The Polar Lounge

A Graduation to Remember

2007-06-12T11:42:00.001-07:00

After several weeks of hard work, graduation has come and gone. Luckily, everything went off without a hitch and we've been told by some of the older teachers that it was the best graduation ceremony they've ever seen in Inukjuak! Of course, I can't take any of the credit. It was really Colleen, Sylvain (French secondary 4/5 teacher) and their students who did all the work.

So what does the best graduation ceremony look like, you ask? Well, we have several pictures below to answer that question. The best part is, these pictures won't induce years of traumatic nightmares like the seal pictures a few weeks back.

This is the dynamic duo that put it all together. The masterminds if you will. Colleen and Sylvain.

These are the masterminds with their slaves... I mean grads. Or it's a picture of the next cast for the musical Rent. I'm not sure which.

Putting the minions to work.

What-do-ya-know. Hard work pays off!

The technical wizards running the razzle-dazzle a.k.a sound and video. Khan and Markus.

After getting a computer science degree at Waterloo I can proudly say that I can make a slide show and run a projector. (Disclaimer: Markus did not actually create the slide show... Sylvain did)

Every single person in Inukjuak shows up to watch the procession. Good thing it's too cold for fires to spread.

It's good to know that the "West Side" was proudly represented at grad.

This picture is included for the benefit of my family. Tell me who that guy in the red shirt looks like... (Click on it to get a larger version)

Believe it or not, this cake took 6 people 5 hours and 12 glasses of wine to decorate.

Posing at prom.

Eva, our DJ, about to do what she does best...

Rock the house!

A perfect way to end the day, with the crowning of the queen. Of course it took until 4am until everything was cleaned up and we were in bed.

As you can see, everyone did a fantastic job of putting this together. Of course now that exams, grad and prom are all done and over, there's only one thing left to do.

We're coming home :)

Wedding Invitations!

2007-06-03T16:34:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

I got a little sun-burn on my nose yesterday. It was horribly exciting because I was pretty sure my skin would never be able to absorb enough vitamin D through all the layers we have been wearing! It snowed on June 1st but the river is starting to break open and today it was 5 degrees Celsius!!! It felt pretty awesome when the wind was at our backs.

This weekend was made even better by a surprise bachelorette party for myself and another girl up here. Much fun was had and my legs feel like I may have danced a smidge too much;) . Thanks Girls!! I'll try to get some pictures up as soon as I snag them off of someone's camera.

Oh, yes the other bit of news is that you should be keeping your eye out for your wedding invitations. Markus and I sent them approximately 8 days ago and they should be arriving any day now. The only hitch in the invites was that we decided to post them on a day with 60km winds... and Markus accidentally let a couple go for a "free ride" across the Tundra! Thankfully we were able to round them up but our hearts stopped for just a minute.

Markus and I are getting so excited about coming home. I can't wait to not have to wear my winter coat! Also, I think it is going to be funny to see how Hudson deals with grass. He prefers to pee on snow and has never seen or felt anything as crazy as green grass let alone a tree.

Cheers,
Colleen

2007-05-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

Hey,

I know it has been awhile since we posted, however, we really feel like we've gotten into a nice groove. Nice grooves = regular routines = boring to blog about. So brace yourself for our spectacularly run-of-the-mill ho-hum post;)

This past week my students wrote a standardized exam for English. It took 4 days to write but I think they did OK. It was very difficult watching my students write this exam because it wasn't prepared by me. There is nothing more grounding than feeling like your students achievements and failures are my own. Of course I realize that their education is far bigger than this one year but... I can't help but wonder if I did them justice.

Markus and I have been to two BBQ's this weekend. At both I ate way too much and went home incredibly happy to have the smell of smoke on my clothes. Sadly, the weather still isn't really BBQ worthy... keep your fingers crossed that we might see some +'ve temperatures soon!

Tootles,
Colleen

29 days to Go!!

