Katrina reaches India, and newcomers are now old

I've been watching the news: CNN seems to be "all Katrina, all the time".

My current favorite channel NDTV, the local equivalent of CNN, treats Katrina as one of the disasters that regularly strikes India or Bangladesh: terrible devastation, accusations from local politicians that the federal government is not doing enough to help, and hundreds of unfortunate poor people washed away. Just last month there were a few such floods in different parts of India, including the big city of Bombay. So it's not all that unusual an event here, including the scenes of poor people with uneducated speech clamoring for food or evacuation. But, the reports of gangs and looting, and firing on helicopters -- that's shocking, and shows how uncivilized American culture is, how thin the veneer of civilization is in U.S. cities.

On a happier note, world-class India is delerious with the news that Sania Mirza made it to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Tennis Open, the best that any female Indian tennis player has ever done.

Here at Woodstock, we have reached the first six-week point in the school year: traditionally a milestone for new students, as before this they are not allowed out of "boarding", and we give an unofficial grade report. The students on academic probation are nervous at this time -- I've had several clamor for their grades, but I'm still marking some of the homework. I'm going in to the office today, determined to finish all the grading! (my excuse, illnesses kept me from grading them, so I got a backlog)

The school invites all of the newcomers to special dinner at this six-week
point: each grade separately, and the new staff as a group. Coleman's
sixth-grade cohort dined last week; Christopher's turn will be next week.
The Admissions Director greets them and hears concerns, then tells them "you are no longer new. You are now fully a part of Woodstock!"


On the right here are some photos of our own potluck supper for fellow newcomers:


Then, the deputy principal invited the new staff for dinner at her house (catered by the food-service), and sat with the HR director to hear suggestions and concerns and compliments. Her main suggestion to us was to get our houses decorated in our own style as soon as possible, to make them comfy. For our part, we expressed wish for better organized childcare during the whole orientation period (first week was great; second week was neglected), which they readily noted. Also, we expressed a wish for more sympathy -- and empathy -- from the old-timers (including the administration), when we encounter the inevitable difficulties in the hillside culture.


OldTimers regale the newcomers with stories of Just How Bad It Can Be, and Why, Just A Few Years Ago This Wasn't Even Paved (so why are you whining about it?), and then present a list of all the dramatic accidents of the past several years, leaving the impression that every step, every drink, every bite is fraught with mortal peril. This is of course a natural human tendency, and should make us pause before we next complain about "the media's" tendency to sensationalize the "bad news". They're only acting out the natural human tendency, but with a very big megaphone.

Time for breakfast: oh, a commentary about curious lapses in supply-- no skim milk or soy milk is available in town, for a couple of weeks. (two percent, and whole milk, no problem).

Everything in Mussoorie comes from a few suppliers in DehraDun, up a single steep road. There are alternate routes, but they're much like "the Burma Road" in world war 2.

Our internet connection also follows that one road -- every few weeks, some construction backhoe (or guy with shovel) cuts through the cable, and we're cut off for six hours! Imagine, in this day and age, no email for 6 hours! It happened yesterday when I had planned for my classes to look at some websites, so I had to reshuffle my plans quickly.