Birthdays, Bethel Trips, and a Birdy

Sometimes, life seems to be pretty normal....then I'll start thinking what can I write about, then I realize, life in the bush is never very normal....or maybe it's just my life? Anyways, January is almost over and my life has .... well, it's different.

It's funny how someone can change your life, by just enriching it. I have a "new" friend. He's not a new friend...but he's kinda new to me...or rather we used to live together at one point, but now I'm getting to know him better....

Okay, he's a friend of my baby brother. At one point, my friend, Pretty Bird, lived with us during one summer when I was maybe a teenager. We did not get along. I remember one specific screaming match. He told me to clean the house and I told him to get off our couch. Good times. Anyways, we reconnected on Facebook, but I never gave it much thought.

I don't even remember how we started chatting but we did and he's really into music. So he would share different songs with me. And he introduced me to dubstep. It's a kind of electronic music. I used to love techno but got away from it. I had never heard of dubstep, but now, I love it. And I find myself playing music a lot more. I've actually gotten away from watching movies all the time. Which is nice cause I'm dancing around my house a lot more. So, Pretty Bird has really brought some fun music into my life. He's not a coffee-house guy. But he's a good guy and I've been enjoying getting to know him better. I mean, the guy really is adorable...and a lot funnier than I remembered. All of my brother's friends are pretty witty come to think of it, but I didn't remember Pretty Bird being so funny. But then again, who's really at their best as a teenager?

So teenagers, take heart! The guy you hate today may become someone you really value in the future!

Another event that happened was my 36th birthday. And it was a very good birthday. I baked a bunch of cookies and invited some kids over to wish me a happy birthday. Five girls ended up coming to my house. Two girls were from my class last year and then the other girls were older, say middle school. We ate cookies, they tried on my jewelry, played on my kindles, and laid on my bed. Oh! And they lavished attention on Dakota and my cats. It was fun.

Dakota getting some love

Trying on my jewelry

Later that night, I went over to another teacher's house for a dinner and game night. I brought Dakota over and there was a lady over visiting who had never seen Dakota before. I often forget how big Dakota is, and so I found the look on her face seeing Dakota for the first time quite comical. Dakota may take people by surprise, but he's so affectionate and friendly, that he'll quickly win them over.

Dakota @ 1 1/2 years old

He's starting to shed actually. I'm actually not looking forward to the hours and hours I will be spending brushing out his coat. BUT since we are heading to California in May, maybe it's a good thing most of his winter coat (or all one hopes?) will be gone.

I was invited to spend the day in Bethel for a girl's trip last weekend with a friend of mine from another village. I didn't tell anyone I was going, in case the trip fell through. I got a seat through seat fare, which is cheaper but then you are at the mercy of the bush airline.....and it's risky.

Oh, but I made it to Bethel. No problem. In fact, I wish I had brought my camera, because the flight over was one of the loveliest flights I have ever had. It was still dark but the full moon was yellow and so large, it illuminated the tundra and the frozen river. It was such a beautiful sight. So I made it just fine. My friend, on the other hand...eh...not so lucky. The plane that was supposed to get her had some maintenance issues. So it never showed up in her village. She waited out on her airstrip in well below zero with the wind chill for a couple of hours. She started feeling ill from the cold and called it a day.

So there I was in Bethel. By myself. With really nothing to do. I didn't really need to shop and I really went to just hang out with my friend for the day. I had started texting my friend, Pretty Bird, while I was waiting for my friend. So I just kept texting him. I went to one store (working ATM), where I bought a book to read, and then I went out to lunch (yummy club sandwich), and then did a little shopping at another store. And I just kept talking to Pretty Bird the whole day. I took him step by step with me.....and it was almost like I spent the day in Bethel with Pretty Bird. I would explain things about Bethel and my day as they came up.

There was one hairy moment though. I did not have my ice cleats and the ground was pretty icy. I took a cab (which the heat was turned on to 90 degrees) to the restaurant. From the restaurant, I just had to cross a busy street to go to the store. So I'm reading my book, texting Pretty Bird, and enjoying my lunch when a nagging feeling starts to hit me.....how dangerous would it be for me to walk across the street? If I fell, it would hurt....but I was also about to cross a busy street. Did I want to chance falling in front of a car?

I could take a cab across the street. I was starting to consider the $5 cab fare as a "safe passage" fee. Pretty Bird was no help by the way...."be safe" can mean so many things. So I asked the lady running the restaurant (possibly the "Connie" at Connie's Place?) if she thought I could make it. She thought I could, as long as I hugged the edges. By the way, if you cross a street, there aren't any edges.

But I thought, "Alright, I can do this." And you know what? Yeah, not a big deal. I took my time, but after 3 years, I have learned how to walk on ice. If you've never walked on ice before, you can't take normal steps. You have to place your foot on the ice with your weight evenly dispersed. So I walk slowly (and prefer wearing cleats or stabilizers) but I can walk it now. Geez, I remember trying to cross the street in Anchorage fearing for my life that first year I was here. Life is funny.

So, after my last shopping trip, I arrived at the bush airline a couple hours early. I had my book (Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult about a school shooting in a small town) and became engrossed in my book. Before I knew it, they were announcing my flight back to Akiak (an hour early mind you, but I wasn't going to complain) and I was on my way home. It was certainly one of my weirder adventures but I never really felt lonely. I had my friend, my book, and my wallet....I was fine.

