It felt somewhat surreal when I disembarked from the
First Air jet plane on August 18 and stepped onto the Iqaluit Airport tarmac. It felt familiar and different. Familiar because I had done this before but when
the temperature was -26ºC and the tarmac was covered in snow. Different because this time, the temperature
was 6ºC, there was no snow on the tarmac or anywhere around the airport, and
there was a low overcast of grey clouds.
Most of the hard ice in Frobisher Bay had broken up and melted back in
early July but there were still many miniature floating pieces of ice.
As
I write this, it still seems like only yesterday that I was boarding the same
plane to fly down south for the 2012 summer.
But, like every summer, it comes and goes. Where did all that time go?
As
mentioned in my last June post, my entire summer would not be devoted to rest
& relaxation. Even teachers go to
summer school, taking courses in numerous subjects in order to attain new
qualifications and/or refresh their knowledge.
In my case, it was both. I
resided in Toronto for the month of July, taking a music teaching course at the
University of Toronto (UofT). The course
centered on teaching high school instrumental band music and required
participants to specialize in a woodwind or brass instrument. I decided to revisit the clarinet.
This
wasn't the only music qualification course that was being taught. Courses in choir, conducting, Orff instruction,
and advanced band music were also being taught at the same campus building.
Most
of the other teachers taking the course resided in the Greater Toronto Area,
and taught elementary school grades.
This surprised me because there were no music programs when I was in
elementary school, at least, not at the one I attended. But that was back in the mid 1990s so I was
glad to hear that elementary students today were being exposed to the wonderful
world of music.
My
course consisted of lectures, assignments, group work, and participating in
several workshops. Since we were all
experienced music teachers, we also shared our knowledge and experiences with
one another. We learned: the intricacies
of all the main band instruments, conducting, filling out budget requests, jazz
& blues styles, how to go about choosing/arranging music, and how to get
beginner students started. The most
interesting workshop was the strings workshop where I experimented with the
viola. I had originally wanted to try
the cello but they were all taken. I was
no virtuoso but I did figure out how to play 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star',
'Mary Had A Little Lamb', and 'Smoke On The Water' all by myself.
Many
teachers were surprised to learn that I had come all the way from Iqaluit to
take the course and wanted to know what life was like up north? I gladly shared my stories of teaching high
school in Nunavut, living in a small community, and dealing with the harsh winter
weather. I also added that unlike
Ontario where there is a huge surplus of teachers, there is a high demand for
teachers in the northern territories and the pay is higher due to the cost of
living.
At the end of
the month, all courses concluded with a summer end concert. Since most of the teachers are married and
have children, they invite their families to come and see what they had learned. My part in the concert was
playing several classical band pieces on my newly purchased clarinet. The conductor nor any of the other players
gave me the 'evil eye' so that must have meant that I was playing correctly. Overall, the music course was worthwhile and
I learned a lot from the lecturers and the other participating teachers. I'll most likely be taking the second part
next summer.
The
highlight of my trip to Toronto was
participating in the CN Tower Edgewalk on July 30. This new thrillseeking activity, (est. August
2011), sees participants taken on a guided walk on the roof of the main pod for
about 20-30 minutes. The roof is at an
altitude of 1,168 feet (356 metres) and there are no guardrails to hold
onto. For safety, you're required to wear
a red jumpsuit and a harness. Two safety
cables from an above pipe are attached to the harness to keep you from plunging
over the edge. You're exposed to
breathtaking 360 degree views of Toronto, Lake Ontario, and the surrounding
countryside. A ticket costs $175 but it
also gives you access to all the other activities at the CN Tower.
This
was my second time doing the walk, the first having taken place last summer in
mid-August. I had wanted to do it again
because there were two things I didn't accomplish the first time. During the walk, your guide gives you the
opportunity to perform two daredevil tasks: leaning over the edge forward and
back. Then you're encouraged/dared to
spread your arms and let the safety lines hold you in place. I was able to successfully lean over the edge
and take in the sunny picturesque views.
The first time I got weak in the knees.
The
transition from a small, isolated town to a big & well connected
metropolitan area wasn't difficult for me at all. I even welcomed the big change in
weather. I didn't feel bothered by the
bright sunny days, the added humidity, and +30ºC temperatures. It felt like a treat after spending the last
6 months living in a climate where -30ºC is the norm. As for getting around the city, I used the
TTC subway and my feet. For food, I
sampled several restaurants around campus and bought some from the local Metro. The only things that did stand out to me were
the many exotic cars (Lamborghinis, Ferraris, & Porsches) I saw on the
streets.
Before
heading back to Iqaluit, I spent two weeks in Ottawa, catching up with old
friends and watching some highlights of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. The Games didn't capture my
attention that much, mostly because it wasn't like in Vancouver 2010 where
Canada owned the gold podium. I did,
however, like seeing the Canadian Women's Soccer Team win a medal (bronze) for
the first time.
As
for the opening ceremony, I only saw the bit where Mr. Bean assists the London Symphony Orchestra in performing Vangelis's 'Chariots of Fire'. I didn't have the time to sit through the
entire 4 hour ceremony! I did see the
closing ceremony in its entirety and it was quite good except I was shocked The
Rolling Stones and Oasis did not participate.
Now that I'm back in Iqaluit for the
new school year, there are many things for me to do. First is getting my apartment in order and
shopping for groceries. Next is straightening
out the music room, organizing my resources & class lists, writing the
course outlines, and planning lessons.
Classes start next week so I need to be ready. I'll be teaching the same courses as last
semester except Grade 9 Guitar; that has been replaced with Grade 10 Guitar. The high school is still being renovated but
I think the project will be finished on time.
