Plans for adventure

The possibility for adventure is endless here at Woodstock.

This coming weekend, all grades are participating in a three-day weekend of outdoor/humanitarian awesomeness. Activities offered include hikes around Mussoorie, creative writing sessions, WWI battle re-enactments, a visit to a home for autistic adults, silent retreats, and a three day trek to summit Nag Tibba, one of the highest peaks in the Mussoorie area.

So obviously, I'm climbing Nag Tibba next weekend.

These are just a coule of photos taken by previous groups. Source: google images.

Hiking, again! Let's do this!

Although I am less excited to see what horrendous occurence happend to me on this hike. Maybe I'll break a bone, or lose my pack, or get altitude sickness, or my boots will fall apart (again).

Who knows? Mother nature, do your worst!

My second adventure planned is quarter break: kayaking in the Ganges.

A few of us, Hope, Annabelle and myself included, were selected to go on the whitewater kayaking learning trip for five days this quarter break. Here's a video of one of our instructors: 

Needless to say, I am crazily excited for this trip as well. We're to spend a couple of days on flat water, learning rolls, emergency manoevers, reading flow, and whitewater technique. After that, we're hitting the river, in some level 1 rapids!

To adventure, fun, exploration and hoping I don't die,

Emily

The weekend

The weekend is the best time at Woodstock. Even this weekend, where the weather has gone from beautiful and sunny to wet, snowy and foggy.
This weekend has included such treats as class night-a photo scavenger hunt through bazaar, with games and scary stories afterwards. We played ninja, which reminded me so much of the GYS Edmonton trip!
Saturday was the book fair, a visit to Chhaya café, the acquisition of my saris, as well as general lazing about. I finished the second of my crochet scarves for my friends, who have been giving me several commissions!
 Today so far has been walking with my friend Andrew through the snow up to church, and will later include Chapel. And homework. Always homework...

It was raining when we set out on class night, so there was quite a forest of umbrellas

Horror stories with the english teacher!

Aya and I enjoy our hot chocolate parties. It's exactly as it says

The book fair! 10% off everything. It was a beautiful sight

Ordering from Chhaya. I think we spent a total of about 1200 Rs on food. We were rather hungry...

Anyways, I hope all of you have had lovely weekend

Week 2 at woodstock

Oh what fun! Getting back into the swing of school and dorm life, with delicious food and homework abounding.

This is just a quick update, so without further ado:

The weather, since I last posted, has been GLORIOUS!!!! We've had constant sunshine and balmy temperatures ever since the killer ice-storm blew through

Exhibit A: last week

Exhibit B: this sunday.

I went to bazaar with Hope and Navika last week (Hope is the new girl in our grade), and got my saris made up. Photos to come later!

Sunday, we went to the Wunker's place for Firefly, Princess Bride, card games and crepes. Awesome!

So now, here I am, settled back in and content as can be.

One final thing;

Emily

Currently in Mussoorie

Students of Woodstock returned to Mussoorie three days ago, and they seem to have brought back with them the monsoon season! It has been raining incessantly since our arrival, and just for good measure, we've also had hail and thunderstorms.

The only difference betwwen the current weather and the monsoon (which occured in August), IT IS FREEZING COLD OUT HERE.
Now I know all my fellow Canadians will pooh-pooh that statement, as the temperature in Mussoorie is hovering between 5-10 degrees Celcius. However, the difference is that, in Canada, it's  -15 degrees outside this time of year. But when you step indoors, it's a pleasant +23. Here at Woodstock, it's 5 degrees all the time! There is nowhere you can go to warm up. The chill and mist and damp clamminess permeate the air: in class, in dorms, in the gym...

Dorm students are beginning to get creative about keeping warm. My preferred method is spending time in small rooms with large numbers of people inside, for maximum heat conservation. Avoiding the senoir's hallway is another good idea. I swear it's the coldest part of the dorm. Electric blankets, thermal clothing and hot water bottles don't go amiss either, as well as my woolen coat, wool socks and wellie boots.
My personal favourite: coffee, tea or hot chocolate shared in a friend's room, cocooned in blankets whilst watching Friends.

I feel like if I had simply come back here from Canada, instead of first visiting South India, this oppressive chill wouldn't affect me as much. Oh Varkala, how I long for your balmy heat and warm ocean waves!

