Halloween at Woodstock

BOO!

Halloween 2012 has been a most excellent day! 
I've noticed some very distinct differences between here and home, but also with certain overarching similarities.

After we got back from play practice this evening, we received some trick-or-treaters from the junior school (resulting in a mad scramble from all the girls to find something suitable to give away. Devika eventually managed to find an unopened pack of Skittles.) 

We also had a Halloween party in the Midlands rec. hall, which included some magnificent cakes and candies, a pumpkin carving contest, and a costume competition.

My costume was somewhat unimaginative, due to my lack of costume material (I was a hipster, who didn’t dress up because it’s ironic), but some people really went all out.

Check out these folks!

Andrew as a ninja victim

Gypsy fortune teller (Juliana)

(A very cozy) nature spirit (Aya)

Rosie the Riveter (Ugyen)

Gypsies (Tanya and Tanu)

Little red riding hood (Deki)

"Nun"... (One of the grade 10's not sure who)

Costume contest winners! First place went to our lovely gypsies, Tanuvee and Tanya. Second went to the Cat in the Hat, and third place went to... well, I'm not exactly sure what they are.

The prize. Mmmmm...

Also, please enjoy the photos from our pumpkin-carving extravaganza. I gave some remedial carving lessons to Sonam, Ro and Tanya, and we produced quite a satisfactory jack-o-lantern. We didn’t win, the prize went to Lexine, Megan, Nutcha and Jesal’s group, who carved this pumpkin:

This was ours:

Yes, the teeth say "HALLOWEEN"

Sonam, Tanya, me and Ro

 Graduating class of 2014. This was Ro's idea

Here was the prize for our efforts:

We were hoping for the worms and dirt, but the Cat Cake was pretty delish. The dark icing also had the amusing effect of turning everyone's teeth, lips and tongue a dark blue.

One remarkable difference between home and Woodstock was the weather.

While folks back home are enduring the remnants of Sandy, here’s what the weather was like today.

Photos taken from the window in math class

Long sleeves, that’s the most we’re wearing at this point!

It’ll be an adjustment and a half to come back to Canada in midwinter. Already November and it’s still going up to 17 degrees C during the day!

Love to all,

Emily 

I have a new love: SLUTTY BROWNIES

Ingredients

         For the Brownie layer:

         10 tbsp unsalted butter

         1 1/4 cups white sugar

         3/4 cup cocoa powder

         1/2 tsp salt

         2 tsp vanilla extract (Thank you Tanuvee!)

         2 large eggs

         1/2 cup AP flour (AP flour? Advanced placement flour?          High          schoolers confused)

        

         For the Oreo layer:

         1 package of Oreo (regular stuffed or double stuffed) - it's even better if you use the chocolate ones

        

         For the Cookie Dough layer:

         1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temp)

         1/4 cup brown sugar

         3/4 cup white sugar (LOL nope, we used all the sugar in both          kitchens for the brownie layer: moar brown sugar!!!)

         1 egg

         1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract                 

         1 1/4 cups AP flour (???)

         1/2 tsp salt

         1/2 tsp baking soda

         1/2 tsp baking powder

         (Note: in India, these are the same thing. Weird :P)

         1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or you can substitute a          mashed-up bar of chocolate. Dairy milk crunchie works nicely)

        

Instructions

For the Brownie layer:

In a medium saucepan (microwave), melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the sugar and cocoa powder once the butter is melted. Whisk to combine and remove from heat. Add the salt, vanilla and eggs and continuously whisk until the eggs are combined. Add the flour and continue to mix. Set batter aside.

For the Cookie Dough layer:

Cream together the butter and sugars in a mixer (aka with your fork/hands). Add the eggs and vanilla, making sure to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. Add the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and mix on low until everything is incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips. Set dough aside.

Assembly:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan with tin foil and then spray the tin foil with a layer of baking spray. (or you can just lavishly butter Ms Maya’s pan)

Layer the cookie dough on the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan, pressing down to form the bottom of the slutty brownies.

