Don't Worry Be Happy

In the past year I have crossed the international date line, the equator and now the Arctic Circle. Not something I'll likely do in any year ever again! Inuvik has a highly diverse population - people either grew up here or arrived here from far away places. At the local sandwich shop, two of the guys are from Tunisia and one from Jordan. (And they make a delicious schawarma sandwich.) Today at school I met one of the CUSO volunteers from Germany. I've seen more black people in my few days here than I have in Vernon. Areas like this tend to attract people from a wide variety of backgrounds and reasons for being here.  A large majority of the teachers I've met are from Nova Scotia or Newfoundland - all are making a life for themselves here - not necessarily just passing through, although I'm sure there's some of that too. Another animal display in the Inuvik airport Yesterday I gave a presentation about online learning to ALL the teachers in the district. Th...

Inuvik.  Not Iqaluit. Or Inuktitut. Or Nunavut. Inuvik. In the Northwest Territories. Above the Arctic Circle. That's where I ended up this week to give a presentation to teachers about online learning, specifically Moodle (the online learning platform that I've been working with). Inuvik. 4500+ km as the crow flies from the place we just spent the past 6 weeks - St. Andrews New Brunswick.  There likely are 2 points in Canada that are farther away from each other but not many. Inuvik.  No polar bears. No igloos. But a community garden greenhouse.  Check it out on Google maps street view - you can go right inside .  It used to be the arena. And how do you get there? Well we started from Kelowna on Friday night with a direct flight to Whitehorse. Surprisingly this is one of the few domestic flights I've been on that actually provided food - a nice little plate of cheese, grapes, sliced meats, warm chocolate chip cookie - thanks Air North! Unfortunately the...