Sunday, January 27, 2008

cold? what cold?

It's strange to compare what's real in alaska to the fake versions I've known my whole life. The trees up here, which I have been referring to as Christmas trees much to the dismay of everyone around me, are frosted in snow, and remind me of the fake frosted trees we used to get from the ymca during the holidays. That's one difference between LA and Anchorage. In La, snow comes from a metal tube attached to a tank, and here it falls from the sky and piles up in front of the door. And when I see children pulling sleighs through the snow I can't help but think, Wow! ...It's just like on TV. Haha. My street looks like a scene from It's a Wonderful Life, and today I went ice fishing (carhart suits and furry hats galore) followed by ice skating over a frozen lake. My only experience of all these things was previously a second hand knowledge gathered from books, movies, and other people's stories. It's still unreal to me to experience the world in such a different way. All I can do is take everything in one detail at a time, and appreciate how much a life can change from one temperature to another. A few examples:

If you are hanging out with friends and having a couple beers, there's no need to pop them in the fridge. You just leave them outside and hope they don't freeze, and run out as quick as you can to grab one and run back inside to warm up.

Every other store and restaurant here has either "bear" or "moose" in the name.

Sometimes, the bus just does not come, for no particular reason. (found this out the hard way.)

When you go out and are wearing jeans, it feels like you aren't wearing any pants. Really, just imagine walking around in your underwear. That's how it feels... the moisture goes right through.

People spin their cars off into ditches because of the ice and just abandon them all over the place. And when you drive along the highway it's kind of like going window shopping for used cars. "That one looks nice and seems to be in better shape, but that one over there will be easier to tow home."


It really isn't that bad in terms of the cold, especially when there's no wind and you've got the right clothes on. When I go out my cheeks turn a brighter pink than I've ever seen. I didn't know my face could make that color. It feels strangely good to sting a little bit. Men's beards grow icicles, to give you an idea of what my bare skin was feeling.

I've got to say my favorite moment has been the ice skating. The sun was poking through some far off Christmas trees and I could see the Chugach mountains hovering over me. I glided over the ice in my newly purchased, 15 dollar, used skates, wary of the cracks and holes, and searching for a dead body under the ice. (Like I said, I keep thinking of movies.) As I spun around with the little kids, I thought about TIm O'Brien's book, "The Things They Carried"... a very appropriate novel to ponder since I'll be working with vets.
He talked about life after war and the tangible and intangible items people, especially soldiers and post war vets, carry around with them... photographs, books, necessary tools, memories, hopes, and fears... He compared a frozen lake to the solid mass of memories, good and bad, that he was once drowning in. I wish I could provide the quote... something about double axles over the frozen past.
THe more I talk to people I'm working with, or the other americorps vistas down here, the more I realize that that's a huge part of everybody's life. Learning to skate and to live your life. I'm really glad that I'm here, I'm glad to challenge myself, and I'm especially glad to have the chance to help other people help themselves.

Hmm, interesting quote I've heard:
This one's from another americorps vista I hung out with last night.

"I used to be an idealist. And then I moved to Alaska."


Hahahaha, we'll see how this next year goes. Hopefully I get some writing done, and keep this updated. When I get my usb mailed up I'll add some nifty pictures of me and Buckley in the snow.

Love,
Kate

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