Summer In The Big Apple

The highlight of the summer was my trip to New York City with my dad in mid-July.  The last time I was in the Big Apple was 2004 and I wanted to see how much the city has changed in 20 years.  I only had a week to spare so our trip focused on exploring Manhattan Island.  You would need at least a month to explore all five burrows in detail.

My dad & I flew business class.  It’s the only way when travelling to the “city that never sleeps.”  The snack meals on the Air Canada flights were pretty good.  We landed at LaGuardia Airport in the early evening.  The last time I was at LaGuardia was 1999 and it wasn’t a nice-looking place.  The airport had a long reputation for being ugly and unpleasant.  Thankfully, the airport underwent an extensive redevelopment, beginning in 2016.  The project is mostly complete at a cost of around $5.5 billion USD.  I think the money was well-spent because the airport looks more spacious & visually appealing.

We took a cab from the airport to our hotel in Midtown Manhattan.  Traffic wasn’t too bad, and I was able to take pictures of buildings from the passenger window.  The hotel is located not too far from the Empire State Building.  In fact, we could clearly see the iconic building from our hotel room because it was on the 27^th floor.  We could also see the New Yorker building.

My dad & I planned on getting around Manhattan by using the extensive subway system.  We bought 7-day Metro passes at the nearest station.  We made our way to the Empire State Building on our first full day in the city.  I planned one activity for each day.  The iconic structure is nearing 100 years old!  We cleared security and then walked through a museum featuring portraits & information plaques.  We took an express elevator to the observation deck on the 86^th floor.  My dad & I walked outside, braving the hot sun, and took pictures of the surrounding cityscape.  I took many photos and even a short video.  It’s quite impressive to hear the metropolis from a high altitude.  Speaking of high altitude, we took an elevator up to the 102^nd floor observatory.  It’s smaller & you have to pay extra, but worth it.  The visit ended in the merchandise store.  All tourist places have a merchandise store at the end.  I’ll admit to buying a t-shirt.

We headed to Times Square by subway.  The area sounds louder to me, possibly due to many pedestrians, vehicles, bright lights, and digital ads plastered on buildings.  People suffering from seizures should be careful and/or avoid Times Square because it may be triggering.

At the end of the first day, my dad & I had dinner at the Beer Authority restaurant, not far from our hotel.  We ordered fish & chips, and shrimp teriyaki.

The second day was all about flight.  We visited the Intrepid Museum, on the actual USS Intrepid (CV-11).  The carrier was launched during World War 2, decommissioned after the end of the war, recommissioned in the 1950s as an attack carrier, converted into an anti-submarine carrier, decommissioned a second time in 1974, and finally becoming a museum ship in 1982.   The carrier hosts many aircraft, helicopters, and even the space shuttle Enterprise in an enclosed pavilion.  The pavilion is air conditioned and provides respite from the hot sun.  Wear a hat & sunscreen when visiting.  You can explore most of the decks & island control tower.  I took a lot of pictures, so many that I can’t post them all here.      

Next to the USS Intrepid sits the decommissioned British Airways Concorde G-BOAD.  It “holds the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing.”  You must buy a separate ticket to do the Concorde Tour.  The tour lasts 30 minutes and was very informative.  This was our first time sitting in a Concorde.  I wish I was rich to afford the tickets when Concorde operated.

We explored a small part of Central Park on the morning of the third day.  Central Park is a very big place, and you can spend an entire day there.  Maybe two.  The park serves as a way for the people of Manhattan to escape the hustle & bustle of the city . . . without actually leaving it.  Surprisingly, the noise level drops significantly when you walk several metres into the park.  You really feel like you’re in a quiet suburb or dense forest.  Just ignore the tall buildings surrounding the park.  There are a lot of places to visit, including a zoo.  We didn’t go there this time.

