Update!

I have not forgotten about you, wonderful blog readers.  Believe it or not, you have been on my mind quite a bit lately. However, as you will have noticed, I have failed to post any new blog content for about 10 days. This is because of two things:

1) We ran out of internet.  Yes, that is a thing here in Iqaluit. JJ and I regularly play an online video game called World of Warcraft. The game came out with a patch that we had to install in order to continue playing.  We did not realize installing said patch would consume all of our remaining internet for the month. With our internet all but gone, I am unable to upload photos to the blog.  In an odd way, this was a perfect time for this to happen. We will be in Ottawa this coming Sunday, and I will have all the free internet I can use.  So, it isn't as though there are no more posts coming. You'll all just have to wait a few more days while I frantically work on those posts from hotel rooms. After all, I need to fill you in on what has been happening our last week here. Which brings us to my second point:

2) Organizing this move was way more work than I thought it would be. Yes, it was our second time moving in a year so we should know what we are doing. And you would think, that since we didn't bring up everything we own, and because we have hired a company to move our belongings back to Ontario, that the final week here would be relatively stress-free. Also, we have donated all the clothing the kids have outgrown and not replaced it as the year has gone by, so we actually own fewer things than we came up with.

That said, we moved into someone else's house. With someone else's stuff in it. While it is very easy for me to know what is ours and what isn't, it would unrealistic to expect this of the packers. So for the past week we have designated rooms as "off limits" for the packers/movers, and tried to move as much of the homeowner's belongings in these rooms as possible.  Over the past year we have simply lived in the house, using the TV remote control without any thought of it not actually belonging to us.  Same things with my slow cookers, the home owner's casserole dishes, my kids' water bottles, etc. We don't want the packers or movers to pack the homeowner's things, as it would be a real pain in the butt for them to come home to, say, no coat hangers. Or missing artwork. Separating everything has been very, very time consuming.

Also, we've been told it may take as long as 6 weeks for our belongings to arrive in Thunder Bay. This means we need to fill our luggage with items we will need for the rest of summer (bathing suits, shorts, sandals), but also for the beginning of fall (back to school clothes, rain boots, warm coats, etc.). Throw in packing for two cats and a dog (a small enough litter box to put in a suitcase, along with food, litter, etc.). The kids had to decide which toys to put in luggage to take on the plane with us, and which toys they can handle not seeing for 6 weeks.  This made for some very tough decisions for them.

To further add to the stress of moving, I have had to contend with the fact that on our move up here, the moving company lost three of our boxes.  They just vanished into thin air.  The same thing has happened to several friends during Iqaluit moves. So I have had to decide which things we need to have with us for the six weeks, which things can travel on the moving van to Thunder Bay, and which things I am absolutely not OK with NEVER SEEING AGAIN. I have a suitcase I have called my "essentials" bag. It contains things that I consider not-replaceable: CJS's hockey trophy and ribbons. Many of our sealskin items, which would be impossible to replace. My new parka from Victoria's Arctic Fashion. Inuit carvings from Arctic Bay.

Today, the packers are here. Despite the "do not pack this" stickies I have put on the floor lamps, the hockey bag, etc., I am hanging around supervising. In true Iqaluit style, the moving company ran out of wardrobe boxes (for packing things in the closet). In fact, boxes in general seem to be in short supply. I will enjoy filling you all in once I have unlimited internet. Wish me luck! For now, I have used the last dying breath of our internet to upload this photo that JJ took last night:

The sun is setting on our time in Iqaluit. Sunset here takes, like, 3 hours.
So...........its like a long goodbye.

Helicopter tour of Ward Inlet, and interview with Coraline!

So much is happening! We only have a couple of weeks left until we leave to go back to Thunder Bay. I've started sorting things for the move (we have professional packers coming in so actually putting things in boxes is off my shoulders). I've had the kids try on basically everything they own, and whatever doesn't fit is being donated to the women's shelter here in town (a large building where abused women can live with their children until they get back on their feet).  Of course, in the midst of the sorting, trying on, donating and list making, JJ decided that we still haven't seen enough of Nunavut. We've been dogsledding many times, and flown up to Pond Inlet and Arctic Bay, but we hadn't actually been in a helicopter..... more on that later this post. We'll start first with Coraline's thoughts on the past year.

*****

Coraline has had a humdinger of a year in Iqaluit. Right off the bat, she started middle school-- a huge change for someone who has only attended one small community school in her lifetime. In September she was voted into student government as a member of the Aqsarniit student council, representing her homeroom. She has had a great time planning dances and events, helping to work the concession stand, and being involved in fundraising.

