Settling In

After a quiet first week on the hillside, Woodstock is now bustling with the first of the weeklong all-staff meetings. Altogether there are over 150 staff (residence, teaching, admin, and support) with an additional 150 employees (janitors, cooks, guards, etc), so the energy of the place is quickly returning. When the 450 students arrive next weekend, the place will truly be buzzing with excitement.

My first week back was very enjoyable. Monsoon is late this year, which is both a blessing and a curse. The locals are very concerned about the lack of rainfall. Without enough rain, the area is in extreme danger of draught (and wildfires) next spring. However, it has been nice to be able to spend free time outside. The crew of new staff this year is very adventurous, so we have done quite a bit of hiking and exploring in our free time. We've also had a good amount of time to just hang out and get to know each other. At one orientation meeting, we were asked to briefly summarize where we are from. At most staff meetings, this might take 15 minutes. At Woodstock, as I should have known, no one has a one word answer for what they call home. An hour later, our jaws were all dropped at how incredibly diverse and interesting our group is. It is unbelievable to work with such people.
Oncoming monsoon clouds. View from campus.

Snapshot from a a day hike with new staff to Kaplani village (5km east of Woodstock).


As far as actually settling in, the transition has been very smooth. I have my own apartment in the high school girls dormitory (Midlands). It is the perfect size for one person with a living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and what I call the "awkard room" for random storage. The apt came funished with furniture and appliances, but I have done quite a bit of shopping to make it feel homey. I was happily surprised to find out that my friend Laura and I have apartments across the hall from each other. Four other Midlands dorm parents live in the building as well. So far it has been great, but when 120 high school girls move in, I might change my mind :)

Overall, it feels fantastic to be back. Things are mostly the same, with the exception of friends who are no longer here and new construction. The new gym should be completed within a month or so and the high school boys dormitory by winter. Mussoorie has a new restaurant, but otherwise seems the same. It has been fun to visit with the tailors and shop keepers as I walk through town.

Safe Arrival!

Just a quick update to say that my journey went smoothly and I have arrived safely! About 20 of the new staff members arrived together in Delhi on the 16th. We spent a full day in the heat of Delhi before taking the train up to Dehradun and the infamous taxi ride up the hillside to Mussoorie. It feels so wonderful to be back. This week is filled with orientations for the 30+ new staff. Next week more than 100 returning staff join us for inservice. Students arrive August 3rd, school begins August 5th. Overall, everything is great. Thanks for all your thoughts and encouraging words. I will send a more complete update soon.

Off to India!

Here I am, 11 months after my initial passage to India with another plane ticket in hand. As exciting as this is, I can't help but notice a profound difference this time around: it's a one-way ticket. Yikes. In a matter of hours, I will be stepping onto a plane for my next great adventure as a full-time staff member at Woodstock School in Mussoorie. Why am I doing this? Here are a few reasons:

The Job: As a recent college grad in a struggling economy, it is hard to argue with the salary, health benefits, and great work experience that Woodstock offers. Although I would prefer to be teaching art, I am starting out as a "dorm parent." Woodstock is a residential boarding school with hundreds of school kids living on campus. Dorm parents keep them on task, help with homework, maintain general well-being, and offer listening ears to the drama (oh the drama!) that comes with the crew. I will be living and working specifically with the high school girls of Woodstock. There is reason to believe that an art teaching position will arise at some point, but I am not sure. Either way, I look forward to working with kids.

The Place: Woodstock is situated in one of the most beautiful landscapes I have seen. Unlike the chaos of Indian cities, Mussoorie and adjoining Landour (the technical home of Woodstock) are quiet communities with many walking paths, beautiful mountain views, and a canopy of old growth pines, cedars, firs, oaks, and maples. Of course there are also angry monkeys, barking dogs, lively markets, and honking cars at all times, but that keeps it exciting.

The People: Woodstock is truly an international school, drawing students and staff from around the world. While some, like myself, claim one cultural identity, many Woodstockers are multicultural or third-culture. For example, a student born of Indian parents might have grown up in Thailand, spend summers in France, speak English, Thai, and French (but not her parents' native Hindi), and go to an English speaking school in India, where a majority of her classmates have similar stories. In short, the people are fascinating and the community is truly multicultural.

The Experience: I have always had the idea of spending a few years abroad, but never thought my destination would be Asia. Likewise, I did not expect that it would be a paid experience in the field I would like to work in. I am so excited to be working with multicultural students and also to see what it is like to invest in a community on the other side of the world, especially one where I don't speak the language or completely understand the culture. I am equally excited to use Woodstock as a gateway into other parts of South Asia. I already have a long list of the cities and countries I would love to visit!

As I think about the changes ahead of me, I know that I will value sharing my experiences with you. Equally, I hope that you will take time to share your stories and updates with me. Please note that Woodstock does have great technology (albeit with frequent power outages), so I will be checking my email daily and blogging regularly. Here are a few great ways to correspond with me:

Skype: nan.onkka (Note that Delhi is currently 10.5 hours ahead of CST)
Email: nan.onkka@gmail.com
Mailing Address:
Nan Onkka
Woodstock School
Mussoorie, Uttarakhand
248179 INDIA

With that, I'm off to finish packing. More to come soon!