Montreal so far

So we've been living in Montreal for about 6 months now, although, actually it still feels more like I've been regularly vacationing there with the amount of time I've spent working in Saskatchewan. Genevieve could probably give a better idea of what daily life is like in Montreal. What I can do is share a bit of how I've found the city, and province, so far.

I spent a week in Montreal when I was 20, so before this move, like London, I had some idea what to expect while Genevieve was going into it completely blind. At least when you tell people that you are moving to Montreal everyone has something great to say about the city, or at least they've heard good things and want to visit. That was a nice change from the sympathetic looks you get telling people you are moving to Alberta.

Montreal is a very beautiful city, the European influence is more obvious than anywhere else I've been outside Europe, and it does make it an exciting place to be even when you’re just running errands. The Old Port is the most obvious example but the entire city really reflects this style. I really love how much of the city streets are lined with 2 and 3 story rowhouses with the wrought iron staircases. It’s a stark contrast from the urban sprawl of most other cities in Canada to see so many people actually living IN the city they choose to live in. The endless miles of cookie cutter homes and 2 hour commutes does not do it for me, and living in the Plateau in Montreal is the perfect alternative to that.

I read a stat that said a person could eat at a different restaurant every day for 13 years in Montreal, and I believe it. The population density means that in every neighbourhood there are countless options for dining, shopping and entertainment. There are so many bars and restaurants within a 5 minute walk from our door that we won’t even scratch the surface. The city parks are lively, ice skating and tobogganing in the winter and picnicking with beer and wine in the summer, especially the Sunday phenomenon of Tam-Tams with thousands of people gathering at Mont Royal park for drum circles, larping, circus training and general lounging in the sun. It’s so pedestrian friendly that weather permitting you can walk or ride a bike to pretty well anything you need to do, I think I drove or took the metro maybe 5 times before the snow came. When Chris and Phil came to visit in September we rode the bike share Bixi’s all over the city, to skate spots and bars, without ever riding more than maybe 15 minutes.

Unlike the “Festival City” we moved from, Montreal actually has a ridiculous amount of events going on year round. Every time I walked around a corner this summer a street would be blocked off for another event I hadn't heard of. We only got here in August last year so I’m really looking forward to seeing what else the city has to offer this summer. Montreal considers itself to be mentioned in the same breath as London, Paris and New York, and while I wouldn't agree with that if it means they keep trying so hard to be relevant and exciting that’s fine by me.

One of the main reasons I was excited to come here was to have a home base on the other side of the country. It’s pretty cool to have so many new options for road trips, which we've already taken advantage of with a couple trips to New York. I've wanted to visit NYC for a very long time but I never expected I’d first see Manhattan by driving straight into it. I absolutely loved both my trips there and can’t wait to go back. I can see why people would draw comparisons between New York and Montreal, they’re both very exciting and vibrant cities with endless options for entertainment thanks to their population density. One of my parallel lives could definitely be living in New York.

We've also gotten to ice skate the Rideau Canal in Ottawa and explore the old walled city in Quebec. There are a number of new cities to see near us, as well as friends in Toronto, and family in the Maritimes. I also bought a Backroad Mapbook for Southern Quebec that looks like there will be a lot of options to get out and explore some lakes and ‘mountains’ north of the city.

Now I couldn't write this blog without venting some frustrations about Quebec, but I’ll try to keep it brief. I moved here with an opinion of this province and that hasn't changed. I don’t agree with a province that has little to offer the country, aside from Olympic athletes, making so many threats and demands, especially the spoiled brat mentality that it wants to move out from its parents’ house and keep the credit card. I don’t agree with a government exploiting its own racism and oppressing minorities to push for separation because they feel their culture is oppressed. I don’t understand why the road signs at Tofino’s national park, over 5000km from any New France claim or French speaking Canadian, are in French but when I’m 1km from Ontario’s border important road signs pertaining to construction or lane closures are not in English.

