Website Index

Website Index

SAM Website Index

Asst Professor Dr Steven A Martin

Assistant Professor of Asian Studies in Sociology and Anthropology

Austria & the Sound of Music

Austria & the Sound of Music

AUSTRIA AND THE SOUND OF MUSIC | VIENNA, SALZBURG AND INNSBRUCK

Summertime fun in Austria. Thailand's Jantanee Martin visits three of the country's best known cities.

We hope you enjoy these short Vlogs of our summer 2019 European travels.

The Habsburg Imperial Crown | Treasury of the Vienna Hofburg | 962 CE

Austria Map (in Austrian) | 2019 European Learning Adventures


VIENNA

Sites visited and featured in our short video, Vienna, include the St. Stephan's Cathedral, Hofburg Imperial Palace, Albertina Museum Vienna, and the Vienna State Opera.

Vienna | Wien | Austria

  • Video: iPhoneX
  • Stills: iPhoneX and Panasonic GH5
  • Editing: Final Cut Pro
  • Music: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Vienna | City of Music


SALZBURG

Salzburg, Austria, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site widely known as the birthplace of Austrian composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and for the 1965 romantic musical, The Sound of Music.

Locations appearing in our short video include, Kapitelplatz, Salzburg Cathedral, Festungsbahn Funicular Railway, Makartsteg Bridge, Salzach River, Mirabell Palace, Mirabell Garden, Mozartplatz, and The Hohensalzburg Fortress.

Salzburg

  • Video: mostly iPhoneX
  • Stills: mostly Panasonic GH5
  • Editing: Final Cut Pro
  • Music: Waltz of the Flowers, by Tchaikovsky

INNSBRUCK

Sites visited and featured in our short video, include the Museum Goldenes Dachl, Hofburg Imperial Palace, Tyrolean State Museum, Cathedral of St. James, Inn River, and a trip to the top of Innsbruck on the Nordketten Cable Car.

Innsbruck

  • Video: mostly iPhoneX
  • Stills: mostly Panasonic GH5
  • Editing: Final Cut Pro
  • Music: Torrance Sunset, by Dan Lebowitz
  • Thanks to: Hotel Central Innsbruck

Thanks for visiting our Austria Page. If you like these short Vlogs of our 2019 European travels, please visit our YouTube channel at University Filmworks for the complete series, with Surfing Munich, Prague, Budapest, Greece and Istanbul.

Thank you,

Steven & Jantanee Martin

Greece & the Rise of the Polis

Greece & the Rise of the Polis

GREEK CIVILIZATION AND THE RISE OF THE POLIS

I am currently developing a series of topics and presentations on early Greek civilization and the rise of the polis for students enrolled in our European Studies program.

In Greek, a polis is generally understood as meaning ‘city-state’, ‘citizens’, or ‘community’. In contemporary intellectual circles, the term may represent an ancient Athenian devotion to freedom of choice, collective citizenship, and democratic principles.

The Acropolis, 2019 | Click to see more photos

Rise of the Polis

The rise of the polis personifies the dawn of the world’s first-ever democracy, a concept manifest in English terms, such as ‘policy’, ‘political’, and ‘police’, as well as globally-recognized place names, such as Indianapolis, Naples, and Tripoli.

Join me as I develop this web page and explore the legacy of Athenian democracy and  philosophy – a series of historical events and places which profoundly shaped the world we live in today.

This page is intended to support my university presentation on ancient Greek civilization. Development of this page is ongoing, with short stories, photo albums and videos forthcoming. 

Geography of Greece and the Aegean Sea

Five archaeological sites

Based on five key archaeological sites we visited in July, 2019, I hope you will enjoy the images and videos posted below.

  • The Acropolis of Athens
  • Island of Aegina and Temple of Aphaia
  • Cape Sounio and Temple of Poseidon
  • Oracle of Delphi and Temple of Apollo
  • Mycenae Archaeological Site and Mycenaean Civilization

Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Click on photos to enlarge.

THE ACROPOLIS OF ATHENS

In our short video, filmed and photographed during a single afternoon at the Acropolis of Athens, we visited The Temple of Athena Nike, The Propylaea, The Parthenon, The Erechtheion, Temple of Olympia Zeus, The Theatre of Dionysus, and the new world-class Acropolis Museum, Bookstore, and Café for lunch.

We sure wish we had more time at the Acropolis, but with our limited budget, and just four days in Greece, we were runnin’ and gunnin’.

