My COS Story

This is long overdue.  The fast paced life has consumed me.
Last time I posted was in December about my Dad’s trip. December was busy and in January, I COS’d. Let me take a step back and give you a glimpse at my last times in country, including my last vacation, days at site, as a PCV and all of the velomas, goodbyes.

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New Year’s trip with Harvard
I started the new year off right with a vacation.  For New Year’s, my friend and roommate from AmeriCorps, Harvard visited me.
Traveling bougie I met Farah Jones!!

We flew to Toliara and I hung out with Farah Jones’ baby at the airport! #smallworld #famousinger

Beautiful beach in Anakao where we spent New Year’s

Typical travel situation: Taxi brousse on the way to Isalo. I held an 8-month-old for over an hour. Beautiful piscine naturelle we swam in while hiking in Isalo.

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LUNCH after hiking Isalo National Parc

Cold glass of Tamarind juice on left and a hot cup of rice water, or ranampango on right.

Lasary karoty, shredded carrots in vinegar.Rav’toto and rice. Ground cassava leaves are a popular traditional dish
I definitely didn’t like this dish when I first got to country, but now I love it.

Beautiful sunset in Isalo. The way it was sprawling reminded me of Tucson, AZ

Mofo sira – my favorite “bread” in my second year. Salty/oily rice flour bread you eat with coffee.
 
Beautiful rice paddy terraces driving from Isalo through the South to the highlands.
We drove from 10:30 am, when we finally rented a 4×4 in Isalo because we were sick of haggling,
(and our brousse didn’t show up), to 11 pm at night when we arrived in Anstirabe.

We covered 1,000 kilometers or 23 hours by car in three days.

Antsirabe was really cute. A smaller, manageable town. It was nice to walk places.

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Once Harvard left, I went back and did my site goodbyes.

Maman’ny Cidja, my favorite mpanotra/mpanao massage on her steps.

She is Rogelio, my favorite baby’s grandma.

Claudio, what a smile

The whole crew: youth club girls and other baby friends

Judi, Dinah, and Coco, my favorite mpanentanas, co-workers.

This lady I do not know but she asked to take a picture.

My favorite high school students came to say bye! They made it to premiere and I hope they make it to
Terminal, the last year of high school!

This was one of my favorite babies. Her Mom introduced her to me as Princess Diana. She was a well-behaved,
adorable baby. Her Mom could leave her with me and go to the market.

Marolahy and Sonya playing with play-doh for the first time.

Mama Boozy and Tantine Eugenie. They were constants in my life for two years.

A nice lady who sold street food and would always give me free tastes and talk me up for an hour

My garden achievements – my super tall moringa tree and huge watermelon,

and basil up to our waists (behind us). Friends coming to say bye and get voandalanas.

Reading Eugelie Dr. Seuss one last time

More pictures of my favorite people at site and life as an RPCV in my next post!

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Vingt Six

 Malagasy Independence Day is June 26th.
(Referred to as “Vingt Six” here, the date in French)
Tratra ny Fety!I played in the Annual Women’s Soccer Match on June 25.
First time playing soccer since I was 14!
 
At night on June 25th, the eve of Independence Day (from France 54 years ago),
kids walk the streets with light up toys.
Wild in the night with no street lights, just paths lit by stars and the moon.

Town elders and leaders congregate at the town’s center for speeches & dance performances. 

Malagasy flag and Traveler’s Palm, the National Symbol at town center.
Instead of a huge parade, we have dance performances!

Students do a rendition of a popular dance by a singer, “Barinjaka”

 
CEG Middle school girls dance (L). Couples dance, so cute! (R)
 

All of my friends ask me to take pictures of them on holidays, in their best clothes.
I figure I’m going home soon, so I obliged.

Awkward pose with the flag (below)

After lunch, we watched the SOCCER tournament finale
 
THEY WON A GOAT! THEN CHASED IT AROUND THE FIELD…?

So many kids trying to look at the goat (me included)

Finished off the day at my favorite (and only) night spot in town
 
…the Karoake Bar. It’s name: Hotel Souveneir

Rina (above) sang “My heart will go on” and I sang, “Man, I feel like a woman!”
June 25th’s over, but the celebrations continue on…
 
June 26, Nicole cooked a chicken (above) and invited me over!
I made carrot salad
 
Family Portraits
After lunch, my friends again, asked me to take pictures, which is actually fun,
when they’ve been drinking “taoka gasy,” or homemade rum with sugar cane or rice.

DRINKING IN PEOPLE’S BACKYARD, SIMILAR TO JULY 4TH, EY?

