High Rise Diaries: Inside Out

As solstice approached our ideas about the project have taken some experimental turns. Could be the sunlight, could be the result of being surrounded by the equipment, but we decided to use an extra Go Pro camera we have to film the interior of our apartment for 24 hours. In the past, I have done life history interviews with tenants of this lone High Rise tower. Once our research license comes through, we will do more. Visually, as it stands, our focus has been on the exterior of the building. Now we are considering what are the possibilities of turning things inward.  We are cognizant of the ‘surveillance-y’ feeling of such a move, so we subjected ourselves to the experiment first. We wanted to see what it gives in terms of product and process.

We affixed to camera to the wall yesterday and promptly forgot about it. I was certain I would be hyper aware of it, but as it turns out I wasn’t. None of us were. Jesse processed the data compressing 24 hours into a five minute time-lapse video. It begins as a still of the living room. Then, a sun beam creeps across the floor and you realize you aren’t indeed seeing a still. Thirty seconds in the activity starts.

Here is what we learned. Gen works at her computer and stops only for mini naps. I spend a huge amount of time staring at my phone and sitting in weird postures. I only do work when I am alone in the morning. Jesse runs around and around and then leaves. I am now very aware of my social media and text addiction and am taking steps to address it (sort of. Not really).

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In the evening I went out to the shipyard. For those not in the know, Hay River is ‘the transportation hub of the north’. The only rail line in ends here. The river barges that carry fuel and goods northwards are also headquartered here. Work on the boats is seasonal as ice forms around October making water navigation impossible. Low water levels this year means that no ships have made it all the way to the Beaufort sea. The crews hope this will soon change. One section of the shore of the Great Slave lake is something of a barge and boat cemetery. The main marine shipping company has been stationed here for well over 50 years and ‘retired’ vessels speak to that history. If there is a large scale infrastructure project north of 60 (e.g. the DEW line), this company has brought the materials for it.
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From the perspective of work and resource infrastructure, I have always been fascinated with the shipping industries. I had never been successful getting on board one of the ships until Friday. One of the companies’ most prolific seafaring chefs invited me for fish supper. I let go of my vegan-ish lifestyle when I am working. You can’t turn down opportunities like these. The chef C and her culinary partner in crime A were the most gracious hosts. C has over 37 years experience doing this type of work. She hails from Nova Scotia and you hear it in the way she talks and in her glorious laugh. A is a world traveller and kind soul originally from the High Arctic. A and I compared notes on alternative healing and spirituality practices. How we got on to the topic of chakras in under five minutes, I can’t recall. C gave me a full tour of the ship and filled me in on her daughters and grand daughters that were living on the West Coast and who she would see at the season’s end. She was looking forward to being transferred to an open water ship in the far north. C wasn’t a fan of the warmer river climate and handled the rough seas well. In a week’s time she will be sent to join a crew that takes supplies to mine projects in arctic. I felt very lucky to meet both A and C and eat fresh fish on the water.