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.