Shelter - The Journey to Nunavut . . .

Lately . . .

2011-04-18T20:28:00.002-04:00

I'm pathetic.

I haven't even managed to "blog" yet this year. Jesus. What's the use?

Truth is, lately it feels like we're just passing the time. The longer we're up here the more we are used to the twists and turns of the city. Our lives are mostly consumed with work and our time off is usually spent taking things relatively easy. We're at that stage now where we have things so simplified that there's nothing really to write about. We're happy, you know?

The first 6 months up here were such an adjustment. The 6 that followed were the months we spent finding our bearings and now, the last 9 have been a breeze. I can't believe I've almost been at my "new job" for a year now. It still feels like yesterday that I started there.

Maybe this is part of the cycle. Perhaps the time you spend up here inevitably leads you to finding a copacetic state of mind where you can tune out the nasty side of the north and make it your own to enjoy. I can only speak for myself but, I think that's the key to success up here.

Finally.

2010-12-22T06:50:00.001-05:00

The Billion Dollar Couch Report

2010-11-18T12:19:00.002-05:00

This will conclude the posts for this whole ordeal.

Townie Bastard called me cocky so, the Godfather has spoken!

Enjoy the link . . .

http://www.aptn.ca/pages/news/video/?/services/player/&bcpid=90674670001&bclid=76787578001&bctid=679183006001

IKEA FIASCO on A.P.T.N.

2010-11-17T16:26:00.001-05:00

I got confirmation this afternoon that the piece about the IKEA couch is running tonight on the 7 O'clock news!

I haven't seen any edits or what the piece looks like but, I've been told it's humour based.

Let me know what you think if/when you see it!

IKEA REPLIES!

2010-11-15T17:35:00.006-05:00

So . . . I've been rattling a few cages and barking up some trees. It just so happens that Iqaluit is getting a kick out of this "billion dollar couch"!

At Wings (Wednesday wing night at the Frob), the group in front of us in line were asking each other if "they'd seen this billion dollar couch thing". At the office, a customer asked me if I'D HEARD of it. Then, the traffic on the blog exploded and now A.P.T.N. contacted me to do a story on it. What started off as a joke, has now become somewhat of a conversation piece. Who knew?

Steph did.

This whole thing started off with her saying "Hey Jord, look at this..."

On the weekend I e-mailed IKEA and below is their response. Much to my surprise they just flat out admit it's a mistake.

"Hello Jordan,

Thank you for your response. Please note that the price noted on our website is a mistake. To receive a shipping quote on your items, please contact our Home Shopping department directly at 1-866-866-IKEA (4532).

In the mean time, your comments will be forwarded to the appropriate department to have this rectified.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for choosing IKEA for your home furnishing needs.

Best Regards,
IKEA Canada Customer Service"

You don't say . . .

The piece for APTN is tentatively scheduled for tomorrow night at 7pm if you feel like tuning in. It was filmed in our mansion during my lunch break today and features a guest appearance by a certain famous cat! You can guess which one . . .

To wrap up, if you want to get your "billion dollar" fun in while you can, I'd hurry up. IKEA are Swedish, and they don't mess around. This all comes at a great time seeing as how I'm reading "The Girl Who..." trilogy!

Let it Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

2010-11-12T11:22:00.004-05:00

Where did this ambition to blog come from?

I may woken mother nature up with my "Snow?" post, which was posted the day before all this snow fell but, I don't care, this is amazing.

It's mild, slightly windy, and a perfect resemblace to a snow globe. What else could you ever ask for from your first snow fall of the year? It's truly magnificient. If there were a few more trees and steeper hills NOT made out of bedrock then, I'd take the week off work just to toboggan. God, I love winter.

This makes all of last weeks headaches go away (see previous posts). Tomorrow I'm going to start putting gifts underneath the tree and searching for Egg Nog. Also, since we have a family up here now, I'm in the midst of planning a glorious holiday event. . . think Griswold's family Christmas . . . but Nothern!

I hope everyone is enjoying the weather and surviving the sheet of ice that covers Iqaluit at the moment. Drive Safe!

Christmas before Remembrance Day?

2010-11-09T11:49:00.002-05:00

If I put up my Christmas decorations and tree up before Remembrance Day, does that make me un-patriotic?

Today I was poked, had a finger pointed in my face, and was told "you ought ta be ashamed" because I decorated for Christmas today.

By what standard does it so clearly state that I must wait until November 12th to begin enjoying the holiday season? Is this a "no white shoes after Labour Day" thing or did I miss something? Maybe I'm being naive, I don't know.

Look . .. there I go sounding un-patriotic. The truth is, I'm just as supportive of Remembrance Day as the next person. I had family who fought overseas and were a part of the sacrifice Canadians had to make for the safety of our country and I appropriately honour them by keeping them close to my heart on Remembrance Day. I also stand proudly beside others who may have similar circumstances and take comfort in keeping company with those who understand. That is how I've chosen to celebrate/commemorate that day and I can do so with or without a Christmas tree but I've chosen to do so with.

I'll tell you what I don't do. I don't take the paid holiday, sit around getting as drunk as I can at the Legion, lose my poppy getting cut off and thrown out at 2pm, pretend to be patriotic for an afternoon then forget about Canadian heritage for the other 364 days of the year. Give me a break.

It's prejudice to think that because I'm hanging a stocking in November, I'm not patriotic. Because who I am and the way I remember and honour those before me isn't up for debate, it's a choice I make. No one can tell me how I'm supposed to honour the dead and they most certainly can't tell me when my holiday spirit kicks in. Individuality is based on the idea that we're allowed to make personal, moral, and ethical choices without prejudice. If it's respect that's the issue here, then maybe we should respect what the soldiers were fighting for at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The bravely foung and died so we could find peace, understanding and . . . wait for it . . . tolerance.

If this blog were about the double standards that go on up here, it'd be a never ending catalogue of examples that would inevitably end with comment wars that undermine the value of the content and the place on which we're discussing... like YouTube. But this isn't about race or equality, this is about being human, being an individual, and being a proud Canadian; sorry, but I won't stand for this. Most of all, I love Iqaluit and this whole ordeal takes away from that.

I was raised Anglican Catholic, born in Canada, and as soon as I see snow I think of Christmas. It's no disrespect to anyone or any part of Remembrance Day, and if anyone has a problem with the tree in my window . . . look away, turn away, or keep it to yourself. Because as I wrapped up the rude intrusion on my personal space, I apologised for offending this middle aged man. I offered to shake his hand as I apologised for my unintentional actions. He pulled his hand immediately away and left with a bold statement: "...you white people think you know everything ..."

This town does it to itself sometimes . . .

Sorry everyone. Please have a Happy Remembrance Day in any manner you wish. Because at the end of the day, we're all Canadian.

Je Me Souviens.

My First Bonspiel

2010-11-08T17:01:00.002-05:00

Curling is my new obsession.

Steph and I curled all last year and really enjoyed ourselves. We met new friends, developed better relationships with co-workers and really had a great time trying out something new. When mass registration came around this year, I knew I was only signing up for one thing and one thing only: Curling.

A Bonspiel is an open Curling tournament. Iqaluit has a loyal and dedicated group of people who run the Curling Club. They work year round to develop the game and earn the attention Iqaluit curlers deserve. Their passion is evident and gets well demonstrated with every step the club makes. The Tournaments are well organized, the league is perfectly set up, the help they offer and provide is outstanding and no matter where you see them, they are always sporting their club jackets. It's honourable.

We missed last years bonspiel because of work last year, which I regret more now after being to one. This year, with our team full of our Iqaluit family members (Ty, Lacie, Karen and I) we enjoyed the camaraderie, the game play, and the events of this years first bonspiel. Sure, we may have been brutally beaten in each of our 3 outings but, it was such a good time.

Ty, who is from Texas, not only is skipping the matches now, he won the door prize of 75kg of freight from First Air. Which is more like finding GOLD here in the north. Team Grenke will return stronger and better next year, you can count on that.

Last year I wrote that getting involved with local activities is crucial. I have to reiterate that. I've noticed that the acquaintances I made last year are turning into friendships this year. I have a front row seat to watch Ty, Lacie, Brian and Karen make their new acquaintances which I now know will turn into great things socially. You can't survive up here living like a hermit. Between the isolation and the often brutal weather, it's hard to find outlets for energy or social needs. Getting involved in new things like curling, darts, badminton, euchre, anything, it opens up the opportunity to make your time up here last and makes it even more worthwhile.

Here are some pics from the BONSPIEL:

The Ultimate Shipping Rate.

2010-11-02T17:10:00.009-04:00

Who in Iqaluit has mouthed the words "that would cost like a MILLION dollars to ship here"?

Well . . . if you'd like something from IKEA shipped to you in Iqaluit they will actually charge you a BILLION dollars. I'm dead serious. I was in the neighbourhood for buying a leather sofa...I couldn't believe my screen . . .

It seems though, that their delivery would be somewhat timely . . . "billion dollars" timely though? I mean, for the love of god, the GST is 50 Million alone!

Try it for yourself. Especially enjoy the hilarity you experience when you go to order just a desk lamp, or just a power bar!

Amazing.

Snow?

2010-11-02T17:01:00.002-04:00

This time last year we couldn't believe how cold it was and we marvelled at how much snow Iqaluit had in October. This year, there isn't even a hint that there even is a winter this year.

I took a dive through some old pictures and payed close attention to when they were taken/posted and there were tonnes of snowy-white pictures. To be honest, and I know this sounds crazy but, I miss the snow. Hell, I even miss the COLD. This city looks incredible under a blanket of ghost and it seems to almost feel warmer. . . yes, warmer.

I think the biggest let down is that our friend from Texas (Ty) has never experienced winter in Canada, let alone an Iqaluit winter. So, I'm anxious to see his reaction and what he thinks if the snow should ever arrive. We've been teased a few times but without any lasting snow. A friend of mine who has lived here his whole life made a comment to me over the weekend, he said "I think this is the first Hallowe'en in Iqaluit without snow."

If you don't buy into the whole "global warming" idea, I'm living through the proof.

Machete don't text

2010-10-07T19:24:00.000-04:00

nope.

. . and so it begins. . .

2010-10-05T18:49:00.003-04:00

It went from clear skies to a small blizzard in 45 minutes . . .

We didn't really celebrate a "One Year Anniversary" in Iqaluit. I didn't blog about it and it sort of slipped by us. Time seems to fly up here and there's no shortage of people who will confirm that. This month we officially joined the very popular club of "I was only gonna stay a year but here I am (insert lengthy time here) later!" Iqaluit grows on ya'!

What really drove the "anniversary stake" through me today was the weather. It's coming up to our second winter here and I think by Iqaluit standards that qualifies us as people who can say they've been here "a year". I'm proud of us.

I can remember thinking how we may not last up here during the first few months,and I especially remember how hard the homesickness hit during the holidays. I've always said that it takes a certain kind of tolerance and personality to really last up here and I still stand by it. But now, when you've met the challenges head on and you're still happy, excited, and strong, I think that's when you know you can last up here. It's an overwhelming experience, it really is but, you'll always be better for having taken the journey.

A year later, we'd still do it all over again.

DUMP FIRE

2010-09-28T13:01:00.002-04:00

I love the smell of methane gas in the morning.

I decided to remember this because it's the strangest fire experience we've had to date.

Last week, some genius teenager decided it'd be a great idea to start a gas fire at the dump. Lucky for us it was the night all the wind decided to pick up. At first, you could smell that old warming scent of fire wood but now, it feels like you're inhaling the fumes off an over-heated engine. Oddly enough, from what I understand, we are inhaling parts, liquids, and burning fluids from old tires, engines, waste, and oils from cars.

Personally, I find this both ironic and coincidental since all last week on the local morning A.M. radio show they had pushed this story/report from some environmentalist who had just been to a dump out in Baker Lake. His very dramatic radio clip was funny to hear over and over all week, and then again translated to Inuktitut but, now it all makes sense.

After two days of burning wood, we are left with a god awful scent of burning plastic, methane gas, and just plain pollution. Maybe this guy was right. Maybe the dump situation up here is out of hand and this is some crazy way of realizing it. Who knows?

Either way, the whole situation . . . .wait for it . . . "Stinks!".

Yes, I did.

Happy Birthday Steph.

2010-09-28T12:52:00.004-04:00

Happy 26th Birthday Stephanie!

What a great reason to finally make a post!

I love you . . . dinner's on me!

Ty & Lacie Galloway

2010-09-25T19:03:00.000-04:00

I'd like you all to welcome our dear friends Ty and Lacie Galloway to Iqaluit.

Stephanie's best friend and her husband made the move and started their own northern adventure.

Ty

No. Ty is not my brother and we are in no way related. I'm not saying that wouldn't be the raddest situation on the planet, it just isn't the case. However, he is awesome.

Lacie

Yes. When asked why Lacie was so excited to get up here she was quoted as saying "the sole reason I moved up here was Jordan and Stephanie's blog"

We love you guys. Good Luck.

Saying Goodbye

2010-07-26T09:11:00.004-04:00

Last week we said goodbye to not only a friend but, the first friend we made up here.

Jaime was our resource when we were planning this journey. She became a guide for us as we planned and finally,after we got here she became our friend. A friend we would've liked to have spent more time with but, a friend nonetheless.

I thought it be appropriate that we say goodbye on our blog since it was Jaime's blog that convinced us to make this journey. When we arrived she was nice enough to welcome us over some wings and a few drinks. Since then we've curled with Jaime, played badminton, and I'm sure we've frustrated her with our up and downs while we've adjusted during our first year up here.

Jaime has found love and is pursuing it no matter where the journey leads her. She's brave and we wish her nothing but the best in her next steps. We'll miss her and we thank her for all her help.

Good luck Jaime.

Alianait Arts Festival 2010

2010-07-13T07:43:00.000-04:00

This was one of the best moments I've had being in Iqaluit.

Kyle & I were invited to play this years Alianait Arts Festival. When the invitation came in I immediately felt honoured to be asked to contribute to the event. I don't know if I've mentioned this before or not but, Iqaluit has an incredible amount of talent. Seriously. The spectrum and depth of the talent up here is unlike anything I've ever seen. Every single artist or act is completely different yet equally engaging. Anywhere you look you have these great people who get great support from anyone and everyone in town. Artists share camaraderie instead of competing against one another. We buy each others records, we listen to each others songs, we communicated and collaborate; it's never ending.

