For Nick

Nick requested that we bring back some pictures of us with students, or of us out on the land. I figured, hey, why not two birds with one stone?

We went ice fishing for cod last Monday afternoon. It was absolutely a blast, the weather was sketchy at first, but gorgeous later on and the kids where totally different people once we got out there. I think they realized that they were orders of magnitude more competent than me and they made sure I was okay. They also convinced me to try Kilk and Bannock... I don't think that's going on the list of things I'll miss about the North when I leave. Caribou and Char, totally, canned meat and fried dough, not so much.

Anyway, the whole afternoon left me thinking, why don't we do stuff like this with our students back home? Maybe not ice fishing, but say a hike in the nearby woods?

I was bored, so I climbed a mountain

There's a big hill, a mountain really, up by the airport. I decided that since I was having a boring day I should climb it despite the -28 windchill in the town and lower on the mountain due to the higher winds. (I'd like to say thank you again to my family for lending me the money for proper cold weather gear.) Anyway, it took me about 45 minutes to climb, due to the deep snow, but only about 15 to descend.

As I was near the top I saw something extraordinarily cool, I heard a noise, looked and saw a plane rounding the shoulder of the mountain below me. This was weird for no less than three reasons 1: I was above the plane. 2: The plane was below the mountain and 3: No planes have been able to get in or out of town since Tuesday.

Titles of Tales

To those of you wondering what the town looks like, and who don't find the (admittedly poor) pictures I posted earlier this week to show much, I grabbed some shots from the harbour. Enjoy.

As for developments and stories of interest, there have been many, but most do not lend themselve easily to textual form. So I'll list them in a purposefully vague way in order to garner interest for stories when I return:

- A student tries the hard sell
- Why I'm not an elementary school teacher
- Administrative attitudes
- Full house
- Like office politics, but a whole town
- Applied water conservation
- Nevadas
- Statisitcally significant, methinks

Not that I've peaked your curiousity I'll relate a single anecdote. Did you know that "not even!" is the standard Inuit-English for "no", "that's silly", "no way", "I don't want it", "you're foolish", "I don't believe it", "you're joking", "you're cheating" or any other way of stating a negative? I've heard it more than all of those other phrases combined. And then some.

Safe Harbour

As Janne recently pointed out I've been remiss in my blogging duties. This week was the hump, the "new town smell" is gone and nothing super exciting has happened, some interesting going-on's. those are best told in person. So I'm back to the grind of student teaching. All said it's not that bad, but I miss the people I know and love. I guess I'm a bit homesick, but that's just because no new "OMG I'm in the Arctic!" stuff is going to happen until next weekend.

Anyway, to the pictures. These are of a stroll I took on the harbour here in Kimmirut. Ahh, there's the "OMG I'm in the Arctic!" moment... literally walking on water.

PS The rock formation in the last picture is the town's namesake, the rock is callled Kimmirut, literally "looks like a heel."

Around Town (cont'd)

This is a view of most of the town from the other side of that same hill. The harbour is to the right and the airport is to the left. Some of the town is blocked by the hill itself, and the snow bank. The school and the place I'm staying are behind the hill. Near the middle of the town. (More images from around town to follow, it takes forever to upload them on this connection so have patience.)

Around Town

I went for a walk about town today. The first stop was a hill at the edge of town overlooking the mouth of the harbour. The views were simply stunning. The only down side is that the hill, unlike the town, is exposed to the wind so it was a bit chilly.

The 'ol fishin' hole (in the ice)

We went cod fishing at Soper Lake today. Pascale needed some fish to fed her dog team so her, another newbie named Paul (in town to fix some equipment), and two local guys (I forget their names) took some snowmobiles over the hill to the lake. Along the way he stopped to feed Pascale's dogs the remaining cod from last weekend and in the process I lost my mitt. If you're wondering, yes it is cold to have your hand blasted by the wind on a snowmobile at minus 22 wearing only a thin glove liner.

Anyway, we got there and was a gorgeous day. No wind at all and bright sun. We dug two more holes in the snow and ice (the guys were already there and had already dug a hole) and started jigging for cod. Luckily, since there was no wind my hand was plenty warm. A few hours later we had caught around 60 cod (I caught about 10 myself) and we took off. In all, I have to say that there are few ways to spend an afternoon that are finer.

Oh, and if you were wondering, yes I did find my mitt on the way back.

Centerpiece

This is what I saw as I walked from my room into the kitchen/dining room. I love Nunavut.

First Day

Had my first day teaching in Kimmirut today, no pictures, but that's to be expected. I can't be a shutter bug in class.

Teaching up here is very like, and very different than, teaching down south. The basic "stuff" of teaching is the same, there's a classroom with desks and chalkboards, there's photocopying to do and recess duty, there's tired kids in the morning and off the wall kids after gym class. The kids themselves are similar too, they try the work sometimes and couldn't care less at other times. They are friendly at times, and sometimes they're in a bad mood. They chat in class and try to sneak stuff past the teacher.

The details and the overall atmosphere is where it's different. Of course the chatting in class in half in Inuktituit. Everyone goes by their first name, Mr. Wilson is no more. School money conversations talk about hiring snowmobiles for trips to the floe edge. Those are the details, but the atmosphere is what struck me most. The pace is all different. Much slower, but it never seems like time is being wasted, I'd call it slow and steady. There's no hurry up and wait. Schedules are flexible, including when students (and teachers) get to the classroom. You really get the feeling that the school is a team, it's not like the grade 6 teacher doesn't talk shop with the grade 9 teacher.

So, yeah, those are my first impressions. The only thing I'd add is that it just feels right, it fits me somehow. Though that's my impression after just one day, it could change.

Committed

Well I'm here until Thursday at least. That's the last I'll see of the plane until then.

New Digs

So my new digs are amazing. I have a nice small room to myself and the view is gorgeous. Also, I kinda like my foot warmer.