Posted on December 23, 2021 under Thursday Tidbits with 2 comments

 

Covid travel tips and tales

 

“When lonely days turn to lonely nights,

You take a trip to the city lights,

You take the long way home,

Take the long way home.”

Take The Long Way Home – Supertramp

So. You want to travel during Covid?

As someone who has taken 15 flights (and numerous buses and taxis) in the past two years, I am happy to share some observations, tips, and stories. I should point out that all but two of these trips would be considered “essential travel”. I would argue that the two questionable trips this past spring were also essential mental health outings.

What a difference a year makes. When I was forced to come home from the north at the end of March 2020, when schools all over the country closed, travel was surreal. Flights were nearly empty and those on board had to wear masks. This was in the very early days of masking and social distancing. The planes were eerily silent as people were nervous about even talking with someone in their row. There was more chatter at granny’s wake than on a plane.

This past April, I travelled to Victoria for spring break. Things were very tense at that point and vaccines were just starting to roll out across Canada. I was one of the fortunate ones. Living in the north, we were among the first to get our initial shots. I flew to Montreal and stayed overnight in one of the airport hotels. The following morning, I took a cab to the airport. The road into the airport was empty. Where you would normally see a couple of hundred cabs lined up, the lots were completely empty.

Entering the airport was like entering a mausoleum. Honest to God, I was the only passenger as I made my way down to the Air Canada check in area. There were airline agents standing around like the Maytag repair man. It didn’t take me long to check in as a few staffers jostled to be the one to help me. Ditto for the security area and once again in the restaurant, as I was the sole patron that morning. Honestly, they could have fired up the jet’s engines as I exited the taxi, and I would still have had time to make my flight.

Last week was a very different story. My flights from the north were full as was to be expected. With everyone on board double vaccinated, there was some comfort, despite the emergence of the new and highly transmissible Omicron variant. The flight from Kuujuaq to Montreal was jam packed. I had the misfortune of having a middle seat between two very big men. Our shoulders were touching and there wasn’t any room for me to use the armrests. I was squished like a small sardine. We sat on the runway and awaited takeoff. And waited. And waited. Normally this wouldn’t bother me but in Covid times, even double vaccinated, sitting in a crowded place for over an hour was disconcerting. As it turned out, the fuel truck had encountered mechanical problems and it took that long for another truck to service our plane.

Of course, food was at a premium and by the time we arrived in Montreal, I was supremely hungry and very tired. As most of you know, this is a dangerous combination. I made my way to the baggage carousel and waited. And waited. And waited. It seemed like the baggage handlers must have been wrapping their Christmas presents. You could sense that the crowd was getting ugly. Fifty (50!) minutes later, the carousel started to move. Tip #1. Travelling during Covid demands gobs of patience.

I spent the next day in Montreal with family. I had two naps and a walk in a local bird sanctuary. It was a perfect day to catch my breath before the flight home the following day. I made one error in judgment. I casually mentioned to my daughter that I was having dinner the following evening in Halifax with an old university friend. When she saw my wardrobe (I looked like I had just returned from Max Yasgur’s farm  at Woodstock), she insisted that I go shopping with her that evening. She took me to Winners. This was a departure for me as I normally shop at Losers. With a new shirt and a pair of slacks, I felt certain that the authorities would let me into Nova Scotia.

I know that some of you are last minute people and rushing to the airport seconds from your flight is what excites you… like bungee jumping. Happily, I am not one of those people. At my age and in the middle of a pandemic, I decided to take no chances. Erik dropped me off at the airport in Dorval a full two hours before my flight. My plan was to check in and go for a leisurely breakfast. Um. The airport was busy. Crazy busy. No worries. I would go to a kiosk and do my check-in. The kiosk area was busy but there were no lineups. Not far away, at the actual Air Canada check-in counters, there were hordes of people. “Thank god I’m not in that lineup,” was all I was thinking. Try as I might, I couldn’t get the machine to accept mt credit card for payment of my bags. A friendly agent tried to help but it was all for naught. “You’ll have to go to the regular check-in counter over there.” She was pointing at the ever-growing mass of humanity meters away. My heart sank but at least I had given myself plenty of time to catch my flight.

