Homeward Bound!

The taxi left Inter's porch at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday, June 16th!

The time of departure was supposed to be 2:00 p.m. and we would have been on time if the luggage had not all been put in the car before the passengers. Once the luggage was in there was no room in the back seat for 1 passenger! So the luggage was taken out and some of it loaded on to the roof. With the rainy weather we then had to search for tarpaulins to protect the suitcases which were outside. Thanks to the Graham's some plastic tarps were found an the luggage was safely stored and the journey could begin.

The 36 hair-pin bends were negotiated without any problems - such as running into a herd of cattle or some other wildlife! As we drove through the Tiger Reserve we saw deer, monkeys, peacocks, and a wild boar. Obviously there were no tigers in the vicinity that afternoon.

We reached Bangalore Airport after an 8 hour 30 minute journey. The only stop along the way was a 15 minute bathroom break. By 11:15 p.m. I had checked in and had gone through Immigration. No questions were asked this time! Then it was on to Security!

I had to take the water pot out of my hand luggage and take off my shoes and belt. It would seem the plate in my leg was no big deal or cause for concern. The cause for concern was my Zimmer frame walker. Once Security was cleared it was on to the waiting area and a quick snack before boarding the Air France flight to Paris. We were a little early when we landed in Paris at 8:00 a.m. local time which was 11:30 a.m. Ooty time!

Having the Zimmer frame was an advantage as I had the short route through Security at Charles-de-Gaule. Due to inclement weather our flight was delayed and we eventually took off bound for Montreal! Little did any of us expect to find ourselves back at the airport because of a hydraulic problem. After trying to locate a replacement part and other delays the flight was cancelled.Here was my chance to spend the night in Paris! Again, thanks to the Zimmer Frame I was processed rather quickly and found myself waiting for the taxi ride to the hotel. The Customer Service rep who had served me found me and invited me to take a later flight to Montreal. I jumped at the chance!

As exhausted as I was it was a great feeling to arrive at Trudeau (Dorval) and go through Canada Customs quickly (thanks Zimmer) and then have to go to Missing Baggage and file a claim for my bags which were still in Paris. My wife met me and 41 hours after leaving Hebron I was home!

The baggage was delivered to the house before 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening.

End of story!

Leaver's Weekend 2013

The 2012 - 2013 school year is over.

It started off with the tea for the IG's on Thursday afternoon and then the Staff Party on Thursday night! Speeches and presentations all round. It was the time to start saying "Good Bye" to people I had known for the past 18 months. Thisis a photo of the Modern Language staff which will be quite changed in the next school year.

Friday was final dorm meeting for me with the Standard 10's and in honor of the occasion, after all the good byes were said, Mrs. W. made Dutch Donuts! Mmm... were they delicious!!! So delicious I managed to eat 3 of them!!
Saturday morning was spent packing my suitcases and getting ready for the Leaver's Service which was in the afternoon.

 It was really quite an emotional occasion to see "our boys" all dressed up and being presented with their Record of Achievement folders and then seeing Ande as one of the Valedictorians. It was really a thrill as some of them received rewards of achievement for Music, Sport, and Academics.
The service was followed by the Leaver's Banquet at Gem Park Hotel (Holiday Inn) Ooty.

The buffet was delicious and the entertainment which followed permitted all to share memories of life at Hebron. Especially meaningful was the tribute paid by Tom George, A-level Dorm, to the last A-levels to live in Blades.

On Sunday I went to church with Dennis on his motorcycle. It was a real treat for me to do this on my last day in Ooty. Union Church was packed!

All the extra chairs which were brought in were taken and some people stood outside and listened in through the open windows. Following the service there were 2 baptisms in a bathtub.

This was followed by a farewell tea for the Leavers. The snacks were great and it gave me a chance to greet former students from 2007 as well as some of the parents of the students in my classes.
At 2:15 p.m. I started the 8 hour 30 minute taxi ride to Bangalore! More of that in the next post. 

The end is in sight!

It is quite hard to believe my time in India is almost at an end. Where has the time gone? It seems such a short time ago I arrived back at Hebron School and now I am planning the last 2 days of classes before returning home.
So much has gone on since my last entry. The week of May 27 saw a return to classroom 8A on the lower teaching corridor. That means 61 steps to negotiate going down and 61 steps to negotiate coming up for morning tea, lunch, and after school. It also means making sure I am well organized and have all the necessary books with me when I leave my flat in the morning.
The weekend of June 1st was the A-level formal dinner at one of the exclusive Ooty hotels. As many other dorm activities were taking place that weekend there were no school buses available to transport the students. The available autos had to make several trips with the last group arriving at 8:00 P.M. The first group left school at 5:00 P.M.! It was a great opportunity for the students to mingle, chat, and otherwise enjoy themselves while waiting for the different groups of students to arrive. the decision was made to eat dinner at 7:00 P.M. and the last group arrived just as the entertainment was commencing. There were the requisite speeches for the Leavers by the Standard 12's and then the responses by the Standard 13's. There was also a fitting farewell tribute to the Georges who are leaving after 26 years here. The Georges were the first Dorm Parents for the A-level boys in blades and are also the last A-level Dorm parents in Blades. The A-levels are moving out of Blades and into Ebeneezer for next school year. This will have all the A-level boys in the same dorm and not spread out as they are now in Blades and Silverdale. (We were Dorm Parents of Silverdale from Jan. 12 - June 12)

Saturday, June 8 was the Standard 10 formal dinner at Kluney Manor, a 200 year old establishment. The meal was buffet-style Chinese followed by a melodrama, which the students enjoyed, and then speeches for the leaving students. Transportation was much easier this time as there were just over 40 students involved as opposed to the over 80 of the previous weekend. You can see the staff who work with the Standard 10 dorms.

This past Sunday was the annual chamber Concert. Once again this year the music was top-notch. We have some very talented students here at Hebron and they were able to show off their accomplishments.
Just last night, June 11, I was a guest of the Standard 13 boys at their Leaving Dinner. We were their dorm parents last year and have wonderful memories of our time together. The dinner was held in the Taj Savoy. Both the surroundings and the meal were of high calibre.

While all this was going on we have the tree cutters in taking down some tress which had previously been identified and then have the logs carted off site. What a production that was. We have also watched as the Junior playground has been rebuilt.
This Saturday, June 15, is the Graduation exercises for the Class of 2013 which is then followed by the banquet at Gem Park ( formerly Holiday Inn) .