Ready for a school dance.

In addition to all the normal stuff like math, social studies, etc., Coraline has been taking Inuktitut language and Inuit culture, along with French language lessons. Coraline has also enjoyed the freedom that came with living in a small, close-knit neighbourhood, but she's realized there are pluses and minuses that come with this. (Free-range kids can do pretty-much whatever they please, including destroying the fort you've spent days building as soon as you go inside for dinner.)  It's been a year of firsts: she's gone to her first dance, eaten caribou for the first time, and had her hair dyed (for what I'm sure is the first of many times). 

Academically she has thrived, and by the end of the year she had won awards for attendance, literacy, artistic ability, the Principal's Award, and the Inuit Qaujimajatuqanginnik Award (I have absolutely no idea what this last one is for, but neither does she, so it's all good).

Update: I know what that crazy-long-word award is now!  JJ says normally the phrase is shortened to "I.Q." He learned about it through work.  "Inuit Qaujimajatuqanginnik" means, in a nutshell, Inuit values/knowledge. These include respect, serving your community, working together, being resourceful, and caring for the land. 

Coraline won two "end of year" awards. This one was
for being the most artistic student in her class.

And here is she walking away with her prize for the attendance
award (I wasn't fast enough with the camera).

So, what does a 10 (now 11 year-old) think of living in the north? I'll let her tell you.

Hi Coraline!

Hi Mommy!

What have you enjoyed most about living in Iqaluit?

What I enjoyed most about living in Iqaluit was that lots of my friends live super close. This means I can walk down to my friend's house (for example Lilith) and see if she wants to come over or play outside. (I do it all the time.)

Coraline and Lilith.

What have you wished was different?

What I wished was different up here in Iqaluit is that my friend down in Thunder Bay (her name is Z) would move up here and stay with us 'til we left. I also wish we could bring our house in Thunder Bay up here and back again when we leave.

Tell me how going to school here is different than going to school in Ontario.

School is different up here than Thunder Bay because me and my brother don't go to the same school. This is because up here you start middle school in grade 6 while in Thunder Bay middle school starts in grade 7.

What have you learned about the Inuit?

What I have learned about the Inuit is that they eat some meats (seal, caribou, rabbit, etc.) raw. I also learned in the olden days (1900's) they used something called a kudliik (pronounced kood-lick) to keep warm.

Kudliik (also known as a Qulliq)
(source)

Tell me how the kids here are different than they are in Ontario. Do they dress differently? Speak differently?

What's different about the kids up here is they are more brown than white (skin) and they stay up very VERY late playing outside. The kids up here also like to eat raw meat and like to hunt. :(

Coraline. 

Do you have a favorite restaurant in Iqaluit?

Uuuh....what do you think? I'm a kid so.......YES! My favourite restaurant is the Discovery (fancy-pants restaurant). Why? Because I like their noodles with bacon and ham mixed in.

Is there a food or restaurant you miss from back home?

I miss two restaurants from back home. No wait, three. These are Mongo's, Swiss Chalet, and of course like all kids McDonald's.

Hanging out on the tundra.

What is the first thing you want to do when you get back to Ontario?

The first thing I want to do is surprise my friend Z (she did not come up with us) and have a party with all my friends (that is, if Mommy and Daddy let me).

Dressed for an 80's theme birthday party.

Tell me about the things/people you are going to miss when you leave here.

I'm going to miss Lilith, Vee, Kel, Mauve (these are all my friends), Joanne (she's my teacher), our big back yard, Garbage Dog (cute little orange dog who lives tied to someone's garbage box), Big Puppy (humongous husky dog in the neighborhood), Silna (small husky puppy), Pearl (Lilith's dog), and of course Iqaluit itself.

Garbage dog at home.

He's a super friendly little guy, and Buffy's best friend.

What else can you tell me about living in the north?

It gets VERY cold during the winter (and I'm serious). Sorry, that's all.

********

Our neighbors (who are friends) hosted a small goodbye dinner for us last week. In Iqaluit, everyone leaves for the summer months, so they had to have it early. In fact, the city has become downright quiet.  Even the lunchtime traffic jam is gone! JJ was told the noon flight out the day after school ends is called the "Teacher's Express", as almost every teacher here is from elsewhere in Canada and they all head south as soon as school is out.

It can be tough having a younger brother.

Coraline and Marnie.

Coraline's Iqaluit BFF, Lilith.

