The week of August 20th was like some kind of crazy “hell week” with 9, 10, and 11 year olds doing the hazing. By Wednesday night I was sick of being a teacher and the thought of buying a plane ticket buzzed through my head. Bright and early Thursday morning I changed their world. They usually like to start trickling into the classroom about 8:00 a.m. after breakfast. Not today boys and girls! I kept the door closed and turned on only the lights that I needed to do my preparation work. When they opened the door, I said “stay out until I invite you in” and they knew that something was different. Class begins at 8:45 so at 8:35 I invited into the classroom. Instead of unstructured play time, (which they have none of during the day) I had desk work for them to do. They entered the classroom quietly and went to their desks. I introduced the busy work to them and they began. We have no bells so at 8:45 I told them to hand in their work and you should have seen their faces. The ones who chose to goof off during their work time began to plead for just a few more minutes. I refused and collected the work. We stood and did the pledge of allegiance, then I handed the work back to them and we discussed each item. The kids that were goofing off before were no longer goofing. They got busy and copied everything that was said. I remained emotionless for the rest of the day and through Friday.
By Friday night I was ready to kick back and party. I decided to whoop-it-up by going to the store and buying something I didn’t need. I bought some Olive Oil and Pringles. My party lasted fifteen minutes and I was at home again. I sure wanted a beer or something stronger to help me unwind. Keep in mind that we are in a dry community and any form of alcohol is strictly forbidden. I was wound tighter than a three-day clock and I had no idea what I was going to do.
Just then someone knocked at the door. My neighbor Virginia wanted to know if I would like to buy some of her excess perishable produce. One of the things she mentioned on her list of fresh goodies was garlic. It just so happens that I had been without any garlic since I left home and I sure wanted some. I ransacked her pantry to the tune of $6.00, including the appropriate shipping fees and stayed for tea. She had another treat for me… toast. Since her husband, Moses is a man who loves his toast and I have been without toast since I left home, we enjoyed honeyed toast with our tea. While we visited we kept hearing this horrible racket outside, but we couldn’t see the source.
When I left the neighbor’s house, I walked outside to investigate the noise. It was our principal, Larry cutting the tops out of 55 gallon drums with a Sawz-All. He was working on a solution to our cable TV problem. Curious and bored, I volunteered to help him. His plan was to put the post that would hold the 6 foot satellite dish in a barrel and set it with gravel. Then put more barrels around that one to keep it from tipping in the wind. It sounded good to me so we made some more cuts and took the four-wheeler and trailer with the barrels to fill them. After we filled the first barrel with gravel, we noticed that the high flotation tires on the trailer were quite squat and that we should curb our enthusiasm to fill the other barrels until later. We came home with one barrel and a lazy-man’s solution for getting it to the proper location for good reception. We decided to drive the rig over the surface laid fuel pipes and across the tundra muck and end up in the right place. That seemed a much better idea than emptying the dirt and carrying it over a bunch of stuff and more muck. After a quick prayer, Larry gave ‘er hell and aimed it true. IT WORKED! He only almost got stuck. We wrestled the barrel off of the trailer and got it into position. By then it was already 10:30 p.m. and we were just getting started. It didn’t take long for both of us to agree that we would quit for the night. Bruce, a fellow teacher, and I filled two more barrels over the weekend but we are still a long way from watching TV.
At our Friday staff meeting, Larry introduced an idea to save the school money and provide the students with some lunches more in keeping with their traditional food. He suggested catching salmon and using them for lunches. Everyone thought it was a great idea. It falls within the subsistence fishing laws and the Silver Salmon were still running. Besides, the school owns nets for the native education program and they were dry. The Yup’ik teachers knew just the man for the job; Joe. Joe is one of our janitors. He is a hard working quiet man with an unassuming demeanor.
I volunteered to help Joe and to help clean whatever was caught. The other new teachers volunteered to help as well. I waited until midnight on Friday to hear if I could go fishing with Joe. I woke early anticipating a knock on the door; but, just like Christmas, Santa never came; maybe next time.
Joe caught 16 silvers at the place where the Johnson River flows into the Kuskokwim River. He went alone and didn’t get home until 10:30 Saturday night. Sunday afternoon I rounded up the teachers and we went to the school’s kitchen for a fish cleaning party. One of the Yup’ik teachers, Olinka had some time so she came over to help. Help heck, Olinka is a one woman fish cleaning crew. Of the new teachers, I was the only one who had ever filleted a fish before. I hadn’t done it in better than twenty years, but at least I have done it. Our knife selection was pretty poor. We had some dull boning knives and a dull Ulu which Olinka snatched immediately. We hit the knives with the steel a few times, but it did little in the way of sharpening. I filleted a couple fish then I watched Olinka work her magic. I noticed that she left a lot more meat on the carcass than I do. As I am not one to pass up a learning opportunity, I asked “why do you leave so much meat on the bones? She simply said “You gotta leave somthin’ for da soup.” DING, DING, DING, Jerry, fish soup… hello. I have eaten fish soup and the fish came from somewhere… off the bones. I also learned that Larry saved the guts and head when he field dressed them on Saturday night. I talked about the cooked fish heads before; remember? I think we will be having more of them in the future.
The salmon skeletons were divvied up between those who wanted them so I took a few. I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do with them, but I had them none the less. I also had a few nice salmon steaks that were from the pectoral fin region of the fish. I cut the skeletons and fins down to soup pot size and put them on low heat. Then, I fried the pure meat that I was hoarding for myself. I ended up with a plate FULL of perfectly golden crisp salmon. I feasted! The bones simmered and I ate. Salmon is a rich meat so I may have eaten a third of that plate full. Stuffed to the gills, (< ha, ha, that was a pun) I put the rest in the soup pot.
I put the cooked salmon in the refrigerator to cool over night. Later Monday night, I picked all of the skin and bones and fins out of the meat and stock and then I thought about making some soup. When I was a little boy at my Grandpa’s Deer Camp in Dublin, Michigan, I took an ass whipping because I wouldn’t eat the Salmon Soup that my Grandmother, Dorothy White lovingly prepared for us. I’m sure it was a fine soup but this six year old boy thought that it smelled bad and therefore, it must be bad. This memory popped into my head as I started to make my fish soup. The thing that killed me about Grandma’s soup was the milk or cream; like you would use in chowder. I quickly decided against chowder. I decided on boring simple ingredients like potatoes, carrots, and, of course, garlic. Using my Food Network culinary skills, I dumped the ingredient in the pot. Put it over low heat and went for a walk around the village. When I returned home it was ready to eat. Now, you can ask my wife and kids and they’ll tell you that I CAN COOK. Sometimes I even stumble over a masterpiece. This soup was one of those times. In fact, it turned out so well that I had it for two meals and froze four quarts for later. Sadly, the only people to enjoy it was King Jerry the Magnificent (me) and me. I can't promise that there will be any when Pam comes up in December but, if she's lucky she'll get some.
