Sorry it has been so long since my last post! Internet access has been a little bit more of a challenge lately here on the coast because we don't have wifi at our program center so I have to use a cyber cafe. But I am going to try to get caught up on everything that has happened in the last couple of weeks in the next few blogs, but there is definitely a lot to talk about so it might take a while to really get caught up. It is especially challenging to type as fast as I would like because at the cyber cafe I am using, the keyboards are French keyboards so some of the letters are switched around.
So we left Tana a week and a half ago, and drove for a full day towards a port city on the West Coast called Mahajanga. We stopped for two nights on the way here at a camp site in Ankarafantsika, where there was a national park, managed by Madagascar National Parks. As soon as we got out of our bus at our campsite, we were greeted by our first lemurs here. We were told that there were actually two lemur families who had been competing over the territory lately, that was the trees right above our tents. We got to walk through the forest there in the national park on two guided tours; one during the day and the other at night. We saw different lemur species, including an extremely small nocturnal species with huge eye that I fell in love with. We also saw huge spiders, milipedes, chameleons, geckos and lizards, and became the meals of many different mosquitos. Our last night there, we were even lucky enough to have smores. They were with a different kind of cracker, and the chocolate was great, although definitely not hershey's. It was as close as you can get here, and it was a great surprise. We were lucky enough to also have a lecture explaining some about the structure of the national parks here, and learned that there were a bunch of villages in the park, who are given small parts of the park to care for and protect. They are educated about the importance of the mission of the national park, and the preservation of all of the endemic species that are found there, including some plants and animals that are only found in that one area of Madagascar, and nowhere else in the world. *
A few other highlights of this part of the trip were the body of water very close by the was the home to crocodiles, and a sign that said something along the lines of "attention, crocodiles bite," as if we would try to go pet one or something. We also drove through the hottest spot in Madagascar on our way to the park, and near by the park, we stopped by a village where there is a woman's co-op where the women made and sold things woven with Raphia, a kind of leaf sort of thing. They dye the raphia with natural dyes and then use looms to make things like placemats. Also, we were told that when getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, to be on the lookout for wild boars. Oh boy. And lastly, we also got to visit Durrell, which is an organisation that works with the preservation of endangered species of tortoises.
After our visit at Ankarafantsika was finished, we got back in our bus for a short 3 or 4 hour drive to Mahajanga, our final destination for now. I will try to post soon about what we have been doing here, but for now as a sneak peak, I will let you all know that it is a beautiful city and I love it here, and will be spending my last month here working on my independent study project.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
February 17
Just to get an idea of what our language class is like, here is a dialogue that a friend and I presented this morning with our very limited vocabulary, some of which we have learned through unfortunate circumstances (example: kadradraka, or cockroach):
B: Manahoana! (Hello!)
Me: Ah! Matahotra kadradraka aho! (Ah! I'm scared of cockroaches!)
B: Fahasalamana? (How are you?)
Me: Tsy tsara! Asa manelingelina! Tsy afaka miteny ny kadradraka. (Not good! Leave me alone! Cockroaches can't talk.)
B: Kadradraka tsara sy mahafinarita aho. Te hilalao ve ianao? (But I'm a nice and marvelous cockroach. Want to play?
Me: Eh eh eh, tiko hofaty ianao! (No, I want you to die!)
So fluency is certainly far off, but considering that I started out with only knowing how to say hi when my plane landed here in Tana, I'd say this is awesome progress!
February 17
On Tuesday, since Cyclone Giovanna hit, classes were cancelled, so I stayed home all day with the family listening to the rain come down on Tana. By the time it got to us it was a tropical storm, but as I drove around with my family in the afternoon after things had settled, we saw a few fallen trees and debris out and about in the streets. But since that day there wasn't anything we could do, I ended up napping some, doing about 20 challenging word search puzzles, thanks to the Barnes and Noble gift card that my bosses gave me before I left. I am so thankful to them for that gift! I also finished two books on Tuesday that I bought with the gift card as well. Since then, I've been pretty busy with classes and school work, trying to keep up with readings, do my Malagasy and French homework, and work on a current events paper and a cultural observations report. I've also continued to have some interesting experiences on the taxi-be, where I have actually been in mild physical pain from the taxi-be being so crowded and me basically laying down on people to fit into the bus. And let me just say, that considering the climate here, you can imagine the awful scent of body odor that lingers in the bus.
