Internet-so we meet again. I take back what I said about having more internet once at site. Maybe once I get a bike it will be easier-but the one town with internet (15k away) only has internet sometimes. Last time I went to try to use the internet they said they didn’t have “the code” or something. If you are an internet café but you can’t get the internet, I’m not sure what that makes you…other than frustrating.
Side Note: New Address
The other address still works so you can still use it, but this one I will have access to more often.
Corey
BP 22
CP 510
Mahanoro
Madagascar
I have no idea what those numbers stand for…but it seems to get here.
Right now I’ve taken my monthly banking days to travel to Mahanoro. This is a much bigger town where I can use the internet, visit some friends, and charge my kindle. Oh, and also go to the bank so I have money to buy food…and more importantly cell phone credit so I can talk to friends in my infinite free time.
I apologize for being out of touch. I had even hand written a bunch of emaills in prep of using the internet, but that was before my failed attempt. Here is take 2. I think “out of touch” takes on a whole new meaning here in Madagascar. The only news that I’ve heard is that Steve Jobs died (side note: I tried to pay him triute in my hut by listening to my ipod, but alas that is out of batteries too) and I received a good deal of celebrity gossip from Jenna (thank you so much J-that made my day!). But other than that I’m out of touch on world news, celebrity news, and even Malagasy news. Although I did hear that Mada finally signed something with the international committee so their exiled ex-president can return without being arrested. I think that’s progress. I think it also lays the framework for future elections. Who knows when/if this will actually happen. From what I’ve noticed here (in my 3 months-I’m no expert)-the politics and the person in power has a very small (if at all) impact on the daily life of an Malagasy person, at least in the countryside where I live. Their main focus is on feeding a family rather than what is going on in Tana.
What I’ve Been Up To…
Not a whole lot. At all. I’ve been reading A Lot which unfortunately left me with a dead kindle. Luckily I had 2 paperbacks on reserve for when that happened…unluckily I finished one of them in a day. I just hope the next book is like the Miracle of Lights and lasts me until my trip to Mahanoro. If I finish my one remaining paperback-I will resort to reading my Madagascar travel guide cover to cover. Who knows, it might provide me some good tips on where to take visitors.
So other than reading excessively and progressing steadily through my book of NYT cross-word puzzles (shout out Dad-good idea to bring that), I’ve swept my house about 147 times, started reading the Malagasay dictionary in hopes of one day being “mahay” and built myself a hand-washing station outside my kabone. Yay good hygiene! I’ve also done laundry in the river-literally standing thing deep in the river-made many batches of homemade peanut butter (definitely worth the 3 hours of labor that goes into it), and sat at my doorstep for approximately 30 hours. Ah the life of a PCV. According to Brad, this is normal. But I have actually done a few health related things since I’ve been here…
1) On vaccine day at the clinic I went to help out. But I got there and found out that the doctor had left to go get the vaccines in a different town. So I decided to come back a few hours later. When I returned there were 40 women and kids still waiiting, and no doctor in sight. I went next door to the doctor’s house, and there she was taking a nap. Eventually we did get around to giving the vaccines, and I got to sit and watch…and occasionally write something.
2) I gave my first health talk at the clinic. It was about nutrition for preganant women. Aside from being terrified to speak ‘gasy in front of a bunch of people I didn’t know-I was excited to actually do something. It went okay, but the doctor had to repeat everything I said in a different way so the women would understand. Apparently that is normal too.
3) And then I’ve gotten to weigh babies with my counterpart. Its pretty funny to watch because you put the babies in a pair of shorts and hang them from a scale. Without fail-every baby cries, and some pee their pants. But its something. Every child is supposed to be weighed monthly until they are 5. And most of the time monthers are good about coming back every month. We also did a cooking demo for a healthy meal pregnant women can make.
In un-health related activities I’ve done a few things too. The mayor’s son and nephew both speak some English so they come over to practice sometimes. And I’ve met with some people who want to learn English. Then 2 weeks ago a volunteer in the town 15k away was going to work on a world map project where you paint a map on the side of the school. I went to his town for the day to help out and a few other volunteers came too. But it was hot, and Malagasy time kicked in, and we didn’t have a meter stick to make the grid, so we ended up just hanging out on the beach instead. At least we had the intention of working.
Other Random Tidbits…
· Somedays I really think the language is getting easier, and other days not so much. One day I went on a long walk with my counterpart, and she started talking about a guy in town who had seemed really nice and helped me move in, etc. Then she went on to use some words I didn’t completely understand. But if I did understand correctly, this seemingly nice guy killed someone and was in jail for a year…which might explain his giant homemade tattoo…or maybe she was trying to tell me that he worked in a hospital for kids. Its those key words that I still seem to be missing…
· Me talking on the phone in English apparently is the most entertaining thing to watch in this town (the 2nd being me buying food at the market) so when I’m in my house (a supposedly private place) I draw a crowd. The neighbor kids have no problem staring at my door, or even venturing inside to stare.
· I got another lesson in Malagasy privacy when I was having a hard day. It was mabe my 5th day of not having anything to do and I was a little homesick and blah blah blah…So I was talking to my mom on the phone and I had a good cry and the next day it was the tak of the town. The day Corey cried. This day happened to coincide with the first day of school for all lthe kids who had been my friends up to that point. So it was assumed I was crying because I didn’t have friends. If I could count the number of times I heard someone say “manginagina satria tsy misy namana” (which means its quiet because you don’t have any friends) I’d be a millionaire…even in the States. So pretty soon the whole town is thinking I’m really sad, which is funny because I’m not…However, them thinking this came with some nice perks. Every few hours they sent over a little kid with food. And in the evening they sent over the son with sweet potatoes. He speaks some English so he tried to tell me that my friends are far away, 2 years is a long time, and if I want to talk, I can talk to him. It was a really nice gesture, and a pretty funny story. I won’t be surprised if this follows me the two years.
· Going to school here is an interesting concept too. Since I live in the countryside-the schools are not very good. Some days the teachers don’t want to teach-so they don’t. Other days, the kids are done by 9am. Other days kids don’t go because they have to farm with their family, school is too far away, or there is no money…
· I’ve also started to develop a list of things to do when I’m bored…So far I have two ideas. First, play this fun game in my hut called find cell phone service. Its always changing and if I’m lucky it will keep me entertained for hours. And one of these days I’m going to play myself in bananagrams and try to use all the letters. I think that could potentially take all day.
· I still haven’t moved into my new house yet. It was supposed to be done my first week…and they were really motivated at first. They even started construction at 6am one day. But now things are at a standstill-I haven’t seen builders in over a week. I hope they finish soon because its started to rain harder in my hut.
· And now I’m the proud owner of a live chicken. After weighing babies one day, a women came up to me and my counterpart with a chicken and a papaya. I got the chicken, and she got the fruit. I’m not sure how to raise a chicekn, but I’m hoping the mayor’s wife will show me. And apparently in 6 months it will be ready to eat…
Shout out MK-Even though I could only here your voice briefly before I lost service…it made me so happy! Thanks for trying!
Okay that’s it for my ridiculously long post. I miss everyone so much. I hope everything is going well in the States. If you write me a letter I promise to write you back!
I’ll update again when I can!
No comments:
Post a Comment