They, like many people, bought gas for a generator and
played music (loudly) and set up the speakers
 
and danced in their yard

 
Friday, June 26th is over, but people are still enjoying themselves on Saturday! Cuz hey, it’s the weekend!
IT’S NOT A FETY (PARTY) IN ILAKA TILL THERE’S A SPECTACLE (CONCERT)

Tsiliva concert. My 5th live music show I’ve been to at site,
and that’s not even all of the shows there have been.
Here’s a video of his:


SO Vingt Six celebrations started on Wednesday, June 25 and finished on Sunday, June 29!
Fun, full week at site

I will Survive

MY AUTOMATIC RESPONSE WHEN A PCV ASKS ME WHAT I’LL BE DOING THE REST OF THE WEEK:

From “How a PCV puts it gently”

This is how I feel about going back to site after Poland, and being gone for a month.  I’ll be busy trying to survive!

Female PCV: Half man, half woman

Falling “In Between” on Gender Spectrum

Overcoming Gender Stereotypes 
As a woman, who is also a foreigner, I am allowed to step into a gray space, in relation to my gender in Madagascar.  I am not quite a woman to them, but also not a man.  I do not cook all day and take care of children, so I have the freedom of a man in many ways.  I am limited to gender stereotypes and often asked when I’ll settle down and get married, though.  I hope to shed light on what’s it’s like to be a female Peace Corps Volunteer.  More importantly, I’d like to share how I interpret the fluidity of my identity in relation to gender here.

Gender is a socially performed role, dependent on the environment you’re placed in.  We often look to our peers and society to decide how to express ourselves.  Just as “race” is socially constructed, gender roles depend on the self, in addition to, exterior factors.  Living outside my country (the US), I am freed of my own society’s “expectations” of me—of who a white, college educated, liberal female from Washington, DC should look like, act like, and talk like.  I question where I fit in, my values, place in life in a more conscious way here, and anyone who has taken the time to wonder these things, knows their values.

Finding your place in your site, and/or the world, as a PCV is probably the biggest challenge you face for 2 years.  You’re different from the people around you in so many ways.  I carry with me “American” values of being a strong, independent woman.  I am also bombarded with inquiries related to my plans to marry, daily.  Add to that mix, your privileges of being foreign born, college educated, English speaking, higher quality of life (debatable, I argue, but at least in relation to access to running water, electricity), and in my case, different skin color, hair texture, etc.  Finding my identity within my town is especially difficult in relation to my gender.  In some ways, my lifestyle is similar to women, and in some ways, I have the autonomy and mindset of a man.

When put in a place where you are free of familiar gender expectations from your own society, you find freedom.  However, so much freedom can be confusing.  Where do I truly fit in?  Some days I worry I do not act enough like my female counterparts – I work outside the home, do not have a man and children to take care of.  Other days, I enjoy the liberty of weaving between the lines…and the freedom that comes with it.  I can prepare a delicious meal and relish in my womanhood.  OR I can go bike riding and leave behind the worries of tending to my house, and keeping it clean.  On one hand, I am allowed to ‘break’ social rules.  It’s as if I am forgiven for not conforming, using ignorance, as an excuse.

“Oh she doesn’t know – she’s a vainey [foreigner]”.

For example, I once wore pants to church, and realized afterwards, that I was the only woman wearing pants.  My friend who brought me said “It’s okay” because I’m a “vazaha.”

Other times, I am grilled about why I don’t conform to the woman’s role i.e. don’t have kids already.

To add another level of complexity to my story; my identity, and where I fall into the social spectrum of characters in Ilaka Est is, ultimately, not just my choice.  For we have self-identity, but also how others perceive us, as I mentioned above.  Certainly, the way I see myself is not in line with how I am seen.

LIKE A MAN

I am only 25 and feel young, with lots to learn.  At site, though, I’m treated like an important person in town because I’m a “vazaha.”  I’m given respect, and the chance to speak, at times when only older men, the town’s elders, are given the floor.  I was included on stage at the Independence Day celebrations with School directors, the Mayor, and Doctor.  I’m given this power, authority, of a man due to my country of origin, essentially.

It can be convenient to be given recognized in this way, even without being a Doctor myself, or necessarily having earned it, otherwise.  I was raised by a single mother, who wore the pants and put food on the table.  As a result, I see myself as equally capable to/as/of men.  I do deserve the chance to share my opinion, just like everybody else.

This unearned recognition is awkward, too.  Sometimes I want to sit with the Community Health Workers, and normal people, instead of being put on a pedestal at events.  I just want to blend in!

So I’m like a man, but I should still give birth ASAP

So sometimes I’m treated like a man here, which is cool, but often people accuse me of not being enough like a typical Gasy woman, too.  I am still single, with no children, at age 25.

This is my friend, what people think I should be doing- childrearing.

I am asked every single day when I will get married, give birth, if I’m good at cooking.  I can have my freedom of not exactly conforming to expectations of a woman, but I should still be like one.  Many people here think my principal role in life is to have children and cater to a man.  Which, well…no comment.

They all assure me, it’s already time for me to have kids.   I try to not let their mindset make me think I’m making a mistake by putting my career before my “family” (I may or may not create one day).  When I tell them I won’t get married and have kids for 10 more years, their jaws drop like it’s a crime.

