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I heard about this a few weeks ago while I was at Church.  It's kind of a big deal here since she's the first Native American to become a saint.  However, I've learned a lot since I've been here.  The people don't see themselves as Native American-they're Alaskan Natives.  Yes-technically they're Native Americans.  But they're very offended if you call them Indian (in the NA term). Or if you call them NA.  I think it's interesting to think about.  The kids think it's so strange to hear that in the lower 48 they would be considered Native American.  There are Native American tribes in Eastern Alaska and in Washington, and the kids say they can tell the difference in how they look and their traditions.  They can't tell me exactly what the differences are, but they say it's very different.  And offensive.  It's great to learn these things.

http://news.yahoo.com/1st-native-american-saint-stirs-pride-skepticism-164656143.html

I also came across this article on Facebook.  The pilot was perfectly fine.  I was thinking of not putting it up because people like my mother would worry too much.  They take precautions as we travel.  When we go on a Bush Plane, we have to wear full winter gear while on plane.  We have to have snow pants, coat, gloves, hat... So the pilot would have been perfectly fine...  They say a couple planes go down each year and people are always fine.  They usually get rescued within the day.  Don't worry!  I'm in the Bush! :)

http://www.adn.com/2012/10/29/2675956/commercial-plane-crashes-outside.html

Busy Weekend!

Whew!  What a busy weekend!  We had no school on Friday for parent/teacher conferences.  I was late to them because I went home from Laura's house Thursday night with a migraine.  It held up with me until Friday until about 9am.  Then I wanted to make sure that it was totally gone before I went into work.  I felt it was pointless for me to be there if I was just going to give myself another headache.  So I got to work around 10:30am.  People told me there were parents that had come to see me and I could try to catch them.  I was able to meet with 3 parents, and talked for a bit with them.  It was great.

Then, the volleyball games started at 2:30pm.  Remind you that school doesn't get over until 3:30pm.  So at about 3:15pm I told the office that I would be in the gym with the games and watching the students and taking pictures for the yearbook.  I wanted to make sure I'd get at least some before the weekend was up.  At 4:00pm, Laura and I started working the book fair.  It was nice to see all the families so excited to buy books!  And...I might have spent some money also...I bought quite a few books for the classroom and nieces and nephews!

Then, at about 7:30pm, I decided to go back into the gym and take more pictures of the volleyball games (this was after taking pictures of the book fair, also).  Another teacher let me know that the school has a camera that I could use for yearbook, so I got very excited.  However, it's not the best for action shots... I've been using Nate's camera (which is AMAZING!!!!), and I bug him to use it constantly.  Changing to this camera, was an adjustment.  It was very blurry on action shots, or shots that...weren't perfectly still for long periods of time.  It held the lense open for a bit and made everything blurry.  Luckily, Nate took pity on me and let me borrow his again.  I'll post pictures soon to show you the difference!

At 8:45pm, we started to head over to the Community Complex to where the Seniors were putting on a dance.  We couldn't get into it ahead of time because Coleen didn't get the keys to open it up ahead of time (thanks Coleen for letting us all freeze for 20 minutes after the volleyball game while you went to get them).  We (as quickly as we could) got all the food and decorations out of the truck, brought it into the complex, decorated, got the food ready, got the music up, and let the kids in.  It started at around 10pm.  Only an hour late:).

The dance was a blast!  They did turn off all the lights and only had strobe lights and colored lights at some points (which was when my migraine came back and therefore I went home-around 11:30pm).  However, the kids had a blast throwing the dance.  Unfortunately, the other coaches wouldn't let their teams walk down to the complex for the dance, but we still had fun.  We played musical chairs, limbo, and had a cake walk.  The kids even made Mr. and Mrs. Erfurth start a Snowball Dance! :)  The kids had a great time and did a great job.

On Saturday, I stayed in bed quite a bit late, and then went over to the book fair to help out again at around 3pm.  We stayed there until around 6:30pm, had the Thanksgiving dinner drawing (Mr. Kempher won!), and then went to Laura's house to have dinner and a movie.  There were some volleyball games earlier in the day but I missed them on the count of sleeping in:).

On Sunday, we had NYO practice.  Only about 10 kids showed up, so Laura called the rest.  We ended with probably around 20 kids.  We had fun working on our live performance, building endurance, and practicing the Eskimo athletic skills.  I was very proud of the kids.

The we went back to Laura's, worked on the grant we put together, made dinner, and watched X-Men with Sara and Nate.  Whew!  What a weekend!

