Day 283- January 1: Eva Ilisituk

Eva. Where can I start? I love this woman to the core. I've known her for a few years as a result of her incredible talent at doing the challenging task of simultaneous interpretation for the school board. In the last three years, I have depended on her skills in trainings I was doing and others, I was coordinating, since more often than not our consultants are non-native Inuktitut speakers. I have an immense amount of respect for those who can do this. I often get mixed up just sorting out the words inside my own head let alone, speaking and listening at the same time without missing a beat- even during the odd moment that someone might use an analogy, describing themselves as the white creamy icing in the middle of an oreo cookie. But that's another story I prefer telling in person.




I was "on the road" this year past school year more than normal so that gave me the wonderful opportunity to spend more time than usual getting to know Eva. I learned that she has an eclectic taste in music, one that I wouldn't have expected had I not experienced it on a summer road trip and during a few commutes in Montreal during regional meetings. I expected her to be a top 40 fan, or maybe classic easy listening rock but when her playlist had Metallica on second and she sang along with as much enthusiasm as if it were a live show, I have to admit I was surprised and impressed. I have added many, many songs to my collection as a result of our friendship. I also had the wonderful pleasure of introducing her to my home province this summer. I am always inviting friends to visit but most have too much on the go or family to see in other regions, so it was nice to FINALLY have someone come for a visit. Having visitors from away means seeing everyday things with a new sense of appreciation and beauty. She helped me appreciate the smell of the mud flats or sea air, the darkness of the night sky and the scattering of stars that are more visible due to the ruralness of my hometown, the excitement of finding a blue piece of bottle glass on the shoreline, the sounds of the crackle of a campfire and the pop of a locally grown red wine bottle, the taste of lobster fresh from the sea at most a day earlier and the feeling of being front stage at a concert with a group who's songs you know how to sing a long to. Oh, and of course, helped me notice how many purple things exist in my immediate surroundings, hehehe.


In the middle of quite possibly my most busy summer to date, I had a holiday, I was able to break away mentally from the work that consumed my email and at times my mind. I am thankful for her friendship and free spirit, who was willing to travel to a place far from her home with very little planning, and choose adventures as we went. I might have known Eva for a few years, but I have now come to realize how special she is to me. I want to surround myself with people who like her, look after others needs above their own, who speak their mind even if it's not the popular opinion, who are strong and can take care of themselves and who are not afraid of connecting or doing whatever the heck they choose to do. She challenges me to wear more bright colours and not try to hide in black and grey all the time. She enjoys moments and small details. She takes selfies and burps when she drinks beer, she's real and doesn't spend any time apologizing for who she is. She's confident and independent and determined. She chews bubble gum while she drives and sings along to all the lyrics of the songs on her playlist like she wrote the songs herself. She loves scary movies and cuddling her sauniapikallapik or her furbabies at the end of a long day.



I have an incredible respect and love for Eva; I wish she lived closer so I could continue to improve my music collection on a more regular basis. I feel as though she has taught me a lot about myself and I wish her well as she continues to impact the other lives she touches through giving her time and her support to them generously. May you find what will make your heart and mind happiest.

Song of the Moment: Wish Song by Elisapie 
(Her blog highlight gets a bonus song on her post since we've shared a lot of music on road trips and commuting, so I also will share: Do You Wanna Know? by Arctic Monkeys)

Day 282- Dec. 31- Isabelle Parizeau

I met this woman through my participation in Arctic Winter Games originally. We had dinner together one night during the 2012 games in Yukon. The meal was efficient, like her, and as she explained that the had to cut things short because she still had many hours of work, I couldn't help but chime in my two cents. "Why can't you rest and take a night off to enjoy the good company you're in?" I did it somewhat jokingly, but I think it started us off on an interesting friendship, full of give and take, challenging one another's perspectives and giving each other new ideas.

We are very different, but in some ways I can related to Isabelle and see where she is coming from better than other people I think similarly to. She has taught me a lot of being critical and proactive, of how to be professional and what to consider before making a decision. I think I have also taught her things too, despite her having a much broader life experience and educational background.

