New BLOG!

Hello everyone!

As promised, I've created a new blog to go along with my new adventure.  You can access it by clicking the link below:

http://dubaijthompson.blogspot.ae/2013/08/re-learning-how-to-sweat.html

I hope you enjoy my new desert adventure!

Summer Time!

I've been back in Ontario for a little over two months and what an intense two months they've been! Spent some time at the cottage in Bracebridge http://www.bracebridge.ca/ and had an experience that makes me truly believe that the world is a very small place.  

Sarah Zoolander and I decided to go to town, walk Manitoba Street to peek in the shops, and then head for supper.  The most incredible thing happened.  We parked and got out and were soon approached by two guys pushing a stroller.  They politely asked if we knew the closest place to buy beer.  I directed them to Muskoka Brewery http://www.muskokabrewery.com/ but it was after business hours so it was closed.  Then next closest place was The Beer Store/LCBO plaza but that wasn't in gentle walking distance so the guys offered to buy us a 12 pack if we drove them.  I NEVER pick up hitch hikers but the baby in the stroller sold me on the idea, plus Sarah knows kung fu.  Anyway, we jam the stroller into the trunk and all jump in my car.  On the way to The Beer Store we do a round of introductions: Phil is a marine biologist from BC, Leon is an awesome baby, and Ian is a teacher from Pond Inlet... who just so happens to be science buddies with my friend Adam from Gjoa Haven.  SMALL WORLD. So yeah, 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon or whatever and here I am taking pictures with a fellow Arctic teacher who I met and picked up randomly on the streets of Bracebridge.  Go figure.



Ian decided it would be a super idea if we take a photo to commemorate the world being small.



The week spent at the cottage only continued to get better.  I lit a fire with one match and got to spend my birthday with some super wonderful people.


July was filled with wedding preparations for Melanie and Chris.  Everything went off without a hitch.  Here we are looking glamorous. 

This summer also marks a big change in location for me.  I sought out a teaching position in The United Arab Emirates.  My next adventure is as the ELL teacher at a private school in Dubai.  I leave this Saturday.  Some would argue that the huge temperature extremes may be hard to deal with.  But I just flippantly say I'm trading one desert for another.  I'm going to see about setting up another blog or see about changing the formatting of this blog.  Will keep you posted.

And the walls come a tumbling down AKA spring in Gjoa Haven

Spring is here!  The sun has been bright and beautiful the last week and temperatures have been hovering in the minus teens and just recently close to zero.  It has been wonderful walking around in a light parka and hiking boots and not having to worry about having a part of my body frozen off.  The snow on the ground has been strangely melting despite the temperature never going above zero and the predictable mud and puddles have been steadily building.  

What we didn't expect, however, and the part that is most distressing is along with the snow, our house is also melting.  We first noted the melt de maison when the sound of dripping brought us to the back door (until recently we couldn't open the door because it was frozen shut so we used the back porch as storage). That was when we determined the sky to be falling. Literally.

 The walls rippling with water behind the paint appeared to be melting, the (badly) taped dry wall seams blowing apart under the strain.  At 930 Friday night we put in an after hours call to Housing.  

Oh, Housing....  

A nice man named Bruce came by to check it out. He stood there silently watching the water stream from the ceiling into a bucket.  Kelli and I were dancing around frantically planning to climb onto the roof to shovel the snow, offering to lift Bruce up into the attic to go save the day etc, and all Bruce would do was shrug with a quiet "maybe we can come fix it on Tuesday."  

Back porch roof :(

I know this sounds crazy but letting water damage sit for any amount of time is counter intuitive in my world thanks to the family business - Terra Restoration Steamatic Hamilton (business plug!).  So the idea of having someone come "fix" the flood in 5 days didn't sit well with either me or Kelli. 

We peppered him with helpful suggestions about how it should be fixed asap and perhaps he should call some friends to come shovel off the roof etc.  Poor Bruce, didn't know how to handle The Thompson-Hanson Tag Team and we ended up bamboozling him into calling Sophia the acting head of Housing at home requesting that she call our house immediately. We did however pat him on the head reassuringly (because not many people can withstand The Thompson-Hanson Tag Team), gave him some delicious homemade granola bars, then sent him on his way.

Let me preface the next part with we've had several run ins with the acting head of Housing in the recent past and we both believe this woman to be bat shit crazy.  The History kid in me wants desperately for there to be a footnote function on this blog so that I can take a tangent into the frozen pipe debacle of April 2013 where I can detail without breaking the flow of the blog the gong show so that you too can feel the baffled rage we felt thanks to the acting head of Housing.  I like to prevent further damage so when my sink pipe was frozen I acted immediately and expecting Housing to do the same.  It's crazy I know but I figured an after hours call to prevent a burst pipe would be worth the overtime.  I got told in a lispy German accent that "you do not live in Paris or Vienna and that you must wait your turn. Maybe we come to see it tomorrow but until then you can use the bathtub to wash your hands."

