ANCHORAGE

Hello all, sorry for the delay! After months of planning and crying I finally got to go to ANCHORAGE! It was super fun but the greatest part was Running with the Reindeer! Here are some pics:


Me at the start of the race rocking the 396:

Amy and her bum arm pretending to care about the race:

Even Donner is excited for the race to start:

Blitzen was much more calm about the whole deal:

Me getting as close as I could to the reindeer in their pen:

Me getting a tidge closer:

Me and my new BFF Prancer:

The race was great- nobody was seriously hurt and memories were made. Highly suggest Fur Rondy to anyone.

Birthdays, Snow-Gos and Bethel

I am sorry for the neglecting of blog entries. There are so many things I want to say!

First, a heartfelt thank you to Jill Phillips and Amy Orsborn's families. Your beautiful gifts and encouraging notes have kept me going! Andrea Murdick, thank you for your oranges and grapefruits! So yummy!

For an adventurous twist I decided to show you what life is like up here through some pics and video.

We threw a birthday party for a lovely fellow teacher, Ashley. We also had Teddy over, my postal worker,  who will be retiring January 1.

I am very lucky to live within snow-going distance to Bethel. Yesterday my housemate gave me a ride on the back of her brand new snow machine. It even has hand warmers!

First layer: scarf, head band, hat and hoodie of hoodie.

Boots good to -25 Fahrenheit.

Last layer is a big ass parka, which is the technical term.

Piece de resistance: goggles.

Sled with the dog.

Leah, another first year teacher, rocking the snow-go gear.

A lovely video of our trip into Bethel. I am behind Kristin, my roommate,  Christina (Vice Principal) is in the front and Leah is second.

http://youtu.be/f1y17wb4HUk

Leah and the sign that says "Kwethluk 10 miles" we see on our way home. It lied. No trail. No Kwethluk.  It took 30 minutes to get to Bethel, 3 hours to get home. Almost died. Twice.  Lessons were learned. Leadership was questioned. Memories were made.

Me at the end of the trip. My butt hurt, but I had fun.

Stomach Flu for Thanksgiving and Charlie Brown

I had the sweetest experience in my classroom on Wednesday and I just wanted to share it with you. I showed my seventh graders "Happy Thanksgiving Charlie Brown" and they laughed. Out loud. Spontaneously and happily. I was deeply moved by the innocent story inspiring such humor in my students. God bless Charlie Brown.

On a side note I did not get to go to Anchorage with my friends. My roommate, her husband and myself all came down with the stomach flu late thursday night. Krisitin (my roommate) and I were just coming off another flu/virus/mystery plague from the weekend before so we are both a little down right now. Icky ick ick.

On a happy note there are 25 days until I leave for Christmas!!!! YEAH!!! So get your xmas requests in now!

The long awaited pic edition (editor's cut)...

Sorry for the delay, I have been extremely busy. Here are the pics everyone has wanted to see:

Pat the bird- RIP you little biter.

View from my back door. This is the Kwethluk River.

Turn your head left and you are looking down river.

Turn your head right and you are up river.

My house, sans Franklin the Fridge. Sad times. RIP Franklin.

View from my house of the back of the school. Considering any way you come at the school you need to climb over pipes or stairs I still don't know why it is handicap accessible.

That white door leads into my classroom.

My classroom as seen from the boardwalk. 

Main road of Kwethluk facing down river.

The store, home of the Dr. Pepper.

The Post Office, home and job to my friend Teddy.

Kwethluk School

Other half of Kwethluk School.

View of my morning commute.

Pipe I constantly fall over.

Me on my super comfy bed!

Kristin on my super comfy bed.

"Why does your eye twitch?" And other questions...

As I am going through my day working with these kids who I coming to adore if for no other reason than I have Stockholm Syndrome I am asked questions. Lots of questions. Many mucho questions. All the time.  And I was thinking the other day they sort of tell their own little stories so here are some great questions and some that break my heart:

1. Did you know your eye is twitching? 
2. Why do you change your clothes so much?
3. How many kids will you have?
4. Will you get married this year?
5. When are you leaving? 
6. No, seriously, when? 
7. Like, are you staying the year?
8. That other teacher didn't stay the year, did you know that?
9. What is college?
10. Can my dog come to class with me? (This one was right after they found out I am sensitive to dog dander.)
11. I have to turn my work in to get a grade?
12. May I join cheerleading? (Bravest question- it came from a kind young man.)
13. Wait, you mean I have to give a speech if I join speech team?
14. Why are boys so mean? 
15. Why won't girls talk to me?
16. Why should I do my work?
17. Why can't I do my work?
18. What does "gorgeous" mean? How do you pronounce Dolce and Gabbana? Why is her hair that way? Ewwwww why does she have a fake nose? (I might be bribing math work in return for edited teen vogue.)
19. Can I go to the office, I think I have strep throat? (One inch away from my face.)
20. Did you know it feels really good to go number 2?
21. Why don't you like to fart?
22. May I use the restroom? 
23. Why can't I sit through gym?
24. What does the phrase "9/11" make you cry? -Because you don't know what it is and how it affects your lives. Especially I cry because so many want to be in the army/air force and you do not understand why the fight is taking place.
25. May I stay after school to do work even though I don't have detention today?
26. Powers? Powers? Powers? POWERS- why aren't you answering to your name? -Because my name is Ms. Diamond.
27. Why do you make us write about stuff that will never happen? 
28. Who cares what I want to be when I get older?
29. Why are you still here?
30. Why are you so loud?

I realized today as I sat down and prayed I truly love the kids. I am still struggling, but that is real and true to life and the struggle makes the success more sweet. Plus, I have selective oppositional defiance disorder and the fact they keep asking when I leave makes me want to stay all the more.

Heather

Why isn't the plural of moose meese and other quandries...

As some of you may know I have had an intense bout of ennui and culture shock this last week and a half. I am getting better, but I still am struggling with many aspects of the new life. This is to be expected so I have decided to just ride it out and suck it up. Some vignettes you may enjoy:

1. Children here are incredibly social at the younger ages and like to come visit. In order to avoid confrontation with a kindergartner I have taken to hiding on the floor when I really just want to be alone. This has made me re-evaluate my life choices as I dig my nose into our carpet.
2. At 28 I am considered quite on the the shelf and a little looney for not having a plethora of kids. I find this hilarious as students will still look at me and say "Are you sure you don't have ANY kids?" to which I reply "None that I know of." The humor is completely lost on them and several students are trying to figure out how I could have kids and not know it.
3. Having a student reply "Well, duh" when I say "If you are spitting I am going to assume you are chewing."
4. I sometimes forget that my colloquialisms do not work up here and when I tell students that the F word is off limits they immediately wonder what is wrong with saying the number five.
5. I got stopped on a walk yesterday and asked if I was the new teacher. I told them I was and I taught seventh grade. He smiled and walked away. As he was walking I heard him say "They are getting older and older."

Pictures to come, still sort of settling in but excited to share, Heather

First Week

Dear Family and Friends,

First, please allow me to apologize to everyone for my lack of communication. I can only say that between my classroom and adjusting to the culture I am very strectched thin. This may sound silly as I still live in the United States however the language, social norms and expectations of myself are so different than what I am used to in the 48.

I am teaching music this semester and the students love it. Everyone wants to participate and try new things. It is kind of funny to see some of the boys who are more macho fight to play the soprano part on the xylophone.  All students are willing to sing and want to learn about what the gaseqs (white people) learn in their schools.

I will also be the Speech coach for the Jr. High team this year. Obviously this is a love of mine after competing myself in high school and college so I am super excited about what the year holds. Our first meet is mid September so who knows what is going to happen. You should know the culturally polite thing to be here is extremely quiet and withdrawn so speech goes against all natural thought processes.

Finally I will be assisting the wrestling coach this year! YOOHOO! I cannot wait! 

Some random things that have made me smile:

à      “Visits” with children from the village. 

à      A student asked my housemate if gaseqs fart. Body functions are very free here and I am considered quite the prude for not spitting, farting and other things in public.

à      Learning that stinkhead is a rotting fish head buried in the ground for several days and is a village staple. It is supposed to be rather tastey.

à      I went to a beautiful wedding on my first weekend here at the Russian Orthodox Church and saw a gorgeous bride in a large white flowering dress.

à      Quspiq (sp?) is not “hello” but in fact a local hoodie-looking garment. Found this out after saying quspiq to everyone with a huge smile.

à      Seeing Daddy dancing with another elder. He is still asked about. HA!

à      Realizing I was staying in a beautiful, warm and in great condition house!

à     Watching boys gain new respect for the girl teacher because she knows wrestling and talked to them about the shift in weight classes this year.

à      Seeing about 50 kids on the cross-country team run through town.

à       Being asked what I mean when I say “when you go to college” only to have them then start telling everyone they are going to college and can be anything, except they don’t want to teach.

à      Making music with children. I love that smile they get when they accomplish “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” on the xylophone for the first time because they can play Mozart!

à      My favorite little girl is about 5 with literally one tooth who just gives me the biggest grin every morning.

à      Becoming the old woman who yells at kids to go home because it is 10 o’clock and decent people are trying to sleep =-)

0.

Love you all,

Heather