The Village People

My first night in the village I watched a little kid puke up ice cream right outside my apartment. Real fun. Once the village kids know you are in town, they will flock up to your door. I had a group of ten little kids all screaming "can we visit?" at 10:00 at night. They were all bursting with enthusiasm about meeting new people. It was such a great thing to know these kids were excited about school and about the teachers. Every kid that I asked said they couldn't wait for school to start.

School for the village is what they live for. It is the center of their community, providing them with a place to play and socialize. I think this is such a good thing that they are exciting about learning as well. Not something you often find in the lower 48.

One thing I could live without up here is the constant knocking on my windows and doors. They always want to come in to play. I made the mistake of letting them in one time and ended up with about 20 kids running around the apartment, hiding in every corner they could find. I couldn't get them out, either. We've made a strict "no kids in the apartment" rule for our home.

The kids are still really excited whenever they see you, even if you don't let them in. I'll be walking around the village and from what seems like a quarter mile away, they'll spot me and shout "Hi Lindsay!" It's pretty neat that they already know me and are welcoming me into their lives. This will definitely be a unique experience.