Donning our GAME DAY faces!

I am truly blessed to work with a fun group of people who enjoy socializing in a relaxed atmosphere.  It's definitely a "come as you are" kind of place.  Since there is literally nothing even close to formalized entertainment here (i.e., shopping, movies, etc.), I initiated a monthly Game Night.  I sent out a general invitation to all staff, but it basically boiled down to our "regulars" (all without families here, except Kathy Chugluak who is not Native, but married a local and has been here for 26 years). 

The first night's theme centered around the food - a Baked Potato Bar.  We played Pit at one table while other's enjoyed a calmer game: Bananagrams. Then we all came together for a hilarious few rounds of Balderdash!  It was a great evening!



Even Nelson enjoyed the evening!

Cindy, Crystal, Kathy, and our lone guy Kevin playing Bananagrams

Megan, Janet, Me, and Sharon checking our hands for Pit

Jill gets a winning hand!

October's theme was Halloween Bunco!  Jill helped with the decorations, and I whipped up some soups for a warm meal before a raucous time!  Lots of hoots and hollers all night long!

Rolling the dice for "Left Right Center"

Sara collecting her "Left Right Center" winnings!

Jill won the "traveling" prize - all the quarters in the jar!

Megan - just excited to be here??

When you are short a player, you play with a "ghost,"
so I made a little friend to play with!

Quspeks and Qrafting

As I have mentioned before, elders from the village come in on Fridays for talks and yuraq (dancing) for the older kids, but they also come in on Wednesdays for the primary grades (K-3).  That day has become Quspek Wednesdays, where all the ladies (and some young men) where their kuspuks (English form). 

A kuspuk is the traditional Yupik over-shirt type garment worn by both men and women. Men tend to wear them primarily for ceremonial occasions or for hunting, but for women they are everyday wear.

Basically, a kuspuk is a long-sleeved hooded slip-over shirt with a large pocket in the front, like a hooded sweatshirt without a banded bottom. The cuffs, pocket and hood are trimmed with rick-rack or a similar decorative trim. The size of the pocket and the way the trim is applied vary widely among kuspuk makers. Men’s kuspuks are usually made with solid colors, such as blue, green, black or white, or with some print, and have a straight bottom that ends at the hips. Women’s kuspuks are usually made from a patterned fabric, often a small floral print, and may have a short gathered skirt at the bottom. They may also be longer, essentially a dress, mid-thigh or knee length.
Kuspuks are the appropriate garment to wear for any occasion, from cutting fish to picking berries to Eskimo dancing to formal occasions such as weddings. (www.qaspeq.com)

Well, of course, I always want to be part of the "in" crowd, so had been chomping at the bit to make one. There are very few patterns available (only one that I know, and it's said to have very confusing directions), so the real way to learn to make one is from another (Native) woman.   Darlene Lincoln (a special education aide at our school) volunteered to teach me.  The process is very interesting since the fabric is torn, not cut. Since Darlene and I are about the same size, she brought a couple of her own quspeks for me to try, then held that completed one up against the fabric - and tore away!! 

Since word of my quspek lesson got out, several of the other teachers came over and brought their projects - some sewing, some crocheting, come just socializing, and it became quite the coffee-klatch!

That was a couple of week ago, and yesterday I made a second one on my own (grey one in the photos) at another fun crafting session at my house.  I have three more ready to sew so I can have a variety to wear on Wednesdays and Fridays.  When in Rome (or Toksook, in this case) - - - !!!

"Learning" from Darlene - hmm, seems like she is doing most of the work!



With Susie Moses, our amazing school secretary!

Susie, Megan (6th grade), Kathy (Special Ed. teacher), Alice (1st grade Aide) and ME!

Jill (4th), Janet (5th), Megan (6th)

 

Meet Nelson

This may be an over-generalization, but - - - Native Alaskans have a strange relationship with dogs.  They are everywhere, but they are not pets. Children seem to be either terrified or torturous to them.

Several weeks ago I spied a round, roly-poly, black and white puppy chasing after some kids outside of school.  A few days later, he followed me home. I gave him some pats, and reluctantly left him outside my door.  I thought about that pup all night long, and anxiously looked out the door the next morning, only to find the stoop empty.  My heart sank, then breathed a sigh of relief – I certainly did not need a dog.  I was enjoying having no responsibilities beyond myself and my job!  Over the next couple of weeks, I kept seeing the dog from a distance, in different places in the village, usually gallumping behind a group of children.  And I kept thinking about him - - -

On a Friday afternoon, one of the teachers (who knew I was secretly pining for the dog) told me a few youngsters were outside the school throwing rocks at a black and white puppy.  Someone was hurting MY dog?!?  Around the same time, the village held a town meeting, one of the agenda items being “Animal Control.”  Recognizing the pup population was getting a little out of control, the city offered up “$40 per head.”  You needn’t bring the whole dog to claim your “prize,” just the head.  I knew “my” dog would be on the hit list, and quickly took him in.

I named him Nelson for Nelson Island, and he and I have become best buds! He “makes” me walk three times a day – and because of that I have seen some amazing things I would not have witnessed without him:  sunsets, sunrises, full moons, fox, and the freezing of the bay.  He snuggles in with me on the cold nights, and makes me laugh after a hard day.

