Updateroo

Good day all,

So what's up here? The Cole's Notes:

- things are getting darker, sunset 10ish, sunrise 1am ish
- we still live in a hotel
- we do not know when we will leave
- i have a pink ironing board
- kids still throw rocks
- school is long and tough, but we're making it just fine
- we cook meals in the home-ec room. yes, we're the teachers who live at school
- we're going to make sod-houses today
- our superintendent is coming here today, we meet him tommorrow
- some of our effects have arrived, 35/70 pieces, some of them got wet - everything is basically fine

The long Version: (if you are on the run, or only like the jist (that's for you Joe!) you needn't read on.)

The hotel is the Bootia Inn, the only hotel in town. It's pretty good, to be fair. Very clean rooms, new towels daily, and made beds every 3rd day or so. haha. There is a meal plan at the hotel, but it's one of those dinner is served at this time, be here or don't get it. Cost is $130/day each for three meals. So we have decided to just make our own meals and save the money. It's working out pretty well. We had dinner at one of the RCMP officer's house last night. Really, Really nice people - he and his wife, and their daughter. We're headed there tonight again, I'm teaching him some guitar and his wife and Shawna are doing ... something.

We got some good news about housing. Apparently there is an apartment available for one month by the co-op - and it has full amenities, kitchen is the big one. So we might do that, because we think we're spending far too much time at the school. We ad to be out early last night, and we're gonna move quick tonight. We find if we are at the school we end up doing more work and creating stuff to do - so we have been told by a bunch of teachers and others in the community to relax school a bit - get work done - but to get out. They say we need to enjoy the nice weather while we have it because, well, we will be shut ins by no choice of our own when winter comes. (i say winter ominously in my head)

I score'd a pink ironing board and an iron from one of the ladies here it the school. I looked pretty badass carrying it across the field and to home when I picked it up from her. I try to keep up with my southern teaching attire. Many teachers here opt to do the jeans and vest or standard Lombardy Church in the Summer sort of deal. I think I need to earn some respect and distance myself from the kids more as a new teacher - so I'm staying dressed up. Of course on recess duty days I wear the khakis bc the playground is a giant sand pit - so that does a number on dress pants. Believe it or not, there is no dry cleaner up here, so I have to be careful with my dress clothes.

The superintendent is coming to the town tonight. He's going to be meeting with the special people tonight, and then with us and the teachers tomorrow. We are done at 11 tmrw actually because from 1 till 3:45 all the teachers are going around to their student's houses to do 'home visits". We will have a translator with us, so that should be quite the experience. Apparently the superintendent is in the loop of what we are doing  for housing, so he should know more of what we can expect and we're going to ask him about the apartment idea.

and finally, sod houses! no idea what to expect. We're going out on the land with en elder last period of the day, one of the primary teachers organized it and our two classes are going to tag along. We're pretty excited, and it should be fun. I'm going to try to take some pictures so ya'll can see a Kitikmeot (our region) authentic sod-house.

till tmrw or the next day when we get the pics up, be well.