Vehicle Lessons, Dog Sledding, & Long Overdue Price Photos

Well folks, last week was that time of year again. Yes that's right. A new chapter in the book of Vehicle Lessons Learned was added. After a particularly windy day, I was driving around Iqaluit's "New Plateau" area. I rounded a curve and boom. Stuck. Foot to gas pedal, no movement. My first thought was, "This can't be happening. This isn't real." I thought if I gave reality a few seconds to set in, I'd push the gas pedal again and we'd be on our way. No such luck. Attempts to dig or push the Suzuki out of bumper-high snow rendered useless. Yes, I was genuinely stuck. After a few phone calls placed to Wynberg's after-hours towing line and $200 later, the XL-7 was back on the mean streets of Iqaluit. I am never driving up to New Plateau area again...unless I have to.

The most embarrassing part of the ordeal was that I wasn't just on any drive, I was giving a "tour" of sorts to a visitor. I felt like a northern poser who had just been outed as a newbie southerner. A little bit of my dignity was left in that ditch, haha.

On Monday of my visitor's stay, we went dog sledding. I had never been and wasn't sure what to expect. The dogs weren't behaving too well unfortunately and so we had to stop often so the guide could motivate the dogs to run. I also learned that every single piece of outwear I own isn't good enough when all you're doing is sitting or standing. My fingers went numb in sealskin mittens and my toes were freezing in my -70C rated boots. Still, it was enjoyable.

Now for some photos. I've included some photos of grocery prices as it's been way too long since I've done that.


Walking to the dogs.


Me checking out the doggies.


The view while sitting.


Don't be fooled by the gear...I'm freezing under there.


The view while standing.


The dogs take a break while the humans eat some snacks and warm up.


Click the photo for a link to a larger size.




These photos are making me hungry.






I want chicken, I want liver, Meow Mix Meow Mix....holy freaking cow.




Money-saving tip: don't bring your pet to Nunavut.


More good advice: don't get addicted to energy drinks. That IS a 12-pack, folks.




Also, avoid making babies in the north if possible. Or let your baby roam free outside.




Probably the most ridiculous mark-up of them all.

Answers

I guess it's time for a post, eh?

Life is back to normal post-holidays. I've been working out a lot, eating healthier, and going tanning. I also booked my Christmas holiday but that's not important right now.

I have yet another chapter in the book of Jaime and Her Ignorance Toward Vehicle Ownership. It's a little thing called registration. Tomorrow marks 1 year of owning my beloved Suzuki. It also marks 1 year since I had it registered and insured. My insurance is no problem, I got that covered. I pay an exorbitant amount to cover myself, it's under control. What I don't get is why the hell my registration expired in April and not August. I didn't pay much attention to the sticker on my polar bear license plate, but I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that I needed to renew it sometime in August.

Wrong! Last weekend I was pulled over by the lovely law enforcement officials of our dear city as part of Take Back The Night. The By-law officer took my insurance. "Ha!" he laughed, "Your insurance is expired!"
"No it isn't, I know for a fact it expires August 25."
"Yeah and what's the date today?!"
"August 14."
"Oh yeah."

That was a bit nerve-wracking but I chilled out and handed him my registration.
"AH HA! This is expired! It expired in April."
"Oh sh...no, really?"

I escaped without a ticket, but not without a lesson: Nunavut's Department of Motor Vehicles has seemingly arbitrary expiry dates for registration. If you know why this is, please explain.

And now, I've been getting quite a few question-comments so I'm going to answer them here.

Q: My family is also looking at Iqaluit. I am a Registered Nurse, so am looking at government positions, wondering what the housing is like that they provide?

A: There are many houses, townhouses, and apartments. Housing is decent. Any more specific, and you'd have to find out where you're living because each unit is different. I don't work for the GN and I don't live in GN housing so I'm not much help.

Q: Should I buy a car here or there, if there should I fly there..can you even drive all the way there? Is it safe, or just as safe as Ottawa for a single girl to live? I notice the salaries are quite high but does that just match the cost of living or can you actually make more money there? Is housing readily available? Is there a region that you recommend for someone that will be going to the North for the first time?

