Christ Church

Our flat is just above the hill from Christ Church.  This had been the church that CW attended when she lived here, and we both had brought extra suitcases with needlepoint kneeling cushions for the church, so this is where we had to go on Sunday morning.

The church was built in the 19th century as an Anglican Church for the British community in Mussoorie. It was beautifully restored a within the last 20 years. It is currently a part of the Church of North India, a union protestant denomination.

I couldn't resist taking these pictures of the organ, which is badly in need of restoration.

 And a picture of the electric panel which is an odd mixture of new and old!

There are many memorial plaques along the walls .. this one for a British soldier who died in Waziristan .. a place where many are still fighting and dying.

There is a tree outside of the church that was planted in 1906 by Queen Mary, wife of King George V.

Church View

For these first 3 weeks we are staying in a flat in a house called Church View in Library Bazaar (now called Gandhi Chowk) which is about 4 miles from Woodstock School.  We've been taking a taxi to the school the (mornings we work, and then walking all or part of the way back.

We are staying on the 2nd floor of this house.

Some of the (misty) views from the flat or nearby.

We have been preparing our own breakfasts and dinners in the nice kitchen.

Lingering Monsoons

I have not taken many pictures so far as the weather is still 'monsoony.'  The first morning we were here there was thunder and a hard rain. Every day there has been fog and clouds.  A few times the fog has lifted enough to see an outline of Witches' Hill and the schools across the valley.  Everything in our flat is damp, and clothes came back from the dhobi (clothes washer) still wet. The tourist population in the Library Bazaar area is much lower than other years because of the weather. The forecast is for sunshine on Sunday and Monday, so we are very hopeful!

Humayun's Tomb

In Delhi we played tourist and went to Humayun's Tomb.  I had last been there in the 1960s and it was quite desolate in the center of a big weedy field.  Now, however, the site has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and money has been poured into restoring the buildings and the gardens. Humayun's Tomb is now a beautiful showcase for 16th century Islamic architecture and landscapes.  We are so glad we went!

At Work in the Archives

I am back in Landaur and working in the archives at Woodstock School, this time with two other volunteers, and two more that will come later this month.

In 1997 T. and I started work in the new archives room.

Within 10 years much more 'stuff' had been put in the archives room.

Now we are trying to clear out what doesn't belong there so we can make room for what does!

Uttarkhand Flooding response

Woodstock School is working on helping those affected by the flooding in June.  See a posting by the staff member who is directing the School's efforts. I'm hoping that when I am back there in October I will learn more.

Climate Change

While public figures in the U.S. debate the reality of climate change and environmental damage, people living (and dying) in the Himalayas bear witness to it.

On June 16 and 17 there were early and heavy monsoon rains in the Indian province of Uttarkhand, where Woodstock School is located. 

The region immediately around the Mussoorie/Landaur hills was less affected than river valleys to the east. However, there appears to have been damage to roads and bridges along the route that our class traveled on October 19 (see post of 10/21/12) according to an extensive article in the Chandigarh Tribune.

There is more general coverage in the New York Times (June 22, 2013 article), BBC (June 23, 2013 article), and The Hindu (June 25, 2013 article).

Woodstock School itself was not affected and the school is on summer holiday until mid-July.  However, this surely affects many of the families of support staff at the School and Pahari residents of the Mussoorie/Landaur area, as well as farmers getting their produce and milk to the Mussoorie markets.

When I learn of reliable organizations to which to donate for relief efforts, I will post those.