Three weeks into the bush, I’m beginning to get a grasp of
what it means to me. Everyone harps on
the isolation, but honestly for me that was not it. It’s true that we are 310 air miles and a
$500 round trip ticket from shopping in Fairbanks, but really that isn’t a
whole lot different than being 70 miles and $25 in gas from Tulsa when we were
dead broke. No, the big difference is
how the lack of roads affects people’s mentalities. There’s a distinct lack of urgency here,
which I think is a bit of a sanity survival trait. There’s no use in getting worked up about a
significant issue when you can’t deal with it immediately.
A boiler goes out in rural Oklahoma and you bring in a
repairman from a nearby city and odds are they have the parts you need on their
truck and they fix the issue the same day or worst case, order parts and come
back to finish the job within a few days.
Here, you have to fly in the repairmen and they are constrained to only
humping in about 50 lbs of tools and spares because their other checked bag and
carry on have to carry their clothes, bedding and food in case they get
stranded by the weather. If they need
parts, then they have to schedule those in which can take anywhere from a day
(if you are extremely lucky and Fairbanks or Anchorage has the part in stock
and there’s time/space available to fit it on the next cargo flight) to
potentially months if it has to come in on a barge. Once the parts get in, you then call the
repairman back in when they can fit it in their schedule (remember because of
the travel they are typically only able to service, at best, one call a day),
and they’ll come back out, weather permitting.
It took some getting used to, but I am starting to get
adjusted to that “manana” mentality. Which
is one of the reasons why this blog entry is about 2.5 weeks later than I
intended. With very spotty internet,
“tomorrow” always seemed like a better day to work on OKintheAK.
Anyway, let’s condense the last three weeks into the
Reader’s Digest form:
WEEK 1: I don’t think
we’re in Kansas anymore Toto.
Met the really awesome people of Nulato, which was the
saving grace because nothing else was going our way.
1. We forgot the video camera in the car at Fairbanks, but
that wasn’t a huge issue because it was rainy and dank here all week. Seriously, this place can make Portland look
like a desert, but all’s forgiven when the sun shines here because it is truly
glorious.
2. We arrived to a home with no heat, hot water and only one
bed for 4 people. On the bright side, an
electric space heater form the school combined with the home’s decent
insulation kept the inside temp bearable and neighbors were gracious enough to
lend us pans to heat water in.
3. Only 7 of 35 totes
had arrived. Unfortunately none of the
seven had things we immediately needed like bedding or food. Again, our neighbors came to the rescue,
lending us food and other critical items.
4. The classroom was a
disaster. The former teacher wasn’t
known for his organizational skills. Additionally, key curriculum materials
were AWOL as were basic classroom supplies.
We decided to compensate by printing stuff from the net only to be
foiled by the spotty internet connection and lack of working printer/copier in
the school.
5. All three girls
were going through some serious adjustment shock. Fortunately, we were too broke to buy tickets
back to Fairbanks, much less buy gas for the trip back down the Alaska Highway. So like the ancient settlers who would burn
their ships upon reaching the shores of their new homes, we were
committed. Also very fortunately for me,
none of the three females in the household decided to murder me even though I,
being the sensation-seeker I am, was totally obnoxious with my enrapturement
with the new locale.
WEEK 2: Well, on
second thought…
The week picked up with desperately needed totes and
airfreight finally rolling in. Ellie’s
morale was boosted by the arrival of a specialist from the District Office sent
to help her cope with the daunting task of teaching to strict standards without
the mandated curriculum. Aurora was
feeling better because she was starting to get into the groove of kindergarten
and a new school and Kai was thrilled because two of the freshly arrived totes
contained her toys. For me however, the
new had worn off and I was worried by my lack of a job and the fact that I was
starting to go through serious internet withdrawal. Plus, with the arrival of our first paycheck,
we mail ordered some desperately needed things, and like any self-respecting
adult afflicted with ADHD, I begin to gnash my teeth as “2nd day
delivery” was parsed into Bush format as “Sometime in the next 5 to 15 days,
maybe.” On the plus side by the end of
the week, I at least knew that I had a job.
WEEK 3: Changes in
Latitude, Changes in Attitude
The week began with a nice 5 day Labor Day weekend where we
got some time to at least partially square the house away as well as attend our
first potlatch where I discovered that while I like the berry version of Eskimo
Ice Cream, I’m not a huge fan of the fish version. I also confirmed that I still don’t like
caviar, no matter how fresh or well-prepared it is. And trust me it was well-prepared, the
Athabascans sure can fix up a mean fish or moose dish.
The kids in our class are doing awesome and are doing a
great job adjusting to our teaching styles.
One of the things the elders of the community have touched upon is how
they really wished the youngest generation would be a little more respectful
and courteous and that desire really meshes well with Ellie and my southern
upbringing. The elders are really
getting a kick out of seeing the Kindergartners and 1st graders
regularly saying please and thank you.
Week 4: On the horizon
Going into this week, we’re feeling good. Kai starts Headstart tomorrow, and that will
be a minor change as I will adjust my work hours to accommodate Headstart’s
slightly later starting time. The ever-dwindling
protein supply in our fridge/pantry was replenished by a delivery from Omaha
Steaks (which if you don’t actually order the steaks has very competitive
prices for meat delivered to the Bush) that arrived this afternoon. Also arriving today was the last part of an
Amazon.com order that got us our mop plus shampoo and conditioner. The shopping list for Fairbanks grows ever
onward, but with only 2.5 weeks until both Ellie and I travel there on district
business (and therefore their dime), I think we’re actually sitting pretty.
With a little luck, someone will travel in from the District
Office this week with our video camera.
If so, I’ll post up the trip vids asap, if not, well there’s always
tomorrow.
