some of my reasons for being here.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
some of my life.
marosca!
i went up and asked them to explain to me about Peace Corps.This was our booth at the fety.
the middle schoolers put on a dance.their skirts made the madagascar flag.
one of the dancers.
a male gecko...the males have blue tails.
i asked these kids if they would be my family.
enjoying the fety.
all dressed up for the fety.
Friends of Madagascar donated these jerseys for soccer teams in my village.
a really nice snack shop in Fianar.
The Middle School all decorated for our festival.
"What's up homeslice!"
some of my kids.
blacky walking me home.
get up stand up.
Dec 16
So it's been awhile. I'll try to mention some of the high points of the last couple months. I have been trying to get this garden project started at my local clinic with the health volunteers in my community. This has been a very difficult task. I set up meetings with them, and no one shows up. I've even had them tell me what day and time work best for you all, and still i've had some no shows. However, we did have a few successful meetings where we re-voted for who would be President, Vice President, Secretary, Accountant, etc. We also had one successful planting day where we got half the garden prepared and planted beans and corn. The next meeting I had scheduled to finish planting, no one showed up and unfortunately it was a few days before I was leaving my village. So at least we got half of it done.
We had a great Thanksgiving spent in my banking town. There were 6 of us total. We bought a live turkey and the boys took care of killing and all that jazz when it came time for it. Our menu consisted of: Turkey, mashed sweet potatoes, turkey gravy, stuffing, a green bean casserole, biscuits and banana pudding for dessert. We had plenty to eat and plenty left over to eat for dinner. It was a feast spent in great company. Also at this time, my foot got infected and swelled up and made it very difficult to walk. I was put on antibiotics and was feeling 100% in no time.
One of my good friends from my group that went to Niger came down to visit. Every year on the 9th of Dec, my village has a big party celebrating the coming of the NGO, Missouri Botanical Garden. MBG buys a couple cows and provides a lunch and cocktail for all in attendance. There were speeches and songs and dancing all day. So my friend came down and we prepared for it all week, we had a booth set up to explain about Peace Corps and what it is that we're doing here. We ended up doing a handful of condom demonstrations for groups of men and talked about nutrition and hygiene with many of the kids and women. I even gave a speech. I was really nervous. Still not that confident in my Malagasy (the language here). It was interesting. Music and dancing went well into the early hours of the night. Fun was had by all.
We headed up toward the capital. Ventured around Fianar which is a beautiful city. From Fianar to Tana it usually takes about 8-9 hrs by taxi. We arrived in Tana about 9hrs after leaving and were 4km from the taxi station where we get out and get all our bags that are on top when we hit traffic. I mean the worse traffic I have ever seen. We finally arrived at the taxi station 4 hrs later! It took 4 hrs to go 4 km!!! A friend of mine decided to go home, and was leaving at 10pm to go to the airport. Because of the traffic, I missed him by 30mins. I did get to talk to him before he left so that makes me feel a little better but I always like hugs.
But so here I am in the capital for the weekend. I'll be heading on vacation hopefully on Monday for the holidays. I should have internet access for most of the trip, not all but a good chunk. I set up a skype account. It was so weird but amazing to be able to video chat with friends from home. I'm still a little weirded out by it but welcome all you my friends and family to add me so we can chat. I highly doubt I'll be able to use skype while I'm at site so this may be my only opportunity to use it, the next month or so. Just search my real name as the full name and you should be able to find me.
We had our mid-service conference the beginning of January. We are half way done! It's been 14 months since I left the states. It seems so long ago but just like yesterday. I hope all is well back home. I luv and miss you all a lot. Keep those letters coming. I can't express how much it means to me. Take care. over and out.
So it's been awhile. I'll try to mention some of the high points of the last couple months. I have been trying to get this garden project started at my local clinic with the health volunteers in my community. This has been a very difficult task. I set up meetings with them, and no one shows up. I've even had them tell me what day and time work best for you all, and still i've had some no shows. However, we did have a few successful meetings where we re-voted for who would be President, Vice President, Secretary, Accountant, etc. We also had one successful planting day where we got half the garden prepared and planted beans and corn. The next meeting I had scheduled to finish planting, no one showed up and unfortunately it was a few days before I was leaving my village. So at least we got half of it done.
We had a great Thanksgiving spent in my banking town. There were 6 of us total. We bought a live turkey and the boys took care of killing and all that jazz when it came time for it. Our menu consisted of: Turkey, mashed sweet potatoes, turkey gravy, stuffing, a green bean casserole, biscuits and banana pudding for dessert. We had plenty to eat and plenty left over to eat for dinner. It was a feast spent in great company. Also at this time, my foot got infected and swelled up and made it very difficult to walk. I was put on antibiotics and was feeling 100% in no time.
One of my good friends from my group that went to Niger came down to visit. Every year on the 9th of Dec, my village has a big party celebrating the coming of the NGO, Missouri Botanical Garden. MBG buys a couple cows and provides a lunch and cocktail for all in attendance. There were speeches and songs and dancing all day. So my friend came down and we prepared for it all week, we had a booth set up to explain about Peace Corps and what it is that we're doing here. We ended up doing a handful of condom demonstrations for groups of men and talked about nutrition and hygiene with many of the kids and women. I even gave a speech. I was really nervous. Still not that confident in my Malagasy (the language here). It was interesting. Music and dancing went well into the early hours of the night. Fun was had by all.
We headed up toward the capital. Ventured around Fianar which is a beautiful city. From Fianar to Tana it usually takes about 8-9 hrs by taxi. We arrived in Tana about 9hrs after leaving and were 4km from the taxi station where we get out and get all our bags that are on top when we hit traffic. I mean the worse traffic I have ever seen. We finally arrived at the taxi station 4 hrs later! It took 4 hrs to go 4 km!!! A friend of mine decided to go home, and was leaving at 10pm to go to the airport. Because of the traffic, I missed him by 30mins. I did get to talk to him before he left so that makes me feel a little better but I always like hugs.
But so here I am in the capital for the weekend. I'll be heading on vacation hopefully on Monday for the holidays. I should have internet access for most of the trip, not all but a good chunk. I set up a skype account. It was so weird but amazing to be able to video chat with friends from home. I'm still a little weirded out by it but welcome all you my friends and family to add me so we can chat. I highly doubt I'll be able to use skype while I'm at site so this may be my only opportunity to use it, the next month or so. Just search my real name as the full name and you should be able to find me.
We had our mid-service conference the beginning of January. We are half way done! It's been 14 months since I left the states. It seems so long ago but just like yesterday. I hope all is well back home. I luv and miss you all a lot. Keep those letters coming. I can't express how much it means to me. Take care. over and out.
Friday, November 12, 2010
a little of this...a little of that.
Nov 6, 2010
Today is Saturday, market day. I walk 2km to Alison’s village where there is a bigger market and a bigger variety of food but still very little. On the walk over, I mentally prepare myself for it because it is always hot, crowded and very frustrating. There are little paths between rows of venders selling things from rice and beans to new clothes and old clothes to dishes and flashlights. There are no lines going one way or the other just people pushing to try to get through with the more than occasional person stopping in the middle of the path to either ask how much something is or to start up a conversation with someone. All this causing a halt to the flow of traffic. The sun beats down making it almost too hot to handle but somehow I maneuver my way through the crowd and get what I need. I buy maybe some bread, tomatoes, rice and soap. Leaving the market is just as difficult as coming in but without as much frustration because I know I’ll be able to breathe soon enough. Walking on the outskirts of the market reminds me of a music festival. There are vendors selling food that is freshly made, mainly some sort of bread or bananas or anything of the like. It’s my little taste of home.
I haven’t been having the best of times here the last few months. It’s been difficult to find work and when I schedule to go to another village with someone to promote nutrition or hygiene or prevention of diseases, it has always failed. The person has either left without me or just didn’t stop by my house to pick me up. I need someone to go with because some of these villages are 15km away and I do not know the way. But so life has been really hard. However, I woke up this past week, still feeling groggy and unsure of what the day would bring, and later in the day a wave of sunshine came through my body. I had went to my banking town to get something off my email for PC and got an email from my mom. In it, it had said in one way or another, how proud my dad was of us kids and he wouldn’t trade us in for the world. This may have been the thing I needed to hear and from then on, it seemed as though I did a 180. Things are looking up, I feel like I’m in a better place now than I was for the past few months. Which, I know, is a long time not to feel good. There was some sort of weight on my shoulders and I felt it had been lifted. I do feel better.
Unfortunately for use, a PCV near me has decided to go home. I spent her last night with her at her site and helped get her things together and just talked. After that, I realized it was a good decision on her part to go home and she seemed happy about her decision. It wasn’t an easy one for her. She had battled a lot during her first month at site, which was clear once I spent the night with her. She will be greatly missed but know she will move on to do bigger and better things for herself.
I was planning on doing this big garden project with my community and had applied for $600 in funding. After waiting for almost 4 months I go news that it had been rejected. All projects that were submitted were rejected. I also felt like I was trying to take on too much and so I hope to decrease the size of the project and resubmit it to another funding source. Hopefully that won’t take nearly as long.
The kids are loving coloring. So thank you to those of you that have sent coloring books and crayons. I get kids at my door everyday asking if they can color. While they color, I teach them about oral hygiene, hygiene, prevention of malaria, diarrhea, and about proper nutrition. It doesn’t stick if I say it just once so we go over it every time. So yeah things are looking good for me. I hope all is well back home. Know that I think of you all very often. I miss you and wish I could teleport myself home for even just 10 minutes every once in awhile. Thank you for all your love and support. Keep the letters coming. They are always a joy to get. Take care. LOVE.
