Amauti

The amauti (woman's parka) has a deep hood at the back in which babies and children are placed.

Here is my friend Christina and her beautiful baby girl Ainsley! She is styling the only way for mom and baby to travel: the amauti (spelled a MILLION ways as far as I have researched but pronounced A-moun-tee). A few of my other fellow Northen Bloggers are pregnant and I am totally jealous!! You can bet I will be getting one of these beautiful coats some day down the road... now to just convince Nathan that he really wants babies.

Why Winter SUCKS

Winter sucks.
Winter especially sucks in Nunavut.

Why do I have these terrible feelings? My aggression started while one day trying to zip up my Canada Goose Jacket getting ready to go snowmobiling. Oh wait, hold on, I couldn't do it up. After about 10 mins awkwardly trying to zip up the black marshmallow sack over my already fat from overeating to counter act the lack of light body, I finally just took it off, zipped it up and pulled it over my head. Then when I went to do up the last bit around my neck, of course, every time, (Com'on ladies) get my hair violently ripped off of my head. Every time! It doesn't matter what coat I am wearing, I might as well be bald! Why did I think that keeping long hair for the winter was a good idea..."keep me warm", I told myself. Well screw that, having long hair and wearing anything with a zipper is a health hazard!

I am sick of strategically thinking about how I am going to dress up before going outside. You can't just throw shoes on and strut out. There is no freedom. I long for the days of flip flops. BUT before that even happens I will need to drill down my sand paper feet. WHERE IS THE MOISTURE!

The house is stale, I burn my hand when I touch the cold door handle, electrocute myself when I turn on or off the light switches or anything else after I shuffle my feet on the carpet, and my face burns when I go outside. I am too cold outside and too hot inside.

So after I am bald, frost burnt and crispy I will just be about ready for spring.

More Then Words Can Discribe...

The Road to Nowhere My Winter Wonderland
The No-Mobile
Lost and Found
Arctic Coffee

A New Addiction

Addiction : Enthusiastically devoted to a particular thing or activity.

It's so extremely fun going out on the snowmobile. I went out last weekend for a little day trip and took some photos. I plan on going again Tomorrow and Sunday, as long as the weather is nice and predictable ( and I don't get anymore dreams about falling through the sea ice).

That's some Big ICE!

Someone Ran Away

Tallinn escaped today. It was heart wrenching. Currently he is sitting on the floor next to me, smiling with that characteristic Malamute smile, it's almost like a grin. "Yeah I ran away, but I am freakin cute and there nothing you can do about it"!

It all started when I walked Nathan to work today. We came outside and the dog was just missing. Normally we have him tied up on a lead that runs on another lead, so he has a large area to run. The main lead over time (and Tallinn pulling) finally gave it's last breathe and snapped. Tallinn then escaped still attached to the other 30 foot lead that was originally chained to the main lead (does any of this make sense?) Anyways he was gone...

I started looking for him on foot but found myself in a total haze thinking about my poor baby ( I know I am total idiot for my dog). Nathan finally took me out in the truck and searched for a bit before out of the corner of my eye, I saw my poor stupid just sitting looking at us. It was hidden at first but soon became more apparent why he was just sitting. He was stuck. The 30 ft lead he was still attached to had tangled itself around a child's bike and while dragging that the bicycle became lodged into a snow bank. His journey was at an end. As happy as I was to see him safe, my thoughts turned to Sunday morning cartoons. I saw a character that would be trying to escape some obstacle, however hindering the escape such character would end up with a bucket on foot, continued by a garden hose and then attached to a bicycle. Thus preventing any kind of escape.

He had a good run and probably enjoyed himself, but for his theft of one child's bicycle, puppy jail time is pending...

Back from Paradise

Nathan and I just returned from a month of Fun in the Sun. Well not exactly. When we were in North Bay it was a balmy -30, but at least I had some trees.

