Week ending November 5

For those of you who have been following the blog you will know we had quite an adventure. Now it is back to "normal" which is anything but "routine." Every day is different! Gigi is the exam coordinator and I am the Standard 12-a Form Tutor. That just means to say I do the registration each morning and do a Personal Development class for 80 minutes once a week.

On November 5 the Standard 10 dorms (boys and girls) went to Jungle Retreat for the day to celebrate the birthday of one of the classmate members. It was a great day, right from the commencement. 4 vehicles had been ordered to transport the girls from Selborne. Only 3 vehicles arrived and the drivers assured us we would all fit in for the drive. Well, after waiting 45 minutes with multiple phone calls a solution was reached and we set off down the Western Ghat with its 36 hair-pin bends. It was quite an adventure! The National Highway is a strip of pavement with dirt road on either side and presents some very interesting situations when you meet an oncoming vehicle.There was fantastic scenery along the way. The mist was coming up the valley as we went down. One minute we were in full sun and the next minute we wondered where the road was! The driver of my vehicle was excellent in that he drove sensibly, not like our first driver who drove with his head out the window!

Jungle Retreat is a resort center with a swimming pool and open space for games. A delicious buffet luncheon was served and the group spent the afternoon in the pool with lots of laughing and splashing and just good-natured fun. One of the highlights was seeing Mr. Bates with chocolate cake all over his face as his birthday was also celebrated.

During the afternoon a goat herder came through the grounds with his goats - large and small, black and white. We enjoyed watching the goats eating the grass and just strolling around, not being bothered by us at all.

After lots of splashing and having a great time, it was time to get back in the vehicles for the ride back up the Ghat. There was a slight traffic jam just as we drove out of Jungle Retreat! We managed to make our way through the congestion and were on our way.
Once back at Selborne it was a quick change and then out the door to catch the 6:00 P.M. showing of Johnny English at the Assembly Rooms Theatre. We had seats near the front which were not padded as we had only purchased 20 rupee tickets. It was not one of the better Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) films. The price, however, was right. When we came out of the theatre it was pouring rain. I managed to get all 18 girls in 4 auto-rickshaws and sent them on their way. Gigi and I went in to the Cafe coffee Day and enjoyed a hot coffee and some cake before getting an auto-rickshaw and making our way back to Selborne.

It was certainly a week and a day to remember for quite some time.