Update to Relax

We ran out of water on Thursday, so we had to cancel school at 1:00pm. Wahoo! I then received many phone calls all Thursday night and Friday morning asking if we were going to have school Friday. Everyone in the village has my number so they all called me. I didn't know because a decision wasn't made until Friday morning. Fun times. 

We ended up having school Friday. That was fun. The kids are getting upset and the teachers are getting tired. Thanksgiving can't come soon enough! 

I proceeded to stay home and do nothing all weekend:). We had to change our district wrestling meet to another village because we didn't have enough water. :( therefore I couldn't watch my kids wrestle. Three of them took first and are going to state. Makes me angry I didn't get to watch!!!

I've been trying to walk more around the village. However it's freaking cold! I've been getting out for a bitch each day. It's getting gorgeous. 

Things That Are Different In the Bush

So as I was sitting in school the other day, I noticed how different things are in the bush than in Michigan.

You don't know exactly when your plane is going to arrive to take your sports team to another village, so the students miss quite a few hours sitting around school waiting for the call to run to the car to go to the airport. 

The students and staff have to travel in snow pants, parkas, hat, gloves, and snow boots, by district policy. This is due to if the plane goes down you don't freeze to death. In michigan, your near enough to a town if your bus breaks down that you can get another bus. 

There are no such things as snow days. When it's always 20 below zero, we can't cancel school Everytime it happens...

However, we do cancel school when we run out of water in the village. Has Jackson ever ran out of water...?

To get your mail, you dress up in parka, hat, boots, and thick gloves. This is due to the fact that you have to walk to the post office. No delivery here!

To go to church, you put on snow pants, a parka, hat, boots, and gloves.  You walk to church with a friend and have many Hondas and Snow machines pass you full of Eskimo families on them.

Busy Busy Busy

I've been yelled at again because I haven't been updating my blog. Well :p I've been a bit busy. Let's see...Halloween was fun. I had Stella (my aide) her husband, Katie (new teacher), and Sharon (our counselor) over for dinner. Then we handed out candy together. There were some good costumes. I went and trick or treated at teacher housing but everyone was asleep (lame) and then went to Stella's house with Katie.

The next day we had a wrestling tournament that I had to be at selling food from the student store because I'm student council adviser. I was running to see the kids and fell and hurt my knee. I've been having to mend it back to good health ever since. It seems to finally be healed on the cut. Now the inside is still trying to heal. I can't kneel on it or bend it too much. 

That Saturday we had a surprise baby shower for Laura. She has left now and is getting ready to have her baby in Oregon with her family. It is goin to be a boy. She was surprised and very grateful for all that we did for her. It was gorgeous. 

Then I kept having to go to doctors appointments for my knee. The first one was a nurse who said I was fine. Two days later I was in so much pain I went back and the pa said that it was infected and I sprained it and I had a bunch of fluid behind my kneecap. She SCRUBBED my knee. I almost kicked her. But it's been a lot better ever since.

Last weekend we had volleyball tournaments. Again I have to be there to sell things. I had a little open gym for a bit and then I was resting at home the rest of the weekend. It was so nice!!!

The huskies playing volleyball

This week has been a bit stressful with the students. It's a full moon and they are having hard times getting through their days. I'm trying all that I can to help them. Our counselor is gone, too. She's in anchorage. So it always makes it harder. We've had a few flood scares but we haven't had any damage. A lot of surrounding villages have been hit hard. It's strange that we'd flood this time of year. Usually some of the villages do, but it would be about a month ago. We never have to worry about it. This winter has been really weird. We haven't had much snow at all! The Eskimos are starting to get restless! :)

Today I'm having a tournament for open gym. It's going to be from noon until probably midnight...so pray for me. The kids are really excited. Then, I get to sleep tomorrow! :)

I had a really fun time on Monday night. I went to Stella's for dinner and then to church with her (there was a priest in town). Then we went to her parents' house for dessert. They all crack me up! It's like being back in Michigan with my family. They all pick on each other but get along really well. There are tons of kids. Makes me miss you all. 

On Thursday night I decided to go to pool hall and hang out to check on the kids. Turns out I had tons of fun. I ate dinner, played 4 or 5 games of pool (which I actually held my own in! Of course I didn't win, but I wasn't slaughtered! -think about it. What else do these kids have to do in this village but play pool? They rock at it). Then I played a few card games with the kids. Which I won a few of. It was fun. The kids seemed to have fun because I was out and having fun too. They all fight over who gets to play against me...:) 

Today will be stressful but it's with it when I get to see the kids have fun. They're going to enjoy it and they're so excited. I'll post pictures.

1st grader making free throws

We had two people shooting free throws at the same time.  These two are brothers:) They make me giggle.

