I STARTED TEACHING TODAY!

This was my first official day of teaching in Emmonak Monday 1/14/08. (I was supposed to be here last Monday but the planes to Anchorage were full and I could not get to Anchorage until 1/11/08.)

My first teaching day: It was -15 degrees with wind blowing 20 miles an hour. The wind chill factor was -44 or so. I had hoped to walk around the town a bit on the way to school but was freezing so I walked straight to school. I like the kids I teach. I like the 3 people I teach with in the same room. I have some kids who need to improve their behavior and called 2 parents today.

They are nice kids! Many speak yupik and English. The Yupik language is quite interesting to listen to. It has some interesting sounds which would be unusual for me to be able to say, but I am quietly trying to get the same sound.

I asked one 8 year old boy what he did this weekend and he said he and his dad and uncles went to get wood. They took 2 snowmobiles with trailers about 7 or 8 miles in -20 degrees and then cut wood. The loaded the trailers and went home. He said when he got off the snowmobile he could barely move his fingers. He had to run around to warm up. Then he said, "Do you see where I got frost bite?" He then showed me between his eyes and there was a red area. That was the result of frost bite. The skin had been exposed in that particular spot. He wore a hood and a face mask but it did not cover the area between the eyes.
It is so cold here that people need wood. I was out for about 40 minutes and I think I was getting close to frostbite.
GASOLINE HERE COSTS ABOUT $6.00 a gallon. Heating fuel is very expensive. They say we may warmer weather and snow.