Oct 15, 2010
Well hello there. I am reporting from Farafangana, my banking town. I came in today to do some work. Get some things emailed off to Peace Corps and do some personal business. Things have been moving in my village. Slowly but surely. We had a group of visitors, Malagasy visitors, come visit my NGO, Missouri Botanical Gardens. They came from way up north near Sambava and south of Vangaindrano. They stayed for three nights. We went for a walk yesterday on the outskirts of the forest looking at the plantations of replanted trees that MBG has done over the last few years. It was beautiful. Alison accompanied us as well. We had lunch out in the forest. It consisted of rice and beans, served on banana leaves, using banana leaves as our silverware. Me and Alison were befuddled as to how to use the leaves as our silverware but then we saw one guy sitting next to use had made a spoon out of it. He saw our amazement and offered them to us. In return, we gave him our leaves and he made more spoons. We also couldn’t finish even half of the serving they gave us so we offered the rest to him, and he and a couple others gobbled it up in no time. That was interesting and fun. Something new everyday I tell ya. For the last couple months, I’ve been planting the tree Moringa, its leaves are very nutritious. I have also been handing out toothbrushes that were donated by Friends of Madagascar. The same place where the soccer jerseys for my village came from. I have been teaching the importance about oral hygiene to the kids while handing them out. Along with overall hygiene.
At the end of September, we welcomed 4 new PCVs to our banking town, including one living in the banking town. They are all great additions to our little group down here. It’s kind of weird having so many people down here. For the first three months, it was just me and Alison. Then Abe and Brian came in May and now another 4. It’s great. Shakes things up a little.
I have been walking a lot lately. At least 4km a day (2.5miles). I have taken up drinking 3L of water and day and trying to limit my salt intake. HAHA. Yeah I love salt a little too much and I already miss it but I’m in great health.
I don’t have much to say. Not a whole lot going on. Still learning the language. It’s coming along everyday. There is a big party in my village in Dec to mark the anniversary of the local NGO, MBG, and Peace Corps’ arrival. There are booths all day long with the various associations in my community that teach about what they are doing. I have decided that I’d like to have a Peace Corps booth and explain what we are and what we’re doing. I hope to have other volunteers like Alison, who is environment, hopefully Jackson, who is Small Enterprise Development, maybe an Education volunteer (if they can get out of work) and me, a health volunteer all present to describe each sector. It’s a big event in my village and people come from all over the district. So that’s something to look forward to.
Anyhoo. I miss you and all think of you often. Keep writing. Hearing from home really gives me encouragement and love. I hope all is well. It’s all good on this side of the world. Take care. And Happy Holidays if I don’t get back before then. CHEERS!
Today is Saturday, market day. I walk 2km to Alison’s village where there is a bigger market and a bigger variety of food but still very little. On the walk over, I mentally prepare myself for it because it is always hot, crowded and very frustrating. There are little paths between rows of venders selling things from rice and beans to new clothes and old clothes to dishes and flashlights. There are no lines going one way or the other just people pushing to try to get through with the more than occasional person stopping in the middle of the path to either ask how much something is or to start up a conversation with someone. All this causing a halt to the flow of traffic. The sun beats down making it almost too hot to handle but somehow I maneuver my way through the crowd and get what I need. I buy maybe some bread, tomatoes, rice and soap. Leaving the market is just as difficult as coming in but without as much frustration because I know I’ll be able to breathe soon enough. Walking on the outskirts of the market reminds me of a music festival. There are vendors selling food that is freshly made, mainly some sort of bread or bananas or anything of the like. It’s my little taste of home.
I haven’t been having the best of times here the last few months. It’s been difficult to find work and when I schedule to go to another village with someone to promote nutrition or hygiene or prevention of diseases, it has always failed. The person has either left without me or just didn’t stop by my house to pick me up. I need someone to go with because some of these villages are 15km away and I do not know the way. But so life has been really hard. However, I woke up this past week, still feeling groggy and unsure of what the day would bring, and later in the day a wave of sunshine came through my body. I had went to my banking town to get something off my email for PC and got an email from my mom. In it, it had said in one way or another, how proud my dad was of us kids and he wouldn’t trade us in for the world. This may have been the thing I needed to hear and from then on, it seemed as though I did a 180. Things are looking up, I feel like I’m in a better place now than I was for the past few months. Which, I know, is a long time not to feel good. There was some sort of weight on my shoulders and I felt it had been lifted. I do feel better.
Unfortunately for use, a PCV near me has decided to go home. I spent her last night with her at her site and helped get her things together and just talked. After that, I realized it was a good decision on her part to go home and she seemed happy about her decision. It wasn’t an easy one for her. She had battled a lot during her first month at site, which was clear once I spent the night with her. She will be greatly missed but know she will move on to do bigger and better things for herself.
I was planning on doing this big garden project with my community and had applied for $600 in funding. After waiting for almost 4 months I go news that it had been rejected. All projects that were submitted were rejected. I also felt like I was trying to take on too much and so I hope to decrease the size of the project and resubmit it to another funding source. Hopefully that won’t take nearly as long.
The kids are loving coloring. So thank you to those of you that have sent coloring books and crayons. I get kids at my door everyday asking if they can color. While they color, I teach them about oral hygiene, hygiene, prevention of malaria, diarrhea, and about proper nutrition. It doesn’t stick if I say it just once so we go over it every time. So yeah things are looking good for me. I hope all is well back home. Know that I think of you all very often. I miss you and wish I could teleport myself home for even just 10 minutes every once in awhile. Thank you for all your love and support. Keep the letters coming. They are always a joy to get. Take care. LOVE.
Oct 15, 2010
Well hello there. I am reporting from Farafangana, my banking town. I came in today to do some work. Get some things emailed off to Peace Corps and do some personal business. Things have been moving in my village. Slowly but surely. We had a group of visitors, Malagasy visitors, come visit my NGO, Missouri Botanical Gardens. They came from way up north near Sambava and south of Vangaindrano. They stayed for three nights. We went for a walk yesterday on the outskirts of the forest looking at the plantations of replanted trees that MBG has done over the last few years. It was beautiful. Alison accompanied us as well. We had lunch out in the forest. It consisted of rice and beans, served on banana leaves, using banana leaves as our silverware. Me and Alison were befuddled as to how to use the leaves as our silverware but then we saw one guy sitting next to use had made a spoon out of it. He saw our amazement and offered them to us. In return, we gave him our leaves and he made more spoons. We also couldn’t finish even half of the serving they gave us so we offered the rest to him, and he and a couple others gobbled it up in no time. That was interesting and fun. Something new everyday I tell ya. For the last couple months, I’ve been planting the tree Moringa, its leaves are very nutritious. I have also been handing out toothbrushes that were donated by Friends of Madagascar. The same place where the soccer jerseys for my village came from. I have been teaching the importance about oral hygiene to the kids while handing them out. Along with overall hygiene.
At the end of September, we welcomed 4 new PCVs to our banking town, including one living in the banking town. They are all great additions to our little group down here. It’s kind of weird having so many people down here. For the first three months, it was just me and Alison. Then Abe and Brian came in May and now another 4. It’s great. Shakes things up a little.
I have been walking a lot lately. At least 4km a day (2.5miles). I have taken up drinking 3L of water and day and trying to limit my salt intake. HAHA. Yeah I love salt a little too much and I already miss it but I’m in great health.
I don’t have much to say. Not a whole lot going on. Still learning the language. It’s coming along everyday. There is a big party in my village in Dec to mark the anniversary of the local NGO, MBG, and Peace Corps’ arrival. There are booths all day long with the various associations in my community that teach about what they are doing. I have decided that I’d like to have a Peace Corps booth and explain what we are and what we’re doing. I hope to have other volunteers like Alison, who is environment, hopefully Jackson, who is Small Enterprise Development, maybe an Education volunteer (if they can get out of work) and me, a health volunteer all present to describe each sector. It’s a big event in my village and people come from all over the district. So that’s something to look forward to.
Anyhoo. I miss you and all think of you often. Keep writing. Hearing from home really gives me encouragement and love. I hope all is well. It’s all good on this side of the world. Take care. And Happy Holidays if I don’t get back before then. CHEERS!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Cumberland blues.
So yes here I am again...let me start off by saying.i luv you.ahhh that felt great.So the last couple months have found me wandering around Madland.Yeah so after the bike trip me and a good friend, Esther, went down to my site.Yeah she took the three-day trek with me.Wasn't impressed.no surprise there, meaning strictly the longness of it.but the beauty you know i take it in everytime I go down there so.But we hung in my village met up with Brian and Abe, banking town buddies (we have a banking town where we go in to get money and for me and Alison, buy food and everything else we just might need). There were good times had by all. It was great to back in my village after being gone for 6 weeks even though it would be short. But I felt the love of my village when I got there and it was a great feeling to be back home. We headed back to the capital after a week and decided to take the train from Manakara a city about 130km north of me to Fianara me regional capital. It was a beautiful and relaxing trip.We are considering it whenever we have to head in that direction.Got to Tana after a hop skip and a jump in a taxi brousse. I went to train the newbies. Showed them how to make a mud-stove (i've been specializing in them lately) and was just there for support and whatnot...it was a great trip back to the training site (got to the dogs). After training, I went out to the East coast to visit some Business Volunteers .Ryan, Julie and Vickie. and make the mudstoves at their sites. It is so beautiful out there and it was a great and productive trip. Everyone was very interested and motivated to watch the demonstration to the point that some of the women in Julie's site went off and made another one after we made our first one.It was great.Me and Jules sang with some kids a song about nutrition and washing your hands.it was an overall great trip and a needed escape for me.But so now here I am in the capital.We have these Volunteer houses in some of the regions here and there is one in the capital that we can stay at fully furnished and equipped with lots of good stuff, including wifi. However, the house in the capital is closing meaning that this is prolly my last time staying here and I may not have internet access for quite awhile. There is internet is my banking town but it's unreliable, slow and a little spending.So yeah I may not be back on the internet for some time.But know I luv and miss you and all and sorry this is a mess.take care and keep sending the luv.Cheers!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Joyful sound.
