tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67030792276272173102024-03-13T07:17:32.110-07:00Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-44531179486535953562014-06-19T07:04:00.000-07:002014-06-19T07:04:17.459-07:00Things I Will Miss, and Things I Definitely Will Not
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June 18, 2014<o:p></o:p></div>
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In honor of having exactly one month remaining, (and the
fact that I just had my first real good-bye with a Malagasy friend) I thought I
would talk about the things I have loved here and will miss, and of course the
ridiculous things that I definitely hope never to have to encounter again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>Things I Will Miss:<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The people.
I have met so many interesting people, and I know I will stay in contact
with some, but others will be more difficult to stay connected with, and I will
miss them everyday. This includes the
Malagasy, as well as the multitude of multinationals that became part of my
“Team Vazaha.” I also love how accepted
and welcomed I feel in some of the families I know, like I am a part of them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The mountains.
As anyone who has ever traveled with me can tell you, I am a sucker for
mountains. Probably because Michigan
doesn’t have any. Looking forward to
attempting to climb the Ozarks when I move to Arkansas in January :) .<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->“My” dogs and cats. Gray (cat), White (cat), Pixie (dog), Mino
(tiny kitten), Bleu (dog), Boba (dog), Melky (dog), Rex (dog), and Marlo
(dog). I think that is all of them. As I write this, Gray is curled up in my lap,
and Pixie is sleeping with his enormous head on the doorstep (purebred German
Shepard). While none of them technically
belong to me, since I vowed after the guinea pigs that I was not allowed to own
pets, (I get too attached anyway) I adopted several animals that my friends
own. And I am going to miss them
terribly. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Random wandering cows and chickens. I know it sounds weird, but there is
something always amusing about having to pause a soccer game because a cow is
lazily munching his way across it. Or
the chickens who look like raptors (seriously, these things are weird)
scurrying across the road avoiding the foot and vehicle traffic. I also love ducks, I think they are just the
funniest, and will be looking for them in America.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Near complete lack of schedule. Agriculture and health volunteers have
project and personal goals, but unlike the education volunteers, we don’t
really follow a set schedule. If I want
to nap between 12 and 2, I can. If rain
makes it impossible to work, that’s just how it goes. I will definitely miss having complete
control over my schedule.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Thunderstorms.
They are so good here. Power cuts
aside, sitting on your porch, watching as the lightning dances across the sky
and the deafening thunder rolls in is such a wonderful experience.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The ocean.
Need I say more? While I do not
live very close to it, every single trip I have been on in this country (which
is actually quite a few) has involved a trip to the Indian Ocean or the
Mozambique Channel, and I will never be able to get enough.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Fresh seafood. Now, this really only applies to
when I go to the ocean, but I have had $12 lobster and prawns the size of my
head. Also, the north makes everything
coconut and saffron rice, and it is the absolute best.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->FRUIT!
Did you know I thought I didn’t like pineapple? That was because I had
never had it fresh. The tropical fruit
in this country is to die for. Mango,
pocanelle, mandarin, avocado, pineapple, 100 kinds of bananas, and LITCHI!! I
will miss litchi most of all. If you
have never tried fresh litchi, you need to make that happen. I am looking forward to apples and
strawberries in the states though.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Cheap cost of living. I can buy 2.2 pounds of tomatoes for about a
dollar. My rent is one of the most
expensive in Peace Corps, and it is about $60 per month. I don’t make a lot of money here, but things
don’t cost a whole lot either. Not
looking forward to the cost of living in the states.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Biking. I
own the nicest bike I ever will, courtesy of Peace Corps. It has been quite fun biking through the
countryside of the Itasy region. I am
looking forward to testing my bike at home to see if it still works, and to try
for a little more flat ground and excellently paved roads.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Being multi-lingual. While this isn’t going to go away completely,
I know my Malagasy skills will diminish with lack of use. I have been improving my French, but it still
has a long way to go. I will really miss
being able to talk to people in Malagasy, and making fun of other “vazaha” in
Malagasy when they don’t understand.
People were always so surprised by my Malagasy level, and I liked that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Flora and fauna.
Swimming in waterfalls, feeding lemurs of all sizes, crossing paths with
a chameleon or tenerec. The flora and fauna of Madagascar is so unique, and I
am definitely going to miss it. Not the
spiders though, or the cockroaches. I
have been lucky and haven’t had any rats.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Frip. Ahhh second-hand clothing markets. It was no secret that thrift stores were my
favorite places to shop in the states, but here it is really all people
do. I love paying no more than $4 for
every piece of clothing I own. It also
makes for excellent costume and theme parties.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Meva free box.
Even better than buying second-hand clothing? Getting the clothing and
such the other volunteers leave behind, for free. Reminds me of rummaging through my friend
Kiri’s closet in high school and ridding her of anything she hadn’t worn in the
last year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Things I Will Definitely Not:<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Verbal harassment. Quite possibly my least favorite thing about
being here. Being an (extremely) white
woman, I am easily noticed, and the Malagasy are all about pointing out the
obvious. It is completely acceptable for
people to run around shouting “vazaha, vazaha!” whenever I am near (white
person, foreigner). They also often
greet me in that manner, saying “bonjour vazaha,” assuming I am French. The kids I can forgive, if I haven’t
corrected them before. One of the most
rewarding things is to have a kid greet me in Malagasy with my proper
name. However, the men are the absolute worst. Bonjour Cherie, I love you, je t’aime, are
you married, come home with me, all in the sleaziest of voices. That is usually where it ends, but there has
been the occasional inappropriate grab, and I am looking forward to a culture
where that is no longer acceptable.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Taxi-brousses and other transportation. Not that
it isn’t fun to try and squeeze 30 people in a van that has a capacity of 16
and then try and climb hills while the engine groans and warms the floor
beneath your feet…Not to mention the fact that the taxis in Tana are all from
about 1965.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The roads.
Don’t get me wrong, my main road is fantastic and I love it. But, stray about 10 feet and you’ve got a
complete mess on your hands, and it takes YEARS to get anywhere. This country is roughly 1,000 miles
long. It would take you over 3 days to
get from North to South.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Crime.
The pick-pocket and robbery situations have gotten out of hand in
Tana. I have been lucky, thankfully, and
only been robbed once. (Don’t worry,
nothing that couldn’t be replaced, and I wasn’t hurt.) I am looking forward to being back in a place
where I feel safer after dark. My town
is no problem, but everything closes at 7, haha.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->“Sauce.” Anything “sauce” on a menu is just oil
and MSG. No wonder I gained 10 pounds
the first year. (Don’t worry, I have since figured out balance in my life).<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Odd foods.
Fish heads for cow brains for breakfast? No thank you. Jiggly pieces of fat? None for me. At least I have been spared some of the foods
I have heard other volunteers eat: locusts, cockroach-esque bugs, sea turtle
eggs, bat, tenerec, bull testicle…<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Mountains of rice. This place doesn’t mess around. Seriously, the most rice per capita in the
entire world. And when you are eating
with friends, they decide when you have had enough. Did I mention the 10 pounds?<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Being a “pet.”
It is inevitable, when you are as white as I am, people like to have you
as a friend just so they can show you off to people. This is not all of my relationships,
certainly, but there are definitely some that feel this way.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Begging.
Again, when you are white, people assume you have money, and bombard you
with begging. The most annoying is when
you think someone is your friend and then they ask you if they can have your
stuff, or tell you that you should give them a “New Years” present.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Power cuts.
While I do love the quiet ambiance of a town lit by candlelight and that
is incapable of blasting thumping music at deafening decibels, when your
computer battery doesn’t work it is quite annoying when the power goes out
almost every day of rainy season.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Water cuts.
The worst. All I want to do is
shower, but when it doesn’t rain from May-October, I have to save that water
for drinking. Luckily it is cold so I
don’t smell (much).<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Mountain burning. Every year they blacken my beautiful
mountains so the cows can have new growth to eat, leading to a complete lack of
trees, soil erosion, and a general destabilizing of the environment. I don’t see it changing, and the lack of
awareness and forward thinking is definitely something I am not going to miss.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Risk of tropical diseases. Whatever happened to the common cold? Let’s
go back to that. I have been lucky, only
dysentery…twice. Other volunteers have
suffered from things like malaria, giardia, worms, dengue fever, and scarlet
fever. Feeling healthy and lucky!<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And as a bonus…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Things I Am Looking Forward To in America:<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Things open past 7:30.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Barbeques.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Pools.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Snow.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->FOOTBALL!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Sandwiches.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Salads.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Bars.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Pizza.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Movie theaters<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Bowling alleys.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Game nights.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Decent cars.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Awesome roads.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Apples.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Seasons.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Hi-speed Internet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Unlimited texting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Cheese.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Strawberries.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Unlimited hot water.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Concerts of people I actually know.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Not the constant center of attention.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
See you soon America!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-58438003299189552072014-06-04T10:48:00.000-07:002014-06-04T10:48:16.838-07:00Saying Goodbye to the FYFG Stage, and Moving Forward
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
June 4, 2014<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sorry it has been so long since my last post. Things are winding down here, and therefore I
have been pretty busy try to wrap everything up. I have about a month and a half remaining, but
let me catch you up on what happened in the last couple of months.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So going back to April.