Ever since I got here and started up friendships with some of the musicians, all I heard about was "Alianait". When you first step off the plane, it just sounds like another word you don't know how to say nor do you understand but, as time went by it became both more familiar and intriguing. So, when I got the e-mail with the invitation I was instantly stoked.

I think us getting involved was mostly due to Karen MacKenzie. Without gushing over how talented she is and how much I love her album "Wind Don't Blow" as well as her song "Wind Don't Blow", I'll just let you all discover her for yourself and send her the biggest THANK YOU KAREN ever given.

Kyle and I worked diligently on new and original material and we were very happy with our results. We practiced until we lost our voices and played until our hands were sore. We opened the Friday Night "Sound Fusion" stage with as much energy as we could and we couldn't have been happier with the reception. We even ended up filling in some extra time before the Headliner "Kodiak" since they were late getting to their time-slot. It was such a surreal experience.

Not in a decade had I been on a stage singing my own music; it was such a rush. We got so many compliments on the energy and the fun nature of the performance. We only played 20 minutes but we ended up signing autographs on kids shirts and doing interviews with News North. Autographs!!!! . . . like, I haven't signed an autograph in my whole life, let alone enough signatures to necessitate pluralising the word "autograph". It was just SO amazing.

The festival itself is so well organized. The entire team are all dedicated individuals who have out in the time and effort to make this a great great event. The Tent is majestic, the music is eclectic, and the whole event is just amazing. If or when you come to Iqaluit, make sure you are here for Alianait. It's this festival that gets your feet wet from the talent pool we have up here. It's a perfect blend of styles that you're guaranteed to enjoy.

Thank you Heather Daley . . .Thank you Karen . . . Thank you Alianait . . . Thank you Iqaluit.

GOODBYE WATERS' EDGE

2010-06-24T11:32:00.001-04:00

It was . . . . an experience.

I don't believe in public slander and there's never any real reason for burning bridges so, I'll just say this: I left on my own terms and I have no regrets.

It'll cost you at least two drinks if you want the rest.

I'm lucky enough to be joining Canada Post here in Iqaluit as a Full-Time Assistant the day after my Birthday and I couldn't be more excited. For the first time in 12 years I'll have a day job and weekends off. What do people do on Friday Nights anyways? . . .

In all honesty, this is a move I made for Steph and for a more secure and dependant future. The lifestyle is different and something she can count on a little more. I'm excited because it's a federal position and I'll actually be home to spend time with her. I can't tell you how many nights we've spent where the only time we saw eachother was when we'd come home from different shifts and found eachother sleeping. I'm normal . . . and grown up now. Oh boy.

My short term goal is to try and change Townie Bastard's opinion of the Post Office by the end of 2010.

Wish me luck!

19 Hours of Sun

2010-05-11T15:06:00.002-04:00

You don't believe it until you see it.

Lately, the sun has barely been setting. Even when it seems like dusk you can still see the lighter shade of blue peer out from the horizon. The sun goes down to that level around 10 pm but rises again by 2am. Now, if you were a plant this would be your vacation spot but, I'm one of those people who has trouble sleeping as it is.

Either way, it's quite amazing to experience. All the pictures you see of people who take daylight photos at 3am are completely true. If you should ever make it up here, be prepared to wake up suddenly and think you've slept 2 days away. Wind your watches, change the batteries in your clocks, because lately I don't know what time is what time.

Has it really been 8 Months?

2010-04-24T12:43:00.000-04:00

It all flew by. . .

8 months have felt like 2 weeks. It's like the feeling you get on your last day of vacation but, ours isn't over yet. Life in the north has been a never ending surprise of turns and events that we've come to realise will have an everlasting affect on the both of us.

Getting to know this part of Canada was a risk we'd would take all over again. We call it a risk because when we first decided to take this journey, we were both scared. Our first few months were rocky, isolated, and stressful both individually and as a couple but, when the smoke cleared, we came out better and stronger. This place has that affect on you. Maybe there's something inspiring in the beauty of the white that covers your life most of the year or maybe the people you meet here move you with their experiences. Maybe the never ending dark months and the endless days of sunlight help eliminate the grey areas in your life. Anyway you look at it, Iqaluit will change you.

Friends have come and gone and are still coming and going. We've said goodbye to a few already and we're about to say goodbye to a very important one. The hardest part about being up here is that you miss your old life, old town, and old friends. But, what's even harder is meeting new people and knowing that your relationships or friendships may have an expiry date. It's the bittersweet part of life in the north. I will promise you that some of the people you meet up here are truly inspirational people. The musicians, the journalists, even the people at the Post-Office are great great people. Some of the friends we've made up here will definitely be people we'll know for a very long time. You'd never expect to meet people who fit in so well with you and who you are but, they're up here and it's great.

8 months later Iqaluit was still the right choice. It's been up and down but, we're still up. We miss home, we miss Tim Horton's and we'll always miss High Speed Internet but, we still love it up here. We'd still tell anyone and everyone that it's worth coming.

Thank you Iqaluit.

The Trews - Toonik Tyme

2010-04-23T12:39:00.004-04:00

I’ll always remember April 2010 as the time when The Trews came to Iqaluit. There was this buzz around town about it. Everyone you talked to was either up in arms about the cost of the band coming or they didn't care and were just so happy to see a show. Either way, there was a buzz.

The band stayed at the Nova and made an appearance in the pub the night before their much anticipated appearance at the Curling Club. They signed autographs for those who approached and signed T-Shirts, DVD’s, and CD’s for local promotions and charities. Kyle was playing in the pub that night and they happily sung along with what he played. What surprised me the most was that they seemed more amazed to be up here than we did about them coming. As the acting bartender, I fielded a lot of the usual questions you’d get from people who aren’t used to being up here but somehow it came across as charming. The guys genuinely seemed interested about the city and what happens up here. One thing is for sure, they were all proud to have seen this part of the country and they made it clear to me as well as others. True Canadians.

They drank us out of Moosehead and were the last ones out of the bar but they were all incredibly kind, generous and fun people to be around. If you didn’t recognize them you’d have thought they were just another group of people that’s how well they fit in after a few hours. I don’t know if it’s legal to have played that many Black Crowes tunes off one iPod in a single night either! I don’t need to fluff anyones feathers or glorify someone because of their pop culture status, but I find it necessary to share the insights I discover. It helps break the prejudice and assumptions that people often carry for people who have status. The entire Trews outfit were nothing short of friendly, fun and respectful people.

When the night of the show came around the Curling Rink was full. Everywhere you looked you saw familiar and excited faces. It was so communal to share that excitement and to all be there holding the same anticipation. Concerts are more quality than quantity in Iqaluit however, this one felt big. Whether you were a fan or not, the accessibility of The Trews music was inescapable; you knew their songs. And it was evident from the second they walked on stage . . .

The lights went out . . . and the speakers rang out the organ intro to The Band’s “Chest Fever”. It was a musical way of saying Here comes the rock”. The band walked on, the crowd screamed and finally the show was here. For the better part of 2 hours the band filled the rink with a jammed packed set of Trews classics. Within the first 30 minutes we heard “Fleeting Trust”, “So She’s Leaving”, “Ready To Go”, and “Poor Ol Broken Hearted Me”. The onslaught seemed relentless but eventually slowed down when the band came a little more forward on stage yet stripped back for an acoustic set. The crowd was overwhelming and ate up everything from the ever-popular “Sing Your Heart Out” to new cuts like “Highway for Heroes”. It wasn’t long before the band plugged back in and performed extended and remixed versions of classic favourites like “Tired of Waiting” and “Yearning”. They even threw in a crowd sing-a-long of “ K’naan’s new Canadian anthem “Wavin’ Flag” just for good measure.

It may have cost $15,000 for the performance fee and it may have meant that the local opening acts played for the love of music (which means FOR FREE) but, it was something special and something that I’ll remember for a long time. When you looked around at the hundreds of faces, there wasn’t one single person in that rink that wasn’t beaming with joy. Not one.

I don’t think it’s in good taste to tell the stories of how drunk the band got after the show or how their drummer “missed his flight” the next morning; you can always ask me in person! This was a great night to be in Iqaluit and a great night to be Canadian.

My first Toonik Tyme was a great one.

And Sean Dalton, if you’re reading this: I hope you finally got home safe and... you’re a $&%#’in Legend!

The Muddy North

2010-04-20T15:02:00.007-04:00

The warm front is finally here.

It brought a little ash with it but we're not about to complain.

Everywhere you go now you need your rubber boots. Iqaluit feels more like a city of slush than it does a city of the north. "Soaker" is a common phrase in our house lately and with the melting snow comes falling ice. I don't mean little pieces of snow or icicles, I mean body sized chunks of ice. Last week a piece nearly crushed me; I ended up taking pics of the debris left behind me. If I hadn't have been reaching for my keys, I probably would've been crushed. Seriously.

But now that the ice on the roof is gone, there's only the snow left. These falling chunks of compacted snow have become our new source of entertainment. Every half hour or so we hear what sounds like a falling human being from our roof. The cats jump, a shadow flies by, and a loud WHOOSH grabs our attention. It's nice enough to leave the windows open lately so we've been doing so and when we're really lucky, a body hits the open window and we all get the living daylights scared out of us.

I'll try and tone down the dramatics here but, a part of me thought we'd never see warm weather again. The cold and the snow has just become so common and routine for us. With all the melting and mud, I actually felt surprised to see it. I think it had set in that the warm fronts where going to be short but, I think a part of me had finally become okay with them never coming. I think I might miss the snow once it goes. I know Steph won't!

Since my blogging has become sparse at best, there's actually a lot to write about. Steph's brother Brian has moved in with us and has adjusted to working in the north well. It's nice having another guy around. We males like to consume large amounts of chips and play copious amounts of video games in packs so, Jordan is happy.

I Miss Iqaluit.

2010-03-19T21:24:00.004-04:00

All bets were on us never coming back.

I've been looking at St Patty's Day pictures from the pub and pictures that our new roomate (Brian, Steph's Brother) has sent and it has made us miss home. I know technically we "are home" but, our new home is Iqaluit and it's where we wish we were.

We took a trip back to Ontario, then Florida, then Vegas for a plethora of reasons. We're on the home stretch of our vacation and we can't wait to get back.

Sure, the Coffee is better and the prices are cheaper but, I'll take expesive dinners over traffic-jams and noisey roads anyday. I know it's hard to believe that a place so cold could feel so warm but, it's the truth.

Southerners!

2010-03-01T12:58:00.002-05:00

I'm sure there's a diagnosis for this but, after you're up here a while, you can start to notice the people who aren't or haven't been for very long. Their questions seem silly and there tendencies make you smile. They all expect to have the conveniences they had at home and when the luxuries aren't found, they either chuckle in disbelief or throw a fit.

"What do you mean there's no beer store?"

I choose to criticise this issue publicly because when we chose to move up here we did our homework. If I was still in Ontario and was planning a week-long trip up here, I'd still do the same research and tap the same resources because the area is so remote and the way of life is so different. More over, the people that usually ask the most ridiculous questions are the people who have an incredible amount of clout; policemen and women, lawyers, doctors, GN workers, biologists . . . the list goes on.

"I didn't think it was going to be THIS cold..."

Coincidentally, we're about to return home for the first time since we arrived. I'm curious to see how much of a shock the "south" is for us. Believe me, I have a list of things that I have to do when I'm home and yes, a lot of them include some pretty immaterial things but, I'm wondering how we'll feel about it all. Will we miss the conveniences or have we come to love our new way of life?

I write this today feeling somewhat like a hypocrite. I don't mean to put my nose up or to knock anyone because it does take living up here to really grasp the way things are up here. Working in the hospitality industry up here gives me a clear insight to some people's niavety and ignorance but, I don't fully blame them. It just amazes me to see how some people are so knowledgable and others are completely oblivious. Between the YouTube Videos and the Northern Blogging community, there isn't a stone left unturned.

At the bar I continually tell travelers, hotel guests, and passer-bys that our blogs are the "go-to" resource guides to traveling to and from the Nunavut communities. During the G7 a lot of questions were thrown my way. I offered the same answer whether the person was German, American, British or Canadian:

"Google: 'Northern Nunavut Blog' . . . find one, and search them all."

LIVE @ THE ELKS

2010-02-13T11:53:00.002-05:00

. . . tonight!

My friend KYLE and I are playing at the ELKS LODGE tonight.

It's NOT just for members, it's a ticketed event. If you feel like you want to come out and check us out, feel free to drop me a line however you can and I'd be happy to sell you a ticket.

The whole thing starts around 9.

Thanks in advance!

IQALUIT HELPS HAITI: MARCH 6th

2010-02-11T16:43:00.000-05:00

Mark it down on your calendars.

I'm going with MARCH 6th as the new date for the "Aid Through Arts" benefit. The artists are all re-aligned and still eager to help.

It'll be the same format, same places, for the same cause.

Let's start spreading the word again.

Thank you

Blizzard.

2010-02-03T11:09:00.000-05:00

We got two warnings in 2 days but some people who have been here a lot longer than us said that the past few days haven't been anything compared to what we're in store for this coming February and March; The Blizzard Season.

Video to come soon.

Oscar '10

2010-02-02T15:11:00.011-05:00

I love how Townie did his predictions and I'm astounded at how accurate he was. Simply great insight TB!

Around here we love the Oscars. The Grammy's are usually tedious and irrelevant while the Golden Globes are always entertaining (add booze and you get atmosphere!) but the Oscars are always the most prestigious of them all. It's even better this year since they've added the Best Picture Top Ten idea. It's a shame they didn't do it for the rest of the categories as well. Sure it would add another hour on to the 3 hour plus show but, you'd have a lot more performances to pick from. Don't tell me you didn't think Paul Rudd was GENIUS in his role as Peter Claven from "I Love You, Man"...

Either way, the race has begun; the nominations are out. TB already picked the nominees and while his 70% rating on guesses remains a force to be reckoned with, I myself have had pretty great success at picking the winners. Oh, and since TB hasn't seen Hurt Locker, I think this puts me in a very interesting position! There are also long-shot/"Man I Wish" winners that I selfishly would love to see win so, I'm going to include them in each category as well!

