Last evening Dr. Laurenson invited staff who are new this semester for dinner at his house. I was included as I just began working here as a volunteer in March. Most of the new staff appear to be younger than my two children (so what’s new?). Kirsten’s father joined and became principal of Woodstock after we left in 1980. She and the others (including several new nurses at the health center) bring a wonderful variety of experiences to the school. We had a delicious meal including home-baked dinner rolls (I managed to restrain myself to only one).
Since I am staying in the Quad, the walk down to the Principal’s house was very easy – just over 100 stairsteps that have been improved since I last took them. Because security issues here have changed (as they have world-wide), there is a gate with a lock at the level of the road. All the quad campus entrances are lockable and the front gate is staffed around the clock. When I was ready to leave, Dr. L. offered to walk me up to unlock the gate, saving me the walk around to the main gate. When we arrived at the road, the gate was still open, so he locked it behind me and I was soon back in my comfortable apartment.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Noontime Walks
One of my goals while working here is to take a walk at lunchtime and I manage it most days. I’m not much of a hiker, but I enjoy the sights along the road and I do need the exercise. So I usually eat lunch when the dining room opens at noon and then head out along Tehri Road toward Jabbarket. At first it took me about 15 minutes to reach Hanfl Center (on the old Ashton Court site), then I would turn and come back. Yesterday I noticed that I am making it several minutes more quickly, so can go a bit further. Maybe I am finally getting back a (very) little of the hill lungs and legs that I had when we lived here 30 years ago.One of the first things I noticed was the proliferation of vehicles. In the 30 minutes I am out there, I am passed by at least a dozen motorcycles, cars, jeeps and trucks, with the occasional bus or mule thrown in. Before vehicles became so prolific, it was common to see many mules along the way, either one with a single dudhwalla, or a train of them carrying anything from milk to construction materials. Currently mules are being used to haul building materials from the road up to the new gym construction, and that is the main place to see them.
The road is paved all they way now, with yellow lines painted on both sides (no lane markings). The paved area is barely wider than one lane, so when vehicles meet, one has to pull partially off the pavement. As you get further from the school, potholes become more frequent. There is a nice railing along the outside edge all the way. I’m not sure if it would keep a truck from careening over the side, but it is a good visual reminder of where the edge is. I still remember a taxi ride from Picture Palace during the monsoon when the fog was so dense that the driver had to hold his door open to see where the edge of the road was.
Your comments and memories are very welcome!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Daily Food
Anyone who has ever been at a boarding school (or any other type of institution, for that matter) knows that students always complain about the food. Complaints were certainly justified here for many years. We used to hear about one student who tied the school chapattis to his feet like sandals and walked up the hill to school without ruining them. Then there was the type of pasta available here in the 1950s-1970s. Paste was literally a good name for it.
There has been a lot of change in the last few years. The food service was outsourced to Sanjay’s (class of 1981) catering company several years ago. Students still complain, of course; what else can one expect? But I’ve found it much improved. For one thing, better ingredients (according to western standards) are available here now – decent pasta included. The meals tend a bit toward starchy/carbohydrate fare, but that is to be expected for food that has to fill up active kids. We are eating lunch in the staff dining room daily and it is quite satisfying. The menu is varied, with plenty of salad and fresh fruit offered. The desserts can be quite nice, too! There is rice and dal at nearly every lunch.
Other than lunch, we eat in our apartment most of the time. Dan makes chai as soon as he gets up (just like at home), then we have peanut butter and jam on rusk or bread and bananas. We can have supper in the school dining room, too, but we usually prefer eating at home. We eat a light supper of soup (packets are fairly decent), cheese and crackers (or more PB) and fruit.
There has been a lot of change in the last few years. The food service was outsourced to Sanjay’s (class of 1981) catering company several years ago. Students still complain, of course; what else can one expect? But I’ve found it much improved. For one thing, better ingredients (according to western standards) are available here now – decent pasta included. The meals tend a bit toward starchy/carbohydrate fare, but that is to be expected for food that has to fill up active kids. We are eating lunch in the staff dining room daily and it is quite satisfying. The menu is varied, with plenty of salad and fresh fruit offered. The desserts can be quite nice, too! There is rice and dal at nearly every lunch.
Other than lunch, we eat in our apartment most of the time. Dan makes chai as soon as he gets up (just like at home), then we have peanut butter and jam on rusk or bread and bananas. We can have supper in the school dining room, too, but we usually prefer eating at home. We eat a light supper of soup (packets are fairly decent), cheese and crackers (or more PB) and fruit.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Morning Sounds Part II
The links to the whistling thrush sites didn't post in my first try, so here they are again:
http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/birds/bwt03.html
http://macaulaylibrary.org/audio.do?id=69059
http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/birds/bwt03.html
http://macaulaylibrary.org/audio.do?id=69059
Morning Sounds
When we think of our time at Woodstock, there are many visual memories, and of course many smells as well. But today I was very conscious of the sounds.