My contract was supposed to end in April, but as you know, I decided to
stay 3 months longer. My stagemates,
however, mostly went home, which was pretty difficult for me. When you spend two years with a group of 25
people as your support system, it is hard to let them go. I am so proud of all they accomplished, and
happy that they are back with their families, and moving forward with their
lives. Several of them, like me, will be
going to get their masters degrees. I
can’t wait to meet up with all of them in America and see what all they are up
to.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But, never fear, the new volunteers are here! A whole new
crop of agriculture and health volunteers arrived for training in Mantasoa at
the end of February, and Eric, Emma, and my replacements arrived in Itasy at
the end of April. While I very much miss
Eric and Emma, it is nice to have new volunteers around. It is funny spending time with volunteers so
early in their service, because it makes you realize how much you have learned. They are full of questions that I didn’t even
know I knew the answer to. They are also
wowed by my language skills, since I have been here so much longer than them,
haha.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for work, I am spending most of my time planning and
implementing my 7 sports tournaments in association with my moringa nutrition
project. So far 4 down and 3 to go,
whoohoo! The rest of my time is spent
doing follow-up work and some meetings with all of the people that I have
worked with. It has been a little hard
to think that I am leaving these people so soon. It is also hard to take the backseat in
projects and with work groups. I leave
so soon, and I need to make sure that my little birdies know how to fly without
me. It is great to see them do well on
their own, but there are some decisions that I would make differently, and I am
learning to let those things go.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well that is all I have for now. I so much look forward to coming home and
seeing all of you soon!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Love,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-58522124938922717452014-04-02T05:54:00.000-07:002014-04-06T22:09:48.013-07:00The Next StepSalama e!<br />
<br />
Here it is! The much anticipated glance into what the next few years have in store for me. Finalized (ish) this morning, I am happy to announce that I will be attending the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville AND the University of Arkansas at Little Rock starting January 2015. I will be pursuing a dual master's degree in public service and business administration over my 2.5 years there. Yay! I am still awaiting assistantship news from the business school, but I received financial aid from the clinton school. Whoohoo!<br />
<br />
But what will you be doing in the mean time, Sarah? Glad you asked. Here is a breakdown of the next few years and where I will be and when, for y'all's information (yeah, I might as well get used to that word, eh?)<br />
<br />
First, when I finish here in July, I will be traveling through Asia on my way home. Here is what that schedule looks like:<br />
<br />
July 18: Officially finish Peace Corps. 28 months!<br />
July 19: Fly from Antananarivo, Madagascar, to Johannesburg, South Africa<br />
July 20: Johannesburg<br />
July 21: Drive/bus from Johannesburg to Capetown<br />
July 22-26: Capetown<br />
July 27-28: Fly to Shanghai, China to meet my Dad, via Johannesburg and Abu Dhabi<br />
July 28-August 6: Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing with my Dad<br />
August 7: Fly to Manila, Philippines<br />
August 8-11: Manila<br />
August 11: Fly to San Francisco to meet some college and Peace Corps friends<br />
August 12-14 San Francisco<br />
August 14: Fly to Detroit via Atlanta<br />
August: Arrive in Detroit, and go out for a 25th birthday lunch with my Mom!<br />
<br />
The next few months will likely involve me looking for part-time employment around Ann Arbor, and re-acclimating to life in America. I have decided to buy a Michigan Football ticket (not even a student one!) because it has been so long since I have seen Michigan football, and it may be one of the last times I will be available for a whole season.<br />
<br />
Once November comes around, a very close friend of mine from Madagascar--David-Pierre, a French volunteer--will be finishing his service in Madagascar, and would like to come to America. The plan is for him to come for a month, and for us to travel around for a bit. That schedule looks something like this as of right now:<br />
<br />
November 15: Arrive in New York City<br />
November 16-18: NYC<br />
November 19: Drive to Philadelphia<br />
November 20-21: Philly<br />
November 22: Drive to Washington DC<br />
November 23-24: DC<br />
November 25: Drive to Ann Arbor<br />
November 26-December 2: Ann Arbor for Thanksgiving and UM vs OSU football!<br />
December 3: Fly to San Francisco<br />
December 4-5: San Francisco<br />
December 7: Drive to Stanford (David-Pierre is interested in a PhD program there, and I wouldn't mind checking out google...)<br />
December 8: Stanford<br />
December 9: Drive to San Jose<br />
December 10: Fly to Los Angeles<br />
December 11-14: LA (Including Santa Monica, the beach, and Hollywood!)<br />
December 15: Return home<br />
<br />
In all likelihood, my family will be leaving for Arkansas for Christmas (I finally get to be there again!) around December 22. Still don't know if we are driving or flying or what, since I need to figure out my car situation and how I am getting all of my stuff to Arkansas.<br />
<br />
Wacky school schedule: because Fayetteville and Little Rock are so far apart, the 2.5 year program is split by year. So, here is my schedule of where I will be for those two years:<br />
<br />
January-May 2015: Fayetteville, AR<br />
May 9, 2015: MY SISTER GETS MARRIED AHHHH!<br />
May 10-August 2015: Some kind of job/internship (TBD)<br />
September 2015-May 2016: Little Rock, AR<br />
May-August 2016: Summer capstone project abroad (TBD)<br />
September 2016-May 2017: Fayetteville, AR<br />
Should be graduating in May, but it is possible to go into the summer semester as well.<br />
<br />
Then, who knows? And that is the way I like it :)<br />
<br />
I know there is a lot going on in this post, but I wanted to let you all know where I would be, especially while traveling, in case you wanted to meet up! Anxiously awaiting all of it :)<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
-Sarah<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-30133011143588943052014-04-02T05:23:00.001-07:002014-04-02T05:23:29.972-07:00Maeve Comes to Mada!Manahoana daholo!<br />
<br />
I am sorry it has been so long since my last update, but that is a good thing I swear. I have been very busy, and definitely a good busy. But I got to take a little break from all of my nutrition work (which has been my focus lately) when my friend, Maeve, came to visit me from the states!<br />
<br />
Maeve and I went to high school and college together, and we also swam, played water polo, and worked at the pool together for several years. She graduated from Michigan last May, and has taken the year off to do some traveling before she begins dental school at the University of New England in the fall.<br />
<br />
Maeve and I took a trip south over the two weeks she was here, joined by some German volunteers and some other Americans. I got to plan the trip, so we went to some of the places I had never been. This included two national parks and a beach town on the south west coast, near Toliara.<br />
<br />
I really enjoyed when my mom wrote a post about her trip here from her perspective, so I am attaching the link to Maeve's blog. You can see how she enjoyed Madagascar, and follow her on the rest of her trip around the world!<br />
<br />
<br />
http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/madagascar/<br />
<br />
http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/08/womens-day-celebration/<br />
<br />
http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/ampefy-antsirabe-alakamisy-ambohimaha-ranomafana-and-fianarantsoa/<br />
<br />
http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/16/a-quick-lesson-in-malagasy/<br />
<br />
http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/isalo-part-1/<br />
<br />
http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/ring-tailed-lemurs/<br />
<br />
http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/isalo-part-2/<br />
<br />
http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/peacock-sighting/<br />
<br />
http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/anakao-day-1/<br />
<br />
http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/18/anakao-day-2/<br />
<br />
Since we are not permitted to travel our last 3 months (so for me, starting April 18) this was my last vacation in Madagascar. And it was a good one! The next time I travel, it will be en route to America!<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
-SarahSarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-78025975564794981412014-01-17T06:04:00.001-08:002014-01-17T06:04:11.161-08:00Extension Decision
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<br />
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1/17/14<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Manahoana!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I wanted to take a moment to tell you about some recent
decisions I have made regarding my service here and Madagascar. My contract is up in April, when my 26 months
in Madagascar is finished. However, my
nutrition project is going strong, and I feel like it has a lot of potential
beyond the initial scope of the project.
However, I really want to come home and spend some time with my family
and friends in America. I have been gone
for a very long time, and I can’t wait to see them again. So, after spending a lot of time thinking
about it and debating different scenarios, I have decided to request a 3 months
extension to my service. This means, I
will stick around until July 18 to finish this nutrition project on my terms,
to its full potential. Then, I will
begin to head home, traveling along the way, to be home in time for my 25<sup>th</sup>
birthday in August!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Look forward to seeing all of you then.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Love,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-83898234385491059702014-01-17T06:02:00.002-08:002014-01-17T06:02:47.855-08:00The Holidays Up North
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1/15/14<o:p></o:p></div>
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Manahoana daholo!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here to tell you about my last Christmas is Madagascar, and
my trip to the fabulous north of Madagascar.
As always, when traveling in Madagascar, there were some definitely
mountains and valleys, as well as actual mountains, valleys, and even rivers
running across the road.<o:p></o:p></div>
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First off, I spent the night in Tana in preparation of
heading north, since the taxi-brousse from Tana to Ambanja is at least 18
hours, so it leaves at 1 pm (allegedly). Got into Tana in the afternoon, and
decided to treat myself to a pedicure at the spa near the PC transit
house. My friend, Arian, came with me to
get a massage as well. Took the lady an
hour to make my feet human again (I spend a lot of time in crappy plastic
shoes, walking around in the rain and mud).<o:p></o:p></div>
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After all of that, my two friends and I started to head back
to the hotel where we were saying. On a
good day, it is about a 10-15 minute cab or bus ride from the spa to our
hotel. Getting out onto the rainy
street, however, it was quickly obvious that we were going to have to
walk. Rush hour, two days before the
election and a week before Christmas, there was not a bus you didn’t have to
fight tooth and nail to get onto, and not a cab that would even glance our way. So the vacation wasn’t off to the best start,
but my pedicure and me made it back to our hotel intact. Took a bit to wash up and catch up, and then
headed out on the town. Hung out with
some of my friends that I was broussing with the next day, as well as a bunch
of the most recent group of volunteers, fresh out of their in-service training
after the first 5 months in country. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We were sluggish to get up the next day, but thought we had
plenty of time until we had to be at the brousse station at 12:30. What we didn’t take into account, however,
was the sheer madness of the capital around the holidays, met with the insanity
of the election two days away. I headed
out with another girl to hit the bank, to make sure I had enough money to start
my vacation. Every single bank we went
to, regardless of whether it was my bank in Madagascar (I gave up and decided I
could use my American card), had hundreds of people waiting in line. We walked around town for an hour (so
probably should have just gotten in one of the lines) and still came back empty
handed. So feeling a little harassed
(and broke), we headed back to grab lunch with the rest of the group.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Well, after a quick lunch, we headed out of the hotel to try
and find a cab, which was going to prove to be a herculean task. Most of the cabs that stopped just kept right
on going when they found out where we wanted to go (not even that far, but had
to cross the most congested parts of town) and one finally agreed at an
exorbitant amount, and would only take 4 of the 5 of us. So we took the luggage of the 5<sup>th</sup>
(he lives in Tana, and knows the best routes on his own) and piled in the
cab. The cabbies fears we warranted, as
we ended up bailing on the cab as soon as we thought we were close enough to
walk. The guy that left our group walked
most of the way and beat us there.