A year or two ago, during a social meal during her visit to GR, we decided collectively to do the "True Colours" personality test. Just in the process of doing the test I could see how different we were, she was systematic, analytical and needed the process and steps to be followed in a clear and sensible way. I was actively making sure everyone felt good, understood well and were happy and having fun. Upon reading the results, the majority of the people around the table recognized themselves as "blue" and Isabelle right away wanted to understand why that was last place on her results. We joked that our goal for her was to make her more "blue". It became a theme to our discussions, if someone was expressing gratitude and she asked them to stop and hurry up, then we told her to be more blue, to tell us how she feels, to use adjectives more when communicating with us. It was a bit tongue and cheek at first but made for many heartfelt conversations. I've enjoyed our unlikely friendship immensely, not only has she taught me a lot about human relations and leadership, but she showed me how to make the most refreshing gin and tonic ever!!  I really look forward to hearing about all of her adventures and travels in the next years and re-connecting along the way.

Song of the Moment: Spirits by The Strumbellas 
(Izz, you missed this day at Osheaga, but I think you would have enjoyed this group a lot)

Day 281- Dec. 30- Andrea Gorsky

Writing this post makes my heart so happy!! Andrea Gorsky is a friend of mine from Ottawa. We met when she was in her last year of high school and I was just arriving in Ottawa as a university student. I was looking around to continue my volunteer youth work and so one had given me a contact at the church she had attended her life.

I don't remember the exact moment we first met, but it might have been when I was a chaperone on a road trip to Peterborough with other youth leaders. Since that time our friendship has continued to stay strong as a result of three things, music festivals, road trips and cupcakes (or fun dining, as opposed to fine dining since it isn't always fancy). I'm sure if she was writing this list she might include shoe shopping, but since that was always her passion more than mine, I will generalize that to "road trips" instead of saying "road trips with detours to all DSW within a 25 km radius of the road we choose to drive on"...

We have had some pretty fun adventures. Sometimes in the rain, sometimes in the sweltering heat but every time we survive the experience with a tonne of selfies and pictures as well as a lot of new memories and usually sore stomach muscles from laughing and sore feet from walking around.

Andrea is one of those friends that I know will be in my life for the rest of my years. We don't talk often, but when we do it is like we are still in our mid 20's and not a day has passed. Can't wait for our next adventure together. I think we are due for a big one soon!


I think this is the first blog when I have way more picture than words to express our relationship. But really in our friendship, pictures probably do say a 1000 words. Enjoy!

Song of the Moment: U-turn by Tegan and Sara

Day 280- Dec. 29- Maxime Lalande

 Maxime Lalande. Gym Teacher. Goalie. Dance Freak and all around nice guy. Maxime arrived in GR when the gym teacher left suddenly for another job a couple weeks into the school year. Times flies though, and I can barely remember the school without him!

Maxime took gym class to the next level, his openness to the students, his willingness to go above and beyond to make fitness fun has made a good impact on our students. He keeps a lot of variety going, but two of the events that I believe are his highlights would be the UFHL (Ulluriaq Floor Hockey League), which has a draft by captains, a primary and secondary division, and a website to follow the statistics of each player during the regular season and championships. Both he and the students take it VERY seriously and are dedicated every week to the games. The second event that I really like that Maxime hosts is the annual school wide Inuit Games event. I love watching the students proudly trying their best to compete and taking their efforts very seriously!

Maxime is more than just a dedicated teacher, he's got a pretty good sense of humour and awesome taste in music. He has built up my self-esteem and music collection as a result of his perpetual praise every time I choose the songs at our staff dance parties. I like his taste in music, so I've really benefited that way from our friendship! I'm happy to know this guy.

Song of the Moment: Flowerchild by Coleman Hell

Day 279- Dec. 28- Leah Mae Angnatuk

I am writing this post with a very, very heavy heart. Last week, on early Tuesday morning as I woke up and followed my routine of checking for the overnight details on FB, I had a message from George River telling me that Leah had passed away after a 4-wheeler accident. I was immediately in shock and saddened deeply by this news. Leah had been my student for many years. She left school a few years ago and was hired at the co-op, eventually running the main office. She started working at the coop store as part of her cooperative work placement in the Applied class that was my pet project for 3-4 years. Like many of her classmates, she had demonstrated a strong work ethic and organizational skills that eventually worked into the store trying to hire her right out of school.

Leah Mae never wanted to be the center of attention, she and Uttuqi were always together observing and absorbing the incessant discussions of their classmates. She had to work hard at everything she did in school, but made me proud with how despite some hiccups, she'd eventually get even the most challenging assignments done. Writing in English never came easy, but she tried to express herself as best as she could.



