skipped March?

Time goes a lil too fast for me I’d say. It’s already past mid April and I thought Spring was here, but Winter has returned. We’ve had snow in the last couple of days. I’ve hibernated all weekend long due to a nasty head cold and it is now Tuesday and I’ve not returned to work. I find that this is the only time I get to write or blog or email to friends. So much things consume my time.

I wish I had more time with people though. I have so many hours in the office that it’s getting to me. I dunno how long I will work in an environment like that. I am happy but I don’t see how I can stay there for another year. It’s not so fun I guess. I know not everything is meant to be fun but I know you’re supposed to like what you do so you can be great at it. That is not the case for me.

My brother went to see Oprah last night in Toronto. I was more excited to see him on tv than to see Oprah. Sorry Oprah. And of course his face was on tv. She’s a great and an amazing lady, but I must say my brother is greater fan of her. I thought about it last night how my brother will be among great people of influence and he loves that and it’s totally natural for him too and I on the other hand just love being with my normal day to day friends, not people, my friends. But you can give me Oprah and I will be the one to interrogate her as I love to hear “your story”. But it won’t feel like an interrogation, but may feel like you’re sitting with curious George. :) Heart has always been close to me and to see yours is like sharing the richness of life. This is where the next paragraph starts.

So I met some great people of my kind. Really my own kind. I’ve always been drawn to different nationalities before. But this season, I have found myself meeting people from the great Chisasibi. A Cree community that is the furthest up that you can get to by vehicle that is. There’s another one further up from Chisasibi, but would need to fly up in order to get there. Anyway, in the last 6 months or so, I’ve met more Chisasibi people than any other Cree in our nation and even in Mistissini. I am meeting more of the Crees from Chisasibi that live here for work and some even gotten married here for many years and even more years than I have. I always find that funny. Anyway, meeting these sweet hearts have drawn me to check out what’s happening to my heart again. So I went on an excursion sort of.

Last month, I went to live there for a week and worked from there as well. (I work at a regional head office and now we have offices in just about every community.) Just about every southern Cree doesn’t like going up north to our northern Crees. It’s not like we live so far south, but traveling for hours on the road north isn’t exciting to many and no traffic on the road but a car here and there and no street lights except at the gas station half way to your destination... you get the picture. Anyway, I came in with my bags and groceries and settled in for work. I totally made myself at home. O ya, I forgot to mention that I have a home in Chisasibi. It’s funny how fast I somehow manage to find a home in all the places I’ve been on this earth. Thanks God for looking out for me and taking care of me and placing me in the right homes.
Chisasibi is roughly 700 km away from the nearest town (French town). It takes me roughly 8 hours to get there. That’s traveling on gravel road from my hometown! oh the joys of northern life. The community is populated with 3500 people and mainly Cree and a maybe 100 Inuit people. It’s quite a massive town. The difference I see is that they are much more social people, to some extent more friendlier too. I can’t say Mistissini isn’t as I’ve not lived here long enough, but I know this town is a busy one and everyone doing their own thing. I totally localized myself while my one week stay there with work and going to the gym, off to the store, hanging out with friends at night, checking out local events and participating in them, drove mama to Radisson to get her hair done. I did the whole 9 yards. I loved it. Even as I left to go back to Mistissini, that highway was fun and smiled almost all the way home thinking yea, I could do this and live here and drive long hours. who cares? I love it!

The lovely thing about isolation is it pushes you to be connected with people. These people were all strangers to me and I met one person and met another and so it goes on. We’ve now become friends and a few become family as well. I’m getting to know them more and more as we are now connected through blackberry, texts, facebook and even a phone call. :) technology serves well in these cases. In my hometown, we have an outlet very close to town. Just about anyone can leave south on weekends and come back to work and routine keeps repeating. And with the time flying, there’s barely any time for visiting or ’socializing’ and once weekend rolls around, off we go again to get away from the “rez” life so everyone calls it around here.

So what I’m trying to say is, I love these people. I love the community. I don’t care how bad some may say about it. I find my love is stronger. These people have touched my heart and led more closer and closer each times to them. I miss them and long to be with them. So what did I do? I applied for a job up there. So we shall see what will happen. If the door opens, then fantastic, if not, then another will open. I think it’s time I move on my own and explore the Cree nation where not everyone would like to go! yep! there she goes again! Is this a sign for another significant move? I wonder and i do hope so too. Because why would I be so thrilled about this community? The feeling reminds me of the time I knew I was headed to the Arctic. So we shall and see.

My heart gets excited just thinking about it!