What are the local news in my neck of the woods....you might wonder? Besides that Tatiana is looking fabulous and amazing and bla bla bla......but that is nothing new. That's just an everyday fact, so get used to it.
Well, here are some news from the past week. As usual, a small plane crash. It seems like there is a small plane crash in Alaska on a weekly basis, some with deadly outcome.
Granted there are a lot of those small planes here, many people have a pilot license in Alaska. I have been a passenger in those small planes or bush planes several times but I never felt fully comfortable, I always felt uneasy and very relived when back on the ground. I went on shorter trips, flying over Anchorage or from Anchorage to Eagle River but I also took a few longer trips. Chhaya even joined me twice, she was very baffled at first and stared through the window at the ground below with a wild look in her eyes but I think she kind of liked it. But I decided that flying in those small bush planes is an adventure that is not suited for me. Other things that I'm totally OK with never experiencing in my life is jumping out of an airplane for fun, bungee jumping, hot air balloon ride - NO thanks.
It's scary enough to be on the airplane from Kenai to Anchorage, that one seats 20 I think and that's small in my opinion.
Then we have the bears. Black and brown bears are done with hibernating and are out and about. Polar bears are always out and about but they are so far North that they don't concern me. Have I ever seen bears? Yes. A few times. Once I saw a Mama bear and three cubs, super cute. Another time a large brown bear was walking slowly on the side of the highway in Cooper Landing, I could had petted it from the passenger side of the car if I had stuck my hand out the window. I've seen a few more bears but most of them from far away and that's a good thing. I also went to Brooks Falls a few years ago and that was AMAZING. You stand on platforms and watch the bears catching salmon in the river. Bears are really cute, they look like large dogs. You want to pet them but of course, that's not a good idea.
And then the issue with Native Alaskans in the villages and suicide. I guess Alaska is topping the suicide statistic (per capita) in the US. Also topping statistics here are fetal alcohol syndrome, molesting children, rape, sexual assault and violence against women (reported cases). "Fun" facts huh? I don't know what to say about the Alaska Natives and suicide. I'm not a Native and I have no clue to how it is to live in a remote village. But I think that if it's that miserable then maybe relocating might be a good idea? I know that in Anchorage there are so many Natives just being drunk and homeless. Some Natives seem to have a serious problem with alcohol, therefore some of the remote villages here in the state are "dry".
Meaning alcohol is prohibited there. Or they are supposed to be dry and drug free but people bring in alcohol and drugs to the villages all the time. A bottle of alcohol is expensive there and you can make a profit selling alcohol in the villages. I can imagine that it's easier to make the decision to commit suicide if you are under the influence of alcohol. In the article it says that about half the suicides in the state involve alcohol. It also says that the ban on alcohol in villages has failed to reduce the suicide rate. Well, I don't know then. I don't have anything to comment on the topic of suicide. Life can be hard. I wish it wasn't so.
Alcohol in general is the reason why some people do and say crazy things that they would never do or say when sober. I have been around enough people acting like total asses when drunk and saying the most ridiculous and dumb shit. Alcohol is an explanation to irrational behavior but not an excuse.
Here are some pics from my own and Chhaya's Alaskan adventure.