Did I need another animal in my life?  Probably not – but both he, and I, are blessed to have each other out here on the tundra.

My favorite perch!

Shop 'til You Drop!

Today I set out to buy some items for a dinner and game night I am hosting for staff next weekend.  I had ordered some items online from Amazon, but wanted to see what I could get locally well in advance in case I had to make a last minute desperate plea to Mark to send me things from Wasilla.

It was a very windy morning, but not yet raining.  I couldn't leave too early, because the stores don't even open until 10 am, and if you get there within the first couple of hours there may not be anyone there to check you out. I couldn't have gone shopping yesterday, because the stores and post office were closed for the wedding!

On my way, I ran into three students who were more than happy to pose for a photo! I love their faces!

 

There are two main stores in Toksook Bay - the NYC (Native Yupik Corporation) and Bayview. The NYC gives a 10% discount on the 15th of each month (teacher payday!) so I hit that one first.

 

NYC Store

The complete "PRODUCE" section of NYC.  Unfortunately, all of these potatoes were mushy :(

These shelves are pretty stocked (not always the case)!  I was able to get salsa and a few other items here - but they had no butter or eggs (or many of the other items I was looking for) in stock today, yet I seemed able to spend $27 on the couple of items I did buy! . . . So I packed up my backpack and headed to Bayview.  On the way I saw a barge had come in this morning. Apparently it was bringing our winter fuel for the school:

 

 

At Bayview, I was able to get my 25 potatoes for baking - for $28!!  I even found a canned ham, nacho cheese, and a couple of cans of Diet Dr Pepper!

 

Bayview Store

 

This photo (below) makes Bayview look like a Walmart practically.  The pickings are very strange - but there seems to be at least one of most things you'd need in a pinch!

 

I was home from my whole outing in about an hour, very wind-blown, and about a hundred dollars poorer - but happy with my purchases,  having hit all the highlights of the Toksook shopping community! 

 

A Yupik Wedding

On Friday, half of our staff left school for a wedding in the village.  The Yupik women approached the principal and said, "We are all going to this wedding - after all, we are all related to the bride in some way!"  The nuptuals occured at 1 pm in the Catholic church - so I was not able to attend that part.  But I had been invited to the feast that was afterwards.  I was not planning on going since I did not know the bride, but was told that since I had been personally invited by the aunt of the bride (a special education aide at our school) it would be an insult if I did not show up.

I was told to bring my own plate and flatware, since they often run out - so I did just that - a plate and a fork.  I arrived at the community center to find chairs lined up on either wall, with long sheets of red butcher paper spread out on the floor.  Children were running all around, and people were busy putting bowls of food out on a long tables.

The Buffet Line

Seal-Blood Soup

Soon, an elder relative of the groom stood up and said a blessing, then asked everyone to join the feast.  Elders are to serve themselves first - which put me somewhere in the middle of the pack, since there were quite a few older people. I watched them pile their plates and bowls up high! I had always said that I would try anything once - but was a little reluctant with some of the proffered delicacies.  The first was Bird Soup - a very popular dish - where the actual heads, beaks, webbed feet, and wings are all floating luxuriously around in the broth.  I wish I could have gotten a photo of that (but would have had to stop the line and stir around the pot a bit - and I didn't want to make a scene!).  The next was seal-blood soup - at which point, I was grateful I had not brought a bowl.

Akutaq

Thank goodness, someone brought spaghetti!
I did enjoy the dessert - akutaq  (pronounced ah-goo-duk), also known as Eskimo Ice Cream.  It is a mix of Crisco, sugar, and berries.  This one had crowberries, salmonberries, and blueberries, and was actually delicious.  (I had had two other versions earlier this week with just the local crowberries that were a bit too tart for my taste).

Once you have your food, everyone just sits down on the ground, using the paper strips as the tablecloths.

Mary eating bearded seal ribs

As I mentioned, people were piling their plates up high. Well, it wasn't long before the foil was being passed around and everyone wrapped up the leftovers to take home!

 

 

 

 

We all went home around 6:30 pm when it appeared everyone was cleaning up and leaving, but by 7:00, a fellow teacher was knocking on my door saying the dancing had started, and to get back over to the community center! 

 

Dance Fans

 

 

 

 This is my favorite photo: These men were having such a great time singing and playing the drums!!





Just a catch up - - -

Not a whole lot of news. Just spent the week in Bethel at an all-district in-service. I had a great time staying at my best friend Connie's house along with a couple of teachers from her school in Eek (yes, that's the real name of the village!).

I was very happily surprised with a birthday dinner last Monday - and it's not very easy to surprise me (just ask my husband). Many of the staff joined us for a spaghetti dinner and combo - confetti-brownie cake - that we had great difficulty getting out of the pan!

It tasted much better than it looked!

After the in-service, on the way home from Bethel, I got to sit in the co-pilot's seat which was great fun until about halfway to Toksook, when my stomach climbed up to my mouth and I just prayed for the last twenty minutes for the plane to land!

 

I took this because I thought the algae (or whatever green swamp thing it was) looked so cool making a perfect arrow in a circle (to the right).  Photo doesn't do it justice, of course - the swamp stuff was very green.

I know I've posted a lot of sunrises, but they never cease to amaze me.  This was the view out my living room windows this morning: