Thursday, February 21, 2013

Luke, Ich Bin Dein Vater. Nein, NEIN!


2/21/13

So, Miarinarivo has a rather high concentration of international volunteers.  We like to call ourselves “Team Vazaha,” or Team White People.  First, here are the two French volunteers, at who’s house I vacation because they always have better food and a piano.  David Pierre has been here almost two years and Nolwenn (girl, regional name from southeast France) arrived in Miarinarivo in October, but has actually lived in Madagascar for 3 years in different locations.  Unfortunately we may lose her in July, but that is a different story… Then, the German center down the street from my house takes on German volunteers usually in their gap year between high school and college for a few a months at a time.  Right now, we have the highest it has ever been: 4 with the girl who just arrived last week.  There are a couple other French people, but I don’t see them very often.  We all get together from time to time a revel in our “vazahaness.”  Lucky for me, they all speak English haha.

A few months ago, David Pierre and I, because we are both huge nerds, decided we should have a Star Wars marathon, watching the three original movies all in one night.  We talk about doing a lot of things, but two of the Germans said they had never seen it, that moved this epic marathon to the top of the list.  To celebrate our multicultural nature, I suggested that we each make a dish from our respective country.  So Emma, Eric, and I, true to American form, stole something from another culture and made mini pizzas for the appetizer.  Then, the Germans (3 at the time) mat Spatzla, a certain German noodle dish.  Then, of course, the Frenchies made delicious crepes with nutella filling J YUM!!

But wait, it gets better.  Not only did we have international food, we decided to watch one movie in each language.  So A New Hope was in French, The Empire Strikes Back in German, and the epic finally Return of the Jedi was in English.  I have to say, watching them in other languages made them the most corny and hysterical movies ever.  And while the French was pretty amusing, nothing beat Darth Vader saying I am your father in German.  Luke, ich bin dein vater.  And Luke screaming NEIN! When you could clearly see him saying no.  Also, yoda sounds ridiculous in German.

So, that was my productive cultural exchange.  I am so lucky to have these volunteers around, wouldn’t trade them for the world J

-Sarah

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