Official Alaskan, finally!

My packages, stacked neatly on our kitchen table

It only makes sense that after the worst week I’ve had in Alaska, follows one of the best.  After spending six weeks without my most important personal belongings, my packages FINALLY came!  Here are the things I was most excited to see, starting with the most important; toothbrush charger, razor, bed sheets (I can finally retire my sleeping bag!), alarm clock, and sweatpants.  Brushing my teeth with a fully charged electric toothbrush is honestly as good as it gets.  I have heard horror stories about damaged packages, and although they were slow to arrive, they all remained in pretty good condition.  The only evidence of a thrashing was a burst open container of oatmeal and a completely busted up tin box.  The things I was most worried about (glass bottles of dinosaur bbq sauce, laundry detergent) were perfectly fine!  Now that I have my things, I’m starting to feel like I actually live here rather than just being on an extended vacation.

Can't imagine how this happened, but at least the flamingo (made for me by an AMS student) survived inside of it!

Another momentous development was that I finally own a vehicle.  It’s hard to imagine how difficult it is to obtain wheels in Nome; just having the money for one is not enough, not by a long shot.  All vehicles must be barged here, which leads to a very limited number of vehicles in town, with a tremendous demand.  It also adds $3,000 to the total cost; cars that wouldn't be worth scrap metal in NY go for $2,000 here.  The main avenue of buying and selling in town is “Nome Announce”, which is similar to Craig’s list, but posts are communicated through an email list.  Much to my chagrin, cars would be posted, and within an hour they were sold.  I still don't have a cellphone or internet access due to clashing business hours and work hours, so by the time I called anything I was interested in would be long gone.  The vehicles I did have an opportunity to test drive were available for a reason; one truck leaked oil as if you had opened up a faucet upon engaging the 4-wheel-drive, and another one wouldn’t run unless it was in 2^nd gear, was missing a muffler, and couldn’t be opened from the inside unless you wound down a window.  Cars in Alaska must be insured, but they do not need to pass any inspections.

My new truck, next to the beast I've been driving

A little battered and bruised, but just my style!

Luckily, the stars aligned and the Driver's Ed teacher was selling his truck; I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.  My new ride is a 2000 Nissan Frontier truck, with a crew cab and short bed; and it’s small enough that I don’t need a ladder to get in it.  It has the superficial dents and body damage typical in Nome, but everything that should run, does.  It even has some extras like a bed liner, roof rack, tail hitch, seat covers, and both a battery heater and engine block heater.  I had never imagined plugging in a car, but it is an absolute must in the temperatures that I'm in for this winter.

Getting the title switched over was a bigger ordeal than purchasing the truck.  It’s widely accepted that everything takes forever at the DMV, but Nome takes it to a whole new level.  The office is only “open” 3 hours per day, and never on Thursdays, as they give road tests at this time.  I arrived promptly at 1pm, however the door didn’t open for another 30 minutes; and boy did the line grow!  Once inside, it took almost 2 hours to process my business alone.  On a positive note, my time was not spent for nothing; I walked out with a brand spanking new AK license (I couldn’t believe you didn’t have to wait for it to be mailed!), new plates, and all of the necessary paperwork.

I'm officially an Alaskan; or so says the DMV!

Thanks to the Chronic care Active Management and Prevention (CAMP) department in town, I now also have a membership to the rec center in town, which is equipped with a rock climbing wall, gymnasium, weight room, and saunas.  Usually a membership is quite costly, but CAMP has a grant to run a “Step by Step” program encouraging a healthy lifestyle among residents.  For $10 they will measure and weigh you, analyze your blood cholesterol levels, and set two goals for improved fitness and health.  For your trouble you receive a free 3-month membership to the rec center.  So essentially for $40 I can have an unlimited year-long gym membership; try and beat that Planet Fitness!

My entrance into the program couldn’t have come at a better time; running along the coast has become considerably less enjoyable, as Nome has been getting continuous winds averaging 45 mph.  While out running, I truly felt like I was in an alternate reality; tears were ripped from my eyes, and mid-stride a gust would push me so hard that my footfall would be at least 6” to the right of where I was expecting it to be.  I have never felt wind that powerful before, and running on a treadmill is a great improvement.

Monday was Labor Day, and let me tell you, Nome knows how to celebrate in style.  The annual bathtub race was held downtown at high noon, and five teams of four people clad in straw hats, suspenders, and duct tape met at the starting line on Front Street with their tubs on wheels.  There were bicycle wheels, truck tires, custom body work, and all types of steering columns.  Each team also had to have a passenger, and many groups choose a young child to sit in the suds while they pushed.  At the go, each team pulled the plug and rushed down the main drag before their tubs were empty.  The winning team left with a trophy, but the team winding up as the caboose did not leave empty handed; they proudly accepted their “Last Place” plaque.

One team getting ready at the starting line

Mad dash down Front Street!

Later in the afternoon was the annual duck race.  The Rotary Club sold numbers for 1,000 ducks, which were all dumped into the Snake River and left to float.  The wind was so strong that some of the quackers went in the wrong direction, but the first three to make it to the bridge downstream won cash prizes.  At the finish line it became an “everybody-pitch-in” moment, with all of the kids jumping in the water to collect the wayward ducks.  After performing a few rescues, a few kids took a break to teach me how to properly skip a stone.  How is this a skill I hadn’t aquired in my 25 years?!  It was surprising how well attended these town events were; people really came out of the woodwork to celebrate.

