A Visit From my Parents!

A few weeks ago, I had the honor of having my parents come all the way to an isolated village, hardly known for being a tourist attraction! After a few flights, they landed on our gravel airstrip in Alakanuk safe and sound. My mom commented how it felt like North Dakota-- blue skies, sunny, snowy white, low trees, and flat.
My parents and I walked to the Yukon Cafe to enjoy some burgers and onion rings. I used to never crave fried food, but those onion rings I crave!
Dad and I walked next door to Dave's store. The store and restaurant are owned by the same owner. (And his name isn't Dave.)
These are all over the slough and river for fishing. They keep sticks in them to keep a hole there and to help break up the ice when they want to puncture it again.
Plunking at the piano (a very rare commodity to have), which I am privileged to have in my classroom. I wish it was tuned and fixed so I could play it more often without having to grimace or pull keys back up as I play. My dad and I had fun trying to figure out what needed to be fixed.
After we toured my classroom, we went to the community city league games going on in the high school gym. It was only a men's tournament, but usually I like to join.

Since we came in the back door, mom was surprised to see the Alakanuk-style parking lot in front of the school. Snowmachines are the main mode of transportation here. There are also four-wheelers and a few vehicles.

Mom may have been impressed at the number of snowmachines, but I was more amazed at the State Trooper's SUV from Emmonak. It was apparently strong enough on the river and the sloughs to drive 10 miles to Alakanuk.

The kids loved having my mom and dad in the classroom. Endearingly they called my parents Grandma and Grandpa. I was a little shocked to look at about five of the students with their little fingers in my dad's beard claiming, "It feels like tundra!" Luckily my parents enjoyed the attention and my students would ask every morning when they were coming in.
Each student had the choice of a hat made by my mother. They each got to choose two little accessories that my mom sewed or glued to their hat to customize it. Some of them wear their hats diligently everyday. I've also seen their hats being worn by their parents or siblings out in the community, which makes me smile knowing my mom's handywork has made it to Alakanuk.
I may be speaking too soon, but my class has had amazing attendance all year. Although we have had illnesses, our numbers have been great. Even throughout four days of the SBA, no students needed to make-up the test. Some classes' numbers have dwindled down to 5 or 8, but mine usually stays a consistent 14. The lunch ladies always seem a little impressed when I tell them the number. I can't credit myself, but I do appreciate the students and parents trying to get their kids to school. Some teachers complain of having students miss school for hunting, fishing, doctor's visits, oversleeping, and other reasons.

My goal is to have school be a little more fun, creative, and outdoorsy for the last 4 weeks. Let's hope my students find it important to make it to school every day still!
Clem, the Yu'pik instructor, and I. He named me Itegmaralria after his late mother. In the Yupik culture, that is a huge honor to carry the name of an elder. Also, since I have her name, he becomes my son. I realized how big of an honor this is to have his mother's name when he told the kids they must respect me as if I was not only an elder, but an elder's elder. This also means that students in my class will refer to me as their Great-Aunt or Great- Grandma and I feel a part of the community with so many new nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, etc.

I have been trying to learn more Yupik and it is difficult with so many guttural sounds and odd spellings since it was originally an oral language. Hopefully my "tongue will soften" (as the other Yupik Instructor has said) and pronunciation will become easier with practice. I am able to understand more than I can respond to. My students often say, "Itegmaralria, daika" for me to come to them. My parents picked up some common phrases such as hello- waqaa, thank you- quyana, and you're welcome- ii.

Mom and dad noticed that village English sounds a lot like a Finnish accent. It really does have that slow Finnish intonation. I wonder about the similarities between Scandinavian people and the Yupik people-- an eskimo tradition called Lapp game, reindeer herders, and similar climates. That is something I'll need to research more.
I brought out the Yu'pik abacus to show my parents the base 20 system for counting. My students were saying the numbers for me as we used the hands and feet to represent up to 20. Then you slide a whole "body" over to the other side each time to reach 20.

1 – atauciq 2 – malruk 3 – pingayun 4 – cetaman 5 – talliman 6 – arvinglegen 7 – malrunglegen 8 – pingayunlegen 9 – qulngunritaraan

10 – qula 11 – qula atauciq 12 – qula malruk 13 – qula pingayun 14 – akimiarunrita’ar 15 – akimiaq 16 – akimiaq atauciq 17 – akimiaq malruk 18 – akimiaq pingayun

19 – yuinaunrita’ar 20 – yuinaq

The parking lot on the side of the school where parents often pick up their kids after school.
Mom wanted to capture me crossing over the above-ground sewer pipes on these wooden steps. I cross these steps at least four times a day and exposed sewer pipes, large fuel tanks, and sagging powerlines are among my daily sights.
One of my favorite places, the dock. With the sun setting and the Yukon stretching across the horizon, I love to spend time meditating. On this evening I got to take my mom.
Here's the sun, myself, my snowmachine, and the Yukon reflecting in my mom's goggles. I loved having my mom there and she loved going for rides!
Emmanual, at the Alakanuk Catholic Church.
My parents and I checked out the Alakanuk Catholic Church that Sunday. We were sitting towards the back. The service was in English and some text and songs were in Yu'pik. I enjoyed being with others who wanted to be closer to God-- it made me nostalgic for fellowship with people from the church I grew up in back home. Although my favorite times of worship in my new home have consisted of my solitude of being in the intricately complex outdoors, reading in my old Navy leather-bound bible, or singing unabashed to the chords of my guitar, I liked being in a strange, yet comforting Yu'pik church.

Mom and I going for another ride along the icy tundra. I never knew I'd have so much fun showing off Alakanuk to my mom while we zipped around on my Ski-doo!

Dad brought up all sorts of "doo-dads" (I believe there is a reason behind that slang!) to do. He installed new rearview mirrors, two cigarette lighter adapters (for GPS and cell phone if I need), and a plug-in for my helmet warmer. Thank you, my multi-skilled loving father of mine!

I am incredibly blessed to have such caring parents. They are supportive, loving, and amazing.

Thank you for being so much more than just parents and also being my friends, Mom and Dad. You go out of your way to help me so unselfishly. Even if I get busy, grumpy, or inconsiderate, you love me so patiently. I love you! I can't wait to see you in approximately a month and give you huge hugs.