Blazing Through the Summer

Once again I find myself babysitting pets while a coworker is away. This time it's 2 cats and they are staying in their own house. I don't think I could handle 5 cats in one house. Well, that's a lie. I'd love to have 5 cats in one house but I'm not going to do that with someone else's cats in someone else's house (since the place I'm in isn't mine).

The perk of cat-sitting these two is that it comes with the use of a Chevy Blazer! Admittedly, I live extremely close to work and the grocery store, but it's still nice to have a vehicle to bum around in. I finally got to see Apex and the dump! Ah, the dump. Always a good time to be had at the dump. In actuality, if you look past the garbage you get a very nice view of Iqaluit.

On the topic of nice views, I need to buy a new digital camera. I bought a very cheap one in March because it's green. I chose form before function and it's a piece of crap.

If you're moving north, I highly suggest buying a decent camera beforehand because you will take loads of photos that you will have forever. Nice cameras make all the difference.

In other news, it is ridiculously hot here lately, as I have mentioned. It's been anywhere from 14-22 and it's just killer. It feels so much warmer than it really is. I haven't felt heat like this since I was down south...last June. I hate the heat and it makes me feel sick. Yesterday morning on the way to work, I thought I was going to throw up because I had felt so hot for the last few days. I felt stupid when I reminded myself where on the globe I live!

Of course, air conditioning is not an oft-used term up here. I've never seen a dwelling with one and very few business have a/c. This means your windows are always cranked open. My place doesn't seem to have screens for all the windows so only 3 can be opened (out of 6). I have a screen for my bedroom window but unfortunately I can't keep it open all night. I live next to the infamous White Row, a notoriously seedy part of town. I also live across from a playground. These two things combined mean that every single night I end up having to shut my window because there are either drunks or children screaming in front of my house. It was humorous at first, but now I just get extremely agitated and I slam the window shut, hoping they hear. I can count on zero hands the number of times I've been able to keep my window open all night.

Anyway. I've restarted the Structure of Inuktitut course I was working on in the winter. That time and this time I've been constructing a list of vocabularly to add to my Inuktitut dictionary (link on the right). After I finish this entry I am going to update it, so check it out. My dictionary is now a smorgusbord of Kivalliq and South Baffins dialects, but I guess that's okay.

blogmi titiraqtunga*

I apologize, I haven't really been keeping our blog up. I feel bad when people say they like our blog because there's not much to it anymore besides old posts. I think I'm going to start writing in it once a week. I can handle that.

Luckily, this fall has been pretty mild so far. The temperature has been hovering just around zero, which isn't too bad. The roads and "sidewalks" have been really muddy. Usually the mud is frozen when I walk to work in the morning, but by lunch it's a huge mess and I'm surprised I haven't lost a shoe in it. I have to admit I am not looking forward to another long winter. Jen once wrote about this and I completely agree...as Nunavummiut (especially ones who have left warmer climates to live here) we are expected to enjoy the winter and not say that it sucks. But the winter does suck! It can't be denied. Who can say they don't love those balmy 17 degree days in the sun more than they love the -50C windchill days when you grab a metal door handle and learn what real pain is?

I keep meaning to take photos of the Inuit art we have purchased so far. We've bought a few things recently. A large drawing, a painting (I think), a wall hanging, and a bookmark. I forgot to ever mention that my ivory ring broke while we were on vacation. I was in a McDonalds bathroom in PEI or Nova Scotia and I swung my hand too fast and the ring fell off and broke into a few pieces. Jeff's dad was able to glue it back together but I haven't worn it since, out of fear it'll break again.

Anyway, Thanksgiving. We were invited to dinner at a friend's place last Sunday. The food was amazing. I don't think I could ever complain if wine and lamb are involved! Of course, the company was excellent too. We're lucky to have such cool friends here. That's the major difference in our lives here since last year. I'm pretty sure that Thanksgiving was the first time we went out (socially) last year, and we had been in Rankin for two and-a-half months by then. I could be forgetting something, but I'm pretty sure it was the first. After that, we didn't really make any friends until December and things have been great since then. Last year it never really occurred to me that I should be making friends to hang out with. I was friends with people, but we just didn't hang out. Now I can't imagine going back to that. One of the interesting things about living here is that if you're hanging out with a group of friends, usually the provinces and territories of Canada are pretty well represented. However, we have met far fewer Ontarians than I originally thought we would. For the most populated province in Canada, I only know a handful of Ontarians here. I actually once met someone who was living in our hometown (Sarnia) before he moved here. It was at work and I needed to see his driver's license and boy was I shocked when I saw "Sarnia" on it.

