Thursday, March 24, 2011

Skiing

So I downloaded this TripJournal app for my phone and tried it out skiing on Sunday... this is what it made...(click on it)
It tracked my ski out on Prosperous Lake, out on to River Lake where Kevin has a cabin. Jane and I met up with him and their friends Paul and Emily who all stayed out there and built and igloo. We skied to some waterfalls and saw otters!
Oh I LOVE spring!


This was such a success that Jane and I are going to use it every time we go out and make a big Google Earth map of all our skiing.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Hey Holman

Whoa, little late on the update, I've just been exhausted since I returned.
As in the previous post I was supposed to head up to Ulukhaktok on the 8th, unfortunately because of the weather there, my flights were delayed :( but kinda glad since it was -38, with winds gusting to 56km, making it a balmy -55 or so with the wind chill. No thank you!
I was quite upset, but turns out they had to cancel the career fair any ways because the school pipes froze and burst! Hooray! This meant I got to go last Tuesday after all!
I packed up all my artefacts and poster board and boarded the First Air flight to Ulukhaktok (YHI) via Kugluktuk (YCO). The flight was phenomenal! Bright and clear day, landed and went to the house where I was staying with Agnes and Robert Kuptana. They helped me with my Inuinnaqtun words and showed me how to get drinking water (she is convinced that the tap water is bad, we bring in blocks of freshwater ice and leave it in a container to melt, from which she drinks and cooks with.)
That night Agnes sat down with me and helped me resize my toddler duffel pattern to fit a 5 year old, and how to measure and alter for any other feet! Then we drew out patterns for fur mittens and she gave me a sweet cheap place to get seal skins in YK. Awesome!

After my little sewing lesson, I went with Agnes for a nice little walk around town.
Wednesday was my career fair, it was nice, I was the only one there who was not from the IRC... but whatever, I think I did ok. I brought in a bunch of artefacts from the Education Collection so the kids could all pick them up and play with them (always a big hit!) The fair ended with drum dancing demonstrations, not sure who for, because I was the only one there not from the area... but it was fantastic.

During the Inuvialuktun dance, Agnes got me to come up and dance with them, it was nice! After a whole bunch of elders came in to help sing and demonstrate for the Inuinnaqtun dances. It was just so nice to watch and the two are so completely different!



That night I went for a nice long walk out to an igloo across the bay and then up to one of the three bluffs. It was just beautiful!
I went out on Thursday morning to get some furs for sewing... but they were all extremely overpriced. So... I didnt get any :( and then flew home!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Leaving again!

Oh thank goodness, I am going on a trip to somewhere I have never been again! I really miss travelling, and cannot wait to go to Ulukhaktok. Sally got me some parcel paper so I can harass all the ladies up there for patterns.
Technically, I am going there for a career fair on behalf of the museum, but I am more-so taking advantage of travelling to a settlement to experience their culture. Apparently there will be a community feast on Wednesday night and lots of drum dancing.
For the career fair I've made up brochures for all the sections at work, and a nice "presentation board" (really a science fair board with pictures). I feel kinda bad, there will be all the mines and other big companies there who do career fairs on a regular basis. They'll have all this stuff to give away and nice poster boards... and I just have my make-shift board.
I also didn't have a place to stay until noon today, and I am just sleeping in the organiser's house. She's cleaning out her daughters toy room for me to crash for two nights. Super nice. So I'm bringing her up oranges, apples and Tims. haha. Typical trip North.
Anyways, I'm super excited! Another northern community off the list.