I’m sorry that I have blabbed for so long about so little. Thanks for sticking with me. To my friends at Ball State, I miss you and I wish you were here. To my family, I miss you and I wish you were here. To anyone reading this that I don’t know; you should spend your time better, get a job or a hobby.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
The Day before D – Day
Much has happened since my last entry. I returned to Atmautluak the evening of the 10th of August; to late to see if my boxes from home had arrived. First thing Saturday morning I was at the Post Office waiting for the Postmaster to open the door. I felt like a little kid waiting for mom and dad to get out of bed on Christmas morning.
I followed her inside and she said “I can’t remember; what’s your name?” I thought, is she pulling my leg or does she really not remember? There are only three new people in the village. How hard can it be to remember the only white guy in town? Anyhow, I told her and she began looking.
She started handing out box after box after box and one large envelope. There were so many boxes that I had to go to the school and get a hand cart to move them all; even then it too three trips. It was like Christmas morning. I never thought that getting boxes of your own stuff that you packed could be so much fun.
As I opened each box and put each item away, I wondered what I was thinking when I packed this stuff. For example, the box of blankets and books held no joy for me after it was emptied.
I was surprised by the envelope that I received, however. My daughter in law, Brooke, wrote me a nice letter and made some cards with photographs for me to hang in my home. I would like to go now public record, here and now, and proclaim to the world and everyone in it that I love Brooke. I failed to make that clear before I left home and if I should die in a fiery plane crash tomorrow Brooke can now rest assured that she is loved by me. Thank you Brooke, for the nice letter and the pictures; I have hanging on my refrigerator like a good grandpa should.
I left home a week early so I could move all of my books and furniture into my new classroom before I went off for training. My plan was to be settled in so I could focus on writing lesson plans and then be ready to teach on the 20th. That plan was flawed from the start. When I arrived, no one on site knew which classrooms were assigned to whom. I couldn’t move anything. My boss arrived the evening of the 14th and we had district level training all day on the 15th. You guessed it, nothing got moved. Finally on Thursday, the 16th, we started moving everything for all four classrooms all at once. What a nightmare that was! At the same time, two ladies from the district office arrived to provide the new teacher with some help on the education system that we use. What they did mostly was help me unpack and start setting up my classroom. We worked until 10:30 that night. I was back at it at around 8:15 a.m. unpacking boxes and trying to figure out what I had.
This was also the first day of our two day carnival. It was nice to see all of the people from the village and some from other villages coming for the party. There were games for the kids, food vendors, junk vendors, and they raffled off a four wheeler. They had been planning a basketball tournament but not enough teams entered so they had a dance instead.
The two stores in the village both got shipments of supplies on that Friday. I did a little shopping and was surprised at how varied the prices are. Eggs were just under $3.00 per dozen but milk was over $3.00 per quart (yes, I said quart). Bread was 2 loaves for just under $6.00. So prices were not as bad as I thought they would be over all.
Since then I have been eating hamburgers and hotdogs and Chili Cheese Fritos. Before this shopping trip, then fresh food I had in the house was a bag of onions. I learned that when I like the food I’m eating, I tend to want to over eat. I guess I’ll go back to sardines and wheat crackers.
I woke up Sunday morning to no water in the house. Luckily, I keep water in the refrigerator so I was able to brush my teeth. My boss told me that it would be at least two more days before we get water. They have to fly the part in from Anchorage, install the part, fill the holding tank and administer the chemical dose. Then the chemicals have to settle before they can allow the people to consume the water. Great! No shower for the first day of class. At least I’m not alone.
By the way, I know what you’re thinking; “quit bitchin’ Jerry, you’re the one how wanted to go there.” You’re right, and a crummy day in Alaska is better than any day in Indiana. On that note, I will say good night.
I followed her inside and she said “I can’t remember; what’s your name?” I thought, is she pulling my leg or does she really not remember? There are only three new people in the village. How hard can it be to remember the only white guy in town? Anyhow, I told her and she began looking.
She started handing out box after box after box and one large envelope. There were so many boxes that I had to go to the school and get a hand cart to move them all; even then it too three trips. It was like Christmas morning. I never thought that getting boxes of your own stuff that you packed could be so much fun.
As I opened each box and put each item away, I wondered what I was thinking when I packed this stuff. For example, the box of blankets and books held no joy for me after it was emptied.
I was surprised by the envelope that I received, however. My daughter in law, Brooke, wrote me a nice letter and made some cards with photographs for me to hang in my home. I would like to go now public record, here and now, and proclaim to the world and everyone in it that I love Brooke. I failed to make that clear before I left home and if I should die in a fiery plane crash tomorrow Brooke can now rest assured that she is loved by me. Thank you Brooke, for the nice letter and the pictures; I have hanging on my refrigerator like a good grandpa should.
I left home a week early so I could move all of my books and furniture into my new classroom before I went off for training. My plan was to be settled in so I could focus on writing lesson plans and then be ready to teach on the 20th. That plan was flawed from the start. When I arrived, no one on site knew which classrooms were assigned to whom. I couldn’t move anything. My boss arrived the evening of the 14th and we had district level training all day on the 15th. You guessed it, nothing got moved. Finally on Thursday, the 16th, we started moving everything for all four classrooms all at once. What a nightmare that was! At the same time, two ladies from the district office arrived to provide the new teacher with some help on the education system that we use. What they did mostly was help me unpack and start setting up my classroom. We worked until 10:30 that night. I was back at it at around 8:15 a.m. unpacking boxes and trying to figure out what I had.
This was also the first day of our two day carnival. It was nice to see all of the people from the village and some from other villages coming for the party. There were games for the kids, food vendors, junk vendors, and they raffled off a four wheeler. They had been planning a basketball tournament but not enough teams entered so they had a dance instead.