here are some words that i try to live by....
take time to give thanks
make time to be given
i'm gonna stop and think twice
about the way that i'm livin'
did i say a kind word
am i proud of my actions
you know a job well done
gives me satisfaction
can i earn your trust
your love and affection
just one step at a time
in the right direction
i'm gonna aim for the sky
keep my feet on the ground
raise my voice to the heavens
make a joyful sound
na na na na na na na naaaaa
make a joyful sound
na na na na na na na naaaaa
can i sing for my supper
and play for my rent
i know it sounds funny
but it's how my time's spent
greet everyday with full purpose
with passion and pride
i'm gonna follow my heart
have nothing to hide
a moment of insight
i know why i'm here
ya know the time just stops
you'll see it all real clear
i got to set an example
make some mischief and fun
do unto others
play a phat bass run
i gotta work hard everyday
and give it my best
grab hold of fear and negativity
and lay them to rest
i know my time here's important
can i do the right thing
practice patience and forgiveness
feel the joy that they bring
can i lay down tonight
without feeling regret
and know the love that i give
becomes the love that i get
well do you hear what i'm saying
making sense to you
well if you feel it in your heart
then you'll wanna sing too
na na na na na na na naaaa
make a joyful sound
na na na na na na na naaaa
it's a joyful sound
i don't want to sound preachy
make it feel all wrong
just want to write some kind a lyrics
sing a feel good song
it's kinda hard to explain
it's just a feelin i get
from makin music makin love
getting both feet wet
well every piece to the puzzle
snapped tight in the groove
i close my eyes, breathe deeply
and let my feet move
you know i feel a little better
for speaking my mind
good vibes in circulation
and see who they find
na na na na na na na naaaa
make a joyful sound
na na na na na na na naaaa
na na na na na na na naaaa
make a joyful sound
na na na na na na na naaaa
i'm doing great. luv you all!
take time to give thanks
make time to be given
i'm gonna stop and think twice
about the way that i'm livin'
did i say a kind word
am i proud of my actions
you know a job well done
gives me satisfaction
can i earn your trust
your love and affection
just one step at a time
in the right direction
i'm gonna aim for the sky
keep my feet on the ground
raise my voice to the heavens
make a joyful sound
na na na na na na na naaaaa
make a joyful sound
na na na na na na na naaaaa
can i sing for my supper
and play for my rent
i know it sounds funny
but it's how my time's spent
greet everyday with full purpose
with passion and pride
i'm gonna follow my heart
have nothing to hide
a moment of insight
i know why i'm here
ya know the time just stops
you'll see it all real clear
i got to set an example
make some mischief and fun
do unto others
play a phat bass run
i gotta work hard everyday
and give it my best
grab hold of fear and negativity
and lay them to rest
i know my time here's important
can i do the right thing
practice patience and forgiveness
feel the joy that they bring
can i lay down tonight
without feeling regret
and know the love that i give
becomes the love that i get
well do you hear what i'm saying
making sense to you
well if you feel it in your heart
then you'll wanna sing too
na na na na na na na naaaa
make a joyful sound
na na na na na na na naaaa
it's a joyful sound
i don't want to sound preachy
make it feel all wrong
just want to write some kind a lyrics
sing a feel good song
it's kinda hard to explain
it's just a feelin i get
from makin music makin love
getting both feet wet
well every piece to the puzzle
snapped tight in the groove
i close my eyes, breathe deeply
and let my feet move
you know i feel a little better
for speaking my mind
good vibes in circulation
and see who they find
na na na na na na na naaaa
make a joyful sound
na na na na na na na naaaa
na na na na na na na naaaa
make a joyful sound
na na na na na na na naaaa
i'm doing great. luv you all!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Oooops! What'd I do again?
Well here I am again. Twice in one week. WOW.what's going on over here in the land they call Madagascar. Well not a whole lot. I spent the entire day on Sunday laying in bed, recuperating. I felt just great, until I got up and walked to the gas station like 2 blocks away. yeah.nausea hit....again. But I had the great and wonderful dentist appointment again today!!! yay!!! yeah.sarcasim there people. I've never been "scared" of the dentist or cared that I had to go, but here, it's not fun. I had a cleaning a couple weeks back and it consisted of poking the gums in front of and behind each tooth...three times. And then he says, you have good gums. It's like can you really see my gums behind all this blood. I don't get it. But so I had to go back today to get a mouth guard made, I grind my teeth at night giving me headaches and prolly reducing the size of my teeth drastically. So I go in, a little nauseous to have them put a mold of a guard too big for my mouth, full of the mold making supplies in my mouth, which then causes the mold supplies to leak out all over the inside of my mouth, down my throat making me gag. I had to coach myself through the 3 minutes of, excuse my french, HELL. I made it through with only a few gaggings. Sorry but yeah, I wouldn't suggest going to the dentist in a third world country.
I'd like to speak of more highlights of the bike trip that stumbled upon my memory yesterday and today. While we were in Girl Erin's site, we awoke before dawn, and biked 2km with no light but our headlamps and the moon to a place no one knew where we were going to, and after asking many Malagasy people where to find "Camp Andrew" and after trekking through what we discovered was a dug up field (all this on bikes) and yelling CAMP ANDREW, we finally stumbled upon our guides. We signed up to take a canoe ride out on the lake early in the morning in hopes to catch some lemurs. Well we were late, becuz we were lost, but once we got in the canoes, and they made us turn around (I was terrified of tipping the whole time, ask Stephanie, she was behind me as I was freaking out) we saw what we called a MOONBOW. It was a rainbow but was formed but the light of the moon and the mist from the lake/sky. It wasn't colorful, just one solid color. It was beautiful and I think that helped brighten all our moods once again. So we were off. As I stated earlier, I was terrified of tipping the whole time. It was scary. It was a beautiful, but cold morning. We were heading back to shore, after being out for over an hour and seeing nothing. Lemurs are nocturnal for the most part and we were too late. But as we were heading back, Mike spotted one. We took the canoes into the trees and spotted two young lemurs. OOOHHHHH they were so cute and cuddlily, made me wanna just hug em and take em to site with me. But yeah you know. Better let em be where they live. So yeah, it turned out to be pretty great.ps on this story....it was called "camp Bandro" not camp andrew.
The next day we went to Nicki's site. Me and Ryan stayed up chatting and laffing for most of the early night. We stayed in a school house maybe but none of the rooms' ceilings went to the top so each room was sort of connected. But so we stayed up chatting about this TV show we've come up with. I can't go into details for worries of copyright issues. I can tell you that it has to do with....Peanut Butter and Pickles.
Moving on. While in Tom's site, I wanted to get my hair braided. At my site I get my hair braided every week by my 12 year old best friend. It's just so much easier to manage and not as hot as if I had it down. So I asked Tom's neighbors if they could braid my hair. They said yes. They looked at my hair and gave this look. I said to them, I still need to wash it. They gave a sigh of relief and confirmed that yes I did need to wash it. So I took a shower and washed my hair. I, for the first time in years, combed my hair. Let me say that the first day of the bike trip I already had dreads forming in my hair. So it was not an easy task combing my hair out. I would estimate it took me a good 45min to an hour, not exaggerating here, to comb it all out. The lady told me she could do it after lunch. So I kept poking my head over at her house but she was still busy doing all of our laundry that we had given her. So I told her I'd get it done the next day. It was so funny because all the volunteers made comments on my hair and how different I looked when I combed my hair. I don't know if you'll find as much humor in this as I do, but I thought it was hilarious. I guess unintentionally i made myself look "pretty". So funny. I am not a pretty girl.
I'd like to speak of more highlights of the bike trip that stumbled upon my memory yesterday and today. While we were in Girl Erin's site, we awoke before dawn, and biked 2km with no light but our headlamps and the moon to a place no one knew where we were going to, and after asking many Malagasy people where to find "Camp Andrew" and after trekking through what we discovered was a dug up field (all this on bikes) and yelling CAMP ANDREW, we finally stumbled upon our guides. We signed up to take a canoe ride out on the lake early in the morning in hopes to catch some lemurs. Well we were late, becuz we were lost, but once we got in the canoes, and they made us turn around (I was terrified of tipping the whole time, ask Stephanie, she was behind me as I was freaking out) we saw what we called a MOONBOW. It was a rainbow but was formed but the light of the moon and the mist from the lake/sky. It wasn't colorful, just one solid color. It was beautiful and I think that helped brighten all our moods once again. So we were off. As I stated earlier, I was terrified of tipping the whole time. It was scary. It was a beautiful, but cold morning. We were heading back to shore, after being out for over an hour and seeing nothing. Lemurs are nocturnal for the most part and we were too late. But as we were heading back, Mike spotted one. We took the canoes into the trees and spotted two young lemurs. OOOHHHHH they were so cute and cuddlily, made me wanna just hug em and take em to site with me. But yeah you know. Better let em be where they live. So yeah, it turned out to be pretty great.ps on this story....it was called "camp Bandro" not camp andrew.
The next day we went to Nicki's site. Me and Ryan stayed up chatting and laffing for most of the early night. We stayed in a school house maybe but none of the rooms' ceilings went to the top so each room was sort of connected. But so we stayed up chatting about this TV show we've come up with. I can't go into details for worries of copyright issues. I can tell you that it has to do with....Peanut Butter and Pickles.
