Seventh Blog

One of my fishing spots under a full moon

I feel somewhat refreshed after spending a few days in Winnipeg. Not that I really liked it there, but just being able to see and do more than what I can up here. Surprisingly enough I couldn't wait to get out of there, as it was neither Vancouver nor Shamattawa! The problem was that there wasnt much to do in Winnipeg. There is only one or two streets where you can find non-franchised cafes and restaurants. One thing that I have to admit is that people in Winnipeg are by far the friendliest I have encountered in Canada. I am not sure where Vancouver stands in a nationwide survey, but I wouldn't be surprised if it ranked somewhere near the bottom.

Same fishing spot after a few days of snow and rain

The workshops were quite informative and I am sure that they come handy me once I start teaching the relative clusters. The work has been just pretty uneventful, nothing out of the ordinary. Kids are excited about the Halloween. They were asking me whether they could start coloring or decorating the class. I refused and promised they would be able to do it tomorrow, Friday. I am planning to start Friday's classes with an Edgar Allen Poe story, The Mask of the Red Death. As for the festivities, I hear that the Halloween committee will turn the gym into a haunted house to scare the hell out of every visitor!

Town's dysfunctional ice rink

After school outings are getting shorter and shorter and by the time clock returns to its standard time I wont be able to venture out at all. I managed to get a couple of runs and fishing trips over the past few days. There is a buzz in town regarding the number of spotted caribous nearby. I plan to head out tomorrow afternoon with a local friend in hope of seeing a herd of the beasts. Today I managed to catch a small Northern Pike. I would normally let a fish of that size go but this time I kept it as I was eager to try my sushi making skill. I had bought some sushi rice, seaweed wraps, Soy sauce and Wasabi while in Winnipeg. And tonight I finally had sushi, as fresh as you can get! I caught the fish around 5:30 and it was nicely rolled in a nice sushi by 8:00pm. I thought the whole experience was a success except for the strength of Wasabi! It was so strong that I had to run around the room in order to relieve the burning feeling in my mouth and nose. I'll be so careful next time I am trying anything for the first time!
      

Town's convenience store

Sixth Blog

My buddy Husky patiently waiting while I pick berries

Well it has been a while since the last post. It was due to lack of internet and my laziness. To be fair to myself, we didn't have internet for one whole week and once we did get it back, it has been on and off most of the time. The only constant thing about the connection up here is its inconsistency!

As for life up here, it has been routine as usual. Work, fish, pick berries and run once in a while.

Red Sun, possibly due to a forest fire, over school

Work has been pretty good and I am delighted to have students who are ahead of the schedule and are always wanting more advanced materials to work with. The downside of it is that there are only four students who are the front runners and unfortunately the other fifteen who show up regularly are a few grades behind. Nonetheless I am pretty happy with the classes I have this year, I feel much more useful than I did at any time during the first year. I will be heading out for a couple of days of Professional Development training next week, and am looking forward to that.

Town's main Cemetery about 3km outside the twon

Town's Anglican church

I have kept up the routine of getting out of town as soon as I am done school every day. Luckily I have been catching fish regularly and if the trend continues, I should be able to catch enough in the next few weeks before the freeze -up to last me most of the year. Days are getting much shorter and colder as well. These days I only have enough time to either fish or go for a run/walk. Although I have been combining fishing with walking, as I go to further destinations to fish. Today, Saturday, I decided to go for a long walk in the morning. I explored a few trails which I hadn't dared to venture alone before. It was rewarding and nerve-racking at the same time. Fortunately I didn't come across any thing threatening. Disappointingly during three hours of walk in the cold wind and rain I only saw three stray dogs, I know they weren't wolves because one of them barked, and one rabbit. The rabbit ran right in front of me crossing the trail. It was mostly white with some grey spots, as they are losing their grey colour for their white winter coat. They will be completely white in two or three week's time ready for the snow surely to cover everywhere.

My buddy Husky watching me fish