Thursday, January 10, 2013

Back home



It’s good to be back here—in my own place, in the bright lights of the big city and in the blogosphere as well. I was so busy and stressed in Iqaluit that I didn’t feel up to writing, let alone blogging, and my Internet connection was such that the latter probably wouldn’t have been feasible anyway.

I saw a seal-skinning contest and ate a bit of the raw seal meat as well. I also tried raw blubber and raw Arctic char, though the latter tastes better cooked, IMO. I staggered to work through the start of a blizzard and bought bear carvings and learned how to say “white man” in Inuktitut. But now I’m back, and here are a few of the pictures from my sojourn in the Land of Always Winter. Also some from a brief trip to Nova Scotia, which was a lot more fun.


Enjoying one of Nature’s popsicles in the Sylvia Grinnell Park. Would you believe this picture was taken in June?


So was this one. I took off my coat and sweater for the photograph so I would look hardcore, and I was shivering uncontrollably.


The seal-skinning contest, held for Nunavut Day celebrations.



One of the many stone sculptures in Iqaluit.

 
A plane coming in to land.


Picking apples in Nova Scotia. I’ve never eaten so many apples, and it was fun learning to tell the different strains apart.

Not going to fall… not going to fall…


This is one of the most incredible views I’ve ever seen. That’s the ocean framed between the rocks, and a huge seaweed garden waving softly in the tide. 


The car stopped at the side of the road so I could look at the cows… and all the cows promptly congregated at the fence to look at me.


A corn maze. I’m pretending I’m in “Children of the Corn”, hence the peculiar expression.


Flowers growing between the rocks at Peggy’s Cove.

It was definitely an unforgettable time of my life.

9 comments:

Maria Zannini said...

It sounds amazing. That's my kind of trip.

Welcome back!

Marian Perera said...

Thanks, Maria! It was an experience, that's for sure. I had more culture shock going from Toronto to Iqaluit than when I moved from Dubai to Toronto. So it's good to be back. :)

Loren said...

Welcome back, Marian, and thanx for showing us where you'd been.

It doesn't look like there were a lot of trees in Iqaluit, only low-growing plants like grass. The place must seem hopelessly barren to someone accustomed to temperate climates.

It also doesn't seem like a good place to be a vegetarian.

Marian Perera said...

LOL, you'd starve to death there if you were a vegetarian.

Glad you like the pictures!

DeConstruction of the Sekuatean Empire said...

So glad you returned safely! It must have been a wild, wild adventure!

Randall said...

Yay! Marian's back! We missed you.

JH said...

Welcome back! Nova Scotia looks like a place I will have to visit. And that rock sculpture... how does it stand?? Did you ask about how it was made?

Loren said...

Marian, you've now lived in 4 of the 5 climate zones of Diablo II.

Act I (Rogueville) -- temperate humid
Act II (Lut Gholein) -- subtropical desert
Act III (Kurast) -- tropical humid
Act IV (Pandemonium) -- volcanic
Act V (Harrogath) -- polar / high-altitude

The best place to experience the remaining one is likely Kilauea in Hawaii. Its eruptions are mostly lava peacefully pouring out.

Marian Perera said...

Stephen - The High Arctic is a great place for people who enjoy outdoor activities and winter sports, that's for sure. I even heard there was an archery class offered somewhere in town; sadly I found out too late to sign up for a lesson or two. That would have been cool.

Randall - Thanks! I missed Toronto a lot, and the Internet even more. :)

JH - No, I never found out how they set up that stone sculpture. It's not even like an inukshuk, where you can see how the different parts are balanced.

Nova Scotia was fun to visit. If I ever go back, I'd love to have a lobster boil.

Loren - Heh. Now every time I play Lord of Destruction I'll be thinking of Iqaluit.