April 2002 Arctic Trip : the Middle of Everywhere

“Let’s go to the Arctic”. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and better still Youssef, Steve and James were crazy enough to think so too. And just like that - we were getting this trip together!

Figuring out where to go was easy : How far North can we go on a 3-day weekend ? Pangnirtung seemed like a good idea – it had an airport (more on THAT later) and there seemed to be some interesting things to do there.

And then we needed gear. Minus 30 Celsius was not a temperature I could even begin to imagine. And oh yes, we were going to be outdoors for 8 hours at that temperature… Off we proceeded to Mountain Equipment Coop in Toronto, one of the most inspiring stores I have ever stepped into. Steve’s friend Francie (who actually works in Nunavut, and LIVES there) was a godsend to help us figure out what we needed. Silly old me thought I was going to use my woolen gloves on the trip. Francie tried not to show her utter horror at that thought, and gently guided me to what I really needed – inner gloves, fleece gloves, and water-proof mittens … all worn together. Two hours, and several hundred dollars later, we were equipped with boots (graded upto minus 40 C) inners, outers, touques, socks, fleece pants - many many layers of each obviously…

A spring morning in April saw us take off from Toronto. Two flights later we had landed in Iqaluit. The capital of Nunavut, it is a little town that has been put together without too much thought or aesthetics, but it’s the big city. (We later learned that Inuit that commit petty crimes and are ostracized from their societies are sent to Iqaluit. It does explain a few things.) We had a 4-hour layover, during which we took a cab ride around the town, (all of 5 miles from end to end - to think my original plan was to land in Iqaluit and rent a car to look around the region!) had a bleak buffet lunch and our last beer for the trip. The landscape around Iqaluit however, gave us a sense of what to expect. Everything around was white and frozen – it was hard to say what was land, and what was the frozen Frobischer Sound.

From Iqaluit to Pangnirtung, we flew this tinky little plane, where everybody had a window and an aisle seat ! (It was an 8-seater plane, sort of like a flying mini van.) After flying over hundreds of miles of pristine white landscape we landed in middle of this little bowl of white mountains. The reality of being in the Arctic hit us with the blast of cold air as we got off the plane, and walked to the little tin shed that was the airport. We had quite a reception there. Donna (the lady that ran the lodge we were staying in) was there to pick us up. But the biggest relief was seeing Joavee.

Joavee Alivaktuk was the “outfitter” who was going to be with us for the 2 days that we were in Pang, take us around and do stuff with us. The conversations on the phone with him had been … a little challenging. He is what you can describe as a man of few words. Not the sort of person you could negotiate a clear action cycle with or establish any sort of performer-customer relationship. Not quite certain that I had gotten through to him, we were never sure whether he would actually show up. So seeing his broad crinkled face was a huge relief. He turned out to be a wise man you could trust your life with (we did) and amusing in his own way. When we showed him his name in the Frommer’s Guide to travel in Canada, he cackled in the most satisfying way.

We walked around Pangnirtung (which means “the place of the bull caribou”). A little town of tin-shed like homes, and winding paths. The Pang fjord opens onto Cumberland Sound (all names from an Atlas to me till then). The area has been home to the Inuit for over a 1000 years. And then the next morning we went into Arctic Extreme.

When Joavee came the next morning and showed us how we were going to spend the next 2 days, I first thought he was joking. We were going to sit in an open sled (think wooden crate) connected to a snowmobile (which I had never seen up until that time – it is sort of like a water scooter on skis). Wearing more clothes and layers than I weighed, and feeling like the intrepid explorers we surely were, we set off into that bright sunny morning.

The sled went over bumpy rocks and smooth ice and smooth rocks and bumpy ice. Sitting in that open sled, with crazy winds at this insanely low temperature (minus 30 C with windchill) was something I hope I never forget. First my toes FROZE, and then that stopped. After it had been a while since I’d lost feeling in my toes I mustered up the courage to casually inquire what the first symptom of frost bite was… And my shoes were supposed to keep me warm till as low as minus 40C. (I’ve been in the business – the “as low as” should not have fooled me!) And then I discovered all these cool things about the cold. We’d stop when it got really bad, and get out of the sled, and try and walk or jog around. Within minutes, warm blood would come pumping through and our toes would miraculously spring to life again. And then we’d get back in the sled and move on. Couldn't tell whether I lost all feeling in my rear because of the ride or the cold.