Moving on. While in Tom's site, I wanted to get my hair braided. At my site I get my hair braided every week by my 12 year old best friend. It's just so much easier to manage and not as hot as if I had it down. So I asked Tom's neighbors if they could braid my hair. They said yes. They looked at my hair and gave this look. I said to them, I still need to wash it. They gave a sigh of relief and confirmed that yes I did need to wash it. So I took a shower and washed my hair. I, for the first time in years, combed my hair. Let me say that the first day of the bike trip I already had dreads forming in my hair. So it was not an easy task combing my hair out. I would estimate it took me a good 45min to an hour, not exaggerating here, to comb it all out. The lady told me she could do it after lunch. So I kept poking my head over at her house but she was still busy doing all of our laundry that we had given her. So I told her I'd get it done the next day. It was so funny because all the volunteers made comments on my hair and how different I looked when I combed my hair. I don't know if you'll find as much humor in this as I do, but I thought it was hilarious. I guess unintentionally i made myself look "pretty". So funny. I am not a pretty girl.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
BIKE TOUR!
Ok. Well HEEEEELLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! We made the trek around Mad’s largest lake…220km of biking and doing AIDs awareness along with some information on Health, Environment and Business. We did a lot of biking followed by much setting up stations and preparing for the day of partying…well partying as in singing and dancing. We had PSI come help us. A great organization that promotes health around Mad. They were our sound system and helped us make sure all our messages were clear to the people. They were great and I want to give them a good shout out cuz without them, it wouldn’t have been as big of a success. We trekked about 70km the first day and were able to relax that night. We set up camp and the next day starting off the fety (party) in a bigger town. It was a success especially for our first time. We sang songs, in Malagasy, about AIDs to the beat of some well known songs here. We made a station for the people to learn these songs throughout the day so they could sing along with us when it came time for us to perform. It was a great success, yet only day 1. We did this same thing, except without a break for the next 8 days. It was very exhausting but was all very successful. None of the other days were as far of a trek but some were about half as long and not on a paved road so they were equally as tiring. But overall, I am very glad I helped with the bike trip and was part of it. It was great to see 6 other PCVs villages and to be with 20 other PCVs for the tour. We laughed and danced and sang a lot. We also passed sicknesses from one Volunteer to the next but all made it through. It was great to sleep in a bed last night, warm and comfortable. I will be heading back down to my village on Thursday prolly along with another PCV who is going to help with my garden and start up an English Club. I will be back here at the capital the end of August to help train the newbies. So it won’t be long until I have internet again. I hope to hear from some of you in the next couple days. But yeah. That’s about it for now. Life’s great. I miss you all so much. Think of you often. I’m sorry, I am sooooo bad at writing letters. I have one that I started in June and still haven’t finished or gotten it sent. But I hope to do that here in the next couple days. It’s always great to hear from you all and I hope all is well. Take care and known you are all in my thoughts everyday! LUV YOU!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
rats, outta control cows, lemurs..oh my.
Well hello there. This is Melissa. It has been awhile. After getting back from IST, I realized I had new roommates. RATS! Not too pleasant are they. They deSTROYED my house. Ate everything and anything they could chew through. Including, but not limited to, my clothes, a soccer ball, anything plastic, some baby formula that i mistakenly bought thinking it was powdered milk...ha, my camelbak which I would be using on our bike trip, and they even ate my walls. UGH! I did laundry a day or two after getting home, and sure enuf I found 3 baby rats in my laundry basket. It took me a long time to do laundry that day. I bought some rat traps, told the neighbor kids that when I catch one, they'll have to help me get rid of it becuz "I'm scared." More like DISGUSTED. They kept me up night after night and then finally I heard a SMACK! Sure enough I think I caught the ring leader, the head hancho, ZAKA BE! I threw it outside with a ten foot pole and as some kids were on their way to school, I pointed and made a disgusted look. They were amazed at how big it was. Yeah it was HUGE! After that I made them wash their hands and we sang the washing your hands song. Not too long after that, I caught another one. Only this one's butt got stuck in the trap so it was still alive. Taking my ten foot pole I got it outside to where the kids beat it with a stick to make sure it was dead. UGH. Me and Alison had been training for our 220km bike trip this month. We were biking about 28km a few times a week. We even made it to Vangaindrano, a city near us...25km away or so. All up and down hills. Once we got into the city, a cart being pulled by a cow was coming the opposite direction and saw me and went buck WILD. It started bucking and running. I looked back to watch it and the guy "driving" it was either thrown off or bucked off. it was kinda scary. We started planting at my garden. We celebrated Madagascar's 50th year of independence on June 26. That was interesting...more like Gasy's partying for 5 days straight. But it was all good fun. I made the trek up to the capital...again. On the way up I stopped in Ranomafana with Abe and Brian (the two PCVs in my banking town area) and visited with Mike for a couple days. It was glorious....but I froze my buns off. We did some beautiful hiking, swam in a pool where the water came from the hot springs and took a bath at the hot springs baths and saw some LEMURS!! We met up with some Americans that live and work there to celebrate 4th of July. it was a blast. I headed up to the capital and now here I am. I went to the dentist this morning and let me tell you, I don't mind the dentist but that was a LOT of poking and scraping and man it hurt. But yeah next week we have training of trainers for the new group of peeps coming in. That should be exciting. Then we have a bike trip. It's around Madagascar's largest lake. 220km. We'll be stopping in villages along the way to promote awareness of AIDS and provide education for health topics and environment topics. So it should be fun. It's over the course of like 9 days. Then I'll be heading back to site for three weeks and coming back up here to actually help with the training of the new guys. So it'll be a busy next couple months. I put pics up on facebook, it should be open to the public. That's about all for now. i miss and love you all. I have all my mail on hold until I get back, but from what I hear, there should be a wave of them, so THANK YOU in advance. Well I love and miss you lots. I'll be watching the World Cup final on Sunday. I'll also be thinking of Mr Sam Gerardy on Sat for it's his bday...and Ms. Sarah Albert for it's her bday on Sunday. LUV LUV LUV YOU!!! AND hello to all my friends and relatives in CALIFORNIA....Skowronski's...High's....Klingers...all my G-15ers still out there.and anyone and everyone else around the world...thanks for the love and support.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
.luv.
Hello friends....I can't believe I haven't posted yet. Well shizz. We are all in the capital and have been now for about two weeks. We have what is called IST...in-service training. It was fun.Great to see everyone.And to talk English....a lot.I don't feel like much has happened in the last couple weeks.We've had good times.Lots of laughing. I like to laugh.I'll be heading back to village tomorrow morning...it will take a few days. I miss my village and all the peeps.yeah the village people.I'm excited to go back. It's been great seeing everyone.I hope all is well with you all.I'm sorry I don't have much to say.It's been a long last couple of days.I luv you.Keep in touch.Give your animals a pat on the head for me.MUAH!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
TSARA BE!
aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh.Well my time here in Tana is nearing the end. I will be heading back to my village tomorrow morning...Inshallah...It has been a successful trip. I got forms to fill out to receive funding for my garden project at the CSB. Have to get them finished and submitted. Then I got word of a guy that works with Friends of Madagascar I do believe, and I called him and set it up that I will be receiving soccer jerseys and soccer balls for the teams in my village!! They are going to be sooooo excited!! I manuevered my way around the capital. On my own, never being here before and still struggling with the language, well it's different from the language in my village...not too much but enuf for me to get confused more often than not. I met and hung out with some other PCVs. I met all the Admin from the NGO I'm working with Missouri Botanical Gardens (MBG). My are they an AWESOME bunch of people. It was a great trip. I didn't see everything I wanted to, but I'll wait until I have a companion along with me. I will be heading to Fianar tomorrow morning...9.5hrs by taxi. Spend the night in Fianar hopefully with Mike and Ashley and then head back to Farafangana, another 8hrs from Fianar. So I should be in my village by the weekend. I'm glad I got to talk to those of you that I did. I will be returning back in this area in about 3 weeks to do some more training. So I'll hopefully be able to post more and all that jazz. ANYHOO....luv and miss you all...take care...until next time..VELOMA!!!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
So I have made my first trek from my site to the capital. I was lucky and was able to catch a ride with Peace Corps for the two-day trek instead of having to do it all by taxi, which is gonna be miserable. But we'll wait to talk about that until it happens. On the way here, I took lots of scenic pics somewhere around 200. I'll try to get more up while I'm here, which may be all week, it's uncertain as of today. On the way here, I saw things I hope to never see again and I saw things that made me smile. Let's go ahead and talk about the ones that made me smile. I saw a dog sun bathing with it's front paws crossed. I love seeing dogs cross their front paws. It just makes me smile. As we were going up a hill, there was a man, I would guess around 60yrs old along with a 6yr old child, coming towards us downhill on a wagon. He had this amazingly happy expression on his face I couldn't help big cheese extremely big. As we traveled, I enjoyed the fresh air blowing on my face, even though it got cold as we neared the capital. But by doing this, I experienced smells that brought me back to my time spent in Massachusetts, times spent at festivals and just some other memories. Ahhh how peaceful it is to be able to re-experience such good times in my life half-way across the world.
I am extremely happy in my village. I have had my share of ups and downs. When I'm having a down moment, I try to go for a bike ride or visit with the family that lives near me that has become my family. While on my bike ride, I try to smile and say hello to every person that I pass by. This really helps me get outta my slump. I was heading home after a frustrating day and was going downhill when a little girl was at the bottom yelling, "DONA!" (doonah) which is a fist pound that I do to everyone in my village. They love it and so do I. That made me smile so big.
