Last

This is it, this will be my final blog.

I had a good last day.

Thanks for coming along for the journey.

I look forward to chatting with all of you when I get home.

What i'm listening to:
The Weary Kind -Ryan Bingham
What i learned today:
secret's safe with me today :)
Complete the sentence:
Today

latest?

Hey folks, wasn't going to blog tonight.... been really busy, and its late - especially for Sheldon standards. Got thinking and realized I may not have time tomorrow night either.

I had the opportunity to sit in on a couple other classrooms today. It was excellent to see other excellent teachers in action. There are some fantastic teachers in this school. Tomorrow I will be going to the high school for the morning, sitting in on a class there, and then spending my last afternoon with my fantastic grade 7 class. I received some pins from my MLA today - perfect timing- and will share them with the kids. I also made a slideshow of pictures I took of them over the last 6 weeks.

Time: 11:51 pm. Can see a beautiful sunset down the street. How cool.

What i'm listening to:
Wavin' Flag - K'naan
Perfect Day - Lady Antebellum
What i learned today:
You never really know until you've experienced
Complete the sentence:
people around here

Avvajja!

With only 3 days left, I finally made it to Avvajja. I had pretty much wrote it off as not happening, but I'm so glad that I was able to. Avvajja is an island/set of islands NW of Igloolik. The way the glaciers carved the land centuries ago leaves the land looking like a series of hills poking out of the sea. The bays wind in and around like a maze, and there are freshwater lakes as well. It was a beautiful day, -6 and partly cloudy. On the way there, there is one convenient way 'in', the way the ice was and with the tide in, there was water over top of the ice (not uncommon this time of year) and getting across was interesting. There was a group of locals in front who had some trouble getting through. They were going to get ice for drinking water from the lake.

We took our time weaving around the lakes and channels and hills. I did some climbing too, took some pictures - which never seem to capture the real beauty. This would be a stunning place to visit in the summer. I've heard that with all of the islands around, and how clear the water is, it looks like the Caribbean when you fly into Igloolik.

Traditionally, this area would have been more popular than Igloolik. There is better access to the mainland here, more protection from wind, more wildlife, and plant edibles in the summer. There was a Catholic Mission set up here in the '30's I think. It still stands, although the steeple has been taken/fallen off in the last year. There is even an old cemetery nearby.

Remember to click photos to enlarge

Going 'into' Avvajja - Where the sea meets the land, was a mess today.

Beautiful - so unspoiled

Cemetery for the old mission.

What i'm listening to:
Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Greg Laswell
More Than Love - Josh Kelley
I'm About to Come Alive - Davie Nail
What i learned today:
The 'flow edge' is recognizable from a distance because the clouds above it are black this time of year. The rest of the clouds above snow are white because of the reflected sunlight.
Complete the sentence:
_____________ just got delivered and sheldon is F'ing ecstatic!!

boom boom pow

My final weekend in Igloolik has arrived. And as I sit here vibrating, with the sound of sewage being pumped out below me, it makes me think of all the new experiences I have had. I just went and grabbed some food from the freezer (the back porch - natures freezer). I had to lift up the seal skin to get into my cooler, and as I washed my hands at the kitchen sink, there was a boy being pulled on a sled down the street - by a dog. It's great how quick these things have become the norm.

Well folks, I have some cleaning, eating, organizing, marking and napping to do. Maybe I'll find a bit more creativity later.

What i'm listening to:
Family Guy
What i learned today:
something i'm sure...
Complete the sentence:
I love ___________ on my pizza

Snow Day?

I think someone was wanting a day off today... There was some snow and wind this morning, but not near as bad as it has been up here. The temperature was actually quite warm, -4 when I woke up. Anyway, no school today. I still went though, and spend a couple hours organizing and making sure I was good to go. Brian also came over and we were able to have some really good conversations.

I was invited over to one of the other teacher's place for supper. Trying to kick a bad headache first though.

What i'm listening to:
wind
What i learned today:
a lot, maybe that's why my head hurts?
Complete the sentence:
please

... and breath

Today was a good day! Last night, not such a good night. I won't go into details, but my immediate family will understand whey I say that it involved a B+. boo

My professor arrived today. It was so nice to see a familiar face and have him spend time in the classroom. He can say so little and I learn so much. The kids were really engaged in the activities and Brian was a huge help in giving me some ideas. I'm really happy he is here.

One week. wow.

Watch this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6ZqKmaN2qw

What i'm listening to:
Alibi - David Gray
Already Gone - Sugarland
What i learned today:
The value of under talking
Complete the sentence:
These mixed nuts

Laundry & Meatloaf

That's right folks, another exciting evening! To be honest, the laundry didn't need to be done and I had leftovers that I could have ate. Oh procrastination, how you muse me.

Today was a good day at school. I'm finding the days go by so fast. This is in contrast to ever day at other schools I have been at in Winnipeg. I cannot pinpoint yet what the reason for it is. Being at the schools in Winnipeg completely turned me off wanting to be a teacher. Being up here though has seriously made me rethink that. Hmmmm. In the spirit of the faculty of education, I shall reflect on this and write you a summary at a later date.

I'm not getting through near as much as I had hoped I would at school. This does not seem to be a problem at all with my cooperating teacher, which is nice. It's a different pace, that is for sure. Did I just completely contradict myself? It's a completely different pace up here (slower), yet the days are flying by.... and reflect.

My prof - Brian - was supposed to get here tonight, but he got stuck in Rankin Inlet for some reason and won't be here till tomorrow some time. Looking forward to seeing a familiar face and hearing what he has to say about what I'm doing.

Oh dear, carver was just here... I will now reflect on my relationship with Visa.

p.s. sorry for the profanity yesterday.

