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Email from the Edge: Revised and Updated
Category:
Travel
Publisher: Lulu
ISBN-10: 0557050065
Pages: 54
Copyright: February 22, 2009
ISBN-13: 9780557050062
The Scholar Ship is a fascinating concept in higher education. Sadly, in the months following our Spring 2008 journey, The Scholar Ship ceased operations. Though The Scholar Ship may be gone, it will never be forgotten. In my opinion, global educational initiatives, such as The Scholar Ship, represent the future of international education. Perhaps I’m wearing rose-colored glasses, but I look forward (a few years down the road) to the re-launching of The Scholarship: bigger, better, and more fun than ever.
The Scholar Ship (www.thescholarship.com) is a fascinating concept in higher education. Sadly, in the months following our Spring 2008 journey, The Scholar Ship ceased operations. Thus, as of this writing, The Scholar Ship is no more. A more complete and exhilarating educational vessel has never put to sea, but, alas, operating a university on the high seas is financially riskier than asking a pirate to safeguard your piggy bank. Though The Scholar Ship may be gone, it will never be forgotten. In my opinion, global educational initiatives, such as The Scholar Ship, represent the future of international education. Thus, I feel safe in believing that The Scholar Ship is not really “gone,” it is simply experiencing a brief hiatus. Perhaps I’m wearing rose-colored glasses, but I look forward (a few years down the road) to the re-launching of The Scholarship: bigger, better, and more fun than ever.
Excerpt
Dispatch 06: Pirate Alley
January 31, 2008
Dear Friends:
There's quite a bit of tension on the ship today. We are on our way from Thailand to India and, at this very moment, we are traversing one of the most pirate-infested stretches of ocean in the world: the Straits of Malacca. According to the captain, this tiny strip of ocean between Singapore and Sumatra is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. With so little wiggle room for all the container ships, pirates can prey upon slow-moving, booty-laden vessels at their leisure. Given that most of the ships plying the Straits are unarmed container ships, most end up being plumbs for the taking. On average, there are about four official reports of pirate attacks in the Straits of Malacca per month--and, worse still, there is speculation that unreported attacks could spike as high as ten times that number. Cripes!
The good news is that, even though there are no guns on our ship, the captain assures us that we have ample means to protect ourselves. In the absence of weaponry, it turns out that the best way to impede a bunch of pirates is to shine very bright lights into their eyes from the decks above. The logic being “If the scurvy dogs can't see, then they can't scramble up the sides of ships, now can they?”
My one fear is that, being the cunning devils that they are, perhaps the pirates have figured out that it would behoove them to wear sunglasses when attacking cruise ships. Not only would such equipment enable them get past the spotlights, but then, once aboard the ship, they would be disguised to blend in perfectly with the passengers. Egads.
Wish us luck.
I'll let you know if we make it...
Tim
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