Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Nunaversary: Part 2 - Fragrances of the Arctic

Describing the many 'smells' of the Arctic should be an easy tasks. I imagined writing about things which smell wonderful out on the land, or lovely like the spring flowers, or the different smells between spring and summer, all aiming to capture the wonderful sent the land has to offer. In English, to get this message across, would be an easy process. 

However, I still think in Hungarian, and when it comes to smells, you must choose the proper term to describe the sent you are experiencing with respect to good or bad - and 'respect' is key here. 

Side story: Growing up, I remember my mother always correcting me to use the proper term for the proper description I was trying to get across. For example, "Mom your cooking has a nice smell (literal translation - hence the funny grammar)", and she would reply, "honey, the garbage smells, my cooking has a nice fragrance (literal translation)". Nagyi would always take her lessons one step further by providing very vivid images which left no doubt in keeping my descriptions of good and bad smells 'respectful'. When I happened to use the wrong term, she would reply, first stating "you are crazy (or you have lost it)" and then would clarify by saying, "your butt smells, my ___ (insert topic of sent discussion here) has a fragrance". Now, you would think this would clarify my life when it comes to describing various smell later in life. However, the opposite has happened.  

We moved to Canada, learned (still learning) English, and now I'm in a pickle as to how I will respectfully describe the smells and fragrances of the Arctic. I now have the task of describing places, creatures, and/or events by using the description for good smells (fragrances) vs bad smells (odours). As I mentioned earlier, respect becomes a huge part of the Hungarian language. In general, I have yet to master any one of the three languages I should speak properly.  

The Arctic does have a smell, but it is the most unique, pleasant fragrance which I will try to describe for you in Part 2 of 5 in my Nunaversary blog entries. 

First, my introduction to Rankin opened my sense of smell to very different fragrances of the tundra, between spring (snow covered) and summer (filled with Arctic flowers). The very first hike in Rankin was out on the frozen Hudson Bay. The air was crisp and well, the fragrances seemed minty, refreshing, so clean, and the view of the most teal-blue frozen water I have ever seen. Imagine the Caribbean waters frozen. 






This is very different from my first introduction to the summer tundra. There are small flowers everywhere and my brain is trying to process the list of new fragrances all at once. There is a specific fragrance to a time when the snow is melting, the sun is shining and the tundra is slowly coming alive. It is like a mix of dirt, and rather than grass, it is this beautiful tea like flavours come alive. However, as soon as you climb up the remaining snow, you are back to the smells of clean fresh snow. 



My most favourite story is one of the first camping weekends, just as the snow started to melt. A big group of us drove out to a cabin however, most of us slept in tents. Lauren was part of the group but the 2 of us decided to split and head out discovering nature. Knowing I was new in town, she was telling me all things Rankin and nature. As we walked along the melting waters, at one point she drops to the ground. 

I ask her if she's ok, and she replies, "Yes, but you have to get down here and smell this!"


Her face is completely planted in the tundra grass, and so I follow and do the same. She was correct. It was beautiful, and it is called Labrador tea we were smelling. I'm sure there was many other things growing early June but my memory focused on the Labrador tea. It was my very first experience of this, like most things in the first 12 months in the Arctic. But the way Lauren introduced me to the tundra - getting right in there - was a great lesson I cherish to this day. I am much more hands on now when I'm out exploring nature - getting nice and close to experience all the wonderful smells. 







Summer was a wonderful time to experience the tundra in Rankin. The sun's heat made everything come alive once the snow melted. Every hike or camping trip came with very different fragrances. Campfires became an addictive fragrance for me - craving them every weekend!  



Even watching the caribou migrate, very different smells were present - while not bad, but as if a wild herd smell was present.


I may have forgot to mention traveling to Marble Island while living in Rankin Inlet. Though white marble doesn't have a very distinct smell, the salt water, amazing sun shine, made this experience very refreshing and different from anything I have experienced before. My brain understood that what I'm seeing and smelling are just rocks - but they were so incredibly white, that the snowy fragrances - crisp and clean - would mix in with the salty water.





Re-locating to Iqaluit 

The City of Iqaluit does have a real city feel which means cars, houses, stores, people everywhere. In the winter months Feb and March, winter smells very much the same as it did in Rankin - clean and fresh. However, Iqaluit is surrounded by rolling hills and mountains. This, in my experience, adds a very different fragrance. Being high above the city is definitely much more refreshing - but being right in the city on a day like -28 feels just as refreshing - even with all the cars around. 

I found summer to be a season where you can really smell the difference between being out on the land and staying within the city. Of course, depending on wind direction, you can smell the dump easily from my office - even though windows are closed. However, being out on the land - and a cooperating wind direction - the land feels much more refreshing. 

Campfires, boating, all come with very unique fragrances which do not compare to the south. Summer in Iqaluit is similar with many of the flowers and Labrador tea growing everywhere. However, the elevations and close proximity to the water - mixed with a very long tide - brings some different fragrances. Seal meat is very common to smell near the docking area and for good reasons. This is where some seals are left behind or picked up.

Campfires were happening weekdays and weekends during the summer time - which again on of my most favourite smells when being out on the land.  One time, it was a Monday or Tuesday, and after enjoying a great camp fire went home and thought nothing of it. The next day, a work day - hoping to take a shower and get rid of my campfire 'fragrance' - to me. Only problem, I had no water !!! Oh well, off to work and apologized to everyone for my au de toilet.  Though, if there was a bottled campfire fragrance, I would totally buy it! 










Dining adventures 

While country food comes with its own very distinct smell, I cannot say I dislike it.  Since I really enjoy eating country food of all sorts, I actually really enjoy the fragrance of the food.

Part 4 - Taste of the North is where I will be describing all the food I have tried in the north, including the endless dinner parties and potlucks :) 


The Dump 


Common to both Rankin and Iqaluit, the smell of the dump. Windy days are also 'smellier' days however, it becomes part comedy and part tragedy anytime someone mentions the dump. 


Being raised in an urban setting, I never actually 'visited' a dump before so this was very much an eye opening experience. It is part of being human - but boy it smells! 



Iqaluit Dump in Feb 2016 



Rankin Inlet May 2015




Now that I have captured some of the amazing views and fragrances of the North...stay tuned for Part 3 of Nunaversary: Sounds of the North !!! 

Cheers 
R :)