[It’s like they want to fix me.  …which is ironic, since you could say, that’s the basis of my work, in many ways.] While in the United States, it is perfectly normal to be working and unwed at age 25, here it is a distinguishing factor.  Few of my counterparts in my age cohort are single like me.  As a woman here, you are expected to want to get married by my age.

I find myself walking a fine line between a male’s freedom and a woman’s role.  I find it freeing to be able to cross back and forth, but sometimes I wonder where I really fit in.  It is interesting to see how, my perspective, as a foreigner, provides me with flexibility on the gender spectrum.  And it is important to remember, our positions in society are all on a spectrum, as opposed to clear cut boxes defining us as one or the other.  That’s the end of my Sociological dip into gender theories amongst female PCVs in Madagascar in the 21^st century.

*Editor’s note: Of course, I realize, some of these are generalizations.  Especially in present times, and in cities, less women are performing such stereotypical roles.  For simplicity’s sake, I portray what I experience, as I live in a rural area.

Girls Club + Song + Dance = Empowerment

Click link: Video of me & my Girls Club Performing “Waka Waka” HIV Song

Lyrics in English:

Waka Waka
Protect yourself from AIDs
Don’t have [unsafe] sex
Have one partner
This time for Afrika!
Use a condom
Because there is no vaccine
and there is no cure
Let’s go – protect Africa!

My favorite work in Peace Corps has been working with youth.  Girls ages 8-12 who are members of my Girls Club, which meets on Saturdays at my house, learned a dance and song about HIV/AIDs prevention. We performed it on March 1st at the Community Wide HIV/AIDs Festival for all of the town elders, Doctors, School Directors, Directors of Medical Care in the District Capital, Vatomandry, and it even went live on TV that week!  It’s hard to see but we actually had condoms that we waved around in the air when the lyrics mention condoms  – to get people used to seeing them, and familiar, maybe even comfortable with the idea.  I was so amazed that these girls learned this song AND dance, and they taught each other.  They really became peer educators, without realizing it.  I’ve learned that music, song and dance, is the best way, and most fun, way to teach!

Loss from Abroad

I lost my Pap, my Mom’s Dad, last Saturday.  It’s been a week, but it hasn’t really settled in.  Still has yet to hit me, feel real.  The funeral was last Thursday and the viewing last Wednesday.  Neither of which I could attend from 11,000 miles away here in Madagascar.  My family lives in rural Central Pennsylvania (PA), home of sweet corn-on-the-cob, and delicious fresh foods.  One of my favorites is “Green Fried Tomatoes.”  When I say my family can cook, I mean they CAN COOK.  Best Pumpkin Pie ever.  Everything from scratch, made with love, and lots of margarine.

Beautiful rolling hills of PA

My mom’s family is interesting.  There’s nine siblings.  My Mom is second oldest, but oldest girl, which means she did a lot of childrearing, herself, growing up.  Not too different from Malagasy families, in fact.  I, as a single child, of course, have no clue what that’s like.  My Mom’s Mom died many years ago, and I never got to meet her.  I think I got a lot of my personality from her though.  I’ve heard she liked bright colors and wrote poetry.  Her already being gone means Pap was the last one left.  Now, of course…

Losing my Grandpa during Peace Corps is hard because I can’t be with my family.  I want to support them, and help them.  My Mom is single, with no other children, and I should be there for her.  I also want the camaraderie, solidarity of being with everyone right now.  My Uncle Gene flew in from Montana, and I haven’t seen him since I was 11 or 12.  I want to hear stories of him, his glory moments, how we built Route 50 going to Ocean City, MD, how he liked gardening.  It’d be nice to remember his healthy times.  Last time I saw him, it was hard for him to talk much, but I did sit with him for a while.  When I tried explaining Peace Corps to him, he began a story about his time in the Military in Panama.  That was fun to hear about, and basically my last memory of him.

I am one of 30+ cousins, or grandchildren, of my Pap.  For the greater part of my childhood, I was the baby.  I got picked on, “baby-ed,” spoiled.  My Uncle Steve would pretend to drill screwdrivers into my head when I was 3, and my Mom called him, “Uncle Teaser.”  My Aunt Doreen babysat me when my Mom was job searching.  I owe her a lot.  My Uncle Kent lived with us more than once, and has always been a role model for me.  He encourages me to follow my heart, and actually, thought Peace Corps sounded awesome for me.  So did my Uncle Nevin, who could relate to me, after his Service in Afghanistan, where he learned to appreciate a new way of life, doing Youth Development through Boy Scouts.  My Aunt Donna and her husband drove me up from DC more than once over Thanksgiving to make sure I was able to see my family.  [My Mom lives on the West Coast, but I still wanted to see her family.]  They took care of me, and I wish I could be there to take care of them in this time.