As a white male growing up in BC I have been fortunate enough to never really experience prejudice, it’s been a very strange and eye opening experience to live where there is the chance that somebody is going to be a total asshole to you for no reason. Of course this is not the norm, but it’s happened on enough occasions that it isn't exactly rare either. I actually kind of appreciate getting a small idea of what it feels like to have someone’s pre judgment affect how they treat you, but at the same time it would be nice to deal with people that didn't treat you like shit for being Anglophone. It’s true that you can get by in Montreal without French, but there is a huge difference between the fluent English you get from a McDonalds employee and the broken English and snarky attitude you get from a government employee when you’re trying to sort out your vehicle registration.
I do appreciate how hard it must be to preserve their language in an English speaking continent. Quebec wouldn't be as foreign and exciting if it wasn't for the language. I think the important thing for me is to stop expecting this place to feel like Canada, it may have the same money but the similarities dwindle after that, a trip to the US feels like going home.
They’re also fighting a losing battle so it would just be petty to make a big deal about it, I give it another hundred years, tops.

Growing up in BC I always ranked the provinces by their natural beauty, but after living in 4 of them now I am starting to appreciate that there is more to a province than scenery. I know I've talked a lot of shit about my time in Edmonton, but there is something to be said about a province that has lots of well paying jobs and opportunity for a good quality of life, and the fact that income tax and sales tax are so much lower is not something to be ignored. I still have no desire to settle in Alberta or Saskatchewan, but I can at least see now why people do. The people in Edmonton and Saskatoon are also the most genuine I've come across. Vancouver is full of yoga hipsters, Montreal is full of artiste hipsters and Calgary is full of cowboy hipsters. People seem a lot more concerned with image in those cities, but there is no bullshit in the cities that aren't as cool. People are just themselves, for better or worse, they aren't trying to impress you. I still like BC best, it will always be home, but I am really enjoying gaining a little more perspective.

It’s no secret that I wasn't ready to leave London and moving to Edmonton was kind of a shock to the system, I was still feeling a lot of wanderlust. Montreal is the furthest you can get from home in Canada and for now that’s still what I’m after. I might rant occasionally about Quebec but in reality it’s none of my business, I don’t even work here. Montreal itself is a fantastic city, in my opinion the best city in Canada, and this is the perfect time in our lives to be here.

-Justin

Thoughts from the road

It's been quite a contrast, spending last year outside of Canada and this year all over so much of it. On top of this drive to Montreal I've done many trips to Vancouver, Saskatoon and Calgary. Here are a few random thoughts from the road. 

- My truck was making squeaks and groans over bumps lately and I wanted to sort everything out before leaving so I took it in to have everything looked at. $1700 later it's worse than it was, and I had to keep the windows closed at all times to stop it from stressing me out. De ja vu. 

- I have a feeling the guy with a lifted SUV with Alberta plates stands no chance of not getting ripped off by a mechanic in Quebec. 

- It's difficult to get a good nights sleep when I'm so paranoid about my truck and everything in it disappearing. I stopped mentally calculating at $20,000, not to mention irreplaceables

- Hotels cost twice as much as motels, and they generally suck all the same. 

- Banff and Jasper get all the glory, but I think Roger's Pass is my favourite part of the Rockies. BC for the win.

- Google Maps and a GPS are great for turn by turn directions between two points, but you still can't beat a good old fashioned map book for actually planning your trip. 

- The 2 best skate parks in Canada are Winnipeg and Thunder Bay, 2 of the worst cities. 

- Road work crews take full advantage of the short Canadian summer

- Why is it that some people drive 10 under the limit during the single lane and then speed up to 10 over as soon as you get a chance to pass. 

- When you hit Manitoba the speed limit drops to 100 but the highway is exactly the same. The dirt roads that run parallel have a speed limit of 90. Figure that out. 

- It might not take 2 full days to drive through Ontario if it wasn't 2 lanes the whole way. Not enough tax dollars in Ontario?