We had a great time with our families and I managed to explode a hole in Nathans Wallet the size of Texas! We actually had to purchase 2 new suite cases and a large rubbermaid container to control the amount of crap I bought (yes I have a problem). Whilst on the subject of Rubbermaid, did you know that's how Northerners travel in Style? I saw my first Rubbermaid take flight back in June when I departed for my Northern adventure. " Rubbermaid", I thought to myself, "Could this be done?". I knew right then and there that I would have to try this experience for myself and when buying another $60 suite case just wouldn't "jive" we opted for the only other way to travel: RUBBERMAID. It was an exhilarating experience I have to admit, however when the security woman threatened to cut off the web of silver duct tape holding the lid to the body, I panicked. (Everything worked after Tallinn (doggie) worked his charm all over her and she had no time for rummaging through our crap and passed it through.)

I guess I should probably talk about what we did in the South, but I figure this is a Nothern only blog and most of you who are reading it already know what we did. So here is a sum up;
On our trip out to the south my true love and I;

12 Liters of beer,
11 Starbucks Lattes,
10 Macdonald's Breakfasts,
Another 9 Starbucks Lattes,
7 Hours of just going down water slides, (Great Wolf Lodge, try it)
6 Stuff Crust Pizzas,
5 Times to the Dog Park (where Tallinn was humped multiple times)
4 Times shopping in the States
3 Times asked where Nunavut was (or in the case of the boarder guard "what" Nunavut was)
2 Lemon Drop Martinis with Lush Face Masks

and One extremely overloaded credit card

Until next time boys and girls....

Eyes match your PJs?

The one thing I can't stand about living here is the dryness. Who wants to wake up every morning with all of your mucus filled sensories dried up like last years bag of raisins? The only positive thing about living in a dry climate is that I left my frizz problem in the south! We have a humidifier running 24 hrs in the bedroom, but what can you do when the bits in the machine that are supposed to stay wet to add moisture into the air, dry up? I can't win! I will never complain about the humidity in the south ever again!

Tales of Christmas and More

The week started nicely, thoughts of sugar plums dancing in my head and candy cane lane with gum drop houses. Despite the lack of routine that I am used to this time of season, Nathan and I had a great Christmas.

It all started on Wednesday when the whole town went without power for the entire day! We were lucky to have the diesel generator at Nathan's work and we all ended up over there (all for our own reasons, for Nathan it was the microwave so he could eat some pizza pops, and for me it was the working coffee maker). Eventually our power came back on and we were able to get back to some normalcy. It was so nice to see that everyone in town took a very laid back position about their lack of power, despite the fact that it was -24C outside.

Christmas came shortly after and it seemed like every time we would sit down to dinner Nathan would get a call out and we would have to put off eating for a bit. However it all worked out wonderfully and Nathan managed to surprise me with wonderful presents that I never even saw coming. I think he must have woken up in the middle of the night to put out some presents. Tallinn did pretty well also, he has enough rawhide to hide in every corner in the house now.

That's brings us up to today, Boxing Day. Instead of spending my day online shopping for sales, Nathan took me out on the snowmobile. We headed to the other side of the island and I saw the sun for the first time in a month. We do get the light where we live, however it never seems to rise over the hill enough, so for some light therapy Nathan took me over the hill on the snowmobile. It was beautiful, but only when we were stopped, as I was too busy being nerve wrecked when we were moving because he was driving. We made it home in one piece, but nearer to the end he got us stuck in some loose snow and it took us a while to dig it out and maneuver the machine around to get out. I guess karma wanted to take revenge on him for taking me on a crazy bump filled ride, because as we returned home there was an adorable little puppy all by her lonesome looking for a home! She must have been only a month old and extremely tiny. The look on Nathan's face when I brought her home! I brought her in and gave her a bath, but at this point I was still calling her him. Nathan kindly pointed out that it was a girl and not a boy. I have only had male dogs so I guess girl dogs can look a little like male dogs at that early age, needless to say at least one of us knew what was going on. I cleaned her up and fed her and wanted to hug her and kiss her and keep her forever and ever! However there was the matter of Nathan. We obviously couldn't keep her and I had to find her a home. We ended up bringing her over to a local woman we know and she was more then happy to take the freshly cleaned puppy (no dog gets a bath up here, so when they do they look like the million dollar dog, slightly more attractive to take in). I am glad I know she is a warm place right now, but I would have loved to take her south with us and give her to a family where she would be the only child that got truck loads of lovin'. She was pretty cute, but as far as Nathan's concerned I need to keep my hands out of the puppy jar!