What i'm listening to:
I Want You - Kings of Leon
West End - Greg MacPherson
Finish Line - Rosie Thomas
What i learned today:
I'm ok with looking forward to meatloaf
Complete the sentence:
It has to be

another day, another blog!

Not much new here today. Just watching CTV Winnipeg news and was thinking about y'all. Looks like I'll be coming home to some green? Who's running/walking/cheering me on in the half-marathon this year? Tatum, how is the running progressing? I'm really looking forward to beginning training.

I find it interesting how my mind has transitioned from, 'wow, I'm in the Arctic for 6 weeks' to 'yikes, I'm heading home in a little over a week'. I likely won't be able to do/see everything that I wanted, but I could leave today and have no regrets. I will just have to come back again, maybe in the summer next time though... see it from a different perspective.

Did anyone else watch the story about mail carriers walking on the grass? OMG what has this world come too... Heaven Forbid! Should that story really get LIVE coverage? Holy Shit, AND the webpoll question?!

Watch this instead http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrAShtolieg

What i'm listening to:
Gord LeClerc, Maralee Caruso and Super Sylvia.
What i learned today:
My class knows a lot about electricity...
Complete the sentence:
my left foot told me to

Dear Weekend,

Where did you go?! It's Sunday afternoon and I feel like I have accomplished nothing. Planning still surrounds me, its coming along though. Yesterday was a bit of a write off, felt like I was spinning my wheels in terms of planning and got really frustrated. It got pretty miserable out during the day. The snow kept coming and the wind picked up, not technically a blizzard but close. Also, everything in town was closed for the young boy's funeral. All in all, just an off day for me. When there is a funeral in town, everything stops. If it had been on a school day, the schools would not have been open. All the stores close, and I suspect the government offices would also close, for at least the afternoon.

Today has been a bit more productive. I feel like I'm making some progress in my planning. I was able to get out with a few people to check out some igloos they made yesterday. We were planning on trying some kite-boarding, which looks like it would have been crazy fun. However, 60km winds were a bit much and it didn't work out. Igloos were cool though. I also made a trip to the northern to get some things for the week. I will try my luck at meatloaf tomorrow night. I know, exciting!

I received a reply e-mail yesterday from a speaker I mentioned in an earlier entry. I won't go into a lot of details, but it is one of the coolest e-mails that I have ever received. My e-mail could have been easily blown off, but she took the time to respond and invested herself in an interaction. If any of you ever have the chance to see Louise Rose 'perform', I highly recommend it. http://www.lrose.com/

What i'm listening to:
Its not me - Hawksly Workman
I'd Go Straight for Ridley Bent - Kate Reid
Call Me - Shinedown
What i learned today:
'... grateful that I do have the ability and the willingness to ask myself if anything I'm choosing to do today has the remotest chance of making a difference anywhere tomorrow.'
Complete the sentence:
I have been fortunate...

good morning

Hey Folks, it's been a couple days! Miss me?! I had good intentions of blogging yesterday, but, poker took precedence. Wish I could say that I won... unfortunately did just as bad as my last attempt. I get bored of it too quick, and lose interest. It was nice to socialize though.

Its a warm day here today, supposed to get up to -5. It's snowing my favorite kind of snowflakes right now, the big-ass fluffy ones that look like they are in slow motion. Temperatures are supposed to return to normalish tomorrow. -13, but sunny.

The snow means that there will not likely be any exploring happening... Not such a bad thing, I have a shit load of planning to do before next week. I need to figure out how to wrap up all that I have been doing in the next week. There has been so much 'stuff' going on in the school that I have been having a hard time getting through everything I want to.

Today is the first day since I left that I have craved a GOOD coffee. As some of you know, I like coffee A LOT. I have cut back considerably up here though. I have the occasional cup at the school, but it's your typical office/staff room coffee. Mostly, I have just replaced the addiction with tea, which I have enjoyed... but I really want an extra large, dark, strong coffee right now!

What i'm listening to:
The Valley - K.D. Lang
Sober - Kelly Clarkson
Sail Away - David Gray
What i learned today:
it can be easy to create new habits
Complete the sentence:
how did it ever

keep on keepin' on

The boy who was killed yesterday was the little brother of a girl in my class. He was in grade four and having fun tobogganing with his friends, like they did every day. Unfortunately, he came out onto the road at the same time as a truck. We had a staff meeting before and after school today to go over grief counseling. The community is obviously pretty shaken up. Everyone knows everyone up here, and a tragic accident hits everyone hard. We only had 7 kids of 21 in class this morning. Our class spent time making today cards today, and will be making muffins tomorrow to take over to the family.

Not much new to report on. I have put out word to a few people the couple things I'd like to do before I leave. Here's hoping that word spreads and I'll be able to get to Avvajja and the Flow Edge over the next two weeks.

What i'm listening to:
The Weary Kind - Ryan Bingham
Missouri - David Nail
Happiness - The Fray
What i learned today:
The long underwear are likely no longer necessary
Complete the sentence:
We can't afford

Sad Day

There was a boy run over this afternoon. He passed away shortly after it happened. He was in grade 4 apparently.

So, kinda bummed.

I changed settings so that those of you without google accounts should be able to comment now, sorry for the delay on figuring this out.

What i'm listening to:
Smoke Rings - Greg MacPherson

Differences

To all of my education peeps, I hope your first day back in the final stretch went well! The next three weeks will fly by! I have an inservice day tomorrow, not sure what it will be about. It is scary to think I only have 10 'teaching' days left. For those who know him, my professor - who made this opportunity possible - Brian Lewthwait is going to be coming up next week to act as my Faculty Adviser. The pressure is on now, or is it fear of disappointing? Both? Either way, I'm really looking forward to him being here. I will have the opportunity to get constructive criticism and advise from a mentor, as well as watch him in action. It's going to be good!