Best Picture: I have to pick two movies . . .sorry.
THE HURT LOCKER

The movie is just so good. It's small, it's intimate, and it's stunning. It's in the quality of each scene, not the quantity or scale of the visuals. I'm seeing AVATAR finally tonight and I'm sure it's great. But this level works and succeeds on every level that the big, visually amazing movies don't.

UP

Disney is due. Up was an achievement. Do you remember when you saw "Wall-E" and thought "Wow, this could win Best Picture, it's so good.". "Up" was even better. I think it has a better change than every other movie besides "The Hurt Locker". I cried, laughed, and hugged the first person I saw after watching it for the first time . . . and then all 5 times after.

LONGSHOT-I-WISH:
District 9
Inglorious Basterds

Actor in a leading Role:
MORGAN FREEMAN

I'm so excited for this category I could die. There were some performances this year that I couldn't believe but, the one thing that makes this category so intense is that most of the nominations were in films that only received small releases. "Crazy Heart" is just picking up hype after Jeff Bridges' and T-Bone Burnett's win at the Golden Globes and next to no-one has seen "A Single Man" (less than $5 million in N.A. Sales) yet, there's been buzz about Colin Firth's portrayal of George Falconer since Cannes and T.I.F.F. of last year. Add Jeremy Renner's "Hurt Locker" performance to the list and you have 3 out of 5 nominees that come from movies that weren't commercially received. Very Interesting. I'm can only speculate on performances I've seen so, I have to go with Freeman.

LONGSHOT-I-WISH:
Jeremy Renner "The Hurt Locker"
Jeff Bridges "Crazy Heart" (GO MUSICIANS!!)

Actress in a lead role:
SANDRA BULLOCK

I actually just talked to TB on the phone and he said something perfect for this years category. "Hollywood loves Sandra Bullock and this was her 'Erin Brokovich'". "The Last Station" was a movie that screened well but, wasn't seen by many. "The Blind Side" has the commercial appeal this category needs this year. I'm watching "An Education" tonight maybe so, I might change my tune come morning.

LONGSHOT-I-WISH:
Meryl Streep "Julie & Julia"

Actor in a Supporting Role:
CHRISTOPHER WALTZ

No question. No competition. No other possibility.

LONGSHOT-I-WISH:
None . . . WALTZ ALL THE WAY. He was as good as Javier Bardem in "No Country For Old Men"
WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Actress In a Supporting Role:
MO"NIQUE

. . . I don't think I've seen such an intense and raw performance in all my life.

LONGSHOT-I-WISH:
Vera Farmiga "Up In The Air"
Maggie Gyllenhall "Crazy Heart" (Because we're in love with her!)

Best Animated Picture:
UP

As far as I'm concerned, there was only one animated movie worth seeing and it's this one.

LONGSHOT-I-WISH: None

Directing:
THE HURT LOCKER

There isn't a better directed movie this year. It's a masterpiece. Since Bigelow's already won the Producers Guild Award and the Directors Guild Award, she's a shoe in. It would be foolish for anyone to think that Hurt Locker won't win for Best Director. I'll even go on record and tell you that if anything else wins, I may never watch the Oscars again.

LONGSHOT-I-WISH:
Quentin Tarantino "Inglorious Basterds" (for everything he's ever done with and for film and filmmakers)

Iqaluit Helps Haiti: Cancelled

2010-01-31T16:50:00.002-05:00

. . . it's hard to raise funds in a blizzard.

Unfortunately I had to cancel. The weather was dangerously bad and there were a lot of people giving up their time to help and I worried about their safety. We were all set and ready to go ahead with the plans but, it just wouldn't have been worth the risk. I will re-schedule as soon as I can but, keep in mind that there is a lot coming up so I don't know when exactly would be a great day however, the drawing board is up and we'll know more later.

You can always donate . . .anytime . . . just go to Redcross.ca for all the information you need.

Thanks for everyone's support and the great press we received from everyone in town. It was heartbreaking to post-pone with all the work that went into it this week but, you can't do anything about the weather.

Iqaluit Helps Haiti: Update 3

2010-01-28T18:10:00.006-05:00

The Line-up is set up.. . the venues are excited . . . the town is buzzin' . . . it's all happening.

I'm proud of this....

Check out the CBC news page and article

......they wrote about the benefit. They're also playing clips of the interview on CBC AM radio 1230

Check out our poster:

Steph was the main designer!

Iqaluit Helps Haiti: Update 2

2010-01-25T12:32:00.006-05:00

This post will get updated all day . . .

The Date is 100% this Saturday (January 30th).

Locations:

The Elks Lodge
The Kickin Caribou./ Waters' Edge
The Royal Canadian Legion

Tentative Times: 5pm - 10;45pm (Waters' Edge)
7pm - 1am. (The Elks Lodge)

Rotating entertainment, both local and traditional. Each venue will have at least 6 different artists.
----------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE
. ..still no word from the ever-so-communal Raven Rock!!

CBC IS ON BOARD!

Karen MacKenzie is a goddess.

----------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE

Just finished an interview with CBC (am 1230). What a class act the interviewer was . . . incredibly supportive, fun and genuine.

_ ----------------------------------------------------------------

Iqaluit Helps Haiti : Update 1

2010-01-24T08:48:00.002-05:00

It took a LOT of negotiating and a lot of compromise but, what seemed like an impossible task just became a solid reality.

For the first time in years 3 competitors of Iqaluit's Bar industry have agreed to work together. For those of you from town, you know how the bars here can be stubborn when it comes to being forthcoming to the other bars. The judgements and prior conflicts have all been pushed aside for a demonstration of unity.

January 30th 2010 . . that's this Saturday. The Waters' Edge/Kickin' Caribou, The Elks Lodge and the Royal Canadian Legion will work together to help raise funds for the struggles in Haiti. I've contacted the Canadian Red Cross and have set up arrangements to work along side them for this event. Every single donation made right down to the last penny will be donated directly to the Red Cross.

All 3 venues will be hosting Iqaluit's finest arts performers of every kind. Each location will begin opening their doors for this event at 5pm. I've chosen to not sell admission tickets, but instead sell prize tickets at the events. 2 of the 3 venues are members-sign in but, that doesn't mean the general public can't be a part of the events. Members of both venues have offered up their "Sign-Ins" to anyone willing to come out and participate.

Tomorrow you'll see posters, and you'll see donation bins, and you'll be a little bit overwhelmed by the display of advertisements but, it's only a way to try and encourage the people to come help out and join in. There isn't a goal we need to reach and I'm more than aware that people and places have already contributed but, it's quintessential that the giving and the care surpass the T.V. showcases and CNN red alerts. Just because the weekend is over doesn't mean that the struggle in Haiti is as well.

Canada has raised more than 67 million dollars already which was matched by the government. Let's contribute more to that already impressive number and put our own northern stamp on the funds headed south.

Thanks everyone. Big Update tomorrow. . . . talk to you then

Iqaluit Helps Haiti

2010-01-22T13:23:00.002-05:00

. . .that's what I want to do.

I've pulled my hair out trying to round up the many events/benefits/fundraisers that are going on plus, organizing one myself. I'm currently planning an "Aid through our Arts" event featuring Iqaluit's finest musicians, singers, artists, poets, dancers, ANYBODY artistic.

I could really use the help of the greatest blogging community alive. In the minutes,hours, and days to follow, I'll be posting different pieces of this event as it comes together. If you could help me in the following 3 ways, it would do so much to help my efforts:

1) Do you want to participate? Musically . . . artistically? Let me know.
Do you know someone who would want to participate musically . . .artistically?
Do you have the contacts for people, organizations, clubs, or people who would like to participate?

2) Do you know of an event that's going on? . . .this would help me rope us all together because it seems as though we are all trying to help individually . . . plus, this way I don't double book.

3) BUZZ . . . please help the pulse of this by generating buzz. Obviously you'll have more to tell as I get calls back and confirmation but, the more buzz I have, the more money we'll raise.

So far this is what we/I have:

3 Venue Event . . . Circulating Artists of every kind . . . all proceeds going to Red Cross and a local Haitian family here in Iqaluit who've been directly affected by the events in Haiti . . .12 hours of entertainment . . . on A Saturday as early as the 30th. . . Musicians confirmed . . . Venues confirmed . . .

Now I want to fill in every space with all the great things Iqaluit has to offer. Visual Arts, music, people, stories, writings, findings, carvings, everything . . .

Now, if Raven Rock gets around to e-mailing me back . . . we'd have a large scale medium to broadcast this from.

Wish me luck . . . and thanks for your time.

Iqaluit Help Haiti

2010-01-22T13:19:00.000-05:00

9:13am: Red Cross reached. Calling back.

10:22am: Waters' Edge/Kickin Caribou first to grant permission, happy to help.

10:45am: Raven Rock unreachable by phone, detailed e-mail sent.

10:51am: Message left with Elks Lodge

11:04am: 2 artists confirmed.

11:23am: Red Cross returns call, happy with arrangements. Emblem and logo permission pending.

11:42am: 3 artists confirm.

12:01pm: Does anyone know how to reach the Throat Singing offices?

12:07pm: Royal Canadian Legion interested in event, however are booked for the 30th.

12:28pm: Meeting with Elks Lodge set for Sunday at 3:30pm

12:32pm: Lekan (local DJ and Nova employee) eagerly offers his graphic design assistance

12:46pm: Legion has cleared the evening, second to join.

1:17pm: Elks agrees, Trian is formed!

50 Below Zero

2010-01-18T09:34:00.004-05:00

. . . No joke.

If there is anything I'll take from our experience up here it's that I stood the test of the coldest temperature I've ever faced and smiled. Yesterday it reached a low of -52 according to Environment Canada and although I had slight frost bite on my cheeks and a beard full of icicles, my face was a happy one as it defrosted.

It's just incredible. Winds that pull and push you around, visibility of no more than 10 feet. I loved it. I know I sound crazy but, since the weather has become worse, I've actually walked around town a lot more. I was actually disappointed in myself when I forgot to bring my cameras with me on my excursion to work yesterday. Of all the things we've captured on film, that was one I wish I had been able to post. I've learned my lesson however . . . camera with me at all times!

The downside to the cold (one of many) is that it's become Pipe Bursting season. Many have fallen and succumb to the heavy flow of water and the pricey cost of Iqaluit plumbers. . . our building included.

You know, to be honest, I used to complain about the cold all the time in Ontario but, never did I ever imagine seeing and experiencing temperatures like this. People freeze to death in this weather . . . skin gets frost bite in a matter of minutes, if not seconds . . . there is no "Brrrrrr!" there's only "GOOD GOD!".

But even still, this town is beautiful. Slush and salt isn't anywhere to be found on the roads and the snow stays an epic white colour. Everything is maginificently winterized and warmly covered in snow. It may be cold but, this town warms my life up. I really couldn't be happier anywhere else in the world. People said "the charms wears off after a while; give it a few months" but they were wrong. I work in a place where you sometimes see the worst side of Iqaluit but, maybe that's why the better side looks that much better.

Pictures coming soon . . .

Happy New Year everybody.

. . . Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2009-12-27T02:48:00.001-05:00

Ice Out.

2009-12-20T20:05:00.002-05:00

The entire city is iced over.

We've had a massive rise in temperature lately, and when I say massive I mean: it went from -13 to +3 in 18 hours. Add permafrost to that and you are looking at a town under ice. Behind our building is a legitimate threat to your safety it's so badly iced over. It's on a slight tilt so even the cars stopping or parking are sliding diagonally going through. You could skate to where ever you needed to go, in fact, if I had-me some skates, I'da done it!

Steph keeps bribing me with hundreds of dollars to open her gifts early but I keep my firm stance on not opening up anything, not even a card before Christmas Eve at the earliest. For the family and friends reading this, feel free to comment and instruct her to quit this diligent shenanigans. I could use the help.

The "Home-sickness" has lessened a bit as friends from home have started calling us for the holidays. It's funny how better you feel hearing a familiar voice or hearing about stories of home. At the same time, some of our new friends from here have started their trek towards home for the holiday which makes us both jealous and sad. Jealous because they'll find High-Speed Internet and Tim Horton's this Christmas, and we . . . will not. It makes us sad because, we are finally finding the free time we wish we had these past months and want to spend it with them. Either way . . . safe travels to them.

Oh, before we go . . . we'd just like to take a minute and laugh (mockingly) at our former home province of Ontario. May we just illustrate that you have been smiling arrogantly at us ever since we landed and bragging about how much better and warmer the weather is there. Perhaps you should compare the weather between us over the coming Holiday and this past week . . .

... thought so!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

'Tis the Season.

2009-12-19T07:25:00.001-05:00

Staff Party . . . ouch!

Weather . . . ouch!

Work Hours . . . ouch!

Bank Account . . . ouch!

We've never been so busy and so tired in all our lives . . . maybe. The Holiday season is ripe with events, moves, parties, plans, meetings, greetings, snow and cold. By the time Saturday arrived, we were out of gas. On a night where energy and ambition would've been useful, we were almost at wits end by the time I finished work and got home. We weren't able to join any of our online (and now offline!) friends in the plethora of endeavours they were up to on Saturday. We opted for one of the quietest dinners of our lives and the earliest bedtime seen by anybody in their twenties on a weekend in recent history.

Trips to the post office are becoming adventures. Thank you so much to all the members of both our families who have taken the time to send us gifts. I hate to brag but, I think we have more gifts under our tree than the tree has branches! WE LOVE IT. Oh, and while we're on the topic of family gifts, Julia . . . why are the cats trying to eat the gift you got them?! Sending gifts have been just as exciting as getting them . . . we hope that everyone likes their gifts this year. It's been really important for us to share our experiences up here the best we can so, Christmas was a great platform to keep that tradition bright.

This Holiday is going to be really different for the both of us. Homesickness keeps bouncing back and forth between us. Days where we both work are easier but, then we just end up missing each other so, really, we're living a life of constantly missing people these days.

When talking about our families and what we miss over the holidays, we've discovered that we both have very different family traditions when it comes to Christmas. It made us wonder what everyones qwirky or random family traditions are. So, why not open it up for everyone to talk about.

What is your favourite Christmas tradition?