This week marked an interesting (albeit sad) "milestone" for our blog. Someone who read our blog last year while preparing to move to Rankin has moved on to another job outside of Nunavut. If you're reading this Mike, we wish you the best of luck! :) You taught me to stop replying with, "ME?" when someone asks me a question about myself, haha.

For the time being, I have removed my email address from our blog as I have had zero motivation to answer questions lately. I sincerely apologize if you have sent me an email and I haven't replied. I always procrastinate replying until I am in the mood, but I am still waiting to get in the mood and I'm not sure if it's going to happen for awhile.

The last thing I have to say is that I am in the process of learning Inuktitut. Inuktitut qaujisaqtunga. I don't know if that was correct, but if it was, it was supposed to mean, "I am working at discovering Inuktitut." Jeff brought home a CD-ROM that teaches the structure of Inuktitut and I am trying to learn as much as possible. It's a very thorough, lengthy, informative CD-ROM. I am not even half-way through and I have learned quite a bit. I am so excited to keep working on it. Learning Inuktitut is pretty much the most practical thing you can do here and I would absolutely love to be able to understand it enough to listen to elders tell stories about their lives.

*If that was correct and blog actually has no Inuktitut translation, it meant, "I am writing in a blog." I don't know the word for "my" yet.

(posted by Jaime)

Ublakut

After countless hits from people searching, "how to say good morning in inuit," I will finally reveal the answer:

Ublakut (at least in the Kivalliq region).

There! Life is complete. Continue as you were.

(posted by Jaime)

Update of Dictionary

I just finished a large update on our Inuktitut Dictionary.

Check it out!

P.S. We are also in the middle of another blizzard. It's Sunday night right now so we're really hoping it keeps up for even another 14 hours so we can sleep in tomorrow. Is that so much to ask? Haha

(posted by Jaime)

Inuktitut Dictionary

This is a list of Inuktitut words that I personally have come across (and not things I picked up from the Internet or other Inuktitut dictionaries).

Feel free to correct me if I am wrong anywhere. Also, please note that these are of a Kivalliq/Rankin Inlet dialect and may not be entirely correct in other parts of Nunavut.

aalliraujaq- table
achu (phonetic spelling)- I don't know
aggak- hand
aiviq- walrus
alluq_- to leave (alluqtunga: I leave; alluqtutit: you leave; alluqtuq: he/she/it leaves)
amautiq- woman's pull-over with giant hood for their child
amisuliurut- photo copier
angajaqpit- are you drunk?
anuri- windy
ani_- to go out (anijunga: I go out; anijutit: you go out, anijuq: he/she/it goes out)
apaakmak- a word children use to say "eating." Possible English equivilant of "num num."
apouti- snow
aqqut- road
arvinggaq-lemming

iglu-house/snow house
ikima- to mount/ride something
ikuma-fire
ikpaksaq- yesterday
iksivautaq- chair
ila- I don't think it really has a proper English equivilant. I notice it gets used where a few different English words would be used, such as "yeah..." "I mean...", and "so..."
ilaali- you're welcome
ilinniarvik- school
ingit_- to sit down (ingittunga: I sit down; ingittutit: you sit down; ingittutit: he/she/it sits down)
inuit qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) - traditional inuit knowledge
inuk- 1 inuit person (inuuk- 2 inuit people)
iqaluk- fish (not sure of the specfic species, though, but I'm guessing char)
irmusiq- cup
irniq- son
isuma_-to think (isumajunga: I think; isumajututit: you think; isumajuq: he/she/it thinks)

japa- parka

kablu- eyebrow
kakiaq- fork
kakivak- a fish spear
kamik- sealskin boot
kamotik- dog sled (also spelled qamutik)
Kangiqliniq- Inuktitut word for Rankin Inlet
kayak- qajaq
kiinaujaq- money
kina- who?
kinauvi- who are you?
kiviuq-the first inuit man. Inuit equivilant of Adam. The legend says that he is still living somewhere out in the tundra and is slowly turning to stone (an inukshuk). When he finally turns to stone the world will end.
kublu- thumb
kuluk- endearment, i.e. "darling," or "dear"
kusugak- icicle
kuuk- river