So Easter is all over here. The town goes all out. It seems more like a celebration of spring though than an 'Easter' celebration. I did not hear any talk of easter egg hunts, or candy from any of my students. I was hoping to put up more pics from the weekend, however the internet is slower than Clearwater dialup today...

I thought I would compile a list of some of the other differences I have encountered.

• Feast - Bring your own cutting utensil if you want the country food
• At a feast, country food is frozen and served on the floor
• Kids skating down the street is common
• Bicycles, still common in this weather
• I have not had fast food in a month!
• The only motorized transportation I have used is a skidoo.
• Consumption of processed food is very high - myself included and likely responsible for a few msg induced migraines...
  
• Its 10:30 - I can still see sunset
• Kids don't judge, even in grade 7
  
• Animal skins everywhere
• more to come....
  

What i'm listening to:
Razorblade - Matthew Mayfield
Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
Mr Invitation - Greg MacPherson
What i learned today:
When i get into it, i actually kinda like planning - hard to admit
Complete the sentence:
Its better to

Easter Bunny?

G.D. rabbit forgot about me. I want chocolate!

I guess I'll live... In fact, I'm living. Living it and loving it. Yesterday ranks as one of the neatest days on record for me. In the afternoon, I watched the Igloo building competition. There were some really talented Igloo makers. It's amazing how quick they went up. The two (of 7) igloos that were done first were built by a man and a woman that I would say were in there 70's. I guess they've had some experience, and were likely born on the land. The snow sculpture competition did not happen, not sure why.

The winning igloo - because it was first done? Its not quite done in this picture.

The inside of the winning igloo

After supper I had to opportunity to go dog sledding with a couple folks. Neither of them were really familiar with dog sledding, I think one guy had gone once before. Anyway, we were able to borrow a woman's stuff and take her dogs out. We got out there - all dog teams must be kept out of town - hooked all the dogs up (easier than I expected) to the komatic, and we were off! We took turns, one of us with the dogs and the other two on a skidoo. Basically all we needed to know were the 'go faster' and 'slow down' command. It was pretty awesome! This is a huge understatement, but it's really hard to get into words. When the skidoo wasn't nearby it was just you, 8 dogs, sea ice, and fresh air! Despite having no real idea what I was doing, it was extremely relaxing and peaceful.

The dogs ready to go.

Simply, Awesome.

Today, I'm going to go check out the tobogganing, if I get my ass in gear. If not, I will just be going to the Community Feast tonight. There is supposed to be a lot of 'country food', I'm looking forward to that. I'll let you all know how it goes! The feast is followed by gospel singing and a family dance. "Hokey Pokey, Chicken Dance, YMCA and lots more!"

Happy Easter Everyone, enjoy your westernized tradition of eggs, rabbits, chocolate, eating and the extra long weekend it provides some of us!

What i'm listening to:
Strange Condition - Pete Yorn
One Day You Will - Lady Antebellum
Say What You WIll - Justin Hines
What i learned today:
Sometimes you can trust a stranger
Complete the sentence:
I pick this hangnail because

Thank you

Well, I slept through the departure of the seal hunt. Oh well. The next activity that gets going today is the igloo building competition. I'm looking forward to seeing the igloo's being built and seeing the finished products. I've been in the Arctic now for almost 4 weeks, and still haven't seen an igloo... but I guess people don't go to the prairies and say 'man, where are the tipis'? There are also other games and a snow sculpture competition happening all afternoon.

I was invited over to the principal's to watch a couple Bollywood films last night. The first was 'Bride and Prejudice', 2 stars - it was cute. The second wasn't so much Bollywood, but a film based in India with Owen Wilson and Adrian Brody. I felt like I should have been stoned to enjoy it a bit more. 2 stars - kinda funny. Maybe I'll watch it again sometime under different circumstances ;) It was a joke, mom. Yes Haley (and Geoff) that movie reference was for you...

So, does anyone have any questions... No? There will be a test tomorrow, I hope you are all ready for it... insert snotty teacher grin here - cause you know that's the type of teacher I will be right? Seriously, what do you all want to know about what its like up here? It is getting to the point for me (in living up here) that most things do not seem new anymore, so I may not be inclined to share some things. So ask lots of questions. Athena? Where did you go? Always skipping class ;)

Oh ya, I did a hike up Cemetary Hill yesterday with Ali. Was a really nice day. So sunny, but the wind did make it feel like -25. I'll attach a couple pictures. Its a neat place. The graves seem to circle the hill, looking over the surrounding landscape. It was a really clear day and we got a really good view of the area. We could see mainland to the south and west, Avvajja to the northwest. It seemed like there was something in the horizon to the north... which I convinced myself was Baffin Island. However, I'm not sure it was clear enough to see 50 km.

View to the SW. There is a bit more town to the left - where I live. Is it just me, or is it weird that this was taking on Good Friday... just sayin'

Inukshuks on top of Cemetery Hill. The Dark spot on the horizon is likely Avvajja.

I will title this one - Iglulik through Inukshuk - yes dork, self proclaimed.

What I'm listening to:
Strangers on a Train - David Nail
Stepping Stone - Duffy
Married by Elvis - Barlow
What I learned today...ish:
The new Greg MacPherson album is fantastic. ch ch ch check it out!
Complete the sentence:
The best quality of my favorite teacher was

Happy April

I hope you all have exciting plans for the biggest bar night of the year! Not this kid.. just chillaxing, gotta save up my energy for the rest of the weekend. I opted out of the family dance at the high school tonight ;) Today was a bit of a flop. A series of unfortunate events let me to miss the Hamlet Day games on the ice. I actually got there just as they were ending. It was a beautiful day though, and the walk was nice. I hit up the Norther store on the way home to make sure I had provisions for the next couple days. Exciting, I know.