We proceeded to Lower Manhattan, aka Downtown New York City, where the Financial District is located.  We got off at the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, recently opened in 2016, at an estimated cost of $4 billion USD.  It was built to replace the previous hub that was destroyed in the September 11 terrorist attacks of 2001.  The main station house is the Oculus and it’s quite a nice-looking building with a lot of floor space and a very high ceiling.  My only gripe is the limited seating on the main floor.  I guess this was done to prevent people from congregating and interrupting the constant flow of foot traffic.  [Oculus video clip].

We walked across the street, got a close-up view of one of the reflection ponds and then proceeded to One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the western hemisphere.  The building stands at 1,776 feet, or 571 metres.  The height of 1,776 feet was deliberately chosen during the design phase to reference the Declaration of Independence.  We proceeded through security, walked through a small museum about the tower, and then took an express elevator to One World Observatory on floors 100 – 102.  I took a lot of pictures of NYC, including a passing Hercules transport plane.  I also purchased a New York City hat from the gift shop.  It’s the probably the most I ever paid for a hat.  We enjoyed a late lunch at the One Dine Restaurant before returning to street level.

We returned to Lower Manhattan the next day to explore the Financial District on foot.  We found the New York Stock Exchange but didn’t go inside.  We also located the famous Charging Bull statue but didn’t pose next to it because there were two long lines.  One for the front and one for the back.  The line at the back is for people who want their pictures taken of them holding the bull’s, um, balls.  I’m not kidding.  Apparently, holding them in your hands brings you good luck, but I doubt that’s true.  Someone probably said that as a joke and then many people believed it.

We continued south towards Battery Park.  I bought a large pretzel from a street vendor next to the US Custom House.  You have to buy good street food from a vendor at least once when visiting NYC.  Speaking of food, there are a lot of food vendors at Battery Park, selling fruits, drinks, ice cream, and sweets.  There are other vendors that sell hats, paintings, and post cards.  There are a lot of people in Battery Park because there’s a ferry terminal and a dock for tourists wanting to visit Liberty Island.  (More on this coming up).

My dad & I left the park and walked east towards a helicopter pier.  I booked The New Yorker Tour with HeliNY.  We checked-in, watched a safety video, given inflatable safety vests, and then waited with other passengers for our turn to board.  The pier is used by several helicopter tour companies.  The flight lasted about 20 minutes.  We flew past Governor’s Island, Liberty Island, Ellis Island, and then proceed up the Hudson River.  The pilot circled around the George Washington Bridge and then returned the way we came.  He pointed out notable landmarks and shared some history about the city.  A helicopter tour is a great way to view NYC.

We enjoyed an early dinner at Fraunces Tavern.  The establishment “played a prominent role […] before, during, and after the American Revolution.”  The tavern once “served as a headquarters for George Washington, a venue for peace negotiations with the British, and housing federal offices in the Early Republic.”

On our last full day in The Big Apple, my dad & I returned to Battery Park to catch one of the ferries to Liberty Island.  Liberty Island is where the famed Statue of Liberty is located.  There were a lot of people even though we arrived in the morning.  We lined up at the main dock after going through security.  The sky was clear & the sun was shining brightly in the sky.  It’s a good thing we put on sunscreen & were wearing hats.  The ferry made its way to the island filled to maximum capacity.  We disembarked and took in our surroundings.

Viewing the island from the air the day before made it easier for us to get our bearings.  The island was swarming with visitors, but thankfully, it wasn’t too crowded.  I took many photographs of the statue and the surrounding area.  The statue’s pedestal is currently under renovation.  We had to go through another security checkpoint to access the Statue of Liberty’s Pedestal.  You can either walk up stairs or take a small slow-moving elevator to the top of the Pedestal.  Thankfully we didn’t have to wait long for the elevator.  Unfortunately, that’s the only elevator.  It’s all stairs if you want to get to the observation decks in the crown and at the torch.  You must pay extra to gain access.  We spent about 20 minutes walking around & taking in the sights.

