Sorry, this is a less interesting entry. I have pics to put up, but I can’t today. They’ll have to go up next week at some point, so most of the more interesting things that happened will be described then.
I moved! I left behind the cute apartment that I was housesitting in to move in with an older Guatemalan gentleman for a few weeks (he’s my boss’s husband’s boss). IT IS AMAZING. Every time I come home I feel like I stepped out of the Arctic and entered Central America. His house is brightly coloured, with amazing Guatemalan art and carvings everywhere. He is as lively and hilarious as you expect an older Guatemalan fellow to be—I already love it. Except his internet sucks; nonetheless, what he lacks in internet, he makes up for in TV (both in size and quantity of channels) (side note—there’s nothing quite like watching the game on a large screen after having to watch it on my extra tiny laptop) (second side note—Tes, that had to be the weakest Grey’s finale in a long time. Seriously? Anticlimactic after last year). Louis, the Guatemalan guy, had his Latin American friend Maria over last night, and listening to the two of them banter—it made me second guess my decision to go north instead of south for a moment. Luckily I’ll get my fill while I’m here. He is going to make us a Guatemalan-Inuit dinner tonight—caribou tacos. Haha. Kinda I guess.
To move, I took a cab. That’s right, there are cabs. Two of them. They generally shuttle people back and forth from the airport, and around town if they so desire. It’s $5 from anywhere to anywhere. Take that sucky Vancouver meters!
Also I had sushi the other day, which was amazing! A girl who lives in the building I lived in treated me to sushi at one of only two restaurants in town, the other being the hotel. Her boyfriend is the chef at the “Sugar Café” and saved some for us, as it typically is gone first thing in the morning. It is great sushi, but it made me think of cheap, fresh, CHEAP Vancouver sushi (and you find no Vitamin T up here, Alissa). Nevertheless, it’s nice to know that if I’m dying for a sushi fix, it can be taken care of.
It is seriously warm, and the roads are completely clear. I’m going to start running soon (if not next week, the week after, though right now I’m in this amazing fitness class run by the mayor’s wife at a local elementary school. It’s a class of 15 young ladies that are either from “the South” with a few Northerners, but literally zero Inuit women. That’s how I realized there were so many/any “qallunaat”, Inuktitut for white people, here in Rankin. More on this in future posts).
So they do this cool thing in the end of June called something like the “Sun Run”—but it’s done at midnight, because it will be 24hours of light for a while in June. It sounds amazing. I will train for this (though I have no idea how long it actually is), I’m sure it will be weird and awesome. (Andrea, lets find a run to do when I get back).
I watched a pretty good film the other night with some colleagues; it’s called “The Snow Walker”. Parts of it are filmed just outside Rankin, and it’s a pretty beautiful story. Also, randomly, Michael Buble is in it. So weird. Anywhooo if you’re too hot at some point this summer and want to cool down, maybe give’r a watch, it shows just how beautiful the North really is (and some of the harsh realities that come with it).
Oh yes, I almost forgot, this weekend is the annual FISHING DERBY!!! It is extremely exciting—it is pretty much the biggest cultural event of the year—gov’t employees get a half day off today to prepare for it. Should be interesting, I’ll probably just watch though.
Well, I warned you. That was not only not very interesting, it was also not that informative. Next week will be a better post (maybe). Also, thanks to those that let me know that they are reading, sorry that I subject you to a ridiculous amount of details. I’ll try to let you know at the beginning of each entry if I think it’s worth reading… I’m sure my mom will read regardless. :D See y’all!
Friday, 20 May 2011
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Dry Summer ~ May 15/2011
This entry is about the availability of alcohol in Rankin Inlet. Also, fyi, if you want to add me to skype, my ID is joanne.barnum
Hello again,
I’m currently watching the canucks game via skype. Literally, my parents have put a laptop in front of their tv and are skyping the game to me. That has to be the most un-technologically-savvy way of watching the game (considering most people here do have cable) but it’s nice, it lets me hear their reactions. I can almost taste the pizza and beer. Thanks again! (also, a highlight was dancing with my niece and being fed from her fake bottle via skype. Amazing.)
So I have been learning tons since I got here (less about the legal components of my job, more about the structure of Rankin and Nunavut as a whole). The most important lesson I’ve learned as of yet was that my packing job was less than adequate. I did a great job of nailing the right clothes to bring, (the right quantity and quality), the right electronics for my needs, and the right work out gear (minus my 5lb dumbbell that didn’t quite make it on as a carry on, I miss you already). My strawberry rations are now depleted and I am preparing for a summer of $1.50 per apple and $1 per banana.
