Friday Night in Cape Dorset

I mentioned my recent foray with Radio Bingo on Facebook tonight and thought I would share my experience with you more fully here.

I have always loved Bingo, even though my most memorable win ever was a frozen turkey at a Catholic school bingo in North Van in the '80's.  I love the rituals and superstitious quirks of the characters with their lucky trinkets encircling their bingo cards, and who could forget hearing the shouts of "legs 11" and "Oh! 69."  I'm not sure why I stopped going, but perhaps it was the smoke-filled rooms.  I haven't been to Bingo in decades.

Last month, I saw an ad posted in the Northmart for Radio Bingo, and my curiosity was piqued, but I was unsure of how Radio Bingo worked.  I asked around and found out that shortly after the 7:00 CBC News, the first game of Bingo is called over the radio.  Everyone sits at home around the radio with their lucky Bingo cards that they purchased earlier in the afternoon at the Northmart for $50--$10 extra for the Bonanza game, plus $10 for an extra sheet of cards.  There are six or seven games played over the evening, and each player has a paper sheet of nine cards each that they play per game and of course, their lucky dauber.   Not having brought such a special item from down south when I moved up here, I was glad to see a nice selection for sale at the Northmart.  I chose red as my lucky blue was sold out.

I was invited to play at  my co-workers home along with a visiting Instructor from the college--we were three ladies who were ready to win!  The first game was pretty tame-- four corners.  Who needs to mark the "Free Space" for this one, I thought. Fortunately for me, the numbers were called in English and not Inuktitut, because I would have been totally lost if it were the latter.  None of us were close on the first game, but the night was young and there was plenty of time.  The next game was one line any way, and the games became more intricate- and more suspenseful- as the evening wore on.  My favourite was the inukshuk shape. I made sure to mark it in pen on my cards, so I would be certain to spot one when I won.  (There is something about having to telephone in via a satellite telephone system that adds suspense to calling Bingo! --"Can I call in in time before the next number is called??")

I shall put an end to your fingernail biting now and end the suspense. No, I didn't win that night, nor did my friends.  I didn't even come close.  But we shared some homemade Strawberry Chiffon cake baked fresh that day, and we had a lot of fun.

Maybe I need to find some lucky trinkets for next time, or maybe even buy a new dauber.... LIKE THESE!!!  Cheers, until next time....Under the O, 69!