Luckily, we arrived at 1 pm, which is when the brousse was scheduled to
leave. Members of our nine-person group
came from all over town, and had the same problems we did. The rest of the brousse had the same problem,
and we didn’t leave (of course) until after 3.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fairly smooth sailing after that…until 2 am. At that point, we came to a dead stop. For four hours. When asking the driver what the problem was,
he simply replied, “water.” After a
little more investigation, we realized that every brousse going that way had
stopped because there was a river across the road, due to the heavy rainstorm
we had passed through. The brousses
waited until after dawn to try and ford it, and our brousse waited until large
trucks had moved some of the water off the road so we could actually drive the
car through, rather than pushing it. So,
rather than 18 hours, it took us 22 to get from Tana to Ambanja.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But, it was all worth it to get to my new favorite part of
the country. I stayed with one of the
nine I broussed with, Kara, and met up with two girls that live near Ambanja,
Dani and Gabby. The rest of the crowd
that broussed with us headed straight to Nosy Be, the touristy island off the
northwest coast. Dani, Kara, Gabby, and
I had already planned to go to Gabby’s site, where she works with cacao
farmers. However, because of the
inaccessibility and limited time, we decided to hit the beach in the port town
of Ankify instead. So we spent a day and
a half lounging on the quiet, isolated beach and watching project runway all
stars. Also, playing with adorable dogs
that actually like people.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The next step: Ankarana, the national park halfway between
Ambanja and Diego, the northernmost town in Madgascar. Ankarana is a large national reserve with
great wildlife and tsingy, the notable limestone formations from Mada. We spent a full day hiking around the tsingy
and checking out the awesome bat cave.
After spending two nights there, we caught a brousse and headed the rest
of the way to Diego. Unfortunately, the
road between Ambanja and Diego is impressively bad, especially considering the
tourist traffic between Diego and Nosy Be.
So it took us awhile, and we were squished 5 across in a van that should
have sat 3, but we finally made it around 9 am on Christmas Eve.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I brought some decorations to spruce up the Diego transit
house, which is officially my favorite.
The open floor plan, cleanliness, and capacity of 8 vs 22 makes the
Diego house definitely preferable to the one in Tana. Plus, I am in love with Diego. The French colonial architecture, laidback
beach atmosphere, and care for aesthetic makes the town truly wonderful. Not to mention the amazing food! Fresh seafood, lots of Italian, French, and
Spanish influence, and coconut rice. My
three travel buddies and I met up with a few more volunteers from around the
Diego area and had a fabulous Christmas Eve dinner on the water at a fancy
restaurant. I had BBQ pork ribs, which
is the first time I have seen that in Mada.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Christmas morning, I woke up at 6 am to watch A Christmas
Story with my family watching it in Arkansas at 9 pm. Then, the rest of the people at the transit
house and I spent a lazy Christmas Day watching every Christmas special on my
hard drive and making an excellent fiesta dinner. Kara and I decided we weren’t wearing
clothes, so we donned lambahoanys, traditional wraps, and had “naked Christmas”
haha. I got to skype with my whole
family in Arkansas. The video wasn’t great,
but it was great to see them, however fuzzy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We spent the next few days hitting all of the hotspots in
Diego—Ramena Beach, Bodega Restaurant, the pool at the Suarez hotel, and
finally, the Emerald Sea. You have to
reserve a private boat to get there, but it is the most beautiful place I have
ever been. The pristine white sand below
the water makes the water an impossible aquamarine color. There were women there who painted our faces
with traditional tree bark masks. Women
use this mask all over the country for sunscreen and cosmetic reasons, but the
north is the only place I have seen the women paint designs in them, like
flowers. We had an amazing lunch with
fish, crab, and coconut rice, and spent the whole afternoon swimming. The snorkeling wasn’t great because the whole
thing is just white sand, but it was truly amazing. And the whole thing cost each of us about 15
dollars, including lunch :) . Even the
rain held off; it had stormed all day in Diego, but didn’t hit us until our
taxi ride the 18 km back to town.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That night, my last in Diego, we hung out with all of the
groups coming from their Christmas vacations in other places to Diego for New
Years. There was probably at least 20 of
us, so it certainly made for an epic party.
We went dancing, which was an interesting experience. There were more prostitutes at the club than
real people, but they weren’t aggressive, so it was actually kind of a nice
place to dance; there weren’t creepy men trying to hit on all the girls, and
the prostitutes weren’t bothering the men.
I left the club early, around one, so I could get a little bit of sleep
before my 3 am brousse back to Ambanja to head to Nosy Be for the rest of my
vacation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nosy Be, while definitely touristy, was also really
fun. However, we actually spent most of
the week on Nosy Komba, a smaller island just south of Nosy Be. We rented a house that was mostly just a
veranda overlooking the ocean with a truly incredible view. We dragged the bed out of the bedroom to
actually sleep outside, listening to the ocean.
This also meant we had to drag the mosquito net out, they were so
bad! We had a kitchen, so we got to cook
a lot during the week. We also hit the
town for some amazing seafood and to buy some beautiful souvenirs. New Years was spent drinking French champagne
and eating a ton of chocolate and Roman Parmesan. Quiet but still so nice. <o:p></o:p></div>
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From Nosy Komba, we took an excursion to Nosy Tanikely, a
very small marine reserve island about an hour’s boat ride away. The day was stormy, so the colors of the
coral were somewhat diminished, but it was some of the best snorkeling I have
ever done. I saw a sea turtle! And millions of fish, coral, anemones, and
urchins. The island also had lemurs and
a lighthouse with an incredible view. We
had lunch there, and then headed back to Nosy Komba. As a Christmas present to myself, I purchased
a plane ticket home from Nosy Be.
Incredible decision. Would have
taken an hour boat ride, hour cab ride, and minimum 18 hours brousse to get back
to Tana. On a plane, it took one
hour. Merry Christmas :) <o:p></o:p></div>
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I hope you all had an amazing holiday, and I look forward to
spending the next one in America!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Love,<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-80520376063340812322014-01-08T21:08:00.002-08:002014-01-08T21:08:13.161-08:00Not Yo Mama’s Zumba
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<br />
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1/8/14<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Manahoana daholo! Hope you had a happy holiday!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So back in September, my boss at chamber of commerce’s wife
started a Zumba class in our town. It
started out with about 10 women, and now we regularly have between 15 and 20 on
a good day, and usually around 5 young girls.
Now, zumba in America is focused on burning calories and getting fit in
a fun way, so they mostly just encourage you to keep moving, even if you are
not getting the steps exactly right. Our
zumba kind of started out that way, but as we get bigger and more popular, we
have started giving performances. We
have now become have dance team and half zumba group.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I missed the first couple of “performances,” which were
large invitational dance classes. Just
before Christmas, however, our group was invited to perform in front of the
commune for a demonstration of the dance and martial arts groups in the
area. We invited a large group of high
school girls to perform with us, so they practiced with us the whole week
leading up to the Saturday performance.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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One of the women in the group, a good friend of mine named
Nini, bought a bunch of neon colored tank tops, some of which actually said
zumba, in Tana, and brought a bunch of brightly colored ribbons and
make-up. I don’t think I have worn that
much glitter since middle school. We
wrapped the ribbons around our arms and legs, sported the spunky tanks, and
danced the glitter off in the bright sun.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Here’s the kicker though: our coach was unable to attend, so
groups of us actually taught each of the dances. I lead one with two young girls and helped on
two others. It was really fun! I think if I need a part time job in the
states I would look into being a zumba instructor. However, my favorite thing about my zumba
team (even more than I love the dancing) is that this is the first time I have
been just a part of the team. I am an
equal member in this organization, not the teacher, not the mentor, not the
observer. While it was really fun to
help lead the group, I was more excited to just feel like a part of something,
completely.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking forward to attending three times a week for the rest
of my service!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-32736310700573101452013-12-06T04:14:00.005-08:002013-12-06T04:14:57.082-08:00Thanksakkah
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<br />
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12/6/13<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy holidays from Madadgascar!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I do love my job and life here, I am happy to be
describing my last Thanksgiving here.
And what an epic one! We had ten
Americans, a Malagasy girl, and a French guy.
And more food than we knew what to do with!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It all started a few months ago when a French volunteer in
my town, David-Pierre, mentioned that he had never had Thanksgiving food. Well, as a food holiday enthusiast (to say
the least) I was not going to stand for that.
In different but related conversation, I mentioned the existence of the
“turducken,” a chicken stuffed in a duck stuffed in a turkey. Well, we then decided that we had to try
that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So two weeks before Thanksgiving, David and I were at the
market talking to the guys who sell chickens and ducks. I hadn’t really seen any turkeys, but I knew
Madagascar had them. In fact, there were
a few beauties living in Emma’s backyard!
Unfortunately, those were not for sale.
We talked to the poultry sellers for a bit, but never made definitive
turkey-buying plans. Two days later, a
couple of guys show up at my house with a very terrified, tied-up turkey. I decided it would be hard to find another
one and they had brought it all the way to me, so after a bit of weighing
(thanks, mom and dad, for the luggage scale :p) and haggling, I had myself a
turkey.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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TURKEYS ARE LOUD!!!
Also very weird, the waddle thing on their face feels so strange! The turkey, dubbed Ood (from Dr. Who), only
stayed at my house for a day, tied to a tree.
He gobbled all afternoon. The
name for “turkey” on the coast is just that sound, the gobble that it
makes. That evening I took him to the
French volunteer house because they have a bigger yard and had made a pen for
Ood. Over the next two weeks, at the
recommendation of various Malagasy friends, we fed Ood corn covered in
vegetable oil to make him fat. When I
bought him, Ood weighed around 7 kilos, or 15 ish pounds. We didn’t weigh him before we killed him, but
we were guessing the dead bird, void of all innards and feathers, weighed
probably 20 pounds. Big bird!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Most of the crowd arrived the day before Thanksgiving, which
actually coincided with the first night of Hanukkah. Emma and our friend Zach are Jewish, so they
helped us celebrate. We made latkes, a
traditional potato pancake, and James read us a children’s book called
“Grandma’s Latkes,” which he found in the donated books he received for his
town from the “Books for Africa” project organized by some previous
volunteers. We also decided to cook the
turkey the night before so the oven would be free for all of the cooking the
day of. I was actually working,
finishing up the mural with the church by my house, so by the time I got home
the boys had already killed, gutted, and plucked Ood, and he was all ready to
be dressed. It was probably good I
wasn’t there while they were doing all of this, since killing the bird I had
taken care of the two weeks probably would have made me a little sad.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We nixed the turducken idea, since we found out they are
made by machines because you have to debone the duck and the chicken. But we did make a delicious duck in addition
to the turkey, and David got to try his hand at making fois gras for the first
time. On Thanksgiving, we spent the day
cooking garlic-mashed potatoes, duck, two kinds of green beans, pumpkin pie,
sweet potatoes, stuffing, guacamole, bread, fruit salad, banana pudding, and
peach cobbler. I was really impressed
with everyone’s contributions. It tasted
like a real Thanksgiving dinner! In
honor of Hanukkah, Emma also made matza ball soup, even though it wasn’t the
right holiday (that one is for Passover).
