Monday, February 28, 2011

The Weather Man

-19 and fair in Tsiigehtchic today.
Sunrise at 9:18 and Sunset at 18:55.
32 more minutes than my last blog!  48 hours of blizzard wind and storm.  Now they say the weather is "fair."

In very local news (that was never reported outside the affected surrounding areas), all the cities in the Northwest Territories North of 60, lost their Northwestel phone and internet connections from Friday February 25, 2011 to Monday February 28, 2011 due to a broken communication tower.

This is easily fixable except for the extreme winds and blizzard conditions that initially caused the damage closed down the roads.  The howling winds.  Oh...the howling winds!

I took a video of them and had to take a second one as they got stronger and seemed even more determined to break into the Magic Bus.  I took a video of the door that leads to the little back patio.  Snow was coming in and the whistle from the wind was fierce.  Every noise you hear in the video is from the wind blowing on the Magic Bus.  It was so nice to finally hear quiet this morning.


This was at night.  The buidling you see outside the patio door of the Magic Bus is the store.  The sateliite is not mine unfortunately.

  
The wind blows with more ferocity later through the night and into the next day


The howling patio door frame.  I had to put a towel on the floor because I could feel a shower of snow everytime I walked past.  It was collecting in a pool of water on the floor.

In other news, I am 6 losses to 1 win in BINGO!  Revenge of the missed big box side bet!  Woohoo...managed to recover half of all my contributions.  I am scared to get back in the game and watch it go.

What is a little more scary though was that without the communication tower in operation we had no way of using debit, credit and/or the ATM machine.  It was a real moment where you see how technology has really shaped our lives.  I figured the winnings would get me through any necessary purchases at the store through the weekend. 

I did have my provisions from home to sort through and unpack so all was well but imagining the need to plan so differently without internet and/or telephone services was really thought provoking.

In other news, don't let Mayonnaise freeze in transition!!  The supply in my packages from home looked like this.



Drin Gwiinzii

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Storm Chaser

-1 and overcast in Tsiigehtchic today.
Sunrise at 9:35 and Sunset at 18:40.
25 more minutes than my last blog!  You wouldn't believe the calm after the wind storm last night!

5 and 0 for BINGO with one close call and a failure to play the side bet big box.

I am now forced to exercise more than I ever do on a regular basis.  I got roped into walk therapy.  I have been thinking about it for some time though.  A walking and talking group.  Exercise and healing of the soul.

There was a huge wind storm last night that kept shaking all the doors and windows of the Magic Bus.  It was hard to sleep as the creaks were kind or creepy and scary. 

I was ecstatic to see some of my boxes.  I will have to dig and see what treasures I packed and forgot about over the last four weeks.

I will have a box night stand and side table in the livingroom for awhile.  Just like in my first apartment.  I also had boxes of books for chairs in my first apartment for awhile.  My first chairs were the fold up ones that come with a card table.  60.00.  Can't beat it!  I have two chairs right now and the two seater sofa.  It works.  The one chair is an old red office chair that has seen better days and the other is a regular boardroom type chair.

I have lots of ideas for groups and activities in the community but I seem to be stuck on organizing my work space.  There are lots of events right now to fundraise for the spring jamboree.  I get food on Friday and Monday night.  They are selling meals as a fundraiser.  Woohoo!  I get lunch at various places on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  No one goes hungry here!  I had caribou ribs and I thing caribou stew.  I still have to try dried fish.

I think more snow shovelling is going to happen today.  At least I didn't get snowed in to the apartment.  The snow was only a few inches high against the front door.  The warm and cold weather patterns are creating some storms throughout the area.  The Magic Bus is still solid on its foundation.

Drin Gwiinzii

Monday, February 21, 2011

The Money Pit

-12 and partly cloudy in Tsiigehtchic today.
Sunrise at 9:48 and Sunset at 18:28.
8 more minutes than my last blog!  Walking around with no hat or mittens!

Well my boxes are arriving Wednesday.  I have gotten used to just the little I brought with me and I wonder if I will really need all those boxes!  I will let you know on Wednesday.  All the food will defintely be good as well as more clothes.  The hardest thing to find is clothing.  People order most of their clothing.

I came home from Inuvik to a new floor in the livingroom.  There were some busy little elves here all last week.  The carpet was pretty dirty.  I used a hair dryer to get several blobs of wax out of it in the first few days I was here.

So...here it is...the virtual tour of The Magic Bus.  I will sell it to you for 250 000.  Yes that is the price of real estate in these parts.  Any takers?  I am just renting but there are some houses for sale here and they cost between 200 000 - 300 000.  They are not always very big either.  Apparently it is the cost of building and laying the foundation because of the permafrost.  A lot of houses are on stilts above the ground.



