I’ve talked about meeting people, and there are multiple opportunities to meet people when we travel. There are the people you meet on a tour, and there are the people you meet by chance who are not from the place you’re visiting. And then there are the people who actually live in the place you are visiting, the local population.
After 4 trips to Greenland, meeting people has become a lot easier. I myself am a bit of an introvert unless I feel comfortable when we first meet. And then, people from Greenland can be shy. I’ve heard it described in different ways, but ultimately shy is the most common term I’ve heard, particularly in Ilulissat which is the place I’ve visited the most.
One summer, a local guide advised me to go to one café if I wanted to meet people, and a taxi driver told me that if I wanted to meet people, I would need to make the first move because they are shy. So, I tried that a few times and these are the stories from encounters I had with people.
During my summer 2019 trip, I had gone into town in hopes of having a zipper repaired on my bag. I was waiting near Zion Church for another taxi when I saw an older man sitting on a bench. I gestured to ask if I could take his picture, and he said, “Ok.” I wasn’t really expecting him to speak English because I had struggled communicating in English before.
His name is Thomas, and he was the sweetest man. Thomas was born in Ilulissat and so proud of his hometown. He told me about how he sat in the same spot every day around the same time. His favorite spot is also a favorite of mine when I visit Ilulissat. He also talked about Ilulissat a bit and how beautiful it is. Not that he needed to tell me that. My taxi had arrived, so I had to end our chat. But it was in that moment I decided that I wanted to talk to the people more.
In the summer of 2021, I was walking back to my hotel when a man said hello and asked if I was tourist. I wondered what gave it away. Sarcasm of course. I know that I stand out because there aren’t many black people roaming around Greenland. Either way, we chatted a bit, and I learned they were from Aasiaat, another city just south of Ilulissat. I didn’t get their names, but I wish I had. The young man who did most of the talking was a bit of a linguist and had dabbled in multiple languages including Arabic which was a pleasant surprise.
Since they were so friendly, I thought it would be an opportunity to ask to take their picture. They kindly said yes, and they made sure to give me an "American" pose for the picture.
And then there was that one day I saw a young lady in traditional dress. I tried my best to ask for a picture because I felt so fortunate to have seen someone in person wearing it. Something I had hoped to see. I did manage to get a picture even though my attempts to ask were terrible. Thankfully, the person she was with translated my words and gestures.
"Meeting" her will always be one of my favorites because I had wanted so desperately to see someone dressed in the national costume.
Skip ahead to the summer of 2022 when I was better about trying to strike up conversations with people.
On my first official day in Nuuk, I had taken a taxi to Brugseni, a local supermarket, but I decided to walk back to my accommodation. It was in the parking lot that I ran into a man with a child sitting on his shoulders. I assumed it was his grandchild, and I was right.
He said hello and smiled which made me feel comfortable enough to ask if I could take their picture. He said it was ok, so I did the needful and took a picture. He said, "Nice to meet you." And I went on my way. I felt it was a good start to my time in Nuuk.
Strangely, when I was in the city center, I ran into him again. He spoke, smiled, and seemingly laughed about our chance meeting after having met just a day earlier.
While still in Nuuk, I went to the restaurant where I had met someone before. I visited that restaurant multiple times because it was reasonable, and the owner was good company. One day, I stopped by after a tour I was on finished. Three college students walked in. They were talking and waiting to order. The thing is, they were mostly speaking English. To each other! Once they had placed their orders, I turned around and commented on how well they spoke English. I asked them when they start studying English, and so the conversation began. Soon I had learned their names, Elsa, Sara, and Ivalu, and they told me about how they learned English. Well, YouTube and the Internet. Two of them are gamers and play with people all over the world. Sara said she has a friend in Ohio. How about that? They were just the sweetest and a joy to meet and talk to.
On my last evening in Nuuk, I was also on my final tour which was a whale safari. There was a total of 4 people on the tour, me and a family of three. Avaaraq said, “Hola”, when she got on the boat, so I thought they were visiting Nuuk like me.
But then she introduced herself and her daughter as well as her partner who happens to be from Portugal. Her daughter was just adorable and so friendly. They all were. But her daughter was especially friendly and told me that she would teach me Greenlandic. She also invited me to lunch on my next visit. I need to make that happen. I asked Avaaraq if we could keep in contact, and she said yes. I was so pleased with myself after that because I felt like I was finally making connections with the people in a country I have grown to love so much.
It was really lovely meeting them. And the fact that we were in a small group made it easier to get to know them a bit during the tour.
The next day, I was back in Ilulissat for a tour that had been postponed from 2020. But once that tour was over, I was on my own and had time to walk around and do whatever I liked.
Sitting in Café Naleraq, I saw this adorable family with a new baby. I asked them if I could take their picture and they kindly obliged. I didn’t try to spend too much time chatting because they were eating. I didn’t want to ruin their meal because of my curiosity. I was still happy with the encounter. The day before I had spoken to a lady in the same restaurant, but I didn’t ask for a picture though I wanted to.
Then one day, I was walking to the harbor and saw three teenaged boys. They said hello to me first; I asked if I could take a picture. They said it was a good idea which was funny.
Interestingly, the year before I saw three younger boys on bikes in the exact same spot. I tried asking for a picture, but one of them was saying, “No English.” I didn’t bother trying to gesture to explain. What a difference a year makes. I found more people speaking English than before, and I had also learned to step outside of introverted nature a bit more to try connecting with people.
I had two days left in Ilulissat, so I wanted to make the most of it. I took a day trip to Qeqertarsuaq (Disko Island). While I was waiting for the boat, I saw this older couple sitting. I had seen them before; they also recognized me. I offered them cookies which the husband declined, but his wife took one and said, "Tak" which is thank you in Danish. I had had pretty good results before, so I asked if I could take their picture, and they said ok in their own way. I chose their picture as the main image of this post because of the smile on his wife's face. A smile is universal.
My last meaningful encounter with someone was in Kangerlussuaq. It was my last day in Greenland with a flight to Copenhagen the next day. I met a lady in the lodge. Our rooms were near each other, and we happened to "meet" because she was asking where the restroom was. I pointed to it, and went on my way. Not much longer after that, I met her in the airport cafeteria. She waved and gestured to me to come sit down with her.
We "talked" using gestures until I finally decided to use Google Translate to ask her her name. Her name is Karen. And what a lovely lady. We sat, smiled, laughed. I took her picture, and then we took another one together.
Later she suggested we take the bus around Kangerlussuaq. It was a great way to kill some time since it was too late for any tours. As soon as we got on the bus, she asked the driver to speak to me in English which was nice.
It was a great way to end my day and time in Greenland. I will never forget her smile. And it was a perfect example of how even when people don't speak a common language, they can find a way to communicate. If only they are willing to try.
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