Layer as many oreos that will fit on top of the cookie dough. No need to overlap. One single layer will do. (To fill in the gaps, crumble up oreos and out the crumbs in between_

Pour the brownie batter on top of the oreo layer and make sure it's evenly layers on top.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. Test with a knife to see if the center is done. If the knife comes out clean, let the brownies rest before serving. If the knife comes out with batter still on it, allow the brownies to bake about 5 minutes more.

Serve with ice cream :) (Serve quietly, else the whole dorm will want some! Oh no, here they come…)

Enjoy, my lovelies!

Introduced to me by Kalkidan and Monica

(In)activity week

Hello my dears!

As some of you know from facebook, I had a rather uneventful activity week. I left with the rest of the team to go trekking on sunday early morning, feeling super pumped about the week ahead. However, by midday, I started to feel off. I thought it was just carsickness, but as time progressed and we got to the campsite, I just felt worse and worse. By evening, I could barely walk.

I slept fitfully that night, and by morning was still feeling pretty rotten. Even with my bag tied to a mule, I was by far the slowest member of the group. Eventually we just split up into two: Ms Fiddler (Ashley) and Asma stayed with me and everyone else carried on.
By about noon, my condition hadn't much improved. I was cramped, exhausted and nauseous. The staff (Pants, Dane, Titu and Ashley) suggested I go back to school, where I could be cared for by the health center. Even though I REALLY REALLY REALLY didn't want to leave, I didn't have much choice. I agreed that it would be the safest option.

Most regrettably, girls have to travel in pairs wherever you go in India, for safety reasons as well as company. Kalkidan Amare, heroine, selfless, wonderful person that she is, volunteered to accompany me back to Mussoorie, along with a hindi-speaking staff member (Titu), who is equally wonderful and selfless and heroic.

We walked back down to our first campsite, where we called for a jeep to detour around to where we were. It was a hitch-hiking jeep, meaning that Titu, Kalki and I were crammed in the back of the bumpy, dusty jeep with about 4 other indian men, as well as our backs. With me being the stomach sick one, this just sounds like a recipe for disaster, dunnit?

Thankfully, nothing happened until we got to the jeep transfer point, and found another jeep willing to chauffer us back to Mussoorie. Best bit: we had it to ourselves!!!

We drove...and drove...and drove... for about 8 hours. Finally, we got to Mussoorie, exhausted and carsick, and plunked down in our beds as soon as we possibly could.

Tuesday (the next day), I was started on a rigorous medication regimen, 3 pills, 3 times a day. I was feeling plenty wiped, so I slept and read most of the day.
Kalki, on the other hand, was picked up by the lovely nurse Tara Kaplan (mother of Teva [previous trek]). She spent a good week with her, hanging out with junior school and going to bazaar.

I spent the week having down-time, reading a ton of books, and hanging out with Darcey Wunker, lovely lady and saviour that she is. She brought me a kindle!

So now I'm back in dorms, with PEOPLE!!! My extrovertness has been thouroughly starved, so I'm glad to be back!


And finally, some photos for you to enjoy:

We all remarked that they look rather like Toffla trees

First (and only) campsite

The oh-so-lovely Asma

The amazing room-mate Kalkidan

Waiing for the jeep

Time for healing and recovery

Not all bad...

Ok, I admit this seems a little random. I think oranges in Mussoorie are rather neat!

3 pills, 3 times a day!

Love and BIIG hugs to all,

Emily

PS Two weeks until I go to Delhi for Diwali!

PPS 41 more days until I'm back in Canada! Time seems to have flown by!

Recent events

Hello readers,
I ave not blogged in a whil: for this I am sorry. Being accustomed to daily life here, things are no longer new, the views no longer surprising, the activities routine. I will do my best to continue posting, even if I am feeling less inclined than I would like. :P

Something rather unfortunate happened at Woodstock last week. Two weekends ago was the Sadie Hawkins dance, where all the girls ask guys to the dance, everyone dresses up really fancy, eats good food and dances their butts off.