- The bags on my passenger seat make  the seat belt light flash, just to remind me that I'm flying solo

- It's not all bad being alone, when Spice up your life comes on there's no awkwardness. I can even sing along if I want to. Having said that there are a lot of non Spice Girls songs that need to be purged from my ipod after this trip. 

- I have a lot of songs about driving down a highway. If I start doing a bunch of drugs and become more of a promiscuous heartbreaker I'll be able to relate to pretty well all of them.

- There is a lighthouse in the prairies. It's on a small lake in Alberta of course. 

- Rivers east of the Rockies look like chocolate milk

- I never drink coffee because I don't like the taste, but I've been choking back energy drinks. 

- I wonder if peeing in a Gatorade bottle is included in distracted driving legislation. 

- If I drive 15-20km over the limit and take the necessary gas, food and bathroom breaks I can usually hit the gps's arrival time right on the money. 

- In Italy my tomtom's "shortcuts" lead us on lovely countryside drives off the beaten path. In Canada it's ridiculous and I have to ignore it anytime it veers off the norm. 

- If you are proud of the fact your town won 'communities in bloom' in 1997, don't be. As far as I can tell every city in Canada has won at some point. 

- Someone needs to fund a pro-abortion billboard campaign. That side of the debate is grossly under represented on the side of the highway. 

- Amish people are real. 

- Northern Ontario is a lot more scenic than I remember. The lakes around Kenora look amazing, and the whole drive along Lake Superior is really nice too. Just don't tell anyone from Ontario I said that. 

- The drive between Ottawa and Montreal is real life frogger. It's also less than 2 hours so I'm looking forward to a couple weekend trips. 

- It's a joke that from Manitoba on there has been French on the road signs, but once you hit Quebec there's not a word of English. Should come as no surprise there's already a blog (rant) brewing about this province's stubbornness about their dead language. 

Bitterness aside, I'm really happy to have finally arrived in our new home. 6500km and over $1300 in gas and here I am. Montreal is an awesome city that I'm really excited to get to know better. Genevieve picked us a nice place in a great looking neighbourhood. I think it's gonna be fun. 

Island Time

It doesn't take long for Qualicum to feel like home again. No matter how often I'm away, and lately that's been a lot, it feels like I never left when I'm there. I came here to load up the truck with some more of our possessions in storage at my dad's, but I stayed a week because it's been a long couple of years so far away from friends and family. 

I couldn't have asked for a better week, the weather has been phenomenal lately and I was able to see the island at it's best. Nobody needs to be told that after 9 months in Edmonton the mountains, lakes, rivers and beaches of BC are a welcome sight. It was especially nice to get out camping with my mom exploring places I'd never been. Even after all the time I've spent in QB there are lakes less than 2 hours away I've never been to. That's what makes the island so amazing.

It's always great to see my dad too. It was fun to cruise around town in his new Datsun and see the one he's working on for me. Luckily he saved some wiring at his house so I could feel useful, and his parts tally for the car was good motivation to get back to work. There was no shortage of financial motivation this week actually. 

It was really great to see all my friends too. I'd almost forgotten what a close group of friends felt like. It's been a fun couple years but it's also been a bit lonely at times. Just being able to go to the skate park, the river, and a back yard with a good group is something I took for granted before and I really appreciate now. 

I've got a number of parallel lives I wish I was living. Staying in London is one of them, but I think the one I'm most curious about is just being back on the island and enjoying good friends, family and surroundings.

I'm really happy with the direction my life has gone and is going, but after every good trip back home I wonder what I'm missing. I am; however,really looking forward to getting to Montreal and seeing Genevieve and the new home she's started for us. Now I've just got to cross the country to get there. 

The Beginnings of a Montreal Life

I just had to call the city of Montreal's help line in desperation because my borough's website is all in French and does not have an English option. I was trying to figure out how to get a parking permit so when Justin arrives he can park in our neighbourhood. Luckily the man on the other end of 311 spoke English and was very helpful. The language has been an issue... I don't even know how to call a cab. And trying to purchase huge things like beds and couches from French only speakers has been frustrating, mostly because I feel stupid. It seems like this is going to be the norm here. I need to learn French ASAP.