Acropolis of Athens, Greece

Parthenon, Acropolis | On site interpretation sign

Bookstore at the new Acropolis Archaeology Museum

ISLAND OF AEGINA AND THE TEMPLE OF APHAIA

Island of Aegina and the Temple of Aphaia

Temple of Aphaia | Island of Aegina | c. 500 BCE

Fisherman | Near the island of Aegina | Saronic Gulf

CAPE SOUNION AND THE TEMPLE OF POSEIDON

Sanctuary of Poseidon | Cape Sounion | 444 BCE

Sanctuary of Poseidon | On site interpretation sign

Sunset at Cape Sounion | Southernmost tip of the Attic peninsula

THE ORACLE AT DELPHI AND THE TEMPLE OF APOLLO

The Temple of Apollo at Delphi | Mount Parnassus, Central Greece

On site interpretation sign | Temple of Apollo | Delphi

Philosopher of Delphi | c. 270 BCE | Delphi Archaeological Museum

THE MYCENAEAN CIVILIZATION | LATE BRONZE AGE

The Mycenae archaeological site | Mykines, Argolis, Peloponnese | 1600–1100 BCE

Mycenaean Woman | Fresco wall painting | c. 1350 BCE | Mycenae Archaeological Museum | Mykines

Mask of Agamemnon | 1500 BCE | Mycenae Archaeological Museum | Mykines


ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS

210,000-year-old Homo sapien skull bone discovered in Greece | Apidima Cave, Mani Peninsula, Peloponnese | Nature Science Journal

July 10, 2019 | Nature | International Journal of Science | “Apidima Cave fossils provide earliest evidence of Homo sapiens in Eurasia

Credit | Lead author | Paleoanthropologist, Katerina Harvati | Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

Source | Katerina Harvati | University of Tübingen


Greece and Asia Minor documentary film page

Featuring 30 documentary films of interest on ancient Greece, Turkey, and the civilizations of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Click to Greece and Asia Minor Documentary Film Page


Thank you for visiting my Greece Learning Adventure page.

I hope you enjoy the photos, videos, and the information in the links provided. If you feel motivated to learn more about Greece or other Learning Adventures, or would like to arrange for me to give a public talk, please let me know – I’d love to hear from you.

–Steven Martin

Jantanee Martin | Olives trees at the Acropolis

In search of the Polis | Parthenon | Athens, Greece


Acknowledgment | Prof. Donald Kagan | Yale Lectures

My research has been greatly influenced by the works of Prof. Donald Kagan (1932-2021), having reviewed his books and lectures prior to visiting archaeological sites in Greece.

Donald Kagan | Introduction to Ancient Greek History | Recorded in Fall 2007

Mekong Delta Exploratory Research

Mekong Delta Exploratory Research

EXPLORATORY RESEARCH ON VIETNAM'S MEKONG DELTA

Over the past 10 years living and teaching in Thailand, one of my favorite past times is exploring the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

The GMS an intriguing mix of countries, brimming with diverse peoples and historical geographies, offering countless and affordable adventures.

Among my most memorable travels are those taken in 2014 and 2015 to the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam.

Friendly faces on the Mekong Delta | Click to Southeast Asian Civilization

Photos on this page link to the Southeast Asian Civilization course.

Mekong Delta, Vietnam | Click to enlarge

Agriculture and Fisheries

Mekong Delta is an expansive floodplain of 40,000 sq. km. populated by over 17 million people across 13 provinces. It is responsible for 60% of Viet Nam’s rice production (90% of this is exported) and 60% of the country’s fruit.

There is a large export industry of fish, and 65% of fishery production is sent to the USA. While there is a considerable fishing fleet working the offshore areas around the Delta, the majority of production is based in aquaculture. For the most part, local peoples eat the small fish and sell the big fish.

Mekong Delta food environment

Other important commodities include coconut products and honey. A burgeoning tourism industry is evident in nearly all eras in the Delta, ranging from individuals to small groups to mass tourism.

Exploratory research on the Mekong Delta

Topography and Land Reclamation

Once reaching Viet Nam, the Mekong splits into two main branches at the Delta. The north branch divides into four distributaries and the south branch into three distributaries.

The Delta consists of hundreds of islands formed over millennia of sedimentary deposits; an untold number of waterways create an exotic and dangerous maze of jungles and swamps.

