Arguably the most difficult thing about living up here is deciphering the language barriers that exist between all the different cultures that have chosen to make Bethel home. Certainly, most of us have heard some version of how many words the Inuit's have for snow (which may or may not have merit, since I wouldn't consider "tliyel" or "snow that has been marked by wolf" a different kind of snow. I'd call that "yellow snow" and I'd advise my kids not to eat it...but I digress...as per usual), but nobody prepared me for what many of the Yup'iks and Cup'iks use for communication. It has taken me two months to realize that when I ask a "yes or no" question, if the answer is merely a raise of the eyebrows, it means "yes". For "no", they'll probably just stare at you.
What's even more amusing is when one of them are pissed at you. My kids have all perfected what we call "angry eyes", but the few times I've managed to piss off a student at school, I get "active angry eyes". This is when they will rapidly give you "yes" and "no" eyebrow responses until you get the point. Watch out. I'm not sure what exactly they are saying when they do this, but I can assure you it looks like as they are using every foul-mouthed work in the book. Now if only they'd teach me how to cuss like that!
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