It's been a very busy couple days. Running around the city trying to rent a flat and buy a bed and furniture, all while figuring out the metro and buses. Transit is all very easy for the most part with the help of Google maps (only one major error which led to an hour delay walking aimlessly along a freeway before a $12 taxi ride to the correct address). My feet are killing me.

Just one of the old homes in my neighbourhood

My mom came to 'take care of me' for this week -- which was really nice of her. I didn't necessarily think I needed her help, but she wanted to feel needed, so I figured what was the harm. Her arms sure have come in handy -- especially as I was carrying a bed-in-a-bag, air mattress, and mattress topper for far too long around the city. I am going through some intense car withdrawals. I know it will wear off soon.

I am really happy so far with the place I have rented. It's probably too early to really tell because normal life hasn't set in, but the neighbourhood is so beautiful, and the condo is brand new; The appliances still have all the instructions in them. You can take a look at our place here - We are apartment 100 on the list of one bedrooms. It doesn't show the amazing huge courtyard that we are the only ones with access to. I think it's going to be really great.

The city is absolutely vibrant. I have seen a lot of it while looking for a home and trying to find the big box stores. The food is decent and we've only had the cheap touristy stuff. We went to a Just for Laughs show last night and it was awesome. The festival itself is huge and so much is going on at different venues throughout the city.


So far it's been a very draining, overwhelming experience, but I know it's going to get better and better once I sort everything out. I can't wait to explore everything when I have time to enjoy it.

Poutine - of course!

Smoked Meat Sandwich!

Canadian Rockies

So the big news in our lives is that Genevieve has been offered a job with the new Breakfast TV in Montreal and we will be moving there in a couple weeks. It's going to be an exciting new challenge for sure, and personally I'm really looking forward to putting Edmonton behind me. There has been one thing, however,  that's been a real diamond in the rough that I had wanted to write a little blog about, and that's been the Canadian Rockies.

I had always been of the opinion that the mountains in Canada, and the Rockies especially, were the most beautiful and stunning mountains in the world without question. I think you just grow up with that impression in BC. When we drove through the Alps, particularly the Dolomites in Italy, I was really surprised, humbled and a little disappointed by just how incredible they were. My whole belief system was rocked. At the time I thought they were easily more spectacular, they are jagged and raw, with peaks and valleys one after the other. The roads were thrilling hairpin turns and switchbacks. It really opened my eyes to the fact that while Canada is great and all, there's a whole big world out there challenging our landscape even where we excel most.

Before moving to Edmonton I had already driven through the Rockies more times than I can count, but the key words there are driven through. It's always been on the way to somewhere else, and while driving through both routes, Jasper and Banff, offer amazing scenery from the highway there is something to be said for making a destination of them and taking the time to stop and explore. In the past 8 months we've been lucky enough to do that several times. We've also driven through several more on our trips to BC. The first couple times through I still felt the Alps had us beat, but I'm beginning to appreciate the differences. The most obvious being the wildlife, we saw almost nothing in Europe and there is so much to see in the Rockies. Never been through without seeing at least an elk or some sheep. The little gophers and prairie dogs are awesome to watch stand on end and peak out of their holes. Reminds me of the British obsession with meerkats.

Our first visit was a 5 day stay in Canmore in February for some skiing and snowboarding at Sunshine and Lake Louise. We stayed at a condo with Gen's sister Michelle and a couple friends from the island, Cory and Ryan. We got great weather both times we went up the mountain, and the riding on Lake Louise was awesome. That's a mountain I'd love to go back to. Sunshine wasn't as great terrain wise, but the views were absolutely stunning. We had a perfect sunny day and you could see just how expansive the Rockies are from up there, seemingly endless peak after peak.