She also had a menorah her mother sent her, so we lit that and said the
Hebrew prayer as well. We also talked
about watching sports, and many of us missed football. As a replacement, we watched videos from the
2012 London Olympics that Christina had downloaded. Allllllmost the same, haha.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was thankful for my volunteer family, we all were. Most of the people in the room had been here
as long as I have, and some had lost family the previous year. We expressed our thanks for our families at
home and our new one here in Madagascar.
We invited the “First Thanksgiving-ers,” the Malagasy girl and French
guy, to break the wishbone, and passed a wonderful evening eating, drinking,
and laughing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Most of the crew stuck around for brunch the next morning,
where we finished off a large part of the leftovers. We also made latkes again, because Zach was
not there the first day, and had brought applesauce, which you are supposed to
put on the pancakes. Delicious! Then most everyone took off and went back
home. I was so happy to have all of them
in my town to celebrate one of my favorite holidays, but I am looking forward
to being home next year!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Love,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-26039305971462941562013-11-26T22:20:00.002-08:002013-11-26T22:20:41.997-08:00Halloween VAC
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<br />
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11/25/13<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Manahoana indray namako!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Hope you all are enjoying your holiday season. I recently got packages smelling heavenly of
cinnamon so I am getting in the spirit too!
Sad I will be missing another set of holidays at home, but excited about
my last five months of service here in Madagascar. Well, the time has come again for me to
coordinate another meeting/part for all of the highlands volunteers. We returned to Ampefy (Emma’s town, 30 km
west of me) for some beach fun and a costumed Halloween party. It was great fun, but as always there were
some frustrations involved in planning an event for 20 people.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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On Halloween, the day before everyone was set to arrive in
Ampefy, Eric and Emma joined me in my town to help me carve “pumpkins” for
decorations. These are really a kind of
large squash with a green outside and orange inside, but they still work fairly
well and taste like pumpkin. Our planned
designs using paper cutouts didn’t fair so well, the pumpkins were too small
and oblong, so we ended up mostly free handing and trying to correct our
mistakes. All and all pretty
amusing. We also decided to have a Tim
Burton movie marathon, and ended up watching Batman Returns and Beetlejuice. Eric had never seen Beetlejuice! I couldn’t believe it. Not my usual Halloween night, where my family
and I always watch Young Frankenstein, but I took care of that one, Hocus
Pocus, Sweeney Todd, and Halloweentown earlier in the week <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>
Also, I used the pumpkin guts to make a pretty good facsimile of my mom’s sweet
potato casserole. Yum!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The next day, we headed out to Ampefy to get ready for the
arrival of all the other volunteers.
Nearly half the group who came out was new volunteers, so helping all of
them navigate to Ampefy after only swearing in 6 weeks prior was a bit of a
trip. We have a new volunteer, Ian, in
our region, and one close by, Zach, so they showed up fairly early and joined
Eric, Emma, and me for a pizza lunch.
The way Ian looked at the pizza it was like solid gold and rubies, too
funny. Everybody else was coming through Tana, so the few volunteers who had
made the trip before had to help heard all of the newbies on their way. Everybody finally arrive between 7 and 8 in
the evening, so we mostly just got dinner, grabbed a few drinks, and caught up
with everyone we hadn’t seen in awhile or hadn’t met.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The next day was set for the big meeting at the beach. Emma had talked to a tax-brousse driver in
town and set up a private ride for us the 8 km to the beach on the lake owned
by a hotel. The guy was supposed to pick
us up at 10 am, so when 10:30 rolled around and he still wasn’t there, we began
to call. He said he was in town and on
his way the first time. 15 minutes later
he said he was in a town 10 km south of Emma dropping people off, even though
we paid him extra not to work in the morning so he would be on time to pick us
up. At 11 we wouldn’t get ahold of him,
but 10 minutes later a smaller taxi-brousse with a different driver
arrived. The driver said the guy we had
set everything up with was on the road from Tana but had four flat tires so he
called this new guy to come pick us up and take us. This new guy would not budge from the price
we set up with the previous guy, even though that was at a premium because we
wanted him on time. So an hour and a
half late and too much money later, we finally got on the road to the beach.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The actual beach day and meeting were pretty relaxing. The weather was beautiful, the food was
delicious, and we had a beautiful sandy beach with beach chairs and umbrellas
all to ourselves. However, late in the
day it started to look incredibly stormy, but we waited until the last minute
to leave. Hilarious mistake. The clouds had surrounded our little beach on
the lake, coming from all sides. We had
just gotten under the pavilion to square the bill when someone shouted, “look!
A double rainbow!!” People started
taking pictures of that awesome spectacle, but then someone said, “look at that
wall of rain coming across the lake, how cool!”
That is when I yelled, “let’s head for the car before that hits
us.” Unfortunately, everyone was too
engrossed in the rainbows to listen to me, except for two people. So the three of us headed to the car, and got
in just as a mini-cyclone hit the area.
There was deafening wind, pounding rain, and even hail! The road on which we had come was mostly mud
anyway, but would be nearly impassable if the rest of the group didn’t come soon. They start racing one by one to the car,
looking like they had been swimming even though none of us had touched the
lake.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We finally got everyone in the car and started on the road
back. The driver could barely see out
the windshield, so I was glad this wasn’t a well-traveled road. We passed houses with their roofs blown off,
lost our spare tire off the back and had to return for it (it was already in
someone’s ox cart to be sold somewhere else, they had to buy it back), and got
stuck in the mud multiple times. We
volunteers were used to it though, and all still in good spirits when we finally
arrived back in Ampefy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The plan for the night was dinner on your own, then meet
back for a Halloween party. Our hotel
had hosted us at the VAC in February, and allegedly knew what we wanted. However, when we returned from dinner, they
were not selling any alcohol or snacks, the communal area with the speakers, karaoke
machine, and couches was shut up, and all of the staff was asleep. It was 8:30.
In a mass scramble, we went and bought nearly all of the beer the small
town of Ampefy had to offer, set up an ipod on some small portable speakers,
and managed to salvage the party by 10:30 pm.
So there were definitely some unexpected hiccups, but that is life in
Madagascar.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Love,<br />
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-20784370853538966292013-11-12T01:55:00.002-08:002013-11-12T01:55:31.726-08:00Moringa! Moringa!! Moringa!!!
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<br />
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10/30/13<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Manahoana indray!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to tell you about a project that I am really proud
of, one of my biggest to date. When I
first arrived in Madagascar, my fellow economic development volunteers were
trained with environment volunteers.
They talked all the time about this tree called moringa. I had never heard of it, but I soon learned
that it is practically magic in terms of nutrition. High in protein, vitamins, and calcium, the
leaves and seeds could do wonders for a country hat mostly lives on rice and
deep fried carbs. The moringa tree is
gaining popularity throughout Africa, South America, and Asia because it grows
in very sandy soil and doesn’t require a lot of water once the tree is already
grown. Plus, the tree begins producing
leaves and seeds in just a few months, and lives for about 15 years. Yay sustainability!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Back in July, I developed a project plan that would spread
moringa throughout the Itasy region, partnered with the Office of National
Nutrition and an agricultural training center 11 km west of my town. There will be 6 pilot sites and a production
site at the agricultural training center partnered with the French volunteers
in my town. We received the $3,000 in
USAID funding when the project was accepted in September, and began buying
supplies right away. Each pilot is
partnered with a school or youth organization, and will have about 15
trees. We just completed the first
three-day training to teach the heads of the pilot sites how to grow, process,
and utilize the different parts of the tree for different uses. We taught them how to make all kinds of different
recipes, salt licks for cattle, how to dry and pound the leaves into a powder
to use as a nutritional supplement, and lots of other things!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I was a little nervous to see how a project of this
scope. There will be pilots all over the
region, and in my experience you have constantly monitor your counterparts to
make sure they are following up. So far,
I didn’t need to worry. I was so
impressed with how engaged and hardworking all of the pilot heads were during the
first training. I keep hearing from Eric
and Emma about how excited the community members are, and how they are already
starting to train other people, even without the help of the professional
trainers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next step is preparing these three-day trainings at each
of the pilot sites and giving seeds to community members. The idea is to get moringa widespread in
communities all over, and teach people how to use it in a bunch of different
ways. Also, I will be preparing
basketball and soccer tournaments at each of the pilot sites. The programs will also involve moringa games
and programs, associating fun, fitness, and nutrition together. Excited to keep moving forward!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-60787034889868985812013-10-08T07:58:00.001-07:002013-10-08T07:58:19.135-07:00GLOW Camp10/08/13<br />
<br />
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Manahoana!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Time to tell you about one of my favorite projects I have
been a part of so far. Four highlands
community economic development volunteers and myself followed in the footsteps
on many previous volunteers and put together a “Girls Leading Our World (GLOW)”
camp. We each invited four middle
school/early high school girls from each of our five towns (20 girls in total)
and a chaperone from each to travel to Tana all expenses paid to participate in
a five-day camp at the beginning of September.
Here is a description of what we did each day:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Day 1: ARRIVAL<o:p></o:p></div>
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Volunteers travelled with their girls and chaperones from
their towns to the YWCA in Tana where we were staying. My girls and chaperone came from Manazary, a
town 18 km south of me on a very bad road.
The chaperone is a good friend of mine; a school director who is very
familiar with the problems girls from the countryside often face. She brought the girls to my town, and then we
caught a tax-brousse to Tana and met up with everyone for lunch. The rest of the first day was mostly
introductions, icebreakers, and setting up the schedule and expectations.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Day 2: HEALTH<o:p></o:p></div>
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While HIV/AIDS prevalence is very low in this country (lower
than America, actually) other STIs and unwanted pregnancy are problems that
occur throughout the country. Most of
this stems from a lack of education about condoms and family planning. Peer educators from Population Services
International led the morning session, and taught a rather technical lesson about
STIs and condom use. I was impressed by
how many questions the girls asked.
