Steam Spots

When I first wrote about steaming I didn't say much because at the time I intended to go back and add more, you can see how that worked out. Hmm...
Well, I have gone several times since I've been here and it is an incredible experience. As much as I enjoy my baths, steaming kicks baths to the curb (there are still moments which require a nice long bath, but I digress).

What is a steam? A steam is a cleansing method. Steaming is an alternative to taking a shower or a bath. In my village the community doesn't have running water so showering and bathing isn't really an option so people steam.

The setup:
Steam houses are small stand alone building built for the sole purpose of steaming. There is usually a small door to enter from the outside. The door is small because the entire building is small. I am not quite 5" and I have to duck to enter the steam house. There is an inner room and an outer room. The outer room is where you dress, undress, cool off between steam sets (a term I just made up to better explain the process), and store all your belongings. There are usually a small bench on either side of the room to sit. The inner room is where the steam actually takes place. However, I would consider the entire process "taking a steam".

There is a small door connecting the inner and outer room. The inner room is also divided: the section closest to the door is where people sit to steam. There is a bucket of cold water. The far side of the inner room is where the wood stove sits below floor level. The wood stove is covered with rocks to hold the heat. There is also a bucket of water on/near the stove to heat for hot water.

Supplies:
1 rubber mat (to sit on in the inner room while steaming)
1 basin (to have cold water while steaming to keep cool and to add hot water once it is time to clean)
1 scrub (a special steam scrub that really does the job)
1 wash cloth (to use to keep cool during steaming, to cover the mouth to not get so hot, and to use to rinse during the cleaning process)
1 cotton mat (to sit on in the outer room between steam sets and after the steam)
towel, shampoo, soap, etc.
(I stress the supplies because I certainly did NOT have the proper supplies at the start of the year. Thankfully people loaned me what I needed so I could steam. The rubber mat is important for two main reasons 1)not to burn your bottom and 2)as a barrier. Steam houses are a very warm environment and sometimes can be a hot house for bacteria. ***They don't have to be, but can be so having your own supplies is ideal.

The process:
Men and women steam separately; however, women steam together and men steam together. Once you undress, and undressing is essential. No clothing/ no towel allowed in the inner room. N-A-K-E-D is the only way to go. So in you go with your naked self, a basin, a rubber mat, and a wash cloth. Then you sit on the rubber mat and fill your basin with the cold water. You then stay in the inner room and steam until you cannot tolerate the heat anymore and go and cool off in the outer room. This is repeated several times. For those with more tolerance, you can "splash" the stove for an even more intense experience. After the final steam set and cooling period you go back into the inner room and wash, first your hair and then your body.

Wow! After a steam you know you are clean and so relaxed. It takes about two hours (give or take). It is more than just a way to clean up; it is also very social. I sleep so well on the nights I steam. In fact, they really wipe me out so I have made a policy of only going on weekends because of how wiped out I still am the following morning.

The last day of school before Christmas break was our community gift exchange and for I was given everything I needed to steam. I am so set! That night I was invited to steam with Daphne and so I suited up with my steam gear and off I went. Below are some pictures of my steam spots (or burns as I was told). No lasting scars.

Back to the Blog

My big plan was to come back from Christmas break and write weekly posts on my blog. Oh, that was 2 months ago and this is my first post since returning to Alaska. What happened? Do I really need to spell out the obvious? Segue + technology = questionable outcomes. Seriously though, it was a scheduling conflict initially and then I have had numerous technical challenges like connecting or getting disconnected before the post was published as if it was just too much for the computer. Plus there is also the issue of proper usage. Since the internet I use is provided by the school district apparently there is appropriate and inappropriate usage. The clarity of that line was momentarily blurred for me, so I wanted to stay clear of any ambiguous situation. I now feel more confident on the issue at hand and am compelled to begin posting once again. There is so much to share about my Alaskan experience so here I am to do exactly that...

Technology

Technology and I haven't been on the best of terms...since the technology era began. Honestly, I don't know when it happened for everyone else because I really avoided it as long as possible. Yes, I still listen to my records, use typewriters, prefer to read paper than a computer screen...oh I could go on. Sure I can handle mechanical because it is easy to SEE what needs to be fixed, easy to take apart with actual hope of putting it back together or making a repair. With technology I have only a wing and a prayer. It is all embedded like a secretive underworld that only those who enjoy living in dark caves understand. I like the light of day, really I do. And I happen to enjoy my sanity, which sometimes goes south when I am in the midst of a computer trauma.