2007-05-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

Hey All,

This is a quick post to let you know that I'm craving sunshine. It snowed agin last night and I think I cried a little when I took the dog out for his nightly whiz at 4 in the morning.

So the count down is on: 29 days until we get on a plane and enjoy some greenery!

Tootles,

Colleen

Come Sleet or Snow or Rain

2007-05-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody,

Well, as you've probably guessed by now, our entire lives revolve around the all powerful Hudson. We cater to his every whim and we have found out that no matter what kind of weather it is outside, that's not going to stop him from forcing us out in it. I guess this is why we got a puppy in the first place. Get us out and about more. Sometimes, though, I yearn for the good old days where we actually slept at night and got to stay out of the rain. On the bright side, though, we get to post all kinds of fun pictures with our little ball of fluff.

Here's Hudson after taking a much needed bath. Apparently being washed is exhausting.

Apparently, he's not too picky about where he falls asleep, either. Half way up the stairs it occurred to him that this was as good a spot as any to take a break.

Having a staring contest with his new favourite toy, a plush giraffe. Amazingly, all the stuffing is still inside.

Ok, ok. I know it looks like the our dog never moves, but I swear he was a fountain of energy JUST before this picture was taken.

We definitely haven't had time to do anything else exciting since we got our new little guy, but as soon as our lives resemble some level of normality, we'll let you know what else is new.

Later,

Markus

Grey weather

2007-05-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

The weather here has been incredibly gloomy. Lack of sleep ("good puppy") and lack of sunlight is starting to catch up with us. It has been bizarre weather lately because it is overcast but it stays light outside until 9:30-10:00pm.

To fight the weather we're trying to get outside in the fresh air but .... I'm starting to miss the colour green! Especially when I hear that everyone is planting back home. We're starting to see a little bit of green lichen and moss on the Tundra but the snow is getting soft and it is a bit treacherous because you don't know if you are going to go up to your knees. In contrast, my students are loving this weather. They have ski-doos and are getting out on the land just before the river starts to thaw. They are bringing back a lot of Canadian geese. It is crazy how crazy they are over goose meat!

I'll get Markus to post next time. He's been the hardest hit by Hudson's cries so I'm letting him have a nap. Funny enough, Hudson is sleeping with him;) (My family won't be surprised to hear that I can still sleep through just about anything!)

Tootles,
Colleen

Meet Hudson!

2007-05-07T03:36:00.000-07:00

Today we awoke to freezing rain. Unfortunately, my students were supposed to go on survival today. This is the third time they have tried to take my group of kids out on the land but the weather just won't cooperate. At this rate, instead of going ice fishing they will be going goose hunting!

Hudson wasn't too keen on freezing rain. He went "code yellow" pretty darn quick this morning. He fits right in this house, it is nice to go outside but... not when mother nature is turning on you! As promised, here are some pics of our now expanded family:

(I swear the snow is slowly melting...)

Yes, I did ask our friend Sasha to take our "family portrait!"

It is time for me to get ready for school. Hope everyone is doing well.

Cheers!
Colleen

Just a quick up-date!

2007-05-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

Hey There!

I only have 10% battery life left on Markus' computer and I'm already tucked into bed so I'm not going searching for the power bar so this is just a quicky to let everyone know that.... WE GOT OUR PUPPY!!!

Tomorrow we will post some pics of our bouncing baby boy named Hudson (After the Bay of Course - it turns out I am my fathers daughter;) ).

He's 7 weeks old and hilarious but also a wee bit tiring during the night.... keep your fingers crossed that we don't wake the duplex neighbours again...

Until next time,
Cheers!
Colleen

Conniving Canines

2007-04-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how news can pile up when you don't post for two weeks.

To start us off today, I want to revisit an April fool's joke that seems to have come full circle on us. As many of you know, Colleen and I took care of our friend's dog, Miku, for a couple of weeks while they were off frolicking to Cuba. Miku warmed up to us immediately and we ended up enjoying her playful presence MOST of the time (3am being the usual exception).

Here's a picture of Miku making a slide down the hill...interesting for me.