Sunday, February 20, 2011

CBC Archives

-17 with a few clouds in Tsiigehtchic today.
Sunrise at 9:52 and Sunset at 18:24.
8 more minutes than my last blog!  Still enjoying the nice weather!

Went out to the church today for service.  The bell rang at 2:30 pm and I was ready for it this time.  The hymn book has a picture on it of the church in Fort Simpson, NT where the Pope John Paul II visited in 1987.

Who wants to see a young Peter Mansbridge covering the story?

The Most Reverend Murray Chatlain Bishop of the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith was in Tsiigehtchic at Christmas time.  The town is listed in the website.

Here are some more pictures from today.

I will think about doing a video tour of the interior of the Magic Bus for next time!

Drin Gwiinzii

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Lucky Numbers

-14 with a few clouds in Tsiigehtchic today.
Sunrise at 9:56 and Sunset at 18:20.
52 more minutes than my last blog!  After a few days of -40 weather it is summer weather here again at last!

I never thought I would be walking around in the Arctic commenting on how warm the weather is lately.  It is a sunny winter's day in a snow covered wilderness!

Well I have been debating on having a running calculation regarding my BINGO donations to local fundraising activities for the elder programs and planning the Spring Jamboree.  I am 4 and 0.  I have lost 70.00.  I do not know how big that number will get.  I didn't pay in to the extra side bets the last three times as I have had such bad luck and decided not to even bother.  Well last night I got the required big box on the side bet I didn't play into and lost it all (I was also one number away from a full card and someone else called BINGO)!  I would have had to split on the big box but now I will have a big decision for next time.  Side bets or not?  I usually put in 20.00 for three games and there are two 5.00 side bets for two more games on the last card.   I also can`t monitor more than two games unlike some people with ten or more.  Giggles all around at me and my one little card.  I am in the Arctic and here I am with such a perplexing and mundane problem. 

I was in Inuvik for training last week and am now back in Tsiigehtchic.  My happiest moment of the week was buying a new shower curtain.  I packed very well knowing my boxes may not arrive for a month (it has been three weeks now so here's hoping for next week)!  I brought bedding and one set of dishes with a four piece set of 9.99 utensils from IKEA.  The things I missed right away were a dishcloth, tea towel, plastic spatula and shower curtain.  I packed those things in the boxes that are on their way,.  Oh well you can't be perfect at everything. 

You should always remember the golden rule to bring a shower curtain to ANY new apartment, house or living space you will be occupying.  I knew that and well I was not so happy that I didn't abide by that wisdom.  I am happy I went to Inuvik just to remedy that situation.  There was some kind of important training to go to during the week but that was rudimentary compared to the joys of a nice, clean and fresh shower curtain.

The purchase of a BINGO dabber was also a financial transaction of epic porportions.  GOT TO HAVE IT!

Getting together with colleagues from Inuvik and the various outlying communities of Tuktoyaktuk, Ulukhaktok, Paulatuk, Fort Mcpherson and Aklavik illuminated the vast distance of the land and the isolation between us.  The Mackenzie sisters were reunited for 5 glorious trips to dinner at the town`s favourite haunt.   The last one was a blast!  I am sure we almost got kicked out with all our laughter and loud silly banter.  Stress relief!

The stress of the move and nature of the isolated location where I am working weighed on me for a moment in time.  The type of position I have taken in Health and Social Services also contributed to a significant number of tears and the need to de-stress this week.  It passed and I will be back to work on Monday.  You can probably reach me by mail with just my name and postal code X0E 0B0 but for those who want to send any uplifting letters to the North, you can reach me at General Delivery Tsiigehtchic, NT X0E 0B0. 

Drin Gwiinzii

Sunday, February 13, 2011

The Mission

-26 and partly cloudy in Tsiigehtchic today.
Sunrise at 10:22 and Sunset at 17:54.
25 more minutes than my last blog!  A break in the storm at last!

It was cold and stormy over the last two days.
I was able to get out today and take some pictures.

I have not seen much wildlife although I saw some tracks outside the Magic Bus this morning.  Something was lurking around last night.

I was trying to get some pictures of the ravens but they were not out much today.
They are absolutely huge.  They make Alfred Hitchcock's birds look pretty tame.
They would eat those birds for breakfast.  I should have taken pictures yesterday.
They were out flying in the storm.  Apparently they like to soar amd play in the wind on stormy days.

Here are some pics of my walk today...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jojogirl1973/sets/

You can click on the big icon of the first picture to see the comments and scroll through on your own or you can look at them with the slideshow feature.  Enjoy!

I heard the church bells ring this afternoon and I think some people went to the church for a makeshift service put together by the community.  I will have to check in on that next time.  There is a priest that comes very irregularily.  For a people devastated by the residential school system, there is a huge belief in God and the knowledge that he is the one who takes care of them on a daily basis.  There is a deep understanding that their experiences at the hands of religious people in the residential schools were not from the God that they look to for support every day.

