CBC: Aboriginals Podcasts

http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/includes/radio1/aboriginals/standard/index.xml

Jan 5th episode rocks!

More French Music: Malajube

Yay for more French music!

One of my coworkers had this on her mp3 player. Then we heard it again on the radio driving through Val D'Or. I can't believe I've never heard this song! It's so catchy! From the Last.fm website:

Malajube are an indie rock band from Montréal, Québec, Canada. They sing in French and have three albums out on Dare to Care Records. The group made itself known in 2004 with the release of its first album, “Le Compte Complet.” Critics welcomed the disc with positive reviews, which allowed the group to become instantly famous in the Québécois music scene. Several of its songs, such as “Le Métronome” and “La Valérie,” were prominent mainstays on several Québec radio stations. For the production of the album, the group turned to Martin Pelland from fellow Montreal band The Dears.

Was voted on CBC 3 as "Best Reason to Learn French". Dave would like this.

Famous French Songs

What good is living in a new place if you don't learn and appreciate the music there?

I heard of Michel Rivard only after watching this parody created about Stephen Harper cutting arts funding. What diversity that I was completely unaware of in the next province!



The English lyrics of La complainte du phoque en Alaska.

Here is Zebda. Tomber le chemise means "take off your shirt." Zebda is from Toulouse, France and is known for political activism. This is such a drinking song!!!!! You don't need to understand any French for this song to make you pick up your feet and dance!

Thank you to L. for getting me hooked on this song.



Put your heart into it!

Down South

Last leg yesterday was from Rouyn and to Collingwood. I dropped off V. and D. in North Bay after having a late lunch at the Burger Bar. It sort of sucks saying bye ... although D. I will see again in a week but not V. And suddenly it felt alone to be in a car. We work, live and play together. The fact that we get along so well is what makes this job worthwhile and fun. I would not have survived this long up north if it weren't for my coworkers. They keep me motivated at my work and in my own life. They have become my friends and have made me a better person.

Despite being on my own, the drive from North Bay through to Huntsville was gorgeous. Perfect view, few cars on the road. Also, I picked up a new FM transmitter for the iPad in North Bay so I could listen to my music! The green coming out on the trees and the grass was also nice - north of North Bay, it's still mostly snow-covered. Two hours later, I got lost around Orillia but stopped at a hunting/fishing supply store and got directions to Collingwood.

Yay! Dave and I finally reunited, after 2 months apart, at the Starbucks.

We went to the Oliver and Bonacini at the Blue Mountain Village for dinner. No, I had no special clothes. Still wearing my boots, my McKinley fleece reeking of sweat from being trapped in the car for 2 days, my hair in a mess. Honestly, I didn't care how I looked but I was wondering how others might perceive me. I got the $15 mac and cheese - I had this last summer with my mom for Canada's Day - but would have been a hundred times happier if I was eating the President's Choice Deluxe White Mac and Cheese that costs me $2 at the supermarket. Our dinner there would have covered half a tank of gas and a week's worth of groceries. Normally I'd be excited to be at the O&B but sitting amongst all this privileged white women, I secretly wished I could pick them up and stick them in Waskag to live there for a few weeks. I feel lucky that I have the ability to be mobile and see different cultures and lifestyles and yet I also feel that, at the same time, it's a responsibility for people to experience different cultures. This is the same feeling I felt after I returned from Asia.

To cut a long story short, the two of us stayed at a B&B in Wasaga Beach and went hiking at the scenic caves Sunday morning, after we spent an hour at the office dumping off BodyZorbs and science supplies.  It was beautiful at the top of the mountain with the tree canopy not yet developed, sunlight providing energy to spring ephemerals like blue cohosh and trilliums (some starting just to unfurl their petals). Turkey vultures zipping on the breeze just at the top of the mountain. I loved it. It was a great day but we had to leave at 2:30 pm to make it home for dinner.

And when I returned to the city, I just felt exhausted. The busy 400 highway with the aggressive drivers, the hideous advertising signs that fight for your attention, the people in the malls that looked overly concerned with how they look and what piercings they have and their makeup, everyone talking fast and sharp.