The two stores in the village both got shipments of supplies on that Friday. I did a little shopping and was surprised at how varied the prices are. Eggs were just under $3.00 per dozen but milk was over $3.00 per quart (yes, I said quart). Bread was 2 loaves for just under $6.00. So prices were not as bad as I thought they would be over all.
Since then I have been eating hamburgers and hotdogs and Chili Cheese Fritos. Before this shopping trip, then fresh food I had in the house was a bag of onions. I learned that when I like the food I’m eating, I tend to want to over eat. I guess I’ll go back to sardines and wheat crackers.
I woke up Sunday morning to no water in the house. Luckily, I keep water in the refrigerator so I was able to brush my teeth. My boss told me that it would be at least two more days before we get water. They have to fly the part in from Anchorage, install the part, fill the holding tank and administer the chemical dose. Then the chemicals have to settle before they can allow the people to consume the water. Great! No shower for the first day of class. At least I’m not alone.
By the way, I know what you’re thinking; “quit bitchin’ Jerry, you’re the one how wanted to go there.” You’re right, and a crummy day in Alaska is better than any day in Indiana. On that note, I will say good night.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Yup'ik Culture Days
I have been waiting for today’s events ever since I decided to come here. Today we learn about the history and foundations of the Yup’ik. The agenda says that tonight we will enjoy a Yup’ik potluck and tomorrow we learn from an elder. But first, we have to suffer through classes.
The classes on the development and implementation of the Yup’ik curriculum were interesting but not so much fun. The best part about the whole program is that it was and is a Yup’ik product. It meets all of the requirements of the state bureaucracy while serving the cultural needs of the people. Most of the career staff at the district level has stayed because of the Yup’ik program. I heard it said that this school district does more to preserve and promote the indigenous culture than any other in Alaska. Does that mean that the Yup’ik people have won the war against cultural genocide? Not yet, but I’ll talk about that another day.
In the afternoon we watched a historical documentary called We of the River. It too is a native product that was co-sponsored by the Lower Kuskokwim School District and is a good video history of the Yup’iks from before the time of the Moravians, in 1884, until about the 1960s or 70s. I will buy a copy of this documentary for myself because it shows the people being themselves, as much as a movie can. The movie also gave purpose to the traditional dishes that we were going to sample at the potluck.
The moment we have all been waiting for, the potluck, was finally here. This was a spread fit for a king. There was Moose Soup and Moose Stew, Dried Salmon and Smoked Salmon, Salmon Fillets and Salmon Strips, Salted Salmon Eggs and Boiled Salmon Heads, and yes there was maktaq (whale skin and blubber). We ate Whitefish and Blackfish and Dried Pike and two kinds of Akutaq (AH-koo-TOK). We were served homemade jellies that were made from this season’s Salmon Berries and last season’s Blue Berries, Fry Bread and some things that I don’t have a description for. I loved something about each dish, even the fish eggs. I couldn’t help going back for seconds on some of the items because they were so good. I will be living well if I can keep eating like an Eskimo.
On Thursday, we had more culture lessons in the big room in the Cultural Center, but this time we moved the tables out of the way and put our chairs in a semi-circle so we could all be close to our honored guest speaker. His name is Peter Jacobs and he is a Yup’ik Elder. I would guess his height to be four feet six inches and his weight to be 90 pounds but, he spoke like a giant. His vigor and enthusiasm, at times, had me wondering if he really was 83 years old as he said during his introduction. Peter doesn’t speak much English so he used an interpreter to get his message to us. The stories that he told us about the old days were very similar to those that Katie told us a couple of days earlier. Like Katie, Peter is happy that we are here but at the same time wanted us to know that their journey to become Cussuk-like has been a painful one. The teachers during those early days, as we know, were abusive and didn’t want the scholars speaking in their savage language. The penalty for doing so was stiff and carried out without mercy. Peter’s message was honest and therefore, complicated, but we all got the point; be a good person first and a teacher second. He spent the best part of the day with us and it was time well spent. Peter told us that every elder has a specialty; one thing in which they are experts. In order to learn everything Yup’ik, you must visit many, many elders to learn their expertise. He then brought out a tote bag and from it he pulled some tools that his father had willed to him. He had three knives, all had a small blade that curved to the left and a handler made of Caribou antler. Each knife was a different size for different jobs. Peter demonstrated how the knives were used to carve serving spoons, bowls, and the sticks for holding fish open in the smoker. The sticks were split from straight grained wood by using the antler handle first like wedge and then like a froe (froe? look it up). He also had a couple of hand adzes that he used for roughing in the work. I hope to be able to learn more from Peter very soon.
The Yup’ik instructors taught us the story of the Floating Drum and the dance that was developed from that story. Did we have to do the dance? Yes, we did. We did the dance six or eight times for Peter and he laughed his head off the whole time. He also praised us for our efforts and encouraged us to dance with our village when we get home.
I first saw Yup’ik dancing on the website of the Yup’ik Cultural Center. They put the dance competitions on the site from each CAMA’I (chama-I) festival. Many of the villages have teams in the festival but, sadly, some of the villages do not have dance teams. Atmautluak does have a dance team and they are quite popular, as I hear it, for their contemporary flair on traditional dance.
I learned something totally new. I was always led to believe that the Eskimo people were generally not a warlike people. This is not true. At some point in history, they fought bloody battles to drive the Athabascans away from the coastal areas. In doing so, they earned the name Eskimo or “Raw Meat Eater” from their Athabascan enemies. They are quite proud to be known as Eskimos so referring to them as such is not an insult, but an affirmation of who they are. I will research these battles and tell you more when I have good information on the subject. You could also research this and tell me; I would like that.
I should mention the manner in which the Yup’ik instructors and Peter opened and closed the day’s lesson. The instructors consisted of Nita, Fanny, and Rachael; all three are Yup’ik Eskimos and highly educated educators that have taught in the villages. Peter Jacobs, as I mentioned earlier is the venerated elder and guest speaker. Peter, the eldest, led the group into the room and we all rose to our feet as they entered. The ladies followed him in an order that appeared to be by age, though I don’t want to presume too much. One of the ladies beat a rhythm on the traditional drum as the group entered. Peter carried a metal dish with some kind of herbs in it. Once they were in front of the class they lit the herbs on fire and crushed the flames so the herbs would smolder and smoke. Peter used a bird wing to move the smoke over himself like a ceremonial smoke bath. He then carried the dish of smoking herbs in front of the students and fanned the smoke over us and then he did the same for the instructors. The smoke is to drive bad spirits away from the gathering of people. Then Peter led us in a Christian prayer spoken in Yup’ik. I know it was Christian of some type because it ended with “Jesus Christo, Amen.” When we finished our day Peter led us in a similar prayer so that we part ways as blessed people. I appreciate the way some of these folks have kept their traditional belief structures intact while adopting the new religion. It is a shame that the new religion is not as tolerant as their own religion seems to be.
