Maktaaq

Today I had an interesting experience.

I tried Maktaaq (Muktuk) for the first time.

For those of you unaware, Maktaaq is a delicacy for Inuit, and I was fortunate to have been given a few samples to try.

It's chunks of whale skin with blubber on the underside. Sometimes served frozen, the servings that I had were room temperature. The pieces that I ate had come from a Narwhal, and had an interesting taste and texture.

I'm not able to place the taste (it was raw), but other people compared it to almonds. I like almonds, and this wasn't unpleasant, except for the fact that the cube of maktaaq is layered as follows:

Where:

1 - whale blubber (fat)

2 - thin layer that almost has a cartilage type of constituency, but is impossible to chew through (I tried for about 5 minutes on one piece). Hardened tissue.

3 - the skin. The piece that I had was a dappled gray (because it was a Narwhal).





The blubber is meant to keep the animal warm, and is prized up here by hunters, as hunters that are able to bring home lots of blubber are 'better hunters', since the blubber is more important than the whale meat. An interesting topic that was brought up today was that Inuit historically have no instances of heart attacks due to cholesterol and other fats. This is because the fats found in blubber are the 'good fats'. And because fat can be broken down into sugars, it is an essential source of energy for Inuit as well. I'm speaking of traditional Inuit, as here in Iqaluit, junkier foods prevail, although I will be attending a feast on Friday. FINALLY, more traditional foods.

As for the layer of really hardened tissue, I'm assuming it is to prevent the skin from being pierced too easily when swimming about.

The layer of skin is actually textured like many many many hair follicles. Mmmm.

All in all, an interesting experience. Definitely weird walking around town knowing that I have pieces of Narwhal stuck in my teeth.

(Vegetarians everywhere are cursing me right now).

Intense...and tourism

The days are getting far more intense here in Iqaluit.

1. Today, it snowed. Very little mind you, and most of it is gone, but still, it snowed.

2. The amount of rigidity in my schedule is increasing, as tomorrow I have 5 different meetings with different community groups, radio, and even a choir practice.

3. I'm still booking the AdverseVitalSigns tour starting October 10th, and I'm not having that great of luck this time around.

4. Applications for different festivals start quite soon, so I'm trying to do my homework on those. Including the Alianait festival here in Iqaluit.

5. Analysis of the data from my research up here needs to start.


Listing things helps me organize myself mentally.

The next few days until I leave Iqaluit are going to be busy busy busy. But I still need to make sure that I get out and act like a real tourist before I leave. I'd rather not, but I feel like I should. Taking pictures, getting people to take pictures of me, buying overpriced pieces of art for family, the whole nine.

Funk and Punk...and Kung Fu.

Last night was an interesting night.

I didn't leave the residence until after 7:30 PM, at which time I had hoped to go to The Legion to catch a band called 'The Ramblers', who were apparently releasing a DVD. Unfortunately, it was membership only, and no one was willing to sign me in that I met.

Just as well, as I went to a "funk and punk" themed party instead. It was hosted by the same group of people that held the "robots and aliens" party the week previous. Interesting note: it was mostly white people, but there were a handful of Inuit there (although I don't think that they were full Inuit), as I've found that the two different groups (francophones would be a third) generally keep to themselves. Sure, white people have X number of Inuit friends, and vice versa, BUT...that number rarely exceeds the number of friends they have of their own ethnic group. Regardless, the reason why I'm glad that I went to this party was because I met two very interesting people.

First was a lawyer working up here who was actually one of the founders of the Pop Montreal Festival. Back in 2002/2003, she helped write up the original business plans (which weren't that great, considering that they lost a lot of money over the first 3 years. Apparently they weren't able to secure any funding from any sources until they had established themselves as a festival for 3 years.

How did this discussion come about? They were serving St Ambroise beer, which has a Pop Montreal logo on the back of the bottle. Our initial interaction went as follows:
"hey look! Pop Montreal!"
"I applied their for the last 2 years and didn't get in"
"oh yeah? I helped create it!"
...and our conversation went on from there. Turns out, she also used to do a lot of work for various environmental activist groups, specifically those interested in protecting Beluga whales.