A: Whoa whoa whoa. First of all, you cannot drive to anywhere in Nunavut. You have no choice but to fly. You can buy a car down there and have it sealift'ed up, or you can buy one here. There are decent options in the larger communities as far as I know. In Iqaluit there is anyway.

It's reasonably safe but like anywhere in the world, if you put yourself in a dangerous situation, you may not be lucky. I don't walk around town by myself at night, but I don't in Ontario either. Other than that, no, you're not going to be mugged walking down the street in broad daylight. Not by a long shot.

Housing is available depending where you move and who your employer is. Some jobs provide housing, others don't. Iqaluit has some private accommodations, but it's better to have a place secured before you move here, and that goes for any community.

Yes, you will make money here assuming you don't spend it all. Don't assume it will be easy to save, but you probably won't be broke.

If you're going to the north for the first time and aren't sure if you'll like it, I suggest Iqaluit. We have familiar amenities here such as a gym, movie theatre, restaurants, bars, etc. If you're up for a challenge, anywhere in the north is your arctic oyster.

P.S. You won't be able to drive between communities. I suggest you do some more research before committing to moving here.

Q: I want to move to Nunavut. Can you email me at you@email.com?

A: Sorry, no. I do not send out general "how to move here!" emails. Please ask me a specific question and I can attempt to answer it. If I sent emails to everyone who left these comments, I'd have to quit my job and chain myself to my computer. I'm not a mind reader, you have to tell me what you want to know.

Q: Is the people friendly there? I want to spend some time there to know the mother nature and original living style of Nunavut. Is anyone willing to like to keep some one and show places?

A: Nunavut is very friendly. I can't answer your second question because I'm not on speaking terms with every single person here. Only they can answer for themselves.


As a general note, I enjoy answering questions, but please think your question through first. Don't make me smack my head against the keyboard, please. It's brand new and very pretty and I don't want to break it.

Also, welcome to Nunavut Tara and Jordan & Steph!! I've been impatiently checking your blogs for updates! I look forward to reading your observations.

Insert Title Here

Not much from me lately, I've been crazy busy. And I actually mean that! As somebody else observed, I've been coming out of my shell and actually going out. It's great, I'm enjoying it and the days are going by fast.

Yesterday was the first day of spring and it was actually quite warm! I checked the weather when it was -7C, but the high was -5C. I've said it before and I'll say it again (and again and again)...anything warmer than -10C up here feels like it's actually above zero.

When it stays warm enough to lose the parka for a few days, I'm going to have it dry cleaned. It has 2.5 years of coffee spills on the front of it (I never claimed to be graceful), not to mention I've probably sweat more in that thing than I sweat at the gym. It's starting to feel disgusting to put on, but I think it's just a mental thing. Unfortunately, the zipper is starting to go on it, and the cuffs are fraying a bit. I'm disappointed considering how much it cost. Less than 3 years and it's falling apart. And trust me, I don't wear it more than I have to. I have days where I just cannot make myself put on boots and a parka, so I leave the house in sneakers and a peacoat. I always end up regretting it later, but I never learn my lesson.

Speaking of lessons, I learned yet another vehicle-owning lesson this week. I noticed my front passenger-side tire was getting flat, but I kept forgetting to get it filled. A friend agreed to loan me a pressure gauge so I would not overfill the tires. In her driveway, we whipped out the old fashioned one, the kind with the ruler-like stick that pops out and tells you the pressure. We pushed it onto the nozzle and nothing happened. We tried again and again, but it wasn't moving. So then we pulled out a digital one, and it kept reading 6-8psi. We didn't understand why it wasn't reading properly, so my friend phoned a friend, and he met us at the gas station. It was then that we realized that the pressure in that tire really was 6psi (it's supposed to be about 25psi). I have no idea how long I drove around like that, either. Another lesson learned. I need an idiot's guide to owning a vehicle, I swear. I didn't know I was such an idiot about it, but you don't know what you don't know. It's actually nice learning these things, learning to be more self-sufficient.

