Bad night

On a scale of 1 to 10, guess how happy I am?

NOT FREAKING HAPPY

For those of you confused right now, this is my quick jotting down from about 4:30 am last night, whereupon moisture entered the system and the fire alarm went off. At first, I thought it was all part of a dream, but its pervasive nature continued until one of the girls ran into our room shouting, “THAT’S THE FIRE ALARM”! I was instantly awake, grabbing my water bottle, shoving on my shoes, briefly considering pants instead of shorts, and grabbing my umbrella before dashing downstairs with everyone else.

Here’s where it gets ^&^$^&^&&((^*)%%@## scary: the fire escape door, as well as every other door in the dorm was padlocked shut. I was almost hyperventilating in fear: another ten seconds and I was ready to javelin my umbrella through the window. Thankfully, one of the girls in head of care informed us that it was a false alarm. I think the sentiment of all was “who the HECK schedules a fire drill for 4:30 am?!?!” I went and talked to Ms Maya and Ms Geeta, who explained that it was just moisture that got into the system

So then, in a very infuriated mood, everyone proceeded back to bed. And then the alarm went off again after about 15 minutes. No one paid it any attention this time.

I plan on having harsh words with the dorm parents about the wisdom of locking the fire escape shut and having no one is able to open it.

That’s how my day started, how about yours?

PS I also forgot to mention we're on water rations. But whatever, INDEPENDENCE IS TOMORROW!!!!

Retreat!

Woodstock choir retreats are NOTHING like Rocky Ridge!

First thing this morning (after calling home!) we took the bus to St. Pal's church. Some EPIC photos from the drive:

Ok, so this isn't actually from the drive, but I stuck it here because it's awesome ;)

Campus!

The village

Kalkidan is chillin'

At church, we played icebreakers and RED ROVER! Kind of excited about that, considering it's totally illegal in Canada. :D

We went through 3 songs: Ahrirang, Thirty Second Fa-La-La, and Over The Rainbow. After that, we went out to lunch at a cute place in Landour. I got to try Momos and chicken fried rice, although what I ordered came later: an inch thick 20cm diameter banana pancake. Possible the best pancake ever, it was crispy on the outside, moist and fluffy on the inside, and had the perfect ratio of bananas, finished off with a hot chocolate. Mmmmm...

Also, on the walk home with Apa, Annabelle and Kalkidan, we had the opportunity for male-female interaction with a couple of choirboys, Bendix and Martin. This was fabulous for me, as I haven't talked to any guys (aside from Dad and Will) for about a week. I'm drowning in estrogen!!! (Take note LukasBenMattDannyWill, I will be desperate to hang out with guys when I get home)!

Chez Midlands, I watched the Olympics (Japan vs. Korea women’s volleyball-tensions running high! Also found Rosie MacLennan’s gold medal win on YouTube) and skyped home. It was raining waaaaaaaaaay too hard for me to want to go out to dinner, so we ended up eating toast and bananas and watching Brazil vs. Mexico.

On the edge of our seats...

Well done Mexico!!!

Then, Kalkidan decided we should do facemasks:

Allie, I miss you!!!

(Glacier clay, LUSH, take note)

And then Tanya, Tanuvee, Devika, Kalkidan and I watched Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. How have I never seen this before?!

We stayed up until 2:30 chatting about differences in our cultures and everyone around the school. I love everyone here so much, it’s just amazing. We slept 4 people in 2 single beds. As Terry Prachett said “In such a space, you could get three people in there if they knew each other well. Four people would know each other very well whether they liked it or not”.

Sunday has been pancakes & cereal, one sick friend back in the health center, and Chapel. Chapel was very interesting; we discussed how Christianity has influenced India and its effect today. After that we visited Uma and Tanuvee, who have both been locked up until further notice.

I love hanging out with friends whilst studying. You get so little done, but you get culture shock about once every minute!

Aaaaaaand now the water’s gone until 6 am. Crap…

Love to all:

Emily

PS. Wide Awake by Katy Perry. I have heard it enough for a lifetime, that’s all I’m saying.

PPS OMGOMGOMG Independance is on Wednesday OMGOMGOMG

At last... the weekend!

Hello my lovelies!

It's been a big week chez Woodstock. I've started getting an intense amount of homework (apparently only the tip of the iceberg...), but I'm loving it. I'm incredibly motivated in my French and English classes, and music, obviously. Having a bit more difficulty being excited in my other classes (especially about mole theory, which I DO NOT UNDERSTAND), but that's understandable, considering it's math, chem and bio.

I officially have no idea what I want to be. I feel so passionate about language now, instead of science. What do I do?!?!?

We have a choir retreat tomorrow from 9 until 2:30. I'm super excited, I have no clue what to expect, and that just makes it more exciting. To make it even better, we get to buy food on our way home even though it's a closed Baz day (closed bazaar)

Oh, and I had to share, you're all invited:

Awesome, right? If it's clear send me pics, because I doubt we'll have clarity enough for it.

So aside from school news, not much has happened. Tanuvee, Kalkidan and Uma have all gotten fantastically sick, but I'm on some hardcore antibitoics that probably killed anything harmful in my stomach.

And, after having fantastically failed first room check, we all vowed to do a major overhaul on the room. This morning, it was totally clean before I left for Morning Workout, and Ms Geeta forgot to do room check. D.E.R.K. shared a communal groan at that.

Tuck shop tonight! One chocolate donut, some kind of chocolate timbit thing, and dark-chocolate-covered-cashews later, and I am well over my chocolate cravings. 

