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shot Oct 30, 2004, 1:52 mins, 3.6 MB
Oct 30, 2004
Our old traditional June Sale has been replaced by the Mela, a themed party and bazaar usually held in spring. This year, for the benefit of the visiting alumni, it was held in October, opening with Woodstock band renditions of “Cheer for the Brown & the Gold” and “Shadows.”
Speeches were inevitable, but hardly anyone was listening – there was too much else going on.
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while Chris played air tabla:
fresh jalebis – yum!
The current students had been instructed (or ordered) to make an effort to be nice to all these weird old people wandering around. We all had name tags with our class year and place of residence, which made it easier to find a way to start conversation. Two kids took the initiative to speak to me in Italian, one Italo-Brit whose parents have a business in Bali, one Sikh who was born and raised in Rome. I had met the latter on my previous visit, when he was still wearing a turban. Having recently cut his hair, he suddenly looks very Italian! Both were polite, interested, and interesting, as Woodstock students generally are even at very young ages.
Students and staff also had plastic photo ID tags, which they now must wear at all times, for security. Parts of the campus are also fenced now, and there are chowkidars(with fancy uniforms, click the picture on the left) at every entrance.
Being able to check email throughout the weekend was an issue for some. Personally, I mostly avoided it, but, when I had a little time to kill before the Indian music recital, I took advantage of an unattended computer in the library. This is the room that used to be a classroom (German?) just outside the library, now totally dedicated to Internet access – for research purposes, of course.
Students now have access most of the day, in the dorms as well as in school buildings. Many of them also carry cellphones, though of course they are not allowed to use them in class. Constant communication with the outside world is assured – a huge difference from our day. I think I spoke with my parents on the phone only twice in my four years at Woodstock.
Woodstock 150th: Campfire Dinner & DJ Party
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.
Food!
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.
Woodstock 150th: Presentation & Tea for Dick Wechter
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.
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Woodstock 150th: At School
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.
Woodstock 150th: Dinner at Sharon & Steve’s
Midlands was lit up like a landing strip for aliens.
shot Oct 28, 2004, 0:19 min
Oct 28, 2004 – evening
In the evening, the class of ’81 and others close to us in age were all invited to Sharon (’79) and husband Steve’s house for a dinner party.
But first we took a walk to Jabarkhet…
…for tea, of course! Only for tea!
Then we hiked off in the other direction, past the school and up to Stoneledge. Huffing and puffing, most of us. Good company, an excellent dinner, and much drink awaited us.
Amy W.P. & Arjun S. (’83) – Amy & Lauri W.
Arjun, Lauri, Deepak, Vinita’s daughter – Deirdré
Lauri & Vinita
Manoj & Deanne (’79)
Neeraj Manchanda (architect) & Arjun
Vinita, Jeet, Neeraj, Anushka
Some members of the group partied on quite late, but I had only had about three hours’ sleep in two days, and was glad to get back to Hanifl and collapse into bed.