Townie Bastards New Base

2009-12-18T07:02:00.000-05:00

Mr & Mrs Bastard,

We here at the old Northern Bloggin hub will miss you very much. Our adjustment both in Iqaluit and in this apartment would not have been possible without the both of you. You two are pillars in this community and have been nothing short of kind, compassionate and understanding towards us with every part of our stay here so far. Having you as neighbours will be something we both miss and well look forward to stealing all your DVD's and invading your dinner table from a greater distance now.

We are deeply sorry we missed the house warming but, we can assure you that we'll be by sooner than later to help break in the new turf. We hope the both of you as well as Boo have a great transition and find happiness in your new surroundings.

Your neighbours always,
Jordan and Steph.

The Tara and Sarah Show

2009-12-17T06:34:00.003-05:00

It's not that I'm against getting "blogged", my only observation was that it catches you off guard sometimes. It was one thing to set up a dinner with a few blog friends and meet them in person; it's been another to become really good friends with them. But, last week an encounter of a third kind presented itself and much to my amusement, it turned out to be a great one.

Pang-Bound Tara and Newbie-Sarah pop'd their heads round my place of work on Friday and after much apologising on my behalf (another story in itself), it seemed as though our offline meeting quickly became a good one. Tara and I sort of discovered who we were randomly while she enjoyed her (I will assume "much meeded") Keith's & Wings and Sarah quickly joined her after. The two of them as well as a few friends helped what looked to be a slow night for me behind the bar.

If there's one thing I've learned about The Northern Blogging world, it's that every single person you meet in person are just warm, fun, and great in person as they are on their blogs. Tara and Sarah are testaments to that. Tara, who didn't even know who I was at first, still came off as a really great stranger and costumer. 5 Keiths, 12 Wings and an introduction later, she was still the same person. Sarah and I got off on the wrong foot in a first few meetings but, it took no time at all for us to hit a stride of sorts. Just like the other bloggers we've met up here, these two are great fun and I was happy to be a small part in their great visit.

We're really sorry we didn't make it to the Legion and it looks like we missed a legendary night but, we'll eagerly wait for the detailed posts from both of you. Oh, and we were witness to the great "head pieces" worn proudly by our fellow bloggers during their nice dinner at the Frob! They wore them all night.

It was sincerely great to meet you Tara . . . and you again Sarah! (Sorry . . again)

...and a very Merry Christmas.

2009-12-16T02:28:00.000-05:00

Dear Guelph Reader,

2009-12-06T11:47:00.002-05:00

Every so often I see someone from Guelph, Ontario pass by our site. Everytime I see that, it reminds me of how much I miss home and some people who live in Guelph. So, I'm wondering if our Guelph reader could make an appearance at McCabe's (Downtown Guelph) and tell every single person working that "Jordan Wishes Them a Merry Christmas and misses them" . .. ask for Alicia!

I played there every Thursday . . . some of my favourite musical experiences. . .

Nuna-Video: Christmas in Iqaluit

2009-12-02T09:52:00.001-05:00

Holiday Shopping

2009-11-30T10:36:00.001-05:00

We've had the convenience of having malls both big and small at our leisure each and every holiday season until this one. It amazes me how long I've spent "Online Shopping" this week. Remember when you used to plan a group outing to the mall. You and a handful of friends, White Hot Chocolates, crossing off items on your list, and of course, complaining about all the people you want to buy for who probably won't buy for you . . . Those were the days. . .

You'll find that this isn't so much the time of season to be jolly, rather, tis' the season to keep a watchful eye on your AeroPlan miles!

How we forgot to mention this, I'm not sure but, if you're planning on coming up here and are reading this as an early survival guide, stop what you are doing and sign up for a CIBC AEROPLAN VISA. AeroPlan points are like blood diamonds around here. Any who travels or shops up here uses their card religiously. When a stores Credit/Debit machine goes down, there is usually a herd of angry humans waving pitchforks and torches in disgust. Seriously though, take advantage of the rewards. Most Aeroplan cards give you a dollar-point ratio of 1:1 on everything you buy while some can offer you even more. I don't work for CIBC or anything, but, seeing as how I must swipe 100 of them a week from people all over, it's just the right thing to do. But if CIBC is reading this and wants to give me an AEROPLAN card with no limits that I never have to pay for...click on the comment link and we'll get the ball rollin'!

In keeping with the topic of shopping, so far we haven't hit any major delays with shipping. Steph's gifts arrived in under 2 weeks and today I finally ordered everything so, we'll keep you posted. For the most part, everything takes a week or 2. I'd love to be more articulate but I just can't. I've seen things take days and I've seen things take weeks; it's all a matter of how fast the product goes out and where it leaves from, just like anywhere else.

We've decided to label November 30th "D-Day" for ordering anything in hopes to have it for before Christmas. We're playing it safe. We also had our Tree up on the 8th of November so, maybe we're in a little bit of a rush!

Carvings, Carvings, Carvings . . . it seems that everyone I talk to from "down south" wants a carving. It's a great idea but, economically, it may not be. Big carvings are heavy . . . heavy weight=heavy freight . . . heavy freight= $$$. The local art is amazing and makes for beautiful gifts but just be careful and be mindful of shipping costs.

Is it just me or does being up north make you feel like this will be the best Christmas ever? Between the glorious white snow that surrounds us and the crisp smell of winter that's filled my lungs since October, it feels like Christmas is more alive this year. Oh wait, maybe it's because we're closer to the North Pole.

Mom, send my Santa Suit!

December tomorrow . . .Let the Countdown Begin!

The Grey Cup

2009-11-30T08:39:00.002-05:00

I'm not going to write about the game or remind you how great it was.

Last night was a turning point for me in this journey so far. That warm feeling that everything has come full-circle set in after those Field Goals and last night Iqaluit finally,really felt like home.

Work hosted a special Grey Cup event which we diligently sold tickets for and eventually sold-out. A lot of our regulars and some friends of staff ate up all the tickets and excitedly showed up last night wearing Alouettes Blue and Saskatchewan Green. The cooks spent all of yesterday and the day previous cooking a "TailGate Meal" which ended up being above and beyond what any of us expected. We did a Pool, we sold drinks, we ate, we cheered . . . and all 63 people including the staff were all a part of something special. We were a community; a large group of people from all over Canada. Newfoundland, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick . . .everywhere.

In the dying seconds of the game, the whole bar stood on its feet. The cooks were out of the kitchen, the bar-staff stood behind them. The customers gripped their hats, bit their nails and some even covered their eyes. When Montreal stole the game from the Roughriders in a second attempt at a Field Goal, the walls shook with cheers and sighs alike. And just like the crowd at the game, we all couldn't help but collectively clap our hands and smile because we had been a part of something so uniting and so communal that you didn't care if your team won or not, you just cared that you were there.

It made me miss my good friends from home. I wondered what they were doing or where they were when the game ended. But as I looked around at all the faces in the bar, they suddenly changed from "new" to "familiar" as if a sun had risen on them. Finally, as we were cleaning and stocking, the last group packed up and headed out, they exited by telling us this: "Thanks you guys, I'll remember tonight as one of the greats...see you tomorrow"

What a game . . .what a night . . . what a trip this has already been.

Your Favourite Song

2009-11-28T04:01:00.000-05:00

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG RIGHT NOW??????

Since get a decent flow of traffic that flows through our blog and since I'm actually obsessed with music, I tought it would be an interesting idea to flag you all down and ask you to leave a comment telling me your favourite song RIGHT now. I know my friends and family read it this too so, don't be shy. Join in

It can be a guilty pleasure, something you can't get out of your head, or a classic the pub band closed their set with last night . . doesn't matter. Hell, i'll even allow versions of Christmas Carols.... I only have 3 rules:

1) no "I've Got A Feeling"
2) I need Song-Title and Band
3) ONE SONG ONLY . . . there can be only one!

I'm going to throw any and every contribution on my iTunes and happily listen to them all, I love new music. Good music is good music, I don't care what style it is . . .

Fire at will!

-36

2009-11-27T10:02:00.001-05:00

...that's how cold it was today.

On the day where I shouted from a platform that I would no longer be using the $6 a day convenience of Taxi's, Mother Nature threw me a curveball. So, another $12 gone!

It was honestly so cold today that you couldn't stand outside with skin exposed for more than 10 minutes. Now, we've heard of horror stories that involve 30-second frost bite and winds that blow so cold and so fast that the gloss on your eyes freezes them open but, rest assured, we're not at that stage yet.

I take comfort in the fact that some of the local people, who have come to be my friends, laugh at my amazement with all we discover. To them it's just another day in the place they've called home for years. To me, it's all a revelation. They brushed off today's weather with a mere "...just you wait until January...". Troopers.

It's making me wonder if we'll really be able to handle this cold. I know we're equipped but, are we prepared?

It's a dryer cold than we've grown up with. At home (home being Ontario), -20 will actually make you feel like Hell is freezing over. Up here, it's cold . . really really cold . . . but how it feels cold is different. I can never explain things properly and I'm not scientist so, all I can tell you is that my bones don't ever feel cold. Does that make sense? My face gets dry, red, and cold but, my core isn't shivering underneath my hoodies and jackets. Follow?

I'm going to get way ahead of myself and say that for anyone in Southern Ontario, or out West, your -10's and 20's feel a lot colder, even though they aren't. Damp = colder. So, although it's really alarming to see numbers up here like -23 and -36, it's not like we're frozen-in and are huddled around a Garbage Can Fire praying for sunlight. It's livable and functional. So, to anyone worried about the weather up here . . . so far, so good.

I think it's appropriate to once again press the issue of intelligent preparation. We read every possible blog post and every possible piece of safety information possible in preparing for our trip. It may have cost A LOT more than I first thought but, every penny has been worth it. Some people will tell you that you don't need a "Canada Goose" or "Baffin" style of Arctic-wear. There is no right or wrong answer. Put it this way: Just get it. It's pricey, it's big, it's overkill but, your asses are covered.

The old saying "it's better to be safe that sorry" applies perfectly here. YES, you can find cheaper jackets that will get you through winter; same with boots. But these products are built to be "All or Nothing" kinds of gear. In -36 windy weather, I can throw on just my jacket over a Golf-T-Shirt and be perfectly warm, and I could probably wear my boots without socks. They're just that good.

Now, on the flip-side. . . I haven't worn my boots yet. I haven't needed to. The snow isn't high and the winds haven't been all that crazy just yet. With my new ambition to quit cabs however, I'm sure a daily regiment of boot wearing will begin in the days to come.

Oh, and Operation: Celebrity is still a "Go"!

Stay Warm Everyone.

Nuna-video: Part Four

2009-11-26T09:42:00.001-05:00

Project: Celebrity

2009-11-25T23:49:00.001-05:00

Steph will tell you that (at times) I'm the world's most naive person. Steph's also an avid People.Com and PerezHilton.com reader. So, the lives of celebrities alike are something we often talk about. Naturally, the duty of a bartender is to engage in somewhat interesting conversation with your patrons. It got brought up today at work that celebrities are completely unapproachable and think they're above the rest of the world. I'll admit that everyone is entitled to their opinion but, I hate generalizations sometimes, especially when they aren't justified. Steph will also tell you that I sometimes go out of my way to prove points and also have the reputation of using dramatics as well!

Let the record show that this all started when the topic of Oprah was greeted by a patron with a response of "Good, it's about time."

To keep things fair, I'm going to leave the patron's name out of these accounts. Not their quotes though...Here are a few of my favourites.

"...they don't even know how the rest of the world sees them. They just get told their cool..."

"Probably never graduated high school."

"Pay people to like them"

"wouldn't lend somebody the time" . . I think he or she meant "give"

So then there was a back-and-forth debate on individual celebrities and stories that prove both opinions. Then I brought up "Ellen" . . .who in my opinion is the greatest thing on television. She's genuine and fun, giving and generous. She's just great. And what was said by my opponent was "She only gives to people when other people are watching. Just like Oprah . . . just like any other celebrity, big or small, it's all for ratings or for their own benefit."

I've decided to test that theory. I'm going to find mailing information to any and every celebrity I can think of. I'm going to make a list, check it twice, and we'll see who's agencies or which celebrity is naughty or nice.

Geez, I should start a new blog just about this . . . I'm not going to though.

I'm going to ask for an autographed picture and nothing more. The postage will be fair trade and when I request this photo, I'll simply state that I'm a huge fan and am in an area that prohibits me from ever getting the opportunity to get an autograph myself. When or if I receive anything, I'll promptly bring it into the pub and show my fellow regular! In a perfect world, I'll get a picture from everyone and rub his or her face in all my findings. I just find unnecessary criticism annoying and one of my biggest pet-peeves are people who label, judge, and preach without rhyme or reason. Everyone is an individual and deserves to be without prejudice . . . celebrities included.

I'm calling it: "Project: Celebrity"

Hell . . .maybe I'll start with Ellen.

Dear Toronto Townie!

2009-11-24T11:31:00.000-05:00

THIS is such a fun read.

It's amazing to read such an amazing account of our city!

It seems like forever since we've been there and to hear someone like TB talk about the transit and the chaos that Toronto can be, only reminded us of how badly we need a Toronto fix. If we weren't so busy the past week, we would've taken the time to list off some great places to visit for our Blog-Hero. However, since he is a diligent writer and reader of all things Northern Blogging . . .and since we now have the Internationally Recognized, soon to be rewarded, crown-achieving, HUB of Blogging . . . We've thought of a little last minute list for Townie and Co. to try and fit in to their visit. Feel free to add via comment . . .

- GRAZIE. The greatest Toronto restaurant in our opinion. Head to YONGE AND EGLINTON . . head north, green sign!

- SILVER SNAIL - T.B. . . .I know you love comics and all things comic related. THIS is your one stop shop! 367 Queen St. W.

- THE IRISH EMBASSY. Maybe the greatest T.O. pub . . . Amazing food . . . amazing Guiness.

- SOMA - Chocolatemaker. For a cup of the best Hot Chocolate known to man.

Grab some fresh Tim Hortons . . . Use High Speed Internet . . . get a "PINT" of Beer!

And just a note to the transit. If you get on, there are maps everywhere. Sure, it's flooded with people but, give it time . . . it'll come easy. Cab drivers are RIDICULOUS . . . don't even bother.

Toronto . . . we miss you!

The Sun Sets Around 3:00pm

2009-11-23T02:40:00.001-05:00

. . .it's a fact.

I've decided to make this blog more of a regiment. I doubt I'll be able to write everyday but, I think one or two posts every 2 weeks is pretty lazy. I've written before about the lack of inspiration at times but, I think that phase has passed. Tonight I was blinded by snow and I felt inspired by it.

