Upon reading my first posting for February to see what I had missed in explaining, I realized I didn't have much to add. Thus, here's the "rest of the story"....
I have developed a bum knee. I have not fallen or anything like that....that I know of. I think it's getting up and down from the low chairs in ECE...the strain on my old bones. And yes, Warren....I recognize that my weight might have something to do with it! Warren picks on me....he has since the minute I arrived back on August 3. He needs to respect his elders....Warren! You know what he recently told me? He said he told my housemate, Lani, that if we are walking home together and there's a polar bear, she's to push me down and run because there will be more for the bear to chew on with me.....and she'll escape. Careful, Warren.....I do know how to get back at people!
Speaking of Warren reminds me of his dear wife (and Better Half), Bessi. Bessi is our bilingual teacher and visits the ECE weekly with interesting lessons and her wonderful drawings. Bessi is a wealth of information. Anyway, last week, Bessi posted a picture of one of her sled dogs who had gotten some foxtail lodged in her mouth from the straw bedding. It's bad stuff....Google it (like Warren old me to do). The poor dog's mouth was swollen big time. Bessi had to do all the medical stuff for the dog and I'm happy to say that she's getting better.
Back to the knee....which is getting better but it's not totally up to par. What I noticed this past week when the weather was slightly warmer (in the low 20s), the snow was softer....making walking a pain in the...well, in the knee. When the weather got colder again, the snow hardened right up making my walking much easier. So what's a person to do? Freezing cold weather....or soft snow.....hmmmm! I'm told that the heavy storms could still come in because this is the time of year for them. I'm also told that it will soon start getting mushy and then slushy and then downright yucky to walk around here. There will still be snow on the ground and the lagoon and sea will still have ice when I leave in May. I'm a little bummed about having to leave because I'm told that hunting for oogruk (large bearded seal) and walrus will happen during that time and I'd sure like to see that.
As a final note to my knee....my sister, Shirley, asked if she should send up an ice pack. I told her I already had one....yes, we do have "normal" things up here....and even if I didn't have the ice pack, I think I'd be able to find some ice up here!!!
Water pump story....! Most houses here in the village have a huge water tank in which water is stored for use in the house. Ours is 165 gallons and we share it amongst three people. Lani and I live in one part of the housing unit and Bob, another teacher, lives right next to us in an attached unit. The tank is in our bathroom. I've been noticing that the carpet was getting rather....wet....for a few days and made mention of it to John, one of the custodians. Yup, it was leaking....it was an old pump and needed to be replaced. John tried to put a pump together while we waited for the new one. Keep in mind that another teacher housing unit just got a new pump...after a three-month wait. Ugh! The pump John put together also leaks....no reflection on John's work....it's just the way it is. Bob came to the rescue by purchasing a remote control unit to attach to the power outlet. When we don't need water, we turn off the pump and the leaking stops! Simple! When we need the water, we all have a switch to flip to turn on the pump. Yeah! It saves Bob from having to come back and forth into our house to flip on the switch in our bathroom when he needs water. Thank you, Bob....and thank you, John....and thank you, Mickey for hauling our last load of water from the washeteria because the pump at school was on the blink, too...or some such story. Pumping from the washeteria is a matter of....getting one of two school snow machines and hooking up the school sled that has the large plastic tank strapped to it...and driving down to the washeteria and pulling up to the outside tank, plunking in quarters (took $2.00 worth) and filling the tank through a hose. Then Mickey drove the very heavy load to our housing unit, opened my bedroom window with a little help from a crowbar because it was frozen, pulled a 50 foot hose through the window and bedroom and hallway into the bathroom and up into the tank, hooked up the pump and let it do it's thing. I will never ever again take having running water and flush toilets for granted! Oh, and then to drink it....we have to distill and filter it. I still don't shower here at the house....it would use up too much water too quickly. It's easier to walk down to the school to shower.
One more quick note on the water....we're having a LOT of bottled water shipped in for the few days of tournament. Water is an issue here in Shishmaref and having that many more people using it could create some...shortages.
Battle of the Books competition....is something common throughout Alaska. I had personally never heard of it before arriving here but a teacher friend back in Michigan (Alice) told me that it was held in Gaylord last year. Anyway, I signed up to be the coach for the fifth and sixth graders. I was a bit clueless as to how it all works so it's been a few months of "winging it" and trying to find time for practices. That's not easy around here because there are lots of after school activities vying for time. Long story short, I finally narrowed my group down to three members and an alternative and we began having evening practices covering 15 assigned books to read. Then wouldn't you know it? The competition day was announced....February 8....right during my trip to Texas. Good grief! What more could have happened to cause me issues with this? Well, I made arrangements with Kate (kindergarten teacher) to be with the group during the VTC (video teleconference) competition. I am so proud of this group of kids because with all the interruptions and difficulties we've had....THEY came in second in the District. Good for you, kids....great work! A "shout out" to Susie (fifth grade teacher), too, for all her help along the way. We couldn't have done it without your help.
Well...I see by the clock that the gates have opened down at the gym for the last basketball game. Do I go to the game or do I help out in concessions? I helped out last night for a little while and now my clothes smell like popcorn and I ruined a good shirt with popcorn oil! Plus, I don't know how much help I really was....! I'm looking at my little indoor thermometer here beside me and it's registering a -2.8 degrees out in the qunituq...cunituck...however it's spelled....our little entranceway room....which means it's REALLY cold outside. Maybe I should haul out my brand new jacket and wear that down to school. No one will recognize me! They've come to know me with the turquoise-colored lightweight jacket that people kid me about when I start to layer up. Believe me, I do wear more than just that lightweight jacket!!
Oh...almost forgot....I was invited to two more Eskimo birthday parties in a week's time....LOTS of people, LOTS of desserts. I have another one to attend this Sunday. So much for losing any weight up here....but then the added insulation is good, too!
Here's something I had put on my Facebook page but it should be noted in here, too. Bessi teaches the kids what Inupiaq words to use for various things. Each time she teaches a word, I really do try to say the words but it's impossible sometimes. Bessi explained that part of it is the genetic make-up of the jawline of Eskimos and how the tongue forms in the mouth. By nature, these folks can form words and sounds that Caucasians cannot. Bessi shares some really interesting information. I am learning a lot from her...and I take a little ribbing, too, now and then. She and Warren make quite a pair! You should have heard our conversations about pets and fishing! Believe me, the people in Shishmaref and the folks back home in East Jordan view pets and fishing differently....especially ice fishing! The folks up here "tough it out" when it comes to ice fishing....no little heated ice shanty for them. Also, fishing for smelt and "smelt dipping" are different, too.
Hunting....! One of my co-workers recently bagged three caribou in an afternoon hunt. He was pretty excited and I was happy for him. What I think is pretty neat is that he makes a point of sharing his bounty with Elders and relatives. I also learned that yes, in fact, outsiders CAN hunt for musk ox up here. I thought only the locals were allowed to take animals for subsistence living. But there are some hunters who have traveled here on a regular basis to hunt with permits for musk ox. Some of the local folks serve as guides for them.
And finally in this post....a mention of "Grandpa Alex", one of the oldest Elders of the village who passed away recently. His funeral was held on Thursday. I did not know Grandpa Alex but all of the village did and his wisdom was invaluable. It's sad to know that another Elder has passed. If you saw the picture of the pond ice that I posted on here earlier, it was taken in front of Grandpa Alex's house. I didn't even know at the time that he lived there. Rest in Peace, Grandpa Alex. If you meet my parents and grandparents up there in Heaven, please tell them what Shishmaref is like and what their daughter and granddaughter is experiencing in your special spot on Earth.
No comments:
Post a Comment