Leah was kind and patient. She was sharp as a tack, but had an edge to her too, so no one would mess with her. She would stand up for herself against things she never felt were right. It was nice being able to see her shine in the office every time I needed to go get money, or pay off an account. We'd always find some reason to laugh together.






Even when she was in my class, she always found reasons to enjoy the events we'd do for fun after a long assignment or unit in history- she rocked out on guitar hero like a pro at one fun Friday activity at my house, and had a blast when we went on a hike in winter and made a fire in the woods (even though at first she and a few others complained when I insisted everyone walk or ski or snowshoe but no skidoos were permitted, so we could go out on the land with our own strength like their Inuk ancestors).

Leah Mae loved camping and being out with her family. She loved driving around town. She will be missed, and I already feel her absence when I enter the co-op. She was quiet, but she held a noticeable space in my life. May her spirit rest in peace!

Song of the Moment: Home Again by Michael Kiwanuka

Day 277- Dec. 26: Denis Daigle

Denis is a musical mentor to me. I met him briefly years ago when he was the principal at Jaanimmarik School in Kuujjuaq. I don't even recall why I was at their school in those days, but I remember meeting him.

Since that time, I have had the privilege to work with and get to know Denis. He is analytical but practical, creative and expressive, quiet in groups but has lot to say if you give him the chance. He sees the big picture but can also appreciate the small details of a project or life in general. In January last year, I worked with him and all of the other managers on defining action steps for the strategic plan. As we worked together I could see his communication skills and brilliance, I am encouraged that he is working in a department that can see and value that. I hope that he never doubts how exceptional he is!



Mostly through Facebook, I have learned about many new restaurants in Montreal, like Cho- which we went to with another friend, Elias, a couple years ago- as well as lots of songs and bands that are all download-worthy. Denis is sophisticated but approachable. Although he lives in Montreal and I don't see him very often in person, I make a point of meeting up with him every
chance I can. I have learned how similar we are and I am often encouraged by his life.

Song of the Moment: Incomplete by James Bay

Day 276- Dec. 25- Elias Moukannas

Elias was the very first KSB PED counsellor I worked with when I came to Nunavik in 2003. He was the PC for science and my workload included 4 periods of biology, which scared the crap out of me at the time since I was a Social Studies and linguistics major, had never taken a biology course in my life.

He visited the school in Sept. and got me started off on the right foot. It quickly became my favourite thing to teach, it was easy to make it as interesting to the students as it was for me. In the beginning, I was a page ahead of the students on any given day, but the function of all the body systems was fascinating to me so I could easily pass on the same sense of awe to the students about the new things I was learning. Thank god we were a school that was one of the first to have an internet connection, as Joe Keelan, one of the students was super eager as well and would constantly bring up excellent questions that I had no clue how to answer, so I would google things every night.

Elias and my paths crossed many times since but our friendship started to deepen after he started working on projects such as pathways and Compassionate Schools. He came to discuss work I had been doing with our applied classroom. Then as we started the Tier 1 of Compassionate Schools at our school, we got to see him more often. We had one evening in GR with a box of red wine and hours and hours of talking about our history and dreams that cemented my adoration of this guy. He has been a great support to me since then. I think he might say the same about me. We've collaborated on a few projects since then and every time it goes forward with ease since we seem to have many very similar life views and values.

On my last visit to Montreal, I also learned that not only is he a genius with programming and organization, but he's also quite the interiour decorator and artist. Looking forward to the next chance I have to sit and one of our heart to hearts with him.

Song of the Moment: Forgetting You by Nathan Angelo

Day 250- Nov. 29- Teresa Annanack

Teresa Annanack has never been in my classes but she is an outgoing girl from the French sector that is impossible not to know. She's funny, caring and helpful. She's usually pretty quiet but you can be guaranteed that within the first you meet her you will learn who her laugh sounds like since she laughs a lot.

Teresa was one of the graduates from last June and I can honestly say that I am both proud and shocked that she was on the stage.

I am proud of her because she has shown consistency and dedication to her education and being involved in creating a positive school environment. She never gave up and could always be counted on to quietly support whatever projects we were doing. I am also feeling shock because I find it hard to believe that she's old enough to be completed Secondary 5!!! She was a young primary when I first arrived, so that proves I am way old that I feel.

As Teresa looks forward to the next few years, I hope she feels strong, happy and brave to keep going after her dreams. Don't let fear of the unknown hold you back!! The world is open to you and whatever you put your mind to doing!!  Don't follow everyone else's patterns and expectations just to fit in, but do things YOUR way and in your own time.

