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My home for the next nine months (the little pink bike is not included).

Boat ride in Bethel

On our last night in Bethel there was a boat ride/fishing trip for anyone that wanted to go. It was rainy, windy and an overall nasty night out but I've said yes to every opportunity to do something different so far, and I didn't feel like stopping yet. I went with three other new teachers that I've gotten to know over the past couple of days. We had a great time despite getting completely soaked. It was like riding the luge at Six Flags for a half hour straight. We stopped at a fishing camp on the side of the river where we had hot chocolate and listened to Ross, our guide, tell old Alaska stories. Ross is a big, tall, friendly man with a slightly graying beard known for wearing his hunting gear. Tonight he had on his camouflage rain pants and his size 16 waterproof boots. He told us all kinds of stories involving grizzlies, moose, caribou, and wolves. Ross is the type of person that you can't help but like. It seems like he knows everyone in Alaska and has a story about them. When Ross talks, you listen. 

I've been overwhelmed with the amount of friendly people that I've run into while in Alaska. From Anchorage, to Bethel, to Tunt everyone had been so kind and willing to help. There's a hospitality that exists here that is hard to explain unless you experience it. A guidance counselor named MaryAnn from just outside Anchorage offered to drive me around Anchorage and help me get food and supplies. She DID NOT know me. Veteran teachers offered me rides in Bethel when they saw me walking on the side  of the road. Kids in Tunt helped me carry my stuff to my new place. All of these people have made this huge transition a whole lot easier.

Culture Day

Wednesday was all about Yup'ik culture. Before getting sent to our villages, teachers were provided with a crash course in Yup'ik customs and traditions. Here are a few tidbits:

-Village elders yield considerable power in the village. Elders are never told what to do and seemingly everything must have their approval.

-Villages have places called gasgiqs where people go to steam and wash.

-Names do not denote gender in Yupik society. There are not strictly boy or girl names.

-When a child is born, they are given the name of the person who last died in the village. It is believed that the spiritual essence of the deceased individual is carried within the newborn child. 

-Non-verbal actions are just as important as verbal cues. For instance, raising one's eyebrows means "yes." 

-The three most prominent religions in Yupik villages are Russian Orthodox, Moravian, and Catholic. However there are other religions represented. 

-Subsistence is everything in Yupik culture. It's how these villages have persisted for thousands of years. Subsistence is utilizing everything in your environment to survive. It's a way of sharing are helping others survive with you. We were taught how to cut fish on Wednesday, basic subsistence skills. 

If you think groceries are expensive where you live, don't shop in Bethel, Alaska

Over the past few days I've been in Bethel, Alaska for new teacher training. Bethel is a small town about 400 miles west of Anchorage and approximately 40 miles east of my destination: Tuntutuliak. There are no supermarkets in Tunt. You must get you food delivered by plane. This means you can order it online or bring some of it with you. I did my bulk shopping at Walmart in Anchorage and paid them to ship it to my village (this is one of the most convenient options).

While in Bethel a small group of new teachers and I decided to stock up on a few essentials just in case our groceries hadn't arrived yet in our village. People told me before that the prices are inflated, but I had no idea how inflated they would be. I'm still in sticker shock. Mind you, some of these items are on SALE!

The explanation for these insane prices is quite simple. Alaska is a big place and most of the state is not accessible by the road system. That means items from the lower 48 states need to be transported by air. This makes shipping expensive for stores and in order to make a profit they must charge these exorbitant prices. Heavy items like water and soda are especially impacted in price.

Whale blubber tastes very blubbery

Today I tried whale blubber among other unique foods eaten in the village. It's got an odd taste, unlike anything I've ever had before. It wasn't really for me. It required more chewing than I would have liked. But, before I went out here I said I was going to try new things and be adventurous. I suppose this is a step in that direction. I've included a picture of me trying out the whale blubber.

Some Facts About this Journey

Some facts about this journey:

Many people have asked me questions about my new job and the place I’m actually going. I thought it would be a good idea to fill people in on some specifics. 

-I’m going to be living and teaching in Tuntutuliak, Alaska (it’s called Tunt for short). It is a small village in the southwest corner of Alaska.

-Tunt is considered an Alaskan bush village. What’s a bush village? Think of it this way: Basically, there’s two Alaskas-urban and rural. Urban Alaska is much like the lower 48 states. Anchorage is an example of an urban part of Alaska. The rural parts of Alaska are known as the bush (kind of like how small villages in Africa are called bush villages). Life is completely different in the bush. These areas are occupied by native Americans and for the most part people live on the land like they’ve been doing for thousands of years. Villages like Tunt are in such remote parts of Alaska that they are isolated from the rest of society. The only way in and out of a place like Tunt is by plane or sno-machine when everything is frozen over. 

-When I say plane, I don’t mean like the kind you’re probably thinking. I’m talking about Bush planes. Small, single engine planes are the lifelines to villagers. Planes are everywhere in Alaska, and with how big the state is, they need to be everywhere. Think of the single engine plane in Indiana Jones. That's the kind of plane you see a lot of in Alaska.

-The village of Tunt only has about 400 people. They are almost entirely Native American. More specifically they are Yupik natives. 100% of my students will be of Yupik heritage. 

-Since I’m the only secondary English teacher I get to be the department head (ha).

-I'm also going to be the girls' head basketball coach. It's a year of trying many new things.

-The biggest hobby in Tunt is basketball. There are basketball tournaments all the time for kids and adults. It sounded odd to me that basketball was so popular, but it makes sense. In a place where winter is so harsh, there needs to be an activity to help people burn some energy and not get cabin fever. Basketball is that outlet. From many of the people I've talked to, basketball is life here.

-There's so many more questions to answer, but I'll have plenty of time to get to those...

I'm in Alaska!

I made it to Alaska safe and sound! I left from Providence Saturday morning at 8:30 AM. After stops in Washington D.C. and Houston, I finally made it to Anchorage at about 8:30 PM Alaska time (midnight eastern time). It all adds up to 16 hours of travel and has left me catching up on sleep.

Anchorage is a beautiful place. It's got a lot of urban elements (big airport, lots of stores, big buildings) with mountains in the distance almost everywhere you look. Although it's a city, Anchorage's air just felt fresher to me as I walked out of the airport. It's also a hub for tourists this time of year. I felt out of place as I walked through the airport rubbing shoulders with bearded men in camouflage and large groups of fishermen labeled by personalized t-shirts. I realize as I walk around seeing the joy on these peoples faces that this is an absolute mecca for fishing and hunting. For someone that's never cut a fish or shot a gun, it's a place you quickly feel out of place.

Downtown Anchorage caters to these tourists. There are countless bars, restaurants, and gifts shops selling typical Alaska souvenirs. For every $50 you spend at one of these gift shops you get a free knife. I laughed inside every time I saw this promotion pasted on gift shop windows in big letters.

Anchorage is a fun place to be, but for me it's only another pit stop. I'm going to a forgotten part of Alaska in many ways. It's a place that has no bars, or gift shops, or restaurants. It's a small Native American village called Tuntutuliak. I'm still tired but I can't wait to keep moving.