Everything is sparkling with diamond light

I don't want to write about the weather too much but I thought this was worth mentioning. It snowed last night. For most of Canada, the first day of fall is Sept. 22 - I hope that the rest of you will appreciate its snow free nature.

It's kind of exciting to see the snow, though this may mean that the novelty wears off that much sooner.

Regardless, I'm listening to some Christmas music anyway.

Miss Saigon

All of my students are either Gwich'in, Inuvialuit, or Metis. It's pretty neat. Today there was a special event put on by the elders of the first two groups (I think, I couldn't find out for sure that it was both). There was a free lunch, music by the "Good Time Band" and a chance for the younger people to meet the elders. I told all of my students during class and encouraged them all to go. The event was open to all people so I went during my lunch break. There were only about 10 people there and I was probably the youngest person around. An older gentleman beckoned me inside the hall and motioned that I should get some food. I have to say, I'm pretty fond of bannock and they had some there. I sat and ate and listened to the "Good Time Band". If anything, the band sells themselves short with their name. The music they played seemed like it would be perfect for a barn dance; it was really fun, upbeat and very well played.

I didn't speak with anyone while I was there but gave one of the band members the thumbs up before I left. He looked pretty happy but I would have liked to have done more to say thanks for such a unique experience. Hopefully I'll have a chance at another event.

On an unrelated note - my stuff is here and will be moved into my apartment tomorrow afternoon. My neighbours can expect to smell cinnamon raisin bread baking a few hours after that (with Saigon cinnamon no less).

consensual worlds

I told a student today that he was a great resource to have in class. I meant it too. We were talking about the elements of a short story and every time I explained a term like 'mood' or 'setting,' he would launch into a brief narrative of his own to exemplify what I was saying. It wasn't entirely intentional on his part; I think he was doing it more to get a laugh than anything but it really was useful.

Today was my first full day of teaching. I was glad to actually get going as the previous two weeks have been filled with everything (from multiple class changes, to cleaning, meetings and more) but very little actual prep time. A new instructor will start tomorrow (she just flew up from Edmonton this afternoon) and though she has a lot to take in she really isn't too far behind (planning wise) from the other instructors (I barely have tomorrow covered). And, her course load won't change on a daily basis.

This just in -

A low speed moving van has been spotted north of Edmonton. Officials predict, based on its bearing and speed, that it may be heading for the Inuvik area of the NWT. Those eagerly awaiting the arrival of their possessions should keep their hopes in check until Friday at the earliest.

will her folks look down on me?

Dear Inuvik Post Office:

Please leave your doors unlocked later than 5:30pm so that I may check my mail.

Sincerely,

Jesse V.

A little of bit love

I've been warned by numerous people about the upcoming closure of the Dempster highway. In about one month the highway will close and the town will essentially be shut off from the rest of the world. The price of food will double, or triple, and staples like milk, eggs and other perishable items will remain out of stock until the road opens again. (I think it takes about a month or maybe a little more for the road to reopen). One suggestion for this dark time is that I buy UHT milk. I think a lot of people choose this option as the grocery store has recently put a lot of it in stock. I'd like to exaggerate (and I'm fond of hyperbole) and say that there's more UHT milk than a small town could ever drink but I'm pretty sure that won't be the case.

I've also learned, during my two weeks here, that the town of Inuvik has an eratic power supply. Power outages are common, brought on by aging infrastructure not quite up to the task of supplying the town's power needs (or so I've been told). Regardless of the reason, it's recommended that alarm clocks have a battery backup. Last night I used my Nintendo DS, it may just make a fine alarm for the remaining 9 1/2 months of my stay.

One last thing. The water up here tastes silty. Don't be fooled by companies pushing 'arctic water.' Unless it tastes kind of like sediment, you're not getting the real thing.

and at night I like to look my best

My apologies for the infrequency of posts. The hotel I was staying at had a very unreliable internet connection and I wasn't disciplined enough to write anything in Word and post it later. Currently, I am sitting on the floor of my otherwise empty apartment (which may shorten the length of this post). I actually slept on the floor last night - my stuff will hopefully be arriving by the end of next week. There was no reason given for why my possessions were delayed in their transit but I suspect that the couch caused some trouble around the Winnipeg area and had to spend a few days in a holding cell.

I do actually have a place to stay other then a pile of clothes on the floor. Tonight, I plan to make use of the college's staff house. It's offered to visiting instructors and people who have unruly furniture. I checked it out this evening and it has a very 'temporary stay' feel to it. There's nothing in the house that offers a hint of someone's personality, nor are there any photos or keepsakes. It even smells temporary - like someone just finished washing the dishes before heading out the door with a packed bag (maybe someone did actually do this before I arrived). In any event, I am glad to have a bed to sleep on.

