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| Hello everyone, Time is passing quickly which means our departure from Pang is fast approaching. We have three days left before we are officially all packed up and ready to go. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! We have very mixed feelings about leaving Pang. It has been our home for the last three years and we’ve come to feel so comfortable here. We’ve enjoyed our jobs, had some amazing adventures, made some fabulous friends and were engaged here! It’s not easy to leave any of it behind, but we will of course always have the pictures and the memories. What is hardest for me, of course, is leaving my students of whom I’ve become really close to. Luckily, Iqaluit is just an hour plane ride away and I’m sure I’ll see all their smiling faces often. Even with our departure right around the corner, we still have A LOT to do to prepare. We’re just received our boxes this past Sunday evening. We had bad weather last week and a number of planes didn’t make it in, so the boxes were very late arriving. With the move, we’ve been experiencing a lot of lasts... like our last ski on the fiord, our last hike up Mt. Ammuqarulu, our last ski-doo ride, our last ride in the truck... etc. One of those was also our last hike up Mt. Duval last weekend with Kevin and his two pups Cleo and Billy. It was a beautiful day! The temperature got up to + 8 and the sun was shining J Here are some pictures from that day’s hike: 
 
     
 
In other news, last week was graduation preparation, which is one of the busiest weeks of the year for me. With exams, report card marks due and trying to organize the move, the workload was insane! But, thanks to a great grad committee, the Gr. 12 student helpers, friends and staff, another Attagoyuk graduation went without a hitch on Friday night! I was very proud of all 16 of our graduates. This bunch was particularly special to me. They were my very first class of Gr. 10’s. Here are some pictures from the evening’s events: 
 
  
 
 
It was such a great night! Congratulations to the class of 2009! Earlier in the week we receive a congratulations card from Andy, Aus' sister, for our recent engagement. She had heard that Pang's Tiffany's didn't have the greatest selection for rings, so she sent us these.... 
HAHAHA! Thanks Andy. They fit well and they were exactly what we had in mind! LoL. I think that’s all we have to report from Pang for now. We are really looking forward to being reunited with friends and family in Ontario next weekend! Also, I’m am excited to annouce the birth of my niece on Sunday June 21st! It is my brother Brad and his wife Anita's first baby. Baby Jordan was the Father's Day gift my brother was hoping for J She was born at 7:30am EST at 7 1/2 pounds. 
Welcome to the world baby girl. I can't wait to meet you! We have been busy planning our visit to Victoria, B.C. on July 7th to see them and meet the new Chapelle addition. My other big brother Spence, and Austin’s big sister Andrea, as well as our buddy Craig, will also be accompanying us on our western venture. Can’t wait! Hope everyone is enjoying the much more summer-like weather. Until next time.... Kim & Aus | | |
| So entry 2 for the day, what has been going on in Pang ( I wrote the other one 1st, but this site is reverse chronological, so if you want the big news first and the proper flow, skip to day's 2nd entry, then come back to this one.) Weather has gotten a lot warmer since last posting, it is now officially ‘Spring’. River is starting to thaw out, snow is melting, and it wont be long before the ice on the fiord goes out I imagine. Of course now we also don’t really get any darkness overnight, with only three weeks to the longest day. We have been trying to get out and enjoy this warmer weather as much as possible, but the deep snow that is soft and melting can make it difficult. We have had some hikes, ski season is officially over, and I got out shooting on the weekend with Mike, who helped get me accustomed to my new Digital SLR Camera.. Here are some photos of the changing weather etc. lately. The thawing near the river...BIG cracks in the land... 
 And some of the low hanging fog we have seen a lot of lately out at the end of the fiord.... 
Target shooting with Mike, and exploring features of the new camera.... 
In other news, we have also been lucky enough to host 2 governor generals in a 24 hour period. On Sunday, the current Governor General Michaelle Jean came in and was greeted with much fanfare. She has been a hot topic in the media lately due to her slicing and eating raw seal in Rankin Inlet. Only in the north do you get opportunities to so easily be face to face with such high government officials. We even got to shake her hand. She came in mostly I think because she wanted to see Pang, and she wanted to deliver a speech about youth. She did both, and even left the community with a blank cheque to buy computers for youth activities. Wow, good deal. Here are some shots from her visit. Anxious spectators.... 