Super.  

Anyway, Housing, she called us - almost immediately defensive - telling a story about her water leak being much worse.  I wasn't certain if she was trying to make me feel better about the state of my house or if she was making a bigger statement about the terrible state of Government of Nunavut Housing.  I'm not one for nepotism but seriously, if I ran Housing I wouldn't have a leaking roof - that's just foolish. 

 I know what I felt: rage.   I badgered her into coming to see the leak Saturday morning at 10am and I got my sorry butt out of bed to meet her.   

The walls appear to be melting.

Kelli fielded this little visit having a bit of a grudge from being told to "be quiet and listen" several times during our frozen pipe escapade.  She was ripe for a fight and really quite worried about the state of the house going into a summer where her house would be sitting vacant full of all her things.  According to this Housing woman practically everyone else in the town of Gjoa has a leak in their house that is much worse than ours and therefore we should just put down some towels and wait.  

That didn't sit well with Kelli.

Black mold.  Really two little words that are scary as hell.  Because that little spore doesn't like wet drywall - that's crazy talk.  After a heated discussion about the purpose of a roof and how waterfalls in the house are NOT ok Kelli talked the Housing woman into calling CAP maintenance to start the ball on getting it fixed.  They came quickly and said they'd notify Housing that the problem is much worse than the original "get some towels" situation the woman tried to sell us on previously.  But it would probably not be fixed in the next few months because Housing is going to drag their feet on approving the work order.

It didn't end there.

Next we found water bubbles protruding from exterior walls.  My first instinct: pop them.  Kelli's first instinct: let's see how big they get.  The we can't beat'em join'em attitude let us approach the melting house shit show with better attitudes let me assure you.

Water bubble in the living room.  

Water bubble in my bathroom under the towel rack

It didn't stop there.

Call it paranoia, call it searching for a great adventure, but we went hunting throughout the house looking for wet spots on ceilings and walls.  I was tickled - you can imagine - when I found a growing water spot directly over my bed just waiting to startle me awake in the wee hours when it decided to break.  

Who doesn't love a good water bed? 

Water spot over my bed just waiting for me to fall asleep :(

The water spurred us into action and we were both able to get a lot of packing and purging done while we raced around mopping up puddles.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure where I'm going to sleep tonight since at this point my room is more like water world. I made the executive decision to prop my bed against the wall that is currently dry, the towel is directly underneath the seeping water spot and the shower curtain drape is strangely fitting.

my room :(

I just got finished standing on Kelli's bed poking at her ceiling and by the looks of it we will both be camping in the living room where it is currently dry-ish.  We've also identified a spot just right of the entertainment system so we've shifted everything to the left.  We put the towel where we are expecting the dam to break.

Ah-mazing!

Nunavut Housing is quality.  

Tell your friends.

And the walls come a tumbling down....

LAND TRIP!

It's that time of year again! LAND TRIP!!!  Two days on the land with good people, country food, and wonderful sunshine!  Gotta love end of the year trips. The first thing we did when we got to the lake today was drill some holes for fishing.  If there was ever any doubt as to the thickness and therefore safety of the ice all of my doubts were assuaged when  we didn't find water until we extended the ice auger...

... to 6+ feet and we wouldn't have found water if we were just a few inches shorter.  No fish though.  Not even a nibble.  I even sang the "here fishy, fishy" song.  

-14 with windchill and clear sunny skies made for an excellent day for a land trip.  I rocked 100spf sunscreen, kept my face covered and my back to the sun and I still ended up with a pretty wicked goggle tan.  I spent most of the day sitting around a fishing hole much like the one pictured above.   

Looking fabulous in the standard Arctic uniform: Canada Goose, fur mitts, big boots, and goggles. 

I was worried that the kids would be bored because there wasn't any activities organized but then again I'm a fool.  Kids in Nunavut don't need organized activities! For kids who - on good days - have some trepidation working independently in the classroom, don't even hesitate when getting organized on the land.  They pushed a kamatik (much like the one we're sitting on in the photo) up to the top of the hill, behind us, and created their own rollercoaster.  There was even a "weeeeeeeeee!" periodically. The kids also organized the heck out of the hole digging, bonfire building, snow wrestling fight clubs etc...

We tried without the goggles but just ended up squinting and slightly blind.

Gotta love a land trip!