*****

JJ called me from work one day last week quite excited--he had heard from a co-worker that there is a helicopter service in town that will take people around to various locations on sightseeing tours. He gave me a website to check out: https://iqaluithelicopters.com/. I was a little hesitant to try this--the last time I was in a helicopter was when I was quite young, but I've heard stories about people becoming quite nauseous while on tours. However, he was pretty determined (and so gosh-darned excited) that I shrugged off my initial hesitation and within 24 hours we had booked a tour.

Our tour was to Ward Inlet. For those of you who don't know (well, if anyone who doesn't live on Baffin Island knows anything about Ward Inlet, I'd be shocked), Wikipedia describes Ward Inlet as "a body of water in Nunavut's Qikiqtaaluk Region. It lies in eastern Frobisher Bay, forming a wedge into Baffin Island, separating Becher Peninsula from Hall Peninsula. Augustus Island lies deep into the inlet."  The area is wild, remote, and full of neat little rapids, cascades and waterfalls.

We didn't tell the kids we were doing this until we were all in front of the helicopter. Captain was...well...
you can see for yourself.

Best. Day. Ever.

Coraline, while not as impressed at CJS, had
a great time too.

And of course JJ was thrilled.

We set down briefly to explore.

Walking around during our pit stop.

The high cliffs are breathtaking, and the kids were impressed with the waterfalls
and rapids.

You would think, looking at the photos above, that the tundra is a very desolate, life-less place. At first glance this is true.  The ground is very rocky and there are no tall plants at all. The average temperature in the winter months is around -40 degrees, there is almost total darkness for much of the year, and gale force winds are frequent. However, as Dr. Ian Malcolm (played by the amazing Jeff Goldblum) in the original Jurassic Park movie says, "Life, uh, finds a way."

When we got out of the helicopter we noticed the ground we were stepping on was very spongy. Due to the permafrost, the water that melts from snow and collects from rain has nowhere to drain (the ground is always frozen). Because of this, and the rocky terrain, plants grow in shallow, spongy, clumps--or tussocks. Anything that grows in these clumps is very hearty.  You can find a lot of plant life if you are prepared to crouch down close to the ground. We found prime examples of arctic cranberries, and purple saxifrage flowers (the official flower of Nunavut). Because of these moist clumps of plant growth all over the tundra, mosquitoes are abundant.  Thankfully, it's often quite windy so they haven't bothered us too much to date.

Purple saxifrage flowers. 

Arctic cranberries.

Not all the snow has melted completely yet, as Coraline discovered.

So she made a miniature snowman.

Our July snowman. Complete with arctic cranberry eyes, and berry juice hair.

Up next: JJ says he is working on his blog post (ahem....I'll believe it when I see it). Also, the countdown is on! Only twelve days left until we fly out!

Canada Day in Iqaluit, and a special interview with Captain Jack Sparrow

Happy Canada Day everyone! I hope you are all enjoying the parades, bonfires, days at the beach, and any other Canada Day traditions you may have. I wasn't sure how well-received Canada Day is in Nunavut; after all, there is resentment and strong feelings among the Inuit (with good reason) about colonialism and residential schools. However, it turns out that Nunavummiut celebrate the birth of our nation just like everybody else.  (Well, sort-of like everybody else. Of course they put their own slant on it.) A few days ago, this announcement was posted on Facebook:

Thankfully, it was also posted in english.

Sunday at noon the kids and I went out to watch the parade (poor JJ was stuck at work). It was fantastic! I don't know what I was expecting (a couple of pickup trucks with people waving flags?), but there were a lot of floats, the RCMP detachment, local Air Force cadets, Miss Nunavut, the fire department, etc. It was well attended, and the kids had a blast. "Best parade ever!" claimed Captain Jack, who has never attended a parade before. The pictures make it look like a beautiful summer day, but even though the sun was shining it was chilly.  It was quite windy, and the temperature was 7 degrees. The kids had planned to wear their jackets open (or take them off) to show off their Canada Day t-shirts and tattoos from Gramma, but that didn't happen. Instead they huddled out of the wind until we heard the sirens indicating it was time for cars to get off the road ("the parade is coming!"). Then Coraline and Captain Jack jumped around waving their flags to stay warm.

Waiting for the parade to begin.

Two little cold Canadians. Most of the snow is gone, but you can still see a bit behind them.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Sparky the fire safety dog handed out treats.

Iqaluit Air Force Cadets.

Miss Nunavut.

Narwhal hunters?

The kids were surprised and impressed when they got candy.

No parade is complete without storm troopers and a TIE fighter.

I hope you all enjoyed the holiday! Happy Canada Day everyone!