I miss all you a lot. I will be able to have internet for a little while and have great reception so give me a call, drop me a line....OH right before I left to come to the capital I received my first wave of packages!!!! MOM, JULIE, LAURA T, PATTY, JESS....I got them all and as far as I know they all had their contents in them. However, since I was heading to the capital I sent them back to my village with Kabby. Didn't want to have to bring them to the capital and eat everything so I didn't actually open any of them. But they were all in tact. So yes. They were all sent to the Farafangana address. I have minimized my addresses to the two that have been working the best for us. So yeah. Thanks everyone for your love and support. I luv and miss you all....take care.
I am extremely happy in my village. I have had my share of ups and downs. When I'm having a down moment, I try to go for a bike ride or visit with the family that lives near me that has become my family. While on my bike ride, I try to smile and say hello to every person that I pass by. This really helps me get outta my slump. I was heading home after a frustrating day and was going downhill when a little girl was at the bottom yelling, "DONA!" (doonah) which is a fist pound that I do to everyone in my village. They love it and so do I. That made me smile so big.
I miss all you a lot. I will be able to have internet for a little while and have great reception so give me a call, drop me a line....OH right before I left to come to the capital I received my first wave of packages!!!! MOM, JULIE, LAURA T, PATTY, JESS....I got them all and as far as I know they all had their contents in them. However, since I was heading to the capital I sent them back to my village with Kabby. Didn't want to have to bring them to the capital and eat everything so I didn't actually open any of them. But they were all in tact. So yes. They were all sent to the Farafangana address. I have minimized my addresses to the two that have been working the best for us. So yeah. Thanks everyone for your love and support. I luv and miss you all....take care.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
This is a common site of a woman carrying her baby with something on her head.Two of my favorite people in my village.Fiena is one of my best friends.Some of the neighbor kids.A view from me and Kabby's bike ride.7km turned into 14km one way.Me and some volunteer health workders starting the garden at my CSB.
This is me and some friends on my bday at the ocean.This is Kabby's village during the flooding. This is prolly 3-5 feet under water. Normally, this is fields.Next, Milo is one of my counterpart's dogs. She was tired and fell asleep on the shelf. So cute.She helps me keep my sanity sometimes.My house.Me and a little happy girl at my CSB.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
misaotra betsaka....thank you very much.
heeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooo...as in the Jerry Seinfeld voice...so i wasn't expecting to have internet today much less type up a blog so it will be short.today is my birthday.yes it is...i'm not one to announce that it's my birthday or that it is even coming up..but it's different here.i've been telling everyone and their mother it's my birthday...i've had such a great week.got about 10 letters that i'm so happy and grateful for..i want to rip them all open and read them now but am going to save most of them for site...i keep forgetting it's easter this weekend...happy easter!!! i am buying a chicken tomorrow and giving it to a family that has become my family to prepare and we will all eat it together.it shall be nice.i'm going to the beach today with some new found friends.Kabby is doing site development for a volunteer that is coming in may.so unfortunately she won't be there but it's ok.she made me a cake on wednesday and man was that way too much sugar.i was off the wall.but it's been great.i wish i could be on this high all the time.i really miss you all and know there are many things i want to write but just can't remember them and it's about time for me to head out into the world of madagascar.i want you all to know that all addresses have came through with some sort of mail.well.letters.but alison has received packages at the first long address with environment in the title.the CSB II address i would just send letters to.but they all go to the post office where i end up picking them up.so it's all good.i luv and miss you all.and thank you so much for keeping me in your thoughts.it means so much and i feel it greatly today.until next time....VELOMA! (goodbye!)
Friday, March 26, 2010
what's up homeslice
March 24, 2010
Greetings! It has been what seems like forever. There has been a lot going on down here in my little village. We started to get rain somewhere around the 3rd and then it finally ended around the 14th. The river that separates my village and Kabby’s (Alison’s new nickname) village had raised about 15 feet. We got I would guess about 6 feet of rain in the 10 days. During this time we had a few visitors from stateside come. First, it was Teresa. She works with the women of my village to help get them out of poverty. She is an amazing woman. The project is called Blessing Basket Project and she buys baskets that the women of my village make. She then sells them mostly at a Whole Foods store. Please check it out. Support it. The baskets are beautiful and all made by hand. I have taken on the role of being Teresa’s eyes and ears here in my village and reporting back to her of any problems or successes. I’m proud to be a part of this group. Right about the same time we had some students from Washington University in Missouri come. They were a group of 8 students and 3 faculty. HI GUYS! They were a great treat. They did some research on the headlamps that the basket weavers were using, not for long but hopefully they got some information out of it. They also went into the school and taught the students how to make a water purifier. It was good to see and interact with some Americans but it was also hard after they left. Which I was fully expecting. But I hope to see some of them again next year as this is a yearly visit. With all this rain comes the damp, moldiness that has taken over my house. There hasn’t been a day where I have been home to open my windows and let it dry out or at least air out because I’ve been either working all day or it has begun raining again. Last night I almost pissed my pants I was so scared of the thunderstorm that I was certain was taking place right above my roof. Speaking of my roof, yes it still leaks. Everywhere. I have finally gotten a bedframe so I am off the floor but now there are two leaks that touch my bed at night. Not pleasant. Yesterday I was on a mission to find people with headlamps to see if they were working properly or being used. I discovered a whole new part of my village that I didn’t know existed. I was so amazed by it that I was out well past dark, with a pack of children following me and lighting the way. Ha.
There is this food here called breadfruit. We don’t have it in the states but it’s here and I like it. It tastes like a baked potato when cooked and I just looooooooooooooove it. However, after eating it, you get a bit gassy. Not Malagasy gasy but gassy. The kids are constantly farting and last night I was talking with this older woman when all of a sudden some kid let a huge one rip. We all laugh. It’s quite entertaining.
On another note, Alison is now called Kabby. This is because her worst nightmare came true a couple weeks ago and she slipped and fell in her kabone (outhouse). I can’t stop laughing about it and use it whenever I am feeling down. We have went out clubbing a couple times and man I’ve never been clubbing in the states but it is a riot here. Lots of guys and girls dancing to older pop music. And lots of Bob Marley. Tiako i Bob Marley (I like bob Marley). They have slow dancing music on and it is hilarious when some older man grabs me to slow dance. Oh I get a chuckle out of it.
I have taught many of the children in my village to say, what’s up homeslice. It’s very comical to be anywhere in my village and hear, what’s up homeslice.
Anyhoo…that’s about all for now. I hope all is well back home. Got two letters. One each at a different address so they work. Please keep sending letters. Love and miss you all!
Greetings! It has been what seems like forever. There has been a lot going on down here in my little village. We started to get rain somewhere around the 3rd and then it finally ended around the 14th. The river that separates my village and Kabby’s (Alison’s new nickname) village had raised about 15 feet. We got I would guess about 6 feet of rain in the 10 days. During this time we had a few visitors from stateside come. First, it was Teresa. She works with the women of my village to help get them out of poverty. She is an amazing woman. The project is called Blessing Basket Project and she buys baskets that the women of my village make. She then sells them mostly at a Whole Foods store. Please check it out. Support it. The baskets are beautiful and all made by hand. I have taken on the role of being Teresa’s eyes and ears here in my village and reporting back to her of any problems or successes. I’m proud to be a part of this group. Right about the same time we had some students from Washington University in Missouri come. They were a group of 8 students and 3 faculty. HI GUYS! They were a great treat. They did some research on the headlamps that the basket weavers were using, not for long but hopefully they got some information out of it. They also went into the school and taught the students how to make a water purifier. It was good to see and interact with some Americans but it was also hard after they left. Which I was fully expecting. But I hope to see some of them again next year as this is a yearly visit. With all this rain comes the damp, moldiness that has taken over my house. There hasn’t been a day where I have been home to open my windows and let it dry out or at least air out because I’ve been either working all day or it has begun raining again. Last night I almost pissed my pants I was so scared of the thunderstorm that I was certain was taking place right above my roof. Speaking of my roof, yes it still leaks. Everywhere. I have finally gotten a bedframe so I am off the floor but now there are two leaks that touch my bed at night. Not pleasant. Yesterday I was on a mission to find people with headlamps to see if they were working properly or being used. I discovered a whole new part of my village that I didn’t know existed. I was so amazed by it that I was out well past dark, with a pack of children following me and lighting the way. Ha.
There is this food here called breadfruit. We don’t have it in the states but it’s here and I like it. It tastes like a baked potato when cooked and I just looooooooooooooove it. However, after eating it, you get a bit gassy. Not Malagasy gasy but gassy. The kids are constantly farting and last night I was talking with this older woman when all of a sudden some kid let a huge one rip. We all laugh. It’s quite entertaining.
On another note, Alison is now called Kabby. This is because her worst nightmare came true a couple weeks ago and she slipped and fell in her kabone (outhouse). I can’t stop laughing about it and use it whenever I am feeling down. We have went out clubbing a couple times and man I’ve never been clubbing in the states but it is a riot here. Lots of guys and girls dancing to older pop music. And lots of Bob Marley. Tiako i Bob Marley (I like bob Marley). They have slow dancing music on and it is hilarious when some older man grabs me to slow dance. Oh I get a chuckle out of it.
I have taught many of the children in my village to say, what’s up homeslice. It’s very comical to be anywhere in my village and hear, what’s up homeslice.
Anyhoo…that’s about all for now. I hope all is well back home. Got two letters. One each at a different address so they work. Please keep sending letters. Love and miss you all!
Friday, February 26, 2010
travel down the road and back again....
February 26, 2010-02-26
Ahhhhhhh. Today. What a day. Let me start off with a quote ( this quote is from my language teacher, while we were in a restaurant while being installed):
Matsubara: Make a list of ugly movie stars.
Me: You.
Matsubara: I’m not a movie star, I’m just a star.