Pictures to come soon,

Emily

Winter break

For those of you that are curious, my winter break was spent almost entirely at home, with my family and friends. The final two weeks were, of course, spent in the South, but aside from that, here are a few highlights:

Being greeted by boyfriend, brother, Allie and mum at the airport. The guys jumped over the gate and ran to meet me, and our car had antlers and a Rudolph nose. We also got to stop for Tim's on the way home.

Taking a bath for the first time since July, with LUSH bath bombs and bubble bars.

CHRISTMAS! One of my favourite gifts was a huge package of food for dorms, care of Dad & Beryl. Another highlight was Christmas dinner with neighbors and friends chez Mum, which included Banoffee trifle with rum for dessert.

Driver's ed and getting my G1. I continue my in-car lessons upon my return to Canada this summer.

New Year's eve! Games night with a ton of friends!

Going to JFR (my other high school) and seeing all my friends, and being drafted into singing with themn at a school concert! Dahlia persuaded Ms Hobbes to let me come, and simply sight-read the music. It went surprisingly well.

Dahlia's christmas party, watching weird anime and eating way too many cookies

Longest night party with my communtiy.

Having a sleepover with my friend Meghan at my godmother's house

Going to the Y classes with said godmother.

Babysitting!

Spending tons of time catching up with my boyfriend. Snowball fights, indian restaurants and the Hobbit, oh my!

Boyfriend winning his singing competition in Orlando.

My little brother getting a part in Ballet Jorgen's Swan Lake. OMG!

Going to Niagara and having a sleepover with my old friend Maddy.

Applying to Headwaters outdoor ed. program for grade 12 and choosing all my courses for next year.

Coming back to India


Love you all, and I will see you in June! May the good times roll,

Emily

Travel to India, round two

Sometimes, things happen that are completely unexpected. Sometimes, events occur that no one could have ever planned for. Sometimes, there is a snowstorm in London.
Because London (England) is rather poorly equipped to deal with such occurences, British Airways (which transfers via London on pretty much all flights) cancelled EVERY flight that friday night, January 18th.

My father, boyfriend, brother and I were halfway to Toronto before my dad (who has family in England) metioned the snowstorm. Boyfriend made the executive decision to check online for any details, whereupon we discovered that flight 98 to London-Delhi was indeed cancelled.
We went to the airport anyway, just to assure ourselves of a rebooking done nice and properly.

One hour later, we're waiting in line while four staff tend to a huge queue of people, taking about 20 minutes per person. Ugh.
After all the waiting, I was booked on the next available flight: Toronto-Frankfurt-Delhi on Lufthansa, departing on the 19th at 6:30. So pretty much bump up my departure time by 2 hours and delay it by a day.

Finally, I leave. I'm next to a lovely man named Enoch on his way to Seychelles for a buisness meeting. We chat for a while, and I try in vain to sleep. For some reason thjough, I can never sleep on my first flight, an aspect of myself that I am coming to loathe (especially with a 5-hour layover, where I couldn't sleep else I risked missing my transfer!).

After we spent about 1 hour de-icing the plane (note to fellow travellers, DO NOT fly via Frankfurt in the winter if you need to get somewhere on time, or if you mind being delayed by at least an hour), we finally took off. On this flight, I was seated next to a lovely Indian family going on a 6-week trip to visit family in Punjab. The daughter, Jocelyne (8 years old) and I chatted throughout the whole flight (when I wasn't alseep, anyway). She had never been to India, and seemed thrilled by the idea of coming to a new land and meeting her family.

In Delhi, I was met by my friend Tanuvee's mum Amita, whom we stayed with over Diwali break (see this post: Diwali in Delhi!) If you're reading this, Amita, THANKS A MILLION for meeting me at 3 am!
So we got to the house, I unpacked and re-packed for the South (land of 30+ degree weather), and got to sleep around 5 am, to be awoken at 8:15 and taken to the Blue Stone Hotel. There I was met by Annabelle, Caroline, and Maggie, as well as Cythina and Minda (Annabelle and Maggie's mums) and Mark & Annie, our tour guides from Woodstock.

Thus, the No Regretz winter tour of South India was begun