Lunch with a vet

This past Friday I had the opportunity to have lunch with Errol Miller. He is a retired teacher from Wooster who happened to spend two years in rural Alaska as a teacher and administrator. He brought his wife, Kathy, and daughter, Kalina, to lunch also. I took my mom and brother. The six of us had a nice time and I learned A LOT!!!

They told me some pretty scary things:
1. Fish ice cream is a common treat. The main ingredients are fish and Crisco. . .
2. I will be expected to know how to skin a moose and clean a fish.
3. I will be expected to work for free outside of the school day.
4. In their village (which was not Eek) every native woman over the age of 3 had been sexually assaulted at least once in her life. Every single woman.

Some not so bad things they told me:
1. They would go back in a heartbeat, as long as the school was on the road system.
2. I will become an expert shopper. (Like I'm not already?)

Another interesting thing they told me was about currency. Checks are generally made out to cash and can be passed around like cash. For instance, if I were to write a check for $50 to someone, for say fish, that person could then give the check to someone else to whom they owed $50. Checks sometimes never clear in the bank account. Can you imagine?

After talking to them, I feel better, but also a little more apprehensive. I think it's good that I got to hear these things that are not so good. It lets me know that it won't all be roses when I get there. However, I am still very excited and happy to have this opportunity. I now just have a healthy dose of reality.