Baby Feast

What a cool idea! The community here has a baby feast to honor all the babies born in the last year. The whole community comes out to watch adn honor the little ones and to welcome them into the community. Tribal dancers from all clans come and perform; killer whale, raven, eagle and wolf, all have their own dance to perform. It starts with boys coming in with drums ages 5-18 adn let me tell you they can keep a beat as well as chant. They are followed by the ladies of each clan dressed in special regalia and answering the boys in song. It was amazing to watch.

The food was amazing, it was chinese! What else to serve at an indian baby feast, made sense to me. Unfortunately the stupid blonde that I am did not realize the whole community was invited and that I oculd have gone to town at the feast as well. Oh well better luck next time. I did get a cool spoon with whale symbols on it to say I am a nice person (better than a fortune cookie thats for sure). Looking at their regalia, I am convinced that house gecko may have to really try hard to look as impressive as those costumes (not to mention I don't think I can play the drum as well as those boys). I guess I will just have to stick to a dutch version of the event and wear decorated wooden shoes!

What can you do in a Leisure centre?

What comes to mind when you think of Leisure Centre? A pool perhaps, a gym, a few offices, a fitness centre and perhaps a meeting room right? Well in Lax Kw'alaam things are a little different, we have a pool, fitness centre, meeting room and offices. Connnected to us is an assembly type room called the Elder's lodge, yes its for the elders and an empty classroom right beside it. I guess the controversy has been on who would get this room and has expanded to the general public.

Firsts we have the RCMP. Yup they want to use the space as their building has been condemmed. They want to use the space as a jail and office. Sounds very leisurely doesn't it, not only can your kids learn to swim, play in the gym and recreation area thay could hang out with all the drunk and disorderly people. I have to say not too in favor of that idea.

Next we have the post office who wants to use the room for their stuff. OK this is not such a bad idea as we could all get our mail faster (even though currently the post off/house is right beside where I live). But then does a post office fit the leisure idea?

Last but not least we have the elders deciding its theirs because it is connected to their half of the building. I don't think they need the room and the thought of extra deep frying machines in that space scares me. No matter what time of day the fried food is a perking, forget about fire control. Gotta have the grease.

The question is on, who else wants the spot and how long will it be empty, personally I think they should combine all those thoughts. Make it a post office with a jail so that the elders can go to the jail (picking up their kids who were out of control) to go eat breakfast with the other elders. All the while everyone can pick up their mail. And they say we blonds are not SMART!

Whalley or the THE PORT!!!

Do you ever wake up, oh around 11 o'clock, and here a very loud wailing interupting the silence of the night? That is what happened to me last night. In one half hour one woman yelled at another calling her tons of names that rhyme with bunt and stitch (I can't say the real words as my mom is reading this). Her dialogue was interspersed with screaming at the top of her lungs, which I might add the dogs tried to join in by howling along. Now all we can hear is her, the dogs and whoever down the street yelling "SHUT UP!" Do you feel like you are in Whalley? I sure did.

Finally the police showed up to try and remove the woman who now is sitting on the grass at the end of the street holding onto another woman (the one she was screaming at?). What was the neighbourhood doing you ask? Well we were all looking out our windows wondering what was going on and trying to decide if we wanted to get involved. Gotta love the mob mentality, we care but are too chicken to go out. Luckily she was removed after another half hour of sobbing and making weird sounds.

But the night was not over yet...the dogs decided at 3am that it was time to have their own powwow and blab fest. Can't blame them too much as it was quite loud at 11 and their sleep was interupted but how much barking do you think two dogs can do? It lasted an hour and I appreciate that owners feel their animals should have a voice but not at 3 in the morning. Needless to say last night I felt I lived in Whalley. YAY Surrey!

Ice Cream or Bust! (Literally)

OK I have to admit that I finally broke down and bought ice cream here in The Port. This is going to be a wee bit of a whining moment as the prices staggered me, I thought Clinton's Budget Foods was bad but the North End Store (because it is the north end of this person's house) takes the cake. Hey desperate times call for desperate measures, so I forked out $8.59 for a tub of Breyer's ice cream (luckily I had the peanut butter at home already or my whole paycheque would have disappeared). But I have to say in the stores defense the lady there smiles very kindly as you pass it over and she has only your best interests at heart. Maybe next time I have to go to the Your Welcome Store (I have no idea why it has this name).

You may all think I am kidding about losing your paycheque in a day but lets talk about if I had gone to Rupert to get this ice cream. It costs $21 just to get on the ferry that is 20 minutes away from town. This is only a one way ticket so I hope you have transportation. You sit on a ferry 1 hour before you are dropped off in Rupert. There you could buy ice cream for the usual price but remember now you have to wait until 4pm before you can go back and depending on the day you may have to wait until tomorrow to return. HMMM costs are rising. Again you pay $21 to get back to the Port and now your ice cream has cost between $42 -84 (and hopefully it hasn't melted). I guess $8.59 is not so bad now that I think about it.

I found out there is an ATM in town yet the charge to use it is $2.50. I am never going to complain about bank fees again (yup you heard me Mom, I do appreciate Coast Capital Savings!) Needless to say the ice cream was fab, and well worth any financial pain it caused.