Trop. Trop. Trop.

Until today, I finally understood some of the Cree kids I met. The ones who spent a few years in Ottawa or Montreal and I asked them where they prefer. Life up north.

Old Photo: Sleeping in Car

An old photo that A. had taken of me, sleeping in the back of our super-packed van. Leaving Waskag to head to Great Whale. Was taken 6 weeks ago.

Drat, I lost that purple scarf I bought in Vietnam.

For Sale: Ontario Northlander

All over North Bay and Temiskaming yesterday, we saw signs opposing the privatization of the Ontario Northlander (ONTC). The Ontario government recently had announced that it was going to sell the line. This lane brings people from Cochrane up to Moosonee and is mostly commonly known to Canadians as "The Polar Express."

While this article in the Nation News gives a very narrow outlook of the consequences, I am wondering whether there can be a positive impact if the right buyer, with the right intentions, comes along.

We Need Our Northern Trains

Rouyn

We said goodbye yesterday to our students and took off this morning to Rouyn. D. drove the first have to Matagami, where we stopped for lunch. I filled up on gas and then hopped into the driver's seat. We got into Rouyn around 5 pm. Tried to drop off our beer bottles at the SAQ but apparently they don't take them! We had to go to IGA and got $6.10 for beer bottles.

V. and I were walking around the store, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the choice. OMG! Oasis juice is $1!!!! (We blow a lot of money on food and juice up north to entice kids to come, normally it's $2) We were sort of wandering around, eyes like saucers, staring at everything. I laughed when I noticed that the seafood sales girl were watching us. Like we had dropped down from another planet and had never been in a grocery store before. All the things we lived without before in front of us, V. said she wanted to buy everything! Reverse culture shock, I call it.

Stayed at the Alpin Hotel again. I finished ordering - a cannelloni with a garden salad instead of caesar since je suis vegetarien -  and D. said, "Your French is really good!" which was a nice compliment. I have a good accent but I just don't speak enough to feel comfortable. I really wished I had done more French because I'm envious that I'm not fluent in it.

After dinner, we stuffed ourselves silly, we had some beers. L., V. and I did some clay face masks. Sat around chatted. Tomorrow have to drop off L. at the bus stop and then drop off V. and D. in North Bay. Last 4 hour stretch and I get to see Dave! And we will hang out for Collingwood for a half day together!!

It's been two months apart so I know that we will have a good time catching up together.

Breaking All the Rules

I'd recently been emailing an old high school friend of mine. He was asking me how things were and as I began to tell him what life was like up here, I had to explain that I've been "breaking a lot of rules" the past 2 months. I wrote to him:

You might balk at this but I also drink in a dry community and bootleg stuff in ... it's more to help keep us sane, a glass of wine, some beer - just like normal people after a stressful day. Quebec is not as strict with how wet/dry these reserves should be. If you do this in Ontario or in northern BC, you get fired. Immediately. Pack your bags and hop a plane. Don't even think of bringing mouthwash or hand santizer in. You've just lost your job. 

Even in the classroom, how ethical is it that I help students on their tests? Should I give them a better chance of passing high school, when the currently school board graduation rate is less than 1%? Or do I do what "proper" teachers do and hold fast to those principles? How fair is it that the odds were stacked against them the moment they were born into these communities?: 

... at school I help students on tests and prompt them on answers because they are failing so bad they have zero confidence in everything they do. 

And last year, the Ontario College of Teachers officially said they do not approve of teachers using social media to contact students. Despite that, just a month ago, I made an Facebook account for my job so I can contact students and get to know them better. 

I would never do [these things] "in the south" I do things here all the time that 2 months ago I thought I would NEVER do. From afar, it's easy to shake your head. But living in the midst of it I understand better how things work and how things can work.

I would not be successful at my job if I didn't break the rules. 

Spring Hunt Festival

We worked even though it was a PED day (professional development day). We threw a pancake party, after advertising it on Facebook and had 2 students showed up. M. really liked working with me and we covered some functions as well as started looking at a practice science exam. I didn't have time for lunch but scarfed down a grill cheese quickly in the girl's Cree culture room.

