Not just tongues to metal to worry about

Learning. Isn't that what life is all about? It seems to be that way for me. Things I've learned recently...

1. Shutting doors with non-gloved hands will literally burn your hands. I've had to work in -80C freezers for school/work and I know that holding ice on skin too long will burn....but never did I imagine living in a place where simply pulling the door shut behind you may result in searing pain....not to mention that split second where you feel your skin stick to the metal and you realize you've already committed to yanking your hand away so you say a quick hail Mary that your skin stays with your hand and not with the doorknob.

2. Cloud storage does not exist up here. It doesn't work. Uploading and downloading files to the cloud is a big waste of data that we don't have. So, we operate in 2007 and use flash drives. I hate it so much. I can't ever remember which version is where.

3. People are just tough here. I know this is probably a big ole shock, but life is harder here because the weather tends to make our little manmade gadgetry break like brittle matchsticks. Unfortunately, when things break, there isn't a "Service center" you can call to fix it. You have to fix it, or somehow drug an unsuspecting friend into helping. I haven't really had to ask for too much help, but I watch people having to work on their snowmobiles in the wind and dark and cold. And, they just do it. Too much snow building up? Why you must go outside and carve snow stairs into them so that you can easily traverse the "front lawn". You have to layer up like a Michelin Man to go outside and when you arrive at the store, you meander the aisles trying not to focus on how you might now pass out from the inferno building under your down layers and threatening to cremate you.

4. Facebook will alert Igloolikmiut (name for folks living in Igloolik) if there are polar bears nearby. That's helpful. What's not helpful is when part of the message is in Inuktitut and you don't know whether the word you see means, "far from town" or "right outside your house".

5. People can cook here! I went to my first larger social gathering/party on Saturday. It was lovely! The hosts really put out a good spread with several homemade types of fudge, pizza, dips. It was really impressive especially considering what we have to work with here. Other guests brought homemade spring rolls with peanut sauce, a quinoa salad with feta, cucumbers, and tomatoes, a homemade bread bowl filled with amazing cheese dip. I mean, it's nuts! Everything has to be homemade and many of the ingredients have come from thousands of miles away from trips and orders to/from Ottawa/Toronto. Everyone must hoard this stuff, then they make and share these delicious edibles with all of us. My food insecurity made it VERY difficult not to secret away plates and plates of the foods to save for later. I did, however, not move from the food area. There wasn't a chance in hell you were getting me to sit on a couch away from those homemade mini-chicken pot pies with homemade flaky, melt in your mouth pastry! As for the party, it was nice and there were lots of folks to talk to. Though, I am fast realizing that if you are not a nurse or teacher here, you confuse people because those are the two most popular professions for people moving to Igloolik.

In less than a week, I will have my first visitor to Igloolik and I am beyond excited. There is a possibility of getting some extra snowmobiles to go cruising around the island and maybe seeing a polar bear! Stay tuned!Read more