This makes me laugh everytime I think of it, which is often. Let me tell you about an average day of mine. I am awoken at around 5am by either the cock-a-doodle-do of the roosters or the moving around of the people that live around me. I finally crawl out of bed around 6:30 or 7 on a lucky day, make some coffee and make myself a banana shake (which I have Sarah Provost to thank for that, Guinea neighbor). I head to work, by bike, at the CSB (hospital) which is about 2 km (1.5 miles about) away if it’s not raining otherwise I wait until I think the rain with subside for the ten minutes that it takes me to ride my bike to the CSB. Then I start my day at the CSB giving a speech on some subject, whether it be diarrhea, vaccines for young infants, safe motherhood (for women while they’re pregnant), malaria, or family planning. Then I bike back the 2km for lunch and bike back to the CSB for another half a day. The people usually come during the morning at least at this time of the year, or so I’ve heard. I then am done around 4 or 5 and head home to either fetch my water, which is a good 400 feet away from my house down two big hills and then I have to carry the 20lbs bucket back up that 400ft of hills to make it to my home where I am tired as shit becuz it’s a battle to come back up that hill, I have to psych myself up before heading up it everytime..telling myself, I can do it…it’s only 50 more feet until the top of the hill, or if not that I hang out and play cards, rumy is what they call it but it’s nothing close to the rumy I know from home. Then around 6ish I return to my house to cook dinner. This usually consists of potatoes and carrots or beans and onions or something of that sort. I always want to stay out of my house after dark but know that once I return to my house I have to cook and dump all my compost into my compost pile which is outside my house of course. And yes, I am scared to go outside my house at night. My doors and windows are usually closed by 7pm, which is usually when it’s dark. I love when I come home late and have to cook and after I do dishes and dump the water outside my window, I am awestruck by the number of lightning bugs that are in the small forest of trees behind my house. Which is funny becuz while being installed there was a lightning bug in our room (me and Alison, closest neighbor, only neighbor) and she was like what is that! And I was like…that’s a lightning bug silly. Being from California she had never seen one before and was grateful to be with someone who had. Anyhoo I’m usually in bed by 7pm reading and trying to fall asleep with the unfamiliar yet familiar sounds.
I have roasted my own peanuts, roasted my own coffee beans and pounded them into the delicious coffee that I enjoy every morning. I am starting to think in Malagasy. When I want to say something to myself it is usually in broken English/Malagasy. There have been times when I’ve hit my head on my door frame and cursed myself becuz the door was made for someone of size from this country….about a foot shorter than me. My bathroom is about 10 m from my house and yes I’ll admit I am scared of it. I go in, do my business as quick as possible and try to get out of there faster than I really should. There really isn’t anything scary about it except a leak in the roof, which it was pouring today and I really had to go and yep there I was going while rain was dripping on me the whole time. I’m starting to get used to it….slowly.
My house has been inhabited by ants. I don’t know where they’re coming from or where they’re going but they are there. And they’re pissing me off. I’ve stomped on them I brush them away I do everything I can think of but they are still there. Whatev…I guess I can deal with it. Things could be worse…right? One day when I went to a city to gather vegetables becuz there’s aren’t very many in our town, I was greeted upon return by a group of my villagers in an epicerie(small shop) having a dance party and calling me in. Of course I went in. We danced for awhile until I told them I was tired and had to go home. It was great. Fun times. Yep. This has been one of the things that has really made my village feel like it’s my home. It’s hard to not see my family and friends everyday but know these people appreciate me being here everyday and know I’m trying real hard to learn their language and fit in with them even though I’ll never be invincible. The language is coming along really well. I understand about half what is spoken to me and can express much of what I want. It is really starting to feel like I’m making a home here. Which is an overwhelming experience.
In about a week and a half there are some Americans coming from a University in Missouri to work with the NGO (Missouri Botanical Garndens, MBG) that I’m working with. They’ll be here for about 2-3 weeks studying in the forests and teaching in the schools I think. I’m excited to have contact with Americans becuz I miss you all. Me and my neighbor PCV Alison, helped MBG plant trees last Saturday and it was a great experience. I planted each one with love. I swear. The guy in charge at MBG, Reza, has two dogs. Yep a boy and girl and I hope that within a year they will have puppies that I will take one into my care. Ironically enuf the girl’s name is Milo…not pronounced how you think it is but like …MEELOOO….which if you know me like Nee does….i’ve always wanted my first dog to be named Milo after Milo and Oatis and now here we have it. So I hope to have one of their pups after at least a year. I have some traveling to do before I even consider getting a dog.
Every Saturday in my village there is a neighbor girl, Fiena, who braids my hair. I’ve been at site now for almost a month and have actually washed my hair about 3 times. Becuz she does a wonderful job where it keeps in the braids and doesn’t feel like I have to wash it more than that and she loves it along with the rest of my village. But everyday when I do take a shower, or I should say a bucket bath, I have psych myself up to pour the freezing cold water on me. I try to take a bucket bath after I’ve fetched water becuz I’m usually tired and hot and sweaty after that. And it isn’t too bad to take a cold shower after that. My nights consist of breadfruit, unknown to the American eye but a fruit about the size of a coconut that fall upon my roof at random times during the night and scare the shit outta me and once I had a mouse inside my mosquito net (which I sleep under religiously) jumping on my back trying to get out and once I got it out proceeded to eat my food, yeah I didn’t sleep much that night.
There is a group of women here who make baskets which are beautiful and I hope to someday set it up where you can buy them from here. They are beautiful and handcrafted and inexpensive, just have to work it out of how I’d get it mailed to the US and whatnot. But yeah I’ll try to post pictures of them and whatnot. But me and Alison have made killer burritos. Refried beans, guacamole, and cheese, oh man were they good. I’m gonna get great at making those tortillas I’m telling you.
Anyhoo…sorry so long…and prolly befuddling….but I miss you all so much. Please keep writing. It means so much. The day I receive and the many many days after I receive each letter is a touch of heaven. I love you all. LOVE YOU! Hi Grandma Albert and Grandma Dever!
Melissa
Ahhhhhhh. Today. What a day. Let me start off with a quote ( this quote is from my language teacher, while we were in a restaurant while being installed):
Matsubara: Make a list of ugly movie stars.
Me: You.
Matsubara: I’m not a movie star, I’m just a star.
This makes me laugh everytime I think of it, which is often. Let me tell you about an average day of mine. I am awoken at around 5am by either the cock-a-doodle-do of the roosters or the moving around of the people that live around me. I finally crawl out of bed around 6:30 or 7 on a lucky day, make some coffee and make myself a banana shake (which I have Sarah Provost to thank for that, Guinea neighbor). I head to work, by bike, at the CSB (hospital) which is about 2 km (1.5 miles about) away if it’s not raining otherwise I wait until I think the rain with subside for the ten minutes that it takes me to ride my bike to the CSB. Then I start my day at the CSB giving a speech on some subject, whether it be diarrhea, vaccines for young infants, safe motherhood (for women while they’re pregnant), malaria, or family planning. Then I bike back the 2km for lunch and bike back to the CSB for another half a day. The people usually come during the morning at least at this time of the year, or so I’ve heard. I then am done around 4 or 5 and head home to either fetch my water, which is a good 400 feet away from my house down two big hills and then I have to carry the 20lbs bucket back up that 400ft of hills to make it to my home where I am tired as shit becuz it’s a battle to come back up that hill, I have to psych myself up before heading up it everytime..telling myself, I can do it…it’s only 50 more feet until the top of the hill, or if not that I hang out and play cards, rumy is what they call it but it’s nothing close to the rumy I know from home. Then around 6ish I return to my house to cook dinner. This usually consists of potatoes and carrots or beans and onions or something of that sort. I always want to stay out of my house after dark but know that once I return to my house I have to cook and dump all my compost into my compost pile which is outside my house of course. And yes, I am scared to go outside my house at night. My doors and windows are usually closed by 7pm, which is usually when it’s dark. I love when I come home late and have to cook and after I do dishes and dump the water outside my window, I am awestruck by the number of lightning bugs that are in the small forest of trees behind my house. Which is funny becuz while being installed there was a lightning bug in our room (me and Alison, closest neighbor, only neighbor) and she was like what is that! And I was like…that’s a lightning bug silly. Being from California she had never seen one before and was grateful to be with someone who had. Anyhoo I’m usually in bed by 7pm reading and trying to fall asleep with the unfamiliar yet familiar sounds.
I have roasted my own peanuts, roasted my own coffee beans and pounded them into the delicious coffee that I enjoy every morning. I am starting to think in Malagasy. When I want to say something to myself it is usually in broken English/Malagasy. There have been times when I’ve hit my head on my door frame and cursed myself becuz the door was made for someone of size from this country….about a foot shorter than me. My bathroom is about 10 m from my house and yes I’ll admit I am scared of it. I go in, do my business as quick as possible and try to get out of there faster than I really should. There really isn’t anything scary about it except a leak in the roof, which it was pouring today and I really had to go and yep there I was going while rain was dripping on me the whole time. I’m starting to get used to it….slowly.
My house has been inhabited by ants. I don’t know where they’re coming from or where they’re going but they are there. And they’re pissing me off. I’ve stomped on them I brush them away I do everything I can think of but they are still there. Whatev…I guess I can deal with it. Things could be worse…right? One day when I went to a city to gather vegetables becuz there’s aren’t very many in our town, I was greeted upon return by a group of my villagers in an epicerie(small shop) having a dance party and calling me in. Of course I went in. We danced for awhile until I told them I was tired and had to go home. It was great. Fun times. Yep. This has been one of the things that has really made my village feel like it’s my home. It’s hard to not see my family and friends everyday but know these people appreciate me being here everyday and know I’m trying real hard to learn their language and fit in with them even though I’ll never be invincible. The language is coming along really well. I understand about half what is spoken to me and can express much of what I want. It is really starting to feel like I’m making a home here. Which is an overwhelming experience.
