VISA and passports and vaccines oh my!

Greetings, humans.
Progress is running smoothly in regard to all my paperwork. There seems to be more and more of it! This week I get to write out a travel VISA application and get my passport photo/mugshot. We found out that my passport expires on the exact same day as I leave, so we had best renew it soon!

Also on the increasingly long list of things consuming my time before I leave (in 2 1/2 months! :O ) is vaccines. The standard malaria, tb, etc, etc... wait. rabies?!
Yup, I'm getting a rabies shot. You know, because of all those damn monkeys that are going to be jumping aroud outside my window.

Hee hee, monkeys are going to be outside my bedroom window! AWESOME

Finally, exciting news on the home front, I get to come home for Christmas over the winter break. Because I'm not allowed to stay at Woodstock over the winter break, I can either go on the winter tour of northern India or go home. Since I'm going on the southern tour, of course I'm going to come home!

More to follow soon,
Emily

Curriculum

Hello all!
Right now we are finalizing my acceptance. Lots of legal form that I don't particuliarly understand...

Anyway, I've been taking a look at the Woodstock curriculum, and here are the couses I'm thinking about. Please leave your opinion and/or reccomendations!
Courses I'd like to take have an asterisk beside them:

Woodstock School Curriculum Guide
ART
Art 9 (Grade 9; 1 year, 1 credit)
Art 10 (Grades 10; 1 year, 1 credit)
Art 11 (Grade 11; 1 year, 1 credit )
AP Studio Art (Grade 12; 1 year, 1 credit; AP)
Art Core (Grades 10. 11 or 12; for students who did not previously study Art at High School level)

COMPUTER STUDIES
Computer Applications (Grade 11; 1 semester; 1⁄4 credit)

ENGLISH
English 9 (Grade 9; 1 year, 1 credit)
English 10 (Grade 10; 1 year, 1 credit, IGCSE)
English 11 (Grade 11; 1 year, 1 credit, College Preparatory)
*AP English Language & Composition (Grade 11; 1 year, 1 credit, AP)
English 12 (Grade 12; 1 year, 1 credit, College Preparatory)
AP English Literature (Grade 12; 1 year, 1 credit, AP)
ESL (English as a Second Language) - see below under Languages.

English Electives (open to Grades 11 and 12)
Journalism (1 year, 1 credit)
Introduction to Drama (1 year, 1 Visual and Performing Arts credit)
*Advanced Drama (1 year, 1 Visual and Performing Arts credit; only available to students who have completed Introduction to Drama)
Yearbook; (1 year, 1 non-English credit).

HEALTH EDUCATION
*(Grades 9 and 11; 1 semester each year, 1⁄4 credit).
Topics covered include: interrelation of body and mind; healthy life-style choices; interpersonal relationships; avoidance of substance abuse; first aid; personal health and safety.

LANGUAGES
Hindi: Hindi I (Available in grades 6 through 12; 1 year, 1 credit)
Hindi II A (Available in grades 6 through 12; 1 year, 1 credit, prerequisite: Hindi I)
Hindi II B (Available in grades 6 through 12; 1 year, 1 credit)
Hindi IV (First Language) (Grade 9; 1 year, 1 credit)
Hindi IV (Second Language) (Available in grades 6 through 12; 1 year, 1 credit)
French
French I (Available in grades 8 through 12; 1 year, 1 credit)
French II (Available in grades 9 through 12; 1 year, 1 credit)
French III (Available in grades 9 through 12; 1 year, 1 credit, IGCSE)
French IV (Available in grades 10 through 12; 1 year, 1 credit)
*AP French V (Grade 11 or 12; 1 year, 1 credit, AP)

ESL
English as a Second Language (ESL) is available for students whose first language is not English and who require moderate assistance in English. This is offered in Grade 9, and fulfils the Foreign Language requirement for non native English speaking students.

MATHEMATICS
Math 9 (Grade 9; 1 year, 1 credit)
Math 10 (Grade 10; 1 year, 1 credit, IGCSE)
Math 11 (Grade 11; 1 year, 1 credit; College Preparatory)
Math 12 (Grade 12; 1 year, 1 credit; College Preparatory)
*Advanced Mathematics I (Pre-Calculus) (Grade 11; 1 year, 1 credit)
AP Calculus AB (Grade 12; 1 year, 1 credit, AP)
AP Calculus BC (Grade 12; 1 year, 1 credit, AP)
AP Statistics (Grade 11 or 12; 1 year, 1 credit, AP)

MUSIC Instrumental Lessons:
Western (Grades 3-12; 1⁄4 credit per semester)
Private lessons are offered in piano (Grades 3-12), strings (Grades 3-12), classical guitar Grades 5- 12), woodwinds (Grades 5-12), brass (Grades 5-12), percussion (Grades 5-12), and voice (Grades 9- 12)
Indian (Grades 1-12; 1⁄4 credit per semester)
*Private lessons are offered in Indian dance (Grades 1-12), sitar, flute, and tabla (Grades 7-12)

Performing Groups:
Beginning Strings (Grades 3-12; 1⁄4 credit per semester)
Junior Orchestra (Grades 3-12; 1⁄4 credit per semester) Intermediate Orchestra (Grades 3-12; 1⁄4 credit per semester)
Advanced Orchestra (Grades 6-12; 1⁄4 credit per semester)
Beginning Band (Grades 5-12; 1⁄4 credit per semester)
Intermediate Band (Grades 5-12; 1⁄4 credit per semester)
Advanced Band (Grades 7-12; 1⁄4 credit per semester)
Jazz Band (Grades 7-12; 1⁄4 credit per semester)
High School Choir (Grades 9-12; 1⁄4 credit per semester)
*Chamber Choir (Grades 9-12)