Still giggly, but definitely informative. Two female doctors led the afternoon session,
which was good on a lot of levels. Some
of the peer educators from the morning were guys, which might have made some of
the girls participate a little less. The
afternoon was all about goals and family planning to meet those goals. Then the doctors had the girls practice
putting condoms on AND taking them off using bananas. Useful information, plus the girls got to
talk to female doctors, which was definitely inspiring for them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Day 3: ASPIRATIONS<o:p></o:p></div>
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This day we took the girls to the US Embassy in the
morning. I hadn’t actually been there
before, as it is very far from our transit house and office in Tana and the
security is extremely high to entrance is restricted. The building is a huge fortress that
dominates the landscape over rice fields.
Everything inside was pretty much as it would be in America: very shiny
and put together. The automatic toilets
and dryers in the bathroom freaked everybody out haha. The program in the morning was led by some of
the Malagasy women who work at the Embassy.
They talked about their jobs and responsibilities and, more importantly,
how they got where they are. We also
invited a women’s’ group from Tana that works with an education volunteer to
come talk. They had doctors, dancers,
and politicians, so a very wide variety of successful women. We had lunch at the Embassy (also they have a
VENDING MACHINE. Mind=blown) and then
headed out to the large stadium in the center of town. There we talked to a girl’s soccer team. The players ranged in ages from 16-23. There was a bit of a miscommunication (the
girls thought we were playing them) but then they agreed to talk to us a little
about sports and health. We were also
trying to emphasize that girls do not need to conform to gender stereotypes and
can do anything boys can do. The girls
(and chaperones) ended up being nearly offensive to these girls, telling them
they looked like boys. This sparked the
idea in the other volunteers and myself to lead a stereotypes discussion later
that night. We focused on the
assumptions people make about men and women, and also about “vazaha”
(foreigners) and Malagasy. The result
was actually really good. Without
pointing people out (very bad in a collectivist society) we were able to
communicate that they may have made these girls feel bad, and not to behave
that way in the future.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Day 4: EDUCATION<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next day we headed to the University of Antananarivo in
Ankatso, where we had students and a professor we knew (who studied at Cornell)
talk about their university experience and how to get into university
here. Some of the girls were a bit young
to take this really seriously, but a few really understood that you have to
start preparing early if you want to do well enough on your high school exit
exam to go to college. In the afternoon
we went to Education USA, a center in Tana that focuses on helping Malagasy students
apply to and fund a college education in the US. They also do a lot of English tutoring. While this is likely impossible for a lot of
the girls, if they aspire to go to school in the states and end up continuing
their education in Tana or even finishing high school it will definitely be a
success for us. We also had a couple
girls that if they work really hard they have a real chance. There are also a ton of resources there on
undergraduate and graduate programs, so the other volunteers and I browsed
graduate material in the back and discussed our future plans. Still don’t know where life will take me yet!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Day 5: ENVIRONMENT AND FUN<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At night on days 3 and 4 we showed the BBC documentary on
wildlife in Madagascar IN MALAGASY. I
gave the wonderful documentary to my grandparents for Christmas before I left,
but I had no idea it had been translated.
Such a wonderful thing for these people to have, because most of them do
not understand or appreciate the unique flora and fauna that is endemic to Madagascar.
So on Friday when we went to the zoo in Tana, the girls were enthusiastically
reading the signs for the different animals and talking about what they had
learned. I was really excited to see
them actually synthesizing information and applying it. Also bonus: while taking pictures of some of
the lemurs, a zoo worker motioned for another volunteer, Amy, and me to come
over to him, and told me (in French) that the lemurs give kisses!! I am sure
this was not something condoned by the zoo, but he knew he could get a tip if
he let the two vazaha girls play with lemurs.
He led us to an enclosed area where the backside of the lemurs’ cages
were and opened the door to three different types of lemurs consecutively. Then he put honey on our hands and cheeks and
the lemurs licked it off! It tickled
sooo badly, and was ridiculously adorable.
Definitely a personal highlight to the zoo trip. After we left the zoo the plan was to take
the girls to the top of the hill where the Queen’s Palace (Rova) overlooks the
city. Well, when we got there the
gatekeepers were refusing to let the other volunteers and me in for the
resident price. Vazaha have to pay
10,000 MGA (about what I make in a day), while the Malagasy only pay 500. The rest of the volunteers and I fought them
on this for some time, telling them we were volunteers and showing them our
residency cards. One of the guys even
told me I was American and friends with Barack Obama so I have money. Not true.
I asked him if his president gave him money and he just kind of
laughed. But here is the best part: when
the other volunteers and I decided not to go in and told the girls and the
chaperones to go on without us, they refused.
They said it was unfair the way they treated us AND MENTIONED THE STEREOTYPE
LESSON WE TAUGHT THREE DAYS EARLIER!!! I
was so impressed and felt so much love and attachment for these girls, who
demonstrated how much they had learned in just a few days. So then we left and took the girls on a
shopping trip to buy souvenirs and such.
Later that night we helped them plan the presentations they are going to
give in their communities in order to spread the information they learned. It was really cool to hear them reflect on
all of the stuff and get excited to teach it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So here is the weirdest thing: the whole week went
incredibly well, and the following is a cultural response that both verified
the success of the camp, and terrified the American volunteers to our very
core. The volunteers and I were watching
a movie in our room around 8 pm. Our
room is located two floors below the large room where all the girls and
chaperones were staying. We started to
here a sort of screaming, and at first thought the girls were running up and
down the stairs like they had been at 4 am that morning. It starts to get louder, and I run to the
hallway to see what’s wrong. There is a
girl collapsed on two other girls just wailing as loud as she can. The other volunteers follow me into the
hallway, and we start asking the two girls supporting her what the matter
was. We got vague answers that didn’t
really make sense, and it looked to us like she was incredibly ill and having
some sort of fit or seizure. Eric
carried the girl downstairs to get some air, while Emma and I went upstairs to
find a chaperone. What we found was
another girl sitting in the hallway and screaming “jesosy!” (Jesus) over and
over again. Emma and I assumed it was an
exorcism, which does happen in this country.
Then a chaperone came out, looking completely nonchalant, and told us
the girls were just sad, the ambiance of the week was so nice and they made so
many new friends that they didn’t want to leave the next day. Three floors down Eric was arriving at the
same conclusion when a chaperone appeared to help the girl he was with. What we gathered from the chaperones was this
was a perfectly normal response, something that actually happens quite a
bit. But it scared the living daylights
out of us. We also decided that the girl
who collapsed on the stairs definitely did it for attention. Since the girls are around 14 or 15, they had
huge crushes on our two male volunteers, who are in their early twenties. This girl got exactly what she wanted: Eric
carrying her down the stairs, willing to do anything to make her feel better.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So the wailing aside, the week was amazing, and I can’t wait
to help the girls conduct trainings in their towns. Also sorry for the novel, but a lot happened!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-23429873825169706662013-10-01T08:34:00.003-07:002013-10-08T07:58:54.564-07:00<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
09/25/13<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Manahoana daholo!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know this is late, but I am finally writing about my trip
to the beautiful island of Isle St. Marie off the east coast of Mada. So the day Alex flew out my friend Erica from
U of M and my fraternity Delta Sigma Pi flew in. She was coming in from a week in London with
friends she met through working with Nielsen in San Francisco, where she moved
after we graduated. Since she was only
coming for a week, we had to strategically decide what to do, and we chose St.
Marie because it was whale season and I had never been there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After I picked her up from the airport we spent the night in
Tana catching up about everything in the world since I had seen her in San Fran
the month before I left the states. The
next morning we embarked on our journey east with an 8-hour taxi-brousse ride
to the port city of Tamatave. We stopped
for lunch on the way and Erica got her first taste of true Malagasy food—a huge
mound of rice and greasy beef and beans.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So we get to Tamatave and stay the night there. We get a call partway through the day from
our bus/boat company that we were supposed to take the next day saying the boat
had not gone to St. Marie for five days, so they thought it was going to go the
next day but there were a lot of people backed up so we wouldn’t be able to go
until the day after. So we grabbed
dinner and drinks along the beach and just hung out for the night.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Since we had a day to kill in Tamatave, we decided to go to
a nearby zoological park 8 down the river where Beth, another volunteer
works. They have a lot of types of
lemurs in cages and at least two types that are fairly domesticated but outside
cages. We got to feed a few of them too,
which was really cute. Their hands are
so soft and squishy, so weird! Also we
got to see some lemurs outside the cage mess with their same kind inside the
cage, which was actually pretty funny. It started to rain, so we headed back
towards town. Beth had been working with
bamboo rafters, so we paid one of her cooperative members to take us down the
river, which was pretty cool.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next morning our bus picked us up from our hotel at 4:30
in the morning. We rode for about 5
hours to the port town and then waited forever in the pouring rain for our boat
to arrive. The ferries hold about 50
people, which sounds like a pretty big boat but for these waves it was nowhere
near enough. The waves crashed over the
enormous boat getting everything wet. It
was pretty scary actually, but after we got out of the tide it was much
better. And the best part is, we got to
see a couple of whales from the boat on the way! The ride took about two hours and then we
kissed land on the other side.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We got driven to the house we were renting and I was
surprised at how perfect it was. The
house was enormous and we were paying about $6 a day per person, which was
awesome. We had a kitchen and two
bedrooms for the five of us staying there.
The best part was the proximity to the water: our balcony steps were
submerged in ocean at high tide. It was
beautiful.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So we hung out for a few days enjoying extremely fresh
seafood and beautiful ocean.
Unfortunately the weather was mostly rainy (silly east coast) but it was
still paradise. One day we went and met
other volunteers on Isle aux Nattes, which is a small island just south of St.
Marie.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We could have stayed out there forever, but unfortunately
had to head back towards Tana for Erica to make her flight. The boat trip back was as smooth as can be,
which is a testament to the effect of the time of day. On they way there we left around noon, on the
way back we left St. Marie at about 5 am.
Then we took our bus back to Tamatave.
That was one of the most interesting things. After we boarded the boat, paramedics brought
a man on a stretcher who had been stabbed.