 Song of the Moment: Fireproof by Coleman Hell

Day 249- Nov. 28: Tiffiny Hubbard

I am sure that Tiffiny will KILL me for putting this up. (Hopefully my story will help her forgive me... Seriously though, please read on about my admiration, Tiffiny, before you completely disown me as a friend!!!) I firmly believe that this day and experience changed our relationship from consultant and project coordinator to mutually-admiring friends. We travelled from Quaqtaq mid-morning on our way to Tasiujaq. It was a relaxed day for that trip, without presentations or "work", so Tiffiny decided her running clothes would be a comfortable outfit for the plane... 

At that moment, I didn't think about reminding everyone about the first rule of northern travel- "Always keep the stuff you ABSOLUTELY need the next day in your carry on". I regret that for the added stress it caused us later that day. I thought things had gone flawlessly until we landed in Tasiujaq; my Facebook message to a friend in Kuujjuaq to pick up lunch and deliver it to us at the airport worked amazingly despite our quick connection, the flights were smooth and the agent had "ou la la mix" (my favourite snack they offer exclusively on Air Inuit) and no one was on stand by due to last minute overselling or hospital or police needs. Spirits were high as we landed and pulled into the sunny little town of Tasiujaq, then as the engines were slowing down the pilot turned around to ask if we had been told that not all the luggage was able to be put on the plane since it was a full flight. My heart dropped and I saw everyone's stress level rise a bit. We said no we hadn't, and as they removed the luggage we realized that although I had no need for my bags, both of mine were there and the two main ones that were missing was Tiffiny's suitcase with her computer plug and clothes as well as one of the translation equipment cases. At the agent's desk, they said there would be no planes until the following afternoon and I insisted that we only had two days so if it could come on a medivac flight or any cargo flights before the morning we reallllllly needed that. (Since they hadn't asked us to prioritize the luggage we needed versus what could wait until the next day, I think they knew that they had more pressure on...) I asked if I could speak to the agents in Kuujjuaq, desperately trying all means possible to give any hope to our team. They said that there was a very low chance that we would get it, but I explained that if they could send an extra flight for cargo and our cases or whatever I would be at the hotel so they just had to call so we could pick them up. I told them I would kiss them on the lips the next time I was in Kuujjuaq if they could make the miracle happen. I was that desperate. 

Tiffiny looked at me before we drove to the airport with the most serious face I had ever seen on her. "I CAN NOT present looking like this Gillian!!" I tried to re-assure her that we are relaxed in Nunavik, we aren't caught up on image, but that we look at the person not the clothes, and that it would be a "stretching experience" for her. She just looked at me like I was on crack. The options for clothes shopping is limited in small towns, so I had Nathalie the principal bring us to the co-op store immediately. As Tiffiny browsed through the two aisles of hanging clothes she couldn't help but notice the inflated prices and lack of selections. There wasn't much even in her size and it made the situation seem even more bleak. I knew it would be a very long two days, we weren't even sure that we would find a wire for her computer to be plugged in so we had planned to transfer things to my laptop before the battery was fully drained. I wasn't sure we could pull it off since we didn't even have the equipment for one team of interpretation to work either... 

At around 4:30 we had a call from the airport, and thankfully they decided to send an extra flight, as another passenger had been bumped off, so they could easily fill the plane with everything that was left behind. My team thought I had pulled off some magic, but thankfully Air Inuit helped us out on that one. We celebrated the last night of that training trip with old music, dancing and singing until midnight. We had overcome the challenge that had unexpectedly been thrown our way and have lots of great stories to tell of the trust and respect it built between us. (PS I am hoping that Tiffiny will forgive me for sharing the picture of her- that is full of life, positive energy and joy- since she has very embarrassing videos of my awkwardly enthusiastic dancing, so payback could be easily taken! hehehe)

I appreciate this woman a lot!! Tiffiny has supported me professionally with sincerity and wise guidance. She's kicked me in the butt a couple times and encouraged me to use my knowledge and skills more assertively. I wish we could get her up north so we could work more often together. She is genuine, and takes time to observe and assess situations without judgement before helping discern what advice fits best. She's not one to brag or show boat about her skills and understanding, but humbly works towards healthy, sustainable systems of support for the humans. She promotes empowerment. I like her ethic and have appreciated the time and effort she puts into our friendship and professional relationship.

