The Secret Powers of Time

My friend Sara, who lives in Sant Pere des Ribes near Barcelona, sent me this fascinating video. Made by Prof Philip Zimbardo from Stanford University, the presentation makes a case for why we need digital classrooms - but it is so much more than that. It gives a very different angle on cultural, social and religious responses to 'time'. This might sound unrelated, but the 'medium is the message' as McLuhan was fond of saying!!!

Check it out for yourself - The Secret Powers of Time.

Thanks for sharing Sara!

Early morning run

Early this morning I was getting my kit on to go down to the hotel gym to pound the treadmill – when I suddenly thought ... what are you doing? Why don’t you go for a run outside? It’s a bit of a no-brainer – early morning in Kigali is lovely, cool and clear and sweet-smelling, all earthy and green. I ran around the dirt rounds between the hotel and my old house, passing Harvey & Helga’s house and the place where Paul used to live. It was great to be outside in the cool sunshine (it’s going in to winter here) and get my runners covered in red dust.

I saw lots of children going to school and lots of children not going to school, hauling huge jerry cans of water or big bundles of wood for the fire on their heads. There were people everywhere (as ever) and several big trucks passed me, spewing vile diesel fumes. The biggest change I noticed from when I used to run these dirt roads – is that I was not followed by a gang of giggling and jostling kids calling muzungu, muzungu! (white foreigner). Maybe they see so many muzungus now that we are no longer sport.

I had such a great time, bouncing over the bumps and holes in the roads, trying not to slip as I ran down steep slopes with lose stones and just enjoying the feeling of being there – that I ran far too far and suddenly realised I was completely worn out – then I had to walk back! Now my legs feel like lead and I’m not sure how I got back up three flights of stairs to my hotel room. The joys of life!