*****

A little while ago a friend of mine and blog reader suggested that I have the kids blog about their experiences in the north.  After all, you've heard from me, and you've heard from JJ, but you haven't heard directly from Captain Jack Sparrow or Coraline about their take on life up here.  This week we'll find out what the Captain thinks about his year in Iqaluit. As it happens, Captain Jack and Coraline just spotted the first wild berries of the season, so he is pretty excited about that. I think it comes through in the interview. 

Welcome Captain! And thank you for being here today!

Thank you Mommy, I'm happy to contribute to your blog.

No, this isn't what happened. The kid is 8, after all. It went like this:

Hey Captain, turn off Hercules (on TV) and come answer some questions for the blog. 

Do I have to?

Yes.

OK.

Captain Jack and good friend Joe.

How has living in Iqaluit been different from living in Thunder Bay?

Here in Iqaluit there are no trees, in Thunder Bay there are trees. There are berries growing here everywhere and in Thunder Bay they grow in small spots. In Iqaluit berries grow from the ground. It doesn't rain as much up here. The snow level is way higher than in Thunder Bay and the coldness is way colder in Iqaluit.

Captain Jack picking berries last fall.

What are your favorite things about being in the north?

My favorite thing is I get a huge backyard without a fence. I can roam. 

What are you sad to be leaving behind when we go back to Thunder Bay?

My friends, and the berries, and the bouncy castles (at the Turf) because once or twice a week we get to go to the Turf and go on the bouncy castles. 

Fun day at "The Turf", which is what people in town call it when the ice
surface at the Arctic Winter Games complex is converted to artificial turf
every spring until mid-fall.

All the kids at Joamie School go to the turf at least twice a year--once in the fall
and again in the spring. This is the only large space in town where there is "grass".

Learning to read and speak Inuktitut was a fun challenge for Captain Jack.

Tell me about Joamie School.

Joamie School is very old and Joamie School has very nice teachers in it. They are very welcoming and kind. It is smaller than Holy Family School (his school in Thunder Bay, but I don't think this is true....) and there are more rooms. There are more grade 3 classes in Joamie school (with fewer students).  The kids in Iqaluit are Inuk and they have different faces than we do. At Joamie School we learn Inuktitut and we learn Inuit games.

What have you learned about "the land"?

That there are caribou, seal, polar bear, ptarmigan, ravens, walrus and arctic hares.

On the hill behind the school-January.

Joamie "lunch walkers" on a  December day at noon.

The Canadian military takes advantage of the foreign terrain
and isolation to run drills and training exercises regularly.

Aurora crew members from 405 Squadron Greenwood, NS.
They brought apples to distribute to the kids at Joamie. (The food bank at the school is just behind them.)

Remembrance Day celebrated at Joamie back in October.

Moustache day. Doesn't he look

 a little like Inigo Montoya? "You killed my father, prepare
 to die!"Or the ringleader of a french circus? 

What are you happy to be going back to when we leave here?

In Thunder Bay it is warmer in the summer, we have a long driveway and we have more windows in our house. Our backyard is so beautiful--we have our own little forest!  (I think this kid really misses trees!)

Mild mannered reporter by day.....

..turns into Superman for super hero day!

An arctic wolf for animal day. "The scariest wolf
you can make, Mommy!"

This is not Captain Jack, but another student at the school.
Of course, most kids want to dress as arctic
animals on Animal Day. I'm so grateful Jack did not
choose "seal". Looks creepy!
His mom did a great job with his makeup.

Time travel day. CJS went with 80's punk.

What is the first restaurant you want to go to when we get back to Ontario?

McDonald's. I am going to order a chicken burger and poutine and at breakfast time I'm going to get a bacon'n'egg McMuffin.

What is your favorite place to eat in Iqaluit? Favorite food?

My favorite place to eat at in Iqaluit is The Discovery. I like eating chicken parmigiana and caesar salad. (The Discovery is the boutique hotel here in town. The restaurant is actually called the Granite Room. It is quite expensive, so we only go when we have a really good reason, like when we have guests in town.)

Have you tried eating raw seal meat? What did you think?

I have, in Inuktitut class at school. And I thought it was disgusting.

That's pretty honest.

Well, it was, Mommy! It was horrible! Can I watch TV now?

Seal. Looks cute, tastes awful.
source

Sledding on the hill.

Up next: JJ's post! He is guest-authoring a blog post for me, which was supposed to be published today, but he got tied up with work. Fingers crossed things settle down and he finds time to finish writing about his time as Territorial Chief of Staff, working in Arctic Bay, what he will miss about Iqaluit, etc. Also, we get to hear Coraline's take on her year in the north.