However, as usually happens at a high school dance, some students snuck in alcohol. 

They were caught, and all students involved have been suspended for 2 weeks-1 month. Mr Anderson has informed us that this is the mildest of punishments he will deal out in regard to this situation. If it occurs again the consequences will be much more severe.

If I ever needed convincing that drinking in high school was a bad idea, this would do it...

So that was intersting. I hope it dissuades other would-be drinkers not to do it at school!

In other news, Macbeth is well underway. Costumes and props are almost finished, lighting cues are being set up, and sword fighting is going full speed ahead! This should be a pretty fantastic show. Cannot wait for november!

In regard to performances, I got accepted into advanced recital!!!! I will be singing "When My Soul Touches Yours" by Leonard Bernstein.
EE!

Finally, I'm going trekking again tomorrow, this time to Braadsar lake. We're going 4000m up the mountain, for 9 days.
It'll be a very different trek this time, with 20 students in attendance, the majority of which are guys.

Should be a pretty rocking time!

See you in 9 days my lovelies!

Love,
Emily

PS I found out the other day that one of my dorm mates' grandfather was Tenzing Norgay. How freaking cool is that?

Movember madness!

Hello all,
As most of you may remember, a while ago I posted about the Anugrah program that I visited last month in Dehradun. I said they needed a wheelchair for one of their little girls to go to school, but they just didn't have enough money.

Woodstock is going to change that fact, through.... MOVEMBER!
Yes, that's right, the month we all know and love will be used to raise funds for the Anugrah program!
How it works: all the people participating were cleanly shaven by the beginning of october. As of now, they are letting their facial hair run wild until the end of november, whereupon we will vote on the best mo. Anyone can sign up to sponsor a teacher (or student) for a minimum of 50 rupees.

This campaign is not only limited to males, oh no! Yours truly already has 2200 rupees in donations on her first day of collecting. If I get more than 2500 before the end of this week I will wear an eyeliner mustache on my face for the entire month of november. Kalki and I are working as a team to raise as much money as is humanly possible.
So donate, Woodstock, give me money!!!!
Get this girl a wheelchair!

Emily

The best english project EVER

Mr Wunker's assignment to us for the rest of term and into the holidays: write a blog once a week and comment on other people's blogs. Ooooh, such hardship!
I'm pretty excited, truth be told. Some of my classmates are a little less than enthused about the prospect, but I prefer to see it as a chance to boost my english grade by 50 points with virtually no effort.
The blog has some specific purposes though, so I have created a new one for the assignment:
https://emilysteers.blogspot.com

Feel free to comment and follow as you wish. Feedback is my friend when it comes to writing.

In other news, HAPPY BELATED THANKSGIVING to all the folks back home! I hope everyone's weekend was full of happy smiles and very full tummies and lots of pumpkin pie!

Also, a little personal crisis (LIFE SHATTERING HORROR) Anette Olzon and Nightwish have split up.
GBSKGFK:LJBHVLGFVSKJHF:KCN>BSJ
NOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Dying inside...

That's all for now, love to all,
Emily

Trekking is the best thing ever!!!!

Hello all,

Recently I got back from what was inarguably the best trip of my life. 5 days spent trekking in the Himalayas to Dodital Lake and Darwa Pass. Exhausting, fun and challenging, I have become absolutely smitten with the purity of the mountains and the experience of hiking.

Almost 60 km

4000 to 14 000 ft elevation

10 students, 4 staff, 1 guide, 4 porters

Fun was much had.

Day 1 at the startoff: packing up at the Hanifl Center

Everyone (especially Kal) enjoyed the views en route to the first camp

Our tent, where we spent some interesting (not to metion frigid) nights

This is what I woke up to on the first day of trekking. Not a bad kickoff...

