Reunion in Mussoorie

Woodstock School Campus

Woodstock School is an international college prep school in Mussoorie, a Himalayan community about 300 km north of Delhi in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand. I (Paul) was a student at Woodstock from 1958 to 1968, when Woodstock's student body was made up primarily of North American missionaries' children. I am a proud member of Woodstock's graduating 'Class of 69', despite leaving Woodstock after grade 11 in 1968.

This week our class is holding its 45th year reunion back in Mussoorie. We've had regular, well attended and memorable reunions, but this is the first time in India. Especially for the sake of classmates who are unable to be here, I will attempt to document at least some highlights of each day's reunion activities here, and upload as soon as I can.

About 15 class members and spouses gathered in Delhi over the past few days, and there was a delightful dinner hosted there last evening by classmate Premla (Sagar) Sharma. Early this morning, those assembled in Delhi caught the Shatabdi Express and traveled together to Dehradun. Now there are more than 30 of us here in Mussoorie.

The slideshow for today begins at the Dehradun Railway Station, where the party from Delhi was met by Judy (Smith) Crider, Will & Kate Friesen, and Paul Hamilton.

Next was lunch at Dehradun's 'Black Pepper' restaurant, where we were joined by Harald Gruber and some of his extended family, including brother Wolf and sister Hanna.

After being delivered to Doma's Inn and Ivy Bank by a fleet of taxis, the Delhi party joined those already in Mussoorie for tea on the lawn at Ivy Bank. There was much informal connecting, as well as some organized sharing facilitated by Mary (Self) Skarsten, our class coordinator par excellence.

We enjoyed a  wonderful dinner in the Ivy Bank dining room, but picture taking didn't work very well there, so there's only one token shot.

Back in India -- Maiden Voyage of the Bolero

We are ever so grateful that we've been able to purchase a beautifully rugged four-wheel vehicle, designed in India for Indian roads. The Bolero is particularly well suited for the mountainous roads of Garhwal, where we hope to travel extensively over the next few months

To understate the case, driving conditions here are more challenging and unpredictable than those we experience on the roads of British Columbia! So, it was with trepidation that I ventured from the Bolero showroom into Dehradun traffic on Tuesday to begin the 35 km drive up to Mussoorie. Happily, motorcycle driving experience combined with the amazing handling qualities of the Bolero, meant that I was much more comfortable than I had anticipated.

Still, there was much need for some mountain driving practice under relatively relaxed conditions...

So on Thursday, along with good friends Will and Kate Friesen, we did a day trip that offered us the opportunity to savor the views from "Tingling Point", and to drive to within a kilometer of the temple and Forest Rest House in the deodar forest at Deosari. The latter was a popular hiking destination for us in the 60's, when all 16 miles had to be hiked on foot. Will and I were able to re-live some memories and share them with Kate and Lynn. Here's a slide show that documents our adventure on Thursday.

We're back in India again, but first...

We arrived in India exactly two weeks ago, and it is truly wonderful to be here again! This blog took a vacation during the six months that we spent back in Canada. So, before our first new "India post", which we intend to publish tomorrow, we want to share some visual highlights of our time in Canada. First, there is an extended slideshow that documents times spent with our children and grandchildren in BC. Then there's a short videos showing three generations of Hamiltons "zipping and swinging" at Camp Selah. Enjoy... and stay tuned. We've begun blogging again.

Summer family from paulhami