well it is about time i wrote a bit about where I am and what i have been doing. I am staying at the school in Sioapaluk, Greenland, which is the most northern community in the world (military and science bases...do not count). There are 7 students at the school with 2 parents that teach the children. Life is very simple here. The homes and school do not have toilets, just indoor outhouses...only they have a bag to catch the waste that are removed frequently. There is not alot of snow here and the ice only stays half the time as it should due to global warming. Country food like whale and seal are very common and is what everyone eats here. I have had both but it takes my Canadian belly a week or so to adjust to the meat. The air is very rich up here and as a result you feel totally tired by the afternoon and feel like having a nap. The children are amazing...very loving and touchy with each other. I have been trying to get the kids to write me a story...however that has not been a very easy task as most of them are not interested in writing at all. Up here things like popcorn, oranges and baby carrots are like gold and I have been trying to persuade the kids to write using these things. If world peace was up to these kids...it could be accomplished with a bowl of popcorn. The best part is the kids entertain themselves by playing outside with what ever their imagination can find. Back to the way things used to be...rocks, sticks and snowballs. Even though it gets cold at night...I mean cold...not Vancouver cold...the kids play outside until the sun disappears or until their mothers call them home. I am learning quite a bit of the Greenlandic language as I have no choice...no one speaks English here. People always wonder how I get by...and i tell them...it is the language of LOVE. That being...I watch people carefully for their facial expressions and body language. A few choice words from the dictionary can get you a long way. I think this will be my biggest challenge yet as it is going to take a lot of convincing and persuasion with popcorn to get them to write. I know they can do it...however they are very shy and as we all know this is an oral culture ...not a written one. But i have faith that my smile and POPCORN will win the battle. Now I just have to wait for my special order of popcorn to arrive from Thule air base. well i am off for a nap. Miss you all.
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