Of alcohol and unlocked doors...

As often happens, I learned this lesson the hard way!

During my first meeting with my supervisor, I received a "safety brief"... apparently prompted by my admission that it was the alcohol in my bags that made them so heavy to haul around (as I could barely lift one into her truck) on my first day. Although I knew that no alcohol stores existed in Iqaluit (or in any of the communities in Nunavut), apparently it is still served in bars, and is still a substance of abuse for some locals. So I accidentally bootlegged alcohol into the territory. Oops! So the message was, lock it up or possibly lose it. Okay... except that I have no place to lock anything personal up. My drawers don't lock and my room only locks from the inside... and any coin can unlock it from the outside. Is this really shared student accommodation I'm living in?!

I was also given a traveller's door-stopper during my safety brief - something you can stick under your door to prevent others from entering. I definitely felt this was a little excessive at the time, but given that my "lock" is fairly useless, and after last night I may actually use it!

I had been fast asleep for hours when the sound of my door opening and the light being switched on startled me awake. I squinted into the light, confused until I remembered that I was in my new room in Iqaluit. A man stood at my door, mumbled "oh! sorry, I didn't..." he turned off the light, I said "that's okay, goodnight." He hesitated at the door, and then turned the light back on again. "What's your name? I'm Chris". He walked over to the bed as he spoke and leaned down so close that I could smell the alcohol on his breath, extending his hand to me. Still half asleep and taken completely aback, I introduced myself and shook his hand", still squinting up at him as my eyes had not yet adjusted to the light. "How long are you here for?" he wanted to know next. "until September" I answered, thinking that would make him realize that there was no rush to get to know me in the middle of the night, I'd be around for a while. Not at all! "What are you doing here?" he wanted to know. "Well I was sleeping!" was all I could think of to say at the moment... but he didn't take the hint at all. "I wish we were naked right now" he continued. Now I was more awake and started to sit up, trying to figure out how I was going to get myself out of this one. I can't even remember my response... I believe I asked if he was here visiting my room mate or what he was doing over here at 2am.

Just when I was about to get up and go find her, my room mate (who I had only met for about 5 minutes earlier that day) appeared in the door way, clearly as surprised and confused as I was to find him standing in my room. "What are you doing in here?! Get out of here!" She angrily gestured toward the door. He didn't seem to want to leave... "You're fucking hot" Chris continued, not paying any attention to my room mate. This really seemed to anger my room mate... "I'm so sorry! Get out!" she pulled him out of the room, while he implored me to remember his name. In the hallway, I heard a SMACK and "what were you thinking?! Are you stupid?!" Then she closed the door and the post-game party left the house, and from the sounds of things to the apartment next door.

hmmm... well, it was an interesting second night and introduction to my room mate's friend to say the least! Now about how to lock the door when I'm not in my room?