Social distancing was not being practiced in the lineup. I’m estimating that there were 250 people waiting to get their bags checked and their boarding passes. People were jammed together “cheek and jowl”. I started to perspire just a bit now, realizing that time was becoming a very real issue. It was now 7:30 and I was due to board my flight at 8:10. Still lots of time, I thought, to get through security.

I hustled down to the security area and my heart stopped beating. The lineup was something you might see at a Best Buy in Florida on Black Friday. There were hundreds and hundreds of people in those lineups that go back and forth with the nice little security ropes. I continued to walk down the hallway and the lines seemed to grow exponentially. When I turned a corner, I saw that there was another holding pen with possibly 500 people crammed inside like cattle in a massive feedlot in New Mexico. “I’m screwed.” I now knew that there was no way that I would make my gate in time.

Just as despair and resignation were starting to wash over me, a miracle happened. The lineup started to move… quickly. No, I hadn’t ingested magic mushrooms for breakfast. I wasn’t hallucinating. The throng was winding its way through the pen like a boa constrictor, snaking around the security ropes. When I cleared the holding pen and was back in site of the security area, I happened to see an Air Canada agent. I asked her ever so politely about my chances of making my flight. She looked at her watch and nodded her head in the affirmative. I was certain that she had the magic mushrooms for breakfast. She went on to explain that for some unknown reason, the security area had been locked up tight until just a few minutes ago. Passengers from several other early morning flights were waiting for security clearance as well. I did a quick estimate. I reckoned that there might have been between 1500 and 2000 passengers in that lineup… not socially distanced.

I was stunned at the efficiency inside the security area. They were frantically trying to get people through in record time. Once I realized that I was going to make my flight after all, I exhaled a sigh of relief until I realized my gate was in another terminal. I ran with my carry-on bag, my laptop and my guitar. (I told you I was coming back from Woodstock!). I made it to my gate with 3 minutes to spare. Tip #2. Give yourself plenty of time when you go to an airport, and then add an hour.

#3. Make sure you have your proof of vaccination. As the old American Express exhorted us, “Don’t leave home without it.”

#4. Take heed of travel requirements. They vary from province to province. You may have to complete papers leaving one province and another set for entering a different province.

I was ecstatic when I touched down in Halifax. I had a great visit with family and old friends. One of the highlights was a trip to The Keg. I hadn’t been there in many years and was salivating at the thought of a nice juicy steak. With apologies to my vegan and vegetarian friends! Now some of you might be thinking that this was rash and was going against the advice of Dr. Stranglove but having survived crowded airplanes and huge lineups in airports, I didn’t think that going to a quiet restaurant was a big threat to humanity.

Now, back in the day, a trip to the Keg might have started with a few sociables back in the hotel bar. Instead, Pete and I treated ourselves to a rapid Covid test in my hotel room. On our way from the parkade to The Keg, we passed by the Halifax Convention Center and were handed an early Christmas gift of a 5-pack of rapid tests!  There was a day that The Keg couldn’t fill me. Endless salad bar, loaves of piping hot bread, appetizers, a humungous steak, beer and wine and dessert. And maybe throw in a Grand Marnier at the end for good measure. Fellow seniors. Are you like me? After two bacon wrapped scallops, a piece of bread and a few forkfuls of Caesar salad, I was pretty much done. When she brought the nearly mooing rare prime rib and plunked it down in front of me, I wondered what to do. I had a few bites and saved the rest for a late-night snack… or breakfast the next day.

#5. At the age of 70, don’t order too much food.

Going home.

Pete dropped me off at the bus station near the venerable Nova Scotian Hotel on Hollis Street.  Yeah, I know it’s now called the Westin but it’s still the Nova Scotian to me and many others. It was snowing heavily at the time. I was one of three passengers boarding the bus. The bus driver looked at my name on his electronic device. “Are you Leonard P.D.?” He was masked but it didn’t take me long to recognize him as one of the “Smiley” Chisholm’s from Fairview Street in my hometown. Well, it was like old home week.

