Some Igloolik observations:
cutest thing I've seen: (other than simply all the children. I don't know what it is, but those little faces peeking out from their japas --- they're just so darn cute!): Miniature qamutik (3 ft long, at most) that is built for and used as a type of snow stroller (plastic sliders instead of wheels). I saw one that had handles on the back and was pushed like a regular stroller and another that had a rope on the front and was pulled along like a sled.
taxicabs: There are 2 taxis in town (2 different companies!). Now the town isn't that large, as you might imagine, housing only approximately 1200 people, I'd say it's about 10 city blocks by 6 city blocks, at the very most. I think that's being generous. It's also warming up, it being springtime and all, and the townspeople are used to having to deal with much lower temperatures than say, today's of -3.1C. So, why, I ask you, do the taxis do such excellent business? SERIOUSLY! This is something that I noticed long before today, mind you, but I've been inside today, nursing my ailment, doing some reading and some writing, and watching traffic out the window, and those cabs just don't seem to stop. It's cheap, something like $2.50 anywhere in town, and $3 to $3.50 to the airport (can't remember which), and warm, I s'pose. I just don't get it though. Paul says that there's a teacher that takes a cab to school every day. I guess not everyone is as conveniently located to the schools (all 3: elementary, high, and arctic college, are right across the street or one house away) as Paul, but really, it's just not that cold out there right now, and no one lives that far away.
snowmobiles: I bet you never knew that a
snowmobile is a type of arctic family sedan, fitting up to 4 people on it! It's pretty funny how people are crammed onto these things. I think the most I've seen is probably 4 (2 adults, 2 kids) but there could have always been another child in the mother's amauti...milk: Toby bought milk the other day from one of the 2 stores, and the only time you buy milk (in this house) is for cappucinos! So, I'm looking forward to that little treat this evening. So, I still haven't found out how much it costs, but given the above information, I'd say it's pretty costly.
litter: litter in town and on the land is rampant, people just toss things to the wayside once they're done with them, from empty decks of smokes, to furniture, BUT, if you go hunting and leave animal litter on the land, you are given an angry talking to. Thou shalt not waste animal parts, as they can all be used, from food to clothing and rope, I guess. Man-made litter is no big deal, though. It kinda gets to you, a little more so than just normal street litter. There's something pure and pristine about the land and snow, and that shouldn't be buggered with. I felt the same way when I was in Venice, and saw that their canals were just as litter-filled as any city street.
blood: everything, japas, boots, qamutiik, snow in the
yards, mudrooms --- they're all covered in blood. Comes with the hunting lifestyle, I guess.animal corpses: another thing to get used to: walking by houses and seeing animal corpses and parts of animal corpses out on the
lawn. I think I saw a seal head the other day.music: the Inuit like this music that goes along with a certain type of dancing. It has it's origin from the Scots, but it's like… Scottish accordion country music. Oh, I don't know, it's hard to describe.
The nicest thing just happened. I opened the door to find 3 of my students from Friday (the class I subbed) there. A pleasant surprise to begin with, but even better than that, they handed me a thank you card from the class. (Yes, I realise that the teacher made them do it, but it still makes you feel good!) The card also had an invite on their class trip to Avvajjaq this Thursday. I think I'll partake in that!
Well, that's the news from Igloolik today.
Later, Lynn