How do I paint a picture of what it's like here in November?

It is always cold. I was early on the "Canada Goose Jacket" sporting but I'm chalking it up as a Pre-Season activity. We wear our jackets everywhere we go. You have too. There have been days where any bare skin exposed hurt within seconds. Maybe we're both still suffering from being Southerners but, the cold up here is very dry and it hits your skin first. In Ontario, you felt the cold in your bones first then you dealt with your skin. The night that was coldest so far, was the 9th. The night of the Olympic Torch relay. Which (by the way) I was an alternate for! I also arranged for the torch to be brought into the pub and most of the evening staff as well as some of our regulars got their picture taken with it. I'll post it when I scan it!

Check this slogan out for my next paragraph:

"The snow is so white, they might as well call it Dana!"

The snow is a majestic and beautiful white. When it falls it's graceful and when it sits it is peaceful. There isn't any slush or grimey snow. Since you don't have a lot of pavement and Zero curbs, you don't have that sludge build up everywhere you look. The perma-frost makes for a very slippery ground but, the walk around town is visually stunning. You look into the distance and see the hills and small mountains all covered in snow. It truly is a blanket of snow.

We've been keeping warm and staying in a lot these days. Home-cooked meals are becoming more and more frequent and hoodies are a household favourite. The cats have become really really animated. Penny seems to like to be in the kitchen with us and we've developped somewhat of a theme song for her. We've taken the "I've Got a Feeling" line from that song a few people have heard the odd time on the radio, and replaced it with "Cookin' with Penny". Much to our amusement, the "Ewwww-Ewwww" that follows in the song, Penny sings . . .with a Meow. Follow by a somersault . . (if you know Penny, you'd understand better)

All is well and all is warm.

Happy Remembrance Day Everyone

2009-11-11T10:00:00.003-05:00

To those who get paid for their day off . . .

To those who have to work and get paid double . . .

To those who have relatives who fought bravely so that we have this great country to live in. . .

To any and all Canadians, Happy Remembrance Day

Getting "Blogged"

2009-11-10T14:59:00.000-05:00

We were warned.

So, when you have a blog, especially one with you mug plastered in the left-hand column, you may get recognized in the "real world". When you're a part of a community like the Northern Bloggers, you automatically become a part of the incredibly resourceful group of people who have shared with the rest of the world their struggles, findings, journeys and insights into a world not many see. So, needless to say, if you blog, you're gonna get "blogged".

How does one get "blogged"? It's Easy.

When someone stops you and says "Hey, are you Jordan from the Blog?" . . . you've been blogged.

If someone asks your name and you say "Jordan" and they say "Jordan? The Jordan from the blog?" . . . you've been blogged.

If you're in the middle of the busiest lunch rush of your life and you're walking through the bar doors with 4 hot plates (if you're a server, or have ever been, you know how hard that is!) and someone passes by you and says "I love your blog" . . . you've been blogged.

I've been blogged 4 times. Yes, the above 3 and once last night. Last night however, it was an altogether new experience. Without a lenghthy story, let's just say that a wonderfully charming couple from Steph's home town stopped me and thanked the both of us for helping them through their journey to get up here. They told me that some posts helped them decide to make the trip and others were just the information they were looking for. As red-faced and blushing as I was, I really felt something fullfilling. This whole adventure came full circle with a bullet.

We're so glad to have assisted anyone with even the slightest bit of information. We don't write as much as we'd like but, we do make a big effort to provide a somewhat un-bias side to being here and/or getting here.

We wish C.&S., the Whitby Northern Newbies all the best of luck, and to anyone out there who may be on the fence. Get off it and get up here . . . don't hesitate, just diligently prepare. It's an experience like no other and one that you'll regret not trying.

The Astro Theatre

2009-11-09T07:40:00.000-05:00

Does anyone else remember their first movie theatre experience?

I do. Milton had this tiny little 3 screen theatre right beside Highway 25 and the 401. I saw Twister and was afraid of rain for a month, I had my first boy-girl date there, and I remember hating the rebellious teenager who yelled out the surprise ending to Scream 2 as he exited the 7pm show (when I was standing in line for the 9:15)just to peeve everyone off. It had Character. I didn't realise how AMC/SILVERCITY I was until we started frequenting The Astro Theatre here in Iqaluit. It's so small, so unique, so privately run and owned that we can't help but love it. Even my favourite theatre from Toronto, The Varsity, is a bit "corporate". The Astro is 100% independent. As we left the theatre last week, we even saw the actual reel's in their hard cases just shipped up and sitting by the door. We thought "how unique?". It went from Universal Studios (as read the shipping address) right to Iqaluit. Amazing. The cases looked old and rusted but, it had the same character beauty as the theatre did.

Oddly enough, it's actually cheaper to go to the Astro than any movie theatre we've been to in the past 4 years. So, if you're reading this and your fever is breaking due to all our writings about prices, here's your breath of fresh air. MOVIES!

The Astro changes their line-up every week. Movies that don't do well, don't stay. Movies that do, do. "The Informant" lasted 2 days . . . "Jennifers Body": 4 days (much due to Townie Bastard's crushing review!) but G.I. Joe and District 9 had good two or three week runs. The shelf life is completely dependant on how well each movie does.

Lastly, every visit, as you're leaving the theatre, someone who I can only assume is the owner always asks everyone . . .individually, how they liked the movie and follows that up with a "Have a good night". Try finding that at any theatre down south.

Oh yeah . . . and after you've spent more than 60 days in the North, you are legally allowed to refer to anywhere below Nunavut as "Down South"!

So . . . we Curl now!

2009-11-08T23:26:00.000-05:00

Bad Blogger, Jordan, Bad Blogging. First post in two weeks!

In the land of all things "Shelter", we have somewhat hit a stride in our life up here. We're out and about, socializing, making friends, making acquaintances, and now, we're Curling. Not only are we Curling, we LOVE it.

At "Mass Registration" Steph signed us up and since then, we've been pretty excited to start but, never did we ever imagine just how much fun Curling would be. The atmosphere is so welcoming and the instrustors are so insightful and fun. It's something everyone should try once . . . put it up there with Skydiving because believe us, when not careful, you could probably plummet to your death on the Curling Rink!

We can remember reading a lot of Nunavut Newbies blogs on how important it was to be involved in the community. This is so incredibly true. You really DO have a choice. You either waste away your days staying in and complaining that there's nothing to do or, you go out and find the activities, pressing your finger to the pulse, and truly enjoying your time up here. In 2 months we've experienced more than we would in 2 years in Ontario and it's all due to the fact that we read ads, ask questions, and try everything this great city has to offer . . . and it IS a city.

And what would you know, our Townie Bastard is a pro Curler . . .

How I Met Your Mother

2009-10-20T07:38:00.001-04:00

We love . . . This show.

In fact, if there is anyone reading this that doesn't watch this show, it has been decided that you are not living life to its fullest. We've spread the phenomenon to our friends, now it is time to inject the Northern Blogging community with the glory of all that it How I Met Your Mother.

It's a quicker, wittier, more modern "Friends-like" sit-com. It's an easy watch, very light, and comes with a lot of feeling. Neil Patrick Harris plays a womanizing character named Barney Stinson who completely steals the show, every show. He's followed by a great and familiar cast consisting of Alyson Hannigan (Band Camp Girl from American Pie), Jason Segel (Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I Love You, Man), Cobie Smulders and Josh Radnor. Not to mention, Bob Saget Narrates!

How I Met Your Mother is a comedy about Ted (Josh Radnor) and how he fell in love. It all starts when Ted's best friend, Marshall (Jason Segel), drops the bombshell that he's going to propose to his long-time girlfriend, Lily (Alyson Hannigan), a kindergarten teacher. At that moment, Ted realizes that he had better get a move on if he too hopes to find true love. Helping him in his quest is Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), a friend with endless, sometimes outrageous opinions, a penchant for suits and a foolproof way to meet women. When Ted meets Robin (Cobie Smulders), he's sure it's love at first sight, but destiny may have something else in store. The series is narrated through flashbacks from the future.

We're going to put our "Northern Couple Stamp" on this recommendation. The Seasons are available very next to nothing on BestBuy and/or Future Shop. It's a great show to stay warm to! There's also a TON of Canadian References!

Pang Jealousy

2009-10-19T07:16:00.001-04:00

I've just discovered why it is so expensive to fly to Pangnirtung . . . it's just that gorgeous.

Daily, Steph and I read about our blog-friends in Pang' and our minds blown with just how great it is visually. Tara and Sarah have continually posted some unbelievable pictures, especially of the Northern Lights. Since traffic is traffic when it comes to blogs, I suggest that anyone reading this, read theirs.

My Gig!

2009-10-18T07:05:00.001-04:00

Well, it appears I'm due for some shameless self promotion!

For those of you who I don't know very well, I'm a little bit of a musician. A recent cancellation at work has led to my first Northern Gig. It'll be at The Waters Edge Lounge/Kickin' Caribou Pub, Wednesday October 21st at 8pm. I'll be hosting the Open Mic/Jam Night there . . . They told me to spread the word!

Cheers!

Arctic Ventures vs. North Mart

2009-10-17T07:00:00.002-04:00

Dare we?

First thing: We shop equally at both. We don't buy into the "I like this one better" rants we hear. So, put your gloves away for now . . .no judgements here!

These are the two Grocery/Department Stores of Iqaluit. They have your everyday grocery needs like Dairy, Fruits, Vegetables, Meats, Breads, etc etc. Both are generally in the same area and are equally essential in your survival!
The last thing you need to do is try to price shop or pretend one is cheaper. This isn't the south . . . there aren't price wars. There are clearances and sales just like anywhere else, but everything is relative to your individual needs. If you eat a lot of cereal and it's a few dollars cheaper at North Mart, well, obviously you'd find North Mart more appealing. Both have electronic stores, have kitchen and housewares, and both have distinct differences that make for them to be equally important.

We've found that there are pros and cons to each.
_________________________________________________

North Mart:

Definitely the bigger of the two. It's also seems to be a little bit newer. We've found that all produce and meats are much, much more fresh and the expiry dates are a little more trustworthy. It's an easier place to shop and the aisles are more organized in a standard grocery store format so, it's easier to maneuver around. We do our big shops here and find that it's a great one-stop-shop. They have a lot of stock for a lot of items and their frozen meat and fresh produce sections are far superior to that of Arctic Ventures.

They have a clothing section, kids toy section, electronic section, fishing section . . . it's basically the closest thing you'll find to a Wal-Mart in Iqaluit.

They don't have music playing out front . . . we'll get back to that in a moment.

Arctic Ventures:

This is where you will find all things P.C. (Presidents Choice) and a lot of things you won't find at North Mart. This is why there are so many strong opinions on which store is better. Ventures has been here longer and has a lot of local items as well. We found their selection of Kitchen/House wares to be a better quality and a better selection. Ventures has a Source (By Circuit City) . . .North Mart has a tiny electronics section with staff that aren't specialised in the electronics field. The Source has a great manager with a great staff. All the cables, games, phones, batteries and essentials you need and they'll order just about anything in for you. Also . . .they have GUITARS AND GUITAR STRINGS. This is huge for musicians.(Like I said, they have great management)

They have a Video Rental area as well as a gift shop/shoe store/book store on the upper floors. We sent home some very interesting souvenirs for family members and even picked up some much needed new shoes.

Another huge perk is their bakery. They do fresh bread, pies, and other baked goods fresh daily. We've enjoyed these delicacies on a few occasions, in fact, I'm eating a piece of fresh apple pie as I type.

The Ventures Music:
Ventures plays this horrendous, annoying, brutal, torturous, deafening, flat-out makes you want to kill yourself-music in the inner doors of their entrance. It's a preventative measure for loitering but, it is the loudest and most awful sound you've heard in a while. It's hard to explain . . . you just have to hear it for yourself. You don't hear it unless you're near it and YES, they shut it off after they close but, it's amazing how many people walk in with their fingers in their ears, let's just put it that way.

So there you have it . . . every one's got an opinion and each opinion has a preferred store. Like we said, we shop regularly at both and enjoy both equally. They offer a lot of items that are the same and a lot of brands that are the same but, they have different niches. We suggest using them both to their fullest. If you ever have any specific questions for us, don't be afraid to ask.

The Dribble.

2009-10-16T07:27:00.000-04:00

Reading:
Blogs, Blogs, Northern-Northern Blogs!

Hearing: (Songs)
Train - Hey, Soul Sister
Ryan Adams - Desire
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Pheonix (Entire Album; Song on Repeat: Lisztomania)
David Gray - Fugitive
Robbie Williams - Bodies
Muse - The Resistance (Entire Album)
Saosin - On My Own
Thrice - Beggars (Entire Album)
Pearl Jam - Just Breathe

Seeing:
Veronica Mars: Season One (Judge all you want, it's just plain good)
Dexter: Season 4
Californication: Season 3
District 9 (Wow!)
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER: All Seasons
** which reminds me to make a note on just how good Neil Patrick Harris was hosting the Emmy's

Thankful for Thanksgiving

2009-10-13T03:17:00.002-04:00

We would like to full-out say a public wide thank you to our two gracious hosts Sunday; Mr. Townie Bastard and Mrs. Townie Bastard. We drank, we ate, we plotted, we laughed, and most of all we spent hours in great company.

Since we've arrived the two of you have been nothing short of supportive, encouraging, compassionate, friendly, welcoming, and just great people. We've learned more from you these few months than anything or anyone else and we'll forever be in debt to your wonderful hospitality. You both have made this transition to Iqaluit very easy for the both of us and we'll always appreciate it.

Whether it's DVD lending or great meals, we both look forward to a great online and offline friendship with the both of you.

Thank you both again so much.

"Rookie" Blogging!

2009-10-12T00:33:00.005-04:00

I will take full responsibility for the lack of posts. I just work a lot.

I tend to struggle with the way we'd like this to be presented. I love reading the dailys from all the amazing northern bloggers and I envy their discipline, I just don't get as inspired as often. Obviously there was a lot to write about leading up to our arrival here, and now, we're forced into the inevitable crossroad that I imagine most (if not every) first time bloggers. What to write about now?

