Social life at Cambridge Bay, by Sam

Upon our arrival at Cambridge Bay, we were sent on different missions by the captain. People were sent to go get food, others to do laundry. My mission was simple. Find the bar. However, after talking to some folks, I soon discovered something terrifying. There was no bar, only the "Elks". This place was only open on Friday nights from 19:00 to 23:00 and you had to be over 19 and have a membership. That night, we went over there to discover what it was like. Each drink was 7 bucks whether it was a beer, shots or cocktails. That is where I met Zach, a young 28 year old from Virginia who was sailing west with his uncle on a schooner. His uncle was a tidy guy. Their boat was docked beside ours and everything has its place, unlike the Mangier where everything has, well, a different place …
That night, I also met some locals. They were very nice and we had a really good time. We had some drinks and a lot of smokes. The locals smoke like chimneys, cigarette after cigarette. Never have I seen people smoke that much.
The next day, people came to visit that boat while I went to find my new friends. I stopped by a group of people, watching a fierce competition of elderly women scrambling around to make bannik, a local donut-looking pastry. This bannik-making contest was part of the Kitikmeot Summer Games, organized by the community. A woman shouted out ! She was done, a bannik perfectly ready sizzling in the pan in front of her three minutes after the start. It looked good. Actually, it is good! Deep-fried flour, milk and 2 tablespoons of baking soda, it was an easy and simple recipe.
I spent my last day, well, to be exact, the afternoon with the friends I had made and her family. We played some card games, joked around, and smoked a lot; all the while the dad was talking to me, explaining their way of life. Time for them is stretched out, a never-ending line, moving slowly. There was never a rush, and that is the way they like it. And so do I …