Thursday, November 1, 2012
Winter is coming!!
These are from our trip to Bethel last weekend-the river is starting to freeze over and the forecast shows snow!!!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Some Thoughts
Things in Alaska are...interesting and that can be a good or bad thing. The past couple of weeks have been a little hard on the new teachers here, trying to deal with all the stress that comes with being a first year teacher, all of the things you deal with while living in the Alaskan bush, and the culture shock have really hit us hard lately. I don't want this blog to be a "burn book" (yes unfortunately that is a "Mean Girls" reference...sorry) letting people know how "bad" things are up here and I know if I continue on with this post it has a strong possibility to become that just because of how I am feeling right now. The new teachers and especially me came up here to save the world and inspire all of these kids to be better and be what we know they can be and it has hit me this past week that I can't do that, I can't care more than they can because all that does is wear and stress me out. I knew on some level that this would happen and that has saved me from being an even bigger wreck than I am now. Please pray for us and especially me that we get through this tough time. We love these kids and even the ones that drive you crazy most days at the end of the day still make you smile when you think of them, so it hasn't been all bad, we are just in the stage of culture shock where we are getting frustrated that we can't save them according to our standards. Honestly my time up here has been nothing short of amazing and even in the not-so-good times I still learn something new everyday and everyday I am blessed to be allowed to live in this awesome place (honestly where else can you walk around and find a fully intact moose head on the porch?). So aside from the internet being up and down for the past couple of weeks, I have just not been feeling my best lately and I don't want that to become what this blog is about. I know everyone has been anxiously awaiting (:)) for me to post something new but I have been following the rule Thumper's mom gave him in the movie Bambi-If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all :). Don't worry I feel like I am on the downward slope on this whole pity party roller coaster so my next post will definitely be more upbeat! Thanks for letting me down load on you awesome readers and I can't promise this will be the last time I feel this way but I can promise it is the last time I will make you read about it! So enough complaining from me I am going to go find something happy to write about! Love y'all!
P.S.-On a more upbeat side note, it is Sept. 10 and this morning when I woke up it was 35 degrees and there was frost on the ground! Gotta love Alaska!
P.S.-On a more upbeat side note, it is Sept. 10 and this morning when I woke up it was 35 degrees and there was frost on the ground! Gotta love Alaska!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
It Moose Season!
So I know it's been a while but things have been crazy here and this would be why. Students have been out for most of this past week to go moose hunting and well this is what you find when you walk around the village!
Check back tonight and hopefully I will have written a longer post about some things going on up here but this is all for now!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Village Life
Here are a few things we (the new teachers) have noticed that make village life...well village life:
1) $18 can get you a Digiorno pizza & a carton of eggs
2) A can of coke costs $1.69, bottle is a little over $2.50
3) The grocery stores, bulk stores, & post office refer to the end of July and August as the "Great Teacher Migration"
4) You ship EVERYTHING up
5) While in the south you fix everything with baling wire and duct tape up here it is zip ties and packing tape
6) 4 wheelers and snow machines are the main means of transportation but there are a surprising number of vehicles
7) 3 year olds walk around with a type of tobacco chew in their mouths
8) $13 can get you a bag of chips and some bean dip- it made for an awesome Friday night! ;)
This is all I can think of at the moment but check back because I will be asking other teachers and will be adding to this soon!
1) $18 can get you a Digiorno pizza & a carton of eggs
2) A can of coke costs $1.69, bottle is a little over $2.50
3) The grocery stores, bulk stores, & post office refer to the end of July and August as the "Great Teacher Migration"
4) You ship EVERYTHING up
5) While in the south you fix everything with baling wire and duct tape up here it is zip ties and packing tape
6) 4 wheelers and snow machines are the main means of transportation but there are a surprising number of vehicles
7) 3 year olds walk around with a type of tobacco chew in their mouths
8) $13 can get you a bag of chips and some bean dip- it made for an awesome Friday night! ;)
This is all I can think of at the moment but check back because I will be asking other teachers and will be adding to this soon!
PICTURES ;)
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| Tuluksak School |
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| My tubs I sent up!!! And the top back is toilet paper, paper towels, & kleenexes :) |
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| New Teacher's tubs and Boxes-The Great Teacher Migration! |
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| Our Caravan! Fancy |
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| No we did not get stopped just took a picture! lol |
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| Baggage |
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| The baggage was taller than me! |
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| This was one of 3 carts of baggage for 7 new teacher moving to Tuluksak! |
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| Collecting our bags |
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| Anchorage Airport |
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| 50 lbs. exactly-PERFECTION! |
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| Mountains in Anchorage |
A Little Background
I'm sure I will be talking about the kids and the community a lot through out this blog so I wanted to share a little back ground information with you about the situations the people of Tuluksak face every day. For the most part these make this sound like a horrible place "on its way to hell in a hand basket" however, it isn't anything any other small town faces but because we are so isolated, so small, and the concept of hiding skeletons in your closet is lost up here everything is out in the open. These are wonderful people that just happen to face more trials each day than many of us are used to from getting food in to drinking and everything in between. As you read this please keep these people in your prayers and the teachers as well, honestly these people are great and 90% of the time everything is hunky-dory...well as hunky-dory as it can be :) but like anything you start listing the "trying" or "bad" qualities of something you can make anything sound bad! So just please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers and I know we will see a difference this year!!
