Speaking of the airport....I did the most stressful task that I've been asked to do since arriving here - I drove for the first time in Nunavut. Since I was second on call I was designated to go to the airport and pick up the two physicians arriving on Monday evening. It was bitterly cold on my scrub pant clad legs, I didn't even know where the garage was, I struggled with the garage door closer (and yes the door most certainly had to be closed after exit at -57 c) and driving an SUV I'd never seen before. I get out on the gravel street with the instructions "just turn right and drive towards the lights out at the end of the road" ringing in my ears with the ice fog so thick I could use radar and I bump along towards a collection of trucks and skidoos. I push my way inside the crowded terminal and find the community physician with the description of "he looks like a tall Steve Martin" who hails from interior BC and the Internal Medicine specialist who is a petite, perhaps 40ish female who is in from Yellowknife and we scuff our way outdoors to the half ton truck which has all the luggage from the flight in the back - the baggage carousel so to speak. The packs are grabbed, stuffed into the SUV and we head back to the hamlet. Dr. Smit instructs to "turn right here" as I locate the Boothia Inn - helpful as I've never been this way before but I think he's a bit alarmed I don't know my way - and I drop them off for supper. Return the vehicle to the garage (tight squeeze) and get the door closed and back to the health centre. Whew!
I grabbed a quick supper and headed over to the school for the community feast / awards presentation / dancing which was scheduled as the Premier (Eva Aariak) and Commissioner of Nunavut were attending to present the awards. I'm not really a political animal but I'm including the link to the premier's office here as there are some great photos and information about Nunavut:
The feast included char chowder, caribou stew and bannock and this was enjoyed by a large crowd. The dancing is a traditional form of jigs and reels - square dancing / Inuit dancing to fiddles, accordions, drums, guitars which is a remnant of the Scottish whalers heritage. Since I was second on call and had whined at the person I was backing up in order to go (I'll call the police and they'll go to the school and find you if I need you, I was told - the RCMP were already there so Iqaluit could've radioed them) I made my way home by 9 p.m. just as things were getting fired up in the music department.
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| Serving chowder |
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| Everyone enjoying the meal |
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| Great anorak and mitts |
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| All generations attended the feast |
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| Char chowder |
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| Dancers |
Speaking of the health centre.....and for those in health care that this info will mean something to......the SHP (which stands for Supervisor Health Programs) or boss lives in the apartments with the rest of us over the health centre. There are three transient apartments here. The SHP is a full time indeterminant (here in Nunavut permanent is called indeterminant). Someone asked me a question about PACS (this is a system in NS for sharing diagnostic images) and NO there is no PACS system here. The janitor does the xrays during the day (nurses do them after hours) and we only do chest and limbs. They are developed in the dark room (just like back in the day in the rest of the country) with all those chemicals and the film is sent out to be read by a radiologist....sometime or sent with the patient if medevacing them out. We can take digital photos of the xrays and send them off to the receiving physicians though.
Although I have been scoffed at for dragging all the luggage I brought I notice that I am frequently asked "do you have?" just like when I vacation with the life partner and he brags at travelling very lightly and only taking a small bag while making fun of my luggage with the "magic bag with everything in it" although he's the first one to ask "do you have......?"
Had a nice skype chat with the baby daughter this evening. Amongst her other calamities was that her duvet was stolen from the dryer at the laundromat "and it wasn't even dry!" she says. We were discussing her paper on horizontal violence in the workplace and any nurse could give you lots of raw material for that one. Will have to catch the other two daughters one of these evenings for Skype as well. Thought of all my girls when I found this quote:
I managed to make apple crisp (as the apples hadn't handled the frigid transport all that well) in between all my socializing so am in high demand for a roommate. My roomie says that she won't fit into her snow pants if I don't stop soon and since she does Homecare she HAS to wear those.
Had a nice skype chat with the baby daughter this evening. Amongst her other calamities was that her duvet was stolen from the dryer at the laundromat "and it wasn't even dry!" she says. We were discussing her paper on horizontal violence in the workplace and any nurse could give you lots of raw material for that one. Will have to catch the other two daughters one of these evenings for Skype as well. Thought of all my girls when I found this quote:
I managed to make apple crisp (as the apples hadn't handled the frigid transport all that well) in between all my socializing so am in high demand for a roommate. My roomie says that she won't fit into her snow pants if I don't stop soon and since she does Homecare she HAS to wear those.
Well, time to call it in as I'm on call tomorrow and won't be sure of crawling in to bed whenever I want.
