomorrow marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall [for my acquaintances in the southern hemisphere, of course, it is the other way around – welcome spring they say].
This post was going to be about 21st century skills – the subject of a meeting I attended last week. I have a data stick full of information, articles, reports, bibliography and blogs to read. Alas, I haven’t seen one of them so the subject of 21st century skills will have to wait for a better day.
To get the gist of the whole thing – see the September 7, 2009 New Yorker magazine cover www.newyorker.com. In the context of a back-to-school theme, the cover shows a typical classroom but now lead by a student directing a room full of adults who are struggling and stressing at their desks with computes, laptops and other electronic gizmos. This is the new 21st century learning landscape.
Here in Florida – in terms of weather - not a thing will change tomorrow: it will be hot and humid and there will be rain in the afternoon. The lakes and ponds are filled to capacity after two months of steady showers.
In the northern climes cool autumn weather is already present, the calendar notwithstanding. I always wonder at these moments if Mother Nature is anxious – perhaps fretting that the change to another season goes according to plan.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
up on the estancia
What’s happening in Uruguay, you ask?
Good timing. I’ve just come back.
Well, there is Montevideo and then there is the rest of the countryside. That’s correct – the countryside.
Twenty minutes outside of the capital and you are in the rolling, rambling, vast world of the South American “pampas” (from the local Indians meaning "plain"). These are fertile lowlands that run down into Argentina.
In an odd way you can’t get lost. The local tourist map shows all of Uruguay and the 8 national trunk routes fanning out from Montevideo. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east and the broad, muddy River Plate to the south. Thus, you only have to worry about the lay of the land from the northeast to the southwest. Stay on the trunk roads and you’re fine.
Somewhere in between (literally – on the small dirt track cross roads) are the huge estancias or ranches. Most are working ranches with thousands of sheep, horses and cows.
Some take tourists – we stopped at the remote and lovely San Pedro de Timote – three hours and a world away from Montevideo.
Horseback riding, long lunches, seclusion and …. peace and quiet.
Good timing. I’ve just come back.
Well, there is Montevideo and then there is the rest of the countryside. That’s correct – the countryside.
Twenty minutes outside of the capital and you are in the rolling, rambling, vast world of the South American “pampas” (from the local Indians meaning "plain"). These are fertile lowlands that run down into Argentina.
In an odd way you can’t get lost. The local tourist map shows all of Uruguay and the 8 national trunk routes fanning out from Montevideo. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east and the broad, muddy River Plate to the south. Thus, you only have to worry about the lay of the land from the northeast to the southwest. Stay on the trunk roads and you’re fine.
Somewhere in between (literally – on the small dirt track cross roads) are the huge estancias or ranches. Most are working ranches with thousands of sheep, horses and cows.
Some take tourists – we stopped at the remote and lovely San Pedro de Timote – three hours and a world away from Montevideo.
Horseback riding, long lunches, seclusion and …. peace and quiet.
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