Next, I met someone else that is currently working at the francophone school serving meals. She's a vegan and enjoys making all sorts of different eco-friendly drinks, smoothies and more. By living in Iqaluit, she's not able to prepare a lot of the different things that she'd like, since certain sprouts, grasses, and even dehydration units (instead of ovens) are not readily available up here. What was most interesting about talking to her was that she's going to go to the Just For Laughs School, for 2 years, taking courses on comedy. This is because she thinks that her life, being a vegan and all her work with healthy foods and eating habits would make for great comedy. I wouldn't be surprised, however, I WAS surprised at the fact that there is a school of comedy. How amazing. If music fails me, that's next.


Meanwhile...at this time I'm currently watching a ridiculous movie called Kung Fu Hustle. If you'd like to see awesome action scenes with ridiculous dancing and stunts, I would recommend this movie. Like it says on the box, "Think KILL BILL meets LOONEY TUNES".

The Knife

If you haven't been following the blog you may not realize, but the last few have been leaning more towards music than research.

I played guitar in the residence for the first time since being here, and sure felt good.

I even wrote most of a new song. It's working title is 'The Knife'.

Lyrics:

I've got a message to deliver
Before my time has come and gone
Could this reify you?
Could this reify you?

Your words are just a few,
and actions even fewer
How would they define you?
How would they define you?
-------

If I could leave a mark
something set in stone
can you bring me a knife?
for the bones...

-------
Your fears are all against you
but persevere some more
do they petrify you?
do they petrify you?

you want to make a difference
but you're up against the world
Will they nullify you?
will they nullify you?
--------

If I could leave a mark
something set in stone
can you bring me a knife?
for the bones...

--------
your body's aging fast
haunted by an unrewarding past
why would they deny you?
why would they deny you?

when you have been forgotten
and no one knows your name
who would recognize you?
who would recognize you?

When you are under ground
no record of the sounds you made
Would they identify you?
would they identify you?

They will identify you
They will identify you
They have identified you...

by your bones



It's all about perceptions by others. Everything that you do in life, who is it being done for, and will anyone recognize or acknowledge that fact? When it's all said and done, once you've been buried for 50 years, what will anyone be able to identify you by other than your remains; your bones.

What I'm getting at is that we should all make efforts to make a lasting impression of ourselves on the world in our lifetimes. Some impressions will not be as readily acknowledged as others, but it's important to always stand in the face of adversity, for what you believe to be just. [Sigh, sometimes I wish I was Polar Man, or at least an Aquabat]

My contribution? It's hard to say what I would like it to be.

"I'd like to put out an awesome double disc CD/DVD"

...yes...but how is that helping anyone else? You're right. It's not. It's satisfying my own lust for musical creativity and expression. HOWEVER. The conceptualization behind the project is multi-faceted, and in the next few months, you will no doubt read more about that concept. But I'd also like to incorporate something that will empower listeners as well. Ideas: TBA.

However, it's really cool that many different organizations are helping make strides towards change, such as Google.

Music and tourism time

Being up here in Iqaluit, slightly distanced from my equipment (in the old residence) and the ability to be noisy at any time of day has certainly taught me a few things.

1. Not to rely on equipment for music. There is a reason I have an acoustic guitar. To play music with BY ITSELF.

2. Not all songs need looping (although it certainly does help in some cases!)

3. Songwriting and lyrical content is what I need to focus on at the current moment

4. I really wish that I hadn't forgotten that one cord that allows me to record while I'm here. I've been coming up with some good stuff, and I hope it's not being lost.

5. Coffeehouses are a great atmosphere, so having a variety in repertoire is always a plus.

6. Open Mic nights are positive and negative:
A) Positive: you get the chance to showcase some of your original music to new people
B) Positive/Negative: you can butcher one of your favorite cover songs, and while hating yourself, the rest of the room does not hate you.
C) Negative: Open Mic's with full bands are not a good time to showcase an acoustic ballad. Buzzkill. (Not that I did this, but someone mentioned that I should, to which I replied "are you crazy?!")


I've got a new lyrical snippet in my head, and the end of the chorus sings:

"can you bring me a knife?
for the bones..."

I know...a scrap at best...but hey! I wrote it at a youth centre while listening to kids blaring Guitar Hero III, followed by walking, and soon to be capped off with sitting in a residence room, not being able to play my guitar and imagine where I want the lyrics to go.

The concept for the song will be self-empowerment. Fail to see the connection between that and knives/bones? That's alright...when it's complete you'll understand.