On my way back to my apartment I noticed someone had written "baby makers of the world unite" in chalk on the wall of the CIBC (the town's only bank). This struck me as funny because I think people are already doing this, quite literally, regardless of how old they are. From what I have seen so far, quite a few of my students are young mothers.

solid gold

Right behind my new apartment is a section of the Trans Canada Trail (pictured to the right). It's actually the beginning of part of the trail, though the northern most section starts in Tuktoyaktuk. I walked along part of it today and saw some truly beautiful scenery. If the town of Inuvik were up for sale, it would probably be listed as a 'fixer upper' but the same cannot be said about the natural areas just past the edge of town.

It's been one week since I left Toronto. I've been told a great many things about living up north - most of which I have already forgot. Some of the things that stand out in my mind from this week are:

1) I was told to buy bear spray if I'm worried about roaming packs of dogs (I wasn't so much worried, just curious if they were a regular occurrence)

2) My landlord is from Jamaica and prefers Inuvik in the winter

3) This town is surprisingly international - some of the students at the learning centre are from the Sudan. One of my co-workers is from Iran and another is from Ireland

4) A certain brand of microwave meal that Capital M and I enjoy is available at one of the grocery stores. Moreover, there is a surprisingly decent variety of food stuffs up here

5) In general, food is at least twice as much as it is in Toronto (I already dislike buying food)

6) Chocolate milk is cheaper than regular milk. Though tempting, I will refrain from using it for my cereal

7) I was told not to cross my boss. This didn't actually alter any of my original plans for my stay up here.

Next week my stuff will hopefully arrive from Toronto and I have to get serious about trying to plan out my year.

but is it nice enough?

Could this place be my home for the next ten months? It's very possible. I've heard the building shakes (so did Fenwick and I lived much higher up), it's full of families and pets but the rent isn't outrageous (though still high) and it has best view out of the four places I've seen so far. Interestingly, the property company that owns this building (they own 70% of the rental places in town) charges less rent than the dump I saw yesterday.

I guess I should bite the bullet and commit to a lease.

In other unrelated news - I thought of a new word for the English dictionary 'perturbulence'. It's fitting for those times when you feel personally slighted by turbulence during a flight, like when it causes you to spill your drink on your shirt or needlessly grab the person next to you out of fright.

Hail Cesar

I ran into some bullies this morning on my way to work. I was just walking along minding my own business when I noticed three dogs running on the other side of the street. They looked really happy (they made me feel happy just from looking at them). I thought nothing of it when they crossed to my side of the street but my feeling of well being changed when the lead dog adopted an aggressive posture, barred his teeth and started growling and barking at me. The other two dogs followed suit and I stopped dead in my tracks. The lead dog did a little lunge at me and I stepped back. I started thinking "What would Cesar Millan do?" Then I remembered that I've only seen 'The Dog Whisperer' once and that was well over a year ago; I had no idea what he would do (I am pretty sure that he wouldn't have given up ground to an aggressive dog). I won't lie, I was starting to get a little scared as the dogs were all advancing on me. Fortunately, someone shouted one of the dog's names and it immediately dropped its aggressive stance. I'll try and avoid those three in the future, or at least make sure I have some lunch money on me.

My day at work was pretty busy. There was a meeting in my classroom about the malodorous occurrences that require building evacuations. According to the building managers it should now be fixed (one can only hope). My teaching schedule was changed and I suspect that it may change again before all is said and done. Bring it on.

I stopped by an apartment on my way back to the hotel. It was really hot, kind of dumpy and all for the low price of $1250/month (it's run by a former prison guard; I guess it was in pretty rough shape before she took it over). I'm seeing a few more places tomorrow and then I'll have to make a decision. So far I'd like not to live in the building I saw today.

One last thing, there is snow in the forecast for Saturday.

lady of the sky

Today I sort of started my job. It's only sort of because 1) a foul stench drove everyone out of the building before the day was done. There's nothing quite like the smell of unadulterated sewer gas to make you appreciate fresh air. 2) I'm not teaching yet, just getting everything set up. The actual start date of the classes is something of a mystery. My supervisor seems to think that the building won't be ready for the students to start next Tuesday - maybe a week later, maybe less.

It doesn't really matter to me, I'm just rolling with the punches. Same thing with my course load: math and science. As it stands I feel a bit like I'm on autopilot. Things will probably get to me later but the only thing I really care about right now is getting back home to Capital M. Nothing else seems that important.

