Clear skies over Greenland

This is the fourth time i've tried to post this since I got back. Sorry all - the internet here is LAME. Anyway, I will update with an other post tomorrow or Sunday. AAAAAAAAAAAARGH and now the formatting is broken because the blogger platform is HORRIBLE. I am only slightly TOTALLY UPSET. Oh well - the next post won't be broken but I refuse to spend anymore time trying to fix this bullshit interface. Sorry it's so painful to read. Blame Google.

So I've broken my solemn oath to update the blog more often for the upteenth time. But hey, what better way to make up for that then by putting together a post? 

I spent the last two weeks at home on my second rotation. It was absolutely wonderful to be home and spend time with Lisa, the dogs, the family, and friends. Negative highlights include the molar root canal, catching some type of horrendous throat / lung / sinus / icky infection, and gaining 15 pounds. Spending more than half of your fourteen days at home hacking, coughing, snotting, and otherwise being disgusting is not ideal, but home is home!

I write to you now from my wonderfully hipsterish iPad enjoying a terrible movie about a teacher-turned-MMA-fighter just over halfway between Edmonton and jolly old London. The only thing that makes this movie watchable is that it distracts from the terrible turbulence we had earlier.

Now a little background - I am one of those types that given a window seat never, ever closes it. Do you like sleeping through sunrise on night flights? NOT IF YOU'RE SEATED BY ME! :) You see, I like being able to occasionally catch a glimpse of neat stuff and have been rewarded in the past by things as neat as seeing other planes, catching fireworks displays on two occasions, seeing an engine on our plane flame out (don't ever want to see that again), catching beautiful night and day time scenery, scoping out our ice race tracks on my way in and out of the city, among other wonders.

All of those neat things aside tonight's brief view has been a special treat. Whilst watching the most excellent movie I mentioned earlier and trying to catch up on some work email I peeked out the window and was blown away. It's not very often that you get a totally clear glimpse of the ground from 36,000 feet and even more rare does that happen at night off the Western coast of Greenland. Using the wonders of modern technology (my horrible iPhone camera) along with some suitably horrendous apple approved software I present for your review the following spotty (and horribly digitally enhanced) night shots of the Southwestern coast of Greenland taken from my seat.

A view of Edmonton at take off

Grainy awesome 

More grainy awesome

I promise it was actually pretty.

You have to believe me!

This is roughly where I was. Apparently that's the capital of Greenland. According to Wikipedia they have the highest rate of suicide per capita out of any other country. How cheery!

It's unfortunate that the shots are so poor but take my word for it that the sight was breathtaking. A crystal clear view of stark white Greenland with what I only assume were two fairly sizable cities shining brightly against the bleakness. Had I internet access I could use the awesome that is google maps and figure out just what those cities are buut alas Air Canada hasn't figured out inflight internet yet. :(

Anyway, I thought you might enjoy a glimpse into my inflight boredom. Maybe it's time to catch some shut eye. I've got some Londoning to do tomorrow before catching my economy (ugh) flight to Johannesburg.

Daytime snap of the Western UK

Planes are neat.

That's all for now!