Tomorrow brings the weekend, which means that while I don't have any scheduled interviews, I will play the part of the dreaded tourist, visiting attraction after attraction, taking photos of anything and everything, purchasing overpriced knick knacks from arts groups that take commission from the artists' themselves (I'm kidding, I'll buy it direct from the artist).

I've acquired a new cable for the weekend that will allow me to download pictures, so watch out readers! More photos to come.

Ghost stories + the CBC

The college residence has a history of hauntings, so I've been told by countless people.

Apparitions have been seen wandering the halls, going in and out of the rooms and more.

There's also a room near mine that will not be 'rented' out, because there was a person formerly in that room that hanged themselves.

Also, with the history of residential schools in the community, after the air base personnel left in the 50's, the residence was turned into a boarding home for children at residential schools. That being said, there was a lot of abuse that was suffered in this building. Spirituality is important up here, and they believe there to be lots of disrupted spirits in this building. I don't know if there have been any documented accounts of altercations with ghosts, but I have yet to see one. The only sounds I hear at night are other residents rolling in their beds (the beds really creak a lot), and the planes that enjoy revving their engines at 12:30 in the morning.

I'll try and take some photos this evening of the college residence, and then post them at another date. Maybe I'll capture a ghost. I like ghosts.



In other news, I almost feel like a political journalist, as I've been attending various political events, such as today's candidate debates, hosted by CBC Radio North. The reason is because I'm interested in seeing whether issues surrounding youth are part of the candidates' political platforms. I was at CBC this morning talking with Patricia Bell, the Circumpolar Affairs Reporter, and she mentioned that Inuit youth migration is becoming more of a political issue. I'm not so sure if the migration aspect is already a political issue, but from the candidate speeches I listened to today, the different motivations behind migration are factors, such as education and improving quality of life for youth up here in Iqaluit. I'm going to be getting in touch with her on Monday, as she's interested in doing a piece on youth migration (and no doubt there'll be some of my music in the background, let's not be silly).

Note: Inuktitut has sounds that are more similar to French than English.

Interviews and the legion

Today I began interviewing people for my thesis research.

Definitely a learning experience, not only in asking questions, but figuring out how to 're-word' questions so that they don't lead participants to any particular answers/responses.

Other than that, I was a huge nerd at the youth centre today, spending most of my time there trying to figure out how to get Cubase to work on a guy's computer. By the end of 3 hours, I was done...and couldn't find a way. After that, myself and one of the leaders at the YC went out to the Royal Canadian Legion (which is the most profitable one in Canada apparently), for what I hoped would be wing night. Sadly, no wings. Instead, I witnessed some open jam, and then headed back to NRI to prepare some supper.

Today we celebrated International Polar Year, and NRI also held a little 'meet and greet' for researchers and other community groups and individuals.

In the world of music, this morning I heard two really cool things being done in music:

www.songaweek.ca - my friend Gaelin Brown is vowing to write, record, mix, and master one song every week for the following year, beginning November 1st, 2008, ending on the same day in 2009. He'll eventually release an album(s) with all 50+ tracks.

The other was that Ben Folds has a new record coming out soon, and he leaked it onto the net before the release date. Why is this news? Because he leaked it himself, and because the songs he put up are "fake", in the sense that he got some musicians together, and recorded 8 silly songs and put them up in lieu of the real tracks. Some may not find it funny. I find it hilarious. Read his blog on myspace for more info.

And finally (I know...you're thinking "hey, he said 2 really cool things, not 3"...well too bad), listen to Man Garden, their songs will be stuck in your head for an entire day, beginning when you start walking up to an arctic college on a dusty road...fine...maybe that's just me.
That is it for tonight, tomorrow I'm going to wither away playing basketball again, au revoir!

Physical fitness and Q&A

Playing basketball with high school kids is a surefire way for one to realize how out of shape one is.

After the warmups, I was wearing down, then we started 'suicide runs' [run to the 1/4 line of the court, run back, run to the halfway line, run back, run to 3/4 line, run back, run the length of the court, run back, and then repeat], that's when it hit me. The first cycle was rough, but then when I was expected to do it again, halfway through I honestly thought that my legs would cave underneath me, and I started to feel faint. Later on, I would be hit with a massive headache.

But anyways, I'm sure that's one of the last things you readers would want to hear about.

"Why won't he write anything interesting or revealing? He's just talking about how out of shape he is...go to the gym already!"

...yeah...or I just need some powerthirst.



