Not an easy way out

The past week was wonderful in Tasiilaq, weather-wise.

Today, the day of my departure, a snowstorm keep me on the edge for hours.

When I woke up this morning I said to myself … again when I have to leave Greenland there’s always something wrong. I wouldn’t have minded to stay a couple of more days, that was not the problem. The problem would have been paying a LOT of money to change tickets!!!

All the morning helicopter flights were cancelled and when I got to the heliport I was told to wait … and hope. Well to make it short At 2.30 pm the sky cleared and I was able to fly to Kulusuk where the air iceland plane was waiting for us. But it took another 3 hours to get all the passengers from Tasiilaq to Kulusuk as there’s just one helicopter and it can fly only nine persons at a time …Greenland…

Now I am sitting on my usual hostel relaxing and waiting to get asleep.

There’s just one consideration that came on my mind on my way to the supermarket here in Iceland. I have been in a place where life is totally different, where there’s practically no cars and where everything around you takes you away from what we believe and know as “normal”. I experienced and felt that for 40 days.

Nonetheless I have not got any “shock” when I was walking on the streets of Reykjavik. I thought I would feel something weird within me. In the end I went back to a world of cars, noise, “western civilization”. But nothing. Like I never went away from this all.

So my question is: “Isn’t it that the more one travels the less this person will be amazed and astonished again?”

Good night

Again

I have been spending my last days with a new good friend. Today we were sitting in her aunt’s house and suddenly she received a call telling her sister’s girlfriend just committed suicide. She was 22 years old.

… …

Ice melting in the harbour

Hilda, a good friend.

Time to slow down

Well just few days left here. It’s been quite a long time up here and I feel weird now that I am about to go back to Italy.

I think of myself as one who can easily adjust and fit in every place … feeling like home. So it is here with my daily things, friends, habits. It looks like I have been here for loooong time.

Thinking about my work up here these days wondering if I had done enough and what I could do these last three days … Well I guess I just have to take it easy. What’s done is done.

I will miss it up here … as always. But I miss home as well and it’s time to go back.

Tonight I might have the last “party” with friends and then I’ll spend sunday going around to say hello to friends and acquaintances.

Monday morning I have the helicopter to Kulusuk … if the weather will let me. A snow storm is expected … just monday of course but forecast can change within hours so I guess I’ll know just monday morning.

There’s a nice house on sale now. facing the water. Should I buy it ?

……..

I wish I could scream out loud

There are moments when one just wants to scream out load., shake them all. What the … are you all doing?

Today is that day for me. Sometimes I just cant stand them, their drinking and all that it brings along.

I took a long walk till now, midnight … but when I got home still the same … hang overs and people around.

I just want to relax and sleep.

Sometimes I really can’t find a reason for all this mess around. Such a waste of time … and life.

It’s not living …

I am just throwing words as an overflown river …

This could be heaven … but sometimes it’s hell

Eluna and the little Saime

Midnight

Night walk and summer is coming

It’s one in the morning and I just came home from a walk in the freezing night of Tasiilaq.
Summer is definitely making its way in. Behind the mountains the sun keeps casting a subtle light all night long until 3 am when it starts to rise again.

I like to walk at night, everywhere but especially here. Dogs howling and the noise of ice breaking and moving. It’s relaxing. It sets all things in the right “position”. I walked around the town with my friend Anja first and then alone, stopping at times to admire the glow on the frozen dark ocean.

Last few days have been good both for videos/photography and for daily life. I met friends, we walked, talked. The weather now is beautiful and I enjoy stay out as long as I can.

I also had my first handmade icecream from Gerda. It’s always very good.

Tomorrow I should have my last two interviews. One with a policeman and the second with a friend who should tell me a story of a friend of her who went Qivittoq.
Qivittoq are spirits, most of the time evil ones. A person who want to be alone and full of anger becomes Qivittoq. He or she goes away from the town living alone on the mountain. They become part animals and part humans. They are strong, they run fast and when they are more powerful they can fly. But they are evil and can kidnap people to get more strenght …

Let’s see …

Arctic Spleen booth in Nashville where my great friend Sachiyo is presenting the documentary on my behalf to distributors and producers at the FILM-COM meeting. Beautiful thanks Sach !!!

"Nunakkaatsiaarngartunnitsiardivinnaqqilitsagaeriliinnarpulingaasiid"

- It means something about a small rock …

My first time

It has been hard to wake up today. Went to bed at 3.20 in the morning and woke up at 9 … but I slept on the couch !

But it has been a good day full of party.

First at a friends house for his mother 45th birthday and then another one with Eluna’s family.

But the most important hing is that I tried the Narval for the first time. It’s known to be a sort of delicatessen here but greenlandic tastes are not exactly like mine …
In the end it turned out to be good. A bit weird as you eat the outer skin with the fat. Actually the good part is the fat, the skin is almost impossible to chew (at least for me) so I had to eat the whole pieces. But good.

I just came back from the pub but it was quite empty today. I guess Easter holiday dried out the money here so, exept for friday night (a must), for the next ten days not so much party.

I have met an old friend, Jacob, I met in 2009 and who I never met ever since. He has been away the last years in some sort of religious organization …

Wake up, shake up

Sitting on my couch watching outside a gray dull day. The sun tries to make its way through the thin clouds everyday but always loosing the battle.

Since I am back from Tinit I feel like I’m not doing things. Maybe it’s just a feeling maybe it’s the way it’s supposed to be. Or maybe I have already so many shots that find something new it’s harder and harder. Don’t know but I wake up in the morning and tell my self to shake up.

Next week might be very productive as I am supposed to have three interviews, the final ones.

Tonight it’s party time here so I guess I’ll give a try to the local bar. But this time I don’t feel like being around too much to drunk people.

Drug has also made its way to here as well.Guys are using it more and more now and that might become another source of problems.

Yesterday I had a “nice” talk with a 17 year old danish teenager who was born and raised here all her life. I asked her about suicides and maybe she could give me a different perspective on it as she is part of this teenager community. She just confirmed my ideas and thoughts and also how difficult (almost impossible) is to have these greenlandic teens speaks about them. Then she said something that “shocked” me. She said “it’s so normal here that, it’s bad to say, we always ask when the next suicide will be.

Yesterday I also had to record a video of myself as opening speech for a Film meeting in Nashville, Tennesse where my friend Sachiyo will present on my behalf my documentary to a crowd of distributor and producers. Keep my fingers crossed.

Stay tuned.

Easter #2

Last two days has been slow due to my health problem. Also today I am still a bit sick but getting better.

It’s snowing quite hard now and overnight some 10/15 cm of snow already covered streets, roofs and “naked spot” turning everything white and beautiful.

Yesterday the sleddog race took place as every easter for 12 years now. It’s a big (and one of the few) event for Tasiilaq. It takes place on the frozen water of the fjord.

Maybe tonight I’ll go out with Michael or Ilesiaq … or Ole. Let’s see also because here it’s quite unpredictable. Also the simplest of the thing.

Then at Eluna’s house for dinner I tried a what I discovered being a “Delicatessen”. SEEWEEDS … and they were quite tasty.