Since then, not much happened that is too exciting so I’ll say farewell for now. Thank you for your comments and please keep them coming. If you have a specific question, I’ll try to answer it directly to you so be sure I have your email address. One last thing; I am sick of apologizing for my lack of pictures but I promise to get some photos on this blog next week if it kills me. Until then, best wishes.
The classes on the development and implementation of the Yup’ik curriculum were interesting but not so much fun. The best part about the whole program is that it was and is a Yup’ik product. It meets all of the requirements of the state bureaucracy while serving the cultural needs of the people. Most of the career staff at the district level has stayed because of the Yup’ik program. I heard it said that this school district does more to preserve and promote the indigenous culture than any other in Alaska. Does that mean that the Yup’ik people have won the war against cultural genocide? Not yet, but I’ll talk about that another day.
In the afternoon we watched a historical documentary called We of the River. It too is a native product that was co-sponsored by the Lower Kuskokwim School District and is a good video history of the Yup’iks from before the time of the Moravians, in 1884, until about the 1960s or 70s. I will buy a copy of this documentary for myself because it shows the people being themselves, as much as a movie can. The movie also gave purpose to the traditional dishes that we were going to sample at the potluck.
The moment we have all been waiting for, the potluck, was finally here. This was a spread fit for a king. There was Moose Soup and Moose Stew, Dried Salmon and Smoked Salmon, Salmon Fillets and Salmon Strips, Salted Salmon Eggs and Boiled Salmon Heads, and yes there was maktaq (whale skin and blubber). We ate Whitefish and Blackfish and Dried Pike and two kinds of Akutaq (AH-koo-TOK). We were served homemade jellies that were made from this season’s Salmon Berries and last season’s Blue Berries, Fry Bread and some things that I don’t have a description for. I loved something about each dish, even the fish eggs. I couldn’t help going back for seconds on some of the items because they were so good. I will be living well if I can keep eating like an Eskimo.
On Thursday, we had more culture lessons in the big room in the Cultural Center, but this time we moved the tables out of the way and put our chairs in a semi-circle so we could all be close to our honored guest speaker. His name is Peter Jacobs and he is a Yup’ik Elder. I would guess his height to be four feet six inches and his weight to be 90 pounds but, he spoke like a giant. His vigor and enthusiasm, at times, had me wondering if he really was 83 years old as he said during his introduction. Peter doesn’t speak much English so he used an interpreter to get his message to us. The stories that he told us about the old days were very similar to those that Katie told us a couple of days earlier. Like Katie, Peter is happy that we are here but at the same time wanted us to know that their journey to become Cussuk-like has been a painful one. The teachers during those early days, as we know, were abusive and didn’t want the scholars speaking in their savage language. The penalty for doing so was stiff and carried out without mercy. Peter’s message was honest and therefore, complicated, but we all got the point; be a good person first and a teacher second. He spent the best part of the day with us and it was time well spent. Peter told us that every elder has a specialty; one thing in which they are experts. In order to learn everything Yup’ik, you must visit many, many elders to learn their expertise. He then brought out a tote bag and from it he pulled some tools that his father had willed to him. He had three knives, all had a small blade that curved to the left and a handler made of Caribou antler. Each knife was a different size for different jobs. Peter demonstrated how the knives were used to carve serving spoons, bowls, and the sticks for holding fish open in the smoker. The sticks were split from straight grained wood by using the antler handle first like wedge and then like a froe (froe? look it up). He also had a couple of hand adzes that he used for roughing in the work. I hope to be able to learn more from Peter very soon.
The Yup’ik instructors taught us the story of the Floating Drum and the dance that was developed from that story. Did we have to do the dance? Yes, we did. We did the dance six or eight times for Peter and he laughed his head off the whole time. He also praised us for our efforts and encouraged us to dance with our village when we get home.
I first saw Yup’ik dancing on the website of the Yup’ik Cultural Center. They put the dance competitions on the site from each CAMA’I (chama-I) festival. Many of the villages have teams in the festival but, sadly, some of the villages do not have dance teams. Atmautluak does have a dance team and they are quite popular, as I hear it, for their contemporary flair on traditional dance.
I learned something totally new. I was always led to believe that the Eskimo people were generally not a warlike people. This is not true. At some point in history, they fought bloody battles to drive the Athabascans away from the coastal areas. In doing so, they earned the name Eskimo or “Raw Meat Eater” from their Athabascan enemies. They are quite proud to be known as Eskimos so referring to them as such is not an insult, but an affirmation of who they are. I will research these battles and tell you more when I have good information on the subject. You could also research this and tell me; I would like that.
I should mention the manner in which the Yup’ik instructors and Peter opened and closed the day’s lesson. The instructors consisted of Nita, Fanny, and Rachael; all three are Yup’ik Eskimos and highly educated educators that have taught in the villages. Peter Jacobs, as I mentioned earlier is the venerated elder and guest speaker. Peter, the eldest, led the group into the room and we all rose to our feet as they entered. The ladies followed him in an order that appeared to be by age, though I don’t want to presume too much. One of the ladies beat a rhythm on the traditional drum as the group entered. Peter carried a metal dish with some kind of herbs in it. Once they were in front of the class they lit the herbs on fire and crushed the flames so the herbs would smolder and smoke. Peter used a bird wing to move the smoke over himself like a ceremonial smoke bath. He then carried the dish of smoking herbs in front of the students and fanned the smoke over us and then he did the same for the instructors. The smoke is to drive bad spirits away from the gathering of people. Then Peter led us in a Christian prayer spoken in Yup’ik. I know it was Christian of some type because it ended with “Jesus Christo, Amen.” When we finished our day Peter led us in a similar prayer so that we part ways as blessed people. I appreciate the way some of these folks have kept their traditional belief structures intact while adopting the new religion. It is a shame that the new religion is not as tolerant as their own religion seems to be.