Good Friday is a full holiday here as well. The community is essentially shut down, except for the airport. I will likely get down and dirty doing some planning to make sure I am ready for the next couple weeks (only 10 teaching days left). Saturday, Sunday and Monday are filled with fun community events for everyone. There is a seal hunt, pancake breakfast, igloo building, snow sculpture contest, skating dance, family dance, tobogganing, dog team races and much more. If the weather holds up, it should be a pretty awesome weekend. I'm trying to figure how I can get in on the seal hunt. For real. I know, coming from the farm kid who has never hunted anything but gophers, this must seem weird. Actually the seals from the hunt will be used for the community feast on Sunday.

My carver friend came to visit today with some ideas for my walrus tusk. I'm even more excited now. I'll be sure to post a picture when I get it!
Have a fantastic long weekend folks, eat lots of chocolate and enjoy time with your friends and family.

What i'm listening to:
You - Shelby Starner
Tomorrow Morning - Jack Johnson
What i will be listening to - the new Greg MacPherson album! s..l..o..w..l..y.. downloading :)
What i learned today:
There is reason why i only watched one season of survivor.
Complete the sentence:
I am still enchanted by

Tusk

I think I mentioned in a previous blog that I was going to get a walrus tusk. Well, I didn't just get a walrus tusk... I got two. I'm pretty excited about them. The biggest one weighed about 1.5 lbs. I gave it to one of the carvers in town and he's going to do 'something' with it. His son is actually in my class, which makes it even more exciting. Looking forward to getting the finished product. Walrus up here are a very valuable resource, especially for food. Like most animals hunted by the Inuit, very little goes to waste.

So far the only local foods I have been able to try are Arctic Char and Caribou, both prepared in very western style. In the post where we went on the land, the picture of the frozen walrus is actually the meat and blubber of a walrus wrapped/sealed in its skin. Hopefully I will get the opportunity to try other food as well.

Well folks, not much else to report on today. Tomorrow is Hamlet Day and there are games happening around town. I hope to get out and see what all is going on!

What i'm listening to:
Everybody's Broken - Jann Arden
Charlotte - Rosie Thomas
Come to my Window - Melissa Etheridge
What i learned today:
A polar bear paw in your porch can be a reality in some places
Complete the sentence:
My favorite song of the moment is...

Half

Its crazy to think that I have been up here for three weeks today, and only have three weeks left. I really cannot believe how quick three weeks has gone by. Seems like I have so much more that I want to do. Maybe I'll have to come back again sometime... 25000 aeroplan miles apparently, I'm at zero.

Half planned lessons get half results. Enough said.

Half full. Can and will do better.

Normally the week would be half over tomorrow, however, this week it is the last day of school. Thursday is 'Hamlet Day', a holiday for most people, except government of Nunavut workers who have to work the morning. There are events/games happening on the ice and in the high school. I'm really looking forward to taking in the day. The weather for the next week is supposed to be phenomenal, -15 to -11 ish AND sunny.

What i'm listening to:
Be Somebody - Kings of Leon
Kink in the Chain - Josh Kelley
Reckless - Theo Tams
What i learned today:
Effort often equals results
Complete the sentence:
My next goal is

On the land

Today was exciting! We got to go out on the land with the class. The weather was not great, and it seemed like we may have to adjust our plans to short dog sled rides, where 90% of the class would stand around in the -30 windchill waiting. HOWEVER... we ended up heading to a place called Ujurasukjuk (oo ya ra sook juk). Most of the class was pulled by skidoo on komatiks, but a few of the kids got to be pulled by two dogteams! Very cool.

This is an outpost camp on the other side of the island that is mostly used when there is no snow. There is though, an elder woman who lives here with her grandson (i've also heard grandchildren). Our plan was to hopefully visit and have her talk to the class. She shot a polar bear that had been hanging around her cabin last month. I heard this story from a polar bear researcher in town and one of the guides today. Anyway, the guides realized when we got there that she was actually in town. My guess is that someone brought them into town before the blizzard hit.We ended up just playing around for an hour or so. Was kinda neat to learn that some of the kids had camped here before and new a fair bit about this place. There was all sorts of interesting 'stuff' around. Here's a few pics of the day.

Some of the students waiting in a Komatik.

Our guides getting one of the dog teams ready. Igloolik in the background

Walrus on top of a cabin (now ground level), once left to rot buried under rocks, now frozen, will be ate eventually.

Skins on top of one of the cabins.

One of the dog teams arriving a little later.

When you are out there, the blue of the sea ice really stands out, unfortunately the camera doesn't pick up on it as well.

A few of the students getting ready for the dog teams to head home.

What i'm listening to:
Joey - Sugarland
Lie - David Cook
Just Another - Pete Yorn
What i learned today:
Dogs are insanely tough
Complete the sentence:
I think I could live for _____ days/months in the winter without 'services'.

Sleep

Some of you will not believe this (and some of you just won't care), I sure had to do a double take. I slept in until 10am this morning, without trying! I went to bed at 1:30 - sober - and didn't wake up once. I think it's because of how quiet it is....

Being the second day of a blizzard, everyone got the 'blizzard' out of their system yesterday. I was really surprised how busy the town was. Lots of people and kids out and about. So, I think people are tired from yesterday and sleeping this morning. There was only about 5-10cm of snow expected yesterday, and 2-5 today, but because of the high winds it is really white out there. Also fun, because there isn't much for trees, hills, or anything to block the wind, the snow all seems to end up in town. I walked to a 'table sale', like a garage sale, in the high school and there were places that no new snow had accumulated and other spots where you had to maneuver a 6 foot high drift. Forecast looks ok for tomorrow, fingers crossed!

