Swanson's 1st Avenue...not exactly Saks 5th Avenue

Well today was my first official day as a LKSD teacher! Today we had a full day of learning about everything in LKSD from the culture to nonverbal cues to instructional frameworks and everything in between. We got to yuraq, which means "dance" in the Yupik language.  After lunch, the teachers were taught Yupik words for "yes", "no", "sit", "quiet", "what?", and "hurry'. I am not sure that I remember all six, but it has been great just being exposed to the language.  Lastly, we learned how to use the Rubicon Atlas, which is a great curriculum map resource for all teachers in the district.

After the in-service a few of us headed to Swanson's which is one of the local grocery stores (I believe there are 3 in Bethel!).  I had heard a little about just how expensive the groceries are in Bethel, but I had to see it for myself and thought you should too!

Let's start with some staples.  Fresh grapes (2 lbs) are $8? 30 rolls of toilet paper are over $30! Hawaiian sweet bread below costs over $5. White bread is over $4!

 After looking at what I would "need" for food, I decided to look at what I would "want" for food.  I love my salsa and chips, but salsa here is almost $7.50!

For breakfast, I enjoy bagels which were $6 for a package of 6.  I figured I could settle for some cereal, which costs around $4 back home.  The Corn Pops here are $9! And if you want to splurge for breakfast, a package of pancake batter is over $10 and the syrup is $8. I didn't even check the cost for butter.

I also found spam (which I would never eat, no offense Tara) that is $4 a can and ice cream (which I would like to eat everyday) that is $16 for a gallon!

It's hard to imagine having to pay this much for groceries all your life! I know food costs have gone up quite a bit in South Dakota over that last few years, but I can't imagine paying these prices all the time! I have to say I was quite lucky to be in a place that was easily accessed so costs weren't as expensive.

My last picture, which I found to be interesting, is the sign outside of Swanson's. The picture is blurry, but below Swanson's it says "Making You #1 in Bush Alaska." Today's experience in the grocery store helped to open my eyes to the high costs of living out in this area, and to realize how lucky I am to have lived where I did. Maybe it makes you think too. :) Good night!