Afterwards, we dropped into the Gathering Place today. It was a bit of a disappointment as it was mostly kids running around. There were some nice handicrafts for display, but not for sale. The elder who made it offered her services. You can ask her to make stuff - for exam, a beautiful pair of moosehide clothes with tassles and beadwork would be $150. Unfortunately I did not take a picture of them but here are some other photos:

Baby booties and mitts! Can be used as decor too. 

Scrap leather is used for making toys. 

Toy snow shoes and a mini-paddle

C. holds up mini gloves

Ice-pick to chip ice for ice-fishing and a shovel to scrap out pieces.

Traditional Cree snowshoes

Tim Whiskeychan is a local artist that decorated the Gathering Place with his paintings.

C. got a small custom-made painting for $200 including a frame. Very talented man!

Wacky Weather

It was brilliant and warm and beautiful. Although I loved the winter this year, having experienced it in the north, I began looking forward to warmer weather. The other day, we were walking around with spring jackets and the first time in MONTHS I felt rain.

And then this morning it started snowing. Inches by the end of the day. Our front steps were covered and I had push my feet through a drift to get to the house next door. Considering that there was barely a lick of snow just 2 days ago, this weather is a bit TOO wacky.

Spring Hunt Activities

This is a pamphlet for activities that are happening around town today and the next two days as people prepare to leave for the big Goose Hunt. Some families have already taken off. Others you can catch them at the grocery store picking up supplies. I saw a woman today getting a large Coleman ice chest, a Thermos, 2 supersize cartons of eggs and miscellaneous items.

For families that are still here, they will likely attend this festival to mark the Goose Break. Click on it to expand the pictures and read the descriptions of the activities. I wish I could play bingo and wish it was not radio bingo! Booo!!!

Tomorrow I will go to the Gathering Place to see the camouflage contest and the cake contest. I hope I do not have to see any dead animals or carcasses.

Board Games

After dinner, we started a game of 'Last Night on Earth'. Ironically, we had to put a hold on it by 11 pm to go to sleep. I guess tomorrow will be our 'last night' instead.

So far, D. and I killed 6 zombies. We need 15 to win. Not bad! Thanks to good teamwork!

Oh! And I finally got my MacBook Air! Another staff came into town from Nemescau to run an exam workshop tomorrow so she delivered it. Still using the iPad right now as it is charging. Yippee!! Man I ordered it 2 weeks ago but now I finally have it.

History of the North

The Northern (supermarket) in Wemindiji is closing - this means the end of relationship to ties to the Northern Trading Company and Hudson's Bay Company.

Read more about it here:

http://www.nationnews.ca/index.php?option=com_zine&view=article&id=1389:wemindji-northern-store-to-close-

Catalogue Sale

We held a sale of teaching supplies in the teacher's room on Thursday and Friday. The money goes to support our programs. If you know someone who would be interested, please tell them about my charity! We have schools in Tanzania and India that also rely on this funding. As I do not openly advertise the name of our charity on my blog, feel free to message me if you are interested.

There is a lot of cool stuff! Even a $350 robotic dinosaur called Pleo.

Pottery

We had Monday off for Easter but the last three days have been great. The team here is awesome and always make me smile. We complement each other very well. Never before have I felt like I am such a great fit amongst my coworkers. We work, we eat and we play together.

School has been going well - there was a low turn-out for after school but we changed that in a matter of days. We had a big spaghetti party and yes, I fed the kids TVP again. BWAHAHAHA! Apparently I am not the only person who has pulled this stunt before. C. said she did this in another Cree community.

The Sec 4 French sector here is also tough to work with but I finally managed to work with of those students for 1.5 hours on science. Yesterday, I worked with the Sec V boys who are really sweet. The girls don't come out as much, except S., the chatty one with the 3-year-old, who came in this morning late. I was in the teachers lounge and came out when I saw her drinking a Yoplait in the foyer.

