Qikiqtarjuaq, NU

I came across this in the paper today and have to say it is quite good.  Its a british comedy routine called 'Cabin Pressure', and in this episode they travel to Qikiqtarjuaq via Toronto to look at polar bears.  I enjoy how they discuss why there is no 'U' after the 'Q'.  Qik is a small hamlet in Nunavut, nearish Toronto.

Worth a listen!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSwkcO8jmWs

Back in Iqaluit

My week home is already over.  Nothing like leaving a 22 and sunny part of the world for a 2 and raining part to welcome you back to work.  But, I am much more prepared for the colder weather now, so I say bring it on.  I Went to MEC and bought the warmest coat they sold.  It's basically a huge sleeping bag with arms.  It's starting to look like I could be up here for the whole winter now so I might as well be prepared for it.  I was thinking of skipping my week home in November but my boss thinks I will need it, based on how busy the next month will be.


Back to the grind now.

Reality

I sometimes forget where I am up here, as this place is so close to normal 99% of the time.  Yesterday I went to work, took a cab to another building for some meetings, had pasta for dinner with the guys I work with.  Went to the gym after work, which is really nice actually, lots of new equipment in.  Walked home, stopped at the store for milk and basics.  Continued walking home, an ATV passed me which was pulling a trailer of very fresh dead seals bleeding all over the road.  Went home and watched some TV and fell asleep on the couch. 

Can you guess which event from above you don't see down south?



anyway, I get to visit home this weekend.  I really hope its not too busy and I get to enjoy not working for at least a few days. 

Suicide in Nunavut

Yesterday marked World Suicide Prevention Day which is probably just another day that goes unnoticed in most places.  Up here, suicide is very serious and a very real problem.  The suicide rate up here is 11 times higher than the rest of the country.  I spend a lot of time in the college and there is an unusual (to me) amount of posters on the subject throughout the halls.

Most people think it’s due to the living conditions up here, which do play a part.  However a bigger part of it is the culture.  I had a conversation with someone for the GN a month ago and apparently 90% of women up here have been sexually abused in their lifetimes.  People put such an emphases on their relationships with each other and sex becomes a tool to control people.  Add to that the isolation and lack of support services outside of your family, which is likely where the problem is coming from, people see suicide as the only escape.   In communities that are only a few hundred people large, who do you turn to.  There is obviously a lack of support, and likely a lack of willingness to trust the support, especially when it means going against your family. 

home soon

well in a week I fly home for a few days.  Im sure it will be a very busy week back, but it will be good to go back to real life even briefly.

A few things on the list to bring back here:

beer
vodka (for Jay, he feeds me at work)
spices
boots
winter jacket
hats, scarfs, anything warm
maybe an ipad or some form of tablet.  Undecided on this
a new book
magazines.  Theres about 4 or 5 publications that make it up here, obviously nothing that I read.
tea (loose leaf doesn't exist up here)



I wish I had more carvings and fun things to bring back with me but I just haven't had the time to go out and shop for that stuff.  Next time.

Winter is here

It's 'frosh week' here at the college, and one of the perks of working for/in the college is I get to take part in some of it.  Last Friday I got to go to an 80s rock tribute concert, something that I imagine is a rare thing in Iqaluit.  It was a small crowd but was a lot of fun actually, the band was really into it.  Nice mix of JonBon and Van Halen. 


It was pouring rain that night and really cold.  The next morning I look out my window and across the bay the once green mountains are completely white.  Looks like a foot of snow.  None here yet accept the odd fluries, but if we were maybe 500 feet higher I bet that rain would have been a blizzard.  Its also feeling very cold all the time now, never getting above 10 degrees.  Going to have to bring up some warmer clothes.