Camp

Breakfast every day: oatmeal with honey and raisins

Pakced and ready to go!!!

First day of the trek, about midway through the evening, something rather exciting happened: my hiking boots fell to pieces, both soles coming off. Some hasty patchwork with medical tape tided me over until we got to Agora, whereupon our good pal and buddy Gultaj found a guy willing to sell us a pair of 90 rupee rubber shoes

Well, they had a good run.

Dad, I can FEEL you wincing as I say that this is what I wore across about 50 km of trekking.

The footwear process (takes about 7 minutes):

-Put on thin pair of socks

-Wrap arches and ankles tightly with tensor bandages

-Put on second pair of sturdy socks

-Put on shoes

-Laugh at how ridiculous my feet look

In the evening on day 1, this is how we got to our campsite. We were feeling pretty cool until a couple of little girls in bare feet carrying a load of hay walked across it in about 5 seconds...

Day two was actually a lovely day, with me getting used to the new shoes (cough cough). Most of he way was flat, with brief stints uphill. By the evening we got to lake dodital, in time for a yoga session and relaxation by the lake (although due to it being a sacred lake, NO TOUCHING)

Our most lovely staff, Pants, Claire, Julia and Dane, at our lunch break

Lake Dodital. According to our guide, locals tried to measure its depth. They got to 1700 m (1.7 km) before giving up. 

O.o

Le photographer Pants (aka Mr Andrew)

Waiting for our porters to arrive with the tents.

Cozy, are we?

It was surprisingly cold at night...

Day 3 was shorter, but nonetheless strenuous, as it was 8 km, all uphill. One of the more intense days, no doubt about it.

Point of interest: Maggie almost fell off a cliff, describing it afterwards as "the most HILARIOUS thing that ever happened to me!!!"

We figured she was a little adrenaline high.

The lake in the morning

From the other side, standing on a landslide that made the terrain a lot more (cough) interesting

And it was ALL WORTH IT!!!

We got to the top of Darwa at about 12:30, and had a very relaxed afternoon napping in the sun (Gultaj, Johann, Kalki and I were the only ones that didn't get burned- sunscreen FTW). The evening was spent exploring the area, drinking chai and picking labrador tea, which grew in abundance on the slopes.

Dane was very content with his heart-shaped rock

The clouds were gorgeous that evening.

Day 4 was an interesting day. The hills reminded me (and Mr Pants) a lot of the scottish highlands, where I've hiked previously. We followed tiny little trails criss-crossing all around the mountain side, going on interesting explorations to find well-travelled routes. It was one of my favourite days, acclimatized to the altitude and taking in the majesty of the fabulous mountains.

That night, we camped at Sima, where the famous photo of the mountains was taken (that Woodstock and SAGE like to use on all their promos)

Tent photo at Sima!

Kate, Kalki, and yours truly.

Banderpounch mountain

Day 5 was by far the most interesting day, the entirety of it spent going downhill. We lots the rtail at one point, and ended up taking a (this being an extreme stretch of the word) path that Pants found. It was an almost vertical slide through a densely wooded area for what felt like a vertical kilometer, until we got to flatter ground about 2 hours later. The rest of the way was rocky and downhill, which was no mean feat with 90-rupee rubber shoes! 

Kalki looking very Flintstones, especially with the mule femur she found for her brother as a present.

WE MADE IT!!! Sweet, sweet relief!

After a 6 and a bit hour ride back to the Hanifl center, we unpacked our gear and loaded up to go back to dorms. There was high competition among the girls of my floor for the only decent shower in the bathroom, but I shawtied it right at the beginning, so it was all mine for the first round. Ahhhh, sweet bliss...

This has most definitely been the best experience ever. Good food, good company, good times, good views, I wouldn't hestitate to do it again.

Funny thing, because I AM doing it again, an 8 day trek for activity week!

Cannot wait!

Love,

Emily