SNOW!!!

When I returned from Anchorage, I was welcomed by a fresh blanket of snow on the tundra. I have always liked the snow and cold so the sight of snow is comforting to me. I am going to try to do a little Cross Country Skiing this weekend. I am still weak so I don't think I will last very long. I have been getting a little exercise in the school gym a few nights a week in an attempt to increase my stamina.
The river is frozen and that means that I can ski, walk, or snowmobile out of the village. I can't wait until I'm strong enough to escape for a little while.
I got to do a little fishing through the ice last week. I went for a walk around the village and saw some folks fishing so I went to say hi and be nosey. One of the fishermen was one of our Yup'ik teachers and she was cold. She said "Hi Jerry. Here, catch some Pike. I'm cold." and she walked home. She had given me her fishing gear as she passed. I wasn't really dressed for ice fishing but I found a hole and started fishing. One of the other fellows on the ice was my colleague's brother. He chatted me up and shared some advice about how Eskimos do it.
As with everything else in the Yup'ik world, the fishing gear is basic and simple. No Tip-Ups, no miniature rods with tiny reels, and no depth finders. The gear is a stick about a foot and a half long with heavy cloth fishing line, a steel leader with a big jig on the end, and some fish gut on the hook. I love it! No sportsman toys to feed the ego are needed here because their fish aren't impressed.
I got to participate in another significant cultural event recently; a funeral. On of the men passed away from cancer. He was only 60 years old and well liked by the people. As you can imagine, there are no funeral homes here. Most often, the body of the deceased is returned to the home for viewing and grieving. I didn't know the man in life, but as a part of the community, I was expected to pay my respects to the family. I always get a little weirded out about seeing dead bodies. To me, it is not beneficial to the process of creating happy memories so I hate to do it. Luckily, one of my fellow teachers suggested that we go together so we did. It was an uneasy event but I survived it. The funeral was the next day and school was let out early and everyone was expected to attend that too. The deceased was a Moravian Christian. The service was all in Yup'ik and lasted two full hours. It was torture. I don't know what the minister said to send this fellow off, but it sure seemed proper to me. I didn't go to the grave side service because I was way under dressed for the weather (but I looked great!) and I had had enough Yup'ik praying and singing for one day. I hope my next cultural experience is a happy one.