As far as the eye could see there was just the Great White. And then I figured the reason for it. We were on a frozen sea! We had some great experiences. Went 40 miles out on the frozen Cumberland Sound, to the edge where it was not frozen - the floe edge. Saw this tranquil sight of the deep blue rippling water with mist over it. The snow had polar bear footprints - he had been there I guess looking for seal to eat. We built an igloo from scratch. Saw the most incredible landscapes - spectacular cliffs (Auyuittuk National Park has some of the highest cliffs in the world apparently) and fjords and valleys.

We had that moment when you know that for as far as the horizon is, there is just white ice and snow blowing around. It really is the middle of nowhere. But one of the Inuit we chatted with described it as "the middle of everywhere" - because he said that out in the Arctic you're in the midst of nature. In the middle of the real thing, miles and miles from anything artificial, without barriers of TVs, walls, and cities and everything else that is manmade. The middle of everywhere.

We saw this turquoise coloured glacier, flowing down into a frozen lake. The lake was just a block of clear ice. As we walked on it (trying hard not to slip, although I did once - badly) - you could see right through this blue ice, and there were the most intricate geometric patterns suspended inside it.

Auyuittuk Lodge turned out to be way more comfortable (and warm) than we’d expected. Tasty meals too. We would get back from the day, and thaw gradually, looking out through the large picture windows of the lodge, at the incredible landscape that nonchalantly lounged outside. The sun would reluctantly disappear after 9pm. And then we would sit up late playing cards and solving the world’s problems. A Moroccan, an Englishman, a Canadian and an Indian in the Arctic.

We didn't get to see the Northern lights - but well, there’s got to be a reason to go back…

April 2000 : Meanderings Part 3

April 2000 : Three months in the US

Well, life has been chugging along and the last few weeks since Radhi and Aryaman got here have gone by faster than the weeks when I was here alone. Haven't really settled in yet (the apartment looks like a carpeted playground without any furniture). In the meantime, I still look at this country and find lots to amuse myself with ...

One of the things you learn if you go to a "convent school" in India for your early schooling, is some fixed things about pronunciation. For instance, we were taught that in a sentence that ends with a "?" - one must raise one's voice slightly at the end, to imply the question. The Americans obviously missed out on this useful learning, and they seem to have a "?" tucked away at the end of most sentences when they speak. The way they speak sounds kind of like this - " So we went to this bar? And then we had some drinks? And there was this cool band playing? ....." And so on. You get the point - try speaking any normal sentence, like this and you'll know what I mean!

From my office window, there is a small wooded area I can see across the road. Right in the middle of this, there is a parking lot, in which there are always about 50-60 cars parked. I'd often wondered who parked their cars there, since all the office buildings around seem to have their own parking. I was told the other day, that this was a parking lot for the construction workers at the new site next to it... For several moments I was fazed. My image of a construction worker is that of seeing a tottering tearful Nirupa Roy carrying bricks on her head, dressed in rags. These construction workers who drive in their own cars to the site seem to be from another planet !

Corporate America seems to love jargon. The number of new phrases I keep hearing is awesome ("AH-sum"). I made a list the other day of somethings that needed to get done, and my boss asked me if the list was "mee-see" ... After seeing my totally vacant and zapped expression, he deigned to enlighten me that he was saying "ME-CE" - which stands for "Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive" !!

Mean time, I have learnt several new phrases. My current favorite (note the 'Merican spelling of that word, guys !) is a word that goes - "KYNA-KHOAL". Its a word that describes everything from a promotion, to a new movie. "I saw American Beauty over the weekend, and its kyna-khoal" ... or "I'm developing this model to predict delinquencies and its kyna-khoal" ... Its incredible how "kind-of-cool" can describe most experiences...