We had actually heard about him the night before, our guardian mentioned
the incident. The man travelled with us
on the boat and then he was laid down right next to us in the bus to go to the
hospital in Fenerive, north of Tamatave.
Very interesting (and uncomfortable) experience.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we arrived in Tamatave we grabbed a quick bite to eat
and then hit the road for Andasibe, the national park about 3 hours east of
Tana. The brousse ride was long and slow
and it took us forever to leave from Tamatave, but we finally arrived in
Andasibe and hit the sack. The next
morning was the day of Erica’s flight, so we didn’t have very long before we
had to go back to Tana. We did, however,
get a chance to go on a hike to see the Indri, the largest lemur in Madagascar,
and I got to feed some! Too cool. We then got a private car to ensure our
arrival in Tana in time for Erica’s 3 pm flight. Made it just in time haha, but she arrived
back in the states smoothly and safely.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All in all a wonderful trip to a beautiful island.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-22845672136271251432013-10-01T08:28:00.003-07:002013-10-01T08:28:55.474-07:00And Sometimes There Are Frustrations
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
09/24/13<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sqlq;q/ (Salama if I could type normally on this keyboard)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It seems my technology is destined to meltdown this time
each year. This message is currently
coming to you (slooooooowly) from a computer with a dead battery, clicker, and
keyboard and occasionally finicky USB ports.
I bought a USB mouse (shaped like a car and lights up haha) and am
occasionally borrowing a USB keyboard from a friend when he doesn’t need
it. The trick about the keyboard that is
making this so difficult is a French keyboard is not qwerty but azerty. That would be ok, if that were what my computer
thought it was, but my computer continues to think I am operating a qwerty, so
what is written on the keys is not what comes out on the screen. Fun!
The good thing is the hard drive is still going strong because my mom
replaced it when I sent the computer back to the states last year at this time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In other news, while in general my work is going well, there
are some frustrations that come with development work in a third world
country. My frustrations generally come
from lack of communication and my host organization, PROSPERER. Here is my big story about PROSPERER to kind
of sum up my frustration with them.
Around January last year my silk cooperative and I decided to build
signs around their existing work house so they could begin using it as a
boutique, which is along a popular tourist route and could seriously increase their
sales. With the help of Sarah Franz in
the states, we developed sign and tag designs; I filled out all the paperwork
and received all necessary approval and was all set to go by April when I
turned everything in to PROSPERER and they said everything was good to go.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And we waited.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And we waited some more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I asked PROSPERER over and over again when the signs
would begin.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the end of August (remember, this was finished on my part
in April) one of the workers told me that they were missing the mayor’s
approval. I told them I had given that
to another worker in the same office. A
couple of weeks later I stopped by to ask again, and one of the workers told me
they were no longer going to build me three signs but two. This is after they had already built new
signs all over the region, including for my rock sculptors who already had
signs build by the previous volunteer.
They also have built signs for all of the PROSPERER offices in the
region, even though PROSPERER ends in 2015.
So, needless to say I was frustrated.
A couple of weeks later, I passed by the area where the sign should be
built and it was done! Well, for the
most part. They combined the sign
designs onto one, and haven’t quite finished it the way they should, and they
also haven’t built the sign at the actual boutique signifying its existence
just the one alerting people that there is a boutique coming up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So small victories are certainly to be celebrated, but I
have found working directly with artisans and farmers is so much more
productive and rewarding than going through a development organization,
particularly one that does not communicate well at all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will keep you updated on the (hopefully) forward progress!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
UPDATE 9/30/13: Still
waiting on the additional writing for the stone sign but the metal sign is
complete! Hooray!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-90591147676927928242013-08-29T05:12:00.001-07:002013-08-29T05:12:21.598-07:00Reflections on our trip
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As always seems to happen when we are all together, there
was also hilarity, although I don’t think milk came out of anyone’s nose this
time. Alex was forced to use a bathroom
down “Jack the Ripper Alley”, Sarah is scarily aggressive when it comes to
cockroaches, and Brian and Nicole cannot pull off a covert operation – banana
peels and fruit that we were trying to sneak out of the restaurant for the
lemurs were treated like a hot potato! – Donna<o:p></o:p></div>
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My favorite thing
was the lemurs at Berenty. You really got a taste of their personalities
and curiosity. It was so much fun to interact with them and see them in
their environment. – Nicole<o:p></o:p></div>
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For me,
the most memorable aspect of the trip was how different each place was.
Tana is a traffic jam of different cultures and tastes, and the city has so
much energy compared to the rest of the country. The highlands are much
more relaxed; the terrain is beautiful, and the markets, ox-driven carts and
agriculture make it tough to gauge time (in a good way). The lemur parks
allow you to enjoy nature in person, without feeling like a tourist. Finally,
Fort Dauphin gives you the tropical vacation experience, and a chance to eat
yourself into a seafood coma next to the Indian Ocean. Our two-week trip
really felt like four or five vacations, all on the same island. - Alex<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-44393134391618572692013-08-29T05:01:00.001-07:002013-08-29T05:01:16.521-07:00Ft. Dauphin and Berenty! Part 2
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Salama (hello in the south)! The next day we left the
highlands and flew to Ft. Dauphin, which is on the Indian Ocean on the south
coast of Madagascar. We could have
driven, but it would have taken days because the roads are very bad. Ft. Dauphin and the ocean were great! We met
Sam, another volunteer, and spent 2 days on the beach and a little bit of time
shopping in the town. We had lots of
fresh seafood including oysters (only Brian), shrimp, lobster and fish. One restaurant owner proudly showed us a
plate with 2 very large, very raw squid he had acquired that day. We had lunch
at a hotel on a cliff overlooking the beach and the ocean. The hotel has an infinity pool that looks out
over the ocean as well, so it was very cool. Breakfast at our hotel was also
great, I loved the jam made with fruit and vanilla.<o:p></o:p></div>
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From Ft. Dauphin, we took a 3 hour van ride to go about 54
miles to Berenty. The road is the major East-West route along the coast, and while
it was paved at one time, most of the asphalt has washed away and it’s now
rutted and pot holed clay. In the rainy
season, it is sometimes impassable. We
passed through a few small villages, where people waved at us, and we passed
taxi brousses loaded with people. One
had chickens in cages on the roof and another had a goat! People headed to or from market I’m sure.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Berenty is a private reserve and most documentaries about
lemurs were filmed there. Berenty is in
the spiny forest. I am not a desert
person, but the plants in the spiny forest are very cool. There are also baobabs there, but not the
giant ones that you see in pictures. The ring-tailed lemurs at Berenty are very
used to people, so they come right up to the open-air restaurant. In fact, they will hop up on your table and
steal food if you don’t watch them. The
sifakas there are also pretty used to people, and while they won’t come as
close as the ring tails, they are around and you can watch them interact. The sifakas walk on their 2 hind legs with
their arms raised in the air when they are moving around and crossing the road,
very cute to watch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We did 3 hikes in Berenty, morning, afternoon and night and
saw bats, chameleons, lizards, an owl, and 4 or 5 different types of lemurs. Since it is a private reserve, they also have
a few things in enclosures – turtles and a crocodile. It s a very cool place, worth the 3 hour
drive!<o:p></o:p></div>
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After the 3 hour drive back to Ft. Dauphin, we had dinner at
a restaurant on the beach. The next day
we flew back to Tana where we spent the afternoon and early evening. Then Brian, Nicole, and I left Alex to spend
the rest of his vacation with Sarah, and we headed to the airport to fly to
Paris where we would spend another 3 days.
It was a lovely transition back to the developed world and a nice break
in the 24 hour trip.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sarah, it was great to see you talk so easily and fluently
to everyone, friends and strangers, and to hear your friends talk about
you. You have obviously touched the
lives of the people with whom you work.
Misaotra (thank you) to Madagascar, Clark, Sarah and all of her friends
who gave us such a great trip!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Veloma, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Donna<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-22293946828176985182013-08-29T04:52:00.003-07:002013-08-29T04:52:09.433-07:00The Fowlkes and Franz go to Madagascar! Part 1
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Manao ahoana (hello in the highlands)! Sarah has asked me to be a guest blogger and
tell you about our family trip to Madagascar.
It was a great trip! I will try
to be concise, but it will be hard. We
flew from Detroit to Antananarivo (Tana) via Paris. There were some last minute flight changes on
our way out of Detroit, but in all, the travel went smoothly, it just takes
forever!!! 24 hours from the time we left Detroit until we landed in Tana. So we ate, slept, read and watched movies.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We left the Tana airport around 11 pm, so we went straight
to the hotel and to bed. Sarah has a
friend whose father is a taxi brousse driver, so she arranged for him to be our
private driver while we were in the highlands.
I am so grateful for Clark, he was awesome! Driving in late at night, everything looked
dark and deserted. I asked Sarah if the
buildings we were seeing were deserted or just closed. It is winter in Madagascar, and Sarah had
told us that it gets cold in the highlands, but we called her a wimp and told
her she had been gone from Michigan for too long. It was sunny and nice during the day,
probably in the high 60’s, but it was in the 40’s at night and the hotel did
not have heat. We made sure we booked
places with electricity, private bathrooms, and hot water, but we did not ask
about heat! Oh well, after the 1<sup>st</sup>
night we were in places with thicker blankets, so it was ok.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The next morning Sarah took us to a buffet so we could
sample some Malagasy dishes. Everything
was very good and nothing was particularly odd.
There is a lot of French influence, so there is bread, great jam, eggs,
and a stew with Zebu meat. When we
headed out, things in the city looked very different than the night
before. Lots of people and
activity. Tana is large, busy, and
crowded, but it was neat to see.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we drove out of Tana for Miarinarivo (Sarah’s town -
about 2 hours west), we quickly came upon rice fields, brick making fields, and
zebu. There are zebu everywhere! Zebu carts are very common in the highlands,
the zebu also graze beside the road, and small groups of 4-5 are often in the
road being moved to a new area by their owners (or maybe to market). We were
driving through the mountains, which are beautiful and even though it was the
dry season, things were still pretty green.
