QARMARTALIK SCHOOL

Today Lucas the hotel manager took me to a local school called "Qarmartalik School". From kindergarten to high school all together 72 students study at the school. Classes are divided according to age and mentally retarded children were also in the same classes.

When I entered a classroom, some children who know me shouted, "Hi Joe!" The class had a free-spirited, easy-going atmosphere. Angeline, seeing her farther Lucas is there, said, "Dad!" and threw herself into his arms.

Brian the school principal and Tracey a teacher politely showed me to each classroom. In a computer room, there was the person who I met during my snowmobile trip to the hill. She is the one who used to teach English in Kitakyushu (for detail see the journal dated Feb. 27). She was in the middle of giving a lecture to high school students. This computer room is available to all the village people. I was told that I was always welcome to use the computer during my stay in this town.

This is written in Inuit language called "nuktitut". At school Inutitut is first learnt and then English.

The team wearing school caps of Qarmatalik School

In order not to confuse with the time difference, I am wearing two watches one in Nunavut time on right arm and another in Japan time on left arm. "Qarmartalik" means poles made of white whale's bones, which were often used as materials for house building in the old days (for detail see the journal of March 10th).