Official greeting by the Canadian Rangers... 
Pang residents dressed in thier sealskin best.... 
Her and her daughter walking towards the airport getting ready for all the attention... 
The flurry of activity as she meets everyone and introduces her husband and daughter.. 
Now in Pang airport, Kim and her friend Jen strike a pose with distinguished guest in the background.. 
Entering the community centre in her Pang hat... 
Locals showing off...... 
One of Kim's students was honored with a community service award..... 
And the coimmunity honored the Governor General with a local tapestry... 
And of course I got to shake her hand.. 
Then on Monday, former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson came into town and was at the school talking to the kids. I did not get to see her, but I hear she wasn’t so exciting. And she did not have the entourage that Michealle Jean had. Nevertheless, a celebrity appearance that is noteworthy. Kim got a photo. 
I think that is most of the news for now. We are currently experiencing massive thawing and melting, so we are curious how the river will break up and how the bridges will hold up. It was exactly 51 weeks ago today that the bridges broke last year, so we shall see what happens. I think we will be fine, but you never know. Anyhow, that’s all the news for the moment. Hope all are well, and hopefully we will have more to say before we head out for summer holidays. Cheers, Austin | | |
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Greetings readers. First, the standard apologies for not posting in a month. But we have been very busy and have had lots going on. May has seen a lot of activity. So much activity in fact that it really warrants multiple postings. They are not chronological, but rather in order of significance. So in this first entry, I would like to announce some very big news for Kim and I. We are now engaged! We were out on a hike up Mount Ammuqarulu behind our house, and were having a great time reminiscing about our last three years here in Pangnirtung. We got to the top at the cross where we have been several times before, overlooking Pang, and we were reminiscing about all the great times we have had here, when I got down on one knee and popped the question. Kim was not expecting it at all, and she even asked me if I was joking, but eventually she clicked that I was serious and she said yes. We are both very excited, and are now hoping to soon set the date and get down to planning (or not planning as the case may be). We have quickly learned how intimidating it can all be. But we look forward to being married and we look forward to the eventual long honeymoon we are planning. Here are a few shots from that day. Cooling off with some snow on the way up as I sweat over asking the big question... 
Kim overlooking Pang from half way up... 
Up top now, solo portraits just moments before I proposed... 
Yes, in rubber boots and all, I proposed, northern style!. After briefly getting laughed at, we were both very exhilarated. Here we are, just moments after the engagement... 
And later that evening, glowing by the midnight twilight. 
So that is far and away the biggest news for us. The second bit of news that is big is that we will be moving to Iqaluit next year. Kim has accepted a position in the high school there, and I am still trying to find something, but am optimistic that something will work out soon. We look forward to being in a bit bigger place, and we look forward to having our buddy Craig around again too. We are quite busy getting set for the move, and getting ready for our holidays this summer, and also trying to plan a wedding at the same time. It’s all quite overwhelming, but in a good way for sure. And that brings you up to speed on our personal news. I will end this posting here, and continue to the next which brings you up to speed on Pang life lately. | | |
| Hi All, We have been lucky in this past week to host my parents for a week long visit. It was a great time for us, and I think it was a great time for them too. It was my mom’s third time here, but my dad’s first. I think he may have been a bit reluctant to come here, fearing that life may be a bit slow for his tastes, but I think we kept him busy enough to keep him occupied. They were lucky enough to experience pretty decent weather for the trip, except a bit of wind on their way out. We got them out ice fishing, into the national park, several walks, a failed attempt at summitting Mt Duval, to the Floe Edge, and they were able to take some time to explore town and learn about some history & culture. Most of these activities I have had the opportunity to experience before, but the Floe Edge was new for me, so that was pretty awesome. There are quite a few pictures from the week, so choosing the best was difficult, but here’s my go at it. On their first full day here we tried to take them up Mt Duval. Unfortunately snow conditions had changed drastically since our last attempt with Elaine, and we experience some problems getting off trail and into deep snow. As most northerner will know, when that happens, it sucks! When you get off the trail and the snow is fluffy and 6 feet deep, guess what? Your sled falls in 6 feet, and you have no footing to lift it out. So this happened once early on, and Kim and I spent 20 minutes lifting and manoeuvring the sled out. Unfortunately that was not enough to clue us in that maybe continuing was not the best idea. So we carried on, and we shortly experienced another fall off the trail. This time however it was Kim and my dad who had gone ahead on a steep part who had to do the lifting. So after about 30 minutes of painful effort on their part, they did successfully get the ski-doo back on the trail. By the time they had done that though, my dad was too sore and exhausted to have any desire to carry on. There are no pictures from this experience, so you will have to imagine the sweat and frustration. The second day we rested, apart from a nice cross country ski, which my dad walked due to lingering pain left from the previous day’s excursion. Here are some pictures from that day: 
The next outing was my parent’s trip to the park. I regretfully stayed behind and worked because the weather did not look all that great when they set out. But it turned out to be a fabulous day, and their pictures reveal that it was probably the prettier than any trip to the park I have yet experienced. Since its not my story, I will let their pictures do the talking…. 