Anyway, I'm all moved into my own place finally, yay! And when I say finally, I mean I hadn't been in a place of my "own" since January 2008. The only problem now is acquiring the things I didn't already own. In the last month, I've purchased the following:
-TV
-microwave
-countertop dishwasher
-vacuum cleaner
-self-cleaning litter box (housewarming present for the cats, haha)
-various kitchen stuff from Pampered Chef

I'm done buying now but I would still like to buy the rest of the cutlery set I have and some decor to give this place some style. I'll be hitting the moving sales HARD! I recently entertained some guests for dinner and realized I own absolutely nothing for serving, not even salad tongs or small appetizer plates. Just writing that sentence makes me feel young and old at the same time.

The best part of my new apartment:

The view.

Oh, and happy one year in Iqaluit to me. In ten short days, I'll have been here for a whole year. Like all things do, it flew by. I can honestly say I liked Rankin Inlet better as a place to live, but I stay busy here and that's what's important, I suppose. Rankin just felt more personal and authentically northern. Nevertheless, I do plan to stay here for several more years, if I ever even get up the courage to leave! We'll see...

BRB

Well, tomorrow is the day!

I probably won't be blogging, but that's usually the case even when I'm not on vacation (eek). Be checking my Flickr though, as I will be abusing my free Internet privileges everywhere I go. Flickr leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to uploading files up here, I don't know why (other than the crappy Internet). Facebook works much better so I haven't uploaded anything onto Flickr since I lived in Rankin Inlet.

Anyway, this is just a short note to say so long, suckers!

Here are a few photos to keep you from going into withdrawals. I got my new camera and I love it! There is such a difference between 6 and 8 megapixels. I can't believe I ever owned such an antique, haha.


Me and my new-used SUV. I just got it the other day and I am very proud of it! It's my first car (as I've mentioned) and I'm happy to accomplish this in Iqaluit.


This is a really nice photo I took, if I do say so myself. I linked to the Flickr page so you can view it in its larger format. It's spectacular! I'm happy with how it turned out.


In Apex, looking back toward Iqaluit. I'm surprised I didn't fall in the water and lose my new camera, knowing me!


In Apex, looking south. Or some other direction, who knows. Not me.

So long, folks! See you on the south side!

Excitement

Much excitement in Jaimeland.

#1. I have booked my vacation. I ended up kinda sorta leaving it until the last minute. I depart in less than 3 weeks! This is a trip of a lifetime, let me tell you. It took me a very long time to decide where to go and what to do, but I am extremely confident in the choice I made. This is a rough agenda of my trip:
August 29: Leave Iqaluit and fly to Edmonton. I won't spend much time in Edmonton but I wanted to be able to say I've been to Alberta (I've never been).
August 30: Hop on the train bright and early and take it all the way to Kamloops. I can only imagine how many pictures I'm going to take out the window. If you've ever been on the train on this stretch, feel free to tell me how it is. Sugarcoat anything negative, please. :)
August 31: Get picked up and driven to Echo Valley Ranch & Spa in Jesmond, BC.
August 31-September 7: Indulge in horseback riding, hiking, spa treatments, swimming, mountain biking, etc etc etc. So excited.
September 7: (Hopefully) be flown to Vancouver in the ranch owner's private plane.
September 7-11: Wander around the streets of Vancouver. I'm leaving this chunk unplanned. I'm going to get some seedy hotel downtown and just go where the mood takes me. My only plan is getting a tattoo.
September 11-18ish: Fly to Toronto and hang out with friends and family I haven't seen since May 2007 (which is my fault, I'm still apologizing for it, haha).
September 18ish-September 28: Hang out in my hometown (Sarnia, ON).
September 29: Fly back to Iqaluit.

I've never really gone anywhere by myself before so I am extremely excited. I anticipate this to be amazing. It's been great to just book whatever I want.