My fatal mistake, however, was packing laundry detergent, olive oil, and toilet paper. Don’t get me wrong, these are all extremely expensive items up here, so I definitely saved money bringing them with me; however, had I been fully informed of the liquor situation up here, I may have left these heavier items at home and went for my number one summer staple: alcohol.
While some communities up here are “dry” (meaning you are not allowed to drink, PERIOD. END OF STORY.), other communities like Rankin are “restricted”. This means that you can’t technically buy liquor here, but you won’t be arrested on the spot for drinking.
Last night I had drinks with the liquor commissioner. Haha. He better explained the liquor situation in Rankin. Here’s the deal—right by my work, there is a big warehouse filled with alcohol, but people here can’t buy it. The warehouse holds liquor for nearby communities, so it can be ordered and flown out to them. If you are a Rankin resident, you have to go to the warehouse, order your liquor, and then it is flown in from Iqaluit. It takes several days to arrive, and the freight prices are extremely high.
Liquor distribution is structured this way to allow for “delayed gratification”—meant to combat alcoholism and unpremeditated consumption. Not only do you have to be willing to pay extremely high prices for alcohol (example—a coworker of mine paid $140 for 4 $10 bottles of wine), as well as order several days in advance for a planned event, but you have to be approved by the RCMP before they will order your alcohol. Literally, they won’t allow you to order alcohol until they’ve done a full background check.
The people here have many complaints about the system—mainly that it’s annoying for those that don’t over-consume that they have to wait to actually get the product they order when there is warehouse full of goods in the “center” of “town” (ironic quotation marks). The other major concern is BOOTLEGGING (is it wrong that my first reaction when I heard that bootlegging was a problem my first thought was “I wonder where I can find said bootlegged liquor…”?) Apparently it’s running rampant—there are even conspiracy theories that the reason the less-than-effective system hasn’t changed is because the bureaucrats are being paid off by the bootleggers—I doubt it, but maybe I can put my super-sleuthing skills to work on this…
So good job, liquor board! It worked. I will not be drinking, as I am too cheap. Looks like I’ll be “giving up alcohol” for the summer. A fast, if you will.
In all seriousness, though, alcoholism is a huge problem up here. Most of the clients we serve up here in Legal Aid are either suffering from alcoholism or are victims of crime as a result of alcoholism. I do not take this lightly. I have made a myriad of silly alcohol-induced decisions in my lifetime, and perhaps this summer off will be good for my liver, (though possibly fatal for my sanity).
Really though, I had a few glasses of wine last night. So it’s not like I’ve “given it up” really. Well at least until I’m buying.
But the game is on. And I want a beer. Cruel, cruel world.
Hello again,
I’m currently watching the canucks game via skype. Literally, my parents have put a laptop in front of their tv and are skyping the game to me. That has to be the most un-technologically-savvy way of watching the game (considering most people here do have cable) but it’s nice, it lets me hear their reactions. I can almost taste the pizza and beer. Thanks again! (also, a highlight was dancing with my niece and being fed from her fake bottle via skype. Amazing.)
So I have been learning tons since I got here (less about the legal components of my job, more about the structure of Rankin and Nunavut as a whole). The most important lesson I’ve learned as of yet was that my packing job was less than adequate. I did a great job of nailing the right clothes to bring, (the right quantity and quality), the right electronics for my needs, and the right work out gear (minus my 5lb dumbbell that didn’t quite make it on as a carry on, I miss you already). My strawberry rations are now depleted and I am preparing for a summer of $1.50 per apple and $1 per banana.
My fatal mistake, however, was packing laundry detergent, olive oil, and toilet paper. Don’t get me wrong, these are all extremely expensive items up here, so I definitely saved money bringing them with me; however, had I been fully informed of the liquor situation up here, I may have left these heavier items at home and went for my number one summer staple: alcohol.
While some communities up here are “dry” (meaning you are not allowed to drink, PERIOD. END OF STORY.), other communities like Rankin are “restricted”. This means that you can’t technically buy liquor here, but you won’t be arrested on the spot for drinking.