House Gecko

Have you ever wondered what house you might want to be apart of? Here in The Port the Tribal nation is Tsimshian ( the T is silent). They have land spanning this area, some near Kitimat and just beyond Prince Rupert. Now the interesting part of this National Geographic moment is that there are many houses underneath that name: Raven, Eagle, Wolf, Killer Whale etc. From what I have come to understand is that most people here are from the Wolf and Raven tribe with a few Eagles thrown in between. Each house has matriarchal head and there is no mixing. People of the Raven house can't go to Wolf parties etc. Don't ask me about marriage we haven't gotten that far yet.

Now that got me thinking what house would I want to be? It has to be something different and a house not many people have heard of. So I decided that I will be House Gecko, I mean how cool is that. Hey and I am pretty open to having anyone join my house, we could have the Geiko lizard as our totem! NICE!

Supposedly there is a house Frog already but I think Salamander or Newt is free or just plain Lizard (Go for it Lizelle make your own house!haha) Anyway let me know if your interested because this could be a new era for a multicultural native tribe to appear. This is Canada right!

Big News!!!

Ok sports fans the basket ball team came in 7th at a Squamish tournament!! Yup forget hockey, basketball is where it is at, that, and the Pot of Gold raffle (one of 50 going on in town). Bingo is yet another bonus to this fair isle, don't get me started on the dobbers and crazy people you find there.

I was a good little girl and went to church this Sunday. It was at the United church on, wouldn't you know it, Church Street! I felt like I was in highschool as everyone seemed to crowd into the back rows leaving the preacher all alone up front. We started the service with singing, luckily I like country music because the man leading in front did Waylen Jennings proud. Talk about a hoot and a holler! Slow and steady we sang every verse interspersed wiht a trumpet that played the melody when the musician remembered the song or wasn't too tired. Hymn sing watch out!!!! I have to say they were the friendliest crowd with one woman telling me to come on Fridays because that was when they really rocked the house...does Shania or Garth live in Port Simpson? Hmmm could be interesting.

Anyway my fitness studio is almost ready for the general public making me a celebrity in town. Talk about pressure. I have walked by a few people only to hear "Wow she's big!" I haven't had the guts to ask for an explanation so I am the big white girl with blond hair...and no I have no idea what that would be in Native tongue. I did learn that Lax Kw'alaams means Isle of Roses. I feel so multicultural!

Things to Appreciate

You know how you totally don't appreciate things until they are gone. I have to say that the loss of my queen size bed is number 1 on the things I now appreciate the most. My new house has a single bed that definately would be huge for a dwarf but not for my petite 5'11 frame. Picture feet hanging off the end and falling out of the bed when rolling and you have me.

Along with this I have to say I appreciate Save On foods, a store open all the time and with a plethora a food choices, I have to say Doug and Sandy's Home store is not just the same (really nice people though but prices are a little extreme). My diet is becoming very simple and healthy, my body is beginning to stress out.

Most of all I have to say I appreciate all my friends and family who usually are just a non-long distance phone call away (love you guys, especially when you e-mail..hint hint!). Thanks for the support folks through my last couple of months, you are all the best!!!

So remember to aprreciate what you have because you never know when three weeks of your life may send you somewhere in which those great things disappear. Wildlife is great and so are new friends but creature comforts can never be replaced.

Port Simpson

Where you say? Port Simpson is definately a new experience for those of you people who may have never gone beyond the wide world of the lower mainland. The roads are dirt, the traffic non existant and the weather very snowy!!! Not to mention that the power goes out for about 2-3 hours at a time. No ice cream for Kim!!! sigh! Let the good times roll!

I am here to play with a beautiful pool and fitness centre that they have set up in Port Simpson for the local band. Let me tell you that people in the lower mainland could be so lucky to have a pool that is this beautiful. Pictures of whales on the walls gives a feeling of being outdoors and with nothing but snow outside along a very windy coastline you are definately in a Thomas Kincade picture.

Anyway my first look at where I was going to be hanging out was from a small plane...at first I didn't see any houses so I have to say I was a wee bit scared. Lots of mountains and snow but no houses..ok what have I gotten myself into. Luckily they were found on the other side of the plane so... phew, I was safe.

Spent the day In Prince Rupert, and then boarded the one ferry that travels only twice a day to Port Simpson. Spent an hour in a car on the ferry...froze my toes off and then there we were...the big dirt road leading to mecca! Sooo travelled another 20 minutes to Simpson and voila saw alot of dogs, snow and the pool. Too much excitement for me. Well this adventure is just beginning so hopefully you will stay tuned to hear if Kim actually does stop shoveling the walk, if she meets a wolf or other wildlife (animal or man) and if the power will come back on so she is not living in a parka. Bye for now

Everyone else is doing it!

Do you ever get the idea that you are not as cool as everyone else because they have a BLOG! Well here I am becoming apart of the blog squad because hey I can't be left out. Wondering about Mik? Well our dragonboat team keeps making names for each other and since I seem to be considered part boy I got Mik! I am apart of the Vandopoly (Brian, Yvette and Nikita) and you should definately check out their blog because who knows what you can learn...especially about 4 way stop procedures!!! haha
Anyway, I felt I needed to become a blogging as who knows where I will be in the next months. Seems Prince Rupert/Port Simpson is my next exotic destination in the world of work so stay posted as those adventures begin. Having survived the wilds of Clinton BC, I think this may be just another trip on the wild side of the great white north.