Amazing photos courtesy of Devika to come later.

Lots of love!

Emily

Here comes the sun

Hello readers!

When I last wrote, I was bout to leave for the dance. Some nice photos from the dance:

Me, Tanuvee, Kalkidan and Tanya. The braided girls!

The roommates!

The dance was pretty much like a J.F.R CVI dance, except there were less people, no lazer lights and they had Bollywood music mixed in with "Party Rock Anthem" and "We Found Love".  It was interesting to dance to, I'll say that.

Saturday is a day to chill, a day to breathe out. Spending Saturday hanging out with friends, eating homemade Indian food care of my lovely roommate, staying up until 1:30 watching the princess bride with Tanuvee and Devika, skyping and chatting with people back home, sounds like a good way to spend it (especially considering it was POURING with rain).  No photos from saturday, sorry...

Sunday is, of course, church day! A whole group of us went up to Kellogg church yesterday. Kalkidan is my official church buddy; I don’t think I’ve ever met someone quite so religious. It’s actually really fun. She comes from a very different spiritual background, so it makes for some interesting conversation.

We took the cab up to church (cab fares are freaking cheap!) and had a nice, leisurely walk back, giving me quite a few photo ops!

A nice view of the plains

I can't quite believe I took this photo. A perfect view of campus. The top right building is midlands, the circular in Alter Ridge (middle school girls) and dining hall, the one with the pool is Hostel (Senior boys) and you can't quite see the school, but whatever.

Yay plains!

The village

Kellogg church

Oh, and THE SUN HAS FOUND MEEEEEEE!!!

The sun is back (ish) and I love it, every second I can I'm out snapping photos and enjoying the sky before it dissappears again.

That evening, we hung out in dorm and ordered Domino pizza. Something I was not expecting to be able to do, but still awesome…

Monday, school. Yay! Everything is going so well here. My french teacher Ms Amy brought in chocolate croissants (which was unfortunate, since because of my antibiotics everything tastes like bile). I’ve started my voice lessons with Mr Okie the choir teacher (he has me singing Se tu m’ami. I already love Italian). We’ve also started choir, I’m auditioning for the school play (I’m going for Lady Macbeth!) and I want to join the Japanese drumming group. Can you say “arts kid”?

Here’s some pics I took on the walk home from school with Lexine and Kalkidan. It’s gotten to the point where I can almost run up the steps to midlands. Be proud, people, be proud…

Kalki and Lexine!

The front gate

Artistic shot=wet bum

Totally looks like a sasquatch, dunnit?

Walking home...

The misty mountains

My board in my room!

Tuesday has been a good day. It helped that the day started out cloudless and then thunderstormed later: my favourite! We also had time to work out in the gym, and overall it was just a good kind of day. I wrote a killer report in french on a canadian sport (lacross) and am learning cool new stuff in Bio & chem. I love the book we're reading in English, and life is just plain good.

Oh, and just randomly, here are some photos of mussoorie at night:

Trust me, this is nothing compared to real life: the whole hillside lit up with tiny pinpoints of light everywhere...

And here's some random photos I want to share:

We got the photo up! Proof of our roommate-ness

Our room!

No clouds this morning: that was a first, although totally appreciated.

Outside the dorm

A gorgeous view!

Another nice view

Courtyard and health center (where I'm trying to volunteer)

An even nicer view!

Is it obvious that I like the views here?

Later on: cloud cover coming in.

A feature of woodstock that all students apparently have to experience: Throw a rock through the tree on Lover's Lane  and make a wish!

Devika on her... fifth attempt? Annabelle got it on her first. I got it on my 12th, I think.

Tanuvee managed to get not one, but two rocks stuck in the tree! We thought this should count as double wishes, even if she didn't manage to get one actually through...

Our desks! Kalkidan is a bit of a decorator....

My internet space, where I am now.

Love to you all, 

Emily

PS here's a monkey for you. The babies are so cute with their wet fur...

Oh monkey, you try and fail to look dignified...

New roommate is awesome

Heyla!

Kalkidan lives!!!! Yes, the new roommate from Seattle has arrived, after having her visa delayed in the post. She's freaking awesome, just letting you guys know.

Yesterday we had some KILLER rain. It thunderstormed for about 5 hours, and it was uber loud on the plastc sheeting roof in Midlands. I've got a video but it's not letting me upload... Mum, have you got it in Dropbox? Post it on FB if yes.

We've got a LOT more space now that the extra bed is gone. Ms Maya had the dorm staff take it away, so we've got the most spacious room in the dorm. Hooray!

I'm really starting to make good friends here. Last night, Annabelle brought up a couple of 80's movies. We rearranged the beds and had a girls-night-in movie night! We watched "16 candles" with Molly Ringwald. It was me, Kalkidan, Devika, Tanuvee, Annabelle, and Lexine.

Here's our setup:

Kalkidan passed out at about 8:30, and woke up at around 5, just like all the North Americans did first day. Accoring to her, I make some weird noises when I sleep. Random...

Today, we had a relaxed, laid back day. We were going to go to Bazaar, but no one really felt like going out in the rain (which was almost as bad as yesterday). So instead, Kalkidan braided hair, I taught  a couple of the girls Jungle Speed.

Tanuvee is really happy with her braids. I'm super fond of mine too.

Tonight is the welcome back dance! I'll probably not stay too long, but it's gonna be fun with all the seniors there! Maybe the boys will actually talk to us...

Oh, just a side note, the rain makes the monkeys look reeeaally funny. ;)

Stay awesome, lovelies!