Not crazy about the Canadian

Well, tonight for me (Brie) was an interesting one. Today was day two in Dillingham for district inservice. I found out we get a per diem check that is $448 for the nine days we're here. Things are Alaskan expensive, meaning there's no such thing as a $5 footlong at Subway, nor is there a dollar coke from a vending machine. Things are anywhere from 2 to 5 times more expensive up here in rural Alaska, but the school district has been wonderful about compensating us.

Upon receiving our checks, a few of us wanted to venture out on the town to meet some of the locals, and meeting them we did. Not only did we meet a man named Bruce Johnson, a native in Dillingham who makes a living on the fishing boats in Nushagak Bay, but we also met his friend Shannon, a man who's been in the fishing business and worked for the late captain from Deadliest Catch when he was new to the business. He talked about how well the captain (I'm unsure of his name at this time) treated his shipmates, and spoke of how it was nothing to receive a $10,000 bonus for a little extra elbow grease. Apparently Nushagak Bay was where the captain began his fishing career and is a local legacy. At the same establishment we ran into a Canadian from British Columbia who went out of his way to remind me I was a white girl trying to fit into a culture I would never be accepted into. Luckily, Bruce and Shannon, both natives to the bush, befriended us and began to explain what a drunkard the man was who was trying to intimidate us. It was nice to be reassured. While the natives were very nice and welcoming to us, they did warn us of the natives in our respective villages and said that sometimes people there won't be as accepting of us. Luckily, the teachers I was with and I are going into this experience with eyes wide open to the possibilities of those we serve not understanding or accepting our efforts to educate their children to be successful in the environments in which they live. Regardless, it won't deter me from doing the best I can to understand the culture in which I live in order to make the biggest impact I can on the students I serve.

We ended our evening out at a restaurant called the Eagle here in Dillingham. I ordered a chicken dinner for $16.95 and began to count my blessings for the money the district gave us to eat on. Thank God.

I'm missing Brandon, but each phone call home he's indicated to me that Kyle, a coworker of mine that lives a few doors down, has kept him company. He even got Brandon to try salmon, which is nothing short of a miracle for my picky-eating husband. Brandon said it wasn't too bad and said he imagined I'd love the jerkey textured fish when I had the chance to taste it. I miss Brandon and hope he fares well while we're gone until next Friday. Until then, hotel living and restaurant eating will have to do. Luckily, we have grocery stores here and we'll be able to pick up some of the essentials before heading back to Stu.