Today I have been invited for lunch at the restaurant and then to watch 'Grandma's Boy' tonight. Mix in some lesson planning and prep and this day will be over before I know it!

What i'm listening to:
Walk Right In - Josh Kelley
Collide - Howie Day
You're The World To Me - David Gray
What i learned today:(or yesterday)
I knew coming up here would be a completely different speed to the crazyness I left, what I didn't know was how much I would enjoy the relaxed pace.
Complete the sentence:
I smile

Hey Y'all

The weekend is here! And with perfect timing, there is a blizzard. So not looking like there will be much exploring this weekend. There was a group going to go to the flow edge on Sunday, which I'm told is about 10 miles away. The flow edge is where the winter ice meets the open sea. This is where a lot of hunting happens. However, the blizzard looks like it is supposed to keep up until late Sunday. I'm hoping it is done by Sunday, because myself and the kids are really excited about Monday's trip. The plan has been changed a bit though. It looks like we will now be going to a place called Igloolik Point, which is on the other side of the island. AND, half the class will be pulled by two Dog Team! Very exciting. That's not facetious either, I'm really excited about it!

Guillaume, the fellow I'm living with, organized a poker game last night. There were 7 of us. I did pretty well in the first game, 3rd last out, but just out of the money. The second game didn't go so well.

Anyway, I'll do my best to keep you posted how the weekend progresses. Might go buy myself some walrus tusk.

What i'm listening to:
Pride (In the Name of Love) - U2
Country Comfort - Keith Urban
What i learned today (yesterday):
Trust your instincts.
Complete the sentence:
I've found, I'm scared to know

Warm?

Haha, I'm really looking forward to tomorrow because it is supposed to be -13! But before then, have to get through a -47 (with windchill) night, yowzers. Yes yowzers, I thought today should be a bit more G-rated. This evening was the first night that I really noticed the cold. Because of the weather change moving in, it is really windy, add that to -30 temps and it BITES! Not like 'damn, that bites', I mean it feels like you are being bitten by a million tiny little cold bugs.

I took the class to skate at the arena for gym today. It was a lot of fun. This is a group picture. This was take 4. You keep them busy and doing 'something' and they are great. If they don't see value in it or aren't seeing a reason to keep busy.... that's when there can be, um lets call it fun! They really are great.
So today was the first day of Parent Teacher Conferences. From 6-8 tonight there were only two parents who came to our class. They were parents of really good kids, so pretty boring. Tomorrow are conferences again all day, I will bring planning to do and try to get lessons prepared for the next few weeks.

Found out today that our class gets to go 'out on the land' on Monday. We are taking a trip to a place called Avvajja. Its about a 30-40 minute skidoo ride. The students and myself will get pulled in behind in a komatiq. This is a really fun place that the kids enjoy and it is hoped to be culturally relevant with traditional teachings involved. I'm really looking forward to it.

What I'm listening to:
John Berry - Change My Mind
What I Want - Ryan Calhoun
A Case of you - K.D. Lang
What I learned today:
Other people can say it better ;) http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Coulter%20free%20speech%20Hardly/2724188/story.html
Complete the sentence:
This weekend I'm going to

Coldest...

Coldest day yet! -34 this morning, -43 with windchill. I thought that would help warm all of you reading this in Manitoba who were considering complaining about the cold night you are about to have ;) I guess I'm kinda weird though, I don't seem to mind the cold. That being said, the weather is supposed to warm up dramatically here over the weekend... but the forecasts can and do change rapidly.

I'm going to take this opportunity to vent. I wondered if this was an appropriate forum to do it, but to go along with the 'coldest' theme, I feel it is appropriate. Being separated from the real world a bit, I am surprised myself, by how much brain space this is using. I wish that I could just let it out of my head, pretend it is not an issue that should bother me right now (but I did enough pretending the first 25 years of my life.. haha). Anyway, what the deuce is Sheldon talking about? Ann Coulter. I cringe just spelling her name on here. Seriously. How is someone allowed to promote such hatred and ignorance in this world? And not only that, be allowed to do it in this country. Now I'm not saying ignorance and hatred do not exist in Canada, we all know it does. And, I'm not saying someone's right to speak should be denied. But, why the hell do we need to be inviting hate and ignorance to be promoted here? I think we get enough of it from media, uninvited. For those of you not familiar, google her name, it won't take long to find one of the awful, disgusting things she has said. As a human being, as a white person, as a minority (albeit not visible), as a member of what a lot of people would call the 'privileged' class, as an educated person, as a person who holds some power, as a speaker to attentive listeners... how can I have so much in common with this (I don't want to call here a woman, because that seems so disgraceful to the women in my life). I recognize these 'things' as a part of who I am, I choose to use them in a positive way. It bothers me so much that there are so many people in this world trying to do good things and go completely unrecognized and undervalued for it, and this, this, this, THIS gets so much publicity and attention. Worst of all, it takes up so much space in my head... I need to go for a run, oh wait, I'm in the arctic.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. IGNORANCE IS INEVITABLE, BUT NOT AN EXCUSE. Continue to learn... always.

What i'm listening to:
Vindicated - Dashboard Confessionals
Call Me - Shinedown
Sober - Kelly Clarkson
What i learned today:
If you tell them the answer and they still get it wrong... you obviously have not taught them anything.
Complete the sentence:
if...

8:21

Its 8:21 and the street light just turned on outside my window. Still relatively bright though. The days are definitely getting longer quickly.

Not too much to report on today. Seemed like a long day at school and am pretty exhausted.