So now brings the question where to begin...
-for the village there is no running water (only the teacher housing has running water and indoor plumbing)
-for the most part no vehicles only four wheeler and snow machines
-most houses are just one big room, a few have bed rooms but there are no doors
-drinking, drugs, and tobacco use is out of this world; parents give 3 year olds a watered down type of tobacco chew because they believe it has "healing powers" it is tobacco chew mixed with some kind of plant found up here (and they mix it in their mouths and pass it around so by the time it gets to little kids it is pretty "chewed" out) that is highly addictive and they will go through serious withdrawal symptoms if they don't have it, oh and they swallow instead of spitting it out. Drinking is a MAJOR problem up here, there is no social drinking just drinking till you pass out, there are not any "nice" drunks up here either and the drinking average age people start drinking is really young. While in the past drug use has not been a huge deal it is making itself known and is quickly becoming a big problem.
-dropout rate is astronomical, the highest in the country I believe
-absenteeism is second only to Hawaii and a very close second at that
-parent involvement is very minimal at best unless
-fetal alcohol syndrom is prevalent
-suicide rate is crazy high and suicides mostly occur in the high school to young adult age range
Most of these things you can find and read more about on the internet and I had looked up some of this stuff before I came but what really opened my eyes happened my first day of school. Here in Tuluksak within the first week of school the teacher go on a "walk about" and visit the homes of each of their students (for those of you that are teachers I really encourage you to try this sometime, it opens your eyes and helps you understand your students better and what makes them tick or why they do that thing they do that drives you crazy, it may be something at home. Anyway most of you probably already knew that but there you go!) and we go into each house meet the parents, see if they have any questions for us, any concerns and just generally let them know who we are and what classes their child has. I didn't really know what to expect but it was...interesting. It made me appreciate the students that came even more and helped me understand the situation of my students.
So in a very, very, very small nutshell there are a few of the things we are facing up here. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and I know with all the support we teachers have and will continue to get we can help make a difference up here!!
So now brings the question where to begin...
-for the village there is no running water (only the teacher housing has running water and indoor plumbing)
-for the most part no vehicles only four wheeler and snow machines
-most houses are just one big room, a few have bed rooms but there are no doors
-drinking, drugs, and tobacco use is out of this world; parents give 3 year olds a watered down type of tobacco chew because they believe it has "healing powers" it is tobacco chew mixed with some kind of plant found up here (and they mix it in their mouths and pass it around so by the time it gets to little kids it is pretty "chewed" out) that is highly addictive and they will go through serious withdrawal symptoms if they don't have it, oh and they swallow instead of spitting it out. Drinking is a MAJOR problem up here, there is no social drinking just drinking till you pass out, there are not any "nice" drunks up here either and the drinking average age people start drinking is really young. While in the past drug use has not been a huge deal it is making itself known and is quickly becoming a big problem.
-dropout rate is astronomical, the highest in the country I believe
-absenteeism is second only to Hawaii and a very close second at that
-parent involvement is very minimal at best unless
-fetal alcohol syndrom is prevalent
-suicide rate is crazy high and suicides mostly occur in the high school to young adult age range
Most of these things you can find and read more about on the internet and I had looked up some of this stuff before I came but what really opened my eyes happened my first day of school. Here in Tuluksak within the first week of school the teacher go on a "walk about" and visit the homes of each of their students (for those of you that are teachers I really encourage you to try this sometime, it opens your eyes and helps you understand your students better and what makes them tick or why they do that thing they do that drives you crazy, it may be something at home. Anyway most of you probably already knew that but there you go!) and we go into each house meet the parents, see if they have any questions for us, any concerns and just generally let them know who we are and what classes their child has. I didn't really know what to expect but it was...interesting. It made me appreciate the students that came even more and helped me understand the situation of my students.