I always imagined it would be an account of our findings, adventures, discoveries, and time here so, I want to try and do my best to keep up with that. I do apologise for the lack of updates and posts. It's such a great feeling when you hit the ground running and that's what we've both done here. We love our life here in Iqaluit. So, from this moment on, I've decided to give a full out, rant free, detailed blog regarding life here lately in Iqaluit. I still hope our niavety and inexperience will result in some amazing posts . . .so here goes.

There are people who are far better writers than us, and people who are far more experienced when it comes to blogging so, we'll leave the experts to deal with matters of expertise. We'll stick to writing about our rookie moves, mishaps, mistakes, misfortunes, mayhems, memorable moments, methodical plannings, and mostly how much fun things are up here!

So here's to words starting with "M" and to the few of you who read. More to come . . I promise.

Rookies, Out!

Nunavut Must #1

2009-09-29T02:04:00.000-04:00

A Musk-Ox Burger.

Happy Birthday Stephanie.

2009-09-28T13:29:00.006-04:00

Today's your birthday and it's probably the first time you've had a snowy one. . . Since the logistics are so unreliable when it comes to shipping items, I found it hard to get you exactly what I wanted this year so, just so you're completely aware of my good intentions on this momentous occasion, I've decided to list (in picture form) all the things I wasn't able to get you on your birthday this year because of our current address.

But you did get this . . .so . .

. . . since you're not one for materialistic objects I'll just leave you with this:

I love you Stephanie Nadine Laird.

Happy Birthday.

Dear Ontario . . .

2009-09-26T03:13:00.007-04:00

. . . comment . . .nicely. YES, it's still September and back home our old hometowns are getting ready for their "Fall Fair" weekends while we were getting ready for the "Snowfall Warning" (as stated in the bold red headline there). YES, that says "feels like -6" and we did get a foot/ a foot and a half of snow last night.

No, we're not jealous.

The snowfall was magic. You could compare it to being stuck inside a winter globe. It was windy, sure, but it wasn't bone-chilling. The snow just fell lightly and stuck around. Ontario doesn't get snowfalls like this. At home (when the snow falls) you just get ready for the headache of snow shovelling, starting your car early and the traffic that follows. The snow excited everyone around me and that by itself is a major reason why people love it up here so much. Some how we still sweat the small stuff but aren't all that affected by the usual major inconveniences. It's hard to explain really . . . I know that I used to dread the first snowfall but, it felt like an early Christmas last night and the walk home felt more like a treat than a hardship. We love being here.

UPDATE: Here are some pictures of the aftermath.

The Move.

2009-09-21T23:06:00.002-04:00

Thanks so much to everyone who has given us such great feedback on the videos. We'll keep'em coming the best we can.

Here's one that has taken me an unbelievably long time to finish. Enjoy.

The White Stripes Under the Great Northern Lights

2009-09-20T20:53:00.004-04:00

Before we moved up here we'd read a fantastic blog about the White Stripes playing here in Iqaluit. Since arriving, we've researched the event and talked to people that went. A few weeks ago I had the privledge of seeing "Hey Rosetta!" here and it really is a rare and special event when acts make the effort to play here.

The White Stripes documented and filmed their events here in the North and even shot a video for their single "You Don't Know What Love is ...". Jack White has since taken that footage and compiled it into a release do out this fall/winter. At the Toronto International Film Festival he screened the film and held a press conference talking about his experiences in Nunavut. I thought I'd share the video since so many people enjoyed the concert itself.

Here's a link to the Video:

http://www.vvcnetwork.ca/tiff09/20090918/20090918-lights/

Snow.

2009-09-16T05:49:00.005-04:00

We were told it came early.

This was our morning view:

It's + 19 in Milton and my whole family is in Hawaii. Still, there are very few things more beautiful than the first snow fall........ Even Kanye West couldn't take this moment away from me! ba ha ha

(That's right Steph. Current and Funny joke, "Whaddup?")

You can take the girl out of the South . . .

2009-09-14T21:48:00.005-04:00

Yay for my first blog post! Normally it is Jordan's responsibility to update our blog, but lately I've been feeling like I should make an effort to chime in every so often, especially when I want to share a little gem that's so much easier to explain from the first person. Not to mention, I was fortunate enough to be put on call last night - the last shift of my set - and managed to get all the tedious housekeeping and laundry done that normally sucks up my first day off. With Jordan at work while I'm home alone, why not curl up on the couch with my Mac and a cup of tea? Here goes . . .

In keeping with our continued happiness here in Iqaluit and our quest to be involved in our new community, Jordan and I were excited to participate in our first ever Mass Registration this past Saturday. We had already discussed joining the Curling Club to learn the sport, which apparently has quite the following in town, as well as to see what other fun clubs/events we could participate in. Sadly, Jordan was scheduled to work Saturday so I headed over to the Cadet Hall with our new friend and fellow northern blogger Jaime. After a quick pit stop at Jaime's place where I turned green with envy over the size and luxury of her apartment vs. ours, we were ready to wait out the cold as we stood in the long line to get inside.

As a shift worker, my schedule makes it very hard to commit to things because I never have the same days off work. You wouldn't have known it on Saturday. I made short work of the booths, not only signing up for the Curling Club, but also the Badminton Club, Greenhouse Society and registering for a group trying to initiate the Green Bin program here in Iqaluit. For those that aren't familiar, Green Bins are a mandatory composting program in many regions in Ontario and other parts of Canada and aims to reduce the amount of bio-degradable waste headed to the landfills. It takes very little additional effort and has a positive environmental impact. Apparently I am such an obvious supporter of the program, that as I stood at the booth explain it's merits, I was asked to consider joining the Board! So all in all, it was a super fun morning and I'm excited to get involved in my new activities. My apologies to anyone that may have wanted to hang out with me on my days off - I now have none.

On with my story . . .

Following registration, I was high on community spirit and felt like a true Iqalumiuq (disclaimer: I truly have no idea of the proper use of that word and may very well have just made a fool of myself). Jaime and I were headed home in her sweet ride and stumbled upon the Arctic Ventures sealift sale so we popped in to take a look around.

Oh. My. Lord.

The only thought that entered my mind was this: I am a complete phony and have obviously not lived away from Ontario long enough. There is no way I was going to be fooled: $100 for a case of toilet paper is not a sale. Neither was the $89 for 14 boxes of Multi-Grain Cheerios that Jaime and I split on.

If I needed any another proof that I am still obviously a Southern belle, the icing on the cake was when I decided to splurge on the alleged sale price for Diet Coke at $10.99 for a 12 pack. A large sign reading "Case of Pop - $10.99" was placed on the wall, directly adjacent to the pop. So up to the cashier we go, where we were promptly informed that the pop was $12.99. I politely informed the cashier this could not be so, and would another employee please verify the price. I stood there, holding up the line, as the cashier and I waited for the employee to return. A few minutes later, after being called over by the cashier, the employee nonchalantly stated that the pop was in fact $12.99 and it was just an old sign. My suggestion to remove the "old sign" was met with a shoulder shrug. At this point, I was very close to throwing an Ontario tantrum. The only thing stopping me was the fact that I haven't known Jaime that long, and couldn't risk scaring off my new friend when I don't have many others here in town yet. Through clenched teeth, I told the cashier that in fact, I didn't want any pop. And that was that.

There is no way that any store in southern Canada could get away with advertising a price, mistakenly or otherwise, and then refuse to honour it. But here in Iqaluit, that's just how they roll. "It's an old sign" is a perfectly reasonable excuse, and if you want the item, you'll pay whatever they ask at the checkout. I may have refused out of spite, but the only one who suffers is me. Well Jordan too, because he's still stuck with water, milk and the powdered PC Iced Tea mix we hid in our luggage.

I'll give it a few more months before I start throwing out terms like Iqalumiuq and Nunavummiut again. I still need to look them up anyways.

My 9/11

2009-09-11T01:21:00.009-04:00

I'm writing this myself.

I don't deal with death very well. It triggers my anxiety immediately or it sneaks up on me when I least expect it. But I didn't have those anxiety issues until 9/11. I was 17 and it was the first time my mind was opened to the possibility of sudden tragic death. At the time I knew there were murders 20 minutes away in Toronto and Etobicoke, and I read about accidental deaths in local papers involving drunk drivers or truck tires. So, to say I was naive wouldn't be accurate; it was around me all the time. But the events of that September 11th and the images I saw blew open the hatchet in my mind.

I was in my entrepreneurial studies class when my teacher walked in and simply said "I don't know if any of you know this but, the World Trade Centre was struck by a plane this morning". I think a lot of people in the class that morning either didn't know what the WTC was or just weren't awake enough for the information to register because the rest of the class (some 20-odd) seemed unphased. She then said "I'm sure it's nothing to worry too much about. If any of you have family in the area and are deeply concerned, I'm allowing you to leave class at this time". For the next half hour that classroom felt like a prison; no information coming in, no information going out. All of a sudden a herd of people were marching down the hall outside the door and then a knock came. Our principal announced that "New York is on Alert Status Red and I'm suggesting that classes congregate in the Locker Bay. We've received a lot of calls from parents asking for teir kids to be removed from class. So, classes will now be optional with repect to what is going on". Panic control I figured. Some people stayed in the classes, unaffected, continuing on with studying or extra work. I went straight to the locker bay where the T.V. was already dialed in to CNN.

I watched that second plane hit and can picture it like it happened yesterday. I saw every piece of footage on rerun for the next hour and finally chose to go home. Whether you were at work or in class, Milton seemed to leave early from wherever they were that day. I'll never forget the rows of cars in traffic jams on roads that had never seen traffic jams before. People walking everywhere, some even running, all trying to get home. The safety of your own house was the warm blanket everyone needed that morning. To this day, no matter what the occasion or holiday, I've never seen my hometown so flooded.

You'll read a lot about 9/11 today. I chose to write about what I remember because I think it's important to. I don't do it for ratings or because I feel obligated or because it's the trendy thing to do today. I remember because it was something that profoundly changed me. I remember because it was a piece of history I'm sad to have been alive through. I remember because in 40 years, I hope the world doesn't reach lows like that. I've seen the documentaries, I've read the conspiracies, I have my doubts and I have my beliefs. It doesn't matter. What matters is that it happened. It happened and I hope nothing like that ever happens again. Innocent people died unnecessarily and that's the only way I look at it.

My reminiscence is through watching and listening to the footage and remembering how I felt almost a decade ago. NinjaVideo.net has an extensive and amazing collection of appropriate videos on and about 9/11 ranging from Oliver Stone's WORLD TRADE CENTRE to the ever so detailed LOOSE CHANGE.

I personally recommend:

9/11:Phone Calls from the Towers

Also the most accurate portrayal of the events. The Filmmakers Commemerative Edition: 9/11. This is the one that was the accidental documentary of Ladder 1. It's unbelievable. It's in 3 parts but, if you want something that is opinion free and insightful, look no further.

And what I still consider the greatest possible homage to the events that happened that day: THE DAILY SHOW on the September 20th 2001. It's Google-able . . . it's what really confirmed how I felt. 8 years later when I watch it, it still brings me to tears and still comforts me.

In any way you deem fit, remember.

O.I.ART

2009-09-09T21:36:00.004-04:00

Comment if you wish but, this is more of a personal score I need to settle.

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Worldwide Bloggers Day?

2009-09-07T05:57:00.008-04:00

I have so much to talk about.

It's snowing.

For us, the Labour Day weekend is the last cottage weekend of the year. A little chilly but, all in all just the last breath of summer. Tonight I watched a breezy snow fall. Our friend Tara up in Pangnirtung has had her fair share already; I think we got her left-overs. Speaking of left-overs, if anyone has any lasagna making tips for Tara, she's all for them! And speaking of Tara, if any of our Ontario friends want to see exactly what the north has to offer, I suggest you look at the pictures Tara has on her blog recently. Plus, her blog in general is just fantastic.

We've mentioned Townie Bastard before. It appears (like Tara) we have our own little blogging community here in our building. In months to come, I believe you will see an abundance of fun blogging going on. Not to mention an intense Wii competition. . .!

With all the warm blogging community happenings, it got me thinking that maybe it would be great for all of us to meet. I know that the mutual respect is already there and that the random encounters are awkwardly fun but, wouldn't it be great if we could all get together one day and meet eachother. Not like a convention but, just a gathering of great writers over a hot beverage and a lunch. I'd love that.

In an age where we have days to celebrate the brilliant and bold, alike with Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day and even Secretary's Day, why can't we have a BLOG DAY! or BLOGGERS DAY. I wonder if we can all make this movement happen and organize a day where we can celebrate our favourite new fetish and outlet. It started here folks!

I think it should be a Sunday too . . .

Now a quick Public Service Announcement:

Our North.

2009-09-06T10:09:00.005-04:00

Iqaluit thus far, through our eyes.

You Won't Need 15 Coffee Cups

2009-09-06T09:57:00.002-04:00

I feel like we may have overloaded on the “housewares”. Mainly because our apartment is a single bedroom but, shelf space is basic. You’ll have just enough space for the basic two-person items. We actually have 15 coffee cups for 5 living creatures and trust me, the last thing any of the cats need is caffeine (see list of broken materials and objects dating back to 2007 in all apartments lived in by said pets)

When moving here, don’t worry about your favourite dishes and focus mainly on getting your favourite foods up here. Even when you think you’ve brought enough food, just bring more. We hit Costco a few times and looking back on all we have stocked now, I would’ve traded Half my wardrobe and/or 9 mugs to have brought more food. If you think one bag of flour is enough, bring 4. I’m deadly serious. Your cart may look full at the store, but believe me, when you settle in and you’ve seen how much things really are up here, you’ll see. It’s not that we’re on short supply or anything. We just found that during the process of un-loading all our things we were questioning why we brought some things.

The real problem is: You don’t know how big or small your apartment will be until you get here. We’re very happy and comfortable in our quaint comfy space. (which apparently is somewhat of an Iqaluit institution, especially for bloggers!) Looking back, I think we would’ve tweaked our selected items for the 1500lbs we were allowed to ship. . . just a touch!

Finally,
In the beginning the moving company we were assigned didn’t seem all that reliable. We began to feel really worried about our stuff, especially the fragile boxes which we marked very boldly. Don’t judge a book people. I think everyone is worried when they ship such a massive load such a massive distance. Out of the 35 boxes/items/miscellaneous objects we only had two broken items. One plate and one mug (define: irony). It was no fault of the movers . . . it was the decorative stones we packed inside of the box with all the dishes!