Bought another carving today. Oh, man! Sing it with me; money money money money MONEY! Its nice though, and I requested it from the carver. Its a face carved out of local rock. They are popular here, but most are smaller and the faces can look aged. This one is a bit bigger than what he normally does and seems younger. I'm glad that it is a bit unique.

What i'm listening to:
Dead and Gone - T.I. (feat. J.T.)
Turn to Stone - Ingrid Michaelson
What i learned today:
Math is really hard to teach (taught my first math lesson today)
Complete the sentence:
The last thing I added to my bucket list was...

Monday, Monday, Monday

Well, it was a Monday... enough said? And it was cold! -42 with windchill this morning on my walk to school, and was -37 on my walk home. The students, and myself, all had a hard time concentrating today. Got through all of my lessons with moderate success, but the day seemed particularly long.

Yesterday was fun. The trip out to the Bowhead Skull was really good. It wasn't quite what I was expecting... not as much left as I though. I was expecting the entire skeleton to still be there. In reality, just one large (10 feet) piece of Jaw, some ribs and a vertebrae were left. Pretty cool though. The ride home was interesting and cold! We took the sea home instead of the quick way we went to get there. I was really glad we did because it gave me a better idea of the make up of the island and I saw my first dog team in action!
This is the remaining piece of the Bowhead Whale skull. Just below the horizon you can see where the ice is buckling, this is the shorline. The remaining ribs and vertebrae to my left
I really do appreciate some peoples sense of humor. This would have had to be set up by someone knowing how much snow there normally is in order to put the boots at the proper height.
This is the dogteam... about 5 minutes from Iglulik. The weather changed really quickly!

What i'm listening to:
Just Another - Pete Yorn
On the Wing - Owl City
Hold On - Paul Brandt
What i learned today:
Sometimes you just don't know...
Complete the sentence:
The neatest thing i've ever found is

Iglulik Sauna

For those of you who thought that I may be roughing it up here... think again! Last night I became a member of select company to enjoy the Most Northern Wood Burning Sauna in Canada (self proclaimed of course - but likely true). Last night I was invited over for supper to a teachers place. I had been told that this shack looking building was called 'the sauna', however, I just thought it was a joke or some funny name given to it. Well, turns out it is a sauna. It was built almost 2 years ago from reclaimed material from around Igloolik. The only thing that was paid for was the vapor barrier, nails and stove. So last night, Marty, the builder of the sauna fired it up. There were 6 of us who partook. It got up to 65C inside, while it was -30 outside. And don't think this is a roughneck sauna... it comes complete with cedar planks and eucalyptus oil. It did wonders for my congestion, but man I've got a headache like I was drinking for the last 3 days. Minor dehydration, might have stayed in a little long.

We didn't get up to Cemetery Hill yesterday, just Inukshuk Hill. My exploring partner got a little scared when I told her of the Polar Bear that has been hanging around town... maybe she had a point, I think being naive allows you to do more ;) Today, Ellen & Marty (whose place I was at for dinner last night, and Ellen is Ali's cooperating teacher) are going to take us to see a Bowhead Whale skeleton. Apparently it's massive.

What i'm listening to:
Sober - Kelly Clarkson
Just Might (Make me Believe) - Sugarland
To Remember - Josh Kelly
What i learned yesterday:
The big inukshuk in the picture means death (correction, it's bad luck, not death)
Complete the sentence:
My favorite part of spring is

happy weekend

Good morning everyone. I hope you all have fun packed weekends planned. As I mentioned the other day, I am going to do some more exploring and get some planning done. The other student teacher - Ali - and I are likely going to do a walk up to Cemetery Hill. It's exactly what it sounds like. Also, if the weather stays good, we will likely go up Innukshuk Hill for a nice view of the area.

Had my first evaluation yesterday, I guess it went well... haven't got any feedback from it yet. The lesson was based around the students teaching me what they know about Igloolik and the Island. Next week, I'm going to be taking on Math, Spelling, and Gym, on top of the S.S. and L.A. that I am doing right now. I think for Gym, we're going to go skating at the arena.

Not sure if I mentioned that I got a tour of the Research Lab, also referred to as the mushroom lab. If you do a google search for Igloolik, you'll figure that one out. It's the lab where most of the wildlife techs work, including Guillaume who I live with. We got a really good tour of the Polar Bear research stuff that goes on. Its very cool. Bottom line, don't trust everything you hear from American media about Polar Bears

Well, have a great weekend everyone. If I find anything interesting I'll let you know... apparently there's been a bear hanging around close to town.

What I'm Listening to:
Happiness - The Fray
Bicycle Tricycle - Rosie Thomas
Walking on Broken Glass - Annie Lennox
What did i learn today(or yesterday):
Things can be weird - just go with it.
Complete the sentence:
17 is the number of...

-39

Yup, that's right, -39(with windchill). Did you know that -40 Celsius is the same as -40 Fahrenheit? While all of you are in your cars or on your bikes thinking damn you sloppy slushyness (or, oh no the red river is rising again), this guy is soaking up the sun and crisp fresh air of the f%&kin arctic! Who's jealous now?!

12 hours of daylight here today. Kinda cool. I'm looking forward to the really long days, mostly for the experience than anything. Not sure what I'm going to do this weekend. Its supposed to be cold, -27 tomorrow, -24 saturday, -26 sunday but sunny every day. I may bundle up and do some exploring. There are a couple things in walking distance that I'd like to get to. The Inukshuks that look over town and Cemetery Hill are both just easy 1/2 hour walks. Maybe I'll find some extra motivation to get some planning done.

Any questions anyone?

What i'm listening to:
Wedding Day - Rosie Thomas
Let It Be Me - Ray LaMontagne
The Weary Kind - Ryan Bingham
What i learned today:
$7 jar of pasta sauce - worth it!
Complete the sentence:
The best way to manage congestion without drugs is...

