shot Oct 30, 2004, 3:40 mins
The festivities for Woodstock School’s 150th Anniversary included a recital on sitar by Sanjeeb Sircar in the school library. This is only about a quarter of the full piece.
sitar: Sanjeeb Sircar – tabla: Bharat Shinde
My classmate Chris was playing air tabla; I think he studied tabla in school (so did I, for a semester, but I was as hopeless at it as I am at other musical instruments – all I can do is sing).
shot Oct 28, 2004, 33 secs
Next on the agenda was an outdoor dinner and campfire at the campground just above Hanifl Center, organized by Tenzing and Tsering, with their sons helping out. Gautam is a very talented guitarist.
shot Oct 29, 2004, 0:56 min – Darab and Gautam singing a Garhwali folksong (I guess), Tenzing, Tsering and Pinder dancing. Everyone else practicing their vices.
shot Oct 29, 2004, 1:15 mins, 1.8 MB
This was taken at an outdoor campfire feast, with a team of hired cooks. I think the darker balls of dough you see at the beginning are makki ki roti (corn bread). When you hear my voice, I’m speaking a mishmash of Italian, English, and Hindi.
Dinner, song, and chat were followed by a DJ Dance Party. It took some time to explain to the DJ that we are old people and like old music. He was baffled that we wouldn’t get out on the floor for the latest tunes. When he finally found stuff we liked, he played it over and over again.
Lots of broken image links to fix… when I have time. Meanwhile, you can see the full gallery here.
Tenzing (’80) and Joe Pilaar (’79)
 and Tsering (Tenzing%27s wife).jpg)
Geraldine (Jeet’s girlfriend) and Tsering (Tenzing’s wife)
No shortage of drinks! All generously supplied by Sanjay, who himself does not even drink.
shot Oct 29, 2004
Oct 29, 2004 – afternoon
The Class of ’81 has raised over $50,000 for the Wechter Resource Library at Hanifl Center, which called for a dedication ceremony and (of course) tea.
First, we had to figure out what to say. Rohit was drafted into service as our presenter, with help from his friends. Many Wechter stories ensued.
Teeran – Rohit & Durjoy
Rohit & Susie
Deepu’s daughter, Pinder, Sanjay
Deepu & Sunita
And afterwards we all had tea.
^ Denise interrogating Principal David Jeffery
^ Sharon Seto (’79, WS Development Office) and Jane Cummings (KWI)
Jane says “Arre, yaar!”
Temporary plaque at Hanifl Center commemorating ours’ and others’ contributions. The final plaque for the Resource Library will list all the names of our classmates who have donated, along with a memorial for the two who are no longer with us.
Trilingual keyboard on one of the computers we paid for.
Oct 29, 2004 – evening and well into the night
Next on the agenda was an outdoor dinner and campfire at the campground just above Hanifl Center, organized by Tenzing and Tsering, with their sons helping out. Gautam is a very talented guitarist.
The next morning (Friday the 29th) some of us went to school, partly to stock up on Woodstock souvenirs. We all got the 150th anniversary fleece jackets (black, with a pine branch and “150th” embroidered on the breast) – Rs. 350. I also bought a Woodstock sweatshirt, which I hope will last longer than my previous one, and a beige bucket hat nicely embroidered with the new school logo. Lots of other goodies were available – coffee cups, jewelry, a DVD movie about the school, and a complete set of yearbooks scanned and stored on CD.
The main office area has been thoroughly reconstructed with a staircase going up to the alumni/development office where the Quad women’s staff bathroom used to be (there are nice new bathrooms out towards the kitchen now). Below the alumni office, what used to be the entry to the principal’s office, Tibetan room, and tea garden has now been closed off and made into the new IT center. Steve Ediger gave me a tour of his server room:
Cables galore – the entire campus is wired now, I think. In fact, Woodstock is one of the most IT-equipped educational institutions in India, including the universities. Steve has a lot to be justifiably proud of.
(Dude, he’s got a Dell.)
Lots of broken image links to fix… when I have time. Meanwhile, you can see the full gallery here.
The class of ’81 met at the Quad dining room for lunch, lining up with trays for old times’ sake. Some of the bearers looked familiar and remembered us; others were almost certainly the sons of some from our day.