My Uncle Nevin & I at Buckwheat Pancake Tradition ’12

Then there’s my cousins.  I love them.  We’re so different, on the outside, but they teach me to have fun, enjoy life.  I’ve always been their “zandry”, like a little sister, and they’ve always taken care of me.  No matter when I come in from “the city,” they’re always welcoming and treat me like I’ve always been around.  Guys, be strong, and know, I’d be there with you, if I could.  When I get back…

My cousin, Sabrina and her son, Aiden, last time I visited

People here say, “He was old. It was time, so it’s not sad.”  While I agree, he has been suffering for a while, there’s still a selfish part of me that wishes I got to say bye.  I feel bad I didn’t call.  Thank God I sent two post cards to say “hi” since I’ve been here.  The guilt in being far is still present though.
Of course, part of the appeal of going abroad, is “escaping”.  Escaping what?  Life’s problems, challenges, old tiffs, reality, as you know it.  Truth is, that’s impossible, and it’s only temporary.  More so, it only becomes more complicated when you run away.  I knew this, and now I feel guilty that I’m not with my family, when I should be.  Then regret encroaches.
Why did I come so far to help others when some days it seems like my help is unwanted, when I should be there for my own kin?  Questions arise.  Where are my priorities?  Is this right?  Did I ditch my family?  Am I ungrateful, for all they’ve done for me?  I know this is my calling, my dream, sometimes I just wish I could be in two places at once…
My Dad liked to point out that this was a known risk of my leaving to go so far.  I knew that, and took many pictures of my Pap over my last visit to PA in November 2012.  Thankfully I brought them with me.  I told my friends at Site that he passed and many of them knew exactly who I was talking about.  They said, “The one from the picture!?”  It was nice.  They could relate.

Five of my [Malagasy] friends also visited me at my house and brought me envelopes with money, which is Malagasy tradition, when someone dies, or gives birth.  It was very, very nice.  I never expected them to give me money.  It was my friends who sell coffee, bread, fruit, vegetables, clothes, and one has a small store up the street from me.  I was shocked by their graciousness.  They came to me to perform Malagasy tradition, and it was a huge honor.  I felt another step integrated into my town, and included.  Like they saw me as a real person, experiencing a challenge, and wanted to give me strength.  I felt them feeling my emotions.  It was moving for me, and I will never forget it.  I also learned one of my favorite Malagasy words, “Mahereza”, which means strength.


Thank you everyone, in advance, for your support.  Gordner family, I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you this week, but you are in my thoughts and prayers.  I think about you every day.  Everyone I meet her I tell about him, from coffee sellers, to bus drivers.  We honor him.  Thank you, Pap, for giving me life.  I’ll keep gardening, and eating, in your honor.  You’re one of the strongest, most hard working people I know, and I know where I get it from.  Thank you for all you did over the years, and asking my Mom, when you talked, while I was here, “How’s my Granddaughter?”  I felt your love in those moments, and will still call upon you.  Sleep well, love you.

What would you do if your friend was diagnosed with HIV/AIDs?

Sample responses: “Cook them food they like.  Do activities they like to do.  Make them happy.”

While I was expecting them to say, “Take them to the Doctor and get medicine,” I thoroughly enjoyed the sincerity of these responses.  I administered a test to my High school students in my Youth Club  after a month of learning about healthy sexual practices, including HIV/AIDs and Sexual Transmitted Infections.  Their responses say something about how we view and value life.

Over 1,000 people turned out for my HIV/AIDs movie night on January 18th! I collaborated with Population Services International (PSI) to promote healthy sexual reproductive health through a movie showing.

My Girls’ Club performed a song I taught them about HIV/AIDs prevention, and they were so good!

Check out the video!
PSI brought & set up a projector & movie screen

HIV/AIDs Fast Facts:

• AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and is also called acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
• HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus.
• HIV/AIDS is spread through sexual contact with an infected person, sharing needles with an infected person, through transfusions of infected blood or through an infected mother. (http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/29/health/aids-hiv-fast-facts/index.html)

PCV neighbors
John & Julia came to support me & check out PSI’s work

Madagascar’s Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) rates are some of the highest in the world.  The risk of contracting an STI is made worse by low education levels, a “macho” culture where condoms are not supported, lack of access to resources, and even the political crisis (2009 Coup) worsening the economic situation.

Center of town was covered in movie goers!

Estimates for people living with HIV/AIDs in Madagascar in 2012*:

• Number of people living with HIV: 59,000 [49,000 – 69,000]
• Adults aged 15 to 49 prevalence rate: 0.5% [0.4% – 0.6%]

*Sourcewww.unaids.org/en/Regionscountries/Countries/Madagascar/

PSI Cinemobile “Mpanentana”
They traveled to Ilaka from Tamatave

According to a UN report, “Madagascar’s rapid increase in HIV prevalence is likely influenced by a variety of conditions, including low literacy, widespread poverty, limited access to health and social services, high rates of partner change, and an increasingly transient population.”

A principal theme I emphasize with my youth group, friends, and girls club is the importance of protecting yourself, emotionally and physically by having a safe, monogamous relationship.  Too often, women put up with men running the streets at night, while men often say women are “maditra” or disloyal as well.  I’ve found myself in the middle of many awkward, yet hilarious conversations about the culture of people cheating on each other, essentially.

