This past weekend was beautiful.... -25 but no wind, which makes all the difference in the world.... trust me, it was beautiful. I walked around town and explored the museum, the visitor's center, and a few of the shops around town. I have found out though, that some of the most incredible pieces of hand crafted art are sold by the artists themselves (or their family members) who approach you around town, at the bar, even at the hospital! It's expected that you will barter a bit, so I'll have to hone my skills. I bought a soapstone inuksuk yesterday that I'm quite pleased with!I also made a few trips to the grocery store, which leads me to....
Arctic Lesson #3: Don't think about how much it used to cost you down south. It will only depress you, and you'll end up buying it anyway.
Case in point - I paid $5.99 for a bag of chips. Most people would not consider that a necessity, but for me it was! I also got a pound of butter for $7.35. Yikes!
I've met some great people here already.... I went out to the Legion on Friday night....yep, the Legion. Contrary to what you may have experienced at the Legion where you grew up, here it is the place to go and most young people have a membership! There was an Arctic Circus performance along with a food fair and live music on Saturday. I had some caribou stew, and watched two women perform the most amazing throat singing - it was mesmerizing, and they went on for quite a long time which is apparently very difficult to do. I met up with some of the people I'd met the night before, and met a few more, which brings me to the photo! This is me with my friends' dog - he's still a puppy, and they said he will keep growing for another year or so!!! He is a sweetheart, and I couldn't resist getting a snapshot to compare our sizes!
I'm EXTREMELY happy to have my internet hooked up at home - now all I need is my furniture.....!