As I awoke fairly early, I heard the song of the whistling thrush. I am not a bird expert (they usually move away too quickly for me to spot and identify them), but this sound is one that I especially associate with Mussoorie. I can remember monsoon mornings when the rain stopped for a while and the thrushes sang loudly. The song is difficult to describe -- it is quite long and goes up and down in pitch randomly. I found these two links on the internet from Kashmir and Bhutan. The one I hear isn't exactly like this, but it's quite close. The first has a picture and the second doesn't, but one may work better for you than another (I think the second is closer to the sound I hear).
About 7:45 a musical ensemble starts warming up and practicing in the quad area. Band and orchestra alternate. And now the practice rooms are also in the quad area, above the old "Drill Hall." Those sounds were all familiar when we were here in the 60s and 70s and sound the same today.
At 8:30 the elementary school bell rings -- yes, it is still a long steel bar struck multiple times to summon the kids. This morning they all sang "Jana Gana Mana" before proceeding into their classrooms. I don't think they do this every day.
As I awoke fairly early, I heard the song of the whistling thrush. I am not a bird expert (they usually move away too quickly for me to spot and identify them), but this sound is one that I especially associate with Mussoorie. I can remember monsoon mornings when the rain stopped for a while and the thrushes sang loudly. The song is difficult to describe -- it is quite long and goes up and down in pitch randomly. I found these two links on the internet from Kashmir and Bhutan. The one I hear isn't exactly like this, but it's quite close.
About 7:45 a musical ensemble starts warming up and practicing in the quad area. Band and orchestra alternate. And now the practice rooms are also in the quad area, above the old "Drill Hall." Those sounds were all familiar when we were here in the 60s and 70s and sound the same today.
At 8:30 the elementary school bell rings -- yes, it is still a long steel bar struck multiple times to summon the kids. This morning they all sang "Jana Gana Mana" before proceeding into their classrooms. I don't think they do this every day.
Working at Woodstock Again
I have been at Woodstock for the past two weeks, the beginning of my two-month stint as a volunteer in the Development and Alumni Relations Office. Of course it’s wonderful to be back in Mussoorie, even though the weather has been frequently cold and sometimes rainy. Today the sun is shining brightly and there is a hint of spring in the air.
The Development Office is a busy place. Steve Alter ’74 has been here as the Director for almost a year. I sit outside his office and see people coming to see him one after the other. It’s amazing that he gets any time to do any other work at all. Chris Starr and Monica Roberts are the primary contacts for Alumni Relations work, a constant flow. Immu Uniyal is our receptionist who graciously gives tours of Woodstock to visiting alumni and others, and sells T-shirts and other Woodstockiana. (And the person who finally got me a key to the office so I don't have to wait for others to arrive.) Today we met the grandson of a staff member who was here a year in the early 1960s. It’s fun to see all these people who stop by. Pete Wildman and Maija Prakash work primarily on communications materials of all kinds. Their work is often driven by print deadlines.
I am doing a collection of odd jobs – assisting Steve with planning for the 100th anniversary of the founding of WOSA coming up in 2011, thinking through the Annual Fund plans for next year, working on the Homecoming/Mela Committee (April 25, plan to come!), and whatever else comes along.
We are staying in Guest Room #1, which many of us remember as Diana Biswas's longtime apartment. It's been drastically changed since her time; the guest rooms are all nice with good facilities. This one is the largest, with a separate bedroom, nice for those of us who stay around longer. Dan left on March 28 to visit three of the sites where we support children through CCF. You can follow his travels through his blog at web.mac.com/lindd1.
The Development Office is a busy place. Steve Alter ’74 has been here as the Director for almost a year. I sit outside his office and see people coming to see him one after the other. It’s amazing that he gets any time to do any other work at all. Chris Starr and Monica Roberts are the primary contacts for Alumni Relations work, a constant flow. Immu Uniyal is our receptionist who graciously gives tours of Woodstock to visiting alumni and others, and sells T-shirts and other Woodstockiana. (And the person who finally got me a key to the office so I don't have to wait for others to arrive.) Today we met the grandson of a staff member who was here a year in the early 1960s. It’s fun to see all these people who stop by. Pete Wildman and Maija Prakash work primarily on communications materials of all kinds. Their work is often driven by print deadlines.
I am doing a collection of odd jobs – assisting Steve with planning for the 100th anniversary of the founding of WOSA coming up in 2011, thinking through the Annual Fund plans for next year, working on the Homecoming/Mela Committee (April 25, plan to come!), and whatever else comes along.
We are staying in Guest Room #1, which many of us remember as Diana Biswas's longtime apartment. It's been drastically changed since her time; the guest rooms are all nice with good facilities. This one is the largest, with a separate bedroom, nice for those of us who stay around longer. Dan left on March 28 to visit three of the sites where we support children through CCF. You can follow his travels through his blog at web.mac.com/lindd1.
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