The 'regular' work week has drawn to a close and so I am now just looking at being on call for Friday and Saturday. Of course the new kid on the team gets to do the weekend call - you know how that works no matter where you are right? This week I'm feeling a little bit more sure of myself and as well it's a better situation as there has been an extra nurse added to the mix so someone is available (and not booked with their own patients) if I need a second opinion. Sure would've welcomed that feature last week as it was just - we're short staffed, here's your office and the clerk put a chart in my door and....we're off. It reminds me of the trip we took 18 years ago to South America where we travelled for about two weeks through Ecuador and Chile and then by the time we got to Argentina we were provided with a translator (who has turned out to be a long time friend). But after a couple of weeks we were already managing to avoid ordering organ or mystery meats for lunch en espanol so it felt like a bit after the fact. In the end we realized that the translator was for the mistress of one of the Argentine businessmen as she could speak NO english. At any rate I am beginning to hit my stride I think and am looking forward to another turn after the holidays so it's all good.
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| It snowed for a couple of days |
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| I got out at lunch with my camera |
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| Notice the ski too near the light |
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| Honda to skidoo season |
So January will be 'real winter' here. I overheard one of the patients saying to a nurse that they were waiting for winter. I thought to myself 'this much snow with these temperatures is winter where I come from'. And to think of the rest of Canada as down south takes some getting used to because down south to us Maritimers is the Caribbean somewhere - although I guess it's all relative as it's not -11 where I come from today, it's raining. The white stuff has sure made it easier to keep up with the mud and dust though. I thought I had emailed myself a copy of the storm closure policy from the work email but I can't find it so will have to post it another time. Needless to say the parameters are a tad severe compared to 'down south'. And speaking of needing to keep warm and returning in January...I made a connection with a lady wearing a beautiful parka this week and asked where she got it - her mother (from Gjoa Haven a community in the region) had sewn it. She is coming in on Oct 24th so I have plans to connect with her to see what she can come up with. The footwear here are called kamiks (mukluks in Labrador) and I have my eye on those for another time perhaps. Especially if I want to go for a Honda (local term for 4wheeler) trip. The parkas and kamiks look something like this:
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| A different colour perhaps? |
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| Seal skin kamiks |
With the weather cancelling flights the previous two days, patients were starting to back up as they waited to get out for tests or procedures and the selection in the grocery store was being impacted - still lots to eat but not as much variety. Clearly you can see that there is a large population of Newfoundlanders here as it would make you think you're in Labrador what with the Purity syrup, Pilot biscuits and all as seen below here.
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| Cam Bay ethnic foods |
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| Staff appreciation luncheon |
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| Ah, bannock - yum! |
However, despite the challenges (and expense of northern groceries) today at work we had a staff appreciation luncheon which included a wonderful roast ham and turkey provided by the facility manager and we all brought salads etc. It was quite a spread. I did enjoy the dried caribou but passed on the caribou fat (which I had thought was char so good thing someone educated me on that) just glad there was no fermented walrus especially after I had been studying the immunization guide to write my test and learned there are cases of botulism from it. However, the bannock pictured above, made by one of the elders was wonderful. Haven't had bannock since 1979.
Now for all those coworkers of mine who ask about the health centre and what it looks like here is the Emergency Room areas. You'll find some distinct similarities between what I just left and the new spot.
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| Trauma room |
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| Xray at back and obs thru sliding door |
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| Special procedures room |
And speaking of work, apparently there is a staff member arriving (the ultrasound tech is coming in to do all the prenatal ultrasounds for a few days) who will need to be picked up tomorrow at the airport and I'm hoping to be tagged for the job as it will give me a chance to see a bit of the town which I was whisked by on my arrival. The airport has been in the news lately with the announcement of some funding for the runway:
NEWS: Nunavut October 12, 2012 - 12:56 pm
Another aircraft damaged by CamBay’s gravel runway
Gravel damaged a First Air ATR's propeller on Oct. 10
JANE GEORGE
CAMBRIDGE BAY — Airlines, which service Cambridge Bay, and their passengers are eager to see the Cambridge Bay airport runway paved after yet another aircraft suffered damages this past week during landing.
On Oct. 10, a First Air ATR, was damaged during landing when gravel, thrown up in a mix of snow from the runway, hit a propeller.
Passengers didn’t even realize what happened, said Rudi Philips, who works with First Air in Cambridge Bay. The aircraft remains grounded in Cambridge Bay, awaiting repairs.
Cambridge Bay is one of only two gravel runway airports left in Nunavut with jet service.
A similar incident on landing damaged a 737 combi jet
last May in Cambridge Bay.
Despite runway maintenance, these incidents occur every year and “the aircraft get banged up,” Philips said.
As I was getting ready to post I just looked at the description of this blog as someone wanting to run away to warmer climes and retire and thought how it might seem to others that this goal was further away. Not so, with the serious cash I am earning in the cold I will be able to play in the sun during my time off. And working half time is a lot closer to retirement than my previous full time hours. Not to mention that I am learning LOTS!
