On Saturday, September 22 at 9:00 A.M. the Level 13s along with 3 staff and 1 IG (me) left Hebron in Ooty for Brooklands Guest House just outside Coonoor at an altitude of 1500 meters. That is about 700 meters lower than Ooty.

The boys put most of their luggage on the roof of the bus for the trip down the rough, bumpy road. With stops to let upcoming vehicles negotiate the tight corners the approximately 20 km journey was completed in just over 1 hour.

Once at Brooklands we had morning tea and Neville, the student director, outlined the program for the Level 13s. The adults had the pleasant task of "come and sit in" if you wish. So, in the morning we went and sat in on the rehearsals for Les Miserables, an adaptation. They have certainly taken liberties with the script. The first performance is on Saturday. September 29 for the school. The Drama Week starts on Monday, October 1 for 4 nights. Level 7 on Monday, Level 9 on Tuesday, Level 11 on Wednesday, and Level 13 on Thursday, October 4. This is the last night before mid-term break which starts on October 5 and finishes on October 15.

The gardens of Brooklands contain many different species of plants. Here are just a few pictures.






In the afternoon some of the adults went for a walk in the tea plantation. The scenery is magnificent with mountain range after mountain range. Hopefully you can see this in the pictures.

The girls of the group spent some time Saturday morning working on the costumes for the play. Hand sewing the different coloured patches on skirts which had been purchased at the market for almost nothing.

The food was very good with lots for the hungry young people. There was good table conversation and all in all the weekend was a real treat. The weather was warm and sunny. I even had to wear my Tilley hat! When we got back to Hebron, Ooty, late Sunday afternoon, the first thing I did was find a fleece top. It was drizzling and damp! Back to reality.

A few pictures

Here are a few pictures:


The IG group from New Zealand, Australia, India, England, Sweden and Canada


The road to Cochin which we shared with all other kinds of transportation




Road side plantain chips freshly made and spicy


Laundry - lakeside Sunday morning


Fresh fish at Fort Cochin Saturday morning

Now that reports are out of the way, I can tell the rest of the story of last weekend.



At 8:00 A.M. Sunday morning we presented ourselves at the tourist kiosk to check in for our 8:30 departure only to find the kiosk closed. We were informed that someone would be there by the owner of a closed coffee stand. Sure enough at 8:25 the agent arrived and collected Rs 425 for the back water cruise. At 8:30 the mini-bus came and off we started. The countries represented were Canada, USA, England, Australia, Germany and Israel.



The morning was spent on a larger boat with motor. We went through the lake and saw about 26 islands of varying sizes. We stopped at a calcium hydrate installation. This is where the left over shells of something like a clam are turned into calcium hydrate. The shells are heated over coconut shells which have been ignited with kerosene. Once the shells have been heated and their chemical composition changed, water is poured over them. The water reacts and the shells turn to powder. The powder is sifted and packaged and sold to pharmaceutical companies to make calcium tables. Once we returned to our starting point we had a Kerala lunch on board.



After lunch we were back into the mini-bus and off to another community. Here we boarded a dug-out in which chairs had been placed on the floor for our comfort. With one man in the front with a pole and a second man in the back with another pole, we were off on a wonderful journey through many man-made canals. We stopped at a coir works. Here the husk of the dried coconut is soaked for several days to soften the fibres. The dried fibres are then placed in a pile and a process similar to a spinning-wheel (for wool) takes place. As the fibres rotate they pick up other fibres and so a coir rope is made. Several of these coir ropes are then wound together to give strength. A relatively simple process which allows people living away from a city to have meaningful work and earn money. We continued on further and stopped at a coconut plantation Here we watched as one of the men climbed a tree and cut down several coconuts. We each were given a coconut so that we could sample the milk. Once we had drained the milk the shell was cracked open so that we could scoop out the soft slimy interior. It certainly did not taste like coconut. Once we had finished eating our fresh coconut we walked back and boarded our dugouts for the return to the bus.



The maximum speed of the bus on the highway as just under 60 km. Not fast by our standards! Now I understand why there are so few accidents on the roads as no one really goes very quickly at all.



The return trip to Ooty on Monday only took 9 hours instead of the 13 to go down on Friday. Back to school by 4:30 tried from a bumpy bus ride but otherwise non the worse for wear.

Weekend in Cochin

After a 13 hour bus ride on Friday on what is left of the National Highway 47 the port city of Cochin was reached. The first impression was the heat 28.5 degrees and very high humidity. It reminded me of Montreal. After 7 weeks at 2200 meters the heat and humidity were oppressive.

