I'm BBaaacccCCCKKK!

BACK IN KONG! Finally made it back to Kong after a few days in Bethel! I was the co-pilot(didn't have my camera on me) on this cold, wet, windy day and it was actually a nice flight. MOST IMPORTANTLY 18 of my boxes arrived!!!!!! SOOO EXCITED- it is like Christmas for me right now!!!! Less than 10 more to come! Now I need to go unpack! 2 days of inservice, 1 day off and then school starts Monday! (AND my puppy comes tomorrow!)

Fiddle Free Fiddle Dance

Gallon of Milk= $8.89



Water... which is about 4.99 at home... is 23.99 here!!!! AT LEAST!



On the wobbly boardwalk (over sewage?) heading from the District Office back to my hotel



A raven above Dull Lake



A group of us at the Fiddle Dance


I hear that I need to update my page.... sooooo here goes. I hope I don't bore you... I have been in Bethel since Monday for more training. All 400(?) teachers in the LKSD district (The size of West Virginia) were brought to Bethel for this inservice. This is the first time in about 5 years that they have brought everyone in for an inservice. Not going to lie- I feel like I am sitting through college courses all over again at these inservices- but I have been learning at least.
I have learned some things about Alaska the past two weeks that I have been here- for example... Only in Alaska is the Assistant Superintendent also the chauffer for all employees. Buses and SUV's drive around bethel picking up teachers and dropping them off at the district office. Two days in a row our assistant superintendent picked me up- unexpected but nice. Also... only in Alaska is a there a Fiddle Dance without a fiddle. Last night we had a Fiddle Dance. I expected there to be a fiddle player and some great dancers for us to watch. Turns out there was a band (who didn't have a fiddle) and WE were the dancers. You can probably guess how that turned out for me. A few of us left early and went to the store to check out the outrageous prices. Check flickr for pictures ;)
Today... BIG stuff happened! SARAH PALIN's replacement came to talk (Sean Parnell). I was a little disappointed I didn't get to tell Sarah Palin hi like a lot of you asked me to do... but maybe another time. Tomorrow is an optional technology inservice which my village and a couple other villages have decided to stay for. We went out to eat tonight at a Chinese/Mexican/American restaurant called Shogun. Enough said.
I am supposed to head back to Kongiganak tomorrow- I hope the weather holds up. Some people didn't make it out tonight due to weather (it was cold, windy and rainy today). I get my dog on FRIDAY so I will post pics ASAP!

A Weekend in Kong!

--MMmmmMMMmm--

**HoneyBucket- be jealous*

HELLO AGAIN! I have been pretty busy doing a whole lot of nothing the past few days. I started working on my classroom but unfortunately everything I sent for my room has not arrived. Still only have food, clothes, toilet paper, and lights in my house. Luckily the secretary brought me a blanket so at least I'm not cold at night anymore :) Yesterday Garnet and I went outside attempting a walk to the post office and new school. We didn't make it far... it started with one little girl following us and ended with about 10 kids fighting for our attention... literally. They were really cute just didn't want to let us go. Garnet and I hid in school for a couple of hours and then went to my house to cook my fish! She has experience with fish (unlike me) so we buttered and put lemon pepper on my silver salmon and then baked it. DELICIOUS! We also made 2 loaves of cereal bread (I forgot I would need to bake bread out here if I wanted any). Tomorrow I head to Bethel again for more training!

FLICKR Photos

I finally did it! All of my photos thus far can be seen with short descriptions on Flickr. If you look to your right you will see where is says flickr photos and gives a link. Go to that if you want to see more!

WELCOME TO KONGiganak

-My School!-


-My new home... for more pictures check out my Flickr account when I post it-


--WOOOWEEE Fun times in the air!--



I made it to KONG!!!! We had our last day of training today... I was taught how to say Kongiganak -and yes Crissy, it really does sound like a sneeze... when you say it in Yupik. We learner a dance and some words of which I don't remember. At the end of training we got on a bus and headed to the airport. Each airline to the villages has its own little building. You just give them your bags and step on the scale then they load the plane up. Garnet, Mr. Daugaard and I were on a 4-seater plane with the pilot- YIKES! Not going to lie- was definitely nervous about this when we took off but it was fine. We were low enough that I could always see the ground and we even passed a couple of villages which was cool. When we landed a guy on his 4-wheeler (I already forget his name... this isn't good) took my bags and drove them down the boardwalk to my house... it was only a few minute to walk to. My house is actually decent sized... I have a brand new couch, brand new bed, and get this... A BRAND NEW HONEY BUCKET (which I still haven't used... probably the reason I am at school right now). Only 4 of my little priority mail boxes have arrived- O NO!!!!- so I decided to rearrange my classroom. This is how far I got. Instead of rearranging I am online talking and blogging. I am still working on my Flickr photos... by the time you read this tomorrow I may have some posted at last! ANYWAYYyyyyy... I don't know much else- moving in is hard to do when I don't have anything here but maybe tomorrow! O, also- I got a new cell phone- 907-444-0972. Call or TEXT anytime- unlimited texting for me :) Miss you all!

The CITY of Bethel

--a view of Bethel from above--


--My Silver Salmon... aka DINNER when I get to my village--


--Poor Guy--


--my fishing crew--





HELLO ALL!!!! I know it has been a few days but they have been busy! I am currently in Bethel... arrived Monday evening and I will head to my village tomorrow night (Thursday)!!! All 1st year teachers are currently in Bethel for 'cultural training'. I have met MANY new teachers- very nice! We have had a lot of fun :) Tuesday night we went on a fishing trip which was a blast. Four of us new teachers (Garnet- who will be teaching in my village with me, Mike, Eric and I) were on a boat with Captain Jeff! We traveled by river and slough (spelling?), passed a couple of villages on the way and finally found our spot about 30 minutes later. I caught the first of 2 Silver Salmon which were caught on my boat. It was a big one (for me at least). At about 11:45 PM we were finally floating back to Bethel. Captain Joe cleaned/cut the fish for me and I get to bring it to my village tomorrow! YUMMY! After a long day of training today we had a potluck dinner in which some of the locals made us food. You won't believe it but I got to try my first seal oil (a little bleh but didn't taste it too much) and I ALSO tried MOOSE SOUP! Actually enjoyed the moose soup- just pretended it was beef and it tasted good. We also had an ice cream social (just Chocolate Ice Cream of course) and went to the store to buy some last minute food for my village home. I will post more pictures upon arrival in my village-- and I plan to start a Flickr page on this blog so I can easily put up more pictures. Check back soon- I miss you all!!

Hola Alaska!

A Glacier

I <3>

BEAUTIFUL!


I made it! My flight came in to Anchorage at about 7:00 yesterday. Megan (the Math teacher in Kong) came to pick me up with three of her friends. We went to Moose's Tooth for pizza and beer (yes, I actually drank Raspberry Beer) and headed to their condo. Today we went to a Wildlife Conservation center to see lots of animals and had a picnic lunch. It was BEAUTIFUL!
It is 11:15 now (3:15 AM in Indiana) and looks as though the sun is finally getting ready to set. Tomorrow I will get my new cell phone and head to Bethel! I will fill you in more later!


--I know some have been asking so here you go :) My address is:



DRKMS
c/o Amanda Frey
Box 5109
Kongiganak, AK 99545
--ONLY USPS(United States Post Office) delivers here