That is one of the key things for living out in the Bush. Nothing goes according to the plan. EVER. Weather will change things in the blink of an eye. And sometimes, there is no reason why something doesn't happen. The best thing anyone can do, is enjoy the moment and find the fun. You have to roll with the punches or you will hate it out here.

And it really helps if you can surround yourself with fun people who help remind you of the comedy that is life.....I have several good friends who make me laugh. And those are the people I turn to at the end of a hard day. And when all else fails, I can always crank up the music and dance it out! I have friends for that too.....

Dakota Cuddles

A Gift From One of My Girls

A New Qespeq Made By Me!!

Welcome 2013

It took me two tries to type in the right year. Well, that's gonna take some time to get used to!

So, I really did mean to write. Then then horrible shooting happened in Newtown, CT. And I couldn't write. I am a teacher. My blog is mostly about teaching in rural Alaska. My worst nightmare as a teacher had happened (actually right in the town my parents were living in when I was born) and I couldn't ignore it. I just didn't know what to say. I still don't actually. It's just so horrible. How do you respond to something like that? I thought our president did very well.

I know the push is to ban guns, assault or otherwise, and I don't know if there's only one answer. How can you prepare against something so inconceivable as what happened? I hope I will never have to go through anything that horrible.

So, I just needed some time but I did want to say something. It broke my heart. As it did many peoples across the world.

And then life goes on, as it must.

I did not go back to California for the holidays. I had wanted to save money this year because I planned on flying all my animals and me for an extended stay in the summer. Well, there's been some changes to the plan.....cause I have decided to take the opportunity for an adventure and drive down the ALCAN Highway to California. I think this will be awesome.....and of course, a month after I arrive in California, I shall be off for a week in Iceland!

This summer is going to be full of adventures! And I am so looking forward to them all! Even Dakota in California will bring smaller adventures, I'm sure.

Because my flight & hotel in Iceland is all paid for, I'm not really sure if I actually saved any money, but whatever, my flight & hotel is all paid for!!

I've taken another big step in a new direction: I have started writing about my moving up to Akiak and I hope to turn it into a book. I am writing a novel "loosely" about my adventures. Which may not be what people expect, but I want the freedom to make up certain people who represent the different choices a teacher can make up here.  I also want the freedom to do things that didn't really happen. For example, I don't plan on my main character getting carsick on the Ice Road. I think I'll just not mention it. :) But since it's in the initial phase, don't hold me to any of that!! I have already made several big changes to what I thought I wanted.

Christmas in Akiak was different. It was my first time away from my family during Christmas. My brother was able to Skype me with everyone there, and that was fun. My family is not use to Skype. Some family members spent their time watching themselves in the video...and acting things out...recreating music videos....it ended with my 5 year old niece doing some kind of interpretive dance. I still wish I was able to record it.

I hadn't been feeling very well and I had wanted to check out my students in the Christmas Program on Christmas Eve. However, I was really dizzy that day. I think my sinuses were too dried out from the medicine I had taken. But I missed the program. I've actually never seen a Christmas Program except for movies.

New Year's was interesting. At midnight, there was a big firework show. And lucky for me, I could see it from my bedroom window. A few minutes after that one ended, there was another show, and I could see that one from my bedroom window too.

At 3:30 a.m., there was another show in view of my bedroom window. That one wasn't my favorite. I was still awake but it really scared Dakota. So much so that he spent the next few hours on my bed with me, which isn't like him.

Now, as many of you know, Akiak is a dry village. It is illegal for anyone to have alcohol. That being said, the drunks these last few nights have been really loud. This morning around 6:30 a.m. there was a huge group....or just several very loud people.

I do get scared when I hear drunks outside. Especially if they are angry drunks. I get worried that one of them will get a gun and start shooting....cause it happens. When Dakota hears shooting (or fireworks) he goes to the window to try to see what the noise is....ummmm, no!! I'm trying to train him not to do that. The only time I've ever been screamed at was by a drunk who saw me walking Dakota. He was so far away that I didn't make out what he was saying about "*$%&@ teachers!" I'm sure it was something nice.

Anyways, there seems to be a party house close to mine and when I hear them, I make sure Dakota is inside where I can keep an eye on him.

I used to believe that alcohol brought out the worst traits in people that they tried to hide. Like if you were mean at heart, it would come out when you are drinking. I don't think that about Native Alaskans when they drink. It's more like a Dr. Jeckell & Mr. Hyde. I will meet the nicest kindest person, and then when they start drinking, they become completely someone else at their core. Now, you don't have to believe me, but that's just what I've seen. People who wouldn't hurt a fly can become so violent. I've read that it has to do with how Native Alaskans (and Native Americans for that matter) process sugar. For example, there are more cases of diabetes and lactose intolerance among Native people...all of that involves different kinds of sugar and how the body processes it. And I've been told, when people drink here, it's binge drinking. It's a matter of guzzling down the bottle of rottgut whiskey. I don't know how you spell rottgut, and I don't really care to look up the correct spelling of that word.

Sometimes, it feels the more I see in the world, the less I know how to help. What will make children safer in schools? How can Native alcoholics stop drinking? I don't know.

All I can do is what I do. I treat people the way I want to be treated. I label people more than I judge them. Yes, this person makes the choice to _________. Does it mean they are a bad person? I really don't know.  How can I judge them when I don't know what is going on in their mind? I don't know what makes someone drink, just like no one knows why I have my own issues.

I do wish those who need help will find the help they need. It's only 5:30 p.m.....and I hear a drunk at the party house. Or maybe she's just yelling profanities for the fun of it. Maybe I'm missing out, and I don't know it.....