There are some construction workers here building the base for our water tanks. It is -33 out there, and apparently they each take turns going out there and doing some work. Staying out for more than 10 minutes is pretty brutal. When it's that cold out, every part of you needs to be covered. Even walking to the post it can be unbearable without a face mask and goggles. The construction is going on right next to the library. The thing about our library is that it is used for about six different things. It is our library, the ELD (English Language Development) room, the elementary Yup'ik teacher's office, and it is a special education room. When they start driving the piles, 90 feet into the ground, it is going to be extremely noisy. The ELD teacher says it won't really affect his teaching, seeing as the kids don't listen to him anyways!
I went on my first snow machine (snow mobile) ride this week. I didn't go these past two days because it was -33 with the windchill! Unless it was absolutely necessary, I don't think I'd go out on one of those things in that kind of weather. I much prefer going when it would be an enjoyable ride. I went around the village a couple times and up onto the river - and it really made it clear just how small this place is! Before I knew it I was back at the church and the airport, which is right next to my house. It was fun tooling around out there, but I think I am going to limit my riding to the warmer weather!
I have a couple pictures of the construction that's going on. It's not as loud as I thought it would be - but it echoes throughout our apartment...and the villages o there's a nice rhythm to it when it's going on. After an hour of it, you're used to it - so when it stops, you realize something is missing, and that would be the clinking of metal.
Today, Saturday, we had some training over at the school. It's Nonviolent intervention training - to teach us how to deal with students who act out and might turn violent. Today we did more note taking, but next week we will get into the physicality of it - practicing how to get out of holds, and how to protect ourselves without hurting the other person, and how to do the two-man carry with a person who is kicking and screaming and being violent. It'll be fun to practice, haha. We can randomly attach each other in the apartment to make sure we keep up with the moves. We have to stay entertained somehow out here!
There was lots of snow this morning, and very high winds. We don't have far to go to get to the school, but with the high snowdrifts, you don't know where to walk because you can't see the boardwalk. You can try to put your foot where you think you won't fall through, but usually you'll go right into a snowbank. On the way home from the training that happened to me. I was taking the projector home so my roommate and I can watch LOST episodes, and I tried to follow the tracks from this morning, but they were long gone. I took a few steps, and then I was down in the snow up to my hip! I couldn't stop laughing, and of course I wasn't wearing snow pants. Thank goodness it wasn't that cold! Someone was walking up to the school, the third grade teacher's husband, and he asked if I was okay - I was laughing hysterically, so he came over to make sure I was okay. He gave me his hand and helped me get back onto the right path for home. My roommate just got home and she tried to follow the footsteps that were out there - and then she stepped right into the hole I had just made. So we both went deep into the snow at the same spot. I told her that when we walk, we all need to make sure we're checking where our feet are going in case they go down three feet into the snow! It was all in good fun. Although you have to be careful though, because it's usually on that one false step that you twist an ankle or something!
That's enough talk, here are some pictures!
This is a picture I took flying back from Bethel on Thursday when we were descending to land in Kipnuk.
This is one view of the construction site.
The black part that is lying down is the drill that drives the piles 90 feet into the ground. The crane will pick it up, and hold it straight up. I piece of piling will be put inside of this drill, and then it will be pounded 90 feet into the ground!
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