Song of the Moment: Let it Go by Fossil Collective 

Day 248- Nov. 27- Alexandre Girard-Lamontagne

Alexandre, like Elise, is a part of the Compassionate Schools team. Our team is a unique one since we rarely meet in person all together as we are working together to serve schools across a very, very large territory. Our team had only about one week and a half in the entire year that we were all together in the same space working.

Despite the geographic separateness of our team, I had the chance to meet up on purpose and by chance many times in airports or on planes with each of the team members. We also had fun distant ways to build team spirit and rapport, as shown in the picture of Alex with the top hat. At the first training we had together in September 2015, someone thought about having a secret hashtag challenge to celebrate #bestcoopfinds (actually I don't remember the actual # we used but it was something like that). We said we'd discuss the winner at the end of the year, however I think this top hat, found by Alex after Halloween in Salluit was probably the coolest one.

On that same trip a blizzard arrived in Salluit while I was on a visit with him to his schools there. For 2-3 days it was so windy with zero visibility and we were stuck in the hotel with a whole bunch of random regional workers, including the sewing machine repair man, construction workers, maintenance support workers, a radio technician and another one of our colleagues, Audrey, from KSB. It was a long week, but when we all finally had a ticket to leave, it was a bit of celebration.

The travellers life is challenging, as is our role in the schools, but Alex has brought an incredible strength to that role. He is very wise, patient to listen and assess, has very strong read of social cues and knows a lot about behaviour and teaching. I've really enjoyed working with him, we've had some great laughs when working together. He is also very helpful- this past week during a big training of over 20 regional front line support workers, he's been our committed shuttle driver making multiple trips to make sure everyone gets to where they need to be with a smile on his face.

Song of the Moment: Great Soul by The Tragically Hip 

Day 247- Nov. 26- Elise Croteau

Elise Croteau is one of my Compassionate Schools PBIS team. She jumped onto the team last August as I took over the reins from Luc as coordinator of the team.

Elise is extremely enthusiastic. She was a teacher in Umiujaq on the Hudson Coast before joining our team. She is also the queen of the self stick, bringing it along every time she travelled on the off chance that we might have an opportunity to meet up and take a group selfie, like below.












Elise continues her work with the team this year and I look forward to having hopefully more chances to work together in person. Also to continue seeing growth in the support systems we are trying to build on the school teams of Nunavik.





Song of the Moment: Cake by the Ocean by DNCE

Day 246- Nov. 25- Mark Hubbard

Mark is an awesome human being. He's weird, and says abrupt and off the wall things to get himself a look of, "Huh, really?" from people at times, but that might be the very reason I like his company so much. I met Mark YEARS ago when I realized one summer visit back home that most of the people I used to hang around were no longer living in Yarmouth, or were tied up with family, child-rearing, jobs, stress, life. As I looked for things to do on foggy summer evenings, I happened to stumble upon karaoke in the attic of a brew pub on the waterfront. I enjoy beer and karaoke, so I started to go. 

Mark was an enthusiastic host. He loved to do his standard repertoire of Crocodile Rock by Elton John, as well as others. He encouraged crowd participation, even if you couldn't keep a tone. It was fun and helped me pass the time. He noticed me regularly showing up so we got to chatting and I faithfully attempted a song or two each night, starting to narrow down my own list of favourite tunes that matched my awkward "in between high and low" range, not quite soprano and not quite alto.

One night I selected the song The Middle by Jimmy Eat World. It fit my range and was fun since I had more or less figured out the lyrics enough to keep up to the fast pace singing. As I began the song, some young punk that had drank a few too many already decided he wanted to sing along too. He jumped up, grabbed the second mic and stood right in front of me. That was my song, and after I attempted to get a good view of the screen around to his left and then to his right to no avail, I suddenly reacted, without thinking through how it might look to the audience. I knelt down behind the guy, and started to crawl through his legs to get a view in front of him, all without missing a word. Of course, I felt a bit like a rockstar since he was failing miserably at keeping up to the words at that point and I was nailing it. Or maybe the rockstar complex came from the fact that the cheers went wild, likely more so due to the fact that he was pretending to ride me in a sexual manner, although I would like to think it was out of respect for my singing the song with gusto. 

After that evening, Mark invited me to join a kayaking course and a group, who were learning how to dragon boat at the nearby Milo Boat house. He helped me overcome my fear of kayaks and actually become a super fan and promoter of the sport. We have had many laughs and he's become a staple friend to help me make fun memories back home each summer. Love you dude.