We went for a light hike through Johnson Canyon to the frozen waterfalls there a different day. The blue ice on the cliffs and the still beauty of frozen waterfalls are something you probably can't easily visit in many other countries. Cory and I were really tempted to dip at the pool below the falls, but a nearby tour guide assured us it would be certain death. This only fueled my desire, but the exit looked a little treacherous for frozen hands and feet so we had to opt for an easier entry point down the river. I'm always up for some stupid swimming and the looks on peoples faces was priceless as we ran back to the truck in our skivvies. A fascinated little girl told me I was silly as I clambered up the snowy bank. She was right.

We also had a night out on the town in Banff, which was a reasonably priced cab ride from Canmore, and had a lot of fun at a couple different places. These ski towns can be a really good time, and in another life I would love to have spent a season or 2 on the mountain. Aussies are far from perfect, but damn do they travel well.

Our second trip was to Jasper for a couple days when our friends Jaimie and Matt visited from Vancouver in April. We decided to take them to the mountains since there's only so much you can do in Edmonton after the mall and an Oilers game. The snow was still out and we had a nice walk through Maligne Canyon and the frozen waterfalls there. We drove out to Medicine Lake which was still covered in snow and ice and surrounded by the mountains. We had a close encounter there with a fox that was a bit of a show off. Jasper is a nice little town and the brew pub there was great for cheap craft beers and tasty food.

Our last and most memorable trip was just Gen and I, and her parents dog Zia, camping for 5 days from Kananaskis Country south of Canmore up the Icefields Parkway to Jasper. We went in early June, which is apparently still off season so camping was limited. Reminded me of trying to camp in Italy in September. Most people just seem to enjoy a 2 month season it seems. We did find couple nice spots, and everywhere we drove was spectacular. The weather wasn't great the first couple days, but we were lucky enough that it was inconsistent so we did still get the views of the peaks and the sun on the snow and water that really brings out the beauty of the mountains.

Even in June the tour buses were aplenty at the more famous spots like the Columbia Icefield and Moraine Lake. I think the tourism spectacle might be a bit much in high season. It was kind of strange to see Canada's vast natural landscape as a tourist attraction, especially the price gouging. Food along the Icefields Parkway is insanely priced, and a 90 minute boat ride on Maligne Lake was over $60 each. Our cruise around Cinque Terre in Italy was like $15 and I hate to say it, looked a hell of a lot better. These busy spots are quite picturesque though, and worth a look. Luckily there's countless equally nice and empty places to see with a little more exploration.

We headed east from the Saskatchewan River crossing towards Rocky Mountain House to a campsite at Crescent Falls that Michelle recommended. The site was awesome and the falls were nice too, but the weather wasn't great that night. We stopped at a lot of different waterfalls on the way up to Jasper, as well as a snowy walk up the the viewpoint at Peyto Lake. The turquoise water was something photos don't do justice.

Our last night was just past Jasper on the Snaring River. This was a great little campground with a bunch of spots right on the river. I've realized that unless I'm camping within 100 feet of water the spot is a bit of a failure. It happened a lot in Europe, but luckily only once on this trip, and very view times in Canada in general.

The unexpected highlight of that trip came in the small mining town of Nordegg, west of Rocky Mountain House. We stopped here for the necessities, and found ourselves at the Beer Cabin, a log cabin turned cold beer & wine. The owners were an old couple, him from England and her from Scotland. We ended up being there for well over an hour listening to their life story. He had visited the area decades ago training with the British Army and loved it so much they ended up back here years later. They had lived all over the world and had such a fascinating life. He loved to talk and she loved to add her tidbits at all the right times. It sounds stupid but it was really enjoyable, and it was so nice to relate what little travel experience we had with them, and just listen to all of theirs. Some of the most interesting people we've met have been the ones that took chances, stepped out of their comfort zones, and worked hard along the way to make it all possible. It's a real inspiration. On that note, I'm gonna go duck into a mine for another 12 hours and then move to Montreal to give that a whirl. Wish us luck.