Last night I had drinks with the liquor commissioner. Haha. He better explained the liquor situation in Rankin. Here’s the deal—right by my work, there is a big warehouse filled with alcohol, but people here can’t buy it. The warehouse holds liquor for nearby communities, so it can be ordered and flown out to them. If you are a Rankin resident, you have to go to the warehouse, order your liquor, and then it is flown in from Iqaluit. It takes several days to arrive, and the freight prices are extremely high.
Liquor distribution is structured this way to allow for “delayed gratification”—meant to combat alcoholism and unpremeditated consumption. Not only do you have to be willing to pay extremely high prices for alcohol (example—a coworker of mine paid $140 for 4 $10 bottles of wine), as well as order several days in advance for a planned event, but you have to be approved by the RCMP before they will order your alcohol. Literally, they won’t allow you to order alcohol until they’ve done a full background check.
The people here have many complaints about the system—mainly that it’s annoying for those that don’t over-consume that they have to wait to actually get the product they order when there is warehouse full of goods in the “center” of “town” (ironic quotation marks). The other major concern is BOOTLEGGING (is it wrong that my first reaction when I heard that bootlegging was a problem my first thought was “I wonder where I can find said bootlegged liquor…”?) Apparently it’s running rampant—there are even conspiracy theories that the reason the less-than-effective system hasn’t changed is because the bureaucrats are being paid off by the bootleggers—I doubt it, but maybe I can put my super-sleuthing skills to work on this…
So good job, liquor board! It worked. I will not be drinking, as I am too cheap. Looks like I’ll be “giving up alcohol” for the summer. A fast, if you will.
In all seriousness, though, alcoholism is a huge problem up here. Most of the clients we serve up here in Legal Aid are either suffering from alcoholism or are victims of crime as a result of alcoholism. I do not take this lightly. I have made a myriad of silly alcohol-induced decisions in my lifetime, and perhaps this summer off will be good for my liver, (though possibly fatal for my sanity).
Really though, I had a few glasses of wine last night. So it’s not like I’ve “given it up” really. Well at least until I’m buying.
But the game is on. And I want a beer. Cruel, cruel world.
Friday, 13 May 2011
BLOG FAIL
Hey, so it was brought to my attn that the link to my blog wasn't working. bahh... I think I more or less fixed it. If it happens again though my short-lived blogging career may end, so keep an eye out for a new post this weekend if you are so inclined :D
An Idiot Abroad
AGAIN, sorry about the blog fail, for my own reference these posts were originally from May 11th.
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DISCLAIMER—so I reread some of this—I sound like an idiot, not unlike Karl Pilkington (check him out, he will hopefully make me look better).
Please remember the following while reading this entry:
1) I have never lived anywhere colder than Abbotsford. I’ve never BEEN anywhere colder than a ski hill. I have never been to the Arctic, or even northern BC/AB/SASK etc in the winter. I had no idea what to expect.
2) You are only reading this if you love me—otherwise you will find this boring. Even if you do love me, you will probably need to read this in chunks, as it is very long. If you are my mom, I’m sure you will print it off and read it to your coworkers and anyone else who will listen this is okay, just don’t let dad tell people I’m in Africa doing my masters. Again.
1) I have never lived anywhere colder than Abbotsford. I’ve never BEEN anywhere colder than a ski hill. I have never been to the Arctic, or even northern BC/AB/SASK etc in the winter. I had no idea what to expect.
2) You are only reading this if you love me—otherwise you will find this boring. Even if you do love me, you will probably need to read this in chunks, as it is very long. If you are my mom, I’m sure you will print it off and read it to your coworkers and anyone else who will listen this is okay, just don’t let dad tell people I’m in Africa doing my masters. Again.
Okay well that’s that.
So as promised, here are a few pics from my first couple days here. Yes, I know how bizarre it is that I already posted at all when it normally takes me 4 weeks to send an email, longer to post pics, but I’m a bit exhausted from my first day on the job, so I thought I’d chill, watch some Glee and share some of the sights of Rankin Inlet (seriously though, Friday? Glee—seriously??? Bah.)
So as promised, here are a few pics from my first couple days here. Yes, I know how bizarre it is that I already posted at all when it normally takes me 4 weeks to send an email, longer to post pics, but I’m a bit exhausted from my first day on the job, so I thought I’d chill, watch some Glee and share some of the sights of Rankin Inlet (seriously though, Friday? Glee—seriously??? Bah.)
