Bloggers unite! (and then tie-one-on?)

Once upon a time, many moons ago, I used to have a running tally/casual competition with a fellow blogger/friend re: how many of the Nunavut bloggers we had met in person/"knew" (and by "knew" I mean... outside the Facebook/blogspot domain).

At the time I think my tally was... five? Maybe six? Not many. And most were unintentional... and either through work or my month-long-stay in Iqaluit.

Well, all that's about to change.

Tonite, is the inaugural "Name of Town Withheld" blogging symposium. It is to be held at one of the finest establishments NTW (also known as YK) has to offer... complete with food NOT from the Co-op Inns North (where your food is guaranteed to be over-salted and under-cooked)... AND BEVVIES WITH DINNER!

For those who have never been to Rankin, there's something you should know: we don't have any bars or restaurants that serve alcohol in town. We have the legion that is (sometimes) open on Friday nights, but beyond that you have to supply your own liquids (and not from a normal liquor store either, you have to order over the phone or in person from Churchill or Iqaluit).

Now I'm not a CRAZY HUGE drinker, but sometimes a girl just wants a pretty drink. Or a mojito. Or an icy brewski. Mmmm or a daiquiri.

Okay, I'm getting a little carried away here, I'll have plenty of time for that (and more) in MEXICO, but I'm really crazy pumped for our blogging dinner.

Can't wait to meetchas all!!

And also, I may or may not have decided that Megan is the grown-up version of me. I hope you're not weirded out by this (*creepy creepy creepy* - you have to say that in a sinister voice, while drumming your fingers on your lips, all creepy-like. Just so you know) but that's the truth.

So yah, because the older version of me won the NWT BLOGGING AWARD FOR BEST BLOG... you obviously should go VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE NUNAVUT BLOG, HERE!

**Finally, not sure how much internet access I'll have in Mexico. I'm trying to avoid taking my laptop etc. so I've set up some random posts and if I have internet I'm sure I'll be able to find something to write about**

Shhh...

Okay, so I've been a bit quiet this weekend, but such is often the case as of late.

I do a lot of writing professionally and for this blog during the week... and tend to spend my weekend time with friends or out on the land (for you newbies, one of our big 'hobbies' up here is going out of town for drives on our ATVs and Snowmobiles - - I never thought I'd be that kind of person, but when the opportunity's there... why not?).

So this weekend, we went out to Sarah and Paul's cabin (aka, VERY rustic cottage). It's a good 45-minute drive via snowmobile... and the longest I've ever driven The Beast (official name for the Skidoo. Not very original, but oh well)... and in the coldest weather too. It was about -25 today (luckily, very little wind) and the faster you go, the colder it feels on the machine.

But for the most part... I can honestly say... I was warm! I was trying out this new combo I dreamed up when I was searching for a good "out on the land" jacket/parka. I have a BEAUTIFUL Canada Goose jacket... that I absolutely LOVE, but I just can't bundle up as much as I would like to, it's just not big enough. (Don't even get me started how tragic that whole story is).

So I thought I'd experiment. I bought a 650-fill down jacket from Cabela's (it was a freakin' steal - only cost me 50 bucks or something) and a wind-proof top layer. I did the research, and tried to figure out, given the measurements how BIG that top layer would have to be, to fit over the down jacket... and sweaters... and my bib-snowpants .... etc. Anyways, it was ACTUALLY warmer than my Canada Goose (for some reason, I always found my shoulders/arms got cold). So I'm stoked. Now all I need is a nice fur for the hood, and I'll be set. So for a fraction of the price of my original jacket, I've found an even better solution. I'm just SO smart haha.

Anyone besides me notice how much frickin' time we spend up here in search of the ULTIMATE WARMEST WINTER GEAR? Shit, back home, its like "Columbia? Okay, no prob, ring it through." Here, there's so many factors. I must own over a thousand dollars worth of winter gear ... and I'm still on the search for the ULTIMATE BALACLAVA and the ULTIMATE MITTS.

Finally, yes. As I'm sure you figured, my skidoo is up and running again. It sat at work overnight Friday, still wouldn't run come Saturday. Then Good Friend Paul suggested we try new spark plugs. AND IT WORKED. Man, when that machine turned over, I just WHOOPED, and was jumping up and down hugging him. I think he was a little surprised. But honestly, there was a point there when I SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED selling the thing. It just was THAT depressing.

Bottom line? "Eights rock" (Nope, don't really know what that means, but I know my new spark plugs are 'eights' and whatever was in there before was NOT eights. Therefore, "eights" rock.)

Spark some interest in the north....

Okay dear readers, especially dear NORTHERN readers, who do not always post in comment sections but I know you visit (because my Statcounter says so) I NEED YOUR HELP.

I am doing a story for one of the CBC's southern programs, called Spark. You can read about the show here. I have long been a fan of Nora Young, and now I'm going to be on her program!