-Justin

Concrete Tundra

Snow blows over the concrete tundra

like low lying ghosts from an ancient era.

The sprawl of steel and rigs on the road

surely wasn't what they dreamed long ago. 

It's a crude life for many, a cold one for the rest. 

Dad's gone for a while. Mom's trying her best.

Men here have been wearing flannel and tight jeans

long before this hipster scene. 

'Help Wanted' signs in every window. 

People get high. The taxes are low. 

Forget the formalities just hop in and drive

those jacked up trucks; a source of pride. 

Pump jacks nod their heads in pleasure,

they keep working despite the weather. 

It snows in the fall, and in the spring there's still snow. 

It might snow in the summer for all I know. 

It's something only a Canadian can truly understand;

day to day living in this frozen flat land. 

Paying Dues

I've joked about working up in a camp for a couple of years now, never really sure how serious I was. However, the more money we spent in Europe the more it started looking like the best option, so when Genevieve's parents offered up their basement in Edmonton for a year that was kind of the catalyst. I've never liked Edmonton, I don't enjoy the cold, and working in a camp sounded like hell to me, but the idea of a new challenge after our year in London coupled with the ability to make twice as much money with half as many bills was enough to send us to the frozen north.

I knew a bunch of people who were working or have worked up north and got plenty of advice and companies to try, but when it came to getting a job it ended up being as simple as emailing about a dozen postings I found online and picking the offer I liked best. It's a workers market right now, which was really nice. The idea of working in a uranium mine in the middle of nowhere northern Saskatchewan was scary, but the money was better than anything in Fort McMurray, and it was 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off, which is pretty sweet. Turns out I much prefer the 15 degrees it is underground to the -40 it is above, so that was a real bonus I hadn't planned on.

I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I left. The information I was given was pretty well useless. I packed all kinds of winter gear I wasn't sure if I'd need, because I sure as hell didn't want to be unprepared. The address they gave me for the small private hangar near the Edmonton Airport was bogus, so finding that place took some time. That whole first day, flying out of Edmonton on a tiny propeller plane over 2 hours of flat frozen nothingness and landing in this dirty oasis, I was completely out of my element. It was a trip.

It's a little hard to explain what this place is like, I think in a way it's exactly how you would imagine it and completely different at the same time. It's a collage of shitty temporary buildings scattered on the tundra around a couple small towers that stand over shafts that lead to another world half a kilometer down. There's one permanent building where the kitchen, gym, some administrative rooms and some residences for permanent staff are. The rest of the place is a mess of Atco portable modules. The camp I'm in is about 40 years old, was moved here a few years ago and will likely crumble into the ground where it stands. The rooms are dirty, the walls are paper thin and the bathrooms are disgusting. The duct from the furnace goes through every room, so snores, farts and coughs flow freely throughout the place. There's also a lot of pigs here with little respect for the place or other peoples comfort, which can be frustrating. Anyone who has backpacked Europe, it is far worse than any hostel I have ever seen. Far worse.

The people up here are a mix, many seem relatively normal, like I would consider myself. Others seem to be the exact amount of fucked you would expect from a life long camp worker. There are just as many met expectations as there are surprises up here. A surprise I should have expected was the number of natives working here. Probably around a third are Saskatchewan locals from the nearby (1000km radius) area. Makes sense when an employer this size opens up shop, and it's really good to see so many working hard and making a decent living. I just hope anyone whose job affects my safety is here because they're the best at what they do. I also hadn't expected to see so many women, around 1 in 10. There's a lot of work being done here besides the trades underground, if you don't like your office you should see these ones. It'd be a strange place to be a woman. There are a lot of people working here from all over Canada, it's not quite like meeting people from all over the world when traveling, but it has been really cool to learn more about other cities and provinces. Newfie accents are always a treat too.

