A couple of times recently I’ve been asked about living here. Some are questions specifically asking what it is like, or similar questions along the same lines. I think I’ve been asking myself the same questions. The answers vary, depending on the day and my mood, but essentially they are similar. Here’s today’s version.
What does it feel like to have been there so long?
We’ve been here for just over six months now. Half a year. Long, but not so long. We are, essentially, settling comfortably enough into our different lifestyle. Our days are full with work. Our lives are quiet – the two of us plus Granville the dog, and OrangePekoe the cat – amusing ourselves at home and in the nearby environment.
It took longer than expected to settle into the community. There were some stumbling blocks, but I think we’ve surmounted them. We’ve made some acquaintances, some pals. Our flat is smack-dab in the middle of everything, handy to work, and the perfect spot to be nosy-parkers. (not that we are, but….) We live on the top floor of this house.
That being said, both Nigel and I have developed routines. I go to work daily, come home for lunch (a pleasure to have that break), and spend the evenings reading and watching programs on TV.
Nigel follows a similar routine. Our work is different – I work with the elementary children at the school, he works in the wood-working shed making furniture and teaching the secondary children how to make simple items in a program similar to what in my youth was called “shop”. It is now called ‘woodworking’.
Our routine also includes a weekend outing to Oweekeno Lake, or R.I.C. which is the local term for the government wharf.
R.I.C. is Rivers Inlet Cannery, named for the large cannery that once was at that location. Pylons in the water are all that remain from those days.
Locations for outings are limited. The village, Oweekeno, is only about 3 km from one end to the other, and the accessible area around the village is possibly 10 km from one end to the other. There is a badly pot-holed, unmaintained road between the village and Oweekeno Lake.
Apparently it belongs to the logging company that built it, so no-one seems to take responsibility for upkeep. It is a necessary road, because it leads to what is called the Reload, which is where the logging company dropped logs and loaded them onto trucks to portage them around the rapids in the river.
There are many free-floating, washed-up logs along the shore.
These are cut into smaller chunks, the familiar split log shape that we Canadians know and use for home heating in wood stoves. We are the lucky recipients of a regular load of logs to help keep our house toasty warm.
Have I experienced culture shock?
Yes, indeed. There are many different routines here, with no explanations forthcoming. I’ve made many mistakes. It has not been a welcoming community, for the most part. I’ve lived in many different places, often feeling warmth in the welcome. I’ve not felt that here. It’s unfortunate, from my perspective, because, after six months, I remain wary, whereas otherwise I’d be getting involved in many community activities. I am involved with all of the activities that include the elementary school children. That’s a start. I’m sure it will continue and expand over the coming months.
That being said, there are a couple of people who have spoken warmly to us, and from whom we have felt a warm welcome. One is Alvina, who unfortunately has been unavailable for the past three or four months because they were in and out of the community getting medical care for her husband. When she returns, I think we’ll become much more friendly. We are of an age, and we have common interests.
Another is George, our Language and Culture instructor. He is always happy to advise about cultural practices and procedures, and to generally chat about this and that. We are also of an age, so we have some common life experiences, having lived through the same decades.
We also have a friend in the village. Peter. When he is in Oweekeno, he invites us over for a meal about once a week. Peter is a Red Seal Chef (the interprovincial standard for skilled trades in Canada). He spent several years working in logging camps, including one of the large camps at the top end of Oweekeno Lake. His meals are very tasty, and include logger-size helpings. We come home stuffed, often with a take-away portion for tomorrow.
The feeling “I’m living here” is very slowly starting to come into place. Another year will perhaps solidify it. Meanwhile, we’ll continue going to work, joining community events, and increasingly visiting others in the community as we all get more comfortable with each other.
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