Of course, after Steph and Pat came back and took her away, the house suddenly seemed much emptier and it didn't take long for thoughts of getting our own little puppy to squirm their way into our minds. We mulled it over for a couple of weeks, talking over the pros and cons every morning, noon and night and eventually, it became clear that getting a puppy right now just isn't the rational thing to do. So what's the first thing we do after making this decision. Why, we think it's a grand idea to have Colleen's student come over with her batch of new puppies. The 6 week old balls of fluff were armed with the usual arsenal of cute eyes and playful yelps and within moments they had handily defeated any resolve that remained within either of us. After a couple sessions of observing, poking and proding we've decided on one. He'll be joining the household next weekend, at which point we'll make sure to post pictures and decide on a name.

Otherwise, things have been grand for us both. The combination of Easter and Colleen's birthday brought with it a showering of gifts and packages even more generous than usual. We have to send out a huge thank you to everyone in Germany for their amazing support. This includes Grossmama, Grosspapa, Tante Lina und Luise and all the lovely Schönbergers in Mauern. Of course, they weren't the only ones to spoil us. My mom sent us many gifts and goodies which will be very handy for our upcoming honeymoon camping trip. Brian and Heather also sent us a fantastic parcel from Seattle which included some wonderful smoked salmon and even a little bit of eye-candy in the form of 300.

Oh, and before I forget, even though it wasn't my Birthday, I did end up getting a gift of sorts this past month. I was accepted into Trent and Western for my Bachelor of Education in Mathematics and Technology, and have accepted the offer. This means that I'm going to be spending the next year in London, Ontario close to many friends and even some family.

Before that, though, it's time to get ready for our new fuzzy housemate.

Until next time,

Markus

P.S. We've had not one, but two polar bears in town in the last week. Sometimes I'm very happy that we're only a 2 minute walk from the school.

Back into a Routine.

2007-04-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

Our Easter break has come to an end. Mom and Dad made it safely back to Ravenna and Miku (the dog) has gone back to her true owners. (Some of our friends from here went to Cuba to get married over the break - Congratulations Pat and Steph!!) Now that everything is returning to "normal" Markus and I are finding our house a little bit bigger without all of our house guests! I think I may have even convinced him that getting a puppy is a good idea! I'm still working out the logistics of housing a Husky-cross down South and I think I've come up with some feasible solutions.

In other news, Markus and I will be moving home 2 months from tomorrow!! It is wild how fast this school year is flying by.

The weather has finally improved so Markus and I are going to go bask in the -2 degrees celcius weather.

Tootles,
Colleen

Dogsledding, igloos and icefishing

2007-04-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

We've been sleeping in and eating well. Tonight Markus is brewing a caribou roast which we are excited to introduce Mom and Dad to. Unfortunately, caribou meat is a bit like cabbage in the gas production department... We'll see how many of us are still breathing normally by morning;)

We have been going out on the land in short bursts because it has been very cold with the windchill (around -26 degrees celcius). My favourite trip so far was dogsledding with a local man. We had no idea what to expect and it was definitely an experience I will not forget. The biggest surprise: the dogs led themselves with us as passengers. The local man, Adamie, rode on his snowmobile while we were riding on a skinny little sled. Markus took over the snowmobile every once in awhile and managed to snap some pictures of us cruising along.

Yesterday Dad and I went for a long hike up to a point called The Beacon. It isn't that far but with the wind in our faces the entire way up it felt like we had bested Mount Everest. The climb was well worth it because you could see for miles in every direction.

Markus, Dad and Mom went ski-dooing to check out some igloos that were built just outside of town. They were also lucky enough to go icefishing. Apparently farmers aren't necessarily fishermen because they stopped that after a couple of hours and came home empty handed. Here are some pics of the inside of the igloo:

Tootles,
Colleen

Mom and Dad have Arrived!

2007-04-06T11:06:00.000-07:00

Mom & Dad made it safely to Inukjuak. They have been greeted by good ol' fashioned Tundra wind.