One of the high points in DC is the "cherry-blossoms". There are these dozens of cherry blossom trees, around the White House area, which peak in blossom for about a week every year. The whole public (and of course the media!) waits for this and then proceeds to go nuts about it. Every day in the paper, there will be a "cherry watch" box which monitors how the trees are doing, and what day the blossoms are likely to peak, and then half of America comes out to watch them... Like touristy immigrants we went too, to see what all the hype was about. The trees were, well ... pretty. But we enjoyed the hotdogs more! Aryaman of course was thrilled to see so many people.

But - its easy to see why Spring is such a big deal. The whole landscape is changing every day from the barren winter look it had. There is bright sunshine, flowers coming out everywhere. End-April and May are supposed to be the best.

Radhi, meanwhile, is grappling with all the options and choice thrown in her face. It takes her an hour to navigate any aisle in the supermarket trying to decide just which kind of milk to pick up (out of 6 choices), which eggs (out of 5), which butter (4), which cheese (435), which knives set (5 in our price band) ... She has started driving around (with Aryaman in his child seat behind.) And of course, she is learning to cook. Aryaman in the meantime, is delighting in having Mommie around all day to himself. He started playschool last week, and I am having horrible visions of his getting an American accent!

We've acquired a couple of pieces of furniture that we needed. Some stuff for Aryaman's room from Ikea and stuff like that. The evening we bought that stuff, I almost wanted to leave everything here and come right back to India. We had bought a bed and mattress for his room (really nice looking thing - bed with a slide and all that). The stuff comes in pieces in long cartons, which you obviously have to assemble yourself at home. The part I had forgotten was that you had to LUG it back home also yourself. Huge heavy bulky pieces - and we had to get it in the car. Lifting it, getting as much of it as possible to fit into the trunk of the car (sticking out 1/2 a mile). Then tie the mattress on the roof of the car... all YOURSELF. All this while it was drizzling. ... Kept getting misty-eyed about the ease of having everything delivered home in India for 200 rupees !! My heart was also breaking because there was the distinct possibility of doing severe damage to the one-week old shiny new car !! Then I had to get up to the apartment, and the carton collapsed while I was fitting it into the lift (sorry, elevator)... AAARGH!

But YES, we bought a car last week ... the Honda Accord (Honda City ka bada bhai !!) Quite an experience shopping for that one. Did most of it on the Internet, and waited for the dealers to then chase us with a hundred calls and offer us better and better deals, and all that jazzz. But its a lovely new toy that gives me deep excitement looking at it and driving at it.

Jan 2000 : Meanderings - Part 2

Friday, Jan 28, 2000 : 20 days in the US now.

Well, so another week drew to a close here. What bliss to have a 5 day week. Friday afternoon, the urge to get out and get started with the weekend begins !

When the East Coast woke up on Tuesday morning, the whole world outside had turned white, with visibility down to a few metres at best. Offices, schools everything was shut, because during the night the "BLIZZARD of 2000" had struck. (That's what the exaggeration-filled American media dubbed it as, at any rate!) There were inches of snow piled up everywhere, and it was snowing down faster than anybody could clear it up, with huge winds blowing. It was hilarious to attempt to go out anywhere. You got to the parking lot, and there were little pieces of iceberg all around. Only the investigative mind could discern the shape of a car under each of these icebergs ! But - it was fun. Certainly for a certain desi, who got all excited at the sight. It was quite awesome to drive through that and try and get any place.

Like the Americans, I am beginning to watch WEATHER FORECASTS as part of an everyday things-to-do. I don't think I ever knew what the forecast for a particular week was in India. Here everyone will tell you - "Its supposed to be in the high-20s this week, and they're expecting 4 inches of snow on Thursday". Which by the way means that the daytime temperatures are below freezing point. Which was another thing that got me excited. Till I found out by the time I reached my car that I had left my fingers, ears and nose back in the hotel. They were so numbed, I couldn't feel their presence !!

Then there was the President's STATE OF THE UNION address to the Congress/Senate last evening. Mr Clinton is certainly on a high. There were no less than 120 standing ovations (a TV channel counted!) that he got. Of course he used the address to plug Hilary for the NY senate nomination and Al Gore for the Presidential nomination.