I was surprised that a lot of the highlands are primarily clay, even the
mountains, so lots of things are red, but they also use the clay to make bricks. Between cooking fires, baking bricks, and
burning the grass on the mountains to prepare the pastures for the rainy
season, the highlands smell like a campfire all the time! Most of the houses in the highlands are made
of bricks without mortar, and have thatched or tin roofs. Also, most people in rural areas do not have
electricity, and even in towns and cities most people don’t have washing
machines, so every river and lake has people washing clothes in it. Then the clothes are laid out on the bushes
or the ground to dry so the country side is very colorful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We spent the next few days in the highlands. We met Sarah’s rock sculptors, the people at
Prosperer and CCI, her minister and his family, her friend Toky and his family,
the people at the youth center, other friends, some of the other Peace Corps
volunteers, and some of her silk weavers.
Everyone was so welcoming and friendly.
They also all wanted to feed us, so Sarah warned them ahead of time that
we would not be able to eat everywhere we went, it would just be too much
food! We got to see her place, which has
electricity, running water (cold only) and a propane stove, so she doesn’t have
to cook on an open fire. We also saw her church, the youth center, the market
in her town and lots of other interesting things. It’s a very pretty area in the mountains.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One day we drove to Ampefy to meet Emma, another volunteer,
and visit Chute de la Lily. It was
market day in one of the towns we drove through, and it is a sight to see!
Local people walk or taxi brousse to town for market day to buy, sell, or just
be there. You almost can’t drive because
of all the people and stuff. There is
furniture, chickens, zebu, fruits and vegetables, clothes. It’s amazing.
Thankfully we had Clark to drive us, and we were just passing through.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Ampefy is pretty, and Chute de la Lily, the waterfall there,
is beautiful. We hiked down to the
bottom followed by an entourage of young girls trying to sell us
souvenirs. Everywhere we went, at the
airport, outside the hotel, on the beach, we were surrounded by people,
primarily children, trying to sell us stuff.
Sarah would talk to all of them, and often they would hang around
chatting with her. A group of 5 Vazaha
or “white people” was a quite a sight, so we drew attention wherever we
went. Sometimes when we were driving
through a town, people would wave at the van full of white people! At one restaurant, a little boy at the table
behind us was turned around backwards in his chair watching Brian eat.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We traveled east of Tana to the rain forest and visited
Mitsinjo and Andasibe National Park where we saw our first lemurs!!! We did a night hike in Mitsinjo. We didn’t see any lemurs, but we saw
chameleons, a gecko, and frogs so Nicole was very happy. The next day in Andasibe we saw 4 different
types of lemurs including the indri, which is the largest species. We heard the indri calling when we started
our hike, it is a very eerie sound that can travel several kilometers. Maybe because it was chilly, the indri were
slow to come to the areas where the guides expected them, so it took a long
time to find them, but it was worth it.
They are very cool looking. Later
we heard them calling while we were having lunch at the hotel. After lunch, we headed back to Tana to
prepare for our trip to the coast.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Veloma, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Donna (Sarah’s mom)<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-13677337823091811392013-08-21T09:25:00.000-07:002013-08-21T09:25:10.687-07:00My First VAC as Head Honcho
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
7/15/13<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
MADALYMPICS!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The weekend after independence day, all of the
“mahaylanders” got together for our first VAC meeting with me as the team
leader! We had a very good discussion about some of the issues facing
volunteers and new policies proposed by the new country director. Then we got on to the fun part <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the theme of summer BBQs and fun having, I put together
an Olympic games themed party. There
were four teams, each with their own color theme (PURPLE RAIN!!!!! Actually my
team was supposed to be blue, but my friend Travis pulled his “zoky” (older
sibling in Malagasy) card. Plus purple
rain had a sweet theme song and we DOMINATED).
While it was difficult to get everyone moving in the right direction
(herding cats was the phrase that came to mind), we did get two members from
each team to participate in the highlight of the day, LIVE ACTION MARIO
KART! We rented little tricycles on the
streets of Antsirabe and raced them around the little boulevard. Sadly I was the only one in costume (LAME, I
was Toad <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>),
but one group did buy bananas to throw at other teams, which was pretty
hilarious.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Herding cats continued after that to get everyone to the
hotel, and it was starting to get dark so we didn’t really do a whole lot of
the other games. Purple Rain did some
decent domination in beer pong and flip cup (college revival whoo!) and then we
went to go get pizza and cheeseburger.
Yay America!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Overall I think it was successful, and everyone seemed to
have fun even though we didn’t do everything planned. Can’t wait to do it again in October!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-63681610517361138202013-08-21T09:23:00.005-07:002013-08-21T09:23:39.502-07:00Fetim-Pirenena in Miarinarivo
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7/14/13<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have officially been in Madagascar for two, count em two!
Malagasy, American, and French Independence Days. Apparently everyone gets mad and demands
independence all at the same time haha.
And they were awesome, again. So
the 25<sup>th</sup> of June (the day before Malagasy Independence Day) I went
and watched the fireworks my town set off at the high school stadium. But it was so cold!! I was wearing like 5
shirts and a coat, not to mention light up glasses <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> and it was only 8 at
night. June is definitely the coldest
month in the highlands, and this June was definitely colder than last
year. The fireworks were pretty cool
though. I thought it was funny because
they were just as big as in America but with way fewer safety regulations
haha. Don’t worry; no one was hurt or
anything. But I realized Madagascar and
America both get their fireworks from China so the caliber is definitely the
same.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So the next day was actually Independence Day, which is
actually less fun. I prefer the 25<sup>th</sup>
because everyone is wearing light up stuff, carrying paper lanterns, and
watching fireworks. Actual
fetim-pirenena is much more bureaucratic.
There was a “parade” of all important people and schools at the high
school stadium and then a delicious reception at the region. Then I took the rest of the day to just
wander around and talk to people. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Then the 4<sup>th</sup> of July rolls around and my French
friends mentioned that they wanted to make cheeseburgers, so I turned it into a
full American BBQ! We just added French
cheese and a bit of wine to combine worlds <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>. So I gathered with my French and German
friends, wore ridiculous stars and stripes shorts, and made a huge playlist of
songs that mention America. All in all a
pretty good holiday.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Didn’t really do much to celebrate the French Bastille Day,
but did have a lovely glass of French wine, so I call that a win.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Happy summer holidays all!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-70948072702739297412013-08-21T09:20:00.003-07:002013-08-21T09:20:16.318-07:00Bizarre Foods Season 6 Episode 8
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6/24/13<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I recently got some new media from a friend, and she
happened to have an episode of Bizarre Foods that was all about
Madagascar! I have seen the BBC videos
about Mada, which are all about the animals.
Totally great, but watching this was really cool because I got to see
the people and the settings that I see all the time. So if you are interested, totally check it out! I found the host a little pretentious, but
still really cool to watch. Although
beware of the end, and just know that not every tribe in Madagascar has the
same ritual, but there are some very different cultural practices here.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mazotoa! (Enjoy!)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-70595711017611098542013-06-25T04:42:00.001-07:002013-06-25T04:42:11.385-07:00ONE MONTH TIL MY FAMILY ARRIVES!!!!
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<br />
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6/21/13<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Totally and completely surreal. I still can’t believe they are FINALLY
coming. As proud and excited as I am
about my other projects, I feel like once my family visits I can really feel
accomplished about my service. It is
kind of the one thing I am still really waiting on to happen. There is only so much you can tell from
pictures, and I am so excited for my family to experience everything for
themselves, and for my friends here to get to meet my family as well. Plus I am excited to vacation to Ft. Dauphin
and Andasibe, of course.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So here is our plan:
They get in on Sunday night the 21<sup>st</sup> of July, and we will
stay the night in Tana. I have hired a
friend as our private driver, and he will take us to my town, Miarinarivo, the
next day after breakfast. We will spend
the day in my town meeting people and seeing where I live. The next day the plan is to head to Emma’s
town, Ampefy, to hang out by the lake and see the waterfall. We will also be seeing more people that I
know. The next day we plan to head to
Andasibe to do some night hiking and see the indri, the largest lemur in
Madagascar. We will stay one night out
there and then head back to Tana to catch an early flight to Ft. Dauphin.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Two days in Ft. Dauphin, on the southern tip of the island, then
we head just slightly west throught he spiny forest to Berenty, a large
reserve. We will spend a day and a night
there and then head back to Ft. Dauphin to fly back to Tana. Then I put my parents and my sister on a
plane and Alex and I take off to go south a bit to Antsirabe for a couple of
days before I put him on a plane to meet up with my family in Paris.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Wish us smooth sailing for them flying in! And for all of our domestic flights, fingers
crossed haha.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Love,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-79502231986918961382013-06-25T04:41:00.003-07:002013-06-25T04:41:44.278-07:00Best Trip Ever Trip!
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6/18/13<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, after our mid service conference, 9 of my fellow
volunteers and I embarked on a 7 day trek down a river to see lemurs,
crocodiles, tsingy (limestone rock formations) and baobabs. We spend two and a half days canoeing west
down a river towards the coast, swimming in waterfalls, sleeping on sandbars,
and spotting all kinds of wildlife.
Also, some of the guys purchased slingshots, so they were shooting some
of the wildlife, but mostly each other, with dried chickpeas. My boat mostly just lazily listened to music
and read harry potter out loud (yeah we know how cool we are). We had guides to navigate the river and to
cook for us, so it really was a lazy vacation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Halfway through day 3, we hopped out of the river and into a
4x4 to drive the rest of the day and arrive at the tsingy after dark (flat tires
didn’t help, really terrible road!) The
next morning we got to climb the grand tsingy and the petit tsingy. These enormous limestone formations and caves
used to be coral reefs that dried out thousands of years ago. They carve their way through some cool jungle
and we got to climb all over them. Truly
awe-inspiring. We spent another night at
the camp there, including a short walk to an actual hotel to dirty up their
pool with 10 people who hadn’t showered in 5 days, and then headed out the next
morning to try and make it to the baobabs by sunset, the best time to see them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We cut it close, but we arrived at the absolute perfect time
to see these breathtaking trees tower over us, some over 700 years old. My favorite was the baobab amoreaux, or lover’s
baobab. These are two baobabs that grew
twisted together. There was also the
sacred baobab, where you bring an offering and ask for something. That is the 700-year-old one. Then we finally arrived at the allée de
baobab, or Baobab Avenue. Rather packed
with tourists, but still a wondrous site.
