iPhones are pretty cool, but since cell phones are still rather new out here, I don't get to use all the "perks" unless I'm connected to wifi or am in a good area or something. For instance, I cannot send picture messages. I'm hoping I'll be able to blog a lot with my phone when I go into Anchorage!
Monday and Tuesday I was in Hooper Bay. I worked Saturday during the Saturday Market at the cultural center so I didn't go into work until around noon on Monday.
Here are some pictures of the Saturday Market vendors:
When I went into work Judy took me around to schools in town so we could drop off the VFW Aux. school supply donations. We went to the Yup'ik immersion school, which is where I want to volunteer a little bit each week so I can learn Yup'ik.
The teachers from K-3 try to speak as little English as possible. They also ask that other adults or staff members either speak in Yup'ik or speak English quietly as they pass through the halls. Similar to how at Middlebury College's summer immersion programs you are only allowed to speak and hear the language you are studying.
I went back to my office(!) and then to my room to pack some last minute things, and we were off to the airport. I really like living 5 minutes away from an airport! The Bethel airport isn't like Bradley or like most other airports I've been too. Each company has it's own building, rather than renting terminal space from a larger connected building. We got dropped off at the Era/Hageland building. They are one of a handful of companies that fly around the Bush to villages in the area (Yute and Grant are the other two that I can think of). Since we were going to be flying in a prop plane, we had to check our bags (no under seat storage!) and tell the check-in attendant what our weight was so they wouldn't overload the plane. Because we checked our bags (e.g. my backpack), it meant that I had also checked my wallet and my contact's list! Lesson learned for next time!
The Bethel airport is unlike Lower 48 airports in another way: there is a good chance that you are going to run into someone you know. Even after only being here for 2 months, I found people I knew. Father Chuck and Father Tom were both there getting ready to board their flight to St. Mary's.
It was a little nerve-wracking at first. We had to meet our pilot and then walk to the plane. There were just enough seats for everyone (6 of us), as they collapsed or removed the other seats to make room for cargo. The plane ride actually wasn't that bad, and besides having to practically crawl through the plane to get to your seat, I think I prefer prop planes to jets. You get to stay closer to the ground and the take-offs and landings aren't as intense.
Unlike on big jets, you can use electronics while flying! The passenger next to me called his co-worker while we were preparing to land.
We got picked up from the airport by someone and his four wheeler. Our hotel wasn't as far from the landing strip as we thought, but it was a good thing we got a ride (literally arranged it right before our flight took off) because I don't think we would have found our hotel.
After we got settled in the hotel, someone who was on our flight and also staying at the hotel brought us up to the AC store on his four wheeler. The Alaska Commercial Company is one of the major stores in this region (region as in Western Alaska). They have two in Hooper Bay, one that is mainly a grocery store and another smaller one that sells household goods, furniture, and rents DVDs. We went to both of them! Junk food at the first (and more water), and then we rented "Hugo" at the second.
Behind the AC I saw something I hadn't seen in a while- MOUNTAINS! Up close! Well, closer than the ones I can see in Bethel. Hooper Bay also has wind turbines. Locals I talked to spoke very highly of them.
After we walked back to the hotel, ate dinner (Chinese food from the truck at the Bethel airport and the junk food we bought), and watched "Hugo", I decided to go for a walk to see the Bering Sea.
It was pretty dark. When I was walking back to the hotel, two people on a four wheeler pulled over and offered me a ride which was very nice of them.
Tuesday was our big day. Before we went to the Tribal Council meeting we stopped by the clinic (and used their flush toilets), looked around and read magazines. We heard that it was the place to hang out, and no one said anything to us.
We presented/spoke at the Tribal Council meeting, and then our friend Steve brought us over to speak with the City Administrator (via four wheeler).
After that we headed to the school and spoke with a few people there. It is a newer school (about 5 years)- the older one had burned down. It houses K (or maybe even Pre-K) through high school. The school is enormous and looks right out on the Bering Sea.
In a few different spots in the school there is artwork displayed by native/local artisans. Below are two of my favorites, an otter mask and a carving done by Steve Stone out of a whale vertebra.
Then we headed over to the Youth and Elder Building for a community meeting. Reyne showed them an article in the Delta Discovery (that we picked up at AC) that she had written about the Best in the West program.
Once all of our official business was done for the day, Steve took us for a ride down to the Bering Sea coast and to see the old Hooper Bay Village.
There were lots of swans in some of the ponds on our way to the sea.
Bering Sea/beach pictures:
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