We explored the remainder of the island before lining up for the ferry.  Unfortunately, the line was very long.  I think we waited close to 45 minutes.  Liberty Island needs an additional dock to handle all the tourists.  Next stop was Ellis Island.

The last time I visited Ellis Island was 1999.  The island served as a gateway for immigrants from 1892 to 1954.  It’s now home to the National Museum of Immigration.  The museum looks a lot better since my last visit, especially the history exhibits.  There are plenty of statues, photos, and plaques to read & photograph.  I was ecstatic to see they kept the Old Italian Story quote.  (It’s the only thing I remember from my first visit).

It was mid-afternoon when we returned to Battery Park.  Visiting Liberty & Ellis Islands requires an entire day.

We took a subway to East Village to enjoy an early dinner at Veselka, a popular Ukrainian restaurant.  The place was busy, and the food was great.  The restaurant is also the subject of a recently released documentary.  Slava Ukraini!

Unfortunately, the time had come to return to Canada.  We checked out of our hotel and got a taxi ride to LaGuardia Airport.  We felt like VIPs because the taxi was a black SUV.  We checked in our luggage, went through security, and proceeded to the Maple Leaf Lounge for breakfast and to kill some time.  We walked to our gate after some time had passed.

The short return flight was uneventful and thankfully going through Canadian customs didn’t take long.  We caught our second flight a few hours later, collected our luggage at our final destination, and then took a taxi home. 

Overall, the trip was a success.  We did everything we set out to do and had a great time.  The only thing we had to get used to is going through security checkpoints at all tourist destinations.  It’s the norm in the USA and I doubt it’ll change.  I’m glad I returned to New York City after a 20-year absence.  I’ll need to plan a future visit to explore the other boroughs.

Update: Apologies for the very long wait, but I finally found the time to make 2 videos about the helicopter tour I took with HeliNY.  You can view them on my YouTube channel:

HeliNY: The Ultimate Tour – Part 1

HeliNY: The Ultimate Tour – Part 2

Year End Festivities (2024)

The school year was near its end with the arrival of June.  The last few days of school are about winding things down, getting report cards done & distributed, and celebrate the end of another school year.  The celebrations occur on the last two days.

The year end festivities began with the Year End Assembly on June 3.  First on the program was Kindergarten Graduation.  The kindergarteners lined up outside the gym wearing their blue graduation gowns.  The Acting Principal welcomed everyone in attendance and called on the kindergarten teacher to begin the graduation ceremony.  The teacher introduced the graduates individually and they entered the gym one at a time and took a seat at the front of the gym.  The audience applauded each entrance.  The teacher gave each kindergartener a graduation certificate.  The class had their picture taken in front of a large congratulatory banner.  The parents, guardians, and relatives of the students were very delighted.

The assembly continued with the Acting Principal giving thank you gifts to the teachers & staff who would not be returning next school year.  She wished them all the best in their future endeavours.

The next part of the assembly was the best attendance awards for students.  Students in each class with perfect attendance for the month of May were called up to receive certificates and have their pictures taken.  Then came the year end best attendance draw.  The school bought year end prizes, bikes for elementary grades, and electronics for middle & senior grades.  Students who achieved best attendance throughout the year had their names entered into a year end draw.  Four lucky students had their names drawn.

The last part of the assembly was a square dance put on by students to recognize & honour the decades years of service of two senior Inuit teachers.  They watched the performance with delight and thanked the students for the kind gesture.                

The last day of school for students was June 4.

Students & teachers did a garbage cleanup of the school yard in the morning.  Snow had melted weeks ago, revealing litter everywhere.  Everyone was given gloves & several black garbage bags.  We picked up as much trash as possible.  Taking care of the land fits into the IQ Principle of Avatimik Kamattiarniq (Environmental Stewardship).

