Food, glorious food

There hasn't been any more snow since my last post so we had to go back to school on Thursday and Friday, but a food-filled weekend more than made up for such a disappointment. On Saturday James and Sophie hosted a potluck and today (Sunday) was the day of the Christmas meal for the students at the residence. It's a bit early for Christmas meals I know, but some students and staff will be leaving in the next few days so this was the last weekend before the holidays when the whole group would be together.

It will probably be back to ramen noodles for lunch on Monday so I made the most of my two day smorgasbord, and I will now have to pacify myself with the knowledge that it's only nine days until I'm back home and able to access a full larder again (assuming Melanie's done the shopping). Until then I will be whittling down what I have left up here, which means there might be some interesting culinary combinations on the table over the coming week.

Pineapple chunks and water chestnuts on toast, anyone?

Whale meat again

For centuries the Inuit hunted bowhead whales, but commercial whaling drove the species to the edge of extinction, causing a ban to be imposed on such hunting. However, a reassessment of the bowhead population confirmed that numbers were actually far higher than originally thought, and in 2008 a party of hunters from all around Nunavik were allowed to go on the first bowhead hunt for over a century. The hunt set sail from Kangiqsujuaq, and so it was again this year. A team of 20 set off on August 19th in search of their bowhead, and earlier this week they returned triumphantly with their catch, a 56 foot beast that would probably have weighed in at something approaching 120 tonnes.

The success of such a hunt is an emotional time for the Inuit here, for as well as marking the safe return of the hunters themselves, it also marks a return of a great tradition, one that reminds both young and old of who they are and where they come from. If the Inuit are to hold on to their culture then events such as these are of the utmost importance, and whereas a few years ago I might have viewed such a spectacle as being both unnecessary and cruel, my experiences in the North have totally changed my opinions on such matters.

The meat from the whale will be shared around all the fourteen communities in Nunavik, and last night saw our community feast at the recreation centre here. It was a joyous occasion with singing, dancing, accordion playing and even a bit of heavy metal courtesy of Quppia (one of my students) and Adamie, and of course there was lots of food. I can now add whale to the list of country food that I've sampled, and whilst I wouldn't rank it at the very top, it certainly provided a great deal of chewing value! One novelty last night was that all the food was cooked rather than raw, and it really was a fine feast, one that all the community enjoyed. It was both a pleasure and a privilege to be involved, and my bowl of ramen noodles this lunchtime seemed all the more bland in comparison!

Locked out

I lost my keys yesterday.

Not a good idea at the best of times, but definitely not a smart move when it's -20° outside and the last of the evening light is fading rapidly. I'd been to the store to pick up my mail and buy a few essentials (bread, eggs and ramen noodles), only to find that when I got home...no keys. The fact that the clocks went forward at the weekend at least gave me an extra hour of daylight to search for them, but to no avail. The maintenance department were eventually able to let me in, and I was told that I'd get a new set today, but as I write (it's 3.30 pm), they haven't yet materialised.

The loss of said keys has made me feel somewhat emasculated; I had to ask someone in the office to let me into my classroom this morning, and as it stands I will be relying on the kindness of others to let me into my apartment again this evening. The decision to simply go home at the end of the day has been temporarily taken out of my hands, and I have to say it's a strange feeling. Still, at least I have a home to go to, which is not a luxury afforded to everybody, and when I finally get there, I have food I can put on the table.

I'm looking forward to my ramen noodle and egg sandwich.