On the rez...

Stundent teaching has proved to be an amazing and funny experience. More eye opening has been working at the after school program at this other school that is insanely more ghetto.

For example, most of the kids in the school live in homes that are insanely run down, if they are homes at all. Most likely a trailer, perhaps no running water, no bathrooms in the home, or electricity. Many of the classrooms are portibles, and there are stray dogs everywhere. There was even one in the school the other day, haha. Oh and we were walking to one of the portible and low and behold - stray horses. No joke, just walking around checking shit out.

The kids there are SOOOO BAD! Like I have never seen anything like it. Mostly because they have a bad home life. They are about two grade levels lower than they should be. Marie (NY) got peed on the other day by this little girl, haha. I was out on the playground with the kids, and they were throwing rocks at eachother, I said DO NOT throw rocks. Two seconds later I am pelted with rocks. Who would do that to a teacher? At least I am not in that school all the time, just twice a week after school. Two other teachers Caitlin (IL) and Sara (IL) have to deal with it every day.

HAHA, so Caitlin was teaching the other day and wanted to tell her class sit down, so she goes "sit down Indian style," hahahha, to a room full of Native students. I laugh every time I think about it. So funny. Opps eh.

I have begin to wonder what students motives are, and how their little brains work. Like a little girl who goes to me - oh your earings are so pretty (they are plain old studs). Or I like your shirt, it is really nice, you look so pretty today. At what age do today's kids learn manipluation? Are they trying to make me like them, are their minds distorted enought to think that? I dunno, it strikes me as funny. Last Wednesday night we were at this church dinner and one of my third grade students were there and he asked Ann (IA) on a date, hahaha. What was he thinking? Ann told him to come ask again when he turns 25 haha.

Sad story about a kid in my school. So he misses school once a week always, and the teacher couldn't figure it out. Finally she finds out he has to miss school once a week because there are not enough clothes for his siblings so they rotate taking turns missing school.

Now for a funny story. Marie's teacher (same school as me), was having her students write descriptive paragraphs about their classrooom. They brainstormed as many descriptive words at they could about shape, size, colour, feel etc. Well this little boy writes - my classroom has a blackboard it is green, my teacher is huge - hahah. She told Maire and I and we laughed so hard, almost to the point of rudeness but we couldn't stop (she is kinda large). The teacher had to hang it up because all of the other students paragraphs were up in the hall.

I really like my school. It is called Indian Hill Elementary. My principal was actually born in Winnipeg, and moved to Brandon when he was little. His last name is Donkersloot for the people who want to figure out who he is. The teachers are sooo friendly and nice. Easy to talk to and very welcoming. I play floor hockey once a week with my Principal, Cara (WA), and a bunch of male teachers from the highschool at Rehoboth. I must say I did do some wowing with my amazing floor hockey skills. :) Also my Principal has Canadian satalite so I can watch hockey at his place, which I have already done once.

I appologize for the extremely random and rambling thoughts above.
It is late, I am tired.

Crazy Climb

So this weekend was really fun. We had two big events 1. hiking up to 7500 feet in eleveation 2. going to a wolf reservse. The hike was absolutely amazing. The nine of us started the treck, but of course it was not hard core enough for me, so Caitlin (Trinity Christian College), and I blazed our own trail. It was awesome. Seriously I almost died a couple of times, not joking, and it was an out of this world experience.
View from the hike!


This is Cara, Caitlin and I, 1/3 of the way up, we made it all the way to the very top point. This is also the point at which we left the rail and made our own. Looks intense? It was!






This is a cave that we found on our own climb. It has a whole at the top (I am poking out of it). The wierd thing about this rock is that is is really packed sand. The wind whips around here like a maniac, and just compacts it all. It made it hard to climb because you would slip as you walked on it because the sand would come loose. But it is amazingly beautiful.



On Sunday my mom, Cara, and I went to a wolf reserve. (My mom left yesterday) See people breed dogs and wolves thinking that it would be cool (it would) and the wolves end up making horrible pets. They also save beaten wolves. So these people got a wolf dog, and they didn't want it anymore cause it turned bad. So they locked it in their shed. He survied in there for 6MONTHS!!! He ate his own fur, water that dripped in from the cracks, and random rodents that might happen through. He had open sores all over him and no fur. He also ate his own feeces.

It was unfricken believeable. He is all healthy now. So thats what they do. Rescue wolves. I love it sooooo much. So sad. There were a bunch of pure wolves, high content, and mid content.


This is a picture of me at the flea market with a wolf pup. I wanted him till I went to the wolf reserve. Acutally I still want him.

In the minority...

Marie, Cara, me, and Rita at the top of our hike. The wind was nuts, but they say it is usually not too bad. Notice the beautiful red mountains in the background.

So we start on the hike (which is really a mini hike) and everything seems fine. But I suppose you need to get used to this altitude thing. I thought my lungs were going to colapse. I was the first to the top, but I huffed and puffed the whole way. I am a little out of shape, but I am hoping I can get used to this whole being at 6,600 feet. We have a large hike coming this week so I will see how I do.

This afternoon we decided to head on down to Walmart (sorry Kevin). We needed groceries and slippers. Cold floors here. Well apparently it was pay day and all the Indians then head to Walmart. I also found out today that this Walmart in Galup is the largest grossing Walmart in the country. We experienced that today. So many people. Also I was the only blonde in the whole store, and we were the only 'Anglos' in the whole place.
Fun times.

Indian Country

Driving down the interstate staring out into red cliffs/mountains I was trying to decide whether I was nervous, scared, or indifferent to this new adventure I am embarking on. I was starting to go with indifferent until I read the signs along the highway advertising the town "Gallup, New Mexico - Indian Country." Now with a slogan like that who wouldn't want to be here.

Just off historic Route 66 I turned to my new home for the next two months. Rehoboth, a little Christian Reformed community set up in an almost Hutterite fashion. Just the buildings are older, and more randomly scattered about. To give you an idea - picture a rural Hutterite community, with the backdrop of red cliffs and not much vegitation, mixed in with an old western movie and lots of Indians. I don't know if that will do if for you but I tired. I will try and get some pictures up soon.

Rehoboth has about 1,000 acres that makes up the community, but 90% of it is backcountry. The rest is an elementary school, highschool, church, old dormitories, random buildings, and also many old houses (which I believe belong to the teachers and administration from the school). More exploring should happen tommorow.

As of now I am settled into my room. The first to arrive, of us 6 Dordt girls. I have managed to unpack and smush all my shit into my alotted closet space. Yes of course I brought too many clothes along. This next week should be lots of learing about the area, the Indians, and getting to know the school and our teachers.
I am not actually teaching here in the Christian school, but two miles away at Indain Hills Elemenatry.

Tommorow should be lots of exploring and learing. I was also delighted to find out that Tim (the guy in charge of us here) has three horses that I will be allowed to ride! It will be like my own western movie. I just gotta get me a gun and holster just in case I happen upon some bad guys.