Our journey had barely begun when we had a snag. When we arrived in Dartmouth, the bus from the Valley was running late and many passengers on that bus were transferring to our bus. Dave (the bus driver) came back and sat across the aisle, and we had a long chat about work, life and travel. He is a walker too and told me that he sees the regulars out early every morning in Antigonish. Only in Nova Scotia. He mentioned that he was an educator and took up bus driving in retirement. I jokingly said that that sounded like fun. The part time job funds his trips to foreign countries. He said that there was a serious shortage of drivers. I told him that Maritime Bus wouldn’t likely be interested in a 70- year old driver. He quipped that the average age of their drivers is 69. As we made our way to the airport to drop off some passengers, the bus hit a slushy path and swerved a bit. That ended any thoughts of me driving a bus!

#6. Expect travel delays and snags. If you must travel during Covid, you need to be prepared for hiccups. It’s almost inevitable. Just about every business is understaffed. Meals take longer. Stores don’t have enough employees.

#7. Try and be kind and exhibit patience even when you’re stressed out and want to throttle someone. Travelling during Covid is hard. Avoid travelling in a foreign country unless you have no time constraints and pocketsful of dough. We don’t know what’s around the next corner and a person could get stuck somewhere in the world not as forgiving and easy to navigate as Canada.

There’s a lot more that I could say but I realize that you have gifts to wrap and last-minute baking to do.

Yes. It is a scary time.

I will leave you with this. Susan, an old friend from Port Hawkesbury, commented on a FB post earlier in the week. This was my response: “Thanks, Susan. I have travelled a number of times during Covid out of necessity. I have had 4- two week quarantines and a couple of other shorter ones. I have done exactly what health experts have asked all of us to do. I have been triple vaccinated – throw in a flu shot for good measure. I am not trying to rationalize my choices, but I refuse to live in a cave and live in constant fear.”

Not all of you will agree and I understand and respect that.

I took “the long way home” and am glad to be back in Antigonish… at least for a while!

Have a happy and safe Christmas.

P.S. Hoping that Santa will leave me a rapid test kit!

P.P.S. I had a PCR test a few days ago that came back negative. Relieved. However, I will remain vigilant.

Posted on December 20, 2021 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

 

It’s a girl! No, It’s a boy! This puppy has an identity crisis

 

“I’ll tell you, life ain’t easy for a boy named Sue.”

A Boy Named Sue – Johnny Cash

Having a newborn for any young couple is one of the most exciting times in their lives. It is a time full of wonder and sleepless nights. Every day brings joy, triumphs and tribulations, and yes, surprises.

Charles always wanted a dog but not just any dog. He wanted a husky, the legendary dogs of Canada’s north. They are beautiful animals by all accounts, and he was prepared to do anything to acquire one including temporarily moving to Northern Quebec. This sounds like an extreme measure just to get a dog but as fate would have it, Charles’ girlfriend was working in the Arctic. He would get to spend time with Catherine, experience Inuit culture, see the Northern Lights, and get a puppy. He even managed to get a few weeks of work at the local school.

Charles made arrangements to get his new dog a few days prior to heading back down south for Christmas. It was very dark when he was accompanied by the brother of the owner of the dogs to a small shed. The shed didn’t have power. It should be known that male huskies are not normally sold as they often become part of a dogsled team, but this didn’t seem to be an issue in this case because the litter was almost exclusively female. The puppies were elusive as they scurried around the shed but eventually Charles extricated one and gleefully headed back to his apartment.

The bonding was immediate. Naku (not her real name to protect her dignity), loved Charles and the affection was mutual. She was so content with her new owner that there was nary a whimper at nighttime. Being up all night with a new puppy is not uncommon, along with cleaning up “accidents”. This gal seemed perfect in every way. Charles could not have been any happier. In order to fly back down south, Charles had to contact the airline to make sure that space was available. One quirk of northern airlines is that they only allow a certain number of dogs on any given flight.

So proud was he of his new acquisition that Charles took Naku to school on his last day in the village for a showing. Needless to say, he was the most popular guy at school. The kids couldn’t get enough of the puppy, and he proudly passed it around. The only thing missing with this new father was cigars. Two young girls asked Charles if they could come over that evening, the night before his flight, to see the dog one last time, so charmed were they by this tiny mutt.