Here is a picture of me, Dad and Miku trying to not be blown away.

Mom made it outside for a walk too. Look at those fancy new boots!!

Hope everyone is having an excellent Easter break!

Cheers,

Colleen

We have a new dog!

2007-04-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

We just wanted to share the exciting news that we just got Miku, our new housemate. She's a German Shepard/Husky mix and comes to us very well trained. She's playful and gets us to go out on walks a lot more than we used to. Here's a picture of Miku and me together:

All three of us are very excited that Colleen's parents are going to come up and visit soon. We've already made all kinds of plans for when they come, but now Miku will also be able to join in on the fun. It's starting to warm up a little now, so it won't be quite so bad to go ice fishing or trekking out on the land. Otherwise, things are pretty much the same as ever. A few of our friends have gone off to Cuba for a couple weeks, leaving us behind, but we have our new friend around to keep us company.

Anyways, I better go take Miku for a walk. She's chomping at the bit to get outside.

Till next time, take it easy,

Markus

Eaten By Polar Bears

2007-03-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

I know it's been an inexcusable amount of time between this post and our last, but in our defense the title of this post is far more exciting than anything that's happened here in the last couple of weeks. There have been a few funny moments, like when Colleen got spammed by Jahova witnesses. I don't mean email spam either. This was a letter, painstakingly hand-written with fine cursive lettering attempting to persuade us to enlighten ourselves. Turns out that even Inukjuak isn't far enough away to escape the wrath of Jahova.

Instead of writing at length about nothing, I'm going to opt for an efficient point form list of things that have been happening up here:

Got new clock radio to wake up with. Fear of missing school due to power outage is abated.
Woke up to that good old Inuit classic "The Bad Touch" by the Bloodhound gang. I sure hope all the elders were still asleep.
Went to have shower only to discover that our water pipe had frozen. I don't understand how this could happen. It's only -55 with the windchill outside.
Write down some important dates so I don't forget them:
55 - The number of teaching days left in the school year.
17 - Days until Colleen's parents arrive, take a look around, come to their senses and
promptly leave again.
19 - Days until I find out which schools rejected me for teacher's College.
21 - Days until I have a near death experience for forgetting Colleen's birthday (Sonja, for
the love of everything good and holly CALL ME to remind me).
141 - Days to loose my Christmas weight and look good in a tux (Oh yeah, and remember
to say Yes).
96 - Days until we fly back to civilization and milk some cows.
1 - Days until I forget about Colleen's birthday again.
Beg friends and relatives to send us wedding song ideas in a public forum, like a blog. This one one will do.

As you can see, things have been relatively same old, same old. We're still keeping active, having a great time with friends, looking forward to St. Patrick's day and, of course, dreaming of warmer weather.

Till next time, peace out homies,

Markus

Brings New Meaning To The Term "Googly Eyes"

2007-02-24T14:23:00.000-08:00

Hey there,

Before I begin today, I want to warn people that the pictures contained in today's post might be a little... disturbing for our more squeamish visitors. For those of you with 22" monitors and T1 connections, it might already be too late. Then again, if you own a 22" monitor and have a T1 connection, then I don't feel that bad for you.

Last week was a little more eventful than usual as we got not one, but two fun surprises at school. The first wasn't as tragic as it could have been. A water truck driver decided to take a shot at the local 0-60mph speed record while exiting the school yard. Apparently this isn't the best thing to do over rough and snowy terrain since tons of water sloshing around in your tank might cause this to happen:

I'm pretty sure there's something in the manual about NOT doing this.

That's right, the water tank might tear right off the back of the truck. Now, I did mention before that this could have been a lot worse than it was, and the reason I said that is because sewage trucks make the exact same stop every morning. As I'm sure you can imaging, having one of them split open on the playground would have made for a less than ideal working and learning environment in the school.