Since then, not much happened that is too exciting so I’ll say farewell for now. Thank you for your comments and please keep them coming. If you have a specific question, I’ll try to answer it directly to you so be sure I have your email address. One last thing; I am sick of apologizing for my lack of pictures but I promise to get some photos on this blog next week if it kills me. Until then, best wishes.
Tea with Katie Albright
“Around” is a word I will have to apply to all aspects of travel in “Bush Alaska.”
The airplane was supposed to arrive around 9:30 a.m., when in fact it arrived at 10:00. It was supposed to have enough seats to accommodate around five passengers from Atmautluak when in fact there were only enough seats for three. The boxes that Pam sent UPS were supposed to be delivered around August 2nd when in fact they are still in the hanger at Arctic Circle Air and will now be delivered around Friday the 10th. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. This is the way it is here and I have to get used to it.
As soon as I arrived in Bethel and found the Dorm where I would be staying, I set out to see the town. Bethel is spread out all over the place. All of the roads that I have seen are dirt and only a few have boardwalks that follow them. Most of the time people walk along the side of the roads. There is a massive project underway to pave the main drag through Bethel which will do much to reduce the mud problem.
After dinner tonight, I mentioned going for a walk and a couple of my fellow teachers thought it was a good idea so we did. Before I continue with this story I should introduce my companions. My next door neighbor in Atmautluak and fellow teacher, Virginia and her husband Moses; Darren, a new teacher from Oregon and I all decided to find the Kuskokwim River to see if there were any big ships at the docks. It is important to note that Moses is a Yup’ik Eskimo from this part of Alaska. As we walked, people would stop to say CAMA’I (chama-I or hello) to Moses. It seemed like Moses had a cousin every quarter mile. Hanging around with this guy is a good way to meet people.
We found the river and the port and though there were no big ships in port, there was plenty to look at. We saw guys loading big barrels of gasoline into their boats to take back to their villages because the price of gas in the village is around $11.00 per gallon. We noticed too that the Kuskokwim River is greatly affected by the tides of the Bearing Sea, which is some 70 miles down stream.
On our way back to the dorm, Virginia spotted a small sign on the side of a house. The sign said “Albright, K.” and nothing else. She said to Moses “Hey Moe, I wonder if that’s your Aunt’s house.” Moses got very excited and they went to the door to ask if this was the home his Great Aunt Katie Albright. It was! The two went inside and immediately Virginia came back out to invite Darren and me inside. Game for anything he and I gladly accepted the invitation and went inside to meet Moses’ family.
Aunt Katie shook our hand and welcomed us warmly. Moses’ cousin David, the man of the house, greeted us and made us feel welcome as well. Darren and I kind of stood around as Moses and Katie chatted in Yup’ik. When it seemed like we were about to leave Katie invited us to stay and have tea. It was obvious that Moses really wanted to stay so he could visit with his aunt and we felt very welcome so we said yes to tea. Katie is 83 years of age and she likes to share her culture with the cussuks (Cossacks or white people) that she meets. After the tea was poured she scurried over the refrigerator and got out a bowl to bring to the table. She said that it is important for us cussuks to learn to eat like Eskimos so we don’t starve in the winter. The bowl contained Eskimo Ice Cream called Akutaq (AH-koo-TOK). This is the stuff of legends. The travel channel guy from that bizarre foods show had it. If I remember correctly, the ingredients are: Salmon Berries, Black Berries, Sugar, Crisco, and a smidgen of fish oil. I may be wrong on these so don’t sue me. Anyhow, it was very, very good. Since it is mostly berries, the Crisco and fish oil were barely noticeable. It tasted great and left your palate clean with only a little tartness from the Black Berries.
Katie told us about the conditions of life during her youth and how school was when she was a kid. Moses and Virginia later told us that she did that so that we might have some insight to the negative attitudes that some elders have towards school. After Katie described her life in the sod house of the old days she made it quite clear that she greatly preferred to live in her modern house with its electric lights and stove that requires no wood. She is quite happy to live like a cussuk and she is enjoying her life tremendously.
I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to share tea, dessert, and conversation with this Yup’ik Elder, Katie Albright. If I am lucky, I will have this opportunity again and again. My only regret is that I forgot to bring my camera on this walk. Oh well, maybe next time.
The airplane was supposed to arrive around 9:30 a.m., when in fact it arrived at 10:00. It was supposed to have enough seats to accommodate around five passengers from Atmautluak when in fact there were only enough seats for three. The boxes that Pam sent UPS were supposed to be delivered around August 2nd when in fact they are still in the hanger at Arctic Circle Air and will now be delivered around Friday the 10th. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. This is the way it is here and I have to get used to it.
As soon as I arrived in Bethel and found the Dorm where I would be staying, I set out to see the town. Bethel is spread out all over the place. All of the roads that I have seen are dirt and only a few have boardwalks that follow them. Most of the time people walk along the side of the roads. There is a massive project underway to pave the main drag through Bethel which will do much to reduce the mud problem.
After dinner tonight, I mentioned going for a walk and a couple of my fellow teachers thought it was a good idea so we did. Before I continue with this story I should introduce my companions. My next door neighbor in Atmautluak and fellow teacher, Virginia and her husband Moses; Darren, a new teacher from Oregon and I all decided to find the Kuskokwim River to see if there were any big ships at the docks. It is important to note that Moses is a Yup’ik Eskimo from this part of Alaska. As we walked, people would stop to say CAMA’I (chama-I or hello) to Moses. It seemed like Moses had a cousin every quarter mile. Hanging around with this guy is a good way to meet people.
We found the river and the port and though there were no big ships in port, there was plenty to look at. We saw guys loading big barrels of gasoline into their boats to take back to their villages because the price of gas in the village is around $11.00 per gallon. We noticed too that the Kuskokwim River is greatly affected by the tides of the Bearing Sea, which is some 70 miles down stream.
On our way back to the dorm, Virginia spotted a small sign on the side of a house. The sign said “Albright, K.” and nothing else. She said to Moses “Hey Moe, I wonder if that’s your Aunt’s house.” Moses got very excited and they went to the door to ask if this was the home his Great Aunt Katie Albright. It was! The two went inside and immediately Virginia came back out to invite Darren and me inside. Game for anything he and I gladly accepted the invitation and went inside to meet Moses’ family.
