---------------------------------------------------------- What's On In Goa: * Oct 11: Konkani translation of Satre book, Alliance Francaise * Oct 12: Goa Orchestra performs at the Kala (Corelli, Bach) * Oct 15: Magic in town... Illusion India magic show, Pnj then Vasco * Mid-Oct: 2-day ornithologists workshop, Bondla southernbirdwing.com ----------------------------------------------------------
No royal handshake, true, but Inuit boy garners moment of fame By JILL MAHONEY The Globe and Mail, Canada Tuesday, October 8, 2002 – Print Edition, Page A5 Markoosie Tiglik wanted to press palms with the Queen because that's just what people do. "When I asked him why did he want to shake her hand, he says, 'Everybody shakes hands,' " his school principal, Hillary da Silva, said. "It's quite common here, actually. Even if we have gone out for a short [trip] of only a few days, we greet everyone and shake hands . . . It's a very tactile society." With his grandmother Annie Tiglik, a respected Inuit elder, elsewhere to participate in the welcoming ceremonies for the royal couple in Iqaluit last Friday, nine-year-old Markoosie secured a front-row spot among the crowd at the Nunavut Legislature. When the Queen walked toward him, he flashed a grin and extended his hand, appearing to win her attention. However, she moved on without shaking hands, leaving him dejected, his smile transformed into a frown. Both moments were captured by a Canadian Press photographer and became The Globe and Mail's main front-page pictures the next day. Markoosie was, of course, unaware that royal etiquette stipulates that you simply do not initiate a handshake with the Queen. Reached yesterday at Nanook School, Markoosie, whose principal and teachers translated during a phone interview because his English is limited, seemed to have recovered from the royal rebuff. "His reaction is he really wanted her to shake his hand, but she didn't. But we are getting no feelings from him at all. "Obviously his face [at the time] may have said it all," Mr. da Silva said from Apex, a settlement a 10-minute drive from Iqaluit. Perhaps befitting his age and the strangeness of a telephone interview, Markoosie, who like many Inuit children is being raised by his grandmother, said "he didn't feel sad, he felt good" when the Queen ignored his outstretched hand, Mr. da Silva related with a chuckle. When passed the telephone to talk, Markoosie gave one-word answers in a shy, accented voice. Did he like getting close to the Queen? "Yeah." What did he think of her? "I dunno." He quickly handed the receiver back to his principal. The fact that Markoosie, who is in Grade 3 and is taught in Inuktitut and English, wormed his way to the front of the crowd and bravely stuck his hand out to the Queen, is of no surprise to Mr. da Silva. "He's not bashful," said the principal, who immigrated to Canada from Uganda 30 years ago. "He's quite aggressive in terms of getting his own way . . . He's a squirrelly little boy, but has a lot of guts and determination. "If he puts his mind to something, he can do it." ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca ======================================================================== To view GoaNet's archives http://groups.yahoo.com/group/goa-net ======================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Don't want so many e-mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead!
