Kodaikanal International School (KIS)

Hello from the Alumni Office at KIS! This post will be a little bit of a departure from all of the Bethania entries. My dad spent eight years living in Kodai, from grades 4-12, while his parents served as Lutheran missionaries. I spent one semester at KIS during my sophomore year of high school. So, both Dad ('65) and I ('98) are considered alumni, and it's fun to be back on campus. We are both enjoying a trip down memory lane. Dad continues to be very involved with alumni activities here. He is really in his element, giving me lots of history about KIS, Loch End (the compound where he lived), and the British Raj "in all their glory."

Actually Kodai is a little on the obnoxious side right now, so I might as well report all of the little irritating things first. Kodai is a popular tourist destination because it is set in the Palni hills (which are really beautiful) at an elevation of about 7000 feet (which makes the climate considerably more comfortable). Right now Kodai is absolutely overrun with tourists. Today there are big, loud celebrations going on for the Assumption of St. Mary and Indian Independence Day. I would have thought that the latter would have been the bigger festival, but in fact, I was quickly proven incorrect. Overnight at about 2:00 am, there was a huge parade (very Hindu-esque in nature) with floats commemorating St. Michael, St. Joseph, Jesus, and lastly the Virgin Mary. This was accompanied by very loud music and fireworks. (Scott, you would not have been pleased to be sleeping through this!) I actually did manage to get decent sleep, but Dad got up and reported back to me about the festivities. We are both hoping that the city quiets down after today.

Another unfortunate thing is that we are somewhat restricted in what we can see because KIS is under quarantine. There is a lot of concern about H1N1 (swine flu) all over India; it has been the top news story since we've been here. Not to worry, Dad and I continue to be quite healthy and well. :)

Despite these things, it's fun to walk around campus and to see familiar faces. We have connected with Julie Stengele (Alumni Office), Pippa Mukherjee (Environmental Science teacher), and Barbara Block (art teacher). We attended the school's Independence Day celebration, which involved a quick flag hoisting, an address on Palni Hills conservation by the District Forest Officer, and several dances by the students.