10 months in.....

I can't believe we have been here for 10 months already.  It seems that yesterday we were sitting on the deck, basking in the sun, and planning a trip to the beach.  The Atlantic seems so far away.....more than the miles, it is the weather, the darkness of winter, and the different culture that we live in.  Yes, things are relaxed here in Alaska. We joke about "village time" which seems to start after noon and is usually about a half an hour later.  (If they say 10 am they really mean 11 am.) Folks here don't worry so much about the latest fashion, hairstyles, makeup, nails, and designer shoes. The worry is centered on getting oil or wood for heat and, as of late, how close the wolves are to the village.

Priorities are not the same as in the lower 48 and sometimes I find myself not even caring about what is going on in the world outside of our circle of life.  The news becomes an afterthought. Facebook is more for entertainment and games.  Movies become a big part of how you spend your evenings.  More than any of that, I have found that I have changed quite a bit with this experience.  I struggle sometimes with the lack of anywhere to go and that I cannot walk around barefoot everywhere.  I miss the warm sun and I miss humid breezes.  I miss always having something to do and somewhere to be. The focal point of life here becomes (for us) what happens in our 8 walls:  the store and at home.   I am not complaining, it is really just a fact of where we are, it changes you.  It makes you see the world differently.  On the other side of this coin I have become more outgoing, happier with who I am, have found the ability to make friends quickly, and I have strength for change that I never knew I had.  The positives far outweigh the negatives in this situation.  I like being out here.  I like how the air smells.  I like the people I have become close to and others that I just see everyday.  I love watching the NAC freighter take off after a delivery, and I love the fact that a lot of people here just seem to think we belong.

It is not postcard Alaska with grand mountains and glaciers.  It is the tundra with scrub trees and small mountains.  But for us, it is our postcard and  we want to stay.  We have found a place where we are comfortable and feels like home.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.....

Christmas has come and gone in Aniak!  It was wonderful to see snow and feel the cold chill of the air during  Christmas instead of wearing shorts and sandals!
We celebrated our holiday in our normal fashion: a tree with no ornaments- just lights- because we have a puppy in the house.  Gifts given and received. We even had some of our dear friends over for a wonderful holiday feast!

One of the fun parts of our Christmas this year is that we gave gifts to each other purchased only locally at our store in Aniak.  It was a challenge to see what things to buy for each other considering we know all of the products and items we have!  One of the things I bought for Mark was a fur hat that is locally called a mulahai or mulakai.  It was made by a woman from Grayling, AK who is one of the best at skin sewing in the Kusko delta.  I was also able to buy him some clothing and other fun items such as ear protectors to muffle the sound from the gun and also gun cleaning tools.
I received a beautiful fur purse and other fun items!

Just when we were winding down from our Christmas.....New Years came upon us.  Traditionally in our village on New Years Eve there are fireworks and then at midnight people go out into their yards and shoot their guns into the air for about a half an hour or so.  New Years is a cause for great celebration and shooting guns is one of the ways that they show it!  Luckily no one was injured and only one person shot their power lines down which was cause for a lot of ribbing from the rest of the folks!

As long as the holiday season is in the lower 48, the season here is longer.  January 7th began the celebration of Russian Orthodox Christmas.  During their Christmas season they have a tradition called starring.  Starring consists of starting out with a church service at the Orthodox church. Then a group of carolers travel to designated houses with their Christmas Star and Star bearers to sing songs in English, Russian, and Yupik.  When the carolers are there, they bless the house and before they depart to the next destination they are given food, candy or gifts.  The traditional gifts they are given are usually soap, towels, gloves, razors, socks, scarves, bandanas or any type of home item.  We were pleased to welcome the group into our store for the singing, blessing, and we gave out hard candy and soap to all who came to (what they call) Slaviq.  Slaviq takes about 5 - 7 days to complete and on the 14th of January they celebrated their New Year.  Not so many gunshots this time, but shots nonetheless.

The holiday is season is over.  We had a wonderful time. I learned how to say Merry Christmas/Happy New Year in Yupik (it sounds like brazniga) and I met many new people from other villages I would not have met otherwise.  It was a joy to be a part of a native tradition that is looked forward to and delighted in each year in our village.

Beth and I were thinking at the exact same time tonight that we needed to update our blog.  WOW!!  My mother frequently reminds me that an update would be nice and quite recently Beth's mother also queried about a new post. So, without further ado...

We are definitely in the throes of winter.  While we have seen as low as -29 degrees so far, today hit a sultry 35 degrees above zero! Unfortunately, the wind has been blowing quite hard, and with the snow, we have been under white-out conditions much of the day.  Fortunately, our home is across the parking lot from the store so cold or wind or snow really should not affect us so much.