Setting up movie screen

“70.8 percent of the world’s people living with
HIV/AIDS live in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Madagscar.
Madagascar is among very few countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with an opportunity to slow the HIV epidemic and avert the socioeconomic destruction that is evident in
high-prevalence areas.  Even though low, the HIV prevalence in Madagascar is increasing, as seen among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics; prevalence in this population rose from 0.064% in 1995 to 1.1% in 2003″ (Wikipedia).

Doctor Chantal thanking PSI & Peace Corps

Data is widely unavailable and at best, estimates, as resources, such as tests and funding for thorough surveys, are limited.  The Medecin Inspecteur, or head of Health in Vatomandry Region, where I live and work, said 10 people have already died (knowingly) from HIV/AIDs.  Testing materials, like reactive are unavailable most of the time, so it could be higher.  Often people die due to an unknown cause.  There is room for improvement on data collection, particularly in order to effectively provide health education on the topic.

Turning my commune into a movie theater

Many people in my town says HIV/AIDs doesn’t exist there. They can’t possibly know because shame is still attached to testing, so most people don’t get tested.  AND testing reactive is only provided by one NGO (from what I’ve seen, not from Ministry of Health, who relies heavily on funding from outside the country, and is strapped for cash because Foreign Aid has been widely cut off as a result of the Coup) , so they give like 18 tests a month, and one can only get tested with a referral from the sole Health Educator from that NGO in town.  Even more important, I emphasize, they can’t possibly know whether HIV/AIDs exists there.

“You can’t tell who is infected from the outer appearance of a person.  Someone could look clean, and well dressed, but be infected.”

I gave my Youth Club a test on HIV/AIDs related information, and the highest score was 18/19!  They seemed to have been interested in the topic, and attained information.  When reviewing their answers, I joked with them about their responses, and the culture of having many “sipas” (partners).  I’m trying to inspire them to educate their peers, friends.

We then did role plays and I pretended that I was a teenager with many boyfriends and asked them to convince me to change my ways.  I threw back at them all of the ridiculous lines I hear from them about why it’s okay to have more than one “Sipa” (boyfriend/girlfriend).

“Fa tsisy raika tiako, tiako zareo jiaby”
But I like them all. There’s not just one I like!

“Raika mahay mahandro, raika mahay manasa lamba,
1 mahay mandihey”
One is good at cooking, one can wash clothes, one is good at dancing…

“Fa tsy mbola manambady, dia tsy maninona raha manana sipa raika any Ilaka sy raika any Mahanoro”
But I’m not married yet, so it’s okay if I have one sipa in Ilaka and one in another town, Mahanoro

“Fa mangatsiaka ny alina rehefa tsisy namana”
But it’s cold at night when there’s no one [by your side]

…and the excuses go on ‘n on for why it’s okay to have many, many “sipas”!

Ilaka’s Doctor is responsible for treating 20,000+ people

Rocked our “Bougie” Stage Peace Corps Ts

So many kids!

Moon rising at end of show

Looking back, this was a great 1st huge community event!
Walking down the street Sunday morning, everyone told me how awesome it was, and asked when the next one was.

36 Hours, 1200 Kilometers in a Brousse

 
For Christmas and NYE, I decided to go on vacation because it was too hot at site (& I thought maybe we would get evacuated due to the elections) so I traveled for four days by bush taxi to get to my final destination, Diego Suarez.

Let me give you an idea of what that means;

Day 1: Sunday, December 22     Ilaka Est (My site) – > Tana
7 15 am Walked to brousse station in Ilaka with Julia
745 am left Ilaka for Vatomandry
830 am arrive Vatomandry, meet up with John, leave for Tana
12 pm lunch in Moramanga @ Hotel Nadia

Menu hightlights: a mean Mine Sao (Vegetable, egg, pork) Lomein & Wan Tan Soup
430 pm Arrive Tana

Total hours broussed = 9 + a taxi ride (and waiting of course)

Menu: Korean food for dinner! First time in country! Got my favorite dish, JapChae, because of the cellophane noodles.

Dessert: homemade cinnamon rolls by Nathalie #amazing

Met up with 8 other volunteers from the South East n Fianar region all heading towards Diego with us

Day 2: Monday, December 23    Tana -> Antsohihy
w/ a brousse full of vazahas!
It takes us 2 hours maery of driving through traffic in capital before we’re even on the road!

Thank God we had no breakdowns, never ran out of gas, or any other emergencies. We just got stopped by Gendarme like 1,000 times. We should have gotten in about 5 hours earlier than we did, but hey, c’est la vie.

Total hours broussed = 18!

(Buttbone disliked me very much. Ankles swollen. Travelers diarrhea hitting all of us. I was so cramped, I had to keep repositioning. My legs are so long compared to other people that they touch the seats in front of me. And sitting for 18 hours, even with a comfortable seat can’t be good for you.)

We stopped for 2 meals while on the road, and passed around American candy from care packages in between. They were serving chicken, steak shish-kabobs and rice for breakfast. I opted for rice with greens and meatballs. Better than it sounds.