Yesterday, I got to go to talk with a couple people who are in charge of a Malagasy association that works with the preservation and educaiton of the Malagasy cultural heritage and riches. It was really great getting to hear about what they do here, who their members are, how they get funding, etc. They even said that I could become a member if I wanted to, and that they do have some foreign members, which is something I will definitely have to consider! I think it's great that they're trying to educate the Malagasy people of the importance of their culture and where it came from. We also had a nice little photo shoot after talking with them, where they wanted to get our pictures taken both inside, and outside.
Now that we're starting to settle in here in Tana, we're getting ready to pack our things up and head out of the city for a couple of weeks. We're leaving on Sunday morning, and heading for Majunga, a city on the west coast of the island, where it is supposedly very hot. We'll be stopping for a couple of nights along the way there to do some camping, so we'll see how hygeine goes for the next few days. Luckily, my mom and dad gave me some biodegradable wilderness wash from L.L. Bean for Christmas in preparation for my trip. I'm sure it will come in handy soon. We'll be staying in Majunga and continuing our studies for a couple of weeks, then heading to Nosy Be, which is an island off the North West coast of Madagascar, where we'll stay for a couple of days before flying back to Tana. I can't wait! I'm looking forward to branching out of Tana and seeing what other parts of Madagascar are like. Plus, I'm hoping that since Majunga is much less populated, I'll be able to go out and about more without being scared of the crime. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to have some sort of revelation on what I want to study for my Independent Study Project that I have to do during the last month of the semester. Perhaps I'll fall in love with Majanga or Nosy Be and decide to do my project there. Who knows what adventures await me in the coming weeks!
Yesterday, I got to go to talk with a couple people who are in charge of a Malagasy association that works with the preservation and educaiton of the Malagasy cultural heritage and riches. It was really great getting to hear about what they do here, who their members are, how they get funding, etc. They even said that I could become a member if I wanted to, and that they do have some foreign members, which is something I will definitely have to consider! I think it's great that they're trying to educate the Malagasy people of the importance of their culture and where it came from. We also had a nice little photo shoot after talking with them, where they wanted to get our pictures taken both inside, and outside.
Now that we're starting to settle in here in Tana, we're getting ready to pack our things up and head out of the city for a couple of weeks. We're leaving on Sunday morning, and heading for Majunga, a city on the west coast of the island, where it is supposedly very hot. We'll be stopping for a couple of nights along the way there to do some camping, so we'll see how hygeine goes for the next few days. Luckily, my mom and dad gave me some biodegradable wilderness wash from L.L. Bean for Christmas in preparation for my trip. I'm sure it will come in handy soon. We'll be staying in Majunga and continuing our studies for a couple of weeks, then heading to Nosy Be, which is an island off the North West coast of Madagascar, where we'll stay for a couple of days before flying back to Tana. I can't wait! I'm looking forward to branching out of Tana and seeing what other parts of Madagascar are like. Plus, I'm hoping that since Majunga is much less populated, I'll be able to go out and about more without being scared of the crime. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to have some sort of revelation on what I want to study for my Independent Study Project that I have to do during the last month of the semester. Perhaps I'll fall in love with Majanga or Nosy Be and decide to do my project there. Who knows what adventures await me in the coming weeks!
Monday, February 13, 2012
February 13
What a weekend! On Saturday, as my friend and I were going for a walk from her house to my house, someone tried to steal her wallet, but luckily, I saw it and the two of us were able to prevent it! Success! I grabbed her arm, she tightened her grip, and I yelled "No, no no!" and the guy ran away! Woohoo! But I was still pretty shaken up, and when I walk here in Tana, I feel pretty skiddish and a little paranoid, which definitely isn't a good thing. So for now, in order to limit my exposure, it has been advised that I take cabs for a few days and try not to be walking around, just so that I have time to cope with and process the three things that have happened in the past week. But unfortunately, since this morning, I have realized that cabs can be a little sketchy as well, since my cab driver whispered in my ear that he loved me, after telling me that I was beautiful. At first I didn't understand what he was saying because he was talking in Malagasy, but then I figured it out, and when he told me he loved me, and honked as he drove away, I was definitely sketched out. Love is certainly a strong term that wouldn't be used in the US as a way of hitting on someone.