All in all this event gave everyone at the school a little bit of excitement, but it can't compare to the treat that the grade 4 students got on Friday. One of the local hunters brought in a seal he had caught the day before and with masterful precision that only years of practice can bring, he skinned and dissected the seal in front of all the kids.

During a math lesson, the expression on the children's and the teacher's faces are reversed.

Not only did he show them exactly how each piece could be used, but he also encouraged the children to touch, play and even taste things to their hearts content. Unlike the supervising teacher, the children were far from squeamish and some even had a sense of humour about it all.

Awwww. He's so cute!

Taking Valentine's Day a little too literally.

What? Do I have something on my face?

I've got some more pictures of the actual slicing and dicing, but I thought I'd just link them so that you could have the option to view them. I'm not posting these to disturb people, this is simply the Inuit's way of life. If blood and dead animals disturb you, don't view these pictures!

In this one the hunter is pointing out various parts of the seal's digestive tract.

This is the most gruesome picture, but it also shows just how good the hunters are at making sure that nothing is wasted.

I find events like this fascinating because it shows just how in-tune some of the Inuit still are with their former way of life. It never ceases to amaze me that people were able to live in these kind of winter conditions with the meager resources that the land up here provides. When I think of some of the elders in this community and the difference between how they lived life 70 years ago and how we live now, it reminds me to complain a little less about the small "inconveniences" that I think of as challenges in my own life.

In any case, I should go and make some dinner, although, I think I might have pizza instead of seal tonight.

Take it easy,

Markus

A little fun in the "Sun"

2007-02-11T19:20:00.000-08:00

Hey there,

Word on the street is that you Southern Ontario Kids have been enjoying many a snow-day. Mean while we've been partying it up Luau Style. We went to a Hawaiian party last night which meant wearing snow pants over top of my capris. It was totally worth it because I won the Pineapple!

Cheers,
Colleen

ps: Markus' Note: chickpeas + 3 cloves of garlic + oil = great humus + Baaad garlic breath

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2007-02-04T22:04:00.000-08:00

This is a special post from the entire Wolski clan in Canada to wish Grandma a very Happy Birthday from all of us. We might not be able to fly to Germany to celebrate with you, but we thought that showing you we're all thinking of you here on the Blog might be the next best thing.

We hope you have a fantastic time!

Here's Collen and Me thinking of you.

This is the family in Dryden wishing you all a happy birthday.

Here's a closeup of the cake that mom made especially for you.

Happy Birthday!

A Walk On The Wild Side

2007-02-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody,

The good news is that everything is going well up here. The bad news is that the internet has slowed to the point where I can barely check my email anymore. I'm almost pining for the days of dial-up. In fact, I'm seriously considering trying out a dial up service or two just to compare the speeds. It's very sad.

In any case, we had a small break in the weather last weekend and I decided to jump at the chance of wandering out without spontaneously freezing and seeing what the village looks like from a distance. As an extra added bonus, I was able to do it from the aptly named "beacon hill" which is nice and high. The walk was a welcome break to the constant indoor life I've been leading and after warming up the camera and salvaging a few precious seconds of battery life, I snapped these pictures in a record 8 seconds or so.

The pictures don't do the view justice. The sun glints off the snow for miles and miles and the effect is simply jaw dropping.

Here's the Beacon with a view of Inukjuak off in the distance. You'd almost miss it if you didn't know it was there.

Since I was spinning around in a circle taking quick pictures in the meagre few seconds of battery life that I had, I was fortunate enough to get these three pictures which I spliced into a nice 180 degree view. Inukjuak can be seen in the right picture.

Since my little excursion the temperature has slipped back down to -40, but I'm still determined to keep up these explorations when the weather permits.

Keep warm everyone,

Markus

Horrifying? You be the judge.

