Sunday, October 19, 2008

Swimming

What a difference an year has made:

The girls did extremely well in ACC Annual Swimming Championships!

The first day it was Tanya's turn .
She took part in 5 events that is permitted.

Her Results were as follows:

50 mts Breast Stroke - 1st Place
25 mts Breast Stroke - 2nd Place
25 mts Back Stroke - 2nd Place
50 mts Free Style - 4th Place
25 mts Butterfly - 5th Place.

All in all she did a fantastic job in all her events.
For three of her events she had to do heats and then a final...so it was a good day...with a lot of swimming to do...


The next day - Sunday was Riona's Category:

We had convinced her to give it a good try. She has had about 20 hours of swimming lessons in all so there is only so much you can expect.

She took part in

25 mts Breast Stroke - 4th Place
25 mts Free Style - 4th Place. ( By the way she swam breast stroke since she doesnt know any other stroke)

She had to do a heat and a final for each event, something that was hard to explain.She kept reminding me that "you said only two times" .By the time she swam 4 times she was enjoying it...That was the hard part a heat and a final for every event...She was really tired and just didnt want to do the finals...but she did without much noise eventually...she is growing up finally....

It was a great weekend to remember for the girls...they had fun and was exhausted that they were in bed at 7 pm....

Here are a few photos of the session!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Taipei Living

We completed two years of living in Taipei....two years ago I wrote how we spent our first 15 days here...
And for the occasion to be remembered Riona lost her first tooth.

And I got my reality check we are still in Taipei when you pick up an apparent legal notice in your post box you cant read a word on it..


We have come a long way:

Here are things I learnt in Taipei

I managed to blog most of the significant things and sometimes the insignificant too we did when we were in Taipei!

It doesn't bother you when you read a notice in the elevator saying "Dear inhabitants"

For the first time I managed without a maid.

I can cook a full meal and host dinner for a dozen people.

My knowledge on systems of education and curriculum has increased so much that early childhood education is something I can write a book on.

I learned to drive on the right side of the road...

I have no fear in going to a place knowing very well you can't communicate with anyone.

On an average day you meet over dozen nationalities with varied culture yet you are part of a big picture and you may be asked with astonishment Are you Indian?How I wished I could say that I am from China?

While in Taipei we visited most tourist destinations in Taiwan.

We also visited Hongkong, Japan and New Zealand...and literally all in the span of 12months.

Tanya and Riona are into singing, dancing and swimming very actively.

My best friend in College became an author and I must say I was thrilled..

My sister had a baby.

I helped a good friend set up a website.

I spent and did a very expensive course on Internet Marketing.And really didnt put to any use..In retrospect it was a waste of money.Though my first website was up

The world witnessed the unfolding of Sub Prime Crisis.

I counted months to leave the country and I am still here after two years.

I managed to trade options and think I know my niche area now.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

What is IVY League?

What is Ivy League?


I am often a part of conversation where parents of teenagers comfortably talk of how her cousin is in an IVY League College and how students from a particular school had very high percentage going to IVY League Colleges. Other than it meant some colleges which were reputed I never knew what it meant…and decided to lend a listening year and not contribute hoping I will be as informed by the time it is time for my daughter to graduate.(She is eight years old now)

I wondered whether the others in the room really knew what it meant but everyone was presenting a well informed and knowledgeable look. I decided before I blurt out something very dumb I better do my research and hence ended up writing this post.

What is Ivy League?
• A small group eight private universities.
• They enjoy an excellent reputation
• They attract top students.
• “Ivy League” originally referred to sports and not academics.
• They all are located in North Eastern US
• All are long established private institutions.

Which are the Universities

1. Brown - http://www.brown.edu/
Admission related Information : http://www.brown.edu/web/about/facts/admission
Where is Brown?
http://www.brown.edu/web/about/providence

Test scores
There is no preference between the SAT and the ACT.
SAT scores must be submitted along with 2 SAT Subject Test scores.
ACT scores must include the Writing Test.
Tests should be taken by January of the applicant's final year of secondary school.
SAT score (25/75 percentile) 2010-2290
ACT score (25/75 percentile) 27-33
I don’t understand these scores yet but will soon and not sure how authentic they are. So please do your own research.

2. Columbia
http://www.columbia.edu/
Admission Related Information
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/isso/admit/

Where is Columbia?
http://www.columbia.edu/about_columbia/tour/

Applicants must submit SAT or ACT (with Writing) scores, plus 2 SAT Subject Test scores. For engineering applicants, one Subject Test must be in mathematics and the other in physics or chemistry. Home-schooled applicants must submit scores from 4 SAT Subject Tests.
SAT/ACT and SAT II scores must be received by January 1.
SAT score (25/75 percentile): 1980-2220
ACT score (25/75 percentile): 28-33
I don’t understand these scores yet but will soon and not sure how authentic they are. So please do your own research

3. Cornell http://www.cornell.edu/
Where is Cornell?
Cornell University
410 Thurston Avenue
Ithaca, NY 14850
Test Scores
There is no preference between the SAT and the ACT.
Applicants must submit a SAT or ACT with Writing score plus 2 SAT Subject Test scores.
The Common Application is used with a Cornell supplement.




4. Dartmouth http://www.dartmouth.edu/
6016 McNutt Hall
Hanover, NH 03755
Test scores
There is no preference between the SAT and ACT.
SAT /ACT and two SAT Subject Test scores must be received by January 1.

More Admission Information
http://www.dartmouth.edu/apply/admissions/




5. Harvard http://www.harvard.edu/

Undergraduate Admission Office
Byerly Hall
Eight Garden Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Test scores
Harvard requires scores from the SAT or the ACT (with Writing) plus 3 SAT Subject Tests.
There is no preference between the SAT I and ACT.
Applicants should take the ACT by mid-February and/or the SAT I and II by mid January.
The Common Application is used together with supplemental forms.
http://www.college.harvard.edu/academics/courses

6. Penn http://www.upenn.edu/
University of Pennsylvania
3541 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
http://www.upenn.edu/admissions/
The SAT is preferred over the ACT. However, both are accepted.
SAT scores must be submitted along with 2 SAT Subject Test scores.

The Common Application is accepted with a U Penn supplement.




7. Princeton http://www.princeton.edu/main/
Princeton University
P.O. Box 430
Princeton, NJ 08544

The SAT is strongly preferred, but ACT (with Writing) scores are accepted.
3 SAT Subject Test scores are required in addition to the SAT or ACT (with Writing).
Engineering applicants should take one SAT Subject Test in mathematics and one in physics or chemistry.
Applicants should take these tests no later than January.
http://www.princeton.edu/main/admission-aid/

8. Yale http://www.yale.edu/
Yale University
P.O. Box 208234
New Haven, CT 06520
There is no preference between the SAT and ACT. Applicants may submit scores from the SAT plus 2 SAT Subject Tests, or from the ACT with Writing.

Hope the post was useful. I learned a lot in the process of writing it.