Aunt Katie shook our hand and welcomed us warmly. Moses’ cousin David, the man of the house, greeted us and made us feel welcome as well. Darren and I kind of stood around as Moses and Katie chatted in Yup’ik. When it seemed like we were about to leave Katie invited us to stay and have tea. It was obvious that Moses really wanted to stay so he could visit with his aunt and we felt very welcome so we said yes to tea. Katie is 83 years of age and she likes to share her culture with the cussuks (Cossacks or white people) that she meets. After the tea was poured she scurried over the refrigerator and got out a bowl to bring to the table. She said that it is important for us cussuks to learn to eat like Eskimos so we don’t starve in the winter. The bowl contained Eskimo Ice Cream called Akutaq (AH-koo-TOK). This is the stuff of legends. The travel channel guy from that bizarre foods show had it. If I remember correctly, the ingredients are: Salmon Berries, Black Berries, Sugar, Crisco, and a smidgen of fish oil. I may be wrong on these so don’t sue me. Anyhow, it was very, very good. Since it is mostly berries, the Crisco and fish oil were barely noticeable. It tasted great and left your palate clean with only a little tartness from the Black Berries.
Katie told us about the conditions of life during her youth and how school was when she was a kid. Moses and Virginia later told us that she did that so that we might have some insight to the negative attitudes that some elders have towards school. After Katie described her life in the sod house of the old days she made it quite clear that she greatly preferred to live in her modern house with its electric lights and stove that requires no wood. She is quite happy to live like a cussuk and she is enjoying her life tremendously.
I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to share tea, dessert, and conversation with this Yup’ik Elder, Katie Albright. If I am lucky, I will have this opportunity again and again. My only regret is that I forgot to bring my camera on this walk. Oh well, maybe next time.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Crap!
Still no pictures guys, sorry. I'll have to work on it when I get back to Atmautluak.
When I get some time I have some pretty cool stories to tell you about the food and the people, so hang in there.
When I get some time I have some pretty cool stories to tell you about the food and the people, so hang in there.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Happy Birthday to Me!
August 6th 2007
Happy Birthday to me! Also the 62nd anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, I think.
What a good birthday! I got to talk to my sweetheart and two of my boxes came in the mail. I also got messages on face book from a bunch of my friends but I can’t access face book through the school’s server. I’ll have to work on that.
I though I had the picture posting thing figured out but no such luck. Sorry, I'll keep trying.
I go to Bethel for training tomorrow so there may not be any new entries for a few days. Maybe by then I'll have this picture posting thing figured out.
Goodbye for now.
Happy Birthday to me! Also the 62nd anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, I think.
What a good birthday! I got to talk to my sweetheart and two of my boxes came in the mail. I also got messages on face book from a bunch of my friends but I can’t access face book through the school’s server. I’ll have to work on that.
I though I had the picture posting thing figured out but no such luck. Sorry, I'll keep trying.
I go to Bethel for training tomorrow so there may not be any new entries for a few days. Maybe by then I'll have this picture posting thing figured out.
Goodbye for now.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
The Challenges of Relocating
August 3rd 2007
It dawned on me how large a mistake I made by not following my plan. By not getting my boxes mailed out earlier, I had nothing to unpack and set up nor did I have any food standing by. I still have four days before anything happens so I guess I’ll just hang out and watch the locals.
I went for a walk around the village last night at around 8:00. Since there was still four hours of daylight left in the day I figured that I might as well make use of them. There is one main gravel road here that goes to the airstrip and the rest are boardwalks. If I had to guess, I would guess that there is somewhere around two miles of boardwalk in the Village of Atmautluak. These are more than walkways though; they serve as racetrack for four wheelers and bicycles and as playground and jogging track. The boardwalks connect to each house in town and there is a wider part, like a drive way or parking pad for the resident’s four wheeler.
The houses are on stilts of various sorts but all are about three or more feet off of the ground. I guess this is so the heat from the house will not thaw the permafrost. The “yard” between the houses is probably three times that of the typical suburban neighborhood. Most homes had a fish drying shelter and a walk-in smoke house. There seemed to be a boat or two, a snowmobile or two, and a four wheeler or two per household. A few homes had those six wheeled amphibious vehicles in the yard as well. I also saw cars and trucks. They looked mostly like junk vehicles but it is possible that they are used after the ground freezes.
I slept pretty well last night. I decided to sleep on the couch because I like them better than beds. Since Pam is not here to make me come to bed I didn’t. Besides, the couch is much cozier than the bed. I discovered that I need a night light in the bathroom.
I have failed to describe my new home for you. Hot pink, is all I can say. The majority of the living room and adjacent kitchen is a very fun pink color. My guess is that the previous resident, Susan Haas (she left a bunch of stuff behind is how I know her name), wanted to end the boredom of plain white walls and her apartment her way. I’m good with that. I’m good because I don’t get excited about painting and have no desire to give the place a new color.
The layout of the place is like two single wide mobile homes side-by-side with a common roof. My side is long and narrow with the kitchen toward the entry and the bedroom at the opposite end. These are simple, functional accommodations with no frills. I am happy to report that I have running water, a flush toilet, a shower, and a washer / dryer set. The heat is fuel oil and the stove is electric. I don’t have and air conditioner for obvious reasons.
Since I have been here, the temperature has been in the mid sixties during the day and the high fifties at night. It has rained off and on since Bethel and I don’t think it will quit until it freezes.
The kids here play wherever they want for as long as they want. I was pouring down rain and these three little boys were outside playing in t-shirts like nothing was happening. There must be hardy people.
I talked to my wife today! Boy, do I ever feel better! I also learned that my first shipment was delivered, but not to me. Someone named Raymond T. signed for it so I went looking for Raymond T. I spoke with the construction workers, the proprietors at the local stores, the Post Master, and anyone else who would listen but no Raymond T. So I called the UPS Store in Bethel and spoke with a lady who knew absolutely nothing. I’ll try again tomorrow with a fellow named John at the UPS Store; he is supposed to know something according to the ladies who did not. On the bright side, I got to meet a lot of people today.
It dawned on me how large a mistake I made by not following my plan. By not getting my boxes mailed out earlier, I had nothing to unpack and set up nor did I have any food standing by. I still have four days before anything happens so I guess I’ll just hang out and watch the locals.