Of course, my camera decided to break last weekend while I was at Sylvia Grinnell park with some friends. I only bought it in March but I knew it was a crappy camera. I'm not going to have it repaired. In fact, I've already ordered a new camera. It's brown. I like brown. I am a little bit stupid because I bought my last camera because it was green, and it turned out to be a POS. But I know someone who has this camera and loves it, so I trust that it was a good choice.

Anyhoo. The other exciting thing in my life is that I am getting my Suzuki XL-7 on August 25 (4 days before I leave). This week will be spent getting everything in line for that. I've never owned my own vehicle so it's another first for me.

Well, I'll shut up now and post some photos I've taken lately.






There was a beautiful sunset a few weeks ago and it made everything rosy-coloured.


The same night.


Colourful houses.


My friend in Sylvia Grinnell Park.


Little waterfall in Sylvia Grinnell Park.

I meant to add that on August 1st, I celebrated being in Nunavut for 2 years! I know we all say it and it sounds a bit tired after hearing it and saying it so many times, but I really cannot believe it's already been 2 whole years. These past 2 years have been non-stop for me. They've been the best and worst 2 years of my life and I would never replace them. I've grown up a lot since leaving Ontario, I can't imagine what my life would be like if I was still there. It's amazing to me how my life is turning out, and I'm only 22. I owe all of that to Nunavut. I never expected in a million years that when Jeff suggested moving to Nunavut back in April or May 2006, that it would turn out the way it has. I thought we'd do a few years there, then move south and buy a house or something. I did not expect everything in between, and that I would eventually move to Iqaluit by myself. Everyday my own life blows my mind and it has for the last 2 years. Sometimes I just stop and look outside and wonder how on earth I got here.

Thanks, Nunavut, for 2 mind-blowing years. There shall be many more to come!

Blazing Through the Summer

Once again I find myself babysitting pets while a coworker is away. This time it's 2 cats and they are staying in their own house. I don't think I could handle 5 cats in one house. Well, that's a lie. I'd love to have 5 cats in one house but I'm not going to do that with someone else's cats in someone else's house (since the place I'm in isn't mine).

The perk of cat-sitting these two is that it comes with the use of a Chevy Blazer! Admittedly, I live extremely close to work and the grocery store, but it's still nice to have a vehicle to bum around in. I finally got to see Apex and the dump! Ah, the dump. Always a good time to be had at the dump. In actuality, if you look past the garbage you get a very nice view of Iqaluit.

On the topic of nice views, I need to buy a new digital camera. I bought a very cheap one in March because it's green. I chose form before function and it's a piece of crap.

If you're moving north, I highly suggest buying a decent camera beforehand because you will take loads of photos that you will have forever. Nice cameras make all the difference.

In other news, it is ridiculously hot here lately, as I have mentioned. It's been anywhere from 14-22 and it's just killer. It feels so much warmer than it really is. I haven't felt heat like this since I was down south...last June. I hate the heat and it makes me feel sick. Yesterday morning on the way to work, I thought I was going to throw up because I had felt so hot for the last few days. I felt stupid when I reminded myself where on the globe I live!

Of course, air conditioning is not an oft-used term up here. I've never seen a dwelling with one and very few business have a/c. This means your windows are always cranked open. My place doesn't seem to have screens for all the windows so only 3 can be opened (out of 6). I have a screen for my bedroom window but unfortunately I can't keep it open all night. I live next to the infamous White Row, a notoriously seedy part of town. I also live across from a playground. These two things combined mean that every single night I end up having to shut my window because there are either drunks or children screaming in front of my house. It was humorous at first, but now I just get extremely agitated and I slam the window shut, hoping they hear. I can count on zero hands the number of times I've been able to keep my window open all night.

Anyway. I've restarted the Structure of Inuktitut course I was working on in the winter. That time and this time I've been constructing a list of vocabularly to add to my Inuktitut dictionary (link on the right). After I finish this entry I am going to update it, so check it out. My dictionary is now a smorgusbord of Kivalliq and South Baffins dialects, but I guess that's okay.

