Culture

This weekend I got to attend a few different events (nothing ever stops here at Woodstock).  

First, we had the Indian music concert, which only happens once a year.  The kids who train on the sitar, tabla, santoor, and vocals all get to perform for the school.  It was an interesting experience, and again I realized how little I really know about this land I live in.  The way music is described is incomprehensable to me.  Songs were described to be played at 15 beats in raag teentaal.  Honestly, reading the program I thought I was reading the names of students (who is Raag Teentaal?).  The songs also go on for a few minutes longer than is comfortable for my inexperienced Western ears, but the songs are almost enchanting with the rhythms and repetition.  I'll have to go next year and really try to figure it out.

Saturday was the Woodstock Mela, which is the Indian term for fair or gathering.  There's a building on campus called the Hanifl Centre for Outdoor Education.  It has been vastly underused, mostly due to its location (the far edge of campus, but, hey, still closer to the school than my house).  Well, Mrs. Hanifl was in town, so heck, let's try and show her we use the place!  The Mela was held there, despite the old location working fine and dandy.  

Vendors from Mussoorie and from the smaller villages further into the mountains showed up to hawk their food and wares.  The Thai, Japanese, and Korean kids at the school organized to serve food (or shaved ice) to help with scholarships.  The 9th grade sold hot dogs (chicken kabobs on a bun), the 11th grade sold ice cream, and the 12th grade did nothing as far as I could tell.  My grade, 10th grade, was supposed to be in charge of the carnival.  Long story short, because of the location, we had no room for a carnival and we were reduced to face painting.  Overall, it was a good time for me.  First of all, I had the shortest walk to an event for the first time ever.  I ate a ton of good food and got my hands on some rare brown sugar (about a dollar at Walmart, where it is from, but I paid 300 rupees or about 6 dollars for it).  I also picked up a batik wall hanging of an Indian-looking Jesus.  Very cool.  

In addition to all the food and selling, there was a bit of entertainment.  A few Nepali kids did a dance, the elementary kids all dressed up and danced, and a few of the Woodstock employees did a dance.  But, the best was the group of kids from a local village.  They rocked the place with their Indian dance moves (screwing in the light bulb and all).  They had major stage presence and at one point a bunch of them jumped on each other's shoulders and danced like that.  I'm learning that for men, dancing is all in the shoulders around here.  I continue to use my hips when dancing, but I have been practicing the shoulder bounce.

Anyways, the weather has gotten nicer, it's almost May, and that spring lethargy has been creeping into student and staff alike.  Summer is almost here!