NYO

Laura and I were told today that we get to be in charge of NYO (Native Youth Olympics).  We're excited to help the kids out, teach them, and interact with them when we can.  However, we're not very educated on the sports or activities they have to do...we're calling in a lot of favors to learn what we can before our meet.  We have the tournament in November! EEEkkk!

The kids keep picking on me now, since the wrestling meet.  When I was doing the time, I was also taking pictures (for the yearbook) and announcing names for who was coming up next to wrestle... I don't know whose idea it was for the lower 48 Caucasian girl who has only been here for 3 months to say all the Yup'ik names, but they all found it hilarious.  Saying names like "Aguthlik" and "Yupanik" and I don't even remember the ones from the other villages...it's hard.  AND I was reading the coach's handwriting, which I couldn't read what some of the letters were...it was traumatic... but they all find it fun to pick on me about it now:).

We had a priest come to visit from Fairbanks for the past 5 days.  He said mass everyday at night, and last Sunday... I forgot he was saying it daily, and I missed it on Sunday because I was doing report cards...I'm a bad Catholic.  But he gave me confession today!  He came to the school to visit me and then talked with my students.  It was great.

I've started making a scarf...it's wide and short...I might have to pull it apart and start over.  I'm crocheting it.  Laura and I look like the perfect old, Bush ladies crocheting, watching movies, and talking with our cats.  It's sad.

We had a lot of cold weather this weekend, and got a lot of ice on the river.  It's raining now so a lot of the snow is melting, but the river still looks pretty.  I took pictures and movie of it.

We don't have school Friday because we have parent/teacher conferences.  The kids are excited...but we still have to work!  It's going to be a busy weekend.  We have volleyball here Friday and Saturday, wrestling is traveling to Hooper Bay (which I was going to travel with but conferences are stopping me:( ), we have a dance Friday night, the community is having a carnival Saturday all day, and we have Book Fair Friday and Saturday.  Ahhhhhh!  No, I don't want free time!

Game Night

Ohh…what a week.  I think my favorite part of being here so far was the wrestling match.  Seeing the kids come out of their shells, having fun interacting, and having such a great time…it was amazing.

This week, we didn’t have our counselor, principals, or many of our teachers or aides.  It was a huge mess!  They were sick, had surgeries, had to go back to where they were from, had to go to Anchorage for medical, and had conferences in Anchorage.  Ahh!!!  We got through it though.  It was a time to come together as a staff.

I got a few packages this week!  Mom, Karen, Dianne, and Brenda (the snowflakes) sent me a package from Horracks.  It was awesome!  A way for me to get my fruits and veggies!  Dried!  They are so good.  Everyone’s jealous here.  Thanks ladies!

Then I got some packages yesterday.  I got one from Mom and Pops – stuff from up north I think. J I got a Lake Michigan-Unsalted sweatshirt, Petoskey stone (it’s so funny to show it to people and they don’t know what it is and have never heard of Petoskey…), salsa, a Big Bang Theory Game!, and many other great things for me to keep and entertain myself here.  Laura asked if the weekly packages were going to keep up.  I don’t get them weekly!  But they are awesome to get when they come!  Thank you so much!  I also got my wireless router and “30Days of Night (movie)”, we should be watching it soon.

Then, we had anti-bullying day on Friday.  The kids learned about how bullying has effected others in each subject area and then made posters to hang around school.  It was a good impact on the kids. 

We had game-night Friday night where we just had a bunch of board games set up all over the cafeteria for the kids to come in and play.  We planned it for 1 ½ hours starting at 7:00pm, but they were all having so much fun we kept it open until 9:00pm.  The kids, parents, and elders had a great time.  And so did we as the staff!  Sara, Nate, Laura, Brynn, and I loved playing with the kids!

Tonight we’re having a movie night.  We’re doing Finding Nemo for the little kids and The Blind Side for the older kids.  They’re all excited.  We’re trying to do as much as we can for the kids on the weekends.  They don’t really have a lot to do here after school.

Laura and I wrote a grant to get Wii and Xbox 360 Kinect’s here to get the kids active after school and exercising.  I’m writing the NBA and Alaska Airlines to see if we can send the high schoolers to an NBA game in Oregon.  I don’t know if I’m going to get anywhere, but I’m really trying my hardest.  On that same note, we could really use some winter gear in all sizes here.  If you have anything, we would love to take it off your hands.  It’s a very needy school, so anything you can spare – gloves, hats, coats, snowpants, sweatpants…anything – it would help out a lot!  Again, you can send it to my PO box 234, Emmonak, AK 99581.  Extra snacks and food would be helpful too for the kids.  They come into my classroom quite often saying they’re hungry.  I’m constantly trying to buy Nurti-grain bars, Granola bars, and snacks like that to give them.  I have candy to give them when they’re good, but I’m running out of everything!  Thanks to anyone who can do anything to help the kids out here.

