I have internet again!!
I finally have internet so I can update and talk to all you lovely people. I've been writing my blog in a word document until I could post it. So here are yesterday and today!
January 5th, 2017
So… It’s 2:40 and I’m home.
Yesterday the principal said that if there is a blizzard and school is cancelled someone would knock on my door by 7:30 am (still no phone obv). It was clear and cold this morning, -20 so not even that bad. At 10:50 I took the kids out for 30 mins for recess because it was so nice out and they needed it.
After lunch, we had gym and I didn’t hear any pages or anything cos the kids were loud. I went to take them to Inuvialuktun class and the teacher said, “didn’t you hear about the weather?” And I said no, and we just waited… And then the VP said, take your kids back to class. And they were like, what’s going on? And then the principal said that the blizzard hit. School’s cancelled all the parents have been called. Get the kids bundled up and keep them in the class until a parent comes… So we get bundled and watch some sesame street until every kid is gone. And then the teachers got to go once everyone was gone.
I bummed a ride with another new teacher. It was a total white out. Like you literally could not see anything. We were following tail lights and poles when they stood out. The wind was shaking the truck back and forth. And everyone has a goddamn white vehicle in this town.
I got home fine and I have lots of fuel and food and water so I’ll be fine, but DAMN it is loud.
And also I was supposed to be getting internet and phone tomorrow, but probably not now…
Imma spend the night watching Parks and Rec and reading Anna Kendrick’s book
Jan 6:
So I’m “a dedicated teacher”. Yep, that’s what we’re going with. Not a dummy with bad judgement who went out in a blizzard.
Ok, so yesterday, the whole thing with, if no one knocks at your door by 7:30, there’s school? I was pretty sure that still stood. But it was such a loud blizzard that I figured there was no way there was school, so I didn’t get up and ready. Then I woke up at 7:47. There had been no knock. It was still loud, but I could see the whole town, there was visibility. And after all, the principal has to be at school in case any kids got dropped off by accident right? (No, that’s a Southern thing) So I jump into yesterday’s leggings and a clean shirt and cardigan, get on my snowpants, parka, scarf and goggles (no I didn’t wear gloves because I am an IDIOT). And I go off to school. I make it to the school, there’s no trucks parked out front and it is locked. I have been blown the whole way there. So I turn around. Now I’m walking into 50km/hr winds. It’s -35. My ski-goggles have fogged up from my breath so I take them off. Ok now a thousand frozen knives are in my eye balls. I stop at the B&B where the VP and his wife live in the other side of the duplex type situation. I knock on the door and a voice says: “Who is it?” “It’s Hannah, from the school?” So I go in and they were wonderful and hospitable and I played with their kids and they made a wonderful breakfast and we watched TV and she called the principal and everyone and let them know what happened. They were going to drive me home when the storm died down but their truck’s window was down a little
bit and it filled with snow so I offered to walk home.
Got home, had a shower and some lunch. Hanging out in my onesie and then there’s a knock on the door.
IT’S THE INTERNET! Well, it’s the NorthwestTel guy. But like, I was in no way expecting him to come today even though he said he would, because of the weather. And everyone else was like, yeah you won’t be getting internet for like a month or 2. But we’ll wait and see. He stuck something in an outlet and then went to follow it? He said he’d be back in 10 mins so I threw a hat on my wet hair and a hoodie over my onesie.
Also I totally need a proper neckwarmer and I have windburn on my neck a lil bit and my cheekbones.
But I figure this adventure gives me Northern Cred. Plus I’ve now gone out like an idiot in a major blizzard AND a tornado. So I just need like a hurricane to complete the trifecta! At least this time I was mostly appropriately dressed. Not like when I got caught in a tornado wearing a 3 year old shabby H&M army jacket.
The VP said, if anything it just shows that I’m a dedicated teacher. I braved a blizzard like a dummy to go to work. Part of me wanted to be like, can I use this experience as my interview for the position in the fall?
My biggest lesson? IF YOU ARE MOVING TO THE NORTH MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT HAVE SPEAKOUT OR ROGERS!!!! Literally EVERY other cell phone service provider works up here. If you bring a phone on Rogers you will be unable to communicate with anyone or be communicated with and it will fuck you over some how. But people are awesome and will help you. (When their truck was full of snow, someone else volunteered to drive me home too, that I haven’t met.)
Also, I totally thought Amazon prime would get me free shipping, because again I’m an idiot who doesn’t dig deep enough. When I put the school’s address in and tried to order something, it didn’t yell at me and say NO PRIME FOR YOU MOFO. So I was like, whatev. Then I went to order a Brita Filter and pitcher and it was like. TROLOLOLOLOL $83.00 if you want it shipped this week. $53 if you want it shipped whenever we feel like it.
Which SEEMS REALLY OBVIOUS BECAUSE CANADA. But nooo, I’m just me. If you actually go to Amazon’s shipping policies, you will see that they do not offer prime shipping to ANYWHERE in the NWT. I SWEAR THEY DID THO WHEN I LOOKED BEFORE. So we can just pretend that they totally did last year and just changed their policies.
But I do have a postbox now! If you want my mailing address, just drop me an email or a fb message and I’ll tell you and then you can send me fun stuff or just very cheap flat things.
And whenever I write in caps lock, I want you to read it in Billy Eichner’s voice. It will enhance the experience dramatically. Oh and I am 99.99% sure I left my cellphone at school, so I don’t have any pictures to upload yet. And don’t suggest calling it, because again. NO SERVICE.
Another knock on the door. Two of the teachers were out shopping across the street. One brought me some hot cocoa, coffee, a mug and a book as a welcome present, the other offered to let me stay with her if the internet doesn’t get hooked up. The internet guy said he would maybe be able to get phone, but no internet because he’d have to climb up a pole.
We waited a bit and then I got ready to leave with her, and saw the internet guy up the pole! The wind has died down and he says I’ll have service right away!! The other teacher leaves me her email and number and says to message her as soon as I get internet and if she doesn’t hear from me in 2 hours she will come to get me. This is why I moved to a tiny arctic hamlet.
I HAVE INTERNET HUZZZAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