I went for a walk around the village last night at around 8:00. Since there was still four hours of daylight left in the day I figured that I might as well make use of them. There is one main gravel road here that goes to the airstrip and the rest are boardwalks. If I had to guess, I would guess that there is somewhere around two miles of boardwalk in the Village of Atmautluak. These are more than walkways though; they serve as racetrack for four wheelers and bicycles and as playground and jogging track. The boardwalks connect to each house in town and there is a wider part, like a drive way or parking pad for the resident’s four wheeler.
The houses are on stilts of various sorts but all are about three or more feet off of the ground. I guess this is so the heat from the house will not thaw the permafrost. The “yard” between the houses is probably three times that of the typical suburban neighborhood. Most homes had a fish drying shelter and a walk-in smoke house. There seemed to be a boat or two, a snowmobile or two, and a four wheeler or two per household. A few homes had those six wheeled amphibious vehicles in the yard as well. I also saw cars and trucks. They looked mostly like junk vehicles but it is possible that they are used after the ground freezes.
I slept pretty well last night. I decided to sleep on the couch because I like them better than beds. Since Pam is not here to make me come to bed I didn’t. Besides, the couch is much cozier than the bed. I discovered that I need a night light in the bathroom.
I have failed to describe my new home for you. Hot pink, is all I can say. The majority of the living room and adjacent kitchen is a very fun pink color. My guess is that the previous resident, Susan Haas (she left a bunch of stuff behind is how I know her name), wanted to end the boredom of plain white walls and her apartment her way. I’m good with that. I’m good because I don’t get excited about painting and have no desire to give the place a new color.
The layout of the place is like two single wide mobile homes side-by-side with a common roof. My side is long and narrow with the kitchen toward the entry and the bedroom at the opposite end. These are simple, functional accommodations with no frills. I am happy to report that I have running water, a flush toilet, a shower, and a washer / dryer set. The heat is fuel oil and the stove is electric. I don’t have and air conditioner for obvious reasons.
Since I have been here, the temperature has been in the mid sixties during the day and the high fifties at night. It has rained off and on since Bethel and I don’t think it will quit until it freezes.
The kids here play wherever they want for as long as they want. I was pouring down rain and these three little boys were outside playing in t-shirts like nothing was happening. There must be hardy people.
I talked to my wife today! Boy, do I ever feel better! I also learned that my first shipment was delivered, but not to me. Someone named Raymond T. signed for it so I went looking for Raymond T. I spoke with the construction workers, the proprietors at the local stores, the Post Master, and anyone else who would listen but no Raymond T. So I called the UPS Store in Bethel and spoke with a lady who knew absolutely nothing. I’ll try again tomorrow with a fellow named John at the UPS Store; he is supposed to know something according to the ladies who did not. On the bright side, I got to meet a lot of people today.
The Trip
August 2nd 2007: The trip to Atmautluak, Alaska.
Let me first confess that I already miss my wife, Pam. I want to call home but, as suspected, no cell phone service and no land line in my apartment. I have not felt this feeling for a long time; lonely.
My trip started yesterday, August 1st late in the afternoon. We said our goodbyes and parted ways. It seemed weird though, because it was unceremonious. We exchanged hugs, Pam and I kissed a few times, and I wandered off. It seems like it should have been different somehow, but I don’t know how.
The flight to Chicago was typical, crowded and short. Still, it was better than driving to O’Hare airport. My flight from Chicago to Anchorage was long but better. The airplane was filled to capacity because Alaska Air stranded a bunch of people and had to put them on our plane. Families and groups were scattered all over the aircraft. Kids of all ages were without the direct supervision of their parents.
The passengers in my row were two such children. Mary looked nervously out of place when I sat down. There was a seat between us so I didn’t press getting acquainted. The plane was almost full and I was beginning to think that the seat between us would remain comfortably empty. Just then, a very large family of small boys boarded and away went our spacious accommodations. The center seat was taken up by Mitchell, a nine year old boy from the Seattle area. He, like Mary, looked very unsure of these travel arrangements.
Shortly after getting airborne, Mary started to break the ice with Mitchell. We soon learned that Mary is the oldest of four children and she is due to start the Seventh Grade in a Christian School in Anchorage. It didn’t take long to find out that Mary is also hopelessly horse crazy and plans to become a Large Animal Veterinarian.
Mitchell is not horse crazy. He is a typical nine year old boy from the suburbs. He plays baseball and is a WEBLOS Scout. Like Mary, he is the oldest child in his large family. I lost track of all of his siblings but, there must be a bunch of them.
We landed at about 11:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time (AST) which is 3:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). The sun had not yet set when we exited the aircraft. I was torn between finding a quiet corner in the airport and curling up for the night or getting a hotel. I called around to several hotels and few rooms were to be had and each one was pretty expensive. I decided to stay in the airport because the cheapest room was $150. Then, I looked at my flight itinerary for my trip to Bethel. My flight didn’t leave until 11:53 a.m. That is twelve hours from now, I thought to myself. So I ended up getting a room.
The room was a small old Best Western room; nothing special and definitely not worth $150! The shower and the bed did feel good, but still not for that kind of money. When I walked out of my room the next morning, I saw Lake Hood and it was packed full of float planes. I was in awe at the sight. I walked about half way around the lake checking out all of the different float planes and then I saw the mountains in the background. The dark overcast sky with low slung clouds and snow capped peaks made the money I spent the night before worth every penny.
I found my way back to the airport in Anchorage to start the next leg of my journey, to Bethel and then Atmautluak. I got to the airport about two hours early, so I got some breakfast and looked at the Native Art Exhibits and dead animals on display. When I finally found gate C-9 I also found about twenty five Eskimo kids and their escorts. They were returning from something called ANSWER Camp. I will have to find out more on this camp but, it has to do with getting Alaska’s native children to meet and interact with Natives from all over the state. These were twelve and thirteen year old kids and boy, did they act like it. They were just like kids of that age anywhere on the planet.
I noticed something important about those Eskimos in the airport that made me worry a little. They were wearing a lot more clothing than I was. I knew that I was under dressed but my t-shirt and long sleeved shirt nothing compared to their winter coats. I brought a winter coat with me but it was checked in with my suitcase. I thought to myself, it’s too late now, I guess this will be a painful lesson.
All of those people who warned me about the culture shock that would come with a visit to this part of the world were and are right. Bethel is like a third world country right here in the USA. I am not going to say more about it because I don’t want to form a premature opinion Bethel. I met a fellow Atmautluak teacher Virginia and her husband Moses in the airport; that was nice.
