[Attention Deficit Caused Discussion - skip over if you want continuity]
I say local because from our location you can only fly within Nunavut and or to Yellowknife. For those interested, we have no security check nor do we have any sort of 'southern esque' airport situation. I'm sure something about us is checked up upon when we give our photo ID to the fellow behind the desk - but there is no guy behind a desk looking into a black and white monitor that may or may not show the contents of our bags going through a luggage car wash. I think, and I may be wrong about this, the idea is that you can't get to the North without going through a legit security check further south, so anyone who is up here is not a threat anyways? I'm not sure. It's all good though. I have great faith in our airlines. To be fair we are flying in the Arctic and the track record is solid.
- and sat around the nice space, which is basically a 20 x 40 (I'm not awesome with my spatial sense, but it's small is the point) modest airport terminal. We got word that the ceiling was too low for the plane to land. I asked what a ceiling was. My principal and vice-principal then asked me simultaniously if I knew what the thing above me was, and then if I knew how to teach geography, then I realized I kind of do teach geography, then nothing much was said. A fellow later went outside with a balloon, to which my VP told me to go out and watch to see what a ceiling was. I thought he was messing with me, so I chuckled and didn't go out. More on that later. We were soon told that the flight was delayed and we should come back in a few hours. Shawna and I went home and had a nice perogy lunch, and then headed back to the airport at 1:00.
When we arrived back at the airport we continued to sit. The fellow went back outside with the balloon, and this time I believed the VP and our Student Support Teacher who told me to go watch him. Shawna and I went out to see the situation. So I guess a ceiling has to do with the plane's visability, as you might have gathered. When this guy lets go of this big red balloon he starts his timer and then watches the balloon. When he can't see the balloon anymore he stops his watch. Then he goes inside and checks out the time against some chart and then calculates the ceiling. If the ceiling is less than 2000ft (I heard) then the plane can't land. So my sources tell me earlier in the day this was the case.
Our ceiling was actually ok to land by 3:00, but we are still in Taloyoak right now because our charter to take us to Iqaluit from Yellowknife that was also supposed to take teachers from Gjoa Haven and Kugaaruk could simply wait no longer and had to leave. So, alas, teachers from Kugarruk are proabably arriving in Iqaluit now as we others are kickin it at home. I'm told this is the standard for Northern travel. Regularly, planes get cancelled and schedules get moved around. This is the life, move on.
We are now settled in our new house, it is quite nice. We have our living room generally set up and our surroundings have been decorated to about 3/4s of what they will be. Things we enjoy about our new place: #1 It is nice and quiet, which is a joyful change from the elders complex. Don't get me wrong, the socializing with grandchildren was quite nice each day - but I will admit that I prefer living life by our lonesome. Oh, lonesome me (Neil reference #2 for this blog. Good for you if you got the first one). #2 We have made a major improvement in the shower department. Now I know you would agree that a bench in your shower is a huge plus, the only issue with the elders complex shower was that there was not enough pressure to reach the bench at the back of the shower. Nor was there enough pressure to reach you standing in the middle of the shower. You must stand directly underneath the shower head to score some water. This is a terrible time. Our new shower has the same pressure as your standard 'jet' setting on the hose attachement. It's awesome. #3 The view is simply glorious. Our new house has a very nice view on one side looking down the main street toward the school, and on the other out to a great view of the Arctic Ocean. It's not the open Ocean, but it's still a big body of water you can't see across.
Things that might be interesting to one that has never been north: the caribou aren't back yet, the sun comes up around 8:00 am or so and goes down by about 3:00pm. It's been mild lately, between -20 and -30 pretty steady. Canada Goose does infact make the best outterware other than something locally made. If it's fur it's better. I almost bought a pair of polar bear pants the other day. They were only $700. If they were more fitting I would have perhaps made the deal, measurements were 48x32. Big pants. We had a few storms last week - snow drifts that are over 10ft in height are normal. It is not safe to walk a dog in a snow storm.
In sum, Shawna and I will continue to reside in Taloyoak until we head out for our exchange trip in early April. Shawna has been working tirelessly (that's a tough word to spell. I just typed it into word and had no close word come up - like the times I always spell bureaucrat wrong, and it always suggest bearcat - I'm like, clearly I'm not talking about bear cats in this discussion on foreign policy. Either way, Shawna was able to spell tirelessly withing two tries. I was impressed. If you're not, then I'm impressed by you) on the YMCA Exchange Program and deserves major kudos. I have totally been slacking on her behalf, and she's doing a great job getting this thing together. If you've not heard, 15 kids from Mississauga are coming here in late March. It's a big deal.
Summing up the sum, we are doing well and things are moving along swimmingly. We are excited for summer soon, but are equally excited for the last third of our first year of teaching! It's been hard, fun, telling, and we are certainly looking forward to the years to come (I wanted one word for that last comment, but couldn't find one in my head).
More pictures to follow soonishly.