Day 3: Tuesday, December 24   Xmas Eve
Upon arriving in Antsohihy, we were all exhausted, hungry, and dirty. Luckily, the two PCVs living there have running water, so it made things easier. It’s a weird sensation to know you’ve been sleeping on a bus forever, but it’s still daylight, and you should be able to function normally. We kept saying to each other, “Wait, what day is today?”

Also, for those of you wondering how I could possibly travel for 27 hours so far and still not be to my final destination, look at map of Madagascar. (I say this with no hint of condescending feelings…okay, maybe just a little.)

My friend who did Peace Corps in Honduras said, “But you’re on a tiny island!” Then looked it up and realized Mada’s more than four times the size of Honduras. #Perspective

We went out for lunch at a Gasy hotely, which is any place that sells affordable plates of rice with a variety of “side dish” options. I had fish in coconut sauce with cucumber salad. It was delicious! Dominicans also prepare fish with coco sauce, so it’s been one of my favorites for a while.

That night was already Christmas Eve, and we cooked at home. We made a delicious spaghetti bolognese and hung out. I was pretty deliriously tired by this point. It wasn’t quite my pierogies, but it was hard to remember it was even Christmas Eve. We kept yelling out “It’s Christmas everyone!”

Day 4: Wednesday, December 25   Fish Tacos in Antsohihy

Still in Antsohihy! Whipped up some delicious fish tacos for lunch complete with mango salsa! I also made my first hummus ever. I toasted then ground fresh sesame seeds from Ste. Marie, lime (replacement for lemon), ground garbanzo beans, salt, oil and a lil water. Super simple!

Mikaela & Chris carving the fish

Xmas Fish TacosEating Christmas supper on the floor on a straw mat, Gasy style

That night we did karaoke and us girls sang Shania Twain “Man, I feel like a Woman”, “No Scrubs”, and Spice Girls “Wanna Be”. Took me back to practicing for the 5th grade talent show in Julie’s basement, our trip to Ms. Weyman’s house on the Bay, and of course, Thalian pledging! Good times.
Then we went out dancing, and I quickly found myself dancing in the middle of a circle of Malagasy people! Went home later than we should have given our 7 am brousse departure the next morning, but it was a good Christmas, albeit atypical.

Day 5: Thursday, December 26     Antsohihy -> Ambanja

5:30 am Wake up
7 am Walked to station
8 am Brousse for Ambanja left
8:50 am I stopped the brousse so I could get out to puke! Then nice people let me switch to the front
1 pm arrived in Ambanja

Total hours broussed: 5

Bicycle rickshaws fill Ambanja’s streets

Ambanja’s a sleepy little port town where tourists catch a boat to Nosy Be, a supposedly beautiful island nearby, or pass through on their way to Diego (our final destination).

We ate brochettes, or small, steak shish-kabobs for dinner, which is essentially high quality street food.

Day 6: Friday, December 27    Beautiful white sand beach!

After 6 days of traveling, cramped on brousses and sweating, we finally made it to the beach!

Ankify is the nicest beach I have ever been to in this country! We had white sand and turquoise waters all to ourselves!

Menu: we made avocado, tomato, cheese, green pepper sandwiches for lunch
Early to bed for me, out by 7:30 pm.

Day 7: Saturday, December 28    Ambanja – > Diego, finally!

Streets flooding in Diego as rainy season starts.

6 am Brousse departure
…which of course means we left by 8 after all the shenanigans of departure.  Arrived to Diego by 3 pm ish
Total hours brousse-d: 7ish

Menu: pooped from traveling, we treated ourselves to an entire pizza each and headed to the Gelateria for desert! I love that even though I’m living in a developing country on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, I can still eat well. I’ve never been to Europe, but I’ve definitely enjoyed tastes of Italy and France in places like Peru, Mexico, and now Madagascar, which is crazy cool!

Day 8: Sunday, December, 29    Diego
No brousses for a week!

Sailed to a beautiful white sand beach in the Emerald Sea! Swimming and a seafood feast! Most amazing green turquoise water I have ever seen in my life! Best swimming beach I’ve been to in this country, maybe ever. Said that about Ankify too huh? They’re all amazing!

Julia & I

Emerald Sea

They went spear fishing n then grilled up the fish for us right after. Pretty amazing! Totally worth it.

Day 9: Monday, December 30   “Me Day”

After so much traveling, hustle n bustle of excursions n early wake ups, it was time for a rest. Enjoyed luxury of Hotel de la Poste with WiFi, air conditioning, amazing shower, two sinks! Treated myself to a facial and took it easy. Took myself out to dinner.

Menu: calamari for lunch, fish n chips for dinner! Even got fries with vinegar, just like Ocean City boardwalk. Love me some Thrasher’s.

Day 10: Tuesday, December 31     New Year’s Eve

Worked on my grant. Planned to go to beach, but it rained cause there’s a Tropical Storm on its way. Checked out tourist shops in pm. Weird, do I buy momentous from here and bring it home after 2 years? Won’t it get ruined from mold, or stolen, before it’s time for my flight home?