PS, I just posted this from my bedroom in bed.  I have two bars...if I don't move...maybe I can keep internet... :)

FYI

I just wanted to let you know...when I was in Michigan, my parents and others were bringing up my blog and showing how they read it.  They showed me the blank pieces.  I put a bunch of videos on the blog.  If you're ever seeing a lot of blank space, it's a video.  iPads won't show videos on here because it's Flash, and iPads don't run Flash.  So if you ever see a lot of blank space, that's why.  It's a video.  I find it annoying to have blank space, and make sure there isn't ever more than 1, sometimes 2 blank lines.  Thanks! :)

Wrestling the Northern Lights!!!

So yes, I made it back home to Emo safely.  I've had a busy past few days.  This week included an IEP meeting, being evaluated, staff meeting, interviewing for a full-time aide position, my direction of special education coming to visit, the education technology director coming to visit, and Laura leaving (so I'm watching BooBoo).  Ahh!!!

The kids did Eskimo dancing last week at school.  Wow

Then they said that the school could come join the high schoolers who were dancing...there wasn't enough room to let them dance with them.

They aren't allowed to dance Eskimo dancing until they have had a "first dance."  They will practice and learn for months or a year (really since they were born since they will have been to potlatches and Eskimo Dances) to learn the dances and the stories and religion behind the dances.  Then, their first dances will be at a Potlatch and everything they use will be new (the feathers or animal fur, clothes, gloves, shoes...everything).  So, they aren't allowed to Eskimo dance until then.  So, a lot of the children in the village haven't danced Eskimo dances because they haven't had a "first dance."  During this dancing, it wasn't official, so the elders allowed the kids to dance even if they didn't have their first dances.  They were so excited.  I had to stop many of the kindergarteners and kids from dancing because of how excited they were, until the high schoolers could show the other students what they had been practicing for the previous weeks.  It was great!  I hope it encourages some more students to do their first dances this year.

We had a lot of fun while Sam and Laraine (directors of Ed Tech and Sped - respectively) came to visit.  We had dinner at Laura's made by Phoebe the first night, and then at Sara and Nate's the second night, made by...pretty much everyone.  Sam showed us his fluent Spanish and Mexican cooking skills.  It was nice to have visitors and be able to show them the good times of Emo.

We then had a Wrestling tournament Friday and Saturday.  Wow-such fun!  Phoebe and I were in charge of scores and time.  It was a lot of fun to see the kids playing their hardest.  And then to see them after the meet on Friday night, hanging out and having fun, and again Saturday afternoon.  I got so many great shots with Nate's awesome camera!  I will have to upload some of the monkey business when I get them off the camera's memory card.  The kids running around, climbing walls (literally), hanging off basketball hoops, wrestling still (because they didn't get enough in the last 24 hours!), listening to music, piggyback rides, piles of kids, and hugs and groups for pictures. :)  I had a blast seeing them all.  It makes it ten times better being up here when I was able to partake in that few hours of free time.  Seeing the kids having so much fun and interacting so well with each other.  They're great kids and really respect each other and want to teach each other.

THEN...when I was coming home after the meet last night, a dad of a student said something about the lights.  I didn't understand, and was going to ignore him because our house lights are out quite often and assumed that's what he was talking about.  Then he goes, "No! The Northern Lights!" and points at the sky.  I looked up, and sure enough!  I was able to get my first sight of the aurora borealis!  I don't know if I can stress to you enough how much I have always wanted to see them.  They were gorgeous!  And amazing!  And I still can't figure out how it's happening!  And if it's happening!  It looks like your eyes are just playing tricks on you...but they were great.  They weren't really bright, or all the different colors, but they were good enough for the first time!  I was pleasantly surprised because they shouldn't be here for at least another month.  I guess there's a lot of solar activity which is making them more active.  Come see them if you're curious! :)

Northern lights by Nate and Sara's house (taken by Nate)

Northern Lights next to my house

And in case you were wondering, no, they weren't this bright when we saw them.  Nate's camera just rocks.  He left the shutter open for 20 seconds and got these amazing shots.

Leaving Michigan

The past few days were amazing.  I was able to go to A&A to get 20 links of Polish sausage and then stop by the hospital and visit the Putra’s!  I was very excited to see them.  However, they were up at 5am and read the blog and knew that I was in Jackson already.  That wasn’t as exciting… Then Mom and I went back home and I was going to thank Clarence for letting me take Sparkle Prime (my car) out of his garage for the day.  Then we saw Aunt Patty and Uncle Dave on our way in front of the house so they came in to talk for a bit.