The food here is alright, I'd heard camp food was pretty good, and I'm told this is some of the best. I wouldn't rave about it, but there's always choice and it's rarely gross. It does take effort to have reasonable portions and some healthy options when you have the choice to eat all the fried unhealthy junk you want every day. The Christmas and New Year's dinners were quite a treat, almost enough to forget where you were for a minute. There's a nice gym that some of the guys play ball hockey in once in a while, which has been a lot of fun. Really puts to shame how rarely we played back home considering here we're working 12 hours every day. It's not easy on the body, but it's good to do something other than work, eat and sleep once in a while.

The first time I was squeezed in the cage with 20 other guys to descend 500m of darkness to the mine is something I won't forget. There's no rails except where you stop, so the cage lowers on cables in silence, swaying side to side, water dripping all around. It's eery. The mine itself is more open than I expected. The passageways are wide enough for full sized scoops to race up and down with buckets of rock and mud. There are many open areas, where I do most of my work, that will house all the various equipment and machinery when the mine is operational. Some of these areas are quite large, it's amazing to think that every bit of rock went up that small shaft, and every piece of equipment came down it. All the heavy machinery and lifts would have to have been taken completely apart and reassembled. There are 2 levels to the mine, and I would guess around 50 km of tunnels. An experienced miner told us it was a small mine in a world sense. I never want to be an experienced miner. It's dark, dirty, noisy, and the air quality isn't too great. Some of these guys are hacking up a lung all the time. I don't want that. When I'm involved in a task it starts to feel like a relatively normal place, but if I go for a walk down a quiet dark corridor with no one around and start thinking about everything in between me and the surface it can be a little scary. For now though, it's interesting to see, and it's damn nice to be warm. It's still cold enough to see my breath, but it's perfect to work in. I still spend around half an hour a day walking between various buildings on the surface, which is plenty. I'm some glad I'm not out working in that. I felt my face and eyes literally freezing on my -49 wind chilled walk last night. Interesting to go through a 90 degree change in about a month, from 45 degrees in Sicily to -45 here.

This is my first industrial job, and the first large company I've worked for. It is a huge difference from the commercial environment I'm used to. There, profit margins are small, and productivity has to be high. Things get done by any means necessary. Here, safety is key. I had 3 days of orientation before even going underground, and everything we do is documented and reviewed and signed off on. Some of it seems like bullshit, some of it seems like good habits to make, all of it is new to me. A big part of my day is spent on paperwork and formalities, things get done much slower here. I'm told the oil industry is the same. I've never worried about my job before, but there are no second chances here. There's too many people for the one's in charge to even know if you're particularly good and worth keeping, so if you make a mistake with a safety rule you're gone. Seen it a few times already.

Staying healthy is going to be difficult here, I've gotten sick the last two times. There's always something going around, and there's so many people living so close together. I also got a couple random nosebleeds last time, apparently they can be caused by cold, dry air. Being from a rainforest I guess my nose wasn't prepared. I gotta say, when somewhere is so cold that your head starts spontaneously bleeding, that might be your body saying 'it's too fucking cold for human beings here!'

There are few good things about being here, and the money is really the only one that matters, especially not spending a dime for two weeks. But the other is the wildlife. I've seen lots of snow grouse, and a few timber wolves, which are massive. Bear season is coming too. My favorite are the foxes though, I've seen them about 10 times now, sometimes 2 of them playing in the snow, other times one will walk within a few feet of me, just checking me out. Fox days are good days. Even the tiny arctic trees are kinda cool, and all the frozen lakes from the plane. I'm patiently waiting to see the northern lights too, been checking the space weather site for solar storms, nothin' yet.

It's funny to work a rotation like this. The couple days leading up to work feel like the ultimate Sunday drag, day 7 is the ultimate hump day, and the days before leaving are like you're going on vacation. It's hard to be up here and working like this, but it's also nice to be able to plan things for the time off without interrupting work or pay. The frustration of something lining up with work (like Tragically Hip tickets we bought months ago) is offset by the joy of something lining up with time at home (like all three Canucks games in Edmonton).

When I say home, I guess I mean Edmonton, but that's another thought.