The afternoon saw students & teachers participate in a round robin of outdoor games and barbecue.  Parents & guardians were also invited to the barbecue.  The school’s Events Committee planned this event.  Food & juice boxes were ordered in advance.  The committee put up a sign-up sheet in the main office for staff to select a station they wanted to run.  There were 7 stations, one of which was the barbecue.  Several high school students volunteered to do the food preparation.  I created the rotating schedule for classes.  Each class spent 15 minutes at each station.

I walked around making sure the stations were running smoothly and on time.  From what I observed and photographed, everyone appeared to be having a good time.  The activities & BBQ came to an end at 3:30pm and students were dismissed from school for the summer.  I think I heard a few students shout, “Freedom!”.  Students will return to school in August.  A few high school students stayed behind to help staff clean up the food station.

The last day for staff was June 5.  Teachers spent the day cleaning their classrooms, throwing out stuff they didn’t need, removing posters from walls, and moving classroom furniture into corners so the custodians could clean the floors over summer.  A year-end get together was held in the gym with food prepared by the local hotel.  The Acting Principal gave a short speech, thanking everyone for working hard and making the school year a success.  The staff took a group photo at the end of the get together.  The staff who weren’t returning next year returned their school keys to the main office.  Everyone wished each other a safe & happy summer.

I stayed in town for three more days to clean my place and pack for my trip down south.  I flew down south on June 8. 

With summer vacation in full swing, I’ll be taking a short break from my blogging duties. 

See you all in August! 

High School Graduation 2024

Inuujaq School held its high school graduation on May 31.  The High School Graduation Committee (HSGC) spent a great deal of time assisting the four graduates in organizing their perfect day.  Work started months in advance.  A lot of pieces need to come together and work to guarantee a successful & memorable ceremony.  Just off the top my head, there are invitations, a program, gowns, decorations, grad rings, theme song(s), awards, food, grad cake, photographs, transportation, speeches, assembling helpers, and fundraising.  There are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes. 

The morning & afternoon of May 31 were spent decorating the community hall.  This was done high school students & teachers.  I borrowed a pickup truck from Frank and transported the decorations & kitchenware.  I had to make two trips.  Everything was done & ready to go for the evening celebration.

I arrived at the community hall at 5:30pm.  I walked around and took pictures of the decorated hall.  The decorators did a great job.  The windows were covered in stars.  A red carpet led from the back of the hall to the stage, passing under a white arch covered in balloons.  The stage was covered with gold, black, & silver balloons, stars, and golden drapes.  The names of the four graduates were pasted to the backwall.  Four chairs with white seat covers sat on stage.  To the right was the podium.  In front of the stage were four rows of tables & chairs, laid out for the graduation dinner.  The chairs also had white seat covers.  We expected around 40 – 60 guests for dinner.

More people began arriving a few minutes after I did.  Everyone came in formal attire.  The graduates spent extra time getting prepared. 

Dinner began at 6:30pm.  The emcees introduced the grads, and they walked down the red carpet to their seats while the audience applauded.  An Elder then blessed the food and the graduates got in line first to receive their meals.  Everyone else followed.  The food was prepared & served by the head chef & kitchen staff of the local Taqqut Inns Hotel, formally known as Tangmaarvik Inn.  The menu consisted of a delicious assortment of meats, salads, vegetables, and desserts.  I had two helpings.  Dinner lasted an hour.

The next 30 minutes were spent clearing the tables, folding & putting away the tables, and rearranging the chairs to face the stage for the graduation ceremony.  Any leftover food that hadn’t been served was placed in the main hallway for anyone to take home.  More guests arrived and helped with the cleanup and rearrangement.

The graduation ceremony began at 8pm with everyone standing for the arrival of the graduates.  The graduates were individually escorted to the stage by a local RCMP officer while their chosen theme song played on loudspeakers.  The audience filmed the introduction on their phones, clapped, and cheered.  The graduates took their seats on stage and the music gradually faded out.  The emcee welcomed everyone, and an Elder opened the ceremony with a prayer.  This was followed by another Elder lighting the ceremonial qulliq.  Everyone then took their seats.