We left to go to Jessie’s house and I got to eat lunch with Alex at his school.  He was shy at first, but opened up and talked with me.  It was hard to say goodbye to him, but I love him lots and I know I’ll see him soon.  I then went to a doctor’s appointment, and then drove to Flint.  Matty, David, Michelle, and Alicia seemed to not be waiting for me in Flint and they were in trouble.  They were working out.  They weren’t in too much trouble because Mom and Dad hung out with me and we hadn’t decided on an exact time when I talked with the Flint-ers.

Jess and me before I had to say "goodbye:("

Sparkle Prime and me before I had to say "goodbye:("

We hung out at Da’s house, watched “New Girl” for a bit, then went to dinner at “Red Robin” (yum!).  I took Matty some food and then was off to Meijer to get some actual supplies for Alaska…that exhausted me out quickly.  I spent two hours at Meijer and didn’t get out until 11:30pm.  Went home to Da’s, and fell asleep. 

Woke up today, went to get a massage and chiropractic adjustment, and then took lunch to Al.  I thought she had lunch a half hour earlier than what she actually did, but it was cool.  Went back home, woke Matty up (took a bit of the cattle prod…), then went to the video store to buy some movies/TV shows to keep me busy.  We then went back home and packed.  It took a while and a lot of coaxing on Matt’s part.  It was really hard to leave my family and friends.

Luckily, Mom and Dad met us at the airport for one last goodbye!  It was great to see them.  Matt had to push me through security, but I got through, and now I’m in Detroit, about to go to Minnesota.  So, I guess I can’t actually stay.  I love it in Alaska, I just miss you all.  I’ll update soon!

Almost Home....But Not Quite

So, where did I last leave off...? I believe I was sitting in Detroit. I'm pretty sure that was a week ago? (just kidding. It feels like I've been traveling for a month). I flew from Detroit to Minneapolis. I slept the whole flight-never done that before. Then I walked quickly to my next gate and the last of the people were lined up and boarding the flight. I adds to the line and walked on the plane. I sat down and there was no one next to me! Sweet! It was a three seat per side plane, so there was me by the window and a woman on the aisle seat, but extra room was greatly appreciated.

I realized I didn't finish watching "Battleship" from the flight I Michigan, so I quickly finished that. Then I decided to watch "Rock of Ages." It was pretty okay, but I was tire and fell asleep in the middle for about 30 minutes. Then I decided I sleep for the last three hours of the flight. Next thing I knew the pilot was coming over the speaker and telling us I prepare to land. No! I'm still sleeping!

I landed in Anchorage and took my "loot" to rent a car. The guy told me he only had band left. I said that was okay depending on the price. $32! Sign me up! I drove to the nearest Wal Mart and it said I had 4 hours until it opened. Sweet! Sleep time! I slept in the back seat of the sweet ride and went in when they opened. I did some last-minute shopping: chicken, bacon, pencils... Then I was on my way back to the airport. Not before I filled up the car and got breakfast, though.

Crysler Town and Country that I rented:) and slept in:)

Rear display

Noo....I wasn't driving and taking pictures at the same time...

Gas was $3.99 per gallon. You'd think it was cheaper in the oil state! Then I stopped at McDonald's for an Egg McMuffin and a water. I dropped off the car, bought 16 Cinnabons for all my friends at work, an checked in.

That's right...18 Cinnabons...mmmmm

I love flying in Alaska. 2 free checked bags and whatever you can carry as a carry-on. I called Mom and Dad and am now looking at the people as tired as me and the gorgeous mountains. I love this city. Mountains are so pretty!

Random guy sleeping in the terminal.  We sleep anywhere in the Bush.

We should board in about 40 minutes. Why on Earth I got here so early, I don't know. I could be sleeping. I smell bad, I'm tired, and I don't want to be flying anymore. But I'm trying to stay strong. I can't wait to get home and go to bed. I plan to go to our staff meeting at 2:30pm after I get back before I sleep, but that's if I can still stand and if I make it in time. I'm suppose to get back at 1:30pm but I'm on Bush time and flying Bush planes...who knows...?

So we boarded ontime. But then told us that the visibility in St Mary's is down to 1/4 mile. So now were off the plane and waiting in the terminal again. Oh, The Bush. And they took my big bags so I'm missing my entertainment and phone charger. I'm down to 20%.