I met another researcher yesterday from Moscow, named Dimitri (I haven't asked the proper spelling yet), and we visited a few different places together today, such as the highschool, a support centre for adults, the college, and after the basketball game/practice that I attended, I also dropped by the skate park. Even though I don't skate, it was interesting being there, because I worked for the city for the last few years, several of which I would help run the skate park at Grandview Arena. The skatepark here just blows it away. They're newest addition to it is a 12 foot quarter pipe [NOT a drug reference]. Like this, but twice as tall.

It's dark at 7 pm now, and no, it isn't snowing yet. I've been given a list of questions to answer by some friends (if you have more, by all means, let me know, and I'll do my best to get to the bottom of them), so here are some answers:

DISCLAIMER: I am not an authority on any of the following subjects, and my responses are based on my experiences (sometimes limited) here in Nunavut.

Q: What's the humidity like? Is it a dry cold, or wet cold?
A: Dry cold for sure. There was a bit of rain and wet snow the other day, and it made everything really muddy, but it dried up really quickly.

Q: What effects does the long-term cold have on the materials around ye (i.e. fast decomposition of plastics, etc)?
A: Not sure about plastics, but from looking around the city, there's garbage everywhere that has survived many many winters. For example, here's a picture of a Pepsi can I took on a hike I went on (also seen in the previous post). Note the design. That's not new at all.



But really, ...I don't think I'm knowledgeable enough to answer that question.

Q: How do the locals feel about climate change?
A: climate change doesn't seem to really be talked about by locals other than by local politicians who have those sorts of concerns expressed in their platforms. For more information on the arctic and climate change, I'd recommend reading Arctic's (yes...the band that's been through Tbay a few times) website which is devoted to discussions about the arctic as much as it is about the music.

Q: How prevalent are snowmobiles as an intracity mode of transportation?
A: Well, it hasn't snowed yet, and apparently it won't actually start staying on the ground until about November. For now, ATV's [All Terrain Vehicles] are quite common, but I do see MANY skidoo's parked in driveways and beside homes.

Q: Are any fresh foods available in the winter? Do many people supplement their diet with vitamins to compensate?
A: Fresh food is flown in during the winter. The quality of said fresh food may not always be the best, and the prices are usually outlandish, but yes. And variety probably isn't as extensive as we head into the winter months. As for vitamins, I haven't really experienced many people taking supplements. Maybe that'd explain some of the health issues up here. I just bought some vitamins, but that's because I'm used to a different diet, and the residence food may or may not have been making me ill. And I like Zinc.

Q: Is 'room temperature' the same up there as down here?
A: the college residence has thermostats for each room, so my room is sitting at about 21-24. It's cooler in the hallways, but generally all the buildings that I've been in, I'm comfortable just wearing a sweater (same as Thunder Bay), but if I'm engaging in some sort of sport/activity, then just a t-shirt is fine. (I'm wearing pajama pants as long johns the entire time though...).

Q: Accustomed to the temperatures there, at what temperature will people go outside in shorts and tshirts, if ever?
A: A lot of the kids are going around in just one or two sweaters right now, baseball caps instead of toques, and without gloves. I do a lot of walking after dark, and I find it necessary to wear my Canada Goose jacket. But I came from Thunder Bay, where I could still get away with wearing shorts. I won't be acclimatized before I leave.



Other points of interest: an incredibly popular game here for youth is Ping Pong. Every where I go there's a ping pong table: the college residence, the youth centre, the high school...

Interviews start tomorrow! Hoorah!

Photos!

Now it's time to play catch up with photos!

I managed to get the pictures from the camera and onto my laptop. I'm editing them as I type.

So, without further ado, here's a selection of photos from Iqaluit!

The view of the airport from my room in the college residence.

A plane as seen from my room.

This is what my room is looking like.
A view from outside the college residence.

The college residence. I'm on the 2nd floor, on the other side of the building.

The first stop sign I came upon.

Some old pipes on the walk to the Nunavut Research Insitute.

The view of a river coming through town. Huge culvert, and lots of garbage.

Here's an example of the strange architecture here. "Ice cube tray" styling, this is the firehall.

Cookie-cutter houses, rows upon rows.

More houses.

Finally I saw the sun, right at sunset.

Neat picture I took of a statue of Sedna.
Wild bones.

A new friend and fellow researcher studying Toxicology and analyzing soil samples; Alexis.

Inukshuk on a ridge.

View from the ridge.

Myself and an inukshuk on a ridge.

