Birthday surprise

As some of you know, it was my birthday last week.  JJ and I generally keep birthdays low-key. This year he decided to surprise me by flying up my best friend from Florida (who I haven't seen in a couple of years) for an extended visit. Laoli got here on Thursday, just after lunch. When they walked in together I was completely shocked.  This is the second time ever that JJ has managed to keep a secret from me (the first was my engagement ring). Every other time he has either had to tell me about things due to unforeseen circumstances (one time I booked CJS into a hockey camp for a week JJ had a surprise planned, so he had to tell me), or I have found out by seeing computers screens left open, or hearing phone messages, etc.

From this airport in Orlando....
source

......to this airport in Iqaluit.

Needless to say, this was a complete surprise.  Laoli got to come to last post's ice show, and was a huge help to me the day of the show.  Despite not knowing her way around my kitchen (it was her second day here), she made lunch for everyone while I put Coraline's hair in the requisite "skater bun held in place with loads of hairspray". Then she sat with Captain Jack in the stands so I could help Coraline with her costume change in the dressing room between numbers.

For my birthday, Laoli made dinner for the whole family: chicken, rice, beans, and salad.  Her family is originally from St. Croix (in the US Virgin Islands), and her cooking is phenomenal. She brought up all the seasonings she would need to cook in Iqaluit (there isn't much in the way of "international food" up here).  Even my finicky eater (Captain Jack) raved about how delicious the food was and asked for seconds. For dessert JJ had made me a birthday cake.  (I didn't get the generic Northmart chocolate cake with frosting balloons!) It was a fantastic birthday.

Chicken seasoned latin-style, with rice and beans (squeee!) and salad.

Laoli also brought up yarn and hooks for Coraline, who is learning to crochet through a lunchtime club at school.  Captain Jack got craft supplies and a Star Wars toothbrush and water bottle. She also brought him a hat that lights up, which he has been wearing constantly.  While she was here I took Laoli to check out the yarn and knitting supplies at Baffin Electronics (remember--this is the odd store that sells just about everything except electronics). She picked up some yarn that was on sale, and made this cute little hat for Buffy!

 


Around Laoli's 4th or 5th day here, I GOT SICK!  BOO!  I woke up with a sore throat and ears, completely congested, feeling horrible. I got the kids on the bus and went back to bed. While I was sleeping Laoli made me homemade soup and arepas (fried johnny cakes). What an awesome friend!

I thought this was too funny to leave out, although it has nothing to do with soup.  One evening JJ decided to barbeque steak for everyone for dinner. Our children are not huge fans of steak, even though we allow them to cover it in ketchup.  JJ asked Loali how she would like her steak cooked.  She replied "medium".  Captain Jack immediately piped up "I'd like mine small please!"

Laoli's homemade chicken soup.

Arepas! Yummy!

Luckily, the skies were clear one night while Laoli was here and she got to see the northern lights.  This was on her bucket list, so yay! I have reused an old picture for this post, because you can't take pictures EVERY TIME you see the northern lights.  We'd have way too many.

Northern lights outside the deck.

Of course, a visit to Iqaluit would not be complete without a trip to the museum, the visitor's centre, and of course, shopping.  Laoli enjoyed all three.  She agreed with me that the best place for shopping was the museum, but her favorite purchase was an Ukpik (traditional Inuit owl made of sealskin or fox fur) from Carvings Nunavut.

Carvings Nunavut is inside to the left.

Muskox skull. Don't get any ideas, sis. I think these are much
more difficult to come by than walrus skulls.

Carvings for sale. The bottom shows a miniature hunting camp.

Miniature qamotik and hunting camp with tent.

Rose carved from rock and bone.

The cutest little Ukpik ever. Totally
adorable!

"Ermagerd! Look at how cute that Ukpik is!"

When we first moved here JJ joined the local performing arts association, Alianait. Because he is a member, he gets emails letting him know about various musical and other performances coming up throughout the year.  I believe he also gets discounted tickets, or at least first crack at tickets when they become available. He called me one day to tell me he had purchased tickets for something called "Ice Music". My reaction was, what the heck is ice music?  Turns out, it is music played on instruments made entirely of ice. Crazy, huh?  The performance group was created by Terje Isungset, a Norwegian musician and composer. They perform in various locations (mostly northern, because it would be rather difficult to play instruments made of ice in the Bahamas). Every year one of his stops is Iqaluit.  Last year the show sold out quickly and was packed, so this year they added another performance date. When the group (consisting of 2 musicians and several technicians) arrived in the city they set about finding, sawing, and carving ice chunks to exact specifications. All the instruments are made locally, and melt after each performance.

A highlight for most of the people in the audience was when the group was joined onstage by two local throat-singers.  The sound was amazing.  I didn't catch it on video, but Terje assured me after the show that the group's next CD will feature throat singers as well.

Poster in the museum for Ice Music.

Promo pic from their website.

The opening act: a local ukelele player and one of
her students.  She sang along in Inuktitut. They were fantastic.

Getting set up for the show, wheeling out the ice xylophone-type instruments on dollies.

Coraline enchanted, and nervous. "But, there is water
dripping off the instruments! What if they melt?"

Captain Jack thinks this is awesome.

Laoli and JJ had a blast. They both bought CD's
at the end of the show.

Ready for the show to begin!

Promo shot from their website, but this is basically what it was like! The singer used a soundboard type
mixer to capture her voice on a track, then play it and harmonize over it with other sounds.

(My pic this time.) Terje is blowing into a huge horn made of ice.

And, of course, no visit to Nunavut would be complete without going dogsledding.  The day Laoli and JJ went (I was home sick for this trip, which was a bummer), was cold but not too cold (around -25, -36 with the windchill). Boomer from Northwinds Expeditions took them up into Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park for the morning. Laoli had a blast.  Her feet froze on the way out, but on the way back the sun was shining directly over them. By the time she and JJ both got home their many layers of clothing were soaked all the way through with sweat.

Emergency shelter at the park.

Laoli on the tundra

JJ drove the sled, this was his perspective.

Arctic Laoli

As you can see its been a busy week.  I have no idea what's coming up next!  It is winter carnival week at Captain Jack's school, maybe that will be interesting? I'll let you know.