Happy St. Patricks Day

Today was another inservice day. Was kinda interesting. I wore green... likely the first time ever that I have wore green on purpose for this silly day (actually changed when i remembered what today was, and did you know the original colour associated with this day was blue?). Then I found out that teachers are supposed to also wear green tomorrow to classes... anyway, I hope all of you are enjoying your green beers, and for those of you in CW, hope you are enjoying the laughs.

I bought my first Inuit art yesterday, a soapstone polar bear. Its pretty cool, made from unique greyish soapstone from the Arctic Bay area. I tried to take a picture to show, but the reflection off of it doesn't work, and its not bright enough for no flash. Anyway, hope y'all aren't expecting souvenirs, holy expensive batman-and this was bought directly from the artist. The Co-op in town sells a wide variety of 'things' made from local 'mediums' (bone, soapstone, ivory, etc) but they are about 3-5 times more expensive than buying direct from the artist.

Well folks, I should be lesson planning for tomorrow... have my first evaluation on Friday and need to have a lesson plan ready to go for it tomorrow.

What i'm listening to:
Missouri - David Nail
Spirit of a Storm - Kenny Chesney
Glitter in the Air - P!nk
What i learned today:
cold fx doesn't pack itself...
Complete the sentence:
There you are, sitting in the garden...

Inservice Day

Well, my first official inservice day as a 'teacher'. Today and tomorrow are inservices for all the teachers and school staff in Igloolik. Today was a lot of historical information on Nunavut and the Inuit people. I learned a lot of new information, but the day was a bit slow. It was cool though, the entire day was done in Inuktitut/English with a translator. There is another student teacher that just got here on Saturday, from Nova Scotia. Its nice to hang around with someone else who's new as well.

I hope nobody was too concerned that I didn't blog yesterday... anyone notice?! I did have good intentions to, but got invited over to one of the other teachers to watch Sherlock Holmes. Its an ok movie. Half way through though the power went out. Maybe not such a big deal in the south, but up here when the power goes out its scary. #1 you can't see ANYTHING, it was an overcast evening so there was no moonlight. #2 people don't have generators. #3 it gets damn cold in a hurry! But, we found a flashlight and it only lasted for about 15 minutes. Apparently there was something to fix that required power to half of the town be shut off.

It's a beautifully cold sunny day here today. When its this cold for extended periods of time, you appreciate the sun! Looks like highs will remain in the mid -20's for the next week, but at least the lows aren't getting down to the normal mid -30's. Its almost at 12 hour days here, 11hrs 40 min today. By the time I leave it will be nearing 20 hours daylight.

What i'm listening to:
Be Somebody - Kings of Leon
One Day You Will - Lady Antebellum
What did i learn today:
To keep learning: ignorance is inevitable, but not an excuse
Complete the sentence:
To make this world a better place I am going to...

Sheldon must be ill

I think this is the first time in a long time (ever) that I am not really interested in watching the Brier final. Not sure why, watched the first couple ends, but was kinda bored. Oh well...

Was a beautiful day here today, -13 and sunny (not the picture above!). I was able to get some planning done this afternoon, so I think I'm ready for my first day of actual teaching. I have a Social Studies and an L.A. lesson planned. Let the good times roll.

I'm attaching a couple pictures from the last couple days. The first picture is from Saturday morning. It is taken along the shoreline on the SE ish side of town. The second one was taken off of my back step at sunset tonight. On the horizon on the left are Inukshuks that I hope to get to soon. My school is the red building just left and below the sun. You can click on the images to enlarge.

What i'm listening to:
When You Got a Good Thing - Lady Antebellum
2 Dollar Shoes - Rosie Thomas
What I learned today:
Its ok to relax, I'm just not that good at it ;)
Complete the sentence:
The best thing about today was

Nodding my head, like ya :)

Hey all, hope your weekends are going well. Mine's going good. Didn't do anything last night, was pretty beat, its taking me a bit to get adjusted. I seem to crash hard at about 8:30 every night. But tonight is a new night! There is a party for one teachers birthday tonight. It's an 80's theme video dance party... yup. Should be fun, will be nice to meet more people.

I was supposed to go on a skidoo trip today, but the weather wasn't great. When its snowing up here, you can't see the drifts. Everything just looks white, so it becomes a bit dangerous if you don't know the area very well. Instead, the people I was supposed to go on the skidoo trip with took me to the Northern Store and then we watched a move: Adoration - not recommended! But, the company was nice, of the 4 of them I'd only met one them before.

I thought I'd give you all an idea of how expensive somethings are up here. The following is copied from my receipt to the Northern Store (Walmart of the North).
Sugar Cubes - $4.29
Tea (20bags)- $5.65
Bread - $2.19 (on sale - saved 1.26)
Eggs - $3.75
Milk 2L/2% - $7.95
Margarine - $2.95
So, some items aren't that bad, but most are. Most canned goods, frozen foods, fresh fruit/veg and well almost everything is at least 2X more expensive. Not sure why things like bread, eggs and margarine are relatively reasonable. Thankful though!

Athena was wondering about the school and my class. Here it goes. The school is a K to 7 school, with about 40 kids in each grade and 2 classes/grade. The teachers from K - 3 are Inuit and the teachers from 4-7 are mostly from the south. My class is really good, they are all really friendly and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better and having them teach me as well.

Mandy, my living situation is going well. I'm living in with a fellow named Guillaume. He works for the Government doing something wildlife related. He's a pretty cool guy. The house is a part of a 5 townhouse unit. It is a split level with the living room and a bedroom on the main level, and the kitchen, bathroom and master bedroom on the upper level. This unit was built around 1998 I'm told, so relatively new. Its about a 10 minute walk to the school.

