If you don’t like bananas don’t come to the north!!!

Well I have been here for 4.5 weeks and well settled in to Rankin Inlet.  I have been for some good hikes out on the land.  I was out today with fellow nurse Andrea (from B.C.).  We walked 8 kms and that is on rough terrain.  It was warm today with minimal wind, so summer attire with no jacket today.  The draw back when we have weather like this, there are thousands of black flies.  The result of this is I probably swallowed at less a dozen bugs because I am a mouth breather and have a couple of dozen black fly bites on the exposed skin.  They even got in behind my sun glasses.  When we were off the tundra we looked down at our legs, which were covered with long pants, there were hundreds of flies on us and we had to brush them off.   We saw some interesting things while were out.  We saw lots of caribou skulls and a few rib cages.  There are bones everywhere when you are out on the land.   We saw what we thought were herons.  And we also saw a flock of Canadian Geese…go figure!!!  When Andrea and I were out on the weekend, I collected some interesting rocks.  I wish I knew what they are.  There is such a variety.  Today we picked up a few shells and we took lots of picture.

I now officially have some Inuit art.  I have a carving of a drum dancer that is made of caribou antler.  I have an Ulu, in which the handle is carved from caribou antler.  An Ulu is a woman’s knife. I have a smaller one. It has a 4 inch blade on it and it is sharpened on one side.  It is a great tool to use in the kitchen to cut with and it is also used to skin an animal.   It is also good for me because of my rotator cuff injury, no strength needed for cutting.  The artist is Etwah Noah; He is a 17-year-old young man with great talent.  He learned from his 3 uncles and started at the age of 7.  I have earring carved from caribou bone in the shape of Kamiks.   Kamiks are what you would call Mukluks.  Kamiks are hand made from seal hide with seal skin trim.  I have two zipper pulls one is miniature Kamiks and the other is small crochets toques.

The housing here is very simple and small, probably about 900 sq. feet max. You will see the snowmobiles, cars and ATVs all sitting out side the home.  There are no driveways or garages.  Have seen caribou antlers sitting on the roof of some of the homes. All buildings are built up off the ground…no basements.  This is because of the perma-frost in the ground.  One thing that upset me when I was talking to a young mother with her oldest about 7 years old, what that she had to make a choice between housing and post secondary education.  She had a job with Social Service and would have liked to go to college to be a Social Services Worker. She would have to move to Cambridge Bay for 2 years.  She just got her own house recently and would have to give it up for school.  This would be a difficult situation for anyone. 

Another friend Heidi, is supply teaching at the high school and loving it.  The classes are very small, like about 10 kids.  They are eager to learn.  The building that the high school is in also houses an elementary school and the town library.  I will be checking it out tomorrow.  I am thinking, I would like to volunteer with the elementary school on some of my days off...for something to do and to get to learn from the kids.   After all I do have my Early Childhood Education Diploma along with being a nurse. 

As for work, we have a few inpatients now.  This is nice.  We have tidied and cleaned everything possible on the unit.  And there are only so many games of fish and crazy eights that you can play.  I always make sure that I take a book and/or a craft to work to fill in time too.  The current book that is making it its way through the nursing staff is “Becoming Sister Wives”. LOL!!!!

My next posting I will put up pictures only and I will probably do it tomorrow.

Now to explain the title for those with inquiring minds!!!  Bananas are in abundance at the Northern Store and the Co-op.  I wanted to get berries this week as they were on special.  If you snooze you loose.  Therefore…bananas again this week. Lesson learned…if you see it…need or want it…buy it!!!

Hope all is well!!!