Life In Iqaluit

2009-09-01T13:59:00.010-04:00

What is life like here?

I think a few people at home, as well as a few here in the North have been waiting for this post.
I'm no Nunavut expert and I've only been here a little over a week but, here are some of the things we've noticed and some of the great discoveries we've made being here so far. Some things are funny in comparison, others are a real taste of life, either way life up here is different in the best of ways.

I'd like to begin with the most important discovery yet. Steph makes unbelievably good pancakes. Seriously. Since we only brought a few essential and easy to make items with us on our flight, our diets have consisted of Pancakes, Tea, "Presidents Choice White Chedder Macaroni & Cheese", and Honey-nut Cheerios! But Steph is the Gordon Ramsey of pancake making. For 3 years now, I've known her to be a master of 2 dishes: Spaghetti and White Sauce (a Secret Family Recipe), and the aforementioned PC White Cheddar so, you can imagine my surprise when she woke me up asking "Would you like some Apple Cinnamon Pancakes?". At first, I thought she'd picked up some of those ready-to-make Eggo Pancakes. You should've seen my face when I saw her using real ground cinnamon and pieces of diced apple. So there you go, Steph = Pancake Goddess.

Since the first hour we stepped on Nunavut ground, the people here have been incredibly friendly. I think that's one of the most important things everyone needs to know about life up here. People wave at you, they say hello, they stop their cars to let you cross the road even if you aren't at a walkway. I've been working at the pub for a week and I have regulars. People who remember my name, asked to be served by me, bring things in to show me; you name it. I pick up Steph at work when I can and last week I saw her joking with one of her patients on her way out. It made me feel warm and happy. People here are less self-involved and more out-going. It's not a population of hippies of anything, there are still people who keep to themselves. It's just that people here are more trusting at first and seem warmer and more eager to be-friend you and welcome you in.

Talking to people back home has left me with the impression that some people are picturing life up here as a community of Igloo's in a winter Ewok Village, without food or clean water, Eskimos everywhere. It's just not true. It's like any other town anywhere else in Ontario/Canada, just without a Tim Hortons. The differences are what you make them. We came here for the adventure and the change of pace. So far, we've got a great dose of both. When you really do the math, life up here is . . . dare I say it . . . better than life at times in Ontario. Monotany up here is a choice, not a lifestyle. There is plenty to do, you just have to reach for it. And how convenient is it that everything you need here in town is within arms reach.

Steph and I walk around town warm and smiling. Sure, we haven't experienced the cold of the winter here yet but, we love this place without the snow already. Add a little shimmering white, it can only make it that much more beautiful. Bring the snow. We read countless amounts of blog's and received a libraries worth of advice so we're prepared to survive the cold.

We love how small and easy-going it is. Life here is simple. We take it as it comes and we make the best of what we take. It's not a tropical paradise or anything extravagant, but that's what we love about it. For us it's the culture, the lifestyle, the beautiful scenery, the crisp clean air, the healthier living. I've said it before and I'll say it again: It's not for everyone but, it's definitely for us.

Last night we both caught our first glimpse of the Northern Lights. Even if there isn't much to do, there's no Beer Store, the food is more expensive, there aren't any trees and they don't have any beers on tap, seeing those lights is enough to make anyone alive live or be here.

With all of that said, let's lighten things up a bit. Here are some other observations:

- I've heard Jennifer Paige's "Crush" everyday since I've been here. Yes . . THAT song.
- Still no sign of PolarMan!
- Nobody Honks their car horn
- They don't play any Oasis on Raven Rock (the local radio station)
- Capital One will not let me change my address to anything in Nunavut.
- Tips here are amazing
- Uphill walking is slightly difficult when you're in the shape we're in!
- Northern Blogs are more than a community, it's a lifestyle.
- Townie Bastard might live above us
- We miss Draft Beer!
- Pizza Hut is healthier for you here!
- I've spoke more french in the past two weeks than the last 17 years
- Cats love Beer-Can Boxes
- Smoking was the stupidest habit I ever had.
- How beautiful the Northern Lights are

- How happy we both are here and how happy we are that we made this decision.

Prices

2009-08-30T21:02:00.003-04:00

What better way to say it than a Beatles serenaded video . . .

Nuna-video: Part Three

2009-08-30T12:21:00.003-04:00

Home sweet home!

Nuna-video: Part Two

2009-08-29T13:52:00.002-04:00

The second leg of our journey to Iqaluit.

Nuna-video: Part One

2009-08-28T18:33:00.001-04:00

The Bon and Iver'd Road . .

These are some of the highlights captured on our way to Ottawa the night before our flights.

Home. Iqaluit, NU

2009-08-19T17:35:00.001-04:00

We’re happy here.

It was more than we expected and better than we imagined. Everyone’s a critic and we got a lot of very mixed reviews but, all the negative ones were wrong. It may take a certain kind of person to live up here; we get that, and it may not be for everyone but, it’s definitely for us. Definitely.

With our first breathe of northern air, the feeling came over us that we had made the right decision. The shoreline and water beside the plane as we first set foot felt like someone was welcoming us home. By the time we checked in to the Navigator Inn (Iqaluit’s Premiere Hotel!), the weight of a thousand second guesses and a tonne of doubt had disappeared. This felt like home.

With every turn came a charming surprise. As our tour-guide and driver Keith (a native of these parts for 38 years) showed us his favourite parts as well as spots we were curious about, Steph and I kept looking at each other with increasingly growing smiles. Can you imagine the worry you have relocating to a place you’d never even seen before? But that’s what made it all the better for us. We doubled down . . . we bet against the odds . . .and we won.

The great things we had read since the early parts of June were exactly how these great Northern Bloggers describe them as. Their joy is genuine as it is intriguing. If you want a vacation, go to Hawaii . . . if you want an Adventure, get up here. It’s a different way of life and for the most part, in the best of ways. If you grew up in a relatively small town, you probably miss the days where strangers smiled and said hello, or the person next to you in a grocery aisle commented on the stock and you were able to chuckle. Most of all . . . do you remember the day where people WAVED BACK? Not only after an initial wave but, when you let someone through, by, or go ahead. This IS A COMMUNITY. It’s not like it is in Milton (where I’m from) where peoples schedules matter more than their manners and the sense of community has slowly died over the last decade. This is an inspiring place. I’ll make the prediction right now that we are here at least a year, if not more.

The Water’s Edge.
I walked in to meet my bosses for the first time and I was gob-smacked at how stunning my place of work was. Gorgeous. It felt like I had been going there already for years and I had only been there for seconds. My Managers were warm and welcoming and felt like really great people to work with. I feel even more excited to be working there come Thursday. Funny enough, we were so taken by the Waters Edge that we decided to eat lunch there this afternoon. Just when you thought a place couldn’t be any better . . . the food arrived. Steph ordered the Arctic Char & Chips . . . I attempted the Musk-Ox Burger. Both: AMAZING. Great price . . .great portions . . . great meals. Steph has warned me that she might be my most loyal regular there just for the food. I’ll have to re-read my employee policy on that one!

The Town.
Bigger than Steph thought, smaller than I imagined. It’s small enough that you can walk anywhere in under 30 minutes. The roads have recently been paved and the air is crisp and fall-like. We’ve visited all our spots of curiosity and yes, we did a little price matching at the North Mart for all our friends back home. We took an uphill stroll last night out for dinner and enjoyed the freshness of the air and the blinding yet beautiful sunset. It’s a simpler way of life up here but, it’s a nicer one. I don’t hear the 401 ringing in my ears, instead I hear children laughing and the sound of water sometimes. I’m not breathing in smog, I’m now breathing in crisp, clean, and fresh northern air. You can call it a Tundra, but you’d be better off calling it a northern oasis.
Every single person we’ve met is kind, considerate, and nice. The locals offer carvings and other forms of northern art to buy and while I walked Steph to work up the hill today, every person I passed by took the time to say “Hello”. You get a sense of real community here and although to some people back in Ontario will question my choice of words here . . . we find this place warming.

Surprises.

- We can’t believe how many people have cars. This is coming from two 401 junkies but, even at rush hour, the “4 Corners” is jammed.
- “Polarman” . . . he is somewhat legendary in these parts. We haven’t had the “pleasure” of meeting him yet but, it seems that everywhere we go, we just miss him!
- Sorry to stress this again but . . . THE AIR. It’s so clean.
- Nachos. $17.95 without meat. Steph will never recover from the shock!
- How easy it was to get our apartment, phone, electricity, and P.O. Box set up
- How Nice our apartment is . . . brand new paint, hardwood floor, and furniture
- The amount of pay-phones that are still around here. This is a surprise since they were dropping off the face of Ontario in the recent months.
- The Prime Minister is in town . . . but it seems his office has had a hard time spelling IQALUIT. Google it.
- Musk-Ox . . . my new favourite meat.
- How much we LOVE it here!

Don’t blink . . . every time we get a moment, we’re updating! Great Videos to come too . . .

I'll meet you in Iqaluit.

2009-08-16T19:27:00.006-04:00

Today is the day.

Ottawa by nightfall . . . Iqaluit in the morning. We have lots to write about and in the forth coming days, we'll have a Whole-Whack of posts to add. But for now, the only thing we can think about is just how excited we are. It's been hard at times and great at times but as we approach the finish line, it's all been worth it.

We're looking forward to meeting some of the people that have helped us along so we can thank them in person. As of Monday we happily became part of the cycle . . . we're now helping someone else move up to Nunavut through e-mails(more on that later). What a journey this has been . . . thank you to the entire Nothern Blogging Community. You inspired us . . . helped us . . . changed us.

This time tomorrow we'll be joining the great population of Nunavut.

There is no "try", Only "Do". . .

2009-08-13T01:25:00.005-04:00

I sit here an amazed individual. We did it. We managed to survive this move.

Our belongings are shipped, our lists are done, and we've just enjoyed some of the most memorable time together. These past two weeks have seen a lot of ups and downs, both physically and emotionally. I've had hands around my neck followed by a hand held in mine, tears of worry that were the opening act for the tears of joy, but after all, when that vacant space is all that's left of what seemed like a neverending move, all you're left with is the warmth of a new adventure shared by two people who still hold the love that carried them this far safely and firmly in their hearts.

We've highlighted some of the more exciting moments and tried our best to capture that excitement. It's important to be realistic at times and those times can be harsh. In one of our first posts we touched on the importance of being communicative and brutally honest with one another. I'm here to remind you that that IS the glue that holds all of it together. Live by this: lean and be leaned on. Accountability and reliability are the two quintessential elements you need to survive the tolls this can take. You'll test your limits (and/or eachothers limits, depending on who you do or do not move with) and find new ones. There's a brand new challenge with each and every day. Some easy, some hard. I've never felt so prepared but, I've never felt so scared. We've each crumbled and faltered but, we're ok.

I promise you everything will be ok. It won't matter how much you plan, re-plan, call, confirm, discount shop, save, spend, list, cry, or ulcer; moving is a disaster. But I urge you to never allow stress to erase the joy you felt reading this (or any blog) and the excitement you felt when you decided to move. Because the ending is just like the start, the rest is just the middle. I couldn't see the top of the pile, or the light at the end of the tunnel at times too but, I knew it was there. All I have to do is catch a plane and that flight changes my life. This is the time to relish unafraid in the warmth and excitement I feel and have towards where I'm about to be.

I'm about to go somewhere where that not a lot of people will ever see with the love of my life in the prime of my life. . . just saying that feels incredible.

(500) Days of Summer

2009-07-29T12:38:00.012-04:00

This movie will change your life.

Remember when the new Trilogy of Star Wars were announced? You just had a feeling that it wasn't going to be all you wanted and hoped for. I felt this way about "(500) Days Of Summer". It felt like it was a bad cross of "Garden State" and "Before Sunrise" and as much as I'm a sucker for Indie-Romance, I had doubts. Steph rarely gets as excited as she got for seeing it so, away we went.

THIS MOVIE WAS AMAZING.

Between the perfectly selected soundtrack and the time-less beauty of Zooey Deschanel, this movie was unique, bright, funny, clever, warm, and just an absolute pleasure to watch. Without giving away anything, I'd just like to say that this movie is perfect for a date, perfect to see by yourself, and just the greatest theatre experience you'll have away from blockbuster summer releases. If we had some sort of clever rating system we'd give it a perfect score!

I guarantee it!

TO-DO LIST UPDATE

2009-07-21T15:34:00.008-04:00

Since this very well may be an informative guide to someone moving in the future, I feel like it's time for a detailed update. I'll break it down in a simple DONE and NOT DONE list.

Quick Note: The movers need specific instructions as to what they're bringing and what they are not bringing. We strongly recommend you find one location for everything you need/get shipped. Make yourself a manifest, make the movers a copy too. We've also discovered that they may not ship food for you . . .at all. I'll keep you posted. Right now we have everything neatly packed in a basement ...in its own section ....away from anything and everything else. No room for error there.

DONE:

- Dry Shop (appliances, cleaners, tea etc etc)
- Relocation Package (Received!)
- Move Date
- Canada Goose/ Winter Wear fitting day***
- Resignation from current employment
- Shop for the Wedding

TO DO:

- Food Shop
- Sell or Scrap Car
- Boots Shop
- Vet Appointments
- Book flight times
- Pack everything for movers
- Keep Saving!
- Movie Drive! ****
- Goodwill/Salvation Army sort and drop off
- Selfish Days (Haircuts, Colourings, Concert, Goodbyes)

*** - Since we're moving in August, there isn't an urgency to get the coats. We do understand they're importance and plan on ordering them directly to Iqaluit upon arrival.

**** -The Movie Drive? No one sue me! I go see a movie a week and I have an amazingly extensive movie collection which is probably a combined weight of our entire alloted weight for shipping. I've decided to load everything I own onto a Terabyte drive. It's less than $200 and it weighs nothing. It's 1000 gigabytes . . . your laptop probably only has a combined 160, most of it which you don't use. Steph and I are picking favourites, and we'll load up. So . . I've been downloading like mad lately!

Full Mental Jackets

2009-07-15T23:58:00.002-04:00

United Breaks Guitars

2009-07-14T16:44:00.006-04:00

. . this story is amazing.