(Pictured above is the famous 'Igloo Church')

Robots need love too

I spent last night in a hotel close to the Edmonton airport. The area seems to be frequented by truckers (lonely truckers?). The picture to the left doesn't show just how shady the building was, but I think I found a place where 'happy endings' are pretty much a guarantee for those looking for a little relief after a long haul.

Why was I in such an area you may ask? It was the first stop on my way to the town of Inuvik in the North West Territories. For the next ten months I will be teaching basic education to adults at a community college. It is my deepest hope that this experience will make it possible for me to find work in Toronto. Saying goodbye to Capital M and the cats was really difficult and not something I plan on repeating.

On a side note - When I arrived in Edmonton the weather was a surprising 27 degrees. Inuvik offered its own surprise of 2 degrees with a few flakes of snow thrown in for good measure. The person meeting me at the airport picked me out of the crowd right away saying that my camera and shorts gave me away as a newbie to the town. So much for blending in.

Lastly, if anyone knows what time I start work tomorrow - please let me know.

On and On

If anyone wants to hear a great band then I'd recommend you check out Cowpuncher.  Just try and keep your feet still while listening to 'It's time to Wake Up.'  I had the good fortune to work with two of the band memebers at CCH.  I wish them the best.

It's Time To Wake Up

Here are some snippets of conversations I heard while downtown on Friday night:

...She was leaking shit from her ass...

...when you were picking up that guy...

...drinking that bag of blood....

...she was so fat she was like 5 Chucks

I was also able to catch a whole conversation:

"You look like that guy from 'Superbad'!"

"Who McLovin'?"

"No, that other guy, the one from Brampton, you were also in Arrested Development and Nick and Norah's Tape Player"

"Oh, yeah, I was also in Holes"

Well all know that Michael Cera wasn't in Holes, and for the record, the guy looked nothing like Michael Cera

The streetcar was full of really drunk girls, one of who spent part of the ride puking on the floor.  Another spent the entire ride resting her head in her friend's lap.  She was so drunk that she couldn't pull herself together to get off at the right stop, much to the annoyance of her friends.

Fun night.

GR8

The advent of texting, and its shorted form of common words, has a lot of people worried about the ability of today's youth to write properly.  Teachers lament the missing 'wh' from the word 'y,' feminists struggle to remind today's young women that there is an 'I' in 'grl,' and those receiving accolades may feel a little slighted when all they receive is a shortened 'gratz'.  However, there is hope for future.  Few would argue that youth will often rebel against their parents and others in positions of authority.  As such when today's youth become parents, we may start seeing their children writing words with extra letters as a form of rebellion.  For example, the name Alex in the future may look like 'Ahleghx.'   Common words like 'new' will start with a silent 'p' (pnew), and nice will start with a k and have an extra 'y' (kniyce).  In fact, it wouldn't be surprising to see new letters being used silently.  The letter 'x', for instance, may be subtly added to words to make them a little longer.  A text message from the future may read like this "Mothering, Ih am xenjoying maiy stuhdies at puniverghsity."  

From Norbert Ispin's "A look at the World of Tomorrow, Today"

I'm a sack person - deal with it

A few more things:

1) I didn't go to the dentist for almost ten years ( I finally went to one last year). However, due to good oral hygiene I had no cavities, no major tarter build up and no other issues

2) I do a lot of singing. I had thought I kept this habit mostly to myself (or at least confined within my home) but an acquaintance recently mentioned that I was always singing. This was both surprising and a little embarrassing

3) When I was a little boy I jumped into a fountain at a mall and started swimming. It happened during a cold snap and as such I was bundled up in a snow suit. My mom had to buy me new clothes as it was too cold outside, and I was too wet, to make it home without freezing. We didn't have a lot of money and I'm pretty sure my mom didn't end up buying whatever she went to get

4) Like many young boys I really wanted to learn karate after seeing 'The Karate Kid.' Hours before my first judo lesson (karate wasn't offered), I ended up badly breaking my leg when my friends and I were practicing our 'karate' moves. As such, my martial arts career ended before it even began

5) The ER doctor didn't set my leg properly before putting the cast on and months later the doctors had to straighten it out. They were looking at two options i) rebreak it and then reset it ii) drive a wedge into my cast and bend the mending bone back into shape. They chose the latter option and it stands out as one of the most painful experiences in my life (this happened when I was in grade 5)

6) I like to believe that I have super human healing powers, a super immune system and that I'm fairly resilient to getting hurt. I really don't bruise easily and I rarely get sick. Point 4 may seem to contradict this but I believe it may have happened to let me know that I'm not invincible (but close)

7) I'm quite clumsy

8) I'm fairly cynical about a lot things, but not all things

9) I generally dislike wearing jackets. It's been 4 years (and counting) since I last put on a rain jacket

10) I don't think I've ever used an umbrella

11) If I were a comic book villain, my alter ego may be 'the Over-Reactor.' You know how it goes: mild-mannered guy by day who sometimes overreacts to banal pieces of information.