Menu: clams baked in butter and garlic with sautéed legumes, red wine @ Bodega

NYE Crew

Day 11: Wednesday, January 1    New Year’s Day brunch
@ Meva (Peace Corps transit house)

Menu: made banana pancakes, scrambled eggs with veggies, home fries, cucumber salad

Lazy day, otherwise, enjoying AC n WiFi.

Street food for dinner:
Samosas (like fried wontons), mine soa (lomein-like noodles with veggies), curry bread, grilled sweet plantain, brochettes (beef shishkabobs) all for $1!

Apparently Malagasy celebrate New Year’s on New Year’s Day more than Eve. I went to get ice cream & it was a mad house with people trying to get their scoops. I thought I was going to be caught in the middle of a stampede at one point!

Day 12: Thursday, January 2     Pool day!
Swimming & sipping smoothies at a luxury pool.

Sacred island on drive to pool.

Delicious pesto pasta!

Day 13: Friday, January 3    Diego -> Tana

Long brousse ride, sad to end vacation, but so glad it happened! Good rejuvenation in AC, WiFi, really the AC did it though!  We left Friday morning @ 8 am from Diego and didn’t get in to Tana until Saturday night @ 6 pm.  It was insane.  We ate 5 meals on the road. FIVE! Usually you stop once, for lunch. But no! We had breakfast in the car, then stopped for lunch, then dinner, breakfast, and then lunch!

Part of reason it took 12 hours extra is because there was a road that flooded that was impassable, so we had to wait there from 12 midnight- 6 am.  We had to vacate the vehicle, passengers walked across the swampy river (home to CROCODILES!), and vehicle STILL flooded with water while men in their underwear pushed it across!  Quite an experience.

Lessons learned;

Traveling in Madagascar sure is uncomfortable, long, exhausting due to the bad roads and poor infrastructure. Though they’re bad, don’t let the roads stop you from traveling here! I was really nervous before this trip about a bad experience on the road, but you’re chances of a breakdown, or accident aren’t that high.

I also grew as a person on this trip. Finding balance between group dinners and alone time. Many benefits to traveling with a group, but you are more isolated from making new friends, which is half the adventure for me. It was fun to bond with people from my Stage though.

As an only child, alone time is my comfort zone, and quite frankly, I feel amused just fine by myself. I played with legos for hours by myself as a kid. But going with the flow of a group is something I’ve been working on for a while. I’m used to being in control and doing what I want, when I want. But with a group, everyone has their own ideas, and group decisions can be difficult to make. Someone has to take charge, and it’s usually not me.

I’m a social introvert, as I like to put it. I like being silly with friends, but as an empath, I regain my energy when I’m alone. I pick up on everyone else’s energy in groups, and it’s exhausting! It’s all about learning to protect yourself and putting up your bubble of love.

I’m proud of myself for challenging myself to go far outside my comfort zone, and try sitting in the back of the brousse, with no special privileges. While that eventually led to me throwing up, I’m glad I tried, and learned my limits. Thanks to the group I was traveling with for your patience with me, and my tendency to wander away from the group. I know it’s hard to reel me in.

Hope this inspires you all to take a step out of your comfort zone, whether it’s trying a new road home, new exercise routine, or just going out to dinner by yourself!

As my girlfriend Diana wrote me,

“We have to let go of our ego and see the world around us.”

Cheers to everyday being a chance to grow and let go.

Merry Kristmasy!

Girls Club smiles

Malagasy Language
Language is a rainbow of symbols used to describe how we experience life. I love its ability to give us voices and freedom to express ourselves.

I noticed when I talk to my friends and tell them about something in my life here, one of the first questions is usually, “Is this whole conversation in Malagasy?” They’re stunned when I reply, “well…yeah.” So I thought I’d share a couple typical daily exchanges in Malagasy language for you to start studying for when you visit! (or…just for fun!)

Morning Gasy Greetings* (Betsimisaraka is the dialect we speak at my site, and this is actually specific to my region)

My neighbor: “La-lay
Me: Tsara be, lal-ay?
Neighbor: Tsara be fon-tsafa
Me: Ten-an-de-manitra”

Afternoon Greetings
Neighbor: “Barakal-ay” = How’s it goin?
Me: Tsara be fon-safa = Very well)
Neighbor: Barakal-ab-ay = How’s it goin? (if there’s more than 1 person)
Or Barakal-Lal-ay = How’s it goin? (if you haven’t seen them yet that day)

*written phonetically to help you pronounce them & mostly because I am close to illiterate in writing so much of what I can say here…

IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE!
Can you believe I’ve been here 9 months!? I can’t. But the increase in temperature tells me it’s summer here. It’s so HOT at my site now. My travel clock says it’s 95 degrees in my house, in the shade, not including humidity. Humidity’s gotta be at 100%, or close to it, so it’s pushing 100 degrees here, when you factor that in.