Sundogs and Rainbows over Gjoa Haven :)

I didn't have my camera with me Monday so these pictures are pirated from my buddy, Adam.  I give him and his Iphone full credit for the following pictures. Their scientific name is Parhelia but they are commonly known as Sundogs. 

At this point we were walking around like fools quoting the Crazy Double Rainbow Guy.

It was about 4pm when these pictures were taken Monday.

 According to Wikipedia they are made by refraction of light through ice crystals called diamond dust. The crystals act as prisms, bending the light with a minimum deflection of 22 degrees. Sundogs are not exclusive to the Arctic but they are most commonly found here.  I'm tired and I'm having a hard time stringing words together into sentences, so I'm going to keep this short and sweet, allowing the photos (that I stole) to speak for themselves. Enjoy!

Sundogs and rainbows over Gjoa Haven :)

Just another reason you should probably come to the Arctic :)

Square Dance Showdown, Gjoa Haven 2013

The kids at school have been JACKED for the past two weeks.  Counting down the number of sleeps until the Square Dance Showdown has preoccupied their every waking moment.  They have been vibrating with anticipation, unable to focus on anything else.  All the cool kids especially the boys (and I'm not being sarcastic) are on dance teams.  They have been practicing their hearts out.  Teachers have been both frustrated and baffled by this phenomena. I mean, I say square dance and my first thought is some old Hungarians at the cottage dancing around the living room in front of the fire to accordion music.  The idea that the social leaders at school all actively practice square dancing and promote the participation of family and friends is mind boggling to me. And yet, no teacher in their right mind would ever discourage students taking pride in something. It would be nice though, if the kids would also participate in school with the same enthusiasm...

One of the visiting teams.  They had really great kamiks (seal skin boots).

I have been craving live music. Like, missing it with my whole heart - craving. I didn't realize that I had been missing it until I sat down at the Square Dance Showdown this weekend and heard the band.  I literally welled up and got goosebumps... for square dance music.  That's how much I missed live music.

The band.  The guy with the fiddle alternated between that and the accordion.  These guys were CHAMPS with some routines running as long as 40 minutes.

The Square Dance Showdown is an intense three day competition that I don't think can accurately be described in words but I will try my best.  

Dance teams come in from all over the Kitikmeot region.  They don't fly in, no, they skidoo hundreds of miles from their own communities to dance.  Baker Lake, Taloyoak, Kugaruk, Kugluktuk, and Rankin Inlet all had teams come to compete. Most communities are a 2-3 day skidoo trip away and most communities sent skidoo caravans with 14+ machines and fully loaded kamatiks (wooden sleds).  Gjoa Haven's population increased by several hundred this weekend with all our guests bunking with friends and family - no one stayed at the hotel.  We actually cancelled school for kids the Monday and Tuesday after The Showdown because of how intense it is... at least we have realistic expectations.  Heck, the  dancing probably won't stop until 3am Sunday night/Monday morning.   

You can see the judges to the right of the spinning couple.

This was an intense fusion between traditional drum dancing that you see in Aboriginal ceremonies, traditional Inuit clothing, and European Folk dancing.  There isn't a caller like in American versions of square dance but a lot of the spins and hand positions are similar to the American Style. 

 Starting at 5pm the dancing goes allll night.  The pictures are from Saturday night and early Sunday morning.  The last team took the floor at 2am... and after that there was a couples square dance competition that each couple paid 5 bucks to dance in.  We didn't stay for that because I heard it wouldn't be over until at least 4am and after sitting on the gym floor for 8 hours I just couldn't do it.  My core hurt from bopping around to the music and my butt hurt from being so closely acquainted with the gym floor for so long.  My hands hurt from clapping to the beat for 8 hours straight and my jaw hurt from biting back the words I really really wanted to use on the children.  Ohhhhh the children.  

Gjoa Haven's youth team made up of kids from grade 6-8

 This event was simultaneously incredible and a nightmare (for a teacher or someone with first aid).  The dancing was incredible. The tiny tot fight club that took place in between dances stressed me right the hell out.  The dance crew would take a bow and leave the floor and at that very moment when the band played their last prolonged note, hundreds of kids would rush the floor and proceed to go B-A-N-A-N-A-S.  Full out youth mosh-pits filled with angry aggressive 4 and 5 year olds where kids would literally be dropped on their heads, get up close-line the dropper and fight club it out all without any parental intervention despite them being conveniently seated within arms reach. My weekend mantra went something like: "I'm not in charge, they are not my kids.  I'm not in charge, they are not my kids."  At one point I had to cover my eyes and my housemate Kelli leaned over and asked me which part was affecting me: the fist fights? or one kid strangling another kid?  
Picture a conga line with mixed martial arts liberally sprinkled in.