What i'm listening to:
Gavin DeGraw - Dancing Shoes
Miley Cirys - Party in the USA (moving my hips like ya)
Josh Kelley - Just to be Me
What i learned today:
Nutella sandwiches ROCK!
Complete the sentence:
i just can't get enough...

Where I'm at

And for those of you not familiar with where I am right now, here is the google map link,

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=igloolik&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

you will have to zoom out to get the full picture

First Friday!

I know you all were wondering, and yes, teachers up here get just as excited about Fridays. And for someone knew to the school, it makes for a a great conversation piece ;) Not sure what I'm going to do this weekend. There is a birthday party for one of the highschool teachers tomorrow night that I have been invited to. I think it will be a good opportunity to meet some of the 'southern' locals.

I also will be doing some planning. Going to get into actual teaching next week so I have some prep stuff to do. I'm going to be starting with a social studies unit that I created this past summer and moving into some math, health, and eventually science. The kids here are really good. Like kids everywhere, there are some issues, but the level of respect between teacher and student, student and student is impressive. The kids have started to teach me some Inuktitut, but I will have to get them to write it down so I can pass on to all of you. Today I learned to say 'how are you?'. Well 'learned' is a loose term, as I've forgot already... they seem really eager on me learning the language and often start conversations in Inuktitut to see my response.

Anyway, not much else new... feel free to ask questions, then I will have more of an idea what you'd like to hear! look forward to hearing from you.

What I'm Listening to: Ellen

What I learned today: how to say 'how are you' in Inuktitut (and then forgot it...)

Complete the sentence: If i could be anywhere right now...

The Weather!

http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/pages/nu-23_metric_e.html

These were taken out of my window around Iqaluit

Getting in the swing..

Today was my second full day at the school and it went really well. No teaching yet, but am getting more and more involved with the class. I almost have all the names and faces figured out.. almost.
Was beautiful out this morning, -20ish, but SUNNY, and then by noon it was storming, and then by my walk home it was sunny again, I never thought that the weather would change that quick up here. Will hopefully get 'out on the land' this weekend and see a bit more of the island. A lot of the teachers or friends of teachers have skidoos.
I also hope to get out this weekend and do a walk around the whole community and get some pictures. On that note, I haven't figured out yet how to put pictures on here... or if i can. But i will continue trying. I just got internet figured out today and am able to be on my own computer, but i've been told that uploading can be painful.
Anyone have any questions? I'm drawing blanks...

What i'm listening to:
David Nail: Red Light
Kings of Leon: Revelry
What did i learn today:
Despite reluctance to pill popping, be proactive with the advil!
Complete the sentence:
Um, are you wearing makeup? (yes, i was asked this today by a grade 6 student)

First day in Iglulik

Hey all,



or, hey hun, as you are my only follower so far...



First full day today, had a bit of a headache, but everyone was really friendly and seemed excited to meet me.



Thought I`d start off with some of the major differences between here and home. #1, its SO freaking white up here. It has been snowing, and you cannot tell the sky from the ground or notice any drift in the ground. Crazy! #2, still winter here.... -14 today, and that`s warm. Normal highs are around -26. #3, First language is Inuktitut, not english. The kids are already trying to teach me, kinda cool.

Well, this may be a short one today... i`m pretty beat.

What am i listening to: silence and skidoos

What did i learn today: kids are kids, gotta love it

Complete the sentence: G.D. Garden lanterns...

number 2 ;)

Don’t get too used to this folks, but here is my second blog of the day. Writing this on the flight to Iqaluit. I’ve found where all the good airline service has gone in Canada, its all in First Air: The Airline of the North. Would you believe hot towels, ample leg room (I have at least a foot between my knees and the seat in front of me, but I’m also in row three, when I head back to the washroom, I’ll let you know if I’m in first class or not), a hot breakfast including fruit and a muffin, oh ya and smiles, no charge… that’s right Air Canada!

One hour and 10 minutes into the 3 hour and 10 minute flight. Lots of trees and snow below me. I’m curious when I’ll cross the tree line. Not too many clouds so should be really neat to see.

So that I’m not in the interweb all alone, thought I would encourage you all to please comment and chit chat back and forth. Also thought I’d add a couple things to the end of each entry… to make it more interesting? To open a small window to Sheldon’s head? Because I think people will care? Think I’ve had too much time alone today!

What I’m listening to:

J.P. Hoe – all the young dudes

Had to put him on the shelf for a while… glad to have him back lol

Keith Urban – Days go by

How can this song not put a smile on your face! And make you want to learn the banjo!

What did I learn today:

Its ok…

Complete the sentence – out on the roof just the other night…

For those of you on the edge of your seats, likely just me, the leg room and good service is not exclusive to just the few front rows! AND, there is room to turn around in the washroom, however, the poop left on the toilet seat… not cool.

First Blog!

So, this is it....

Sheldon is blogging, good lord. From zero to blackberry, and now a blog... hell is clearly freezing over.

Am writing this from the Ottawa airport, waiting for my flight to Iqaluit. Didn't sleep too well in the hotel last night. The Hilton Garden Inn was spectacular(ly expensive), but i think i saw every half hour all night. Maybe it was the bag of cookies and cream chocolate eggs i had before bed...

Anyway, for those of you reading this, this will be my personal blog. I am also creating one with the faculty of education to be used for promotion and so on. This one will likely be more interesting, so for those of you who may get 2 invites, keep to this one. However, a small taste of education to finish off my first blog: disequilibrium has begun (that's what the butterflies in my stomach are saying anyway), but from disequilibrium comes learning.

Till next post, later folks