Thursday, November 4, 2010

How to get ready...

The idea that I am actually going to head up North for a whole month is slowly sinking in... when I received an e-mail from my professor tonight saying that he had all the tickets arranged it kicked my imagination into high gear once again. I have been researching Cape Dorset and talking to people who have spent time there, but ultimately there is no real way to be ready.

I have been trying to figure out Inuktitut. I took languages in University, so I thought that would help, but it is so very different from any of the languages I know! I found out that it is not really related to any other languages, the way that Spanish and Italian and French are related or the way German, Swedish and Norwegian are related. The written form was brought to the Inuit by missionaries and is somewhat related to shorthand, which was used by secretaries to take notes quickly. It is an interesting looking language, that's for sure...            

Friday, October 22, 2010

The Northern Adventure

I have just found out that I will be going to Cape Dorset, Nunavut in March/April to do a month of my practice teaching. I have always been fascinated by the North and I am so excited I can't contain myself!

I have decided to start a blog so that I can record some of my thoughts/impressions when I get up there. I won't be writing on this much until we head out, but I would like to be able to let folks know where the blog will be in case they want to check in on me with their practicum classes or just for fun.

I don't know how much I will be able to access the internet once I'm there, but I will try and make regular posts.

And now the planning, the dreaming and the waiting begins.