In about a week and a half there are some Americans coming from a University in Missouri to work with the NGO (Missouri Botanical Garndens, MBG) that I’m working with. They’ll be here for about 2-3 weeks studying in the forests and teaching in the schools I think. I’m excited to have contact with Americans becuz I miss you all. Me and my neighbor PCV Alison, helped MBG plant trees last Saturday and it was a great experience. I planted each one with love. I swear. The guy in charge at MBG, Reza, has two dogs. Yep a boy and girl and I hope that within a year they will have puppies that I will take one into my care. Ironically enuf the girl’s name is Milo…not pronounced how you think it is but like …MEELOOO….which if you know me like Nee does….i’ve always wanted my first dog to be named Milo after Milo and Oatis and now here we have it. So I hope to have one of their pups after at least a year. I have some traveling to do before I even consider getting a dog.
Every Saturday in my village there is a neighbor girl, Fiena, who braids my hair. I’ve been at site now for almost a month and have actually washed my hair about 3 times. Becuz she does a wonderful job where it keeps in the braids and doesn’t feel like I have to wash it more than that and she loves it along with the rest of my village. But everyday when I do take a shower, or I should say a bucket bath, I have psych myself up to pour the freezing cold water on me. I try to take a bucket bath after I’ve fetched water becuz I’m usually tired and hot and sweaty after that. And it isn’t too bad to take a cold shower after that. My nights consist of breadfruit, unknown to the American eye but a fruit about the size of a coconut that fall upon my roof at random times during the night and scare the shit outta me and once I had a mouse inside my mosquito net (which I sleep under religiously) jumping on my back trying to get out and once I got it out proceeded to eat my food, yeah I didn’t sleep much that night.
There is a group of women here who make baskets which are beautiful and I hope to someday set it up where you can buy them from here. They are beautiful and handcrafted and inexpensive, just have to work it out of how I’d get it mailed to the US and whatnot. But yeah I’ll try to post pictures of them and whatnot. But me and Alison have made killer burritos. Refried beans, guacamole, and cheese, oh man were they good. I’m gonna get great at making those tortillas I’m telling you.
Anyhoo…sorry so long…and prolly befuddling….but I miss you all so much. Please keep writing. It means so much. The day I receive and the many many days after I receive each letter is a touch of heaven. I love you all. LOVE YOU! Hi Grandma Albert and Grandma Dever!
Melissa
Monday, February 1, 2010
pics!
The first picture is of my teacher, matsubara, and my classroom, the porch outside my room (all in my host family) Next, my mom and sister and I went for a hike and this is what i stumbled upon. Miraso, the neighbor little girl, cute as a button. Then a picture of my host family's house. And finally, me with the Nigeriens, Tondi (our training manager in Niger and Souley, my health director in Niger) They both got to fly with us to Madagascar for two weeks. This was our good byes.
on the road.
February 1, 2010
So we dropped off ashley, mike and matt the other day. Me and Alison had been just chillin, swimming in the Indian Ocean and shopping for nothing in particular. We took off for another city close to our sites to meet the authorities at the district level. Made the guy laugh when he asked me why i wasn't married. Because. Was all I said. The drive down to the other three's sites was just amazing. I mean our training site was amazing but this drive, i was fighting myself to stay awake just so i could see it. Beautiful. Today was our first day of our installation. I bought a mattress, gas, gas stove, 2 chairs, some solar charger stuff (yay!), another phone, and a shelf. I still have to buy all the little stuff but that will come with tomorrow. I got another phone and a new number i'll post on here. I don't have much time to write and this could be the last time for awhile. Pictures didn't work last time but we'll see this time.please write me. if you do, i'll have your address so then i'll send you a postcard and prolly a couple more letters. it means a lot. life is good. it's pretty humid where we are now. I'm hoping it won't be this humid where i'm going. I miss and love you all.
New number is 011261331314655
i could be getting another number cuz it's cheaper to call the states. using this company it is ridiculously expensive to call home. also note on letters and packages...you can still send them to the antananarivo address and they'll just be forwarded to my site. i don't know my address yet so i can't post it...luv you.
So we dropped off ashley, mike and matt the other day. Me and Alison had been just chillin, swimming in the Indian Ocean and shopping for nothing in particular. We took off for another city close to our sites to meet the authorities at the district level. Made the guy laugh when he asked me why i wasn't married. Because. Was all I said. The drive down to the other three's sites was just amazing. I mean our training site was amazing but this drive, i was fighting myself to stay awake just so i could see it. Beautiful. Today was our first day of our installation. I bought a mattress, gas, gas stove, 2 chairs, some solar charger stuff (yay!), another phone, and a shelf. I still have to buy all the little stuff but that will come with tomorrow. I got another phone and a new number i'll post on here. I don't have much time to write and this could be the last time for awhile. Pictures didn't work last time but we'll see this time.please write me. if you do, i'll have your address so then i'll send you a postcard and prolly a couple more letters. it means a lot. life is good. it's pretty humid where we are now. I'm hoping it won't be this humid where i'm going. I miss and love you all.
New number is 011261331314655
i could be getting another number cuz it's cheaper to call the states. using this company it is ridiculously expensive to call home. also note on letters and packages...you can still send them to the antananarivo address and they'll just be forwarded to my site. i don't know my address yet so i can't post it...luv you.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Finally a Volunteer!
Jan 26, 2010
So we swore in today! I'm finally a volunteer. We head out to site tomorrow morning. I won't be actually in my site until Feb 4 because we have to drop off 3 other volunteers before we head to my site. We have to do banking, open some accounts, and shopping for our houses. I have been told that the closest place for internet to my site is about 6 hours away. So I prolly won't be using the internet much. I'm gonna try to upload some pics on here. We'll see how that goes. I love and miss you all dearly. Keep writing!
mel
Jan 24, 2010
Akory aby sa! This is hello in my dialect language of Antesaka. We have finally made it. I gave my final presentation in Malagasy to all our health host families. Part of the requirements of it was to have them ask questions at the end of the presentation and being able to answer it pretty much on the fly. Mine turned out to be ok. It wasn’t that bad. Then we had our language test on Friday. I was really nervous. For me, I have been learning a dialect but my host family didn’t speak the dialect so to be able to practice it, hasn’t really happened but it was a mixture of my dialect and Standard Malagasy, which isn’t too different but there are some differences. But the ultimate test will be once I get to site. Which speaking of that, we will be swearing in on Tuesday. We’re staying in the capital Monday and Tuesday and then heading out on Wednesday. My closest neighbor is Alison, she is anywhere from 1km-15km. Which is pretty close but I think it will be great. Speaking of swearing in, I did pass my language test and will be able to, finally, officially start my two-year service. While in the host family village, I put together a small demonstration for all the kids in my neighborhood on hand-washing. It was a great success. There is a song to sing with it as you’re washing your hands and all the kids would sing it whenever they saw me. Aaron brought his kids over and we did it for them too. I was very surprised with myself because I didn’t have to look at notes or anything. I was able to give it in Malagasy. After that, we, Health trainees, made a cook stove for the village, demonstrating how to make it and built it at the SEECALINE office where a lady does nutrition demonstrations for mothers and their children. That, too was a great success. Another strange, small world is that while I was in Guinea, right before I was medically separated we had gotten a new Country Director. His name was Dan. He was literally my CD for not even a week when I found out I was leaving but he was great and helped me as much as he possibly could. To get to the point of my story, with Guinea being evacuated last October and Madagascar not having a CD, they recruited Dan, yep the same Dan, to come and be acting CD for 6 weeks here. It was great to see him. It’s just been so weird how many times I’ve ran into something to do with Guinea either in Niger or here in Madagascar. It will take me a handful of days to get installed (moved into my village, introduced to the authorities, getting my banking set up, all that good jazz). It’s been pretty quiet on the state-side. Yep that’s all of you. But whatev, I know what it’s like. It’s really good to hear from you about everything and anything. After three months and two countries, we have finally made it. It’s amazing how close we’ve all become. We have been strong since the beginning. I do believe we are one of the first if not the first stage here in Madagascar that has made it through the whole training without having someone ET (early terminate). Alena, a part of our stage in Niger who couldn’t come to Madagascar, is starting training in South Africa at the end of January. I’m really glad that she got in so quickly. But yeah that’s about it for now. Love you all.
Jan. 6, 2010
Hey there yay! I’m gonna make this short because I don’t have much time. I have moved in with my host family and they are great. I wish I could upload some pics but the internet is being used by 35 other computers right now so it’ll be amazing if I even get this posted. I live with a mom, dad and 5 kids between the ages of 10-20. I’m giving my first presentation tomorrow in Malagasy. I’m a little nervous but it will be great experience. The weather has been rainy at night. But otherwise it’s been pleasant. My address will be changing once I get to post which will be early February. I’m not sure how it’ll work but there will be a place to mail me in my village or nearby. I’m located on the southeast, 5 miles from the Indian ocean. I’m excited and can’t wait to see it and everyone. Sorry so short but I’ve got to go. Hopefully I’ll be able to load pictures before I go to post. I love you all and miss you bunches.