Song of the Moment: The Middle by Jimmy Eat World (Sing a long if you can!)

  

Day 245- Nov. 24- Sadie Churcher-Ratt

Introducing Sadie. She is a strong willed, free spirit. She is dramatic (as in she should be recruited by an agent now since she is definitely "going places" in the world of acting or theatre if she wants to), enthusiastic and emotional. After watching the movie, Inside Out, she could easily recognize, express and act out how she was feeling at any given moment; "Momma, I am disgust right now." She was joy for Halloween and nailed it perfectly!




Sadie reminds me of the unconditional love that a child has. She also reminds me how much children want our attention and to be noticed. I wish more people maintained that raw affection and that transparency when their emotional needs are not being met. It is rare that I am visiting Sadie and her head is faced away looking at an iPhone, half heartedly conversing while obviously more engrossed with online happenings. When I am with Sadie, I sometimes feel like there is nothing else in the world as important as my presence. So people, I think we should all be more like Sadie.

Song of the Moment: Grow by Frances

Day 244- Nov. 23- Arctic Rodeo (Cameron Jolicouer, Jess Dean and Colleen Hogan)

This band was birthed in a library mere hours before a performance in the Quaqtaq village-wide music celebration. The setlist was not long but the passion with which it was put together was palatable. The group started as Colleen and Cam decided to play a few tunes. But they were missing percussion to fill out the sound of the 'Ho Hey', a Lumineers' cover. Enter Jess and myself.

These cats had chemistry both on and off the stage, which had begun a year earlier during a late night, or maybe I should say early morning, digital percussion experiment which included multiple people playing a drum set on the iPad, at the same time, whilst Cam strummed the tunes on guitar and sang. Jamming came natural to us, as did laughing, eating sushi, photoshopping Justin Trudeau into awkward pictures while watching the federal election, harvesting icebergs for tea making and teaching students compassionately of course, the real reason we were first brought together.

We could never get Arctic Rodeo onto the tour circuit, but although those dreams were dashed, the memories remain. These three individuals, with whom I had the opportunity to make music, are stellar, stand up individuals in their own right. I'm glad I can feature them here and can call them friends.

Song of the Moment: Courage by Alien Ant Farm

Day 243- Nov. 22- Louisa Keleutak

Here's my buddy Louisa from Quaqtaq. She insisted on the selfie before I left town in my last visit of the year in late May. It was JUST before she finished her final exams and graduated from Sec. 5.

Louisa has been very friendly and a wonderful help to me every time I went to Quaqtaq this past year. She would always stop her scooter for a handshake and a chat if she noticed me walking around. Another time she gave me a lift back to the hotel on her skidoo during a rushed lunch. One day in April, I was thinking about going to the coop and was getting close to the closing time, so I took a very scary ride on the back of her scooter only to find out it was closed. Finally, I happened to be on a school visit when the school was having a "Pyjama Day and celebration breakfast". I felt way too formal in my regular work clothes, so she had an extra fuzzy onesie pyjamas that I could pull on over my pants to show a bit more spirit.

Louisa is starting her first year of CEGEP down in Montreal. I wish her much perseverance, joy and success as it is a big step for anyone!!

Song of the Moment: First by Cold War Kids

Day 242- Nov. 21- Samantha Doig

Don't want to miss a day since I am starting to get a roll with this. so Samantha (and Xavier) are my next pick. Samantha is a fairly new addition to the school board. She has the incredibly challenging task of recruitment and overseeing the hiring of all school board personnel.

This past Spring I finally had the opportunity to meet her at the annual new teacher interviews week; granted it was a hectic week so other than bringing filled out interview questionnaires to her when my team finished, we didn't have much chance to socialize.

Then in May, the colleague who normally travels for recruitment with her couldn't go, so I had the good fortune of joining her for a job fair and a couple information sessions. We had a great time and she quickly learned coping mechanisms for my often random questions, unscripted exclamations (even during our presentation at the faculty of Ed in Corner Brook) and general über-enthusiasm for life. I'm sure it was a tiring experience for her, but somehow we came away from the trip as friends. Xavier was also a pure delight too. He could take my trash talking during our visit to the Old Triangle during the Irish step dance ceilidh, our last day in Halifax. They had explained their love of Ireland and the culture after a trip they'd taken before, so I told Xavier that unless he joined the ladies in the irish dancehe would forever be considered a poser and would have to hang his head in shame whenever he drank Guinness again. We taunted back and forth for a while. Then finally he was convinced to try if I would. I couldn't be the wimp, so we both stood up and within the first two steps I was totally lost and he gave a good minute of performance. He earned the Guiness and "irish super fan" status in that moment. Samantha just sat watching the showdown and for so reason she didn't disown either of us so I think we'll be friends for a while.