I had a hard time articulating. But I was somewhat calmed by the fact I wasn't the only one mentally climbing the walls at the live portrayal of The Hunger Games during intermissions.      

Gjoa Haven's Adult Team. Instead of Seal Skin Kamiks, these dancers favoured Dene style moccasins.

Overall it was an incredible weekend.  The music and dancing gave me some much needed excitement. My entire body hurts today and I didn't even dance. I'm really glad I got to see The Square Dance Showdown 2013.

You know it's gonna be alright!

I'm smiling today:  not a cloud in the sky, negative 10 with a breeze from the north north west, and sunshine.  I headed to the school just after lunch to get crackin' on some paperwork and I walked the whole way with the wind at my back, the sun on my face, and a great big grin. I've been lamenting about the quality of the sunshine here in the Arctic since 2008; it makes everything look like it is part of some ethereal winter fairy land.  Yes, I said ethereal winter fairy land.  I have an English degree that I use intermittently but mostly I just forget the commas, and run my sentences together.  This is quite possibly the best argument for me to go back to school: my mental degradation.   

Back to my point about the light - Look back at my pictures from 2008 and see for yourself or maybe just look at my profile picture for proof.  It's straight up magic and it makes me happy.  Anyway, I'm also smiling because I got some great news about my tax return - I'm not going to say much but just know that you should all come work in the north because the T2222 form is all sorts of awesome and yet another reason why I'm smiling.

We decided to stay in tonight - the hustle and bustle of Gjoa Haven's night life was almost too much to handle...  I kid! I kid!  Other than some intense radio BINGO and a teen dance, nightlife in Gjoa is relegated to kitchen dance parties and card games. So I got crazy and Frankensteined a pot of chili (which was all sorts of yummy) and talked Kelli into watching Across The Universe and Silver Lining's Play Book.  I love belting out Beatles songs but I get a bit itchy when I watch things about mental illness :s So it was a draw on the movies. The only reason I'm admitting to watching either of these movies is because of the pictures that follow.  In between the movies (see, I have a point), I took Nigel the dog out and then promptly forced my housemate Kelli to get her coat on and bring out her Ipad for a photo op.  Poor girl was a bit shell shocked when she stepped of the plane in August so I go out of my way whenever possible to show her the beauty of the north.  It was just after 10pm here in Gjoa Haven, minus 24 with windchill and a clear sky, perfect for taking pictures of civil twilight. 

First we have a view of down town.  No light pollution here, folks.  We are the only 1200 people on the island of King William in the North West Passage.  Not quite the top of the world, but pretty darn close.  To orient all you map lovers out there, the pictures is shot facing south from across a ravine that separates up-town and down-town.  

This next photo is my favourite of the three.  Facing west-south-west at 10pm Saturday April 6th you can see some of (because it never really translates properly in photos) the pretty colours of our civil twilight and one star for good measure.  

And finally, facing west into the civil twilight with our neighbour's house to the right.  Look at all the light!  And here you felt sorry for us when I posted those pictures of the pitch black at 3pm just before Christmas.  I was talking to Kelli about the light here, and I actually feel as though there is more light than dark here. 

Now before you go getting all scientific on me about the earth's rotation and actual hours of daylight bla bla bla, hear me out.  It FEELS like there is more light.  Sure the darkness is disorienting but at night we sleep through it and during the day we work through it.  Leaving the school in the pitch black in December isn't so bad, not any worse than it being dark by 5pm in the south or on days that it's overcast and grey.  Point being, you miss most of the darkness because of work and sleep and it's not unheard of for it to be dark during the day.  But if feels like there is more light because of the 10pm sunsets in April, and the midnight sun in May.  You get up to pee in the middle of the night and you have to squint into the daylight streaming through the bathroom window.   The light is everywhere all the time for a good part of the year.  Suntans in the middle of the night are not possible in the south.  Daylight at night is weird, hence why it FEELS like there is more of it.

An analogy if you will: my perception of the amount of darkness is like sitting beside a big man on an air plane in coach who sits still during the red eye and reads his book, uncomfortable but relatively unremarkable. Now my perception of the amount of daylight in the north is like sitting beside that same big man in coach but instead of quietly reading his book he talks you into drinking the complementary red wine and singing show tunes with him for the duration of the night flight - significantly more noticeable and frankly out of place because really, what airline doles out complementary ANYTHING never mind red wine?

So yeah, there's more light.  

Cheers to tax returns, Beatles songs, and daylight!  
Smile!
You know it's going to be alright!