2007-01-24T07:53:00.001-08:00

Hey Everyone,

First bit of news is a bit disturbing. You see, the previous Special Ed teacher has been re-assigned to an full time grade 3 classroom and because there is literally nobody else to do the job, the Sp. Ed. torch has now been passed to me. That's right, the guy who hasn't done any English grammar in WELL over a decade is now going to teach children who are struggling. Since I honestly could not remember the difference between an adjective and a pronoun at first, I decided to embark on some intense studying for the sake of the 12 poor souls that have been put in my care. After much reading, hours and hours and hours of online research, remembering that I did take a course in Waterloo titled "Children's Acquisition of language", I've now got some pretty good phonics games, reading activities and even know the difference between a synonym and a homophone. So far I haven't done any irreparable damage, but there's still lots of time left before the end of the year.

In other news, the wedding plans are now starting to consume a much greater part of our lives. Between picking out tuxes, music, invitations, chalets for visiting family and about a billion other things we could be spending all day every day worrying about every little thing. Good thing we're not picky.

I'm also happy to report that we're both keeping active and trying desperately to make up for the outrageous amounts of food we had to eat over the holidays. Sunday volleyball games are finally happening again, and when you combine that with Badminton night, Floor Hockey night, Bowflex and Tae Bo, I'd have to say that we're doing pretty good.

In any case, I'm going to stop this rambling and let you get on with your much more interesting lives. The only thing I ask is that if you have any great wedding song ideas, don't be shy in recommending them!

Later,

Markus

Oh, before I forget this has the potential to be really good news. Check it out.

Horrifying? You be the judge.

2007-01-24T07:53:00.000-08:00

Romantic Idea # 391

2007-01-14T15:57:00.000-08:00

For those of you that find relationships difficult and never know how to take things to the next level, never fear, the love doctor is here.

Here's an idea that's guaranteed to get results. Just have your date put on windbreaker pants and then go out for a romantic walk in -37 degree weather. After a few minutes those pants will start cracking and breaking apart from the extreme cold giving you a nice gradual transition from all pants, to some pants, to NO pants. Awwww yeah. That's what I'm talkin' about.

Remember not to attempt this too far from some kind of warm shelter since extreme frostbite may ruin the mood.

This tip has been brought to you by Colleen, who decided that she was too cool for snow pants, but luckily realized the folly of her ways early enough so that no damage was done to her poor chilled legs.

Alas, the pants did not survive.

Markus

2007-01-09T16:30:00.000-08:00

I am exhausted! First day back at school went fairly smoothly but I am really, really tired. My body liked getting up after 9... oh vacation how I miss you already. I think the other thing that my body is having a tough time with is the cold. While we were away things got a little bit chillier up here. This whole week it looks like we'll be lucky if we get a high of -15 degrees celcius! To say the least, it feels a bit more like winter up here.

I miss everyone already but I am also really glad to be getting away from the incredible amount of goodies at home. I think that was the other reason I was so tired after school today - my blood sugar wasn't constantly soaring. Fingers crossed, I will stay away from the sweets so I can still get my bottom into a wedding dress this summer.

Tootles,
Colleen

The Best Things In Life

2007-01-03T15:37:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas. No matter how much my life has changed in the last year, coming home always brings things that are familiar and pleasant. Sometimes there’s a surprise or two waiting, like your 6’ 4” youngest brother towering over you at the airport, but by and large, the important things never change.

Here's Mikey, our friend Adam who's 6' 7" and Daniel all towering over me, and I'm far older than all of them.

I was extremely relieved to see that unlike Colleen’s neck of the woods, there’s still snow up here. Living in Inukjuak I had forgotten how beautiful the combination of snow and trees could be.

This is just outside our front window. I love trees.

You might think this is just a nice picture, but in actual fact I'm showing off the snowman I made. OK, I guess the kids helped too.

I have to admit that two weeks of relaxing, eating, sleeping, eating and then eating again may have spoiled me a little. Like every other year, my mom has done a formidable job of making every moment of the holidays a gorging opportunity. After the first week I started to feel a little guilty about it, but then again what fun is it starting a new year without the challenge of shedding those extra holiday pounds. To give us a “rolling” start, Daniel, Sonja, Mikey and I have been heading to the gym for some squash and cardio action. Bernie couldn’t join us since he’s busy forming his own German yodeling band. At least that’s the impression he gives dressed in his fine new Lederhosen which were generously given to him by our grandparents and Christine this Christmas.