Song of the Moment: Last Night I Dreamed You Didn't Love Me by The Tragically Hip 
(Tonight was the live streamed (across Canada and many other countries) final concert of the Hip. It's a tragic tale as their lead singer, and lyrical genius Gord Downie has terminal brain tumour... So here's to creativity and legacy...)

Day 241- Nov. 20- Steven Etok

Steve-O.
What can I say except that he is one of the most generous, patient and helpful little pre-teens I know. I totally love this kid, he has a great sense of humour and pretends to be confused with a "straight face" when you ask him silly questions, but cracks into a smile with ease.

Steven is a close friend of my neighbour, Imaapik. Imaapik was born the month before I arrived in GR and has been one of my favourite humans since I started to get to know him. He is always surrounded by a group of kids, they aren't usually the "most popular kids" but they all have a certain care for one another and spirit of acceptance that I really love. Steven is often volunteering to be the runner between my house and the neighbours place when Nancy wants to borrow a lemon, or I want a piece of leftover fish for lunch. He does it with a smile and enthusiasm. That smile, the one on the picture above, the one that is innocent and genuine, not yet plagued by the stress of impressing girls or paying bills.

For Steven, Imaapik and all his friends, I wish that they stay the way they are and continue to support each other as they enter their teenaged years. The support they already provide one another is impressive and I think that it might help to sustain them when everything else turns dramatic.

Song of the Moment: Nobody Weird Like Me by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Day 240- Nov. 19- Linda Zouvi

Following the same theme of my last post about Kassandra, Linda is someone I only started bothering a lot, I mean working with more closely with, since leaving the classroom to work on the Compassionate Schools project. She works with Finance, helping process travel claims- of which my team and I have an insane amount. Or friendship began as purely email dialogue. "Here's the most recent claim, did I make any mistakes?" "Nope, looks great." "Thanks for your great work!" "Me again, we have a few more, sorry for inundating you with these!" "No problem, that's my job." "Well, great, thank you again!!"

After around 6 months of that I finally had the pleasure of putting a face to the name, and over an extremely entertaining lunch that included topics such as popular music taste, family birthday celebrations, and even a story of a certain relative's short term romance with Leonard Cohen- which had accompanying photos. Right away I decided she was one of the coolest people in the dept. (even though I think Serge is pretty awesome too) and started calling her a Rockstar whenever we conversed. When you work in an organization spread over a huge area such as ours, (the distance between the furthest northern point serviced by our board and the main office in MTL is around 1900 km, and over 800 km from the most westerly community to the most easterly) it is really nice to make face to face connections with your colleagues.

In subsequent meetings, I discovered she would be attending Osheaga this summer, eager as I was to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers, so we were able to become real, outside the office friends too. She attended two days of the weekend and despite the immense crowds, we managed to find her and her friends/relatives both days. I like Linda a lot, she is a great balance of sensibility and raw fun; quietness and witty comebacks; she can be a nerd with numbers by day and a total rockstar that dances and sings along to a live band in the middle of a group of generation Xers. Who knew random colleagues like her, located so far from my daily reality, could become good friends!! 



Song of the Moment: Creep by Radiohead
(The linked video was filmed not too far in front of where we were all standing that night.)

Here's a bonus song for free: We also rocked out to this on Friday night:  Scar Tissue by RHCP

Day 239- Nov. 18- Kassandra Churcher

Kassandra and I met only a few years ago. We were in a "PBIS Coaching" training related to the Compassionate Schools project. There were points in the discussion as we sat in groups with our colleagues that we caught each other eye across the table and I think we both knew that we had very similar thinking processes and ideas. We spoke on the break and our friendship grew from there.

She has an affinity for some of the same things as I do... Netflix marathons, great music, chicken fingers, and talking at a speed that few other people can keep up to. When we collaborate on projects, things fall into place very quickly and we can get a policy written or a plan in place within mere minutes when we are in a distraction free environment. I have enjoyed having someone that can keep up, and often pass me with overthinking. However, we have learned that her daughter Sadie, has a strong genetic tie with her mama; and often gives her mum and I a real run for our money. There was one car ride we did from Montreal to the administrator meetings an hour north of the city. During that car ride, we had to negotiate taking turns talking with Sadie, who was probably only 2 or 3 at the time.

