No pictures today, mostly because I haven't been able to charge my camera for a couple days. This is what happens when there are 150km/hr winds and no power. We were about 24 hours without power yesterday, which meant a VERY cold morning, cancelled class, team naps in large beds for warmth and then a lot of lovely walks in the sunshine and making coffee on the gas stove in our house. It was actually really fun. We got about another five inches of snow last night, SO unusual for the islands. Haida Gwaii usually has winters very similar to Vancouver's, but this year is taking the cake for freak storms and crazy temperatures. It has warmed up considerably this week to about zero, which is really nice. I'm still wearing two pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, two tops, a sweater, a jacket, boots, a toque, scarf and mitts every time I leave the house, but at least I no longer feel like I'm going to freeze to death despite all those layers.
The best news right now is I thiiiink we've sorted our housing situation. The boys, T and M, have a two bedroom apartment and K and I have almost nailed down a two bedroom house just around the corner from them. So exciting. Trying to scrounge housing for four people in a community of 950 in ten days has been yet another example of the power of community. People stopped me in the grocery store (having bright white hair is helpful when people are looking for you) to tell me about places they thought might be available or coming available. People I'd never met before. This is a village that cares about it's members. Have I mentioned the giant crush I have on these islands? Has it become completely obvious yet?
Tomorrow we're writing our final for our very first course of the term. It's been phenomenal and really affected (effected? UGH) my perception of occ/enviro health, industry and community development. The next class is the history and policy of natural resource management (or possibly just of forestry...can't remember) which I'm very much looking forward to. I had the chance to pick the brain of one of my peer's husbands, who's a faller in Port. Really interesting guy. So now I'm totally obsessed with the forestry industry and trying to learn as much as I possibly can about how it functions (and fails to function).
Wish me luck on the exam tomorrow and hopefully I will soon be posting pictures of my new home!
No comments:
Post a Comment