So in a very, very, very small nutshell there are a few of the things we are facing up here. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and I know with all the support we teachers have and will continue to get we can help make a difference up here!!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Ask and You Shall Receive
I have had a BUNCH of requests to start a blog about this new adventure in my life, so if I get a little lengthy just remember...you asked for it! :)
I figure everyone wants to know where I am and how to say it so that is where I will start. First all if you talked to my mother right after this whole thing really got started I am NO WHERE NEAR Anchorage (she was informed and has since changed how she describes where I am-Love you Mom! ;)) Tuluksak (TOO-LOOK-SAK as one student showed me how to pronounce it) is about 500 miles west of Anchorage along the Tuluksak river which flows off the mighty Kuskokwim (pronounced exactly how it sounds) about 35 miles up river from Bethel. If you are ever want to plan a trip to come see me 1) that would be awesome we love to have guests, 2) get ready for a completely different way of life, & 3) I hope you like, wait LOVE plane rides, air ports, and extended layovers! From Amarillo you take a plane to Denver or Dallas (whatever your preference) then a plane from there to Seattle, plane from Seattle to Anchorage, Anchorage to Bethel where you say goodbye to nice jets and hello to either a 9 seater caravan (classy) or the more average 4-6 seater Cessna to Tuluksak. While it sounds like a pain (and honestly kind of is) the end result is breathtaking.
Tuluksak is out on the tundra, it is surrounded by some amazing plants and animals and some absolutely stunning scenery. The way of everyday life here is like stepping back a few hundred years in history (and as a history teacher I could not be more excited!) and something I hope everyone could be a part of (even for just a little bit) someday. These people truly do live off the land, what they catch in the spring, summer, and into fall is just about their only food supply for the winter unless they want to pay an ungodly amount of money for something from the store (I will save that for another post!). They are a subsistence people and what they catch is what they eat. They tan the hides to make all manner of things, the outsides of their houses are a hunters dream with antlers (some almost as big as me if not bigger!!) and bones, and if you like fish or game meat well look no further, some of the food people pay BIG money for in the lower 48 (The rest of the U.S. except Hawaii) is an everyday meal here. While I am NOT a fish person and have never really tried anything but beef, I am hoping to expand my horizons up here. The village (yes village) just received phone and internet capabilities a few years ago and it is still a big deal :). It is a small, sometimes quiet, but very isolated village and I am very thankful for the opportunity to get to come here and not only begin teaching but to learn from a people who have been on this land for thousands and thousands of years. I am also very thankful for all the people who wanted me to start this blog, your support has been nothing short of amazing! Well that is all for now (my fingers are starting to get a little tired haha) but I will be following up shortly with some village life stories and about my first day not just as a teacher but as a teacher in Alaska-The Last Frontier.
I figure everyone wants to know where I am and how to say it so that is where I will start. First all if you talked to my mother right after this whole thing really got started I am NO WHERE NEAR Anchorage (she was informed and has since changed how she describes where I am-Love you Mom! ;)) Tuluksak (TOO-LOOK-SAK as one student showed me how to pronounce it) is about 500 miles west of Anchorage along the Tuluksak river which flows off the mighty Kuskokwim (pronounced exactly how it sounds) about 35 miles up river from Bethel. If you are ever want to plan a trip to come see me 1) that would be awesome we love to have guests, 2) get ready for a completely different way of life, & 3) I hope you like, wait LOVE plane rides, air ports, and extended layovers! From Amarillo you take a plane to Denver or Dallas (whatever your preference) then a plane from there to Seattle, plane from Seattle to Anchorage, Anchorage to Bethel where you say goodbye to nice jets and hello to either a 9 seater caravan (classy) or the more average 4-6 seater Cessna to Tuluksak. While it sounds like a pain (and honestly kind of is) the end result is breathtaking.
Tuluksak is out on the tundra, it is surrounded by some amazing plants and animals and some absolutely stunning scenery. The way of everyday life here is like stepping back a few hundred years in history (and as a history teacher I could not be more excited!) and something I hope everyone could be a part of (even for just a little bit) someday. These people truly do live off the land, what they catch in the spring, summer, and into fall is just about their only food supply for the winter unless they want to pay an ungodly amount of money for something from the store (I will save that for another post!). They are a subsistence people and what they catch is what they eat. They tan the hides to make all manner of things, the outsides of their houses are a hunters dream with antlers (some almost as big as me if not bigger!!) and bones, and if you like fish or game meat well look no further, some of the food people pay BIG money for in the lower 48 (The rest of the U.S. except Hawaii) is an everyday meal here. While I am NOT a fish person and have never really tried anything but beef, I am hoping to expand my horizons up here. The village (yes village) just received phone and internet capabilities a few years ago and it is still a big deal :). It is a small, sometimes quiet, but very isolated village and I am very thankful for the opportunity to get to come here and not only begin teaching but to learn from a people who have been on this land for thousands and thousands of years. I am also very thankful for all the people who wanted me to start this blog, your support has been nothing short of amazing! Well that is all for now (my fingers are starting to get a little tired haha) but I will be following up shortly with some village life stories and about my first day not just as a teacher but as a teacher in Alaska-The Last Frontier.
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