We've only known each other for a couple years but we were fast friends. Feels like I have known her much longer than I have. And here's to many more speedy talks and maybe even jam sessions if she can find herself another uke. (Internet is acting up, so all I could upload was one photo. She's way more skilled at the #twofies so actually this isn't a bad thing since the two other pics I considered uploading had her looking ultra-photogenic and I was meh, or shall we say, 'present'.)

Song of the Moment: Lord Don't Slow Me Down by Oasis

Day 238- Nov. 17- Sarah Beaulne from Puvirnituq

Sarah Beaulne is another fairly new friend. I say new since we met after this blog's creation. Our first interactions were when we both on Team Nunavik Quebec heading to Whitehorse. She was the liaison in the TNQ mission office, I was the female snowshoe coach. She had a great sense of humour and gave me a lift to pick up medications for a few of the girls who had become sick and were in isolation for part of the week. I was exhausted and stuck with the task of staying in a classroom to watch the girls sleep, JUST in case they needed anything. Event rules stated someone had to be with them all day and could only leave them for sleeping hours. There was no internet, no books, nothing to do other than sit, think and write in my journal as the two girls slept and recovered.


The car ride was a break away to get fresh air, and she really lifted my spirits. That was an epic trip and I wish I could find the crazy video of us on the plane when I convinced everyone to "do the Harlem Shake" despite them having no clue what the heck that meant. (It was JUST starting as a trend, how avant-garde of us eh?)

Since that time I have had the pleasure of working with Sarah at the school board. She is a brilliant and distinguished member of the executive committee, that helps to ensure the positive direction of the board. I have been welcomed into her home on my visits to PUV and learned that she takes her BINGO seriously (that was the only time she told me to be quiet before as I asked incessant questions about how does that work, why do you have so many sheets, that's not the same way we play in GR, haha) Sarah has beautiful kiddos and I feel at home when I am there. Last time I arrived I walked in to the house and Eliana, (her daughter in the picture below who was practicing making the fishing net from string games) said, "You!" and came over and gave me a big bear hug when she saw me.
Whoever says that the north is bitter and cold doesn't know the Inuit people!

Song of the Moment: Put your money on me by The Struts

Day 237- November 16- Sarah Aloupa from Quaqtaq

Okay, I'm just getting back into this again. It's actually August 16, 2016, but who's counting?! Better late than never they say!!

I don't even think I knew Sarah back when I first did this blog. The past couple of years have brought me to new places, to experience new professional and personal challenges and joys. One of which is having met people in the other 13 villages of Nunavik and been invited into their lives and homes (such as the time depicted in the neighbouring picture), for meals, laughs, hang outs, and immense joy and hospitality. 

I have had the privilege to work with Sarah in her capacity of simultaneous interpreter, a career and skill that leaves me in AWE every time I have the chance to witness it happening. I have always been fascinated by language, but listening to one language while speaking the translation at the same time AMAZES the *crap* out of me. (PS this is not a blog for the youngsters, I use profanity rather unapologetically, be warned.) Sarah is also an incredibly inspiration to me for her strength, resilience and kindness. She has shared many traditions with me, such as the fact that elders believed that if you shared the country food you have, then you will always have enough to eat, however if you use it only for yourself and immediate family, usually you have trouble getting or finding more. She still believes in this principle today (hence the delicious meal of trout she shared with me the last time I was in her hometown of Quaqtaq). 

Quaqtaq was actually the very first place that could have been my Nunavik home. I had received a brief email offering me a position in April 2003. The principal never replied to my email, and frankly at the time I felt as though I might have dodged a bullet since all I could find out from my google searches was that the town's name translated to mean "tapeworm", which freaked me out a bit. By today's standards, my opinion of the place has gone WAY up! People are so warm, friendly, creative and welcoming, and the land is GORGEOUS!! 

Sarah is a woman I admire, she has works hard to provide for her family and to help keep the Inuktitut language strong- two very noble goals- and Sarah, I haven't forgotten- I still owe her a rock for her rock collection from the beach in NS when I can finally locate it in my suitcase. 

To close this first blog in a while, let me offer you a  
Song of the Moment: Sapiqangitunga by Saali and the Ravenhearts 
(This is actually an awesome band who has connections to both Quaqtaq and Kangiqsualujjuaq where I am so enjoy!!)