I have created some scenes at sight because I was too hot. Yesterday, after I bought an entire 1.5 bottle of cold juice from my friend, Rasoa, I was still too hot to walk home. I bought a coconut from another lady, and then still just sat there. Rasoa tried asking cars leaving if they were going my way to take me, but when that didn’t work, she finally found me an umbrella to walk home with. The day I walked home with an umbrella because OF THE SUN! #embarasssing #ThingsIdNeverDo #takebacks

Things have been crazy busy here. (Not something most PCVs say often.) After seeing 8 positive malaria tests in one day, I am doing a lot of health trainings on malaria at the health clinic on days they do vaccines and pre-natal consultations. Because the rainy season starts in January, water will become dirtier, so I’m focusing on but Water and Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH) conversations, too. People here are used to drinking rice water, so they embrace boiling methods of water treatment. They are hard to convince to use Sur’eau (which is a French brand of bleach that the ministry and NGOs endorse) to clean their water, or vegetables. In fact, when I ask people about Sur’eau, they reply, “Oh the stuff for washing your clothes, to get stains out?”

Infrastructure is lacking, too, in terms of latrines and clean water holes sources. My job is not to build it though – it is to get people here to see the need for latrines, and other infrastructure, and to build it themselves. Just like the old proverb, “You can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink from it.” Wait, wait or is it, “If you teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.” Yeah, that’s it.

I have been teaching pregnant women yoga, slowly, while they wait for their Pre-Natal Consultations (CPNs; in French). They are really shy at first, and giggle, or don’t look at me, but then once they start, and I have them count in English, they get focused. It’s really funny, and sometimes they all sit down after one stretch because they’re uncomfortable. It’s kind of sad, but I understand. I’m pushing them really far outside of their comfort zone.

Girls Club!
This morning I taught my girls club about HIV/AIDS, and using condoms. [Written 12/14]

Learning English on my patio

Teaching about American holidays – Thanksgiving – in most serious of ways!

We learned an HIV song to the tune of Waka Waka to sing at the Opening Ceremonies of the HIV/AIDS Festival.

I am also holding a youth group, like I mentioned and I taught them about AIDs, too. I am focusing on teaching all the groups I work with about the virus for World AIDS Day Educational Commemorations.

Landry, a high school teacher, is my partner in this Youth Club adventure

I like bringing the kids outside to learn, trying to implement some of
the US’ thinking-outside-the-box teaching style.

Peace Corps Community / 2014

I’m also becoming more involved in the Peace Corps Madagascar community, you could say, and already have some big plans for 2014.  I have plans for the first half of the year already. I’m working on an AIDS Festival for January 11. I just applied for my first grant ever, which was exhilarating. I’m preparing my two youth clubs to perform at the Opening Ceremonies of the Festival. I may try to give a speech, in Gasy. “Tompoko vavy, tompoko lahiy,” …maybe not.

I have taken upon a role as Peer Mentor to help out a new PCV coming to serve here in February. Many people did the same for me, so I wanted to share my wisdom. I remember how stunned I was when I heard they use Franc (FMG) here to count their money. Instead of saying something costs, “3,000 AR”, they’ll multiply it by five, and give its value in Franc, which would be “15,000 FMG”. It’s insane, and difficult for me to pick up on, but I have basic ones down. When the math is simple, it’s easier. For example, if they say it’s “5,000” and say it in French, “sanque mille” I can tell it’s “1,000”, or “Arivo Ariary”. Oh, that’s another difference – if it’s said in French, it’s FMG, in Gasy numbers, it’s Ariary. So confusing. Thought that would boggle y’all’s minds. Anyways, I updated my page with packing advice for new volunteers.

I also applied to Train the new Stage coming in early 2014, and was chosen to lead them on their Technical Trip, which is really exciting! So I’ll be participating in a Training of Trainers for a week in early February. That should be a nice break from the heat. Electricity and running water for a week, plus food cooked for me. I can’t wait. Oh and a reunion with a bunch of my Stages mates, too. Yay reunions.

Then I’m hosting people (the whole new stage!) at my site in March for a day of “in the field” training. It should be pretty cool – to show them around and give them a taste of PC life through Ilaka. I’ll also travel around that week with two other PCVs near me, and show the new PCV their sites, too.

Ways I’ve changed
PC Mada asked me to write a brief bio. for the mentees, and I realized the way I’d describe myself and my habits is not the same. I was a little shocked.  For example, I like burning incense now, something I never did in the States. My habits are: gardening, teaching, watching TV, reading, and of course, still love writing!

What about Kristmasy? ’n NYE?
I was going to spend Christmas at site, but it got really, really hot—couldn’t take it. So I’m going to the farthest North point of the island, Diego, – a 3 day journey of taxi brousse traveling. It’s supposed to have beautiful beaches, so hopefully worth it. I’ll write to let you know how I made it when it’s all done!

Merry Kristmasy and have a happy new year!!

“Life is not the way it’s supposed to be. It’s the way it is. The way we cope and handle it, is what makes the difference.”