Polar Bears, Fluffy Friend? Or Deadly Foe, But Still Fluffy?

That's right I am against the Polar Bear, but only when it strolls into the main streets of town in the middle of day looking for a tasty snack that could be me! If it's me or him, I'd rather he be shot and made into a carpet! Does that make me a horrible person? You may not understand, but you haven't lived where I have. That's right I live in the arctic and do you know why people don't try to save fluffy from getting shot, because they would rather their children not be the tasty morsel stuck in between Fluffy's teeth!

Good Morning, and our top story this hour is that a land shark, or polar bear was seen sauntering into town. It was shot shortly after, just in front of the local grocery store, and all this before I even got out of bed. Do you know what it's like to feel like you might be causally eaten up whilst visiting the store where you get food to eat? Eat or be eaten? I'm sorry I thought I lived in sensible, proper, you don't have to worry about taking a walk in the middle of the day, Canada. Where the hell do I live again?

Don't get me wrong I love animals and would never mistreat the environment, I am the reuse, reduce, recycle, World Wild Life generation, but I also love my own skin! Rest in Peace Fluffy.

Christmas Fun

What a good boy Mr. Tallinn was to sit still while I took some photos (obviously there was a food bribe)! Christmas is fast approaching, so for all of those that I can't be with; MERRY CHRISTMAS!

On the Subject of Snowmobiles...

I had my first ride on a snowmobile the other day. It was frightening to say the least, except for the parts where I was driving and Nathan was tucked behind me away from the controls. I do not have need for speed. Up in the North, the snowmobile is a normal part of everyday life. Most people don't have a car, and most people don't need a car, as a car can not be driven out onto the land to hunt.

I would like to share with you what a snowmobile is like mind, body and soul. It smells like burning gasoline, feels like frozen leather (except for the acceleration pedal, a lever your thumb presses, that part gets really hot), and most importantly it gets you from point A to point B, where the baguettes are fresher and less expensive. The sound of a snowmobile can best be described as a very loud and irritating lawn mower and at night time when the air is is clean and fresh, you can hear every single snowmobile in town and it sounds like the 401 has opened a lawnmower lane! And because the snowmobile is so flexibly moved, there are new paths formed, where there were no paths before. Our neighbours have a snowmobile route that was forged right next to their house, it gets pretty noisy. Block the path you say? Well it's just not that simple. Think of a snowmobile as a renegade machine that goes where it wants, when it wants! If thou path be blocked, it will forcefully be pathed a new, so don't bother pissing off the locals. Nathan and I are extremely lucky though, we managed to get a place off the beaten path and rarely have any one driving around our place, it stays pretty quiet.

This morning Nath lent one of the RCMP snowmobiles to help the search for some lost hunters. It's an incredible idea that would seem scary to anyone from the south. Some people get up one day and decide to go hunting, get dressed, hop on their snowmobiles or dog sleds and head out onto the land. Not just any land, a land with out pit stops or hotels, and more importantly a land without gas stations along the way. These hunters will go out for days at a time and survive in 100Km/h winds and -40C temperatures in only what they have on. I heard a story (this took place in the south) on the news the other day of a family getting lost in the wilderness after running out of gas. The husband tried to make it to a local town to save his family, but died along the way, after only one day of exposure(of probably pretty moderate temperatures). I also heard as story of a group of inuit hunters(from our town) getting trapped on a piece ice heading out to sea. They had all been soaked through after a wave had hit them and still they managed to stay alive for days until they were rescued. It's just incredible the difference in how exposure effects people. But I credit the people up north with a certain cold toughness.

