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)