The next day was an IQ day for Health & Social Services where I work, and I was able to bring my parents along for the day out with my colleagues. My parents were champs for roughing the unpadded kamotiq ride. It was a nice day out and good to get the opportunity to spend time outside the office. Unfortunately none of the Rice’s caught anything ourselves, but we were lucky enough to have our neighbours Jackie and Sheila take pity on us and share some of their catch so we could enjoy a fresh car dinner. It was the best fish I have ever eaten. Here are some shots from the day….. Mom & Dad showing off their style...... 
Louisa trying to teach me how to fish.... 
Now the next excursion was the Floe Edge, but this time my dad chose to sit it out due to his residual effects from the ski-doo ride up Duval and his unpadded kamotiq ride the day before. So it was Kim, my mom, and I, along with guides and students from Kim’s Spring Camp, which was luckily happening the same week as this visit. It was quite a long ride to get out there. About 3 hours each way, but it was well worth what we saw… 
After shooting a seal inthe first moments ath the floe edge, Roposie retrieves the body.. 
Our highlight of the day, a bowhead whale............... 
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It swam right upto us before heading below the ice....it was just amazing.... 
More attempts at seal hunting.... 
Napping... 
The Floe Edge was the last of the major excursions, and some rest was required by all of us. So mom & dad spent their next couple days exploring town while Kim went to camp and I went to work. Mom got to explore the ice a bit on one of our walks.... 
On their way out, to ensure they enjoyed the full spectrum of the northern travel experience, Canadian North was kind enough to offer a mechanical delay and eventual cancellation of their scheduled flight. So they got to go through the stress of travel delays, and as a bonus, they got to fight with Aeroplan just to get their seats, on numerous occasions! They were quite lucky I must say ;) But seriously, they did get out and only experienced a 24 hour delay, despite frustrations. So they are home safe and sound now and both report they had a great time. We were sad to see them go, but have been quite busy and have much to accomplish, so we have not yet had much of a chance to miss them. Nothing more to report at this time, but stay tuned for new. All the best to family, friends, and all other readers. Cheers, Austin | | |
| Wow, what a great holiday we just finished in California and Nevada. This is not a northern post, but oh well, we had so much fun we want to brag to family and friends. So here goes the story of our trip to California. This year we were lucky enough to have a planned spring break in Kim’s school year calendar for over the Easter weekend and the 4 days preceding it. That meant we could get out of the territory for a whole week and get south for some fun in the sun. Since we have such a ginormous list of places in the world we want to go, we decided to jump at that opportunity. We flew out Saturday April 4th, and had a night in Toronto with friends. It was great to see everyone and we wish we could have brought them all along for the whole trip. It was a quick visit that went to fast as always, but nice to see everyone. Sunday morning we had to get up early after just a couple of hours of sleep to catch our flight to San Francisco. It was a bit rough getting up so early after a late and fun-filled night, but we handled it fine. Not a bad flight, about 5 hours. I watched ‘Yes Man’, a very funny movie for those not offended by Jim Carrey. We arrived in San Francisco mid-day due to the time change, and had most of the afternoon to explore. We checked into our hotel near union square and then explored the area, along with Chinatown, Nob Hill, and Fisherman’s Wharf via the cable cars. We enjoyed a great dinner down by the Wharf, and then had an early night to catch up from the lack of sleep the night before. The next Day we explored San Francisco a bit more, checking out Golden Gate Park, the Golden Gate Bridge, more of Fisherman’s Wharf and Ghirardelli Square, the Embarcadero, and our favorite of the day, Haight-Ashbury. We picked up our mustang convertible and enjoyed the city a bit with the top down. It was good fun. Some pics from San Fran: Kim on the cable car... 