The bigger problem, is that with winter weather, we become quite the arid climate.  Now, do not be fooled.  We are not a frozen tundra here in Aniak.  We are on an island, for Pete's sake, surrounded comfortably by the Kuskokwim and Aniak Rivers.  But we are definitely dry and with cold, dry temperatures...ITCHY!!  We moisturize (as one friend phrases it) but there are times it seems to be little help.  Pant pockets rub against thighs.  Socks rub against shins.  Long sleeves rub against forearms.  Do not even get me started on my back!  After living in coastal North Carolina for four years I never thought I would long for humidity, but...must...stop...scratching!

Weather is a big factor up here but it impacts differently than what we have been used to in the lower forty-eight.  Our store sells four-wheeler's and snow machines (not called snow mobiles here).  When we have one delivered by plane I must pick it up at the airport.  Since I did not ride either of these every where I went in the lower forty-eight, my skills are, well, less than up to par.  The locals find it quite humorous when they see my riding one.

Fur is quite acceptable up here.  If you are seen about town sporting anything with fur you are considered practical and comfortable.  No one is apt to throw paint all over you.  Beth is currently the proud owner of a beaver hat, seal mittens and some wolf/beaver/rabbit boots (though she did pass those on to our daughter Miranda...more on her later).  A local is currently making beaver mittens for Beth for when she goes snow machining.  The winter hat I sport I bought while still in North Carolina and looks like it came out of the movie "Grumpy Old Men".

Alaska is unique in its heritage.  Part Eskimo(yu'pik here) and part Russian.  The names associated with this area are...fun.  How about these first names?
Seraphine
Olinka
Goosma
Agrafenia
Darcilla
Crim.
Just to name a few.  Last names range from simple American sounding names to fun sounding Russian names.

We are just having a blast up here.  More later.  Thanks for following.

Mark

What Does It Mean In Aniak?

Our daughter, Miranda, has announced her impressive quest to learn additional languages (in addition to Spanish and Latin).  But I think that Beth and I have her beat.  We are still trying to master native Alaskan!  Of course, I do not mean Yu'pik.  That is a language spoken by a few of the locals and sounds a lot like a cross between German and...something else.  Many people worldwide have the impression that all Alaskans probably sound like Sarah Palin, but in reality, that sounds more Minnesotan.  The locals here in Aniak and surrounding ares speak with an accent that sounds a little northern plains and a little Asian.

Now, we all have our way to say certain things.  But let me educate ya'll (did you like that one?) on some of the interesting ways that folks in the YK delta (Yukon-Kuskokwim) say it...

The Kuskokwim River with snow on the Russian Mtns in summer

We had an employee that did not show up for work one day, and while that is not real strange in and of itself, his brother showed up at the store the next day and told us our employee was on vacation!  WHAT?!?  
Now, I had heard that one before...Oh yeah, there was the business owner who had just returned from "vacation" just before we had arrived here in Aniak.  Now I remember..."vacation" means you are in jail!  So now I need to be careful when I ask Beth where she might like to go for vacation next year.  I do not want her to get the wrong impression.

I had never heard this next one before but it kind of makes sense:  "Can I get a half-rack?"  I always thought that was in reference to baby back pork ribs but here it refers to a twelve pack.  Or how about "I will trade you a jug for...".  Of course that one unfortunately refers to a bottle of R & R whiskey.

But the best ones I have been exposed to a lot recently have taken me a while to figure out.  These two really go together and sometimes you might even hear them uttered back-to-back.  "Where you are going?"  and "What you are doing?"  Try saying those two with that slight northern plains mixed with Asian.  Short tangent here...

I had the misfortune of taking second semester sophomore English in high school due to bringing home a D from the first attempt.  I think my parents were a little surprised by my lack of understanding the only language that was spoken in our home. But, I, even I, understand that something is amiss in the way these questions are phrased.

No, I am not moose hunting...I do not need the meat.

Now, just so you understand, lately those two questions are followed by "moose hunting" and "up the Aniak".  So at least everyone understands the question even though they re phrased a little strangely.

Lastly, the village favorite is still what follows after you have teased someone..."I joke, I lie".

No joke...that is snow on the Russian Mtns!!!

We are becoming multilingual in Aniak, Alaska!

What's going on in your town?

I think one of the best ways to get to know your town, city, or village is to pay attention to the community bulletin boards that are available in entry ways and common areas.  You can really see what is going on for the community, what is for sale, what is lost, what is found, and what matters to the general population.