TOKEN AIRPLANE PICTUREHere I am just leaving the Rockies behind (everyone who has ever flown eas has this photo. I actually took this pic because I thought the sign on the engine was funny—“this is an nginem nt a men’s room”—how ever could one tell? I’m so funny.)
This is a bumper sticker; it’s extremely symbolic here, as so many Inuit are eaten by polar bears everyday.Since I have arrived, I have been pleasantly surprised with the weather. I walk aroud in a windbreaker, jeans, and my trusty new boots, and it’s entirely sufficient—I have not been cold since I arrived. Apparently I brought the warmth with me—it was -30 last week, and this week the snow is melting like crazy!
This is a musk ox. Err—the remains of a musk ox. Or maybe a bison. I should confirm this. One of my neighbours is apparently a hunter, so this was cool to see. I’m sure what’s left of him will make a beautiful throw rug, or some nice boots, or something. Note to self: find out what he is really going to do with it 
These are the dogs! There are HUNDREDS of dogs, lining the bay, just waiting for someone to take them out! (That will be me soon enough!) They all seem very sweet, but you know that feeling, when you’re like “…should I feel bad for them?” but then you tell yourself, “no, no, they’re fine… but then really… Okay well I will look into this and get back to you, I’m sure it’s fine.
This is a dead seal beside deer antlers. Sorry to the veggies, but it was pretty cool to see. Apparently the Inuit give their spoiled meat to their dogs, so this was going to be given to them pretty soon methinks.
Hey look. An Inukshuk. Weren’t you at the Olympics? Still, very cool to see.Note to self: ask people here what they thought of the Olympics.
This picture is for the girls—Lana look! They do have them here! And they aren’t even that much more expensive! It’s a good thing I bought that big bag at Target for the same price though, but its nice to know I won’t run out!
This picture is more for price comparison. OUCH! I would say that most things here seem to be about double the cost of home prices, but junk food and PRODUCE and MILK tend to be the most ridiculously expensive.
In the brief amount of time that I have been here, there are times when I feel like I’m just at Whistler for a ski trip; there are other times when I’m at home or at the office and I forget that I’m in the Arctic at all. The COOLEST thing about Rankin Inlet is the Inukitut speakers all around me. Everything from stop signs to grocery store signs read in both English and Inuktitut. Also, the Northern, one of two grocery stores here, has quads for sale, just sitting right next to the coffee section. It’s awesome. I kind of want one (so badly.)
I started work today, and it is great! The team is so diverse in their backgrounds and specializations. I look forward to learning from them and helping out where I can (putting my memo writing skills to use, woot!). I’m currently staying at our finance director’s sweet apartment while he’s out of town, so I’ve got my own digs “downtown” (next time I’ll show pictures of downtown).
Well I’m sure there is more to say, but even I have stopped listening at this point. Stay tuned folks, because this idiot “abroad” will, I’m sure, have more to say.
Welcome. Again.
Reposting old blog. ANNOYING. Luckily I have it backed up.
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Hey.
So I’ve never had a blog before (The most clichéd/used line in a blog, but there it is). I’m not sure what I will put into this, but I thought it would be a cool way for me to describe what’s happening in pics I’m taking. I will not try to be clever, or whatever else; this is essentially an email, but to, like, everyone. Easy.
This could very well be my only post, so enjoy!
(Also, I love the title of this blog, because it makes me think of Andy Sandberg and Chris Parnell. Mr. Pibb + red vines = crazy delicious. Okay back to Nunavut stuff.)
If I ever post again it will be relting to my musings, observations, etc whilst here. They may be work related, culture related, adventure related, tv related (the bachelorette is starting soon).
So anyways, read on if you dare, welcome to my blog.
--
Hey.
So I’ve never had a blog before (The most clichéd/used line in a blog, but there it is). I’m not sure what I will put into this, but I thought it would be a cool way for me to describe what’s happening in pics I’m taking. I will not try to be clever, or whatever else; this is essentially an email, but to, like, everyone. Easy.
This could very well be my only post, so enjoy!
(Also, I love the title of this blog, because it makes me think of Andy Sandberg and Chris Parnell. Mr. Pibb + red vines = crazy delicious. Okay back to Nunavut stuff.)
If I ever post again it will be relting to my musings, observations, etc whilst here. They may be work related, culture related, adventure related, tv related (the bachelorette is starting soon).
So anyways, read on if you dare, welcome to my blog.
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