Austin looking across at Pier 39.... 
Enjoying a super delicious meal of clam chowder in a sourdough breadwbowl at Boudin bakery at Fishermen's wharf... 
Our super awesome mustang with Golen Gate Bridge and San Fran in the background.... 
Haight & Ashbury, still a hippie haven.... 
That evening we headed off to Monterey via the coast. It was a neat drive and we found some nice beaches along the way. Weather in Monterey was not the best, but it was nice spot despite that, and we got to explore it quickly before heading further down the coast to Cambria. This was a big drive, despite a relatively small distance. Very different terrain too, lots of curves, ascending and descending, tall cliffs, and some forest. We had originally planned more stops but weather was not great so we drove on, and arrived in Cambria around dinner time. Cambria was a pretty nice little spot. Som epics from Monetery, our drive, and Cambria..... Monterey/Pacific Grove seaside... 
Near Big Sur... 
The elephant seals near Cambria..... 
Kim testing the cold pacific waters at Cambria.... 
Our next destination was Ojai. Another coastal drive with a stop in Santa Barbara. It was enjoyable and not too rushed. Ojai was cute and very relaxed. We enjoyed a bike trip to Ventura Beach. That was an interesting one. We were told it was a 30 minute pleasure cruise and hour long ride back to the ‘gentle’ incline. Well it was not a gentle incline, it was in fact quite steep in parts, and it took us over an hour all downhill to get down there, about a 18 mile distance. So we decided due to time constraints to chicken out and catch the bus back to Ojai. Kim had to rush back to Ojai to make her massage appointment. We found Ojai to be a nice spot to relax and we really left all of our troubles behind there. It was really nice. Ventura beach on the bikes.... 
It was soon time to move on again, this time towards LA, Hollywood, and Santa Monica. LA was busy as heck and not much fun for driving. Hollywood and Beverley Hills were neat, despite not having much time to stop and look around. So we did a driving tour of Hollywood and Beverley Hills, checking out Hollywood Boulevard, Rodeo Drive, and some of the mansions in the area. It was fun. We then drove down Santa Monica Boulevard to the Ocean where we found our hotel for the night. We took the time to enjoy Santa Monica Pier, rode the Ferris wheel and all, and then proceeded to check out the beaches, all the way down to Venice beach. It is a really fun little area, with lots going on and lots of characters. We even got to watch the sunset! Our evening was fantastic too, and we headed out o Third Street Promenade for some sights and entertainment. It was a lot of fun to see the street performers, the shops, and we had a nice dinner where we had a celebrity spotting of Nicole Richie and Joel Madden. Hollywood sign... 
Santa Monica Pier... 
Muscle Beach at Santa Monica.... 
Lifeguard tower by sunset.... 
The next day it was off to Vegas! Las Vegas was loads of fun. We arrived mid-day and enjoyed some time at the pool. We stayed at the Wynn and it was pretty swanky. In the evening we hit the strip for some gambling and had a nice dinner. We saw a Cirque Du Soleil show, KA, which was fun. We then stayed up most of the night and tried to squeeze as much as possible into our last night. We got a few hours of sleep and then woke up and enjoyed what little sunshine we could before starting our long journey home. Vegas baby, Vegas! 
The whole trip was just so much fun. Thank goodness for Spring Breaks! I thought they ended in University, but this year we got another one! I like that idea for every year. Anyhow, we are now back in Pang and the weather is pretty decent here. It’s been very warm and there has been some melting though, so hopefully we have another month or so of winter activities. We are extremely busy with work now that we’re back, and are dealing with a lot of big decisions, so we are in a bit overwhelmed in general. Hope everyone else is happy and enjoying life. To friends and family: looking forward to seeing you next time we are home. Cheers, Austin | | |
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