Mahsi Cho (Thank You)

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Julie and Julia

-17 with light snow in Tsiigehtchic today.
Sunrise at 10:35 and Sunset at 17:42.
9 more minutes than my last blog!  I do need a shovel!

Here is the receipt of my first grocery trip before getting to Tsiigehtchic.
I looked for basil in five grocery stores before leaving.  I found it in Inuvik. 
I guess they have the inside scoop on Basil!  Happy spaghetti night for me!

The picture will go to full size and you can zoom in if you click on them.


I am off to BINGO night! 

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Alive

-13 and overcast in Tsiigehtchic today.
Sunrise at 10:39 and Sunset at 17:37.
53 more minutes than my last blog!  We are complaining about the heat up here!

I arrived in Tsiigehtchic alive and well on February 04, 2011.

I found the right house in the dark and got the key to the trailer apartment.
The trailer I had originally thought could possibly be The Wellness Centre was the Elders Home.

I got my groceries and suitcases into the apartment late Friday night in the dark.
I had no phone or internet for the weekend!

I have been cleaning and cleaning.
Boys are so dirty!  The rubber seal around the fridge.  It needs help to get clean sometimes.

I will not sear your mind the picture of the grate next to the stove.
It has a thousand breakfasts in it.  I am not sure for how long but it has been way too long!

The stink valve froze and there was a bit of a smell in the trailer.
It was quickly and wonderfully remedied Monday morning.

I unplugged the bathroom sink with a chopstick. 
Another mental picture of goo you can live without.

The most fun was the tour of the city with the Northern Store owner.

You can see the mountains the Mad Trapper crossed in the distance.  I got the key to The Wellness Centre on Monday.  I could use the phone but did not have the password to the computer.  There was some confusion around the exact address of the trailer and further home internet service was delayed.  I got internet today February 09, 2011.  How long was that offline?  Wahh!

Here is my Magic Bus.  The first two doors are The Wellness Centre and the last door is to the apartment.
I can't close the screen doors so they creak in the wind a little through the night. 
The apartment has a second door with a little porch at the back.  Ahhh so cute!!!
This is the view from the apartment window.  The Tsiigehtchic sign is there in the larger view. 
They jokingly call the town, "Little Hollywood" because of the sign on the hill. 

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Sisterhood of The Travelling Pants

-15 and overcast in Tsiigehtchic today.
Sunrise at 11:05 and Sunset at 17:10.
18 more minutes than my last blog.  That's good since I have been doing a lot of walking!

Here is a map and website that describes the Gwich'in land claim.

The Mackenzie Sisters Evening Dinner

Ode to our fabulous orientation leader Stella!

Giant Inukshuk

We have walked back and forth in to town and back to the hotel at least once a day and often twice.  We have had supper together every night at The Mackenzie Hotel.  Tomorrow is the last day of orientation.  I have a 4:00 pm date with a United Taxi driver to go to Tsiigehtchic.  I have to jump up and down on my suitcases again because they have all been opened for various reasons.  Big grocery shopping trip before heading out!

Drin Gwiinzii

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

National Geographic

-12 with a few clouds in Tsiigehtchic today.
Sunrise at 11:14 and Sunset at 17:01.
19 more minutes than my last blog.  My winter coat is too hot for this weather!

I have been up at 9:00 am and back to the hotel at 9:00 pm.
Too exhausted to make an intelligent blog!

See some of the sights.  The town, greenhouse, hospital and above ground pipes that run to and from the houses.
 
This week is orientation.  Some boring administrative stuff and other fantastic information on the northern culture.

Eskimo is the Chippewayan word for, "eaters of raw meat."
Inuit means, "all of the Eskimo people."
In the Inuvik area there are two main cultural groups.
Inuvialuit and Gwich'in.  I am learning to read and spell some difficult words!

Other Inivaluit regions include Nunatsiavut in Labrador, Nunavik in northern Quebec, and the territory of Nunavut.  The Inuvialuit live on the coastlines of the North and the Gwich'in live on the mainland.

The groups in the NWT have both made land claim settlements of their traditional hunting/fishing grounds.
It is an amazing story we heard yesterday form one of the leaders who assisted in the process.

Inuvik is a thriving town and there are opportunities for all sorts of recreational activities.  The high food prices and minimized selection are facts but they are not as bad as the reputation they earned preceding my visit.

Here is some amazing crafts that are sold at the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.  The centre overseas the management of the Land Claims Settlement through the preservation of natural resources and providing educational opportunites for people interested in pursuing those goals for themselves.  The craft store does not take any money from the artisans who make the items they sell.



I will be working with the Gwich'in people in Tsiigehtchic.  The Gwich'in Tribal Council is committed to the preservation of cuture and the management of their natural resources.