Around 7:30 p.m. there was a knock on the door. As promised, Minnie and Samantha were standing there waiting for this last chance to see Naku. The girls seemed puzzled when Charles continuously called Naku she. It took them exactly 30 seconds to enlighten Charles that he was the proud owner of a male dog. There was an audible gasp. “How could this be possible,” wondered Charles. It appeared that in the two days that he had owned her (him), he had never done a close inspection to determine sexual orientation.

Charles immediately placed a call to the brother of the owner of the litter.

“Hey Jupi (not his real name to protect his dignity!). I think we have a situation. Catherine and I think Naku is a boy.”

“If it may be a male dog, that’s fine,” replied Jupi.

“Oh perfect. Fine for me.”

“Hey, um, Charles. Yes, we do have a situation. LOL. I just spoke to my bro. That is the only male dog, and the rest are female. I’m so sorry dude.”

“Oh!”

“I’m sorry man. I know you connected well with this dog. He (Jupi’s brother) said he doesn’t mind to trade the puppy tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. Same place.” (note that this would be after sunrise making the identification of the sex somewhat easier).

“Yes, but it’s ok. I understand completely. I’ll be there tomorrow morning.”

Now, the “next morning” was the morning of the flight south. Check in was at 8:30 and ideally, anyone travelling with a dog is expected to arrive earlier than that. Charles rushed to the owner’s house at 8:00 and returned with not one, but two female pups – one for him and one for a friend down south.

Charles is a pretty easy going fellow. I happened to be a witness to some of this drama and couldn’t resist having a little bit of fun at his expense. I suggested that if he and Catherine got married some day and had children, that he might want to invite me into the delivery room.

Having witnessed the birth of my four children, I felt eminently qualified to determine the sex of the next member of the Dion family.

Have a great Christmas week.

Stay safe.

 

The girls

 

Posted on December 16, 2021 under Storytelling with one comment

 

The hug

What are the 10 greatest movies of all time? Books? Songs? Or, who is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) when it comes to ranking sports figures, female actresses or political figures? There seems to be a fascination with compiling these kinds of lists, but at the end of the day, this exercise is very subjective by its very nature. No one can dispute that Wayne Gretzky has amassed the most points in NHL history but was, or is he, the greatest hockey player of all time? My vote still goes to Bobby Orr.

As I take my leave from the north, I have a list of my own to share with you. Here is a list of my 10 most memorable moments… from a very long list. You may wonder why there’s barely a mention of my students but privacy prevents me from disclosing this type of information.

#10. Holding the end of a skipping rope at -30. Never, ever in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would return to teaching after a mere 40- year layoff or did I think that this would happen in the Arctic. I knew that dusting off my BEd., after such a lengthy hiatus, would be challenging. I knew my skills would be rusty and that school curriculum had probably changed a dozen times over the years. But somethings never change. Elementary students still go outdoors for recess. Some activities have stood the test of time. While schools have built incredible playground apparatuses, kids still like the basics like kicking a ball or skipping. But I have to admit, I was stunned on my first day of recess duty when I was asked to hold the end of a skipping rope. This in itself is not that remarkable but the fact that it was -30 was stunning to me. I thought a skipping rope would freeze and break into little pieces in these temperatures.

#9. Managing a possible water contamination. Our senior administration team was away at meetings when the news came that there was a possible water contamination problem in our school. I certainly had no expertise in this but was asked to coordinate the efforts. The school was closed for almost a week as experts from the south arrived to empty and disinfect our water tanks, have them refilled and tested over several days. It was a great learning experience for me.

#8. I was asked to take part in an after-school activity as the accompanist for a children’s choir. We met weekly at the local museum to learn songs, mostly in Inuktitut. The local FM radio station is a critical piece of infrastructure in the village. It is the primary line of communication. Everyone listens to the FM. One day the choir was invited to perform live. We crowded into a small studio (pre-Covid) and gathered around a handful of microphones. The children were simply awesome including some young throat singers. The phone lines lit up in the studio as many people called in to express their joy in hearing the young people of the community preserving culture and language.