As we made our final approach to Atmautluak, I recognized it instantly from all of the computer reconnaissance and research that I did earlier. By now it was raining and had cooled off some. I half expected to walk to the village from the airstrip, dragging my bags behind me, but it was not to be. Owen and Buster were waiting for us. They had four-wheelers with trailers so we were able to ride right to our door step.
My apartment was waiting for me as promised. It was a welcome sight. What were not waiting for me were the totes that Pam shipped earlier. No tote means no food or rain gear or toilet paper. Since I brought no food with me and since there are no restaurants in the village, I would have to buy some food at one of the two local stores. The following is a list of what I bought:
• Charmin Ultra – 4 rolls $5.95
• Distilled Water – 1 g. $6.74
• Chili Cheese Fritos $5.29
• Sardines – 2 cans $1.69 each
• Kipper Snacks $2.49
• Roast Beef Hash $3.93
• Tax $0.83
o Total $28.61
The item that killed me most was the distilled water. The last I knew, distilled water costs about 75 cents at the grocery store. I will not last long with these prices.
I ate some the hash and some Fritos as I was writing this. That hash is the worst thing I have ever eaten! I am going to put on some boots and a jacket and explore this town. I am kind of tired and I would like to rest but, I didn’t bring any movies or music with me and this apartment is very quiet, too quiet. More later.
Let me first confess that I already miss my wife, Pam. I want to call home but, as suspected, no cell phone service and no land line in my apartment. I have not felt this feeling for a long time; lonely.
My trip started yesterday, August 1st late in the afternoon. We said our goodbyes and parted ways. It seemed weird though, because it was unceremonious. We exchanged hugs, Pam and I kissed a few times, and I wandered off. It seems like it should have been different somehow, but I don’t know how.
The flight to Chicago was typical, crowded and short. Still, it was better than driving to O’Hare airport. My flight from Chicago to Anchorage was long but better. The airplane was filled to capacity because Alaska Air stranded a bunch of people and had to put them on our plane. Families and groups were scattered all over the aircraft. Kids of all ages were without the direct supervision of their parents.
The passengers in my row were two such children. Mary looked nervously out of place when I sat down. There was a seat between us so I didn’t press getting acquainted. The plane was almost full and I was beginning to think that the seat between us would remain comfortably empty. Just then, a very large family of small boys boarded and away went our spacious accommodations. The center seat was taken up by Mitchell, a nine year old boy from the Seattle area. He, like Mary, looked very unsure of these travel arrangements.
Shortly after getting airborne, Mary started to break the ice with Mitchell. We soon learned that Mary is the oldest of four children and she is due to start the Seventh Grade in a Christian School in Anchorage. It didn’t take long to find out that Mary is also hopelessly horse crazy and plans to become a Large Animal Veterinarian.
Mitchell is not horse crazy. He is a typical nine year old boy from the suburbs. He plays baseball and is a WEBLOS Scout. Like Mary, he is the oldest child in his large family. I lost track of all of his siblings but, there must be a bunch of them.
We landed at about 11:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time (AST) which is 3:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). The sun had not yet set when we exited the aircraft. I was torn between finding a quiet corner in the airport and curling up for the night or getting a hotel. I called around to several hotels and few rooms were to be had and each one was pretty expensive. I decided to stay in the airport because the cheapest room was $150. Then, I looked at my flight itinerary for my trip to Bethel. My flight didn’t leave until 11:53 a.m. That is twelve hours from now, I thought to myself. So I ended up getting a room.
The room was a small old Best Western room; nothing special and definitely not worth $150! The shower and the bed did feel good, but still not for that kind of money. When I walked out of my room the next morning, I saw Lake Hood and it was packed full of float planes. I was in awe at the sight. I walked about half way around the lake checking out all of the different float planes and then I saw the mountains in the background. The dark overcast sky with low slung clouds and snow capped peaks made the money I spent the night before worth every penny.
I found my way back to the airport in Anchorage to start the next leg of my journey, to Bethel and then Atmautluak. I got to the airport about two hours early, so I got some breakfast and looked at the Native Art Exhibits and dead animals on display. When I finally found gate C-9 I also found about twenty five Eskimo kids and their escorts. They were returning from something called ANSWER Camp. I will have to find out more on this camp but, it has to do with getting Alaska’s native children to meet and interact with Natives from all over the state. These were twelve and thirteen year old kids and boy, did they act like it. They were just like kids of that age anywhere on the planet.
I noticed something important about those Eskimos in the airport that made me worry a little. They were wearing a lot more clothing than I was. I knew that I was under dressed but my t-shirt and long sleeved shirt nothing compared to their winter coats. I brought a winter coat with me but it was checked in with my suitcase. I thought to myself, it’s too late now, I guess this will be a painful lesson.
All of those people who warned me about the culture shock that would come with a visit to this part of the world were and are right. Bethel is like a third world country right here in the USA. I am not going to say more about it because I don’t want to form a premature opinion Bethel. I met a fellow Atmautluak teacher Virginia and her husband Moses in the airport; that was nice.
As we made our final approach to Atmautluak, I recognized it instantly from all of the computer reconnaissance and research that I did earlier. By now it was raining and had cooled off some. I half expected to walk to the village from the airstrip, dragging my bags behind me, but it was not to be. Owen and Buster were waiting for us. They had four-wheelers with trailers so we were able to ride right to our door step.
My apartment was waiting for me as promised. It was a welcome sight. What were not waiting for me were the totes that Pam shipped earlier. No tote means no food or rain gear or toilet paper. Since I brought no food with me and since there are no restaurants in the village, I would have to buy some food at one of the two local stores. The following is a list of what I bought:
• Charmin Ultra – 4 rolls $5.95
• Distilled Water – 1 g. $6.74
• Chili Cheese Fritos $5.29
• Sardines – 2 cans $1.69 each
• Kipper Snacks $2.49
• Roast Beef Hash $3.93
• Tax $0.83
o Total $28.61
The item that killed me most was the distilled water. The last I knew, distilled water costs about 75 cents at the grocery store. I will not last long with these prices.
I ate some the hash and some Fritos as I was writing this. That hash is the worst thing I have ever eaten! I am going to put on some boots and a jacket and explore this town. I am kind of tired and I would like to rest but, I didn’t bring any movies or music with me and this apartment is very quiet, too quiet. More later.
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