No Need For Cleats

My first Saturday in Cambridge Bay was very relaxing. I didn't do much of anything besides shopping for groceries, which pained my pocketbook greatly. Today was the first time it snowed since I arrived. I enjoyed it until I realized that my usual strategy to avoid deep snow, walking in others' footprints, didn't work. I learned the hard way that it is quite difficult to walk in snow that is a foot and a half deep.

Kiilinik High School in the snow

I did manage to do some online research about Arctic composting during my free time today. You would think that composting in this area would be impossible since it is so cold. However, there is a man in Iqaluit (the capital of Nunavut) that has proven that composting is possible in the Arctic (http://www.nunatsiaq.com/archives/40903/news/nunavut/40903_07.html)! He has even imparted his knowledge to local students and sponsors a competition for them to see who can compost the most materials. I am now in the process of contacting him to gage the feasibility of starting a composting program at Kiilinik High School.

Later today, I went to the high school gym to play co-ed soccer with some of the students. This was something I had really been looking forward to before coming to Cambridge Bay. In fact, I made sure that my cleats were the first thing that I packed! It was not until I arrived that I realized that I would not be playing soccer outdoors (duh). It was a great game, although I was teased that I was a "rough" player. There are three sports that students can play in Cambridge Bay: soccer, basketball and hockey. I am trying to take advantage of all of the avid hockey fans here to learn more about hockey, but so far all I can glean is that there is a lot of fighting involved. : )

An action shot of some of the soccer players in the high school gym