At our store we have such a board.  Anyone can come in and post whatever they deem important.  It is common to see one, two, even four people standing there reading all the notices.  I find it interesting and I thought I would share some of the notices with you......

Remember to just bring CASH to Bingo!

We do not have 911 service in our village, we have these long phone numbers instead

Iditarod or Bust!   Don't hear that one too often!  I hope he makes it there!

Recycling is important....even way out here!



Next time you come across a community board, take time to look, you may be surprised at how much it tells about the community in which you live!

Beth

4 months in.....

Our village 4th of July celebration

Sometimes it seems as if we have been here for years, other times it is as if we just arrived.  When we first stepped foot in this village, winter was still upon us.  We have experienced break up, spring, the very short summer season (people still wear hats, coats, and occasionally gloves) and now we are noticing the midnight sun is not so bright anymore.

Through sad circumstances we have been offered the opportunity to stay in this Village and manage the store.  I am thrilled to have been promoted, thrilled for the chance to make an impact, sad for how it came about.  One of our training managers passed away unexpectedly.  It is hard to feel joy when the opportunity is linked with sorrow.

Miranda and the Atlantic

I have noticed that I do not feel so homesick. I do miss the ocean and the salty breezes.  I also feel the tug of missing my daughter and wanting to still be the constant parent.  I know she is grown up, on her own, and happy.  I miss being a mom with that daily presence in her life.

One of the things that has made staying more permanent is Mark and I are batting around the idea of getting a puppy.  A village mutt that will help us set down some roots and feel more at home.  It is easy to forget that the rest of the world still exists outside of the village.  Everything here is so contained and so small.  The road only goes so far, you are going to see the same people everyday no matter what, and these are the people that will stand by anyone in the village when the chips fall.

New hat for winter

 Most of the chatter these days is about fishing, berry picking, weddings, upcoming births, and memorial feeds. It has been interesting to see the folks work towards getting ready for winter: smoking fish, canning fish and berries. The focus of life here is different than where we are from. It is about food for winter, warmth for the season, and family ties.  It is easy to be unconcerned about what is happening in the lower 48 and to forget to read the news.  I keep thinking that I should get to town (Anchorage) for a couple of days, but the idea falls by the wayside with life here.  I do not miss the traffic, police sirens, and large amounts of people.  Go figure, the only things I really miss from town are good cheeseburgers and iced coffee.

I like the village life. I like the quietness of the evening.  I like the sound of the howling sled dogs down the way as night sets on.  I like seeing the same folks everyday.  I have come out of my shell and have become someone I used to know, talkative, friendly, caring, and happy.  So, welcome home and welcome back Beth!

 

Yakutat and Beyond

Yakutat is NOTHING at all like Aniak.  Where Aniak is 2/3 native (and that is Yup'ik/Athabascan), Yakutat is only 1/3 native (Tlingit).  Here in the town of Yakutat the roads are paved.  And in the borough of Yakutat we could actually drive up to 30 miles away on a pretty decent gravel road.  There is some subsistence living here but not to the same extent as in Aniak.

Beth checking the view on the 30 mile gravel road

Yakutat seems to be a little bit more of a tourist attraction.  We have met folks from Washington, Idaho and California who are up here for the fishing.  Halibut are a big draw out on Yakutat Bay and into the Gulf of Alaska.  Trolling in the bay will net plenty of sockeye, some reds and very, very few kings.  The king population seems to be rather scarce due to either over fishing or just late arrival (perhaps they are on a different schedule this year).

The work for Beth and I has been going fine.  It is definitely different here in the big "city" as compared to out "in the bush" but we are adapting here after our first week and have a little less than two weeks left in Yakutat.

It is the exploring of this area that really has us excited.  We have been over to the Gulf of Alaska to watch some of the best surfing waves on the Pacific Ocean.

Also out by the beach, we have been in awe as we watched a small group of eagles soaring from the tall pine trees out over the water.  

Mark on the bridge over the Anuak Salt-chucks
Salt-chucks have been a fascinating sight and have captured our attention much the same we were enthralled with the salt marshes of coastal North Carolina.  

Best view ever...Harlequin Lake

Glacial ice is everything we heard it would be: majestic, blue and BIG.  The waters fed by these monstrosities have the most peculiar blue/green color.  The rivers are cold, clear and tasty and while not teeming with salmon, we are hopeful that we will see some before we depart this area.

Moose track

Wildlife is the only thing really missing from our short visit to SE Alaska...so far.  

Eagle talon track

We see traces of many animals but to date the only ground creature we have seen was a rabbit hopping across the road in front of us.  We will keep you posted when we finally see a bear.


Mark