Yo-de-lay-de-hooooooo.

Of course, when Daniel isn’t at the gym he’s got his alternate workout routine. It’s a complete multi-step program that consists mostly of acting like a jungle-gym for the foster kids. Here’s what the routine looks like:

This is the motivation stage which consists mostly of the kids jumping and yelling at the top of their lungs.

Once Daniel is able to roll off the couch and onto the floor it’s time for advanced upper body strength training consisting of 1, 2 and finally 3 children increments.

Now it’s time for lower body endurance training. For this segment Nala barks to give motivation and encouragement as Daniel struggles to make it to the couch.

Having made it to the couch, Daniel is allowed a brief respite before the screaming motivation has begun anew.

In any case, all of us at the Wolski house have had an amazing break. Unfortunately, all breaks must eventually end and yesterday Bernie had to return to Brandon to start practicing for a concert next week. This meant that we had to snap family Christmas shots in record time before his bus came to whisk him away.

Just us zany kids.

The whole crazy family.

I’ll be heading out on Friday to spend a day with the Dielemans before Colleen and I return to Inukjuak for the next 6 months.

I hope that all of you had just as good a time as we did at the Wolski house, and don’t worry about those extra holiday pounds. We have a whole year to work it off now.

Happy New Year everyone!

Markus

Wahoo!

2006-12-22T20:07:00.000-08:00

We're Back!!!!

Markus and I had awesome flights and are both super excited to be in our respective homes. Well, we're both almost home. As I'm writing this Blog Markus is driving from Winnipeg with Daniel and Bernie and I'm mooching a bed from Tonya tonight(and a lift to the farm tomorrow - Thanks Commander T! ). We had an amazing dinner at Milestones with Alex and Tonya before dropping Markus back off at the airport. Then I went to the movies!! What a treat! We watched The Pursuit of Happyness starring Will Smith and of course we chilled at Timmy's :). I didn't realize how much I missed hanging with the Bio Crew until I got another taste.... Thanks for showing us an awesome time guys.

Merry almost Christmas!

Cheers,
Colleen

ps - Give me a call at my parents if you want get together over the holidays! I'll be about until the 6th.

I Survived Survival!!

2006-12-16T14:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was an excellent day for survival. It wasn't terribly cold (-8 degrees celcius) but the wind was a bit vicious gusting from 20 km to 50km an hour. One of my favourite moments was when the guides asked us to point at Inukjuak after we were several km away - turns out my sense of direction is just as terrible up here as it was down south;)

We left the school around 9:30 and headed out onto the land. This is the view from my seat. I was sitting on furs in the back of the humotik (a sled the Inuit use behind their ski-doos).

Here are two of my students in their parkas. They were able to take their own ski-doos out on the land and for some reason they loved racing past my sled...
Along the way the guides stopped and showed the kids some survival techniques. They showed them how to set a fox trap properly and then they demonstrated how to use a net in the winter. I thought this was the coolest rig. They put two sticks on either side of the river. Attached to the sticks are either end of a net. They poke two holes in the ice where the stick markers are and pull the nets up. The system looks a bit like a clothes line.... but one that runs under the frozen layer of ice. After they removed their fish they pulled the lines back underwater and refroze their markers into the surface. Cool!

Along the way we saw two caribou. One of the guides immediately pulled a gun out of his humotik and then there were two dead caribou! (Guns on a school trip?? Pardon?) They skinned the caribou right there and the kids got to help. It was a really interesting process and these guys were quite efficient. It took them 1/2 and hour to skin and carve the meat. They divied up the meat into garbage bags and we all wiped our hands in the snow and then hoped back onto the ski-doo and headed for home. I'm saving my roast for the New Years. Mmm.

This is a picture of me and some of my students. Guess which one is me?!
Cheers,
Colleen