The Acting Principal continued the ceremony with a prepared speech.  She congratulated the graduates for completing high school and encouraged them to pursue post-secondary education.  The emcee translated the speech into Inuktitut.  The Acting Principal then called on each graduate to receive their diploma.  The graduates were all smiles when they posed for photographs.  A representative from the local District Education Authority (DEA) also spoke, followed by congratulatory messages from the superintendent, MLA David Akeeagok, and federal MP Lori Idlout.  They wanted to attend but were unable to due to other commitments, so their messages were read by school administration.

The next section of the ceremony were the awards.  There were five this year: Governor General’s, Hamlet of Arctic Bay, Volunteer Achievement, Athletic Achievement, and Inuktitut Language.  I presented the Volunteer Achievement Award.  The winning graduates received a certificate and photo.  In the case of the Governor General’s Award, the winning graduate also received a medal. 

The graduates were given the opportunity to address the audience.  The graduates had elected one of them to be the valedictorian.  She addressed the audience in Inuktitut & English, thanking teachers, friends, and family for supporting her & the graduates, and encouraged any students in the audience to finish high school.  The other graduates capitulated to encouragement from the audience and said a few words of their own.

Parents, relatives, and friends were invited to address the graduates & audience.  Several did come up on stage to offer their personal congratulations & thanks.

The Acting Principal was the last to speak, doing the Closing Remarks, thanking everyone involved and wishing the graduates all the best.  The closing theme song began to play, and the graduates stood up to exit.  The RCMP led the graduates out of the hall while the audience clapped & cheered.

The four graduates assembled in the main hallway behind a large table where the two graduation cakes sat.  Behind them was a large congratulatory mural prepared by the Grade 2 class.  The graduates had their pictures taken cutting the cakes.  They set aside pieces for themselves and then served the remaining cakes to the people in attendance.  I managed to get a small piece.

I personally congratulated each graduate for completing high school & receiving their diplomas.  They went over to a decorated wall that had been prepared for portraits to be taken.  While the hired photographer took photos, Hamlet staff began cleaning up the hall.  I got a few volunteers to help me load the pickup truck with all the equipment & items that needed to be returned to school.  A few teachers followed me to school and helped me carry everything inside.  I then returned the truck to Frank.  As for the graduates, they continued celebrating into the night with an evening dance.

Operation Spring Fix 24 – Part 3

Sunday’s reveille was at 8am, but I woke up early.  Officers are supposed to do that.  Lead by example and follow the rule of “time appreciation”.  I walked around the cabin and tent to get some exercise and scout for possible hungry polar bears.  Thankfully, there were none.  I woke up the cadets and they slowly got ready.  MREs were prepared & consumed for breakfast.  Breakfast lasted an hour.  The cadets & I spent the next hour cleaning the cabin, packing our gear, and disassembling the green tent.

I drove up to the main camp site to meet with the Canadian Ranger and hired adult driver.  They were cleaning out their tents.  I briefly went over the plan for the day and then returned to the cabin to brief the cadets.  I brought the cadets over to the main camp site so they could fish one last time.  The fishnets would remain in the lake and the Canadian Ranger would return to Ijuyuarjuk in a few days to pull them out and retrieve the fish he caught.

The cadets & I returned to the cabin and packed the wooden qamutik.  The Ranger instructed me to leave several boxes of MREs in the cabin for future visitors.  This would reduce the amount of stuff to bring back and help any stranded hunters.  A senior cadet wrote “Free food” on the boxes in Inuktitut & English.  The cadets did a garbage sweep around the cabin and where the green tent once stood.  We returned to the main camp site.  I drove my skidoo and pulled the qamutik with the cadets riding on top.