The older brother

One of my new nieces

One of the teachers joined one of the teams.  It was hilarious to see him face off against my nephew...:)

One of our 7th graders blocking an inbound throw

Keeping score and order of the kids

I got to throw the jump ball.  It was the rules:)

Some of the players from the 3rd place team

My niece and my student

Watching the game with all my students:)

The first place team trophy :) I found it in a cupboard

Death in the Village

I know that's kind of a morbid title, but it's what I've been doing for the past week.  And it has been taking a lot of my time and energy.  My aide and friend, Stella, her sister-in-law Malea died.  It's a very sad story that Malea's husband died unexpectedly last year from stomach problems and Malea has been fighting cancer for a couple years.  She came home from Anchorage about 2 weeks ago because the doctors said there was nothing left for them to do for her.  She had four children: the oldest girl, a boy at boarding school, a 6th grade boy here in EMO, and a four-year-old boy.  It was the worst to watch those kids go through this.

Stella texted me Sunday night at 3:40am saying that Malea had passed a couple hours ago.  It has hit us hard in the village because she was a very strong and wonderful woman.  I took food over to them on Tuesday and talked for a few short minutes.  The custom in the village is that the family has 3 days of viewing in the home with the body and then the funeral is on the 4th days.  Then they bury the body and have an eskimo dance.

I begged my principal to allow me to go to the funeral because of how close I am to the family.  There were many teachers and aides already asking to go, but I felt it was right for me to go because I'm close with the siblings of Malea, even though I didn't teach the children.  In the end, I was able to go to half of the funeral.  The principals took turns going and I went for the second half.  After school, I took food over to Ray and Lauri's house again (Stella's parents-where everyone was meeting and eating everyday).  They insisted that I stayed and ate with them.  They then asked me if I was going to bury the body the next day. I explained that I had to work and that I felt it was just for family.  They told me that I could take the day off and that anyone was welcome.  They encouraged me to come.  So, in the end, I took a half day off of work and helped Stella get ready and headed out with them.

This is Malea's middle son and two of her sister-in-laws (Stella is the one on the right).

Stella's husband, David, and their niece

Malea's family

We had an Eskimo dance on Thursday night.  It was beautiful.  Then I went over to Stella's house to help her cook for the dinner the next day at camp.  I didn't get to bed until about 12:30am.  Then I woke up at 8am to give a couple of students some tests before I was going to head over to Stellas.  I ended up staying at work until 11am putting out fires and helping everyone with stuff.  So, I only took a half day.  I then headed over to Stella's house with all my snow, winter, and rain gear for the trip.  Her kids kept looking at me on the couch like I was a zombie.  She gave me her cold so I was feeling like crap already.

We headed off to camp at around 1pm.  We took boats (probably about 10 in all).  I rode with Stella, her husband David, her brother Zeke, and her sons Cunnie, Coco, and Stephen.  I sat toward the front of the boat so it was pretty bumpy and now my body aches...urgh.  We got to camp and got right to work.  The women were getting the food and things sorted out while the men walked over to the grave site.

We stopped halfway to camp to take a break...I think it was a smoking break...

Stella's boys...David, Stephen, Cunnie, and Coco

Stella's brother Zeke.  This is the first time I met Zeke (he doesn't come around a lot) and he is deaf.  I thought I knew a lot of simple sign language and that I could get by...I learned how much I really DON'T know.  They said they'd teach me:).

Getting to camp

It was about 10 men/boys taking turns digging the grave for about an hour.  As soon as they were done, they came into the house, warmed up a little, and then we all went down for the burial.  I took pictures for the family so that I can give them a memory.  It was very touching to watch it all.  There were probably 50 people there.  Between her oldest son standing in the background, her middle son helping to dig, and her youngest son (4) helping to bury her with a racket that he found, it was all very touching.  She now lies next to her husband, Hondo.

I don't know who is in the back (I can't see their face).  But I was moved to see Malea's middle boy watching his cousins dig his mom's grave.  It was a very moving experience.  Cunnie and Rudy are helping here.

More pictures of them digging.

It was very humbling to watch them bury her.  In Michigan, the grave is dug out when you get there, there is a rug to stand on, a mechanism to help lower the body into the ground...it's much more smooth.  In the bush, I was able to see the family work as a team to dig by hand and shovel, put a tarp around the inside of the grave, have her nephews and brothers put her casket into a box, watch her sons and daughter screw the box shut, see them put rope around the bottom of the box, and watch them work as a team to move her into the grave and lower her down.  Then the whole family (including myself when I was told I had to) throw dirt on her grave to help bury her.  It was very moving and humbling.

Lowering the casket into the box

Covering the casket

Malea's daughter screwed the first screw

Then her middle son

Then her oldest son

Her oldest son placed the cross/marker at the grave

Then they started lowering the casket

And worked as a team

And lowered it down

Everyone threw in a handful of dirt

Her sons and nephews helping to fill the grave

Her littlest son was fun to watch and it was great to have that memory for the family of him helping to bury his mother.

Malea's family

We then ate at the house, cleaned up, and were on our way back home.  On our way back, we saw a seal.  There were about 8 boats chasing it.  It was AMAZING to watch the Natives chase seal in their customs.  To see them work together, the determination on their faces, and to see how fun it was for them.  I loved it.  By far, it was my favorite thing I've done here yet.  I say that, but then I think of everything else.  It's amazing to see everything. :)  Every new experience is another great day.

Stephen, Coco, and Cunnie chasing seal

There were a bunch of boats

The boys hunting

Throwing a spear

Other boats are ready to chase

Some Powerpoints to Help Understand... :)