One of the main questions people asked me before I came to Alert was what am I going to do with my free time at the top of nowhere with a population of around 70? As much as I tried to convince them I'd stay busy, I didn't really know myself. Now I've been here about a month and haven't been bored once. When I talked to people who had been to Alert before they said your experience up here is completely based on your attitude (like most of life). There is so much to get involved in, but if you choose to hide in your room and watch movies every night the time will go very slow.
Every night of the week there is something going on, whether it's a euchre tournament, ball hockey, or TGIF on fridays. By the time I'm out of here I'd be surprised if I wasn't a card and pool shark. Tuesday nights I join in the crib tournament, a game I'd never played before coming to Alert. Wednsdays is MESS night, where everyone gets together at the bar and there are raffles with prizes like the signature "Frozen Chosen" pjs, sweaters, glasses etc. Thursday you can either join the pool tournament or play ball hockey which I've just started getting into and am loving it (hopefully when I go home I can actually give my 11 year old brother a challenging game).
TIME FOR THE WEEKEND. Friday night TGIF: the station gets together in the Arctic Club to welcome the newcomers and give farwells to those leaving the next week. Lots of music, pool, cards, and the odd time there's been dancing. Sometimes, like on New Years, there is kareoke which was a great time. The kitchen staff brings out homemade chips which are dangerously delicious. On saturdays there is sometimes day trips like ice fishing which I went on earlier in the month. The lake had around 5 ft of ice! We drove a military PV (a very, very large vehicle) on the ice to the hut where the only kind of fish to catch was Arctic Char. I caught one and a half.. (one of the fish ate both mine and the girl's hooks sitting across from me, which I reeled in through my hole.. it wasn't actually half a fish). In March the ice can get around 7 feet deep!
Below is a picture of me standing on the Arctic Ocean next to a giant piece of sea ice which, for as far as I could see, the ocean was covered with. We climed to the top of one (the second picture, which you can only make out the reflectors on my parka) and looked north towards the north pole where the full moon illuminated the sea for several kilometres out. It was one of the most spectacular and unbelievable sights I've ever seen. These giants are formed from the sea ice being pushed together from the currents. Once there is daylight I will return to the same spot to get a better picture, and there will be alot more excursions on the weekends like hiking Crystal Mountain (not actually a mountain, but you can find crystal on it).
Every night of the week there is something going on, whether it's a euchre tournament, ball hockey, or TGIF on fridays. By the time I'm out of here I'd be surprised if I wasn't a card and pool shark. Tuesday nights I join in the crib tournament, a game I'd never played before coming to Alert. Wednsdays is MESS night, where everyone gets together at the bar and there are raffles with prizes like the signature "Frozen Chosen" pjs, sweaters, glasses etc. Thursday you can either join the pool tournament or play ball hockey which I've just started getting into and am loving it (hopefully when I go home I can actually give my 11 year old brother a challenging game).
TIME FOR THE WEEKEND. Friday night TGIF: the station gets together in the Arctic Club to welcome the newcomers and give farwells to those leaving the next week. Lots of music, pool, cards, and the odd time there's been dancing. Sometimes, like on New Years, there is kareoke which was a great time. The kitchen staff brings out homemade chips which are dangerously delicious. On saturdays there is sometimes day trips like ice fishing which I went on earlier in the month. The lake had around 5 ft of ice! We drove a military PV (a very, very large vehicle) on the ice to the hut where the only kind of fish to catch was Arctic Char. I caught one and a half.. (one of the fish ate both mine and the girl's hooks sitting across from me, which I reeled in through my hole.. it wasn't actually half a fish). In March the ice can get around 7 feet deep!
Below is a picture of me standing on the Arctic Ocean next to a giant piece of sea ice which, for as far as I could see, the ocean was covered with. We climed to the top of one (the second picture, which you can only make out the reflectors on my parka) and looked north towards the north pole where the full moon illuminated the sea for several kilometres out. It was one of the most spectacular and unbelievable sights I've ever seen. These giants are formed from the sea ice being pushed together from the currents. Once there is daylight I will return to the same spot to get a better picture, and there will be alot more excursions on the weekends like hiking Crystal Mountain (not actually a mountain, but you can find crystal on it).
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