The story I'm doing is about the use of the internet in the North - and how it differs from the south. You may remember I wrote an entry about this back at the end of September. Well that response turned into them asking me to go on their show, do a little chat with Nora and a short documentary.

Just let me say how thrilled (but also scared and nervous) I am to be doing this story. But I need some help. I know useage is a bit different in Iqaluit (thanks TB) but I don't know anything about the other communities - or territories for that matter.

So here's the deal.

I'm looking for a couple different things.

First, if you live in the north (specifically Nunavut), and are interested in being in a fun little documentary about internet usage (subjects include banking, shopping, blogging and whatever else you do "differently" from the south) please let me know. I'm especially interested in talking to a fellow blogger (I can't talk about myself ALL the time) and someone who lives in a community where there isn't a physical BANK (Cape Dorset? Arctic Bay?). Most likely (unless you live in Rankin) it will be an interview over the phone. Pretty relaxed, just a chat about what you do and how you do it. I'm nice.

Second, if you live in the NWT or Yukon, and can shed some light as to how internet works there (is it satellite? Is it through the phone line? Cable? How fast is it? How does it compare to "down south" how much does it cost?) I'd really appreciate that too.

I know most people aren't used to being interviewed but I'd really appreciate it if you'd even just consider helping me out with this. It's a huge opportunity for me, and a chance for the North to get heard about something that's not snow or polar bears (or seals).

Thank you so much (in advance)
Jackie

Stay tuned...

Cuz I'm going to be on TV tonite!

Remember how I was saying I was paranoid over the numerous break-ins in town over the last little while?

Well it's worse than I thought. There have actually been 41 break-and-enters since the first of September. Twenty-five of those in the month of October. That's more than one a day. *shudder*

(Sidenote, thank god I have a BLOOD-THIRSTY DOG to protect me hahaa)

So Northbeat wanted to interview me about it.

So if you want to hear me try and string two words together, tun in to Northbeat tonite on CBC.

Broken spirit

One of the hardest things about living up here is there seems to be a lot of pessimistic people.

People who resist change not because they don't like the ideas or the people who think of them, and not even because they don't WANT change, but because these kind of things have not caught on in the past. And so you better not even bother.

This has happened twice in the past week. There is an idea that friends and I have cooked up, that appears to have support - because we've felt it out, asked people what they think. But then randomly someone says, usually in a really loud voice and a know-it-all tone, "Nope. Won't ever happen. Not here. It's Rankin."

It's just so discouraging. It's not like I'm sitting here, proposing we all drive on the left hand side of the road, instead of the right. Yes, that would be a fair response. No, not here. Never. It's Rankin. People do not drive on the left hand side of the road in Rankin. It's never been that way, and it never will be. Point finale.

But we're talking about something as simple (in one case) as curling. There is a curling rink in Rankin. Friends have put the wheels in motion to have a curling league. Probably, there won't be hundreds who join. Probably, we'll just have a couple, or a handful of teams who play. It's not a revolution. It's people looking for something to do in a small community, when the days get short and the evenings lonely. It's not even like it's a new sport that has never existed in Rankin.

But when it was brought up today, one person's response was out-and-out "It will never work, no one will ever do it. It's Rankin. I live here.I know."

I don't understand this out-and-out refusal to consider people doing something - not even that different - that would make them happy. That isn't hurting anyone.

Why would someone insist on being so negative about another person's pet project? And I guess I don't understand why I take it so personally either. It's not MY brainchild. I've never even thrown a rock in my life. But some friends were excited about setting up a league. And I got caught up in the excitement. But it's hard to be excited when so many people just want to cut you down.

More delays

So I'm in a fight with the corporate moving company.

I packed up all my worldly goods in Quebec City on the 14th of September. That's right, the 14th.

Then had a week in PEI, and then three weeks in Iqaluit.

The idea being that I would arrive in Rankin Inlet, and VERY shortly my stuff would arrive. We even booked my tickets OUT of Iqaluit based on when the moving company said the crates would be in. They told me it would be there the beginning of next week.

So the beginning became the end... and then I find out that my stuff hasn't even reached Winnipeg yet. And that it should hit Winnipeg by Friday of last week.

I'm sitting here like... uh... WHAT? It's been OVER a month, and it's STILL not in Winnipeg? I mean, if the delay had of been due to weather, so be it. I understand that nothing went in or out of Rankin ... basically after I arrived. Fair enough. But this is outrageous. Last time I checked Winnipeg and Quebec City were NOT that far apart. I'm sooo annoyed.

And so now, I have an email from them saying that my stuff should (EMPHASIS ON THE WORD SHOULD) arrive on Sunday (one "crate" that is) and the rest next Tuesday. I'm seriously in doubt of this though. What annoys me the most, I think, is just the fact that by the time my stuff arrives I will have been living out of a suitcase for almost two months. That's gross. And I only actually brought one suitcase of clothes. The other one was packed with my duvet and my Canada Goose jacket.

