(my great hosts J.D. and Dana, in Eagle River)Alaska is cold! Especially coming from Samoa, even if, surprisingly, there is a big ’s Samoan community here. I arrived at J.D.’s and Dana house, James Bond’s friend, late at night and I could not really see anything on the drive, a part the sign “Moose crossing”, but the morning, enjoying an orange sunrise driving to work, everything looked wonderful. The road were frozen, so as my hands frozen at the steering wheel, but the white of the snow, the Burch trees and the pristine mountains took the attention off the coldness.
I was following a chemistry training for 4 days (Tuesday through Friday), from 8:00 to 5:00, so I did not really had a lot of time for touring a lot, but I definitely had a lot of fun with the solid waste people.
(Doug and I during some pH experiments, wearing professional safety goggle. I do not really know how to comment on the pH-pregancy test, but it is worth menctioning...:))
During the class I sometimes felt like a Neanderthal goofy woman in from of a homo sapients (or Cro-Magnons to be precise), but with those guys, I felt less lonely in my desperation, my very own “clan of the cave bear”. The clan really took a good care of me, taking me to parties, shopping, giving me a free parking permit (this place IS expensive!!), and most importantly, taking me mushing! The mushing entry needs an explanation all by her own (it consists of being pulled in a slide by 11 professional nearly uncontrolled dogs)! I am really going to miss those guys now!
(The Clan during lunch break. I ordered salmon pate and i got a ridiculus amount of bread, and then some extra when i commented with the waiter!)
(the clan at a party in Golden view, a bit south of Anchorage, thanks for the invitation!)
Some of the things I learned about Alaska in these days (I imagine you are not interested to know what I learned about chemistry…) are:
It is so dry here that in the restroom, next to the soap, there is moisturizing cream. In few days, my nose start peeling, my hair and my lips broke… I had to put cream on constantly!
Apparently they teach you that when you see a bear you should not run, but in reality, RUN!!! As long as you know that you can outrun somebody else (this is what really happened to Doug).
Alaska is very much like an island in many aspects… out there, difficult to reach, the people live in their own world, and there are many villages impossible to reach by cars.
This is from the chemistry class, but worth noting: before 1850, whale oil was used to light the lamps at night. In 1854 the kerosene lamp was introduced and resulted in a better source of energy. Therefore, the oil industry saved the whales!
There is a lot to say about Alaska and Oil extraction, but I still need more investigation.
so now... I am with SnowDave and Suka (my old friend from Oregon and his dog), and soon we will leave for the Denali, then Fairbanks... current temperature 6'F = -14 celcius!!! notice the minus sign!! And this is not even winter!
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