Dumping the ducks in the river

Away they go!  Too bad mine didn't win

Skipping stones with the kiddos

On Tuesday, the new group of 26 high school students arrived.  Now I admit that I was dubious, but this bunch has been nothing short of amazing.  I was pleasantly surprised to see familiar faces, as many of the students I had met in Golovin were attending this session.  My preconceptions that high schoolers would be more difficult than the younger students that I’m used to were unfounded; these kids are laid back, kind, funny, and surprisingly compliant.  High school sessions are also much different than those for junior high.  Students stay for twice as long, and include a weekend (which I must work).  I still begin the day with a morning workout and Red Cross Training (although the “call 9-1-1” step and much of the other content isn’t quite relevant here), but students spend the bulk of their day receiving intensive training in a specific course, and obtain college credit.  This session the course selection includes Renewable Energy, Career Exploration, and Driver’s Education.

Some of my students hard at work

I’ve learned so much during the week I’ve spent with them, and they’re all so willing to share.  I now know a handful of Eskimo words; gussuk means white person, quyana means thank you, and alapaa means it’s cold!  One handy trick they taught me is that applying mucus from your nose to areas of your body that may be susceptible to frostbite will help stop the progression.  Upon discussing this further (I mean come on, I don’t want to be the only silly gussuk fooled into rubbing snot on my earlobes) I’ve found it to be a truly legitimate strategy in the bush.  I was also able to watch the beautiful art of Eskimo dance, and even learned some moves and the significance behind them.  I learned how to imitate the call of a sandhill crane, which I put into practice as hundreds of them circled overhead, gathering into one massive flock preparing to migrate.  Thousands of beating wings and their peculiar croaking calls filled the skies for a entire day, and by morning they were gone!

Sandhill cranes; they are much larger than they appear here (and supposedly good to eat)!

Cultural differences are also more apparent with the older students.  During every break, it is important to keep track of students because more often than not if I can’t find someone, they are in the shower.  Hot indoor showers are all but nonexistent in the villages, so it is not uncommon for a student to take 4 showers in one day.  Another quirk is that when they see someone they know, they let out a noise that is almost indescribable; a combination of a fire siren, whistle, and wolf howl.  Many of them call each other by all or part their Eskimo name, which usually begins with the letter B.  At the same time, they’re just how you’d expect.  One boy can play all of your favorite 80’s hits on guitar (REO Speedwagon anyone?), they all miss going on their cellphones and facebook, and they are homesick for their villages.

Working on the CAT simulators

He shoots!  He scores!

Because high school students stay at NACTEC for two full weeks, they are allowed to be “checked-out” by immediate family members, which is exceedingly difficult to determine.  It is typical to have lots of siblings, and one boy is the only male in a household of 14 sisters.  I can only begin to imagine the lady slaying he will do in the future!  In addition, many of these kids have grown up in multiple homes, passed among family members, at times based on which relative has the greatest financial need.  Children are a significant source of income, as each child receives a yearly Permanent Fund Dividend (averaging $1,500/person), and social services money from Kawerak (similar to a state department for the villages).  Therefore, children may be raised by aunts and uncles, grandparents, or even older siblings or cousins, making them more like mothers and fathers.  And nearly everyone is a cousin.

Family structures are also sometimes more complex based on child rearing traditions in some villages.  We couldn’t accept one student because she had recently given birth and was still nursing, and a few of the girls have babies of their own at home.  Starting as soon as possible, some girls may have their first child, which will fulfill the role of almost a dry run.  Girls will use their experiences to learn how to raise a child, make mistakes, and after a time will give this child to their parents to raise.  Under native law, this son or daughter will then become their sister or brother, and is treated as such.  This practice actually makes quite a bit of sense to me; real life learning is always the best.  And honestly, it's not at all uncommon in NY for a grandparent to go to court, fighting for the custody rights to their grandchild.  It's just intriguing that teenage pregnancy can have a different, refreshingly positive connotation and cultural significance.

Making a frame that will become the base of our 40' wind turbine

Laying the grid before pouring concrete

Pounding the dirt!

I’m still getting used to a variety of new things.  I had frost on my windshield on September 8^th, which is a new early record for me.  Restaurants do not serve regular creamer with coffee or tea, offering small packets of dried non-dairy creamer instead (they don’t need refrigeration and are easy to ship).  Bottles and cans are just thrown out, as it would cost more to ship that item to a recycling facility than the 5 cent return.  This makes sense, but I still can’t help but cringe every time a pop can gets crushed and tossed!  Our neighbors upstairs have a 5^th grade son who is a welcomed regular at our apartment.  It is culturally acceptable and even expected for people to just walk into homes without knocking, and this child is no exception.  One Sunday morning I walked in to find him sitting quietly at our dining room table after I ran outside for a quick errand!

I’m so relieved that the major things have fallen into place.  I feel like a whole new person now that I have my belongings, have access to a safe and comfortable workout, and am able to use my own vehicle to go from place to place at will.  It also doesn’t hurt that I’m really loving my job this session too.  I know I will face many more challenges and difficult days, but it’s nice to be reveling in an upswing.