The cadets packed the remaining two qamutiks that would be pulled by the Ranger & adult driver.  I had the adult driver take a few pictures of the cadets & I standing in front of the mountains at Ijuyuarjuk.  The cadets divided themselves among the 3 qamutiks and the convoy began the trek back to Arctic Bay.

A rather strong wind blowing south greeted us as we began driving north on the main skidoo trail in Admiralty Inlet.  Normally, this would be an annoyance, but for me, this was perfect considering the overheating problem my 600 EFI Backcountry Skidoo gave me on Friday.  Driving into the wind provided additional cooling to the hardworking skidoo engine, greatly lessening the chance of overheating.

The next few hours went by without incident.  They were spent driving and listening to the continuous monotone droning sound of my skidoo.  I kept myself focused by looking ahead, left, right, and behind.  I had a few cadets riding on top of the qamutik I was pulling, and I didn’t want to leave them behind if they fell off.  I also had to look behind because my snowmobile didn’t have rearview mirrors.  The weather was perfect despite the strong wind.  The sky was mostly blue and the sun was shining brightly in the sky.

The convoy stopped near Iqalulik, a secluded fishing lake closer to Arctic Bay.  I had driven by it several times but haven’t camped there yet.  I’ve been told it’s a great place to catch Arctic char.  The Ranger needed to make a detour here for an hour and took a few cadets with him.  He instructed the adult driver & I to continue north and he would meet up with us near the Qikirtaukkat Islands.  They’re a pair of islands south of Cape Cunningham and a good indicator that you’re getting close to Adam’s Sound.  The adult driver was armed with a hunting rifle so I didn’t object to this arrangement.

The adult driver & I continued driving north.  The cadets with us enjoyed the scenic views while riding in the qamutiks.  The adult driver made a detour to shoot a large seal that was sunbathing on the ice.  He landed a successful hit, and we drove up to see the catch.  A few cadets helped in tying the seal to the front of the adult driver’s qamutik.

We made it to the Qikirtaukkat Islands and stopped for a snack break.  The cadets prepared the remaining MREs.  The adult driver showed me his DJI drone and flew it around the area recording footage of the land.  A high school student happened to be returning from a hunt, and he stopped to see how we were doing.  The adult driver gave him the seal he shot because the high school student was hunting food to feed his dog team.  Eventually, the Canadian Ranger arrived.  We rested some more and then continued the journey home.

The convoy passed Cape Cunningham and turned northeast, proceeding into Adams Sound, the final stretch.  Unfortunately, the main problem I had avoided the entire drive, returned.  There was no wind in Adams Sound, most likely due to the surrounding mountains & high cliffs.  It didn’t take long for my skidoo to begin overheating.  I had to stop several times and wait for the engine to cool down.  I told the Ranger & adult driver to continue, reassuring them I would meet up with them in Arctic Bay.  I had two cadets to help me out.  We finally made it after some time.  One thing was for certain after I stepped off my machine to give the cadets a debriefing: I wasn’t bringing my 600 EFI Backcountry skidoo on a weekend FTX until I could figure out a better cooling method.  Bombardier and the other snowmobile companies don’t really design their machines according to the ways they’re used in the Arctic.  They say they do, but I have doubts, especially after what I just went through.

The Ranger got a pickup truck, and the cadets loaded all the corps equipment we brought and their personal gear.  We drove to Frank’s Shop and put away the corps equipment in a designated sea container.  The Ranger then drove the cadets home.  I thanked him once again for his assistance and he dropped me off in front of the Northern Store.  I drove my skidoo off the ice and parked it in front of my place.  The skidoo driving season was over for me.

Despite the obvious skidoo engine problem, Operation Spring Fix 2024 was a success.  I was glad the cadets & I got the chance to get out on the land, fish, hunt, and experience the real Canadian Arctic.  We all got tans.  I keep forgetting to apply sunscreen.  I hope we’ll be able to do the FTX again next year.     

                                                   End of Operation Spring Fix 24 Mini-Series.