Training week

So, I arrived in Bethel Alaska after a very LONG day of flying on Sunday July 31st!!!  I met two teacher friends in the airport trying to find our transportation to the mysterious land of the long house where we were staying.  I say mysterious land of the long house because we didn't know who was picking us up or where we were going to stay.  Sounds crazy now that I type it that I didn't ask those questions but I guess when you are already asking all kinds of questions the obvious ones can slip right through the cracks.  Anyways, The two teachers I met were Jaclyn Whynott and Kristin Henke (I hope their names are spelled correctly!!)  They were and are a blast!  We decided to walk around bethel that night even though it was already like 8pm by the time we got settled in and what not.  Mainly because we were hungry and looking for something to eat.  This one place and I don't remember (to be honest I don't remember asking) the name of had AMAZING chinese food made by the owner himself.
 Monday, we were transferred to the Yute training center where our training would be held and we would be staying all dorm style like until Thursday.  We dropped off our luggage and hiked to the district office to get our paperwork, laptops, phones (GCI was there giving great deals to the new teachers) food (lunch and supper) and a couple other things I know I'm forgetting.  I also met my roommate.  I saw her walk into the room where we were signing up for phones and I'm like "Felicia??"  and she was all "Kristen??"  it was wierd because she totally looked like her pictures.
Anyways, turns out i'm staying on the bottom bunk, Jaclyn has the bunk above mine and Felicia has the loft bunk which is way up there.  OH and did I mention these bunk beds are not meant for adults?  yea, they are rickety and everything!
Yesterday (tuesday) we went on a 2 1/2 hour walk after training because Kristin wanted to go look around swanson's grocery store which wouldn't normally take that long, but we took the scenic route and went over some boardwalks and what not.  It was cool, but by the end I was most definetly ready to take a shower (the dust here is glacial silt and is so fine that it gets in everything!)  and just go to bed.
Today we tried the native food.  The dried salmon was good, the salmon paste was great and the eskimo ice cream was great too :).  I'm happy I tried that stuff.  I didn't have the guts to try the whale blubber, maybe next time.
That leaves us to tonight, we were suppose to go on the fishing trip, but not only did I just not feel like being out in the strong breeze, but it felt like I had so much to do that I wasn't going to be able to get done if I went.  I did get a LOT done by staying behind so now I feel like I can breathe.  Besides, I'll have tons of opportunities to go fishing and boating another time.
And that brings me to the pictures...below are pictures that Jaclyn took on our walk!  Thanks Jaclyn!