After a Rs 2.5 (about 6 cents) ferry boat ride from Ernakulam (main land) the island of Fort Cochin was reached. The first sight were the Chinese Fishing Nets in operation. It is really quite something to see the counter-balance system of weights which are just stones tied with cord to thicker ropes. The men walk out on the net frame to help sink it in the water. Once the catch is in, several men start pulling on ropes which then raises the net. The net is gathered to keep the fish in one section and the fish are then dumped out and brought to the roadway for sale.

Another interesting feature is the St. Francis Church built in the 1700's. It is supposed to be India's oldest church. Vasco Da Gama was buried here in 1524 before his remains were returned to Portugal. There are old-fashioned fans in the church which are made of dried grass covered with a lace cloth. It is still operable today.

A leisurely walk around the fort area allowed views of the Parade Ground with children playing in the water after the rain, the Dutch Cemetery which dates back to 1724, the Santa Cruz Basilica and Loafer's Corner. A stop in the Old Dutch House for morning coffee was perfect. No sooner had the coffee been ordered than the skies opened and the rain poured down. Perfect timing! Other points included the remains of Fort Immanuel which is now a navy facility and is behind barbed wire fencing.

Saturday afternoon was spent window shopping on Mahatma Gandhi road which is the main shopping district. All the larger stores are there along with hundreds of small shops that all sell their good on the side walk. It is like one continuous side-walk sale as you walk about town. there are virtually no sidewalks. People walk on both side of the road along with the bikes and motor bikes. the autos (3-wheelers) cars, truck and buses all use the road way as well. talk about confusion!

Saturday evening was an experience with David Devan's Kathakali Dance. This is a typical dance form for the region. David Devan has been dancing for years, He is now 77 and does the commentary during the dance. there is an involved make-up process which is part of the show. It was difficult to take pictures as the dancer moved! The music of drum and clashing cymbals was hard on the ears. At times there ear-splitting screaming as well. a night to be remembered.

Tea Estate

Today, Monday September 10 a group went to the Glen Morgan Tea Estate. The journey of 25 km took almost 2 hours by bus. The reason for the slow trip is that there are many potholes in the road. Most of the potholes have potholes of their own. We drove neither on the right nor the left of the road. We drove on what is left of the road after the monsoons. Very little, in fact.

Once we arrived at the Glen Morgan Estate we were royally treated by the owners. They have only one daughter and she was a student at Hebron school several years ago. She is now married and we heard all about her wedding almost 2 years ago. After a cold drink of 7 Up we went to visit the tea factory.

There was no tea being dried at this time. The manager explained the process of partially drying the tea with large fans until 50 % of the moisture is removed from the leaves. If the tea is for "green" tea then the semi-dried leaves go to one side of the factory. If the leaves are for "black" tea then the leaves go to the other side of the factory. The leaves are then cut, dried, sorted and cut some more. Finally the tea is ready to be packages into tea bags. This particular plant does only green and black tea for tea bags - "dipping" tea. The Estate owners have several other factories which produce other kinds of tea. We also saw the "tasting" room where the tea leaves are made into tea and tasted to see whether or not the product is marketable.

After the tour we went back to the house and saw the area that had been constructed with bamboo poles and a thatched roof for the wedding reception in December 2005. The wedding was held out of doors and when the sun went down the temperature fell to -4 C. They had several fire pits going to keep the guests warm as well as B-B-Q's for the food.

Lunch was served under the awning in front of the house with home made carrot soup, garlic bread, rice, bean curry, curd, dhal, roti, salad, omelette on toast, and pudding for dessert. The servants were waiting on us - piling our plates whenever there was space. Lunch was prolonged because some of the group had cycled over and were late getting there.

The Estate is at 7000 feet above sea level.


We had of course the same bumpy bus ride back to school on the national highway - pictures tell the tale.

6 Weeks

Six weeks ago today I left Montreal for Ooty. How time flies! It seems like only yesterday I met Val Graham (South Africa) and Tim Cather (Australia) at the airport. We had lunch and waited for the Trythall family (England) to arrive with their 3 children. We picked up Tom and Valsa George, Vice-Principal student affairs and started the 3 hour bus ride up to Hebron School in Ooty.

We have had just over 4 weeks of classes and marks for reports are due in on September 18. The children have written 2 math tests with a third to come next week. Their "prep" (homework) has also been evaluated. For the Level 7's we are giving only a comment as to how the child is doing.

Starting September 26 we have the drama presentation by Levels 7, 9, 11, and 13. in order to prepare for the Drama Festival, a major event, classes are shortened by 5 minutes each on Thursdays. The school day finishes just before 3:00 P.M. For those students not involved in drama, 8,10, and 12 their are different activities to keep them occupied while the other levels practice their plays.

