Pictures...

Fog rolling past the hills

This is the sunset over the Kobuk (as are the ones below this one) at ~11:15 p.m.

My living complex...I'm the first three windows on the right there....It was much lighter than this

View from the steps of the school

This is Kiana me believes...and the following pictures are from the flight there...

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In-service

Good Evening!


I got back to Noorvik today from Kotz. I had new teacher in-service, which I thought would be a drag. However, it turned out to be quite fun and informative. Getting back into the village today, I was greeted by all the teachers that will be living in the 6-plex (not counting their families) which were 6 teachers. That is not the total number of teachers, just the ones in the complex. Phyllis and her husband made dinner for all of us and it was nice to meet and greet everyone in a laid back atmosphere. They have an American Eskimo (which is a breed of dog) and that made me lean towards bringing Rummy up after christmas. As I flew into the village today, I saw a few villagers out gathering blueberries. I plan on going out there after I am done in my class here. Tomorrow, after I set my tables how I want them, I will probably go out and pick in a larger number to freeze and make fresh blueberry something or other when the times comes. Much to my dismay, nothing has arrived as of yet. This is getting annoying. I am glad that I leave Monday morning again for Kotz, so hopefully during that time stuff comes. I haven't put up pictures lately, I know...but tomorrow I will. I will take more of the village (per Maw's request) and put them up. I have noticed after my week or so in the village that the mornings are cloudy and dreary, but come the time for bed (10:00 p.m.), the sun comes out and it looks beautiful out...and it makes it even harder to sleep....oh well. This place is amazing and I'll take the good with the bad and enjoy the time out here. I talked with three ladies who work for the parks service, nfws, and something else, and found out that they will/do come into the villages and will teach lessons on a wide variety of topics, so I have to start planning things out for sure. I know I will be teaching Biology, Earth Science/Physical Science, Health, family something, and 2nd semester P.E. I believe I already posted this, but just in case ya'll forgot...anywho...time for berry tasting!

Kotz

So I few into Kotz today for new teacher in-service. It was a beautiful flight as always. When I got here, I met some nice new teachers... but no one from my village yet. They fed us and everything. After that, they gave us our MacBooks SCORE! I am finally using a real computer! A few days ago, Bev, out secretary, shot a moose with a 60 inch spread. I am jealous! I have not seen it, but would love to. I am going to ask some people to take me with then hunting and fishing. A fellow teacher went fishing a day or so ago and came by and gave me two HUGE fillets that I plan on quartering once my stuff gets in. The mail has been slow because Kotzebue has its runway shut down half the time for repairs and Alaska Air isn't doing cargo anymore (or something like that) so I now have to wait. Nothing really new and exciting ...yet...I will have more pictures up of the village (per mom's request) and maybe some wildlife if I get lucky enough to see more than the ravens. Those birds, when they squawk, sound more like children yelling than anything else. Oh, I also forgot that a house burned yesterday/last night. This guys nephew got into his house and apparently him and his friends were playing with matches...they probably wet their beds...anywho...nuff said

Noorvik, AK

Bush Plane to Noorvik

So, I have finally arrived in my new home. I got in yesterday around 5 p.m. on a bush plane. It was an early morning yesterday. We got up around 6:30 a.m. to make sure we were ready to get to the bus stop by 7:57 a.m. I would have gotten plenty of sleep but that night I was talking to another gentleman in my room who was a retired NASA engineer. BITCHIN'. He had a lot to say and of course I listened, and encouraged him to say more...He obliged. Anywho, we got the airport in plenty of time to sit around and do nothing. I could check in right away, but Ty and Brittany had to wait. However, they did run down to my gate to say goodbye before they ran out on the tarmac to get to their plane! The flight was behind schedule, but oh well. We first landed in Nome to drop people off and pick people up. Then we flew to Kotzebue (this was all on Alaska Air). Once in Kotz, I had to switch to Bering Air (bush plane). This first went to Kiana, a village East of me by about 20 miles or so. Then we went to Noorvik. A gentleman was there to pick me up and take me to my apartment. He gave me a packed with my school and classroom keys and apt. keys. My place is a decent size, but it is weird that my bedroom and living room are connected (see photos...). All-in-all, I love it. However, nothing I have shipped has arrived yet...should have been a week or so early on that...

The nice thing about the school is that I have access to it any time, day or night! I am there right now using the internet, seeing as I do not have mine yet... My keys works both building and classroom doors. My classroom is amazing. I have a smartboard and I'll get my own laptop (no desktops for teachers here). And today I started cleaning out the storage room. The teacher before me liked to use kits and models and there are those chemistry, forces, biology, planetary science, etc. So I had to put away the ones I probably won't use. By put away, I mean find spots to shove them. I found out that I will be teaching Biology and Physical/Earth Science...Rodger, the councilor, made it sound like I can pick another course to teach so now I don't know...Life science or something...Who knows...I have until Thursday night, then I head back to Kotzebue for new teacher in-service. 

Entrance: Kitchen table and living-room

Really hard to use the toilet when it's on the wall...

The couch is facing right into my "bedroom"

Downtown Anchorage...

Yesterday was basically a day to stroll around downtown. Ty, Brittany, and myself walked all around downtown. It was a beautiful day (like today). The sun was out and it was warm with a cool breeze. We went shopping at Trapper Jack's and then the Army-Navy Surplus. I was expecting used stuff form this store, but was pleasantly surprised. Before all of that we ate at the Snow Goose. It was delicious. I had smoked salmon with an apple glaze thingy over garlic mashed potatoes....I'm never going back to the canned stuff again! After downtown we went to see "Friend with Benefits" at the mall. Two thumbs up there. Today is going to be a low-key day of playing cards and hanging out (once the bus gets here). I have a love/hate relationship with the public transportation here. It's cheaper than a taxi...but not on my time schedule....The plus for last night/this morning is that I am finally acclimated to the time shift and was able to sleep most of the night through (snorers and such in hostel). I am going to try finding a good hiking trail somewhere near my hostel this evening and for a "night" hike...seeing as at 9:00 p.m. I looks like 2 p.m.

Day of Walking...

So I woke up this morning at about 5:30...then dozed until about 7:00...It was not a restful sleep. I got up, dressed, went outside to get my shoes and walked to Mc Donald's to get some breakfast. I was on my way to the DMV to get my new driver's license, but I did not know where it was. I asked this seemingly nice lady where to go, and she told me where I could go alright! But seriously, she was amazing. She was explaining to me where it was then said, "you know what, I'll take you there. I don't normally do this but you seem like a nice guy." So I hitched a ride. Which was a good thing. It was a good distance away. But after only a half hour in the DMV, I gave up my WI license and procured my AK one. At the DMV I meet up with Ty and Brittany and we went to REI (which was not opened yet) so we went to get some coffee. After that, we walked down to FredMeyer (akin to walmart but WAY better) to do some eye shopping for what I may need to order. Then we did some more walking, and more walking...then some more walking...it was fun though...The mountains are just beautiful...and you see them any time you look to the East. We went to lunch at a place called Moose's Tooth, which is a microbrewery and a pizza joint (there is a pizza place on every damned corner here). But this place was amazing! Nothing too exciting today. Met some of the teachers in Ty and Brittany's fellow district teachers and hung out with them a bit. They are a varied and odd lot, but lots of fun! When I finally got back to the hostel, I decided to write this and started talking with a girl who is moving up here from Oregon...but just decided to do this in a month and has no plans...she's pretty cool. So I sit here drinking coconut water (she let me try some and surprisingly refreshing...) and chatting about the future...

Why put this up? Because I miss 'em

It was ungodly delicious!