We took pictures for nearly an hour there before we packed up and made
it the rest of the way to Morondava. There we finally stayed in a hotel, so we got to shower, and
had an amazing seafood dinner at a Rastafarian bar on the beach. We sang with the rastas, and then went a
little ways down the street for some karaoke.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The plan was to head out the next morning at 10, so most
everyone slept in. But Christina and I
decided to get up early and go have breakfast on the beach about a 5-minute
walk away. Then we ventured a bit into
town, where I realized I would kill to live. The laid back atmosphere, the wide
streets, the coast; it really was an amazing town, and I really wish I didn’t
have to come back to work and could have explored for longer!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So that was by far the coolest trip I have ever taken, and I
can’t wait to continue my travels next month when my family arrives, and in
August with Erica Kim! Wish you could
all come and experience this country for yourselves; it truly is an amazing
place.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Love,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-33850914582017985532013-06-25T04:40:00.002-07:002013-06-25T04:40:55.062-07:00Mid-Service Conference (MSC)
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/17/13<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One year into service, every training group comes back to
Mantasoa and the training center and spends a week in a conference together
getting updated on administrative and technical practices. So we get to see everyone in our stage, some
of whom we haven’t seen since August.
The cool thing about this conference is our staff decided we would try
something called “open space,” where we decide what sessions we want and run
them ourselves. This meant we learn
exactly what we want to learn, and if there is nothing we want to attend, we
can work on our own things. We get to
here what other volunteers in our stage are doing, and get really valuable
advice from them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, we get to have parties together! The weekend before the conference began, I
went to a second hand clothing market with some friends and found an awesome
sweatshirt that zips over the head into a bear costume. This gave birth to “bear crunk.” You put the bear on, and no one can see you
anymore, so you just dance around like a crazy person. It was a lot of fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So it was very nice to have a reunion with everyone, and to
hear about all the wonderful work they were doing. Next time we will all be together will be in
January at our close of service conference, which is crazy!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-86563719063952226462013-06-25T04:39:00.001-07:002013-06-25T04:39:59.369-07:00Christmas in May
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
6/15/13<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Manahoana daholo!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I just wanted to tell you all a little story about a
program that I stumbled into helping out with in May. The pastor of my little church down the
street from my house called me and asked for me to come to the church on a
Saturday to come take pictures of a program for kids. He didn’t really elaborate, but I had some
time and so I headed down there that Saturday morning. When I arrived, there were tons of kids
hanging out, more than usually attend.
There we 4 or 5 boxes on the stage, which said “operation Christmas
child” on them. Then I started to talk
to the pastor, and found out that these were boxes from the states that an
organization called “Samaritan’s purse” had sent, and that there was a representative
coming from Tana to help distribute the presents and she needed someone to take
pictures (which was where I came in).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So a few minutes later, the two women arrived from Tana to
help distribute and we got underway. The
pastor introduced me and as soon as I said “nice to meet you” in Malagasy she
said “Peace Corps?” Haha. Then a few
minutes later she even corrected herself saying numbers in French (which actually I am pretty good at
because gasy people use them all the time) and repeated them in gasy. I love people like that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, each kid got a wrapped shoebox for themselves, and
we took a few pictures of them all together before they opened them. Then, the kids started cautiously tearing
into their boxes of goodies. The smiles,
the excitement, the shock, all completely priceless. Some of the younger kids were so shocked that
they got a whole box to themselves. I
wandered around trying to discreetly take pictures (because if they realized I
was taking a picture they stopped smiling and started posing. The kids got things like candy, toothpaste,
toothbrushes, mouthwash (that they had to ask me what it was for), small toys
and balls, play-doh (which they thought might be yogurt since it came in the same
kind of container, so I had to stop them from eating it haha).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The pure joy on the faces of those kids was one of the best
things I’ve seen in this country, and I just wanted to share it with all of
you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Love,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-32820747892446637232013-05-15T05:59:00.005-07:002013-05-15T05:59:50.810-07:00Back to Summer Camp
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5/15/13<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Manahoana daholo!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am back again to tell you all about my 2 weeks training
the new volunteers back at the training center in Mantasoa. Although looking at the “views” on my blog
since the beginning, looks like I am writing for a very select audience now
haha.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So anyway, I was a little nervous training the new
volunteers because they are all under the new agriculture framework; there are
no more community economic development volunteers like me, they were folded in
with environment. So the trainees spent
the first 5 weeks pretty much only talking about improved farming techniques
and small animal husbandry. They Dan and
I come in to teach bookkeeping, recordkeeping, costing and pricing, and
assigning an agri-business feasibility project.
All of which was pretty much in the classroom, when prior they had been
spending a lot of time outside. I know
that I would have been snoozing by the end of the week.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But to their credit (and I guess to mine and Dan’s) they were
still pretty engaged by the end of the week, asking great questions. All of the sessions seemed to go pretty well,
even though we were flying by the seat of our pants some of the time. I have said it before and I will say it
again, communication is not Peace Corps’ strong suit. But we survived and I think the trainees
learned a lot. The best was the project,
where they got to apply business concepts how they would in the field,
literally. They each had to talk to a
host family and find out about their income generating activities and give
advice based on questions they asked in Malagasy. Overall I think it was a success, even after
PC cut one of the sessions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But enough about the actual training, on to the fun
stuff! The real reason I wanted to be a
trainer haha :P just kidding. So the
first week I was training with Dan, a fellow CED volunteer, and Corey, Tisa,
and Raf, all health volunteers, which was the sector of the other half of the
trainees. Each sector has 18 this
round. So even though we had to spend a
lot of time preparing sessions and evaluating how sessions went, we still had
time to play hilarious games revolving around Jurassic Park (which resulted in
a “how many dinosaurs can you name?” poster board, as well as a “did you know…”
board), introduce the new vols to “cards against humanity,” a hilarious
politically incorrect version of apples to apples, and write mahay-kus (haikus)
about training and beyond to share at the talent show put on by the trainees. Complete and total hit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
World Malaria Day also fell during my training weeks, and
Raf, the Malaria Coordinator, helped the trainees put on a great festival for
Mantasoa Village. This included a
mosquito piñata, which was absolutely terrifying to watch with the several
hundred kids in attendance. Corey, Tisa,
and I also gave the trainees their stage name—Bougie Stage. This comes from the word bourgeoisie, because
this stage was getting fancy. They had a
milk frother for tea and coffee, drank wine, which I didn’t even know Mantasoa
had, and (though not their fault really) were the first stage with access
wi-fi. They were pretty pleased with their
new name, and have really taken it to heart.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The second week, I trained with Meghan (health) and Dan
(environment). That week saw the
introduction of an epic blanket fort created by the trainees for movie watching
and Nintendo simulator playing, a great capture the flag game, the very
stressful language test for trainees, preparation for final presentations,
expired jell-o found in the games cupboard (still tasted good), a giant bowl of
popcorn to celebrate the end of the test, a bonfire and s’mores, presidents and
assholes card game, and a few decent dance parties.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Overall, I had a great time really getting to know the new
volunteers. If I hadn’t been a trainer,
I might never have met some of the ones who live far away. Now I have “zandry” (younger siblings) who
can be great friends for the next year and beyond. Excited to really welcome the 5 new highlands
regioners at the next VAC in June!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Love,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703079227627217310.post-55988220476961096652013-05-15T04:00:00.005-07:002013-05-15T04:00:44.677-07:00Easter With My 'Gasy Family
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
5/13/13<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hello again!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am still a bit behind on my blogging, but I am trying to
catch up now. So going back a bit to
Easter and Easter Monday (which is also a holiday in Madagascar). I promised Claude and his wife Adalene (from
my silk co-op in Amboalefoka) I would spend Easter with them like 6 months
prior, and every few weeks Adalene would jokingly ask me where I was spending
Easter, just to make sure I remembered.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I headed out to their place 6 km from my town on Saturday
morning to spend the weekend. Claude’s
brother and his family came out from Tana as well. They were very interested in learning all
about me and the things I do here, also about America. It was really difficult to get the wife to
stop talking to me in French, but she got it eventually. They also had an adorable daughter around 8
and a son in his early teens (who was very shy and off playing with Claude’s
son, so I didn’t see much of him). We
spent most of Saturday watching TV and chatting and walking a little bit around
the fields.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday rolled around and we got up early to head to
church. I had no idea, but Claude is the
organist at church. They have a little
catholic church near their house and the church has a basic electric
keyboard. Claude doesn’t play anything
fancy, mostly just chords, but I was still really surprised to learn he was the
keyboard player.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So after a very long service where the pastor got a bit mad
at the congregation for arriving so late (come on man, it is Madagascar, that
is the culture. Although 2 hours late is
a bit much…) we returned back to the house for a nice Easter lunch. While it wasn’t a Petit Jean Ham from
Arkansas and my mom’s potato salad, we still had a good meal that included
pork, something definitely out of the ordinary for them. We also had duck, which was delicious <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>. A couple of weeks after Easter I also got a
package from my mom that included Easter candy and toys, so all in all not so
bad.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So the Monday following Easter is also a big deal in Madagascar. Everyone goes on a little walk or vacation or
picnic. I spent the last “Lundi de
Paques” in Mantasoa, where people come from Tana to picnic on the lake. This time I headed with Claude and Adalene
and their family to Ampasamanatongotra (say that 5 times fast) about 5 km from
their house so see “hira gasy,” which literally means Malagasy song. We paid a small fee to see large groups of
singers perform songs in traditional meter and dress, set to a small group of
instrumentalists including brass and strings.
There are also young men in each group that do kind of martial arts and
turn all kinds of cool flips with twists, kind of like break dancing. Too cool.
So we sat in the hot sun and drank homemade orange juice with waaaay too
much sugar and snacked on fried goods.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When we got there, everyone was sitting on the ground in a
big circle around the singers. We
circled for a bit and found a good spot to sit with the crowd. A lot of people recognized me, because most
of the people were the same ones who attended the women’s day activities the
month before and watched me play soccer.
A few minutes after we found a good spot and sat down, a few men came
over with a chair, insisting that I sit on it.
Now, there are probably 500 people sitting on the ground, and not one
has a chair. So I adamantly (but
politely) refuse for a solid 5 minutes until they finally give up. No way man, I stand out enough, haha.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was not Ann Arbor, but it was still a pretty good Easter. One more like it and I am home!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Love,<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Sarah<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarah in Madagascar 2012-2014http://www.blogger.com/profile/14693998252592356513noreply@blogger.com0