ILANAAQ

     The Vancouver Olympic Games is really coming soon. Japanese representatives are flying into Vancouver one after another. At the same time, the history and streets of Vancouver are introduced by many media. A sushi restaurant near the Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver, where I had eaten dinner was also on air. Lots of Japanese people don't know how popular sushi is in Canada, so they would be surprised. I was really sorry not to visit Vancouver during this season.

     By the way, in the same program I saw the emblem of the Vancouver Olympics, ILANAAQ, which seems to mean "friend or friendship" in Inuit, and it must have been derived from INUKSHUK. I saw it at the top of Whistler Mountain in 2006, and the meaning of the statue didn't matter to me then. However, I noticed that the emblem was from INUKSHUK, and I searched for information about it on the internet. I'm enjoying their pictures now.

     My daughters, Eri, A, my friend and I are in the picture below which was taken at the top of Whistler Mountain in 2006.

(Vocabulary)

ILANAAQ  イラナーク　INUKSHUK（イヌクシュク）という、カナダ先住民のイヌイット族が、石を人の形に積み重ねて作ったオブジェ。これを５色でカラフルに彩ったものが、この大会のマスコットとなり、ILANAAQ（イラナーク）と名付けられました。これは、イヌイット語で「友愛・友だち」を意味するそうです。

 

Comments

[Peter]

You are quite correct to say that ILANAAQ means "friendship." (peter)