The whole group was united today, with two more arriving on the plane from Northern Saskatchewan and Edmonton. It really felt like a family gathering-type thing- the whole group went to pick them up and we made a welcome sign with their names and explained any new things we learned the very first day.
Our leaders also waited to do any of our orientation until today so really, today was Day one and yesterday was our day to chill.
I just can't believe how lucky we are. I actually feel like I'm getting along with everyone in my group, and I have a feeling we won't have problems with people volunteering to do things, take responsibilities and make group living worthwhile.
I also didn't previously realize how many sources of learning there really are in Katimavik. I'll have to update my Katimavik description because, there's SO much to it. Seriously!
All together, I think what Katimavik really stands for is Responsible Living.
here's a list to start:
- Group living:
- Living in a house with 11 or 12 students and one leader has it's difficulties- managing shower times, food, bathroom usage ect.
- Cooking:
- Every week, there are 2 students called "House Mates" that are in charge of cleaning the house, cooking and some of the laundry
- Language: Cree (community), French (housemates), English (everywhere)
- Their goal is to make as many of us as functionally biligual as possible. So today, there are 4 of us that consider ourselves bilingual or almost biligual, one that speaks less English than most and 4 that say they can't speak any French. So our aim is to make the rest of us bilingual.
- Culture:
- Living with students from around thr country offers perspectives from around the country and immerses students in both languages
- Work:
- Volunteer work experience can offer more competencies, of course
- Civic Engagement
- It not only gets us volunteering in this community, but inspires us how to get involved in our own communities and we'll learn how to find places to volunteer as well
- Environmental Habits
- Katimavik was originally, really a program purely for hippies, so it incorporates themes from that, but it's far more structured now including the same environmental living aspects in more useful, efficient manners, teaching us how we can use these habits in our everyday lives.
- Responsibility
- Everyone has tasks we have to do to live in harmony. There's just no other way- we all have to pull our weight.
- Frugal Spending
- Especially in a community where food costs THREE TIMES more than anywhere else, we need to learn to spend efficiently and responsibly.
- Time Management
- We only get so much free time to do things, and learning to cook, clean etc, for a family of 11 or 12 may require some time management as well.
- Social Skills
- We're thrown into a social environment that is comfortable, but likely far from anyone's usual comfort-zones back at home. You befriend the people you would never consider being friends with, and you learn to get along with everyone
- General Life skills
- Dealing with homesickness
- building a tolerance, really to homesickness. I'm starting to think that 6 months isn't very long at all!
- Becoming an Individual
- living in a group home, you become comfortable with the people fairly quickly, having the knowledge that you will be with those people for half a year! After that, it becomes easier to be yourself around others (I've heard)
- Character building
- Healthy active living
- General all-around Experience
- Its friggin fun... and you will get some experience that will more than likely help you reach a conclusion as to what you want to do in life/what you want to gain from experiences.
So that's all the boring stuff, me trying to get you to do Katimavik if you can, or at least be fond if it! ( I can't see any reason not to be, it's a ridiculously incredible program.) Like I said, it's not only the peace love and harmony-type thing it was when it started (thats not to say that it wasn't great but now its just... well words can't explain.)
As for my personal experience thus far? I can only see good things. My group, for example. This was really my biggest fear: to be stuck in a group of crabby teens that don't get along or are rather inconsiderate. That's not at all the case here. We had a true group meal today, where there weren't really any side conversations, just a legitimate GROUP dinner. And our whole group gets along really well- I've even found some things in common with a few people here already! Like photography :)
Also, the community is just... it can't be any better. People are really friendly here, I shared a smile with a man at the airport. I said hello and he smiled, his one-toothed smile and said "Happy New Year" and laughed. Anywhere else, i might have been intimidated, but here, I was honoured to share such a moment with a local because it was so sweet and genuine.
Later, we were getting ready for dinner and the doorbell rang. I answered the door to a little girl wearing a pink spongebob hat. Here, most people speak cree or English, and some French (there's even a small inuit population!) So I said "Hello, Bonjour" Immediately, she replied "I don't speak French." She said it as if I should know, but it was cute :) So I asked her what she would like (figuring, maybe she was fundraising for something) and she asked if she could come in. I guess to play? Apparently it's not uncommon for the kids to come and ask if we want to play. I guess there's no space for shyness here!
I was also impressed with the house! It's so spacious! I was expecting crammyness to be honest. Did I mention the language aspect? My conversations with some switch constantly from French to English and back. And we happen to have a PLO (Project leader officer) that is with us for 5 days (even though theyre normally only here for one because they look after a few groups) Denis is his name, he's hilarious! "I'm like a shooting star," he said. that pretty much describes him to a tee. Our project leader, Chris speaks french, english and Newfaneese. He certainly has his funny moments, but right now, I think he's just playing the 'i gotta lay down the law' type guy. He a git-er-done kind of guy, so if there's a problem, he'll do what he can to fix it immediately, which is so great! I'm really thankful for that.
So not only am I getting this incredible katima-experience, but I'm getting the Chisasibi experience, which is like no other. If I picked a community anywhere in Canada, from what I know so far, I'd pick here.
Eventually I'll make a list of great things about Chisasibi and not-so-great ones (which will be greatly outnumbered)
Peace and love all! (and please comment!)
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