Icicles.

Some plant life cased in ice near a tiny waterfall.

Interesting colours found on the hills of Iqaluit.

A pile of rocks at the top of a ridge.

A lone iceberg that has been in the bay since the summer time.

Enjoy the photos, I'll be putting up some more in the next few days! (Comments appreciated)

Polar Man update and more

I've done some sleuthing and asking around, and apparently he's quite the do-gooder! Helping people crossing the street, shoveling driveways/walkways, and untangling swings for kids in the parks.

Here are some links I've dug up that are definitely worth looking through:

SuperHeroesLives.com
youtube.com
youtube.com channel

At first I was kind of skeptical about the whole idea of the guy, but wow, he shows up to every community event, and is overall a really nice character. He invites people to become sidekicks, and on Canada he had Canada Man, who was identical in costume, except for black items were replaced with red. Awesome! Every town needs a superhero.

On a completely unrelated note: I saw Stephen Harper today at a conservative rally here in Iqaluit.

DISCLAIMER: I do not have any political affiliations.

It was however, quite hilarious that I went from visiting the conservative rally (merely wanted to see the prime minister in person), and then proceeded to play at a coffeehouse event held at the NDP building. Photos: soon. I've devised a way to get them off the computer and onto a laptop (without spending money).

Other news: the wind today was intense and I got smacked in the face 3 times.

1: the most cliche thing happened. a page of a newspaper flew up, opened up, and hit me square in the face (covering it) while walking. The funnier part? It was a paper from June.

2: not as exciting, just the straps from my parka whacking my face.

3: a lot of sand.


But alas, after playing hockey at the youth centre, attending a robot and alien party, eating pizza, and walking a lot, it's time for bed. Tomorrow holds a day of hiking and photo taking. There's sure to be a photo heavy update soon!

Polar Man!

I met a very interesting character the other day that I didn't write about, and forgot about completely until I saw him again today.

He's a slightly odd individual, always wearing a mask like most old school superheroes. Not only that, but he always wears white: white pants, and white long sleeved shirt. BUT...covering that is a pair of black shorts and black vest, as well as a black balaclava (not forgetting the mask).

Here's where it gets amazing. He also has an awesome red mustache and other assorted facial hair, loves playing some sort of handheld gaming system, enjoys playing on the jungle gym at the various playgrounds around the city......and is also a children's entertainer. He also NEVER gets out of his 'costume', because he feels that he'd be letting the children down if he did. I have yet to get their perspective on him....

I wish I could just take a picture of him to show you.

In other news, ...my friend Travis is leaving Thunder Bay to go to Vancouver to pursue electronica and education. Here's something for you to enjoy:

Northern performances and racism

I played my first show north of 60 last night! I went down to the Kickin' Caribou and played the open mic night. The host Moe was very nice, and I played for QUITE a while. I then jammed with a girl named Anna (I think...), and then again with Moe afterwards (just covers and such, but it was still fun).

I'm glad that it went well, as it was hell getting there. If you check my previous posts with the map links, you'll figure out where I'm residing. Now I had to walk about half way to the Youth Center (middle of town), while carrying a guitar and a duffel bag filled with: loop station, kp3, 2 pedals, 6 cables, headphones, mic, cd's and other miscellaneous crap.

Digression: here's an awesome picture of my loopstation, taken by Shannon Lepere



The weather that night was awful, and I have a bruise on my leg because the wind kept knocking my guitar case into my leg right behind my knee. When I got to the show, I looked at my left arm and was shocked to notice 3 weird lumps on the underside of my forearm. I tried massaging them, but they hurt to the touch, and I started to get freaked out. After about 40 minutes of being seated at the lounge, they disappeared, thank goodness. I got on 'stage' after a little bit, and was soon being requested by some locals to have songs sung about them. The one that I remember was called "Reepa", and the lyrics were:

you think you're a muse
but you're merely amusing
Can you identify with...
Can you identify with...it?

There was a first verse, and it gave context to the 'identification' part, but I can't remember it for the life of me. That's what happens when you do improv stuff.

Anyways!

Nunavut!