David Carroll creates a whirlwind of hype. If you're reading this . . . you should be reading THIS instead.

http://www.davecarrollmusic.com/story/united-breaks-guitars/

The Dribble.

2009-07-14T16:14:00.006-04:00

Reading:

THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy

TOWNIE BASTARD Blog. (How is this guy not Mayor?)

http://towniebastard.blogspot.com/

Hearing: (Songs)

Mando Diao - Dance with Somebody

Third Eye Blind - Don't Believe A Word

The Fray - Happiness

Alexisonfire - The Northern

The Arkells - Deadlines

Dave Matthews Band - Baby Blue

The Black Crowes - I ain't Hiding

Seeing:

Entourage Season 6 Premiere

Nurse Jackie

The Hangover (lives up to the Hype...)

One Step Closer To Knowing

2009-07-13T16:53:00.008-04:00

Visits to "Mountain Equipment Co-op (M.E.C.)" and Sporting Life have put us that much closer to getting our list taken care of. The MEC trip provided us with new "-40" socks and new sets of long-johns. Here's a Pro/Con for you: Shopping for arctic apparel in July provides great deals, however, you're stuck with some limited selection. The common answer we got from the employees when asked about stock we couldn't find was "on back order". Fancy word for "wrong season, idiots!"

Trying on the Canada Goose gear was actually exciting and fun. Steph's jacket looked great on her. She's someone who gets cold really easily so, the long and slim fitting "Mystique" was perfect for her. Personally, I think she lookd cute in it. My Jacket: The Expedition was MASSIVE. Naturally, I'm a sweater. This thing is going to make me lose water-weight with every step. It was really important for us to try the jackets on ahead of time. Getting the right size proved a bit of a challenge. We found that online photos don't do the jackets justice. Different styles appealed to us more in person and the sizes are not what you're typically used to. I'm an easy Extra Large in everything I buy but, I felt comfortable in a Medium jacket (I'm still going with a Large, however).

I think we're almost ready to go . . .

The Mighty Mighty Costco

2009-06-30T13:30:00.006-04:00

I had never been.

Wow did we ever clean up! We hit each aisle twice and stocked our cart so full that former Supermarket Sweep winners would've been jealous. We took care of all of our "dry items" (cleaners, papers, tea, appliances etc etc) and made an even bigger list for our next visit when we get all our "fresh" items. All the purchases made everything so much more real. $400 dollars of year long supplies will do that to ya! We even picked up the "Northern Musts" like a humidifier and extra tin-foil for the windows. Reading all the other Northern Blogs has been incredibly helpful. "Townie Bastard" "Newbie" . . .you all know who you are. If our paths are to cross someday, I can't wait to shake your hand. You've made this journey so much easier on us.

If this information cycle goes around again and someone else reads through this blog, I must stress the paramount importance of GOING TO COSTCO. I've gone through some of the "Food Price" blogs from the true northerners and if my math is correct, we've almost saved $2, 847 . . .JUST by shopping in Ontario first and buying bulk (that doesn't include our food, juices and Laundry detergent either).

See this Logo:

Live by it!

I'd also like to thank my best friend Chris Pell for lending us his COSTCO EXECUTIVE card. He has earned $7.62 towards his year end credit. Thanks Pellbo!

"...there's so much sacred in the month of June..."

2009-06-29T23:22:00.002-04:00

Thanks John...

We found out that we are moving AUGUST 17th! We got our relocation package and we’re just waiting on Stephs flight details so we can move forward with getting to Iqaluit. Getting the package made everything very real. Stress is sinking in, especially for Steph. Making lists helps but, it doesn’t take the weight off our shoulders at the pace we’d like. We’ve planned and saved diligently but, we’re now left with planning out all our days off in order to get everything we need, if you’ve read the last post/Essay/Novel/ridiculously long blog .. . you get it. We’ve added to it too . . .

I can’t get over how much “counting down” we’ve been doing. We’re counting down the days, work days, days off, dollars and cents; life on a timeline. Yesterday I felt genuine guilt when I splurged for a Chai Latte from Starbucks ($5.09) as opposed to my usual Steeped Tea from Timmy’s ($1.65) . . . and it was MY BIRTHDAY! Poor Steph, hurt her ankle saving a school bus full of kindergarten students from evil doom . . . sober! She’s been off work and I’ve been adding gigs like crazy just to stick to our plan financially.

I’ve said it before but, I can’t stress the importance of being communicative. If you want to make it there happily, make it there together. Admit your spending habits, admit your debts, admit your faults, your fears, and your every anxiety to the person going with you. They can help share the load. You’ll find that your partner possesses traits and characteristics that you lack and that means they can help you in ways you didn’t know you needed help. For example, Steph is a ruthlessly articulate person. She’s also incredibly resourceful and has most of our trip mapped, planned and detailed. But some details we’ve had to wait for and some lines on our “To-Do List” have been pushed back. This has stressed her right out. I can recognise that and know that she needs words of comfort or something to help her know it’ll work out. That’s where I can come in. We’ll sit down, make a call, or just text and work through it. When I reciprocate my own anxieties and stresses, she doesn’t feel so alone. Together, we sort the ridiculous from realities while staying focused and staying on the same page.

Tomorrow we’re making our first Costco visit. We realise that every day counts from here on in and that we haven’t done much other than save money.

The Date

2009-06-22T16:22:00.001-04:00

AUGUST 17th 2009

On that day we will officially be moving to Nunavut. We’ve made the blog public and we’ve told all our family and friends. We’re so excited.

Iqaluit . . . HERE . . . WE . . . COME.

As you can also see, Steph has re-decorated our blog here. She won’t believe that I actually like it so, what better way to prove it than online exhibition?

This is really going to be great.

4:33 am

2009-06-18T04:33:00.003-04:00

I've never loved anything as much as I love you Steph.

That's all.

You and I are forever. I don't have a rooftop to shout it out from so I hope this suffices.

And yes, I made up my own word . ."suffices" ......it's a huge spelling and grammar error. Who cares . .. . I love your guts!

Jordan.

P.S. It turns out that SUFFICES is a word because I just spell checked it and I got a pass. Nonetheless . .. I suffices love your whole life.

DAY ONE: Planning.

2009-06-07T16:51:00.000-04:00

PETS: We have 3 cats!

We've taken the advice of a few blogs and have decided to bring at least 6 months (or close to) worth of food and litter. Needless to say it's a bit pricey but, it's worth it. The two younger cats don't travel well at all. We have a great vet ('Bakers' in Whitby) and they have great all-natural sedatives for the cats. We've used them before so, that's going on the final shopping list. Admittedly, we are very sensitive when it comes to our cats and we may take extra measures to ensure their well-being. We've read that some vets don't recommend the Arctic journey and/or living conditions for young/small cats. We've asked the advice of our own vet and they have a lot of available information on safe traveling for pets. Conveniently enough, we are able to bring a cat each on board during our flight as a "carry-on"; Steph is elated. Parker (our oldest of the 3) travels really well so, he'll be fine as cargo I'm hoping. We've also decided to get all 3 cats a quick tune-up. . . one last pre-trip vet visit to update any shots or vaccinations they might need.

FOOD: Prices, changes, stocking!

As entertaining as it is to read about the crazy prices of food. . . . (http://newnavut.blogspot.com/2006/08/more-food-prices.html) or (http://www.nunatsiaq.com/archives/51007/news/nunavut/51007_07.html). We're set to shop like crazy for the non-perishable items that we'll need. I (Jordan) personally feel like spending $100,000 on toilet paper and chocolate milk because it's impossible to NOT need them. Thankfully, my better half . . . who IS the better half on this one . . . is moderating where the focus is going a little more productively than I am!

Surprisingly, most of the food prices didn't make our jaws drop like we thought. Obviously shipping is more of a venture up to the North, not to mention, the supply and demand is completely different from that of Ontario so, we were prepared for a change in pricing (as anyone should be). We noticed something really great however. . . The healthier the food, the lesser the price jump. So, the better you eat, the more you'll save. There are some items that are sort of "on the fence": Chocolate Milk, Fruit Juices, Bread etc. But the prices really start to soar when it comes to Frozen Dinners, Cheeze Whiz etc etc. So, we're excited to have that push to eat better. We can't lie . . . we love to eat out and we love to splurge on fatty meals when we're lazy! It's safe to say that this was a welcome observation.

CLOTHES: Canada Goose, we hope you're warm.

Just like our blogging predecessors, we've become fans of the CANADA GOOSE (http://www.canada-goose.com/) catalogue and have picked out our coats.

Steph is picking up the MYSTIQUE.

Designed specifically for Rebecca Romijn while shooting X-MEN II.

Jordan is all about the EXPEDITE

Designed specifically to keep me as warm as humanly possible while I fight off Polar Bears, Make walkways, take out Garbage and build inappropriate Snowman Dioramas!

I wonder if everyone will have the same or similar jackets. . . What was a revelation of sorts to us was that you need -100 degree boots ON TOP of your new parka/jacket. More over, the jacket alone is between 600 and 700 dollars. There is definitely a price for warmth here but, then again, what is your health worth?

SAVING: Steph...Less Grazie. Jordan...Less MoviesWingsBeerTimmy'sLateNightDriveThrus

Together, we are the worst money savers. We love . . .(and when I say "love" I don't mean a small developing crush, I mean "only in the movies-nothing can stop it- moves mountains- lift's us up where we belong - The Time Travelers Wife - Til' death do us part LOVE) . . . going out for dinner. Not so much for the sake of eating but, we just love that time together. We've had the most important conversations over a well cooked meal . . . and a glass or two of wine. We love to cook as well but, we like having dinner cooked for us better. This will be the hardest thing to cut back on, no doubt about it. We've decided to ration out our final "Out For Dinners" to 4 before we go. For those of you who have been to GRAZIE (in Toronto www.grazie.ca), then you know how hard it is to have a clean break up from the restaurant of your life!

It's so important for us to save money before we go because the cost of getting there and the cost of all the essential things you need before you get there is costly. We're going to go to lengths we've never dabbled in before to have a nice lump sum before our departure.

Lastly . . .We're finding that it's becoming more and more important to seek out Offline information. Although we credit many different resources and sites/blogs to get information from. We strongly recommend that you find your own, more personal resource for information. If you read a blog . . . ask the author a question. If you're going to see a Vet . . . ask their professional opinion. If you find yourself worried about anything, keep in mind that little bumps can sometimes snowball and become huge issues. It's unnecessary and preventable stress on an already stressful situation. We've found such comfort in other peoples accounts and the experienced opinions of friends, professionals and people who have been through the experience we're about to take on. You can never know enough. I just want to thank everybody who has gone out of there way to lend us their advice and guidance. It's incredible how warm people are even over an e-mail or blog comment. We see everyones comments on other peoples sites and it makes us that much more excited to join the community of converted Canadian Southerners!

We're officially going public today with this blog . . . Oh boy!

It's Official . . .

2009-06-03T20:17:00.000-04:00

We're going.

There's always some doubt at first as to whether or not things will come together and work out the way you want them too. Personally, we were both worried that I may not find work, or should I say, the kind of work that seems fitting for such a large relocation. Today was a great day. One of the top three jobs we'd hoped I'd secure was locked down this afternoon at 4:30pm. After a few e-mails and a lengthy conversation on the phone with my new boss, the worry about work is over. I think I can speak for the both of us when I say . . . this move is "Official".

So here we go . . . As we make each turn, we'll write about the trails and tribulations of this journey, and it all starts today.

I'm so excited I think I could die. The idea of such a big adventure thrills me everywhere; I'm bursting at all seams. The first thing I did was tell Steph about the great news . . .then my Dad . . . My mom and brother still aren't home yet but, they'll get the news immediately. Steph and I aren't really spilling the news to any friends yet since we're still in the primary stages of planning and there's still a lot of scheduling to do. One thing in particular is a wedding . . . My best friend Chris is getting married August 8th but, my potential start date is the 1st. My new boss seems like a really easy going guy, so when I e-mail him back later (after this) I'll be explaining my situation with hopes that something can be worked out. I feel almost bad delaying the start date or even being picky at all, considering this time last week I was worried that I wouldn't find a job at all. Chris' wedding is really important to me and I wouldn't miss it for anything. He's been one of my best friends for 10 years now and I promised to be there. Fingers crossed . . .

Over the next few weeks we'll be sitting down and going over all the details of the move. The finances, the shopping, the timing, the flights . . .you name it. From experience we know that the lack of planning can cause added anxiety and insecurity on an already stressful move. It's not a mistake we're making again. Next post I'll put up our to do list . . . it'll be quite something, I'm sure!

Well, that's all for now . . . Nunavut: Here We Come!

The Beginning . . .

2009-05-21T22:10:00.001-04:00

It all started with an Idea . . . Nunavut.

We'd moved away together before but, nothing like this. Steph's a Nurse, and a great one at that. Her experience and talent allows her the freedom of choice when it comes to her career. I'm so proud of her for that. I'm a musician and a student who's chopping away at an English Degree. We both felt like a change and an adventure would do us good. Steph and I have taken the long way to get where we are but, we've found a good place in each others hearts again and we've decided it's time to start a life together. We've chosen Nunavut for it's challenge, it's landscape, and the great work opportunity at Steph's hands.

I've decided to start this little memoir after feeling inspired by the NUNAVUT NEWBIE Blog (http://newnavut.blogspot.com/). Steph and I spent hours going through the archive and it changed our whole perspective in a really positive way. So, since this is our first post . . .Thank you Jamie.

Steph doesn't even know I've started this yet . . . and who knows if people will read. If nothing else, it's a great way for our friends to stay up-to-date with where and how we are. Speaking of which . . . Steph has an Interview with the Hospital she applied to and, for the first time in years, I had to send out resumes. Oh boy! Here's hoping . . . We've talked over our options based on what work we find. A lot of the other stories we've read have couples in situations where one has had to move for the sake of the others job. Our situation is a little different but, it's really difficult to organize and plan ahead when you don't know where "ahead" is. One thing we've both learned over the past year is how essential it is to communicate with each other. Opening up has been nothing short of rewarding. It seems as though the more I make my worries and insecurities clear to Steph, the closer it brings us and vice versa. I think sometimes love isn't about how much you're willing to change but, how much you're willing to let someone change you.

I hate long posts so . . . First one down, a lifetime more to go.

Thanks for reading