malik_- to follow (maliktunga: I follow; maliktutit: you follow; maliktuq: he/she/it follows)
masak- marshy, spongey ground
matna/mutna- thank you

naglingniq-love
najak-nun
najangnaq-nurse
nakumi- thank you
nanuq- polar bear
naqittaut- keyboard
nasaq- 1 hat (nasaaq-2 hats, nasait-3 hats)
natiq- floor
natsiq- seal
niri-to eat
niriungniq-hope
niuvirvik- store
nuka- younger brother or sister
nuliaq- wife
nuna-land
nunamiut- a person from the land
nungusaut- eraser
nutaralaq- baby
nuvua-point (noun)
nuvvuksaut- sharpener

okalik-rabbit/hare

pallugaaq- bannock
paniq- daughter
paply- the handle of an inuit drum
pisuk_- to walk (pisuktunga: I walk; pisuktutit: you walk; pisuktuq: he/she/it walks)
piujuq- pretty or beautiful
putuguq- toe

qablunaat/qallunaat-white/non-inuit person
qanuipi- how are you?
qaqa- beaming from praise
qaujisaut- clock
qaukpat- tomorrow
qiajuq- he is crying
qimmiq- dog
qingaq- nose
qiniq- to search
qipanniq- full of hatred/anger
qisianni- however/but
qungat_-to smile (qungattunga: I smile; qungattutit: you smile; qungatuq: he/she/it smiles)

sakku- the removeable spearhead of a harpoon
sanaugaq- child
sanaugarijara- I created him/her
savik- knife
sila- temperature
siksik- arctic ground squirrel
siku- ice
sinigvik- sleeping bag
siniktarvik- hotel (translation: place to sleep)
sinik_- to sleep (siniktunga: I sleep; siniktutit: you sleep; siniktuq: he/she/it sleeps)
sukajukkut- fax machine
suna- what thing?
suva- pardon?

taku_-to see (takujunga: I see; takujututit: you see; takujuq: he/she/it sees)
tapiriit- united/together
tasiq- lake
tikit_-to arrive (tikittunga: I arrive; tikittutit: you arrive; tikittuq: he/she/it arrives)
tingmisuuq- airplane
titirarvik- office
titiraut- pencil
titirarviksaq- writing paper
tugalik-narwhal
tuksiarvik- church
tuktu- caribou
tulugaaq-raven
tupiq-tent
tuputaujaq- needle/pin

uanakutsungaa!- an exclamation for when children use adult words (in inuktitut, children have words that they are encouraged to use while they are kids)
ublakut/ullakut- good morning
ublukut/ullukut- good afternoon
ui- husband (uiga- my husband)
ukpirniq-faith
ullaaq- morning
ulu- a woman's knife
umiaq- boat
unuksakkut- good evening
uqaluut- telephone

(posted by Jaime)

TGIF!

Ah, a good week has come to its end (kind of, it's Friday).

We had 2 elders come in to our class today to show us miniature replicas of traditional tools. It was very interesting. They only spoke Inuktitut and at first the person who came with them didn't translate and I was kind of upset because I wanted to know what they were saying. Finally the two of us that don't know Inuktitut got translations which was nice, I was glad to understand! I can catch the occasional word like "qallunaat" (white person), "umingmak" (muskox), "okalik" (rabbit), and "siksik" (squirrel) but not much more than that. Afterward we all got to look at their tools and I asked lots of questions. Their tools are so clever.

After that we had our class photo taken which is going in either the Nunavut News or Kivalliq News next week. I'll have to buy both to see. So anyone in the Kivalliq region, check it out next week! If anyone in the south wants one, let me know and I'll send you one.

I got my college email address and it's only three letters off of Jeff's work email address, haha. Mine is [deleted for privacy].
The J Hunters are taking over the GN! I am amused when I think of how appropriate our last name is here, haha.

Because of our field trip yesterday, I was able to properly identify three Inuktitut syllabics on the wall today of our class (there are flash card type things of each syllabic around the class). One of my friends showed me how easy it is to say the whole alphabet. I'm going to keep working at it and pretty soon I'll be able to translate the syllabics into roman letters. I won't have any idea what they mean but I'll be able to actually say them! I've already translated part of the newspaper, heh. It's nerdy fun.

The same friend said if the weather stays nice that she and her husband may take us out to the Thule site. That would totally rock, especially for Jeff who couldn't make his Marble Island trip.

Weather, please stay nice this weekend!

(posted by Jaime)