I experienced racism for the first time last night, when I caught my first cab after the open mic. What happens when you pick up a taxi is that they pick up people on the way as well. So, on the way to the residence, we picked up an additional 4 people. The first old guy was was no big deal, just got off at another bar, but then the next 3 had been drinking a fair bit (mind you...this is at 10pm) and get in the car. The guy beside the cabbie asks "do you like George Bush?" and I had no idea what was going on. I figured at worst, the guy was just drunk and trying to carry on some conversation in his head with the person closest to him. The cabbie tells him to fuck off, and that he 'doesn't want that kind of shit in his cab fuck'. This is when the passenger says "go back to Syria", and the comment about GWB began to make sense. He was accusing the cab driver of being a terrorist, etc [he was of middle eastern descent]. The man sitting beside me pointed to the front passenger, and excused his behaviour, when the front guy turned around and started pointing at me, and yelling "white man! white man! white man!". The cabbie tells him to shut up again, and his reply is "you stole my taxi business".

There's a fair amount of hatred in this city, and the taxi driver made a very good point:
[referring to the one guy in the passenger seat]..."terrible people...when you're drunk you say the things that you have in your heart. Terrible..."

So, with sore arms and legs, I got out of a long cab ride, feeling tired and hated, for no reason other than the colour of my skin. It's very interesting being on this side of the hate. Growing up all over the world, I never really experienced such prejudice, however, I was much younger, and never really exposed to the 'outside world'. And in the grand scheme of things, this encounter was no big deal.

"so what? you had a guy yell at you for being white"

It's true, no big deal, but still, I thought it was an experience worth writing about.




This evening, however, I had a delightful time! I hung out at the youth centre once again, and joined in the cooking club, making beef stirfry and apple crumble. I still haven't fully been exposed to the absolute best of Iqaluit (although the restaurant with $55 steaks may be close), nor have I really experienced the worst. I think my interviews and my research will begin to give me answers.

For now, I am heading back to my room to shower. I even caved and bought a towel, as I'm tired of toweling off with a polyester t-shirt.

Sadly, a connector to download photos from the camera is $21.99. Sorry readers...$3 towel comes first. And then shampoo...I left it in the showers and it got stolen. Damn!

Iqaluit - descriptions

I arrived on Monday, at noon, to the bright yellow airport. I was met by Carrie, who works at the Nunavut Research Institute, who then took me to NRI, as well as dropped off all of my stuff at the college residence where I'm staying.

First things first: the residence used to be a military base, so there's tons of rooms, long hallways, and really large shower rooms/bathrooms. (As soon as I get a cable to connect the camera to this computer, I will upload pictures, I promise!)

The downside to staying at the residence is that it's right beside the airport (my window overlooks it), and last night, several different planes were revving engines beginning at 12:30 am, and not stopping for about an hour. Hooray for sleep. I was told that my view was better though, because on the other side of the residence is the city jail.

The architecture in this city is very different. Most buildings are on stilts, because of the permafrost, but wow, some of the schools and rinks are in these very strange buildings that look like ice cube trays. A disturbing observation is that they only have 10 windows (tiny circular 'portholes') each, so students are definitely not able to see outside at all. I'm sure that this is going against the learning environment.

Food is expensive here, with a 'steak special' coming in at $55. I haven't bought many groceries yet, but I'm sure that I'll start to feel the money being ripped out of my wallet soon.

When you think of the north, you think of flat, and snow covered. It snowed for the first time on Tuesday, and that was the only snow I've seen so far (except for a stranded iceberg in the middle of the bay). Otherwise, the road's are mostly just dirt roads, and it gets quite muddy quite quickly when the weather gets wetter. Which makes it delightful to walk on.

http://www.city.iqaluit.nu.ca/i18n/english/pdf/iqaluitmap.pdf
The youth centre where I'm hanging out for the next little bit is located at the red #4 (see map)[AWG Complex Arena and youth centre], whereas the residence where I'm staying is right in between numbers purple #1 and red #4 (the long building near the airport). It's an hour long walk. But hey, I'm getting exercise!

That's it for today, I'll have more stories tomorrow! (and hopefully pictures, dammit.)

Iqaluit, day 1

Yesterday I was asked a very difficult question:

“Why are you doing your MA?”

It caught me off guard...I tried to answer it as best I could, explained that I didn’t really have a clear thesis idea going into the MA program, and that I lucked out by having the migration research project opportunity placed in my lap. The question was then asked to another PhD student sitting beside me, and I then felt incredibly awkward. Not only did I not have an answer, but what I had given certainly didn’t include ‘wanting to help change the world’. Granted, I’m not studying contamination of soil, but still, it raises the question of goodwill. Must every decision that we make have a particular purpose or agenda? Should it always be building towards something greater than ourselves , in a selfless way? Who decides what holds merit and what doesn’t?