12) I taught myself how to juggle but can't figure out how to do more than three balls

13) I've attended 6 post-secondary institutions

14) Capital M recently called me 'the Cinnamon King.' She only called me it once but it's pretty fitting; I use a lot of cinnamon. I went on a special shopping trip for ceylon cinnamon and ended up buying some saigon cinnamon as well. For those who don't know- ceylon cinnamon is true cinnamon and it's totally different from what is sold at regular grocery stores

killer life

I'm stealing this idea from Facebook (which I still haven't joined). 

25 things about me (well, 5 anyway)

1. I like saying the word 'liquor.'  This started in high school and never really stopped.  It's also strange since I'm not much of a drinker

2. I'm terrible at keeping in touch

3. I was ahead of e-mail's popularity by about one year.  E-mail accounts weren't given out at the college I attended and in desperation to e-mail I would use random computers in the library, open 'Outlook Express,' and send off e-mails.  Sometimes the messages made it through and sometimes they didn't.  What's more,  no one could e-mail me back.

4. I play video games  

5. I am a cereal junkie.  My favourites are 'mini wheats' (cinnamon streusel), 'oatmeal crisp' and 'life.'  I try to only eat the semi-unhealthy breakfast cereals but have been known to buy 'Fruit Loops' and 'Corn Pops,' etc. when they're on sale.

best of me

On second thought, it should be called 'fruit and vegetable spread.'  This is in reference to my idea on how to market strawberry and rhubarb jam.  'Spread' makes its sound less sugary then jam.  

So, yes, I am still unemployed but I'm not worried.  I have absolutely no regrets in leaving my previous job and have applied for some interesting positions.  I am however trying to think of some daily 'unemployment challenges.'  For example: drinking 1 and 1/3 cups of water every hour on the hour between 9:00 A.M. and 5:00P.M.  Or, trying to see how long I can drag out a conversation with the numerous telemarketing/ collection agencies (they keep calling for the previous owner of our current phone number).  I am also looking for children's story publishers; I wrote a story and waver between being too cowardly to send it off and curious to see if it could get published (or at the very least, curious to see a rejection letter).  Maybe that, and the water, will be tomorrow's challenge.  

oxford comma

I went for an interview this past Friday for a position with the University of Toronto.  It wasn't the worst interview (I wasn't asked to sing, and no part of the conversation was conducted in French) but I never felt like I really connected with the interviewers.  It was the first (and hopefully last) interview I've experienced where I was told to make a presentation.  A few days prior to the meeting I was given a scenario by an HR person; she also said that I would have access to AV equipment, PowerPoint and a laptop.  Whether I presented the 'right' information remains a mystery but I guess it was good experience.  I have the feeling that any candidate who didn't use PowerPoint would be automatically out of the running.  It will be about a month before they get back to me with a decision.

I've been thinking of how to remarket certain products, here's one:

Strawberry/Rhubarb jam could be sold as 'Fruit and Vegetable' jam.  Any child who loves pie, but hates vegetables, could eat this delicious combination and get a full serving of fruit and vegetables (in about 1 cup of jam). 

Alright.  I'll be back tomorrow.

Episode IV: A new hope

Well it's done:

Jan. 19, 2009

Attention Supervisor:
With this letter I wish to inform you that I will be resigning from my position with ABC as Centre Manager of the Mississauga office as of Friday, Jan. 31, 2009. I have learned a lot during my time with ABC and I will always be grateful to have had this opportunity. Allow me to express my best wishes for the company and yourself.

Sincerely,

Jesse V

I don't know what's going to happen in the near future but I've decided to be cautiously optimistic. Also, I would like to thank Capital M for a) putting up with my numerous complaints about my job and b) being supportive about taking this leap of faith.

kick this city

This year I’ve made a few resolutions. In no particular order they are:

• Stop saying “I can’t believe it’s already (insert month)”. The only exception to this is if I fall asleep one night and wake up several months later
• Not sleeping for several months at a time

Alright so I haven't made a lot of resolutions but I should be able to follow through on the ones listed (hopefully).

I had planned on giving my notice last Monday (my plan to start the New Year off right) but here I am a week later. However, I am hoping that this Friday afternoon I will call my suspervisor and tender my resignation. Do I have back-up job? No. Do I have a healthy savings account to see me through some lean times? No. Is the country facing high unemployment and limited job prospects? Yes. Conventional wisdom would say that I should hang on to my job but I've never been one for convention. Or at least I'd like to think so. I guess I'll prove whether I am or not this Friday.