The Alaskan Adventure - Volume 7 - Bits and Pieces

The Alaskan Adventure - Volume 7 - Bits and Pieces

I thought in this entry I would give a little of the 'bits and pieces' that I maybe haven't talked about or fit in to the normal activities, i.e. some of the random 'others' that go on in the village. 

I've talked before about the dogs that follow me to and fro throughout the village and honestly it's hard to talk about, but a reality nonetheless. There has only been one dog that has scared me and that was the big, brown dog that comes after me barking as I walk to the AC (grocery store). Otherwise, every other dog that I have encountered has been sweet as pie, and more often than not was more afraid of me. There are many though and they are everywhere. One thing you won't see here, to the best of my observation and knowledge are pure bred dogs. Almost every one of the dogs that I have seen have been a mix or mut of some kind. Amazingly there must have been some kind of Husky breed that made its way through the village, because some of these dogs have the most amazing eyes you have ever seen. Really, I'm not kidding! Their eyes are beautiful. The second thing I have to mention and don't take it personally 'you people in the Lower-48', the dogs up here are tough as nails. There is little coddling, no panic at the drop of rain or cold, and no car rides to stick their little, furry heads out of. Most are out in the rain and cold and stay there. And instead of bully sticks and treats, you might be more apt to see a dog chewing on part of a moose leg. Again, that's not every dog in the village, but from what I've observed, it applies to a great majority. Now the sad part. Due to the great number of loose dogs running about in the village, there is a cleansing that takes place from time to time. From what was shared with me by people in the village, there has to be a controlled balance of the population of the dogs. One, there is a rare possibility that too many dogs could form a pack and be a risk to the small children in the village. Secondly, with so many dogs running free there just has to be a management of the population. What ends up happening, usually during a day when the kids are in school, there is a group of people who come through and shoot any dog that is not on a leash. Those dogs are then discarded. It is a policy in the village that all dogs need to be on a leash, but many dogs for whatever reason are allowed to run free. It is also understood that anyone who shoots a loose dog receives $20 for helping with the population control. Coming from the Lower-48 where I experienced dog ownership in a much different way, it is hard to wrap my head and heart around. I have yet to see or hear of anyone collecting on the $20 and honestly hope I don't, but I understand it is a part of the life and culture here and I respect that. In closing on the dog stories, I will turn to my little friend I named Napoleon, the small white dog that barks at me like he's a Rottweiler every time I walk to the AC. I love him and always look forward to his exuberant greeting. 

I experienced my first 'Fiddling' this weekend. It is a two day event, a fundraiser for the Russian Orthodox Church in the village. It's held at Community Hall, the same location as Bingo. There was a full, five man band and they played a mix between what sounded like country and bluegrass. They sounded really good. People enjoyed the music and the floor was open to a variety of dancing. The neat thing to see was that there was a large age range of people. Young kids, many of which were my students all the way to a good number of elders from the village. People were spread around the outside of the hall, while kids ran and played about, people munched on popcorn balls and snacks and shared good conversation. I sat quietly and enjoyed watching, but as I tried to hide off to the side, they found me. They found me! The women I was sitting by did find a way to get me out on the dance floor. I danced two dances and I know people were genuinely happy to see me out there. Despite having two left feet and learning the dance steps, I had a really good time. The bigger picture is just being able to get out and meet more people in the village. I really enjoy that part of the events and activities.

Our spring water runs continue as usual, but I'm worried about the weather looming on the horizon of October and the winter months to come. The spring flows right next to and into the Yukon River. It's about a mile from our house and with the size of the containers we take to fill up, you have to take the district truck. Then you park at the top of Spring Road and walk another quarter mile or less down to the spring. There are a lot of different opinions about water in the village. Some people subscribe to the feeling that they will never touch a drop from the faucet and bubblers (yes I call them bubblers). Then there are others who have no problem with drinking the tap water and water in the school. Then...you have the proponents who swear by the spring water as pure and hearty and a few who won't touch the spring water. It's a pretty even mix and you'll find many of the villagers and teachers use water purification for their water regardless. It's the winter I worry about. Walking that short, quarter mile down to the spring is pleasant in the fall, summer and spring, but throw in the snow and bitter cold...ahh...no. So at this point, water purifying is sounding really good, and I'm conducting my water-gathering interviews and researching the best purifiers. Right now it's a fun activity with Jeremy and some of the others in the group, but Old Man Winter is rearing his weathered face. As I write this, we are on our second day of light snow.

You wouldn't think laundry would be a topic of interest, but I thought I would mention it for kicks and giggles. Washing clothes isn't really a priority for me, but obviously a necessity. I'm a clean person by nature, but when you wear nice clothes to school and don't have too many other activities outside of school, there really isn't much to do in terms of wash. I gave away a plethora of clothes when I left Wisconsin and I could only roll and pack so many pieces into my suitcase coming to Alaska. So with a limited wardrobe I wear things over and over, because nobody really cares what you’re wearing. Outside of school, there really isn't a fashion awareness you need to have. Jeans, muck boots, a tee shirt and a sweatshirt are my staple, go-to outfit. I do change my underwear once in a while. I know…you’re saying, “Ewe”. I’m just kidding about the underwear. I change it daily. But like I said, fashion just isn’t an issue up here. Clothing functionality is.  The weather helps as it is relatively predictable. Predictable in the sense that it changes what seems like every fifteen minutes. So if it’s raining, you put your hoodie up, not raining, hoodie down. I have to be honest, I like it. K.I.S.S. "Keep it simple silly", as I say to my students. I wore my muck boots, jeans, a sweatshirt and a stocking cap to the Fiddling dance the other night for crying out loud. Simply put, lol.

My last of the little bits and pieces are the unique differences in how words are viewed here in Alaska compared to the Lower-48 where I come from. Here are just a few and I'm sure there are many more to come. What most people in the United States will call a 'water fountain' as they call it here in Alaska, I know as a 'bubbler'. You know, because the water 'bubbles' out as we were told growing up. A second is the way villagers and kids especially, respond to a joke. As soon as a joke or something funny toward someone is told, I am used to saying, "I'm just joking or I'm just kidding". Students and people here will tell their joke or funny and immediately say, "I joke!" It's funny to hear. Another is referring to the vehicles that drive around the village. I know them as 'four-wheelers'. If you talk to anyone in the village, you must be referring to a 'Honda'. Everyone rides a 'Honda'. The same is true of the winter vehicles. What I know as a 'snowmobile' back in the Lower-48, is a 'snowmachine' here. Another expression is out of respect for wildlife. When moose hunting season arrives, you don't 'kill or shoot' a moose. Here in the village, you 'catch' a moose. Villagers have shared that it is out of respect for the animal and traditions of respecting what the moose offers of itself in terms of food and sustenance for families. The last expression is amongst the kids again. Where I am used to someone telling me that someone isn't sharing, the kids will come up to me and say, "So and so is 'being stingy' with the jumprope (not sharing)". Very funny.

Well...that's all folks. Not as meaty or exciting as I try to get other blogs to be, but like the title says, "bits and pieces".

Until next time...stay tuned.