Dec. 24, 2009
Hello everyone! I am reporting to you from Madagascar. It is just about as opposite as one could get from Niger. It’s rainy, cold, humid, green, and beautiful rather than hot, dry, and sandy. We are at the end of week two. We are all staying at a resort type facility for another week and then we move in with host families. Let me describe the training site a little. Our dining hall is right on a lake where we have witnessed many beautiful sunsets. There are a couple canoes that we have access to. We have bikes so we can go biking and see the beautiful scenery along with some amazing hiking. It is just breathtaking here. We are staying in a dorm type room with one to two roommates. I am housing with Devyn and Ryan but staying with Jackson and Aaron. A typical day consists of me getting up at 6am, taking a nice power walk for about 45 minutes, rinse off, have breakfast at 7am, class 8-10 language or technical, snack/coffee break 10-10:30, class 10:30-12, lunch, class 1:30-3, break, class 3:5-4:15, free time until 6 when we eat dinner and then study, read, write, play games, really anything until bedtime which is generally around 9pm for me. I feel like we have been spoiled. We have wonderful food. Rice is still served at every meal. Breakfast we’ve had anything from French toast, pancakes, hashbrowns, eggs, bread, and some sort of meat just about everyday; lunch is a lot of cooked veggies and meat; and supper is usually mac n cheese or some dish with veggies and salad along with mangoes or plums for dessert. It all has been amazing. The language is coming along. We just got site announcements this week. I will be along the southeast coast. Yep, I should be biking distance from the Indian ocean! My closest and really only neighbor volunteer is Alison. We started our dialect on Tuesday and it is very similar to the standard Malagasy language that they speak all over the country. Apparently, it’s louder, rougher and lazier than the standard Malagasy. I think it will coming along just fine. I don’t know a whole lot about my site because it was recently redeveloped but should have more information on it soon. I do know that there are many secondary projects working with the environment, which is exactly what I wanted and I never told them that. They really are great at what they do, especially placements. There is an American NGO that works with Botanical Gardens which I am super excited about. We had class Christmas morning but the afternoon off where we had a feast! Ice cream included!!!! Some other volunteers that will be somewhat in my area are Stephanie, Tatum, Mike, and Matt. Being as far south as I am will give me the opportunity to visit more volunteers, I feel, when I’m planning a trip into the capital, Tana. We are not allowed to travel at night because of safety so it’s an excuse to stop on by someone’s site. We are all getting anxious to be getting out to site but know the training is crucial. I got a new cell phone, which hopefully I remember to change on here, but will more than likely be getting a new one once I’m at post. I will also be getting a new address. I do believe I’ll still be able to get letters and things that are sent to Tana (Antanarivo) but it may take a little longer once I’m at site. This way I could possibly have it delivered to my town. I’ll get it up on here as soon as I find it out. Anyhoo, I hope all is well. Thank you for those that have written or called. I can’t stress enough how much it means. I miss you all like crazy and hope some of you are thinking of visiting because I’m already thinking of places I want to go and things I want to do with many of you. Don’t be afraid to call or write! Pictures from home, newspaper/magazine articles, really anything is great. Hope the holidays are treating you all great. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love always, Mel.
011261341890628 Here's my number but it will prolly be changing in a week or so.
So we swore in today! I'm finally a volunteer. We head out to site tomorrow morning. I won't be actually in my site until Feb 4 because we have to drop off 3 other volunteers before we head to my site. We have to do banking, open some accounts, and shopping for our houses. I have been told that the closest place for internet to my site is about 6 hours away. So I prolly won't be using the internet much. I'm gonna try to upload some pics on here. We'll see how that goes. I love and miss you all dearly. Keep writing!
mel
Jan 24, 2010
Akory aby sa! This is hello in my dialect language of Antesaka. We have finally made it. I gave my final presentation in Malagasy to all our health host families. Part of the requirements of it was to have them ask questions at the end of the presentation and being able to answer it pretty much on the fly. Mine turned out to be ok. It wasn’t that bad. Then we had our language test on Friday. I was really nervous. For me, I have been learning a dialect but my host family didn’t speak the dialect so to be able to practice it, hasn’t really happened but it was a mixture of my dialect and Standard Malagasy, which isn’t too different but there are some differences. But the ultimate test will be once I get to site. Which speaking of that, we will be swearing in on Tuesday. We’re staying in the capital Monday and Tuesday and then heading out on Wednesday. My closest neighbor is Alison, she is anywhere from 1km-15km. Which is pretty close but I think it will be great. Speaking of swearing in, I did pass my language test and will be able to, finally, officially start my two-year service. While in the host family village, I put together a small demonstration for all the kids in my neighborhood on hand-washing. It was a great success. There is a song to sing with it as you’re washing your hands and all the kids would sing it whenever they saw me. Aaron brought his kids over and we did it for them too. I was very surprised with myself because I didn’t have to look at notes or anything. I was able to give it in Malagasy. After that, we, Health trainees, made a cook stove for the village, demonstrating how to make it and built it at the SEECALINE office where a lady does nutrition demonstrations for mothers and their children. That, too was a great success. Another strange, small world is that while I was in Guinea, right before I was medically separated we had gotten a new Country Director. His name was Dan. He was literally my CD for not even a week when I found out I was leaving but he was great and helped me as much as he possibly could. To get to the point of my story, with Guinea being evacuated last October and Madagascar not having a CD, they recruited Dan, yep the same Dan, to come and be acting CD for 6 weeks here. It was great to see him. It’s just been so weird how many times I’ve ran into something to do with Guinea either in Niger or here in Madagascar. It will take me a handful of days to get installed (moved into my village, introduced to the authorities, getting my banking set up, all that good jazz). It’s been pretty quiet on the state-side. Yep that’s all of you. But whatev, I know what it’s like. It’s really good to hear from you about everything and anything. After three months and two countries, we have finally made it. It’s amazing how close we’ve all become. We have been strong since the beginning. I do believe we are one of the first if not the first stage here in Madagascar that has made it through the whole training without having someone ET (early terminate). Alena, a part of our stage in Niger who couldn’t come to Madagascar, is starting training in South Africa at the end of January. I’m really glad that she got in so quickly. But yeah that’s about it for now. Love you all.
Jan. 6, 2010
Hey there yay! I’m gonna make this short because I don’t have much time. I have moved in with my host family and they are great. I wish I could upload some pics but the internet is being used by 35 other computers right now so it’ll be amazing if I even get this posted. I live with a mom, dad and 5 kids between the ages of 10-20. I’m giving my first presentation tomorrow in Malagasy. I’m a little nervous but it will be great experience. The weather has been rainy at night. But otherwise it’s been pleasant. My address will be changing once I get to post which will be early February. I’m not sure how it’ll work but there will be a place to mail me in my village or nearby. I’m located on the southeast, 5 miles from the Indian ocean. I’m excited and can’t wait to see it and everyone. Sorry so short but I’ve got to go. Hopefully I’ll be able to load pictures before I go to post. I love you all and miss you bunches.
Dec. 24, 2009
Hello everyone! I am reporting to you from Madagascar. It is just about as opposite as one could get from Niger. It’s rainy, cold, humid, green, and beautiful rather than hot, dry, and sandy. We are at the end of week two. We are all staying at a resort type facility for another week and then we move in with host families. Let me describe the training site a little. Our dining hall is right on a lake where we have witnessed many beautiful sunsets. There are a couple canoes that we have access to. We have bikes so we can go biking and see the beautiful scenery along with some amazing hiking. It is just breathtaking here. We are staying in a dorm type room with one to two roommates. I am housing with Devyn and Ryan but staying with Jackson and Aaron. A typical day consists of me getting up at 6am, taking a nice power walk for about 45 minutes, rinse off, have breakfast at 7am, class 8-10 language or technical, snack/coffee break 10-10:30, class 10:30-12, lunch, class 1:30-3, break, class 3:5-4:15, free time until 6 when we eat dinner and then study, read, write, play games, really anything until bedtime which is generally around 9pm for me. I feel like we have been spoiled. We have wonderful food. Rice is still served at every meal. Breakfast we’ve had anything from French toast, pancakes, hashbrowns, eggs, bread, and some sort of meat just about everyday; lunch is a lot of cooked veggies and meat; and supper is usually mac n cheese or some dish with veggies and salad along with mangoes or plums for dessert. It all has been amazing. The language is coming along. We just got site announcements this week. I will be along the southeast coast. Yep, I should be biking distance from the Indian ocean! My closest and really only neighbor volunteer is Alison. We started our dialect on Tuesday and it is very similar to the standard Malagasy language that they speak all over the country. Apparently, it’s louder, rougher and lazier than the standard Malagasy. I think it will coming along just fine. I don’t know a whole lot about my site because it was recently redeveloped but should have more information on it soon. I do know that there are many secondary projects working with the environment, which is exactly what I wanted and I never told them that. They really are great at what they do, especially placements. There is an American NGO that works with Botanical Gardens which I am super excited about. We had class Christmas morning but the afternoon off where we had a feast! Ice cream included!!!! Some other volunteers that will be somewhat in my area are Stephanie, Tatum, Mike, and Matt. Being as far south as I am will give me the opportunity to visit more volunteers, I feel, when I’m planning a trip into the capital, Tana. We are not allowed to travel at night because of safety so it’s an excuse to stop on by someone’s site. We are all getting anxious to be getting out to site but know the training is crucial. I got a new cell phone, which hopefully I remember to change on here, but will more than likely be getting a new one once I’m at post. I will also be getting a new address. I do believe I’ll still be able to get letters and things that are sent to Tana (Antanarivo) but it may take a little longer once I’m at site. This way I could possibly have it delivered to my town. I’ll get it up on here as soon as I find it out. Anyhoo, I hope all is well. Thank you for those that have written or called. I can’t stress enough how much it means. I miss you all like crazy and hope some of you are thinking of visiting because I’m already thinking of places I want to go and things I want to do with many of you. Don’t be afraid to call or write! Pictures from home, newspaper/magazine articles, really anything is great. Hope the holidays are treating you all great. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love always, Mel.
011261341890628 Here's my number but it will prolly be changing in a week or so.
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