In the Meantime, back to the individuals who were lost today, there is this group up here called the "Rangers", a bunch of local people who know the land very well, and they will travel out on their snow mobiles looking for the lost ones. Nathan came home at lunch and said that they were at least a day out, hopefully they will all make it hope safely. If I know one thing, its that there ain't no Hilton out there, and the sun is almost gone. It's life or death out there and that's not just a saying.

Images

Here is my log of photos that I have kept since the day I arrived in the north. I sometimes find that I can tell a story better with images, rather then words. Here is the address to the site that has more of my northern images; http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h284/CapeDorset/ .

Lesson Learned

Every day the hours of light shorten. It's an extremely confusing thing for my body. I wonder if I am becoming depressed or if I am just lonely. I miss all of my friends, nights out and the amazing social life I left in London. Sometimes my biggest fault is that I don't want to do anything alone and in turn miss out on a lot of cool opportunities. I figured that the hardship of being without all of my friends should be some kind of lesson, so I declared to go out and have a good time on my own. The other night I took out my Crazy Carpet that I purchased from Canadiantire.ca and left the house. I originally purchase two thinking that I would have a partner to share the fun and excitement of hurdling your body down a hill with only a thin piece of plastic between your new fleece lined jeans and the rushing ground beneath you. But alas Nay Nay was working and I ventured out on my own. It's always more fun to have someone share in such an experience, but I had a good time on my own anyways. In the end it was good that I purchased two, not to share with someone else, but to have as a replacement after the first one was ripped apart by rocks. And what lesson have I learned, why would you need another person when you can have more stuff?

And The Clouds Parted, And There Was Sunlight

The sun made an appearance today, and I was delighted. I was starting to worry about my vitamin D (you can only get so much from milk). I was so happy to see it, I looked it square in the face (normally this would be a bad idea, however I felt this would be a great way to intensify the Vit. D manufacturing in my body). I know I am starting to sound like a weather girl, however I beg you to believe this is not all I obsess about! It was just nice to leave the house with my camera and actually take some nice peaceful pictures. The blood is flowing again, I feel so alive when I can press one little shutter button on a camera (a few million times!). There are only so many things you can take pictures of inside your house (I truly had Camera Cabin Fever)!
And here I am at 2 am, unable to sleep because I am feeling so motivated and excited about the images I took earlier today. I hope you like them.

Puppy Alarm

Last night Nathan and I had a very restless sleep. It was so because Tallinn would whimper a sigh every minute. We just thought that he was too hot sleeping in our room, but finally at 2 am I got up thinking he might just need out. From there it was the oddest thing; he ran to the front door, but then turned around and ran right back into his crate in the bedroom. I called him back and we went through the same thing at least 4 times. He would run into the kitchen and then back into his crate in our room. Now he could have just wanted to stretch his legs, but because he ran into the kitchen, I thought he was thirsty, so I poured some water in his dish. And what did I notice but the oven was on, and had been on since dinner. After I turned it off, he ran straight back into his crate for the rest of the night without so much as a peep! He didn't drink or want out at all, it was the most bazaar thing ever!
Heres to our own personal Lassie ("is there something wrong boy?")

This is a picture of him the first day we got him.

Welcome to the arctic

Last night the house shook and the wind howled. When we woke up this morning, our house, including all the windows had been sprayed with snow. It's been a glorious snow storm all day and I have been waiting for this moment. Inside with fluffy slippers on is the way to be, however the dog still prefers to be outside. We let him in every so often to let him defrost, but not long after he wants out again. Does he forget how bad it is outside everytime he comes inside? Who knows.
This snow has been a long time coming. Now the snow mobile population can come to life. I have been looking forward to going out on a snow mobile for a while, the only thing is that I hear the traffic is very noisy.
Nathan and I have spent the day inside in our pajamas, putting a puzzle together (one that he says is impossible, but continues to work on it anyways). The puzzle is of some caribou strolling the arctic tundra.
I finally feel like I live in the arctic

Remembrance Day

Nathan participated along with the other RCMP members in the Remembrance day ceremonies. It was nicely put together, however it took place outside and it felt like minus 10. Poor Nathan had to take off his coat for pictures, he must have been freezing, but the camera loved him. I don't think Nathan ever thought when he joined the RCMP that he would be so popular. When he puts on his red serge, not only does he have to deal with his photographer wife, but everyone else who has a camera. I think it's extremely hilarious, and he is a pretty good sport about it.