Meet Me On the Sunny Road

Two and a half months in, though it feels longer (in a good way).

Things are swell with me lately. The cats are all getting along and I enjoy the orchestra of purrs and meows when I come home from work.

The weather is warming up in Iqaluit and it is making me quite happy.

For the last few days I have been entered into the vast kingdom of dog ownership. I am dogsitting for a coworker while she is out of town and so far so good. I never really pay much attention to dogs as I've never owned one and 99% of them annoy me. The dog I am taking care of now has been trained exceptionally well (props to my coworker for that one). It's like he understands English, it's amazing. I've never had an interest in owning dogs as I'm a cat person through and through, but this little guy is nice to have around. I have him down at my place and I feel like I'm living in a zoo sometimes with 3 cats and a dog. The cats don't mind him too much. The kittens love to chase him around and then turn the other way and run from him. They run under the bed (where the dog can't get under) and poke their heads out at him. It's pretty funny.

The weather was so nice out today that I took the pooch out for a walk around Nakasuk School area. I think I might have enjoyed it more than the dog did. I love being outside when it's warm out. I know I'm acclimatized to the north because according to Weather Office, it was only 4C while I was outside. It felt like it was at least 15C, though. It was great.

So I am almost definitely buying a vehicle in about a month. I am pretty sure I am buying a 2002 Suzuki XL-7 off an acquaintance. Words can't even describe how excited I am about it. This will be my first vehicle and I'm proud to own it in Iqaluit all by my sweet self with my own money. I have decided that I altogether get too much of a kick out of never having to share anything.

I have been sharing a little bit lately, though. I found someone to share my couch with for Guitar Hero, movies, and my favourite: Seinfeld reruns. I've even been sharing my cooking and baking creations. Yes, Mom and Dad! I said cooking! I made us dinner the other night which he thoroughly enjoyed. My successful dinner has motivated me to cook again tonight which I am going to do after this entry.

Anyway, back to the not sharing part. It is really extraordinary how much I am prospering just by fulfilling my need for alone time. I know a lot of people don't like to live alone, but now that I've experienced it, I don't think I'll ever have it any other way. I enjoy doing two things you would rarely find me doing prior to April: cooking and cleaning. My apartment is clean and my stomach is always full. I work out regularly, my bedroom and bathroom are tidy, and I even find time to vacuum and sweep weekly. I'm unrecognizable!

Last Summer Days

Well judging by the other Nunavut blogs, Rankin is the place to be right now! Today it was around 15C. It felt amazing. Jeff and I never got to go to the Thule site this weekend but we took a very long walk around town today. It seems that everytime we go for a walk we find more. We found the cemetary today which anyone who has been here will know isn't much of an accomplishment, haha. It's not out of town or anything.

Jeff and I have been toying with the idea of getting a small SUV next year instead of an ATV. I was pretty against getting a traditional vehicle but now that we talk about it, it doesn't seem like too bad of an idea. Tons of people own trucks, vans, or SUVs here.

As predicted, Jeff and I are becoming TV addicts. TVTropolis is amazing! As is The CW. I doubt we'll get satellite now, even if it does mean less reliability in blizzards. I wouldn't want to spend a blizzard watching television, anyway.

We took our parkas out for a dry run the other night. It wasn't very cold, maybe 5C so we stayed pretty warm. And by "pretty warm," I mean sweating. My parka is great on the legs, it's like wearing a down-filled sleeping bag.

I start actual class tomorrow, I'm excited. I only have two classes (until October 4) and they're both going to be pretty easy. One is Business Math which I guess is comparable to high school math which should be a breeze for me (I'm pretty good with math). The other course is Intro to Microcomputers which I've been told is very easy. If we had stayed in London I'd be taking an IT course right now at Fanshawe College so you can only imagine how easy this course is going to be for me. Other students have said it's sickeningly easy. At least I'll have a good average! The courses here last anywhere from 9-20 classes so it should be easy to stay on track and not get sick of anything.

Have a good week everybody! Let's hope the weather stays this nice.

(posted by Jaime)