Hyderabed - May 18 - 21, 2012

On Friday May 18 we had to use the side gate to leave school due to the immense crowds at the Government Botanical Gardens 116th Annual Flower Show. The traffic in Ooty was horrific, to say the least. The school was virtually in lock-down mode as we could not use the main gate which shares the drive with the GBG. The taxi picked us up at the Glenrock Road gate and then drove down the Kotagiri road to Coimbatore airport. In 2 and 1/2 hours we arrived at our first destination only to find the flight was delayed 80 minutes. This delay was caused by the late arrival of our plane. We had "snack" food for supper both before and after clearing airport security!

The flight from Coimbatore to Hyderabad was just over an hour. We arrived in 34 C temperatures and quickly got a pre-paid A/C taxi to take us to the Golconda Hotel in Hyderabad. This was to be our home for the next 3 days. The A/C worked well and we enjoyed the comforts of both the hotel and our taxis!
At 9:00 AM Saturday our guide/driver met us and we started our whirlwind your of Hyderabad. The first stop was the beautiful white marble Birla Mandir Temple. Cameras were not permitted in the temple area and so there are few photos. The temple is on many different levels and we started our stair walking for the weekend. There were many spectacular views from the various levels as we ascended and descended the steps! One great view is overlooking the Hussain Sagar Lake.
As we were driving to the Salarjung Museum we passed the Mecca Masjid mosque and enjoyed the view of its domes. Once at the Salarjung we had to surrender our camera. No photos here!
Then it was on to H.E.H. The Nizam's Museum and again no cameras were permitted inside the building. As the temperature was 43 C we really made the most of our time in the museums which were either air-conditioned or at least had forced ventilation. We did have to stop to refuel with salty potato chips and Limca (lime drink). We did manage to see the "Veiled Madonna", and the two-faced statue. The two-faced statue is carved in such a way that from the front you see a man and if you look at the reflection in the mirror you see a woman. The Nizam Museum was quite simple after the Salarjung. The Nizam also contains the world's longest wardrobe cupboard with space for 365 outfits!

We then moved on to the Chowmohalla Palace. This was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and was considered to be the cultural highlight of Hyderabad. The palace showcases 19 Belgian glass chandeliers as well as a 1912 Rolls- Silver Cloud with 356 miles on its odometer. It has been used on special occasions!

Along the way we stopped at the Charminar, the 4 turreted monument in the centre of town. We also saw the Hyderabad university with its Hindu pillars on one level, its Moslem pillars on a second level and the main doorway which resembles the main door to a Christian cathedral which was quite impressive.

Hyderabad biryani was on the lunch menu before going to the Andhra Pradesh State Museum and Gardens. We did see an Egyptian mummy and we were also permitted to take our camera, for a fee! There were some interesting artifacts. Then it was time for some retail therapy before a drive around Hussain Sagar Lake and back to the hotel.
We enjoyed a relaxing swim in the shaded hotel pool and sat in the shade in 43 C weather! It was back in to our A/C room and we ate in the hotel's main dining room that evening. During the meal we were treated to local India musicians and enjoyed their music.

We started out at 9:00 AM on Sunday morning and went straight to the Golconda Fort. Gigi managed to climb all the way to the top! The construction of the fort is such that there is no open gateway visible from a distance. There is a curtain wall built outside the wall of the fortress. One enters the fortress by entering the area between the two walls. There was not sufficient space for a battering ram or similar divide to be used to break down the gate.The tombs of Sultan Quli Qutub Shah were next on the list. We were certainly "famous people" as we were continually being asked if people could have their photo taken with us! The acoustics of the tombs allowed one person to stand in a corner and call out and be heard by the entire assembly.

Before going on to the elephant tree we did stop at "Temptations" for a morning milkshake. That is a story in itself! More retail therapy was in order before going back to the hotel for a late lunch and chilling in our A/C room before a dip in the pool and dinner.

Rainy Saturday Birthday Party

There is a little bit of catching up to do after our weekend away. More of that later. Saturday May 12 was a busy day at Hebon School. The Gables Dorm held a Coffee and Jumbo sale at Selborne. The home-made scones with fresh cream and jam were excellent! A second group was going to Glen Morgan by School bus, a third group went to Avalanche, by School bus and the Standard 12's went to a birthday party in the Tempo, 4 trips later! The day started out bright and sunny and Groups 1, 3, and 4 made the trip in the sunshine. Group 2 made the trip in the rain. You don't need to guess in which group I found myself! Gigi and I got soaked as we walked in to the house from where we were dropped off. Due to the heavy crowds for the Flower Show, a 10 minutes trip ended up taking over 30 minutes each way. Due to the inclement weather about 50 of us had to spend time inside the spacious house overlooking the valley. After lunch the skies cleared and we were able to get outside to play football(soccer) and to go horse back riding or for a ride in the buggy. The family have at least 5 horses and all are very "child"friendly. The afternoon was a great success. Due to all the activity there was only 1 school bus to take us back down to school. So, the boys were taken to the Doddabetta junction and after a 55 minute walk, down the bak way, we arrived at school. The road through the forest/jungle was peacefull. We could hear the horns of the rick-shaws as they tooted their way up and doen the 2-lane highway along with all the other vehicular traffic! The following day, Sunday, we decided to go to Union Church and so I did a "bed check"at 10:30 A.M. just before leaving for church. I did surprise 2 fellows who were still in bed. They assured me they would appear in church. They did not! As school policy is that all students must attend at least 1 worship service per Sunday, I decided a second "bed check"was in order. And, guess what? They were still in bed at 12:05 P.M. They were caught and now have to sign-in and sign-out from church for the remainder of term! Oh the joys of Dorm Parenting!