So I'm a bit annoyed. And tired of wearing the same skanky pairs of jeans (yes I washed them, but I'm getting bored of them). And wish I had brought more socks, because I appear to be gradually losing them between the couch cushions...

*pout

Loving small-town living

I have to admit. There is something just absolutely charming about this place.

I was a little hesitant at first, not really sure if this crazy change was going to work for me, and I'm still not exactly "at home" in my new apartment, but that will come.

But I'm starting to get used to... and genuinely like, that people know my name. I like that I can walk into the bank, and have the bank manager not only greet me by my first name but genuinely HELP ME make decisions.

Sometimes its a bit strange, like today when I was walking down the main aisle of the Northern, a gentleman I totally didn't recognize said "Hi Jackie" ... all I could do was smile and say hi right back, but I think it was pretty obvious I had no clue who he was.

I think I stand out a bit here, not necessarily because I SCREAM southern in my actions and attire, but maybe a bit more because of my hair. I've yet to see another redhead in this community. But I'm good with that. In fact, in spite of this... I was taken for Inuit on my first day at work.

There are constantly people flowing through here, mostly speaking little to no English... today, there was even a mute fellow who came by to "talk" to my co-worker. He's a really interesting guy, (the co-worker, I mean). He's not young by any means ... but he's constantly helping people out... and though his English is limited, he's just so friendly to me. And keeps finding words for me to try and say in Inuktitut.

That's pretty big with at least two of my co-workers here, getting me/teaching me Inuktitut. I was a little hesitant about it my first couple days, but am slowly warming up to the idea. Not because I didn't want to learn (I have even considered classes, remember) but rather because I was just so crazy overwhelmed with the rest of my world. I couldn't handle another language. I'm still dealing a bit with that. But it's great that they are so engaging about it. It really helps.

In other news.... I'M BUYING A HONDA! WWoooooT!!! And for you "southerners" who think that means I'm buying a Civic .... not even close. It's a four-wheeler/ATV and I am sooooo excited. I went to the bank today, and did all the paperwork for a loan, and I'll hear back tomorrow around lunch time. Then I just cross the street, get the Northern to write up a bill, cross the street again, get the money and it's ALL MINE! It's crazy, but it makes sense. I want something that can get me to work when I don't feel like walking, or during the winter, it will be nice for groceries etc. I don't know what it's like in other communities, but they are EVERYWHERE here. Kinda like the way taxis are in Iqaluit. I'm just so pumped to have my OWN transportation. Its nuts.

I'm pretty much decided I'm going to get the Honda TRX250. It's a good beginner ATV. It's on sale at the northern, and (god forbid) if I ever need parts, they are very easy to come by.
I'm not sold on the colour, but that's a small detail. Maybe I'll even get to drive it home from work tomorrow. I CAN'T WAIT!

Moving is hard

So I've arrived, but to little fanfare.

I was sooo ready to arrive, and now that I have, it seems just a tad anti-climatic.

My apartment is HUGE, I will post pictures in due course. It's got more closets then any one person could possibly need.... everywhere I look there are more and more closets. Which is pretty cool. I also have my own personal store room, and deep freeze. Hello buying in bulk!!!!
The only thing is.... I believe it was decorated with a single, 40-year-old cat lady in mind.
Not that there are actually any cat-evidence to be seen... it just fits into my idea of who they decorated for.

Actually that's not fair. It's just not very "me" yet. But I will fix that, I'm determined. I just HAVE to get rid of this pink/purple reeds and lilypads border that snakes its way around my apartment.

Oh, and the mallard-art in my living room.

But I have a sweet sofa and armchair. They are dark maroon, almost brown (I think the colour is called ox-blood?) leather. And they are soooo comfy.

But I don't have cable yet, so they won't be thoroughly enjoyed for awhile.

How does one get cable up north anyways? I tried searching "rankin inlet + cable" into Google to no success. Hints?

I really can't wait for my stuff to arrive. Rumor has it, that should be this week. I've already re-arranged the spare room, and decided it will double as my "office/study" (oo lala)

Not sure what I will do with my dining room table/chairs. The ones that are here kind of go with the other furniture (but then again, they don't really go with "ME" so maybe I'll switch them ujp all the same.

I am currently waiting to figure out if my co-worker is coming to rescue me/take me grocery shopping. I think maybe I got the message mixed up, because I thought she said she was coming to check up on me... but its been a couple hours, and I got the impression she'd be here in like an hour from when I arrived. Meh, I give it another 10 mintues, and I'm going out to the North Mart.

Oh, and Tina, I tried to take a pic of the North Mart in Iqaluit, on my way out, but the pictures suck (I think, I was in a very dirty car at the time...). But "Kate Nova" lives in Iqaluit, and takes GREAT photos. You might want to enlist her help.

Peace out.