PHYSICAL EDUCATION
P.E. 9 and 10 (Grades 9 and 10; 1 year, 1⁄2 credit)
Inter-School Activities (Woodstock competes with other schools in Mussoorie as well as with teams from Delhi and the surrounding areas. Inter-school competitions are held in soccer, table-tennis, cross- country, basketball, track and field, hockey, badminton and cricket. A wide range of intra-mural activities also occurs within the school, mainly through inter-house competitions.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Introduction to World Religions (Grade 9; 1 semester, 1⁄4 credit)
*The Historical Development of Religious Ideas (Grade 10; 1 semester, 1⁄4 credit)

11th and 12th Grade Courses
(Students are required to take at least one of the following semester- length courses each year. All carry 1/4 credit. Students choose one option from Group A and one from Group B):
Group A Courses (specifically related to the Bible or Christianity):
Introduction to Christianity The Gospel of John Old Testament Survey Paul's Epistles
Group B Courses (related to religion in a general sense):
Comparative Worldviews Religions of Indian Origin
Religions of Semitic Origin
*Contemporary Social and Ethical Issues

SCIENCE
Science 9 (Grade 9; 1 year, 2 credits)
Biology (Grades 10, 11 or 12; 1 year, 1 credit, IGCSE)
*Chemistry (Grades 10, 11 or 12; 1 year, 1 credit, IGCSE)
Physics (Grades 10, 11 or 12; 1 year, 1 credit, IGCSE)
Environmental Science 11 (Grades 11 or 12; 1 year, 1 credit)
AP Environmental Science (Grade 12; 1 year, 1 credit, AP)
Advanced Biology (Grades 11 or 12; 1 year, 1 credit)
AP Biology (Grade 12; 1 year, 1 credit, AP)
Advanced Chemistry (Grades 11-12; 1 year, 1 credit)
AP Chemistry (Grade 12; 1 year, 1 credit, AP)
Advanced Physics (Grades 11 or 12; 1 year, 1 credit)
AP Physics (Grade 12; 1 year, 1 credit, AP)

SOCIAL STUDIES
History 9 (Grade 9; 1 year, 1 credit)
History 10 (Grade 10; 1 year, 1 credit, IGCSE)
Advanced Indian History (Grade 12; 1 year, 1 credit)
AP U.S. History (Grade 11 or 12; 1 year, 1 credit, AP)
*AP World History (Grade 11 or 12; 1 year, 1 credit, AP)
AP Comparative Government and Politics (Grade 11 or 12; 1 year, 1 credit, AP)
Global Issues (Grades 11 or 12; 1 year, 1 credit)
AP Microeconomics (Grades 11 or 12; 1 year, 1 credit, AP)
AP Macroeconomics Grade 12; 1 year, 1 credit, AP)

Confirmed

I GOT ACCEPTED!!!!!!!! AAAHHHHH!!!!!!
There truly is no bounds to the awesome feelings in me right now!

I was at dinner, and my mother walks in playing indian music on her iPad
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRSBoj4oyas)
And I looked up at her, and screamed "OMG I GOT IN?!"
"Yup"
"EEEEEEEE!!!!!!"

So yeah, too excited for a decent post, but WHO CARES I'M GOING TO INDIA!!!!!!!!

Emily :D

Hooray-guhh, mm whuuuu?...

Ok, so an unusual turn of events has occurred;
On the positive side, I GOT ACCEPTED TO WOODSTOCK!!!!!!! For... grade 10? Whaaaat?
We got the email, and read it carefully only to discover that I had been filed under the wrong year. Despite the fact that I indicated on my form that I was applying for grade 11, the office translated my being in grade 10 as my APPLYING for grade 10.
The SAGE office has contacted the people from India, and they are reviewing the candidates for grades 11 an 12 on monday, so I will find out then

At this point, it's a kinda-definitely-maybe-OHMIGOSHWTFDOIDOWITHMYSELF!?!?!
So, yeah.

Lots of love,
Emily
PS Saw my first opera tonight, Don Giovanni!
I know it has nothing to do with India, but it's worth mentioning

Frustration!!!!

Hello all.

Most of you may already know the reason for this, but it is march and I haven't informed you about any news. Unfortunately, I have not heard a thing, and will not be hearing anymore until the end of this month.

When we got our report cards in mid-february for semester 1, I immediately sent mine to the people at SAGE to add to my application for consideration. Along with it, I asked when I could expect to hear from them, since it was geetting later on in february. They replied, saying that since the application deadline is today (march 1st), and they have to consider all applications equally... I could expect to hear from them in late march. EERRRGGGH!!
This is frustrating me more and more since time goes on. I am becoming somewhat of a stressed-out freak, much to the chagrin of those close to me.

Anyway, I will let you know AS SOON as I hear.

Emily

Interview part 2

Hello all!
Yesterday I had my interview. It went FANTASTICALLY well, I feel very confident about my chances of being accepted.
For those who have not heard of the program,
http://www.sageprogram.org/abroad/global-schools

I will not be writing again for some time. The program director has said that I will find out from the committee in late February.

Best wishes to all, follow your dreams.
Emily

Interview

When I was 7 years old, my stepmother told me about a school she had gone to in India. Since then, I have dreamed of going to boarding school in the mountains of northern India. I applied a couple of months ago, and they have booked an interview with me tonight.
And so it begins.
I am gearing up for my interview, getting more and more nervous. I've already gotten off to a bad start, because I had to postpone the time of the interview due to a rehearsal. I am confident, however, that I will do well. I tend to be in these situations.
Wish me luck, I will write after the interview.
Em