Coonoor and back

Last Saturday was the Jazz Café organized by the new Student Council Executive. The Sports Hall had been converted into an Arabian Tent. We arrived and walked down a vine strewn pathway into a tent-like structure. Huge banners had been affixed to the ceiling and then drooped to the sides to form the roof of the tent. Subdued lighting and a carpeted floor added to the ambiance. (Dorm carpets were used) Small benches and tables with lit candles were set up. Waiters and waitresses came around with mock tails and other beverages. While this was happening another set of wait staff was circulating with cakes and ice cream! It was a veritable feast - both for the eyes and for the palate!

We, the audience, were treated to some outstanding vocal and instrumental items by both students and staff. It was an enjoyable evening at the conclusion of which movies were shown. One movie was shown in the Sports Hall and the other movie was shown in the Staff Room. The students were able to choose between staying and watching a film or going to their dorms and studying! A difficult choice!!!
Sunday night was the Leaver's Service. This was a service organized by the Standard 13's and was held in the GSMH. There were some excellent testimonies by the students and there was great singing by all.

On Monday Gigi and I along with the Stones, our new IG friends, hired a driver for the day. We started out by going to Doddabetta Peak. This is the highest peak in the Nilgiris at over 2,600 m. The view was quite hazy even at 10: 30 A.M. We did enjoy many views as we drove up through the valley and then on towards Kotagiri. Many photographs were taken of the various views and the tea estates along the way. We went in to the lookout at Catherine's Falls before arriving in Coonoor. Once in Coonoor we went for lunch at La Belle Vie, a french restaurant owned by the father of one of our students. We ate outside on the covered balcony and enjoyed a sumptuous meal! We had no room for dessert after the appetizer and main course.

Following our lunch we went on to Dolphin's Nose for another view of Catherine's Falls. Once again the views were partially obstructed by the haze of the day. We were able to see down to Mettapalyam.
No trip to Coonoor would be complete without some retail therapy. We went to Fabindia and to a shop selling upholstery fabric. We now have some new fabric to cover the dining-room chairs at home! Just think - we had to come all the way to India to find the right fabric!

On our way home we drove through Wellington, a military base, and then up the road to Ooty. We had one stop on the way to take photos of the valley and were back at school in time for supper. It was a great day and we really enjoyed the company of the Stones.

Swim Gala and other events

Since my last blog entry we have had the annual Swim Gala and chosen new prefects for the 2012 - 2013 school year. We have also had some changes n the dorm. So, let's start at the beginning.

Saturday, April 21 was a beautiful sunny day for the Swim Gala. All the students and most of the staff were in attendance at poolside. As we had rain for a few afternoons at 4:00 P.M. there was sufficient water to fill the pool and to clean it properly. The Grounds Crew did an amzing job at having everything ready for the Gala. With flags flying and whistles blowing the event commenced. The super-senior boys created waves as they swm their lengths. The junior school hardly created any waves. The event concluded with the students throwing the principal into the pool to the delight of the younger students. Unfortunately, I did not witness the event as I had gone back to our flat with chills! I missed the meal of Chinese food at Selborne that night and the movie which followed. By late afternoon my temperature was 103.8 F or 39.8 C and Hoz had given me some meds to reduce the fever. I spent Sunday at home relaxing and by Sunday afternoon I was having a repeat of Saturday and I was scheduled to be seen by the doctor on Monday. By the time I saw the doctor Monday morning I was feeling so much better. As the symptoms were very similar to a previous illness we had some blood work done. The initial tests were normal. The second test showed thyphoid and so a course of anti-biotics was started. When I saw the doctor on Friday, she informed me that about half of the community has thyphoid at this season due to the monsoons and the changes to the water supply.

The staff and the outgoing prefects had suggested those suitable for prefect responsabilities for the new school year. The weekend of April 27 - 29 was their retreat at Brooklands. When they returned on Sunday it was time for the out-going prefects to come back inot the dorm and the new pefects to assume their new duties. We lost 7 of our 15 boys as 5 became prefects and 2 moved up to Blades. They were replaced by 4 level 13's and 2 level 12's. We have had a period of adjustment this week and all is going well.

As we are now into the monsoon season with rain just about every day, the dry brown grass is turning green and the many flowering plants are breaking into blossom. The crowds are coming to Ooty from the plain to escape the heat and to enjoy the beauty of the Government Botanical Gardens. Traffic is re-routed throughout Ooty.This past weekend as half of our dorm was away on the prefect's retreat, we went to Quality Restaurant for a buffet meal. The restaurant is rather small with a seating capacity of 75 and we were a group of 80. Needless to say, some ate very quickly and left so others could be seated. The atmosphere could have been better. Having said that, I must admit the food was delicious! Once we were all back at the dorm  we watched a movie and that concluded the evening.