Land reclamation is evident throughout the Delta, with gravel and dirt-laden barges destined for low-lying properties and canal banks. Farmers also dredge local canals every few years and use the silt to reinforce the sides. Busy barge-based cranes used for large-scale dredging of the main river branches are nearly always in view on the horizon.

The ancient network of rural mangrove-lined canals invite visitors to reflect on the country's enigmatic past, while the new palm-lined highway to Saigon represents the fast lane the country is taking to its future at the heart of the economically vibrant and socially diverse ASEAN community.

Crane loading a barge with gravel in the Delta

Vietnamese barge transporting soil for land reclamation on the Mekong Delta

Faith and Religion

There is a heritage of Spanish, Portuguese, French, and to some degree, American missionary influence, and this is evident in Vietnamese language, culture, architecture and religion. For example, Catholic and other denominational Christian churches speckle the banks of the Delta and constitute as much as 15% of the religious base.

However, 60% of the Delta population follows a type of ancestor worship and this may be attributed to an age-old relationship with Chinese culture.

Faith and religion on the Delta

The Delta Road

The government opened up the Mekong in recent years, completing the ‘Delta Road’, a collaborative effort with the Japanese, and this was engineered in part to keep the Delta’s produce fresh and undamaged, particularly rice, fruit and seafood, when they are transported to Saigon overland.

These new transport networks are key as the traditional floating markets are becoming impractical. Thus, there is an ongoing shift from a water-based trade economy to a land-based export economy.

Historically, there were much smaller human populations in the Delta due to the dangers associated with snake and crocodile-infested swamps.

Traditional Delta transport

The "Delta Road" represents an ongoing shift from a water-based trade economy to a land-based export economy

Environment

Winter is the dry season on the Delta and the rainy period is normally during the summer, although the Delta is indeed south of the typhoon belt which impacts central Viet Nam and the Red River area further north.

The water level is higher during the rainy season, and this ‘wet time’ is utilized for fishing, while the ‘dry time’ is best for vegetables and potatoes. Climate change is evident and local farmers explain that nowadays the seasons are not so distinct.

The biodiversity of the region is still wide-open to exploration and inquiry, with thousands of new species discovered in recent years. However, there is an unfortunate war-torn legacy of ‘agent orange’, the chemical defoliant dropped by American forces upstream of the Delta, and as many as 2 million people are affected by it today.

One of the many canals on the Mekong Delta

The watery world of the Mekong delta, Vietnam

Settlement

The Delta was once part of the Funan (68-550 AD) and Chenla (550-760 AD) empires with ties to early Chinese trade networks, and later saw Champa settlements (associated with central Vietnam) and Khmer settlements (associated with Cambodia). Some Khmer still live in the west of the delta region near Cambodia.

According to my Delta guide, the Khmer never actually left the region; rather they mixed and integrated with the North Vietnamese (i.e., the ‘Kinh’ ethnic group) who migrated to the Delta over time.

The feelings of the North Vietnamese about their Delta settlement are represented in the local music which carries sad tones and lyrics, voicing their homesick emotions.

There was also a significant era of assimilation 300 years ago, when Chinese, Vietnamese and Khmer cultures mixed together.

Personal interview with Sombo Manara | Champa Kingdom

Interview with Prof. Dr. Sombo Manara, a leading expert in Khmer ancient history. The interview took place at the Po Nagar Temple in Nha Trang, Vietnam, a 7th - 12th century Hindu temple and vestige of the once powerful Champa Kingdom.

Cham is an Austronesian language, part of a super-family of languages generally associated with the seafaring peoples of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Visit Chasing Jade: Archaeology and the Batanes Islands Cultural Atlas to learn more about Austronesian prehistory.

Life and settlement on the Mekong Delta

Cultural Stereotypes

Vietnam is polarized by Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south, two sprawling urban and cultural centers with unique cultural attributes.

Stereotypically, the north and central populations distinguish themselves as thinking, planning, hard-working, and saving for the future.

In contrast, and as my Delta guide, Nguyễn Minh Phương, himself from the central region, put it, "The people of the Delta live for today, and are sometimes typecast by their northern counterparts as being reliant on the good weather, having strong physical features, and a sweet palate."

Daily life on the Delta

Life on the Delta Road

Next generation on the Delta

Water color painting for sale on the Delta

Travelers, Traders and Invaders

The Mekong Delta is a beautiful place to visit, an exotic tropical landscape steeped in ancient tradition with modern geographical significance. At 4,350 km, the Mekong is the world’s 12th-longest river, the lifeblood of mainland Southeast Asia – a trans-boundary network known as the ‘Greater Mekong Subregion’ (GMS).

