SPREE!!!

So today started like any day thus far, bundled up for the walk to work, travelling under the gaze of the ravens, as they sit in their Hitchcock-ian fashion upon every telephone pole, roof, and railing in sight. But there was a fantastic surprise when I came home from work - THE FOOD ORDER WAS HERE!!!

It's very common here to order food from down south. Food is expensive here, the selection is not great and the quality can be a little sad. Most people sealift hundreds of pounds of non-perishables during the summer (for example, toilet paper is ridiculously expensive here). The family I live with did this and also order perishable goods from an organic grocer in Quebec. Including shipping the prices probably work out to be the same as what's available here, but it's organic and wonderful quality. The list of Specials are e-mailed out on Tuesday, and if you place the order by noon, you get it the next day! Ordering groceries online is dangerously fun. Partly because you order things you probably don't need (like fruit & nut bread and tofu & veggie pie). But for me the greatest danger is having no sense of weights and measures (as demonstrated by the huge pile of garlic I ordered). Here's a list of what I bought, and the prices (not including shipping), which seemed reasonable after one trip to the grocery store here, believe me!:

Bread with fruit and nuts: $2.95
Tofu & vegetables pie: $7.65
Apple, Fuji - 3 lbs bag: $4.55
Clementine - 5 lbs box: $9.95 (to stave-off scurvy, naturally)
Pear, DÁnjou - 3 lbs bag: $4.75
Pineapple: $1.95 each
Orange juice - 1.89 L: $5.25 (Treehugger Brand, classic)
Carrot, baby - 1 lbs bag: $1.85 (mmm babies)
Cucumber: $3.85 ea.
Garlic - 1 lbs bag: $3.85 (please feel free to post recipes that include garlic, seriously)
Lettuce, green leaf: $2.50 ea.
Tomato, cherry - pint: $3.45



To give the local shopping establishments some credit I did find a pair of rather sassy p.j. pants for only $4.99. I bought them at Northmart. Northmart is a grocery/"department" store, which plays classic rock over the speaker system. Who doesn't love selecting bananas to the strains of Pink Floyd? The other main shopping destination is Arctic Ventures. Their claim to fame is the music played at the front entrance, designed to keep teenagers from congregating, because everyone knows marching music is the natural enemy of teens. They spontaneously combust upon hearing it, so be warned any teens who are contemplating watching this video.

Long Ways Away

Perhaps it's the time difference or maybe the ravens and passing skidoos, but I feel very far away...

The journey started in the wee hours of Sunday, departing from the Victoria airport for Ottawa, via Calgary. I've never been to Calgary, but the view from above is just as the topographical map suggests. Mountain, mountain, mountain then flat as a pancake. Actually, I've seen pancakes with greater elevation. My stop over in Ottawa was supposed to be uneventful, but because of some ridiculous fog all planes were grounded on Monday. All of that technology, yet crippled by fog. And so our dominance over nature remains in check. Back to the hotel for another night of fretting I would over-sleep. On Tuesday the approach to the airport was grim. Close fog and reports of flight cancellations. After a tense hour the plane was hurriedly loaded and boarded, with hopes the small break in the fog would persist. We left the still fog enshrouded airport to the sound of ecstatic applause. Canadian North is the only way to fly. Sure there's no in flight movie, but we did get a free meal and a hot towel. Best of all was the complimentary cup of coffee which included with a generous shot of Baileys and whip cream.

We flew north over Quebec with its unending vistas of snow covered hills and frozen rivers. When we reached an expanse of frozen water it was a sign we were nearing our destination. Far above the tree line the plane began its descent. The arrival and departure areas are one in the same at the Iqaluit airport. There is no luggage carousel, just a short conveyor belt and the luggage is piled on the floor. Boxes of groceries were interspersed with the luggage, as were many coolers and rubbermaid bins (described as "Eskimo suitcases" by the Inuit woman who I chatted with during the flight).

My home for the new few months is in a cozy house on the shore. My room has a slanted ceiling, thus far whacked my head every morning. The views are amazing, when the sun is up. At night I can see the aurora faintly dancing in the sky and eat breakfast by pink sunrises and still shining stars.

Lots more to come, but thought you'd like to know I'm alive and well. All digits in tact, despite the efforts of a marauding dog which accosted me on the way to work yesterday.

More Northern Adventures...

I'm digging out out my boots, packing my puffy coat, and loading up on vitamin C... Starting January I will be working in Iqaluit, Nunavut! Here's a little something to get you acquainted with the town...