The origins of the word, "potlatch" come from the Chinook trade jargon formerly used along the coast. It means, "to give".
After finishing exams, going to Sasquatch music festival, moving, and visiting Castlegar/Christina Lake, I have been in Port McNeill for exactly one week now, and it is beginning to feel more familiar. I will be here for 3 more weeks doing my rural family practice rotation. I am also a part of the Interprofessional Rural Program of BC, and accordingly, am living with a physiotherapy student (Nicole) and a nursing student (Corby). The idea is that we learn about the different training programs and professions so that we can work more effectively together when treating patients...and it is working - we are learning lots from each other.
I was pretty busy working with the local doctors at the little local hospital and medical clinic during the week, but managed to get out and explore the magnificent North Vancouver Island scenery this weekend. Yesterday Nicole and I headed onto the ferry with our bikes to explore the Finnish settlement of Sointula, but ended up arriving in Alert Bay instead (next time we will cross-reference our ferry schedule with the one that the ferry actually runs on). Since we were there, we toured around the little town of Alert Bay for a while, and visited the U'mista Cultural Centre, and the world's tallest totem pole made from a single tree.
Today we went ocean kayaking outside of Port Hardy. It was raining when we started, but then the sun came out for the first time since I arrived and made the morning tour even more enjoyable. Aside from spectacular scenery we spotted several seals and even more bald eagles. No orcas, but they had been sighted in the same place yesterday - apparently whale season is just starting. We enjoyed fish and chips in Port Hardy before sighting a couple of black bears on the way home. I will post a picture or two when I can get my camera cooperating.
This week I will be heading down to Campbell River for a couple days to shadow/work at the methadone clinic there, and Kyle is coming on Thursday for a couple of days on his way to Fraser Lake, so there is lots to look forward to!