Got to do another very 'Merican thing. Went to see a GAME. MCI Center is the big indoor stadium in DC, and Cap One has a permanent box there. So a group of us went to see an ice-hockey game (I know watching basketball would have been the done thing, but hey! give me some time). Totally cool experience. This country is so driven by the media, that the game stopped every few minutes for the channels to air their commercials !! All the players would suddenly walk off the field, and I would wonder whether it was time for a break already !! And this is a championship match if you please. We got thoroughly pampered in the box - there was a fridge full of beer and drinks, platters full of sandwiches, nachos, desserts ...

Americans eat ALL THE TIME. Everybody watching the game had a pizza or something in one hand and a soda/beer in the other. And this is true wherever you go. They are always eating or drinking something. And all the time they are obsessing about calories and fitness and health. Nuts.

Jan 2000 : Meandering Views of a Fumbling Desi

January 18, 2000 : 10 days after Moving to the US from Bombay

Greetings from a freezing country. Outside, there is a cold wave happening (temperatures of about minus 10 celsius!!). In here, I'm sitting in office snug and warm, on my second week at work. Good fun so far.

The place is extremely friendly and casual (checks and khakis to work). Everyone has been damn nice, and has been coming up to me to fix a time, when I can sit with them and they can tell me about their function. I'm doing my best to pretend I understand everything they are saying ! My head is still swimming with "risk-deciles" and "attrition curves that slope with an r-square of ..." and so on !! Everybody is also conscious of their time. For the first time in my life, I have an appointment book, and I have to say "we can meet from 3 to 4 pm on Wednesday" !! The work is interesting, though, and its a good time to be here, because there is a lot happening on the business.

The trappings of work are good - nice large cabin, with a glass wall that overlooks a nice wintry landscape. I'm feeling cheated though - there's no snow, though they say that Feb is the worst month, and I should not lose hope ! I'm still staying at the hotel, and will start house-hunting this week.

In my efforts to feel like a part of the high-tech world, I bought an air ticket on the Internet, and went to New York last weekend. I got screwed on priceline.com and almost had to write off a hundred dollars. NY was fun, and I got to see some snow at last. Went drinking in the Greenwich Village (to a bar, where Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel and various other got their debut). Also went for a party where there were 'desis' around - and I am having a hard time thinking of myself as one of these ... these ... these "NRIs" ! I went and did some winter shopping also - including buying myself a long dark grey overcoat. Its something I've always wanted to possess, and it makes feel totally hep and cool, er.. no hep and warm, ... whatever !

This country has a problem of plenty, there's just too much CHOICE ! The pantry at office has about 7 different kinds of tea (from Darjeeling to herb-camomile) and 4 different kinds of coffee (Colombian blah blah). As if that's not bad enough - there are 5 sugar options (low-cal to natural to substitutes) and 4 different kinds of creamers (hazelnut creamer in coffee - YUCK!) I take 10 minutes just figuring out what I want - I thought I'd try the different options one at a time, but I have figured the different permutations would take me about 3 years, so I've given up now. I really miss walking up to a machine and pressing a button and just getting regular coffee!!

An infinite source of amusement and admiration for me, is the American media. The morning TV shows which I catch are full of the things that dominate the American psyche - such as the current front page news item. Which is whether grandparents can get visitation rights for their grandchildren ! Somebody is suing somebody saying that the grandparents cannot see their grandchildren... what a country! The admiration comes from seeing stuff like the debates among the Presidential candidates for 2000. They really put these guys on the spot, and the candidates have to be fully aware and have to have a view on everything !!

Another thing that takes getting used to, is how everyone will say "Hey, how're you doin' today?" ALL THE TIME. So its your boss, its the supermarket checkout girl (who did not meet me yesterday, to ask me how I'm doing TODAY !), its the doorman at the hotel ... its everyone. I get tired answering that question ! But saying "Its a cold one today, huh?" or "Pretty good" or "Hangin' in there" is a kind of ritual - and I better learn that !

Well, so much for now, with all these meandering views of a fumbling desi!