The Mekong derives its name from the Sanskirt word ‘ganga’ after the Ganges River in India, and the toponym evolved in Thai and Laotian languages to ‘Mae Nam Khong’, literally ‘mother water Khong’.

The mouth of the Mekong called to traders, invaders, and great cultures and philosophers from India and China, providing them safe harbor and entry to upstream riches, including Cambodia’s fish-laden lake, the ‘Tonle Sap’, and the Khmer Kingdom at Angkor.

Coined by the French as "Indochina", friends, foods and freedoms await in the mighty Mekong Delta, an eclectic blend of culture, race and religion along Southeast Asia’s greatest of rivers.

Vietnam | Modified from: portal.gms-eoc.org/maps | Click to enlarge

I hope you enjoy my photos and the information in the links provided. If you feel motivated to travel to the Mekong Delta, please let me know – I’d love to hear from you.

–Steven Martin

Special thanks to my Delta guide, Nguyễn Minh Phương for his time and insight, which helped to make this short article possible.

If you’re traveling to Ho Chi Minh City, he can be reached at: guyenminhphuongjp@gmail.com

Nguyễn Minh Phương, certified Mekong Delta guide

Nguyễn Minh Phương, certified Mekong Delta guide

Mount Everest Photo Tibet 西藏

Mount Everest Photo Tibet 西藏

QOMOLANGMA | SNOW GODDESS OF MOUNT EVEREST, TIBET (西藏 Xīzàng)

This is the story of the most spectacular photo I have ever taken.

In the summer of 2000, I made an agreement with the University of Hawaii at Hilo (UHH) to conduct independent research in Tibet after my summer study abroad at Peking University (北京大学). I proposed to travel overland from Lhasa to Kathmandu, Nepal.

My Liberal Studies Adviser, Prof. John Cheng, agreed, providing I kept a detailed photo journal of my travels.

Ancient Buddhist rock art near Lhasa | 1066 AD | Click to enlarge

Lhasa, Tibet, and the journey ahead

After a month-long study abroad program with the University of Hawaii, ending in Chengdu, southwestern China, I set out with two students, to Lhasa, Tibet.

Potala Palace, former residence of the Dali Lama | Lhasa, Tibet

I planned to travel southwest from Lhasa, by Toyota Land Cruiser, across the fertile valleys of Xigazê and Gyantse. These ancient cultural and religious centers are the gateway to the Tingri Plain, a 4,500 meter-high basin located north of Mount Everest.

Tibetan village | En route to Xigazê | Tibet

The trip began inauspiciously. As mandated by the Chinese visa restrictions in Beijing, I had booked through the China International Travel Service, CITS, for the hire of a Toyota Land Cruiser and local driver for two weeks, as well as a national guide and an international guide – not a cheap excursion by any means. I had paid in advance for what I hoped would be a relatively new model vehicle to get us over the mountains and difficult terrain ahead. What actually appeared outside the CITS office in Lhasa that morning was an ancient, battered truck with bald tires, stinking of fuel from what was clearly a leaking tank. The less said about the social skills of the Chinese driver, the better.

Within ten minutes of sitting in the fume-filled truck, I was physically sick. I made the decision that there was no way I was going to spend two weeks like this, and insisted that the driver turn around and head back to the CITS.

Smiling, but unyielding, I explained quietly and politely to a series of CITS officials that the truck was unsafe, and unlikely to get us to Everest.

After several hours of this, I was very relieved to see the arrival of Mr Quan, a distinguished-looking driver in a beautiful late-model Toyota Land Cruiser. We were back on the road.

Getting petrol in our Toyota Land Cruiser in Lhasa before the trip to Mount Everest

And so it came to pass that Mr Quan, myself, my two students Kawika and Aaron, our national guide, Mr. Wu, and our international guide, Nancy Lan, set off for Everest.

Over the next few days, I learned that Mr. Quan was indeed a driver of quality, who had previously served many dignitaries on past tours, including the Kennedy family from the United States and other international government officials.

Mr. Quan (right) and Tibetan villagers at the window of our Toyota Land Cruiser

Valleys, villages, and mountain passes

With Mr. Quan at the wheel, we crossed though expansive valleys with fields of yellow rapeseed flowers and visited small traditional Tibetan villages. We cautiously drove up steep, dangerous switchback roads to high-mountain passes, some at 16,000 feet or more.