Having said that though, I am now in a position that really requires me to use technology daily. It is an exciting (and, oh, so frustrating) challenge. Case in point would be blogging. I like the idea of writing and journaling (of course I would love that part of blogging); however, there is this learning curve directly associated with learning all the ins and outs of how to use the blog (which requires a bit more tech savvy). Setting, layout, monetize, font size, background color, and a zillion other teeny details that I could really spend my retirement years sorting though. If I make it that far. So, that explains why some of my photos are sideways instead of straight. I now know how to fix it, but it is so time consuming to do these tech things. I will fix them...eventually. Usually I have plenty of patience, but I must admit that it is uber obvious that I am a Second Language Learner when it comes to this tech stuff.


My students are definitely in the know as far as computers are concerned. I always have questions for them and they are great to help. Not only do I use computers daily, I now have a Mac to use here at school instead of a PC. I've always considered myself a PC because that is what I have always used. Honestly though (I whisper with cupped hands), I like the Mac; it is user friendly. YEAH!! It may indeed be user friendly, but the user still has a lot to learn. There are some man uevers I miss on the Mac (again, it may be here, but I haven't found it). I keep my PC in my apartment. I feel like I am cheating on him, so I use him at home and usually leave the MacBook at school. He is still the keeper of my songs and itunes, although I really do think they can share music. Both are quite friendly computers. My MacBook's name is Jezebel because I do think she enjoys torturing me sometimes. (that, of course, is the PG version of her naming).

I leave my MacBook at school. I literally live seconds away from the school so it is easy enough to walk over and work on the computer when I need to. It is better that way because if I go to school there is the intention to work and if I take it home I could procrastinate easier. Plus, we really don't have internet at home so in order to access it I have to be at school. That works for me. It helps me keep my work and home life a bit separate. At the end of the day, I really have NO desire to haul a computer around. To make the relationship work between Jezebel and myself; we need time apart. It works for us!!!

My School District: LKSD

Thought you might want to know a bit about my school district and my school. I work in the Lower Kuskokwim School District which is named for the Kuskokwim River which runs through it. The Kuskokwim River which runs right past my village is approximately 724 miles long and is the 9th largest river in the United States. It is the longest free flowing river in the United States and is the longest river entirely within one state (Alaska). Pretty cool facts, aren't they?

This river provides subsistence fishing for the locals including various types of salmon, which is a staple food in the Yup'ik diet.It is one of Alaska's largest rural districts and serves an area approximately the size of the state of West Virginia. Most of the students are native Yup'ik (which is one of the Alaskan Native Cultures). In my school there is a strong focus on culture and bilingualism (English and Yup'ik). Students study both languages K-12.

My school Qugcuun Memorial School has 31 students: 9 high school, 11 junior high, and 11 elementary students. We have 3 certified teachers, 2 classified (para professionals), and a principal who also teaches.

Although I am officially the high school teacher, we all move around quite a bit. Here is my daily rotation.
1st Period (Reading): My classroom
2nd Period (Writing): My classroom
3rd Period (Algebra I-VTC): Library
4th Period (Ancient History-J.H.): Christina's Room (J.H. classroom)
5th Period (My Plan Period/ Writing): Library
6th Period (U.S. History): My classroom
7th Period (Health): My classroom

The class periods when I am not in my classroom someone else is. We rotate. We are movers and shakers here and do what needs to be done.

The school day is from 8:30-3:45. We have a morning meeting everyday from 8:30-8:45 where we focus on a new Yup'ik word every week and each day we discuss a different aspect of that word. I should post them. It is my daily Yup'ik lesson. We also have announcements and then we recite a pledge, alternating between the Yup'ik pledge and the Kussaq (white person) pledge. Then classes officially start at 8:45am.

Taking A Steam

Oh, I can't believe I haven't written about my steam experience. No photos for this entry. Hee-hee. I simply don't have pictures of the steam house, but will take some for you to have a gander...but only shots of the building-no action photos. ;)

Weather Change: Snow has arrived

CranB

I have a new puppy!!! She is what is called a village pup, a puppy from the village. Yeah, pretty simple. She is actually the daughter of Sir, a full-blood Malamute, and Bright, a village mutt. The litter was born around the time I first arrived and all during cross country season I saw the puppies as we ran by during practice. Oh, how cute they were!!!

Well, about a month ago she came home. She is adorable. I will be writing more about my CranB (short for Cranberry and my favorite tundra berry), but for now I am making this a quick post so everyone can have a sneak peak of what she looked like as a puppy. She has grown a bit and those pics will be posted as soon as I take some more.

So, I have included her father, Sir. A picture of her and her brother (she is on the right and the brother is on the left). Enjoy!!