Parting is such sweet sorrow

No sooner had she arrived than she was gone.

I saw Melanie off at the airport this morning, and although it's only seven weeks until I'll see her again it feels like an eternity at the moment. We had a wonderful ten days together but it all went by so quickly; it only seems like yesterday that we were (contemplating) eating archaeologically significant bars of chocolate and antique almond cookies.

The fare was far more palatable on Wednesday night, when we attended the official opening of the new student residence - the Nasivvik. Many of the Kativik School Board's great and good were in town for the event, and after the seal skin ribbon was cut we were all invited inside for some (mercifully short) speeches and some (mercifully abundant) food. Roland, Annie-Claude and all the students did a wonderful job in preparing the building to receive such a large number of guests, and I was surprised by just how many of the dignitaries I knew or, failing that, knew me.

I suppose I've been in the North long enough now to establish a reputation of sorts, and whilst reputations are not always justly earned or bestowed, it was certainly heartening to learn from various sources that my work of the past four years has been viewed in a positive light. My probable (permanent) departure in May was common knowledge - word travels fast in these parts - and I guess I should take it as a complement that no-one I spoke to wanted me to leave, but despite the fact that you should never say never, all things being equal my life in a northern town has just seven weeks left to run...

Not so rotten swines

As is often the case in situations such as these, a little extra time has thrown new light on the whole pregnant-staff-must-leave scenario. It seems that the Quebec government is in fact only strongly recommending that pregnant teachers take themselves out of the workplace, and it is up to the individual to make their own decision. As a result we are not now going to (immediately) lose all the staff in question at our school, but we are still going to lose our principal. The school board already has a number of potential replacements lined up though, so it does not look like yours truly will have to take over in the hot seat.

Shame, because once the winter sets in a hot seat would be a really nice thing to have.

No fly zone

Damn, damn and thrice damn; my flight has been cancelled.

Not because of the weather, mind you, but because of 'mechanical problems.' What's worse, I just had to go to the airport to collect my now redundant ticket, in order that I can mail it to the School Board so that they can use it to get a refund from Air Inuit. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the stage where I collect the ticket and mail it to the Board (so that they can then presumably mail it back to Air Inuit) a little pointless? Don't ask!

I'm now scheduled to fly tomorrow morning instead, arriving in Montreal around 4pm. From there I will then slum it in the coach to Kingston, rather than the more-executive-but-convoluted-via-Toronto plane. Weather Forecasters are already dubbing Sunday as 'Snowmageddon' in the Toronto region, and seeing as Sunday is when I'd now be flying to and from there, I think it prudent to avoid the area.

So, I now have to unpack and spend another night in Inukjuak, not that that's too bad I guess. I just hope that Snowmageddon doesn't make it's way up here, but if it does I have Bruce Willis' number on speed dial. He'll make 800 feet; he doesn't know how to fail.

There's not a lot going on...

I feel like I've been living in an episode of Corner Gas this week, and whilst this is a reference that will leave all non-Canucks completely nonplussed, those of you who abide in Canada will know exactly what I mean. There's really not been a lot going on, and the week's trickled by like tomato sauce out of a bottle that's been in the fridge for too long. Not one of the modern, squeezy plastic bottles, but a good old-fashioned glass one, the type where you had to slap the bottom really hard to get anything out at all.

School has been slow, Shatner-Net has been slow even by its own slow standards, and the Board have been slow to pay me. In fact, they didn't pay me at all; apparently I didn't officially exist until yesterday, but I've been assured that as I am now real, I will receive some remuneration for my efforts. Probably.