Last week the Level 8's visited the Ooty Club. This is a left-over from British days. It was and still is the official hunt club of the region. It is also the location of the first snooker table where coloured balls were used. Their is a plaque on the wall and it is all "very proper" as the English say. We were told "no cameras"

This week the visit was to the Raj Bhavan. This is also a relic of the early 1800's. It is an official government building and is used today by the Governor. He stays there about one month per year. There are over 100 bedrooms in the residence. The current governor stays in a suite of room on the upper floor over looking the Botanical Gardens. Once again we were told "no cameras". AS we had to walk through the gardens to get to the Raj Bhavan I took my camera and was able to get a shot of the gate, the pool garden and the palace showing the front door. The garden side is around the back.

Today most of the school is at Wellington, Coonoor for a sports day. Feeling slightly under-the-weather I decided to skip the bumpy one hour bus ride and enjoy the sights and sounds of Ooty. The sun was beautiful for about 20 minutes and then the clouds came and the rain came, too.

Monkeys

This week has been fairly normal up to this point. Monday was the IG's days off. So once I finished teaching at 10:20, I was off. The IG's had decided to meet at Selborne for lunch and Miss Lily laid on a spread. We had quiche, roast beef, rice, macaroni and cheese, vegetables, dhal,rhubarb and custard, cake, and tea. We were stuffed. We had a walk in the Botanical Gardens and then through the Toda village.

Later in the afternoon I went for a haircut. At 35 Rs I think it was a good deal. The local pay 20 Rs!! (1 Rs = $0.026)

On Tuesday morning I had a period off and as the sun was shining I decided to spend some time reading in front of my flat. All of a sudden I noticed shadows moving along the ground. I turned to see several monkeys on the roof looking down at me.

The rest of the week has been quite normal. We are supposed to leave at 7:15 A.M. Saturday morning to go to Coonoor for the Athletics finals - Track & Field. There is a lot of opposition - so stay tuned as a decision will be made today.

Lodgings

Here are some pictures of my lodgings.


From the bed to front door with wicker furniture, dresser, and wardrobe.


Kitchen counter with 1 burner gas stove for hot water for shaving and tea/coffee


From front door showing whole room


Bed and desk area

The wicker furniture and carpet are new! When I arrived I had only the chair by the front door. The mattress on the bed is HARD!

I do not spend much time here as I am busy most of the day and also there are evening activities. It is nice to have a quiet place to come home to as the Staff Dining Room can be quite noisy at meals times, noon especially when everyone eats together. Supper and breakfast are a little quieter as the Dorm Parents can eat in their quarters with their family. All the children eat in the Main Dining Room which is next door to the Staff Dining Room. If the connecting door is left open it is difficult to hear each other across the table.

All the dishes are tin. Tin plates, tin bowls, and tin cups. When people place their dirty dishes in the bucket there is quite a noise.

Today is Sunday with church at 11:00 this morning and then 7Up (Christian activity) for the 7"s and 8"s this evening. I will probably go for a walk in the Botanical Gardens just beside the school this afternoon.

Lock Down

Just as I was thinking that routine was setting in "Lock Down." On Wednesday morning just after the helicopter flew overhead the Air Raid siren went off and the school went into "Lock Down!"

It turns out the helicopter had nothing to do with the "Lock Down." The drill had already been planned. Draw the drapes, lock all doors from the inside, stay away from the windows, and keep quiet. The Air Raid siren went on for about 5 minutes. The all clear was then sounded and life got back to normal, or as normal as it can be.

At the beginning of every term Fire Drill and Lock Down Drill are conducted. We had had the Fire Drill and now the Lock Down.

Every day at 6:00 A.M. and again at 6:00 P.M. the Air Raid siren goes in the town of Ooty. I think this must be a communal alarm clock in the morning and a signal to stop work in the afternoon. When I hear it in the morning I know I have another hour in bed before the alarm goes off. Friday morning as I lay in bed dozing and drifting in and out of sleep I heard the siren in the back of my mind. Only after it had been going for a few minutes did I realize that it was the Fire Drill sound! That's right - at 6:45 A.M. Friday morning we had an out of school hours Fire Drill. It was quite the pyjama parade with a real bunch of sleepy heads. Except for those in the know. They were properly dressed!!!


Today was the school's Cross Country day. A compulsory school event for all to attend. Each grade level in the junior school ran their respective races. The Middle and Senior schools had time trials during the week and so only the top 6 ran in these groups. The train was progressively longer and harder. I was a course marshal at Post 14. To get to Post 14 was a 20 minute walk up the hill through the Toda village and then up the path. The first runner came by at 10:17 and the last runner at 11: 25. By 12:30 all the ribbons and prizes had been presented and the Blue House won.