Immunizations

Today I got vaccinated!

On tuesday Mum and I went to the travel clinic for a consultation. Originally it wasn't going to be a consultation, but we were late getting back from Kingston so all we had time for was talking about the meds I would need and getting a TB test (tuberculosis). Malarone (malaria pills) are more expensive than I thought.
The Tb test consisted of a serum being injected into my arm. I was not allowed to scrub it or put a band-aid on it, in case that gave a false positive or negative. If I was TB positive the area where the serum was injected would be large and an angry red. If not, it would look like a little bruise.

Check out how not-infected-with-TB I am!!

So today we went back to get me vaccinated for Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Japanese Encephalitis and Rabies. Apparently the Typhoid/Hep A needle hurts a LOT for about 24 hours, so I was well doped out on Tylenol before arriving. So far, all is well, although I'm starting to feel a bit stiff in my upper arm.

The other band-aid was for my Japanese Encephalitis vaccine, a disease known throughout southern Asia. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I'm just happy to be immune to it. :D

Finally, the rabies shot. Apparently the nurse has been giving A LOT of these recently to vet students at U of G and to Canada's Nautral Resources people, so she didn't have a lot left. Also inconvenient, the drug plants that make the vaccine are pretty much out, and don't start production again until after summer. I'm lucky to have been able to reserve 3 doses!

And in other, non-medical news, I have started packing! This was Mum's idea since I am notorious for speed-packing at the last minute, not somehting we want to be doing here. I have absolutely fallen in love with her mountain equipment co-op bag, it is PERFECT in every way, shape and form. Most of my stuff, however, has been packed into the Big Brown Bag, which, as I found out afterwards, I'm not actually allowed to take...

Look how lovely and organized that is! Grrr...


22 days to go!
Emily

Visas are evil

Well!
For those who have not had the oh-so wonderful experience of getting a travel visa, I cannot wait to impart the sheer joy of waiting in a non-airconditioned environment for around 4 hours only to have your visa application found "incomplete". According to Woodstock, this is the first time that they have been asked for their registration number for a student visa. However, we have pulled together all the missing paperwork and submitted the visa in Toronto, where it will be ready in about 1 week. Hooray!

In other news, Air India has gone on strike, so there is no direct flight from Toronto to New Delhi. Quick transfer of tickets to British airways with a two-hour stopover in Heathrow and we are still set to go!. However... Megan (my mississauga travelling buddy) and I will be arriving in London the DAY AFTER THE OLYMPICS START. Hello crowded zoo!

Not all news is bad though. Megan and I met for the first time on sunday. She has been at Woodstock for the past year and is going back to graduate, and we had a Q and A session at her place. What's monsoon like? Unpleasant, apparently. How big are the classes? Between 9-20 people.
She also had a yearbook, where she showed me everyone I will be taking classes with next year. There are about 40 grade 11s at Woodstock next year. According to Megan, it's a positive, friendly and studious environment. These are my people! :D

Another bonus: Megan said that one of the things she found she really needed was a computer, so Mum is passing down the laptop in exchange for a newer mac. Best news of all, I can skype, blog, and acces facebook while in India! Will be keeping you all updated!

1 month and 1 day left

Emily

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