The job for me at these events is to hold the police radio. If anyone speaks through that tiny little box, I am to flag down one of the guys like a mad woman. I have been lucky so far, I have not had a call on it yet, however I look like I know whats going on, walking around with the radio in my hand.

It's like somthin' I've never seen!

It snowed last night, or should I say it powdered last night. I woke up to let the dog out and looked down and was a little put off. What is this? I have seen snow before (a lot of it actually), and this is like powder, it's not sticky or wet, not like what I am used to. I guess because it's soo cold and dry it's just like Jesus was baking and showered us with flour. I tell you though, it was a heck of a lot easier to shovel this fluffy dust then the ten ton pack snow that my dad used to make me shovel off of the driveway in the south!

Meanwhile lets meet my "part time" dog Tallinn. We call him part time because he is so hairy, that he prefers to be outside where it's cold vs. inside where the humans prefer to be because it's warm. And because he is so absolutely gorgeous and incredibly intelligent, he has made his humans build him a palace of his own outside so he can go out when he chooses. He just has to ring his own personal bell first to instruct us monkeys that he would like to be put out. Tallinn is an amazing creature, he much prefers to curl himself into a ball and sleep in the middle of the yard then sleep in the luxury dog house we built him. If any think that it's cruel to leave him in the cold, trust me we have to bribe him to stay inside. He really loves being outside and I am happy we can provide him with a huge yard and cold temperatures that his breed so desires.

Jen of Nunavut

5 months in...

The whole point of this blog is to share and document the strangeness of a southern city girl who marries a Mountie and moves to the smallest place in the world (at least that's what I have determined so far). Not Just the Smallest, but also the coldest (as far as I am concerned this is also a true fact, as I have never been anywhere colder!).

So, just 5 months ago I moved from a rather large city, just south of Toronto to the frozen depths of the North, to a little place Called Nunavut ("Where is that?" asks the Canadian Tire Customer Service Rep). Well Nunavut is, believe it or not part of your Country called Canada. It is a place without shopping, a place without McDonalds, and most importantly a place lacking everything I am familiar with. And so starts this experiment. It's like moving to an entirely different country, even though it's still in Canada, and everyone speaks a different language. In fact they don't even use the alphabet, but something called syllabics. I can best describe this as bunch of curly jig jags and triangles and dots and frillies....Maybe you should just look it up on Wikpedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuktitut_syllabics). My husband Nathan wears a name tag that says; Curly thing, triangle, Big C, very tiny curly thing....That translates to NITAN! Here ends our lesson on Syllabics.

Meanwhile, I have about 5 Months to catch up on with you and I really don't know where to start. Did I tell you there are polar bears here? Yep, there is an array of different, interesting wild life, but I tend to only get to see the dead bits. I have never encountered so many bones, teeth and other bio mater jewels just scattered about before. Up here where the dogs run wild and an afternoon stroll on the beach might entail tripping over walrus blubber. When I dash to the water to catch a glimpse of a beluga whale, I will seconds later be hit with the reality that up here it's just lunch! Nunavut has a stark beauty, but there is no messing around up here, if its got 4 legs and walks around, or swims, or hey, whatever isn't a person, you can eat it. So get used to it, cause there ain't no Tofu up here baby!

Well as the days are getting shorter, and more importantly colder, I find myself indoors more and hopefully I will have more time to update my incredible story of this poor southern shopaholic who finds herself isolated in the north. I am Jen, Jen of Nunavut.