The question that I was asked can be reworded to be more general:

“Why are you doing this?”

Being completely frazzled by the original question for some time, this new question that I ask myself is far more unsettling. I realized that as a researcher (and a musician, as it applies to anything), I lack vision for my work outside of my immediate idea of doing it because it has to be done (assigning it the value of a task, not something I feel passionate about). Don’t get me wrong, I feel extremely passionate about the album and the migration study; however, what is the greater purpose for my work? Now, I’m not saying that what I am creating now at age 22 must change “sociology/music as we know it”, but should I not be trying to make dents at least?

This question made me feel like I was at Canadian Music Week all over again, being told that having a purpose for my music is paramount. However, this was my first encounter having this discussion about academic topics; with my motivations for higher education questioned, I realized that there is plenty of introspection needed.

By being asked this question, I am not only learning to question various aspects of myself, but I am certainly humbled by the wealth of knowledge that the question-askers possess, and can only wait until enough time passes and I gain similar amounts of experience so that I too may answer that question that is now on my desktop.

Question yourself on a daily basis too:

download the background (resolution of 1280x800)

More news on Nunavut to come.

Ottawa

I arrived in Ottawa at 10:00 am today, and wow, was I ever tired. I feel bad for Ignacio and Alicia, as I kept falling asleep in their presence (not to mention annoying airplane staff because I wouldn't get off the plane during a stop-over in Toronto).

The 3 of us went out to see some varsity soccer games (Carleton Ravens vs. U of T Varsity Blues), both Men's and Women's. The Raven's won both games, even playing the last 20 minutes in full rain. I realized that this was the first time I'd ever seen a 'professional' soccer game, despite growing up in South America. Weird!

Other highlights of the day: being thwarted by the public transit system in numerous ways, and having streets decline your request to cross streets on Sundays. How rude.

I didn't really take any photos today, so please be patient!

But in other news....

3 hours to go...!

So...3 hours left before I get on the plane to Ottawa.

I'm headed there at 5:30 am, then I'll be with my friend Ignacio, couch-surfing and watching a soccer game. It'll be neat to check out his new place (he recently left Thunder Bay for school).

Then it's off to Iqaluit. I think I'm all packed, as the weather up in Iqaluit is not so hot right now. Earlier it was a high of 2, low of -4, with lots of snow flurries. Hoorah.

In other news, I sat down with the guys at the Studio, and discussed all the changes that need to be made to the demo material for "Windows and Doors". There's plenty of things that need to be changed, but hey! I hope to get a lot of it done while sitting in a room looking out at the tundra. There should be some new music written as well. Who knows...maybe there'll be new samples online soon? Hmm...

I'm glad to get away from Thunder Bay, as this september has been particularly sad, with lots of friends moving away, and just being at a university when no one you know is ever really around anymore.

Regardless! New posts will come out as soon I get settled in my residence in Iqaluit!

Cheerio!

...10 days and counting!

With only 10 days left until I vanish from the Thunder Bay terrain, I've been busy (surprise!) figuring out details about my trip up north, making sure that my paperwork is all in order, etc, etc.

However, one thing that has yet to be finalized is how I'm going to bring some of my gear up there. Because honestly, there's no way I'm going to go up there and NOT make music. No way. Thus my latest dilemma is "how do I bring an acoustic guitar and looping devices on a plane withOUT having them broken by airway employees?" The answer will surely be tricky, and will also require leaving some of my gear at home. Soon I hope to have a local audio engineer build me a custom road case for ALL my gear, making touring relatively simple (no random boxes o' stuff), and safe (I've collected a fair amount of gear now...). I'm just really excited to get up there, and find some local musicians interested in showing me some of their own music that I can play along too. As well as throat singing. Hopefully I'll be able to learn more about that.

Did I mention that I was busy? I think so. I met with a professor at the University that I've been meeting with on and off (he never actually taught me, but we chat all the time and have a shared musical appreciation), and we came up with a tentative dissertation topic, as well as a plan for my year break from the academic world as I pursue music full time. Honestly, I didn't want to think about it, but apparently I should be thinking about it now...

Regardless, the topic will be music related, and I should have more information on that for you soon, perhaps when it's a bit more formulated! But here's a potential premise: a comparison of the concert experience to ritual theories.