"Hey S., how are you?"

"Hungover."

Phew. I could smell the girl. She teeter around and said she had gone to a birthday party last night. D. said that another student came in reeking of weed. Yeah, this is normal stuff up here. Even in Whapmagoostui, the last day of the Whale Cup hockey tournament - Cree fly in once a year for this - the science teacher had noticed a line of students coming back into town at 6a.m. Monday morning. Needless to say, that was a quiet day.

I am tired. It's been a productive three days and ohhhh, I also submitted my last AQ assignment! Wheeeee! I just have to submit my last reflection and the teacher evaluation form. After I sent off my homework, we went back to school for pottery classes.

There is a teacher who has a full studio - an amazing collection of glazes, lots of clay - including locally-sourced yellow clay - 2 kilns (pronounced KILL) and 3 wheels! It's probably been 10 years since I have thrown but getting into it was soooo meditative, been though I am feeling exhausted. When I was in high school, I struggled with centered. I always fought against the clay but I did better today, feeling the flow of it. Even the teacher, I., said I had centered well! We all made bowls and picked out colors for glazes. I likely won't be able to get it until end of school year as I am leaving this community in a week and am not scheduled to be returning. D. will probably have to pick it up for me.

Alright, that's it for updates. This weekend, we are making a trip to Nemesca to pick up one of the work vehicles so that we can get home the following week.

Oh yeah, payday tomorrow too! Yay!

Hike

Went for a hike today. Still no laptop and yet lots of photos I want to post. And worse yet, I misplaced the USB cord that connects to the camera. ACK!

Only crappy iPad pictures for now.

Updates to come.

Waskaganish

Got into Waskag this afternoon around 2:30 pm. Two coworkers dropped me off at the James Bay while C. and J. drove me the last 100 km inland. Caught up with L. and D. on the latest gossip and how things have been here. They were excited to hear about Whapmagoostui.

Here is my current bedroom. It took me 3 hours to clean!!! It was full of dog hair and dust ICK! I had to mop the whole floor by hand.

Update from Chisasibi

Packed up, said goodbye to teachers at school and got driven to the airport by J., the principal. Ate at airport restaurant - cheese, lettuce and tomato sandwich, coleslaw, onion rings and real Tropicana juice (total $13) . Flew into Chisasibi this afternoon, napped most of the half hour flight. Perfectly clear skies and good flying weather. We only paid $420 in excess baggage, versus $560 when we first came.

Chilled at the apartment, happy to have Internet where YouTube, Facebook, Tumblr, Dropbox and Blogger are not blocked. Went to the Northern to get groceries, spent $96. Everybody and their mother were there -Easter weekend coming so no chance tomorrow. I got some chick'n nuggets and tofu! Avocados were pretty expensive so I held off. Not been eating as well the past 2 weeks as we were working 12-hour days with little free time. Looking forward to doing some proper cooking again.

Tomorrow, E. and C. are driving me to Waskaganish. I am sad to leave S. and A. Us three girls were getting along perfectly - it is hard to find coworkers that you work so well with. A. and I will be going back to Whapmagoostui after the Goose Break. It has been awesome up in Whap. Kids are lovely. The only thing that drives me crazy is inconsistent attendance. It is normally to have no one show up on a Monday morning because they were partying on the weekend. Sometimes attendance is 50%

Update on computer: Someone was suppose to bring my new MacBook Air from Collingwood to Waskag. Now departure is delayed and I won't see it until the 16th ... when my online course is already over! I was expecting to get it this weekend so I could finish the last part of my course. I was so upset when I found out about the delay I started crying at school. I just felt so frustrated, trying to do my online course with my laptop screen burning out and practically researching and calling Apple for 4 days before I could just ORDER a new computer. Yeah, whatever ... first world problems. I realize that when I have not been eating well I get more emotional. It's just part of overall mental, emotionally and physical health - it's all linked together.

Bed now. Another Travel day tomorrow.

Last Day with Students

LEGO Mindstorm

It doesn't feel like work when you sit around and help kids play with LEGO all day!