#7. It is no secret that I love to walk. I have walked (and run) in all kinds of crazy weather over the years but nothing could prepare me for a 7 kilometer walk with two of my colleagues last winter. The distance wasn’t that impressive, and the degree of difficulty wasn’t an issue. However, when you decide to go walking when it’s -50, then it’s a big deal. I know that this sounds totally crazy (which it is) but the three of us have an adventurous streak in us. When you have the proper clothing, masks and footwear, walking in extreme cold is not really a big deal.

#6. One of the greatest thrills of my life happened very early in my tenure in the north. On the first weekend after my arrival (I came to Kangiqsujuaq on November 6, 2019), I went for a walk on the frozen lakes on the outskirts of the village with a group of teachers and students. On the return trip to the village, I could see a dogsled team off in the distance. They were coming in our direction. Despite the frigid temperatures, I removed my gloves and readied my phone camera. I was astonished to discover how quickly the powerful dog team steamed across the frozen lakes and tundra.

#5. When someone dies in the village, everything shuts down for the funeral. This includes the school. In the winter, the ceremony is conducted in the local gymnasium with burial in one of the cemeteries afterwards. Covid changed all that but the first funeral I attended was pre-Covid and this funeral was for an elder. You need to understand that elders are revered. I arrived at the Qaggiq (the local gymnasium) about ten minutes before the start of the service. There was a fair-sized crowd with people of all ages. By the time things got started, the place was packed. I was moved by the feeling in the room and the simplicity of the handmade wooden coffin. What intrigued me most was watching how people looked after several infants in attendance. They were passed around the room continuously. I never heard a whimper from one of them.

#4 – Christmas in Kangiqsujuaq. Last winter, Covid prevented many of us from travelling home for Christmas. The thought of spending my Christmas holidays in quarantine in Nova Scotia held very little appeal. I took part in several outdoor Inuit games. Me, and a number of my colleagues prepared Christmas dinner for about 125 people which we hand delivered to homes in the village. I’m normally not a big fan of New Year’s Eve mainly because I can’t stay awake! I was determined not to miss this one, so I went to bed for two hours and set my alarm for 11:30. I’m so glad I went. The fireworks display with the mountains and Wakeham Bay as the backdrop, was spectacular despite the fact it was bitterly cold. After the fireworks, I hopped on the back of a skidoo for a parade through the village.

#3. I got to go seal hunting and ice fishing with my students. This was a great thrill seeing my students in their element. The Inuit are people of the land and sea and watching young children do what comes naturally was a great joy.

#2. The sky. It’s hard to imagine that the sky could be on a top ten list but there’s something about the sky in the north that leaves you breathless almost every day… and night. Watching the Northern Lights in all their splendor is one of those things that needs to be seen. It defies description.

#1. The hug. This past fall, the village celebrated Truth and Reconciliation Day. Students and staff were dismissed early to do a walk through the village ending up at the Family House. The Family House is a safe house for families in need. Prior to the event, I was asked to come to the Family House after the walk to sing a few songs for some elders. They were seated around a dining table eating country food and telling stories in their native tongue. I listened intently to an interpreter. These women had been born in igloos or tents and I was fascinated with their stories of survival and resilience. I played a few tunes and even did a couple in Inuktitut. Knowing that these women were spiritual, I did a number of religious songs. I sang them in English, and they chimed in with their native tongue. The last song was The Old Wooden Cross. There was something about this song that touched them deeply as a few of the women had tears in their eyes. When the song ended, one of the women came up to me and gave me the biggest, warmest, and most heartfelt hug of my life. I nearly lost it. This, folks, is my number one memory of my time in the north.

I should give honorable mention to “country food”. The Inuit grew up eating food from the land and sea and they still do to this day. I had many opportunities to sample raw and cooked fish and meat. Caribou was easily my favourite (Cooked!). I also sampled delicacies like arctic char eyes, the brains of a Canada Goose and the eyeballs of a ptarmagin!

In closing, I want to thank everyone in Kangiqsujuaq for giving me the education of a lifetime. I was touched by your warmth and generosity of spirit.

What a great way to bookend a work career.

Have a great weekend.