At each pass, we stopped to check the vehicle, especially the brakes, before descending to the next valley. I followed local tradition by tying prayer flags to shrines to thank the spirits for our safe passage, and send peaceful mantras in the wind.

Prayer flags at a mountain pass on the way to Xigazê

Fields of Tibetan barley (qingke) in a picturesque valley

Tibetan farmer standing in a green field of 'qingke' barley on the way to Xigazê

Visiting a rural Tibetan village

Meeting an elderly Tibetan woman

Prayer stones at the Tibetan village

Tibetan scriptural texts stored in a rural monastery

Mount Everest and the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve

Entering Qomolangma National Nature Preserve, we headed to the Rongbuck Monastery to photograph the north face of Mount Everest. Our Land Cruiser powered up the last mountain pass of the trip, through sunny skies and cold winds, and as occasional gaps appeared in the clouds, we caught distant glimpses of Everest across the most impressively massive valley I ever saw. (See my photo top of this page).

Entering the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve

Supply truck on the Tingri Plain

Sheep crossing the Rongbuck glacier and stream

Everest towers above the Rongbuk Monastery

Rongbuk glacial valley at the foot of Everest

View of Mount Everest near the Rongbuk glacier base camp

At the foot of Everest, June 2000

Story of most spectacular photo I have ever taken – Qomolangma, the snow goddess of Mount Everest

South from the Rongbuck Monastery, across a glacial valley of naturally-crushed grey rock, I hiked to nearly 18,000 feet and stood at the foot of Everest. The north face of the mountain towered nearly 10,000 feet above.

The air was thin and the wind reddened my skin. I set up the camera and took pictures, in color slides and black and white prints, but Everest had a mind of its own.

As quickly as the summit appeared through the rapidly moving clouds, it was gone from sight. I had seen just enough to know it was there; but for several hours, until nearly dark, I saw only grey clouds breaking across the summit.

It was getting dark and dangerously late to return to camp, and I scrabbled down the glacier feeling somewhat defeated, reflecting on the stories I'd read of climbers who spent years planning and training, only to fail in their bid for the summit.

The truck started, and we drove away in the darkness with the mountain at our back. As I was reaching for something behind me, I caught from the corner of my eye the sight of a sudden change of wind. In seconds, the east wind whipped away the covering clouds from the mountain, revealing the full magnificence of Everest in crystal clarity.

Qomolangma, the legendary goddess of the mountain, was miraculously lifting her veil.

"Stop!" I told Mr. Quan. "Wait!"

I gathered my gear and launched out of the truck, fumbling to get a shot before the surreal moment was gone.

I knew it was the perfect photo of the top of the world.

Mount Everest from the Rongbuk Glacier | June 2000 | Click to enlarge

Thank you for visiting my Tibet Learning Adventure Page.

I hope you enjoy my photos and the information in the links provided. If you feel motivated to travel to Tibet, or would like to arrange a public talk, please let me know – I’d love to hear from you.

–Steven Martin

Egypt and Israel

Egypt and Israel

EGYPT AND ISRAEL | A PROMISED LAND

The only time that I ever really thought I was going to die was in Egypt.

Not from militants, drowning in the Nile, or heat stroke – It was the food!

Sailing south on the Nile from the Aswan Dam, I ate something that I shouldn't have. In a half coma for 3 days, my eyes transfixed on banks of the Nile as the boat drifted downstream with the current, I watched men watering their herds and women washing their clothes.

I thought about the great explorers of yesteryear who had perished on this very stretch of river, and never before did my life seem so insignificant.

Hieroglyphic Art | Egypt 1998

The Pyramid of Khafre | c. 2570 BC

After crossing the Sinai Desert by bus, my camera and film were held hostage at the Israeli border.

I was somewhat annoyed while the Israeli police X-ray scanned my film with heavy-duty equipment more than a dozen times. Once they were finished, the film was damaged, and I never bothered to share the remaining pictures with anyone.

The good news was that I eventually passed through the border near Palestine and was on my way to Jerusalem in time to find a hostel for the night.

The photos shown here are from the original 1998 prints dug out of a shoebox.

Click on photos to enlarge.

The Giza Plateau

Arriving at Giza for the first time | 1998

Great Sphinx of Giza

The Pyramid of Khafre

The Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) | c. 2580–2560 BC

The Nile | Lifeblood of Egypt

The Nile | Aswan Dam

Sunset on the Nile

Traveling south toward Cairo

The Nile | Cairo

Highlights

Shopkeeper near Aswan

Spices for sale near Aswan

Felucca on the Nile

Pyramid of Djoser | c. 2665 BC

Hieroglyph | Egyptian tomb

Egyptian Hieroglyphics

Luxor

Valley of the Kings

ISRAEL

Western Wall | Temple Mount | Jerusalem

Western Wall | Jerusalem

Wedding photos | Jerusalem city wall

Jewish culture | Western Wall

Christian Priest | Bethlehem

Temple Mount and Mount of Olives | Jerusalem

Masada Cableway and the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea

Israel/Lebanon Coast at Rosh Hanikra

Israel Lebanon Border | Rosh Hanikra

Thank you for visiting my Egypt and Israel page.

I'll be adding new content to this page over the coming months, including my near-death experience on the Nile, crossing the Sinai Peninsula in a public van with 12 Palestinians, and surfing in Tel-Aviv, Israel.

–Steven Martin

South America

South America

SOUTH AMERICA 1996 | FIRST TIME TO THE NEW WORLD

Costa Rica was a popular destination among surfers – And I had plenty of good reasons to study in Costa Rica.

I wanted travel, fun, romance, adventure, and most of all, to surf the legendary waves that I had heard about.

The study abroad program I picked was with the University of Nevada at Reno and University Study Abroad Consortium (USAC), an organization which represented a number of US universities and guaranteed accreditation.

Studying abroad with University Study Abroad Consortium (USAC) | Costa Rica 1996

Studying abroad in Costa Rica was just the beginning of what turned out to be the trip of a lifetime. South America – the New World – was too close to not see, and I found a cheap airline ticket with stops in Panama, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.

Click on photos to enlarge.

A few hours from Panama City

South America offered the romance of a new world, a vast continent where the most sensual languages in the world, Spanish and Portuguese, were spoken. I couldn’t wait to get started.

My flight landed in Quito, Ecuador, and I first went looking for the museum built on the equatorial line. A team from the French Academy of Sciences had surveyed the area in 1743 to find the exact line of the equator, giving the country a new name as a result...

Panama Canal

Quito | Ecuador

Standing at the Equator | Quito

Surf at Pichilemu | Chile

Fishers at Pichilemu | Chile

Aconcagua | Chile/Argentina border

Mar Del Plata | Argentina

Whale Research | Uruguay

Surf beach | Uruguay

Checking the surf near Rio | Brazil

Rio de Janeiro | Brazil

Saquarema | Brazil

South America | 1996 Travel Journal

South America | 1996 Travel Journal

About this Website

About this Website

PRESENTING TO THE WORLD

Why and How

to Build a Personal Website

for Yourself and Others

By Steven A. Martin

A WEBSITE TO REACH STUDENTS

I developed the courses and Learning Adventures series for this website to visually support my university presentations and public talks. The text, photos, videos and online resources throughout this website provide an accessible multimedia platform for students to follow and explore on their mobile devices, such as laptop computers, tablets, and smart phones.

International Education Online

This website showcases some of the many photos and videos from my Learning Adventures, and strongly reflects my passion for international education and travel. For students, I have a portfolio of courses that I teach, with links to relevant photo journals. Take a look at my educational talks on Eastern Civilization, featuring travel diaries from the Chinese Silk RoadPakistan, Taiwan and Tibet; or my Environmental Studies course, featuring stories from the Amazon, the Galapagos Islands, and current research on sustainable surf tourism.

Experiential Learning

I also developed this website to share my philosophy of experiential learning.

At fifteen, I left the Ohio rust belt, and went to live in a jungle valley by the ocean in Hawaii, where I learned to surf and found freedom. Now, 40 years and 40 countries later, I am a university lecturer with a Ph.D., two MAs, and over 50 published articles, living and working on the amazing resort island of Phuket, Thailand.

Wherever I went, I always took my journal and my camera.

I hope other students will do the same.

What I want to do with this website is to inspire you to leave behind your boring classroom, get out into the surf, into the world, and learn through adventure and travel – as well as from the books and teachers you meet on the way.

Develop Your Own Personal and Educational Website

To learn more about personal website design, or for help in creating your own home page, please contact me or visit PersonalBiographics.com.

Personal Biographics Web Design | Dr. Steven Andrew Martin