Then on Saturday night, we went out to a wonderful restaurant (which just so happened to be in a red light district of Tana, so the view from the car was an interesting one to say the least, on the way there). We went out for dinner and drinks as a group of students, and it was a great time, but I started to have a headache while we were out. Uh oh!
Then on Sunday, I started to get more sick. Stomach issues, head ache, etc. But I didn't feel like it would keep me from doing anything, so I went to a concert with my host mom, brothers, and friend, which was awesome! It was like an old school 1980s romantic sort of concert, with a Malagasy singer who has been performing now for 20 years! It was super crowded, so he was apparently quite popular. We were there for three hours, and left before it finished, so I don't know how much longer it was going to go on for. But then on the way home, I started to feel more and more sick, and ended up with a sick stomach, sore joints and muscles, head ache, and fever. I went to bed as soon as we got home, before dinner, and slept through the night until this morning. Today I still wasn't feeling well, so I've started taking antibiotics to help fix things and kill whatever is trying to attack my body, and as of this evening, I'm starting to finally feel better. I went to the doctor today and she was great. She was very helpful, and said to keep taking the antibiotics, and if my joints keep bothering me, to buy some sort of gel to put on them.
But for now, it's antibiotics, rest, and hydration! Speaking of which, I have to buy a few extra bottles of water on the way home because we have a cyclone headed our way that will hit tonight or tomorrow, and in case we lose power and can't go out to buy water, I need to stock up a little. But luckily, by the time it hits us here in the highlands, it will probably be downgraded to a tropical storm.
Well, that's it for the updates for now! I'm about to head home for the day. The question now is, taxi-be, taxi, or walking....all of which sound potentially threatening. Awesome.
Then on Saturday night, we went out to a wonderful restaurant (which just so happened to be in a red light district of Tana, so the view from the car was an interesting one to say the least, on the way there). We went out for dinner and drinks as a group of students, and it was a great time, but I started to have a headache while we were out. Uh oh!
Then on Sunday, I started to get more sick. Stomach issues, head ache, etc. But I didn't feel like it would keep me from doing anything, so I went to a concert with my host mom, brothers, and friend, which was awesome! It was like an old school 1980s romantic sort of concert, with a Malagasy singer who has been performing now for 20 years! It was super crowded, so he was apparently quite popular. We were there for three hours, and left before it finished, so I don't know how much longer it was going to go on for. But then on the way home, I started to feel more and more sick, and ended up with a sick stomach, sore joints and muscles, head ache, and fever. I went to bed as soon as we got home, before dinner, and slept through the night until this morning. Today I still wasn't feeling well, so I've started taking antibiotics to help fix things and kill whatever is trying to attack my body, and as of this evening, I'm starting to finally feel better. I went to the doctor today and she was great. She was very helpful, and said to keep taking the antibiotics, and if my joints keep bothering me, to buy some sort of gel to put on them.
But for now, it's antibiotics, rest, and hydration! Speaking of which, I have to buy a few extra bottles of water on the way home because we have a cyclone headed our way that will hit tonight or tomorrow, and in case we lose power and can't go out to buy water, I need to stock up a little. But luckily, by the time it hits us here in the highlands, it will probably be downgraded to a tropical storm.
Well, that's it for the updates for now! I'm about to head home for the day. The question now is, taxi-be, taxi, or walking....all of which sound potentially threatening. Awesome.
Friday, February 10, 2012
February 10
And finally, some pictures!!
The scaffolding in this country is amazing...made completely out of sticks.
Cutest child ever!
Hiragasy, a kind of traditional Malagasy dance.
Walking up to the palace.
Zebu cattle, about to be sacrificed.
A traditional Malagasy religious site.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
February 9
Oh my. The last two days, my friend and I have taken a taxi home because I've been too scared to walk and she has a cold. But let me just say, that taxis here in Madagascar are certainly not the same as they are back home in the wonderful city of Washington DC. Yesterday, when I was terrified and just wanted to get home, of course, our cab ran out of gas. All of the sudden we were sitting in the middle of the road, with traffic on both sides, and our taxi driver tells us to wait a second, gets out of the car and pops the hood, as my friend and I just stare at each other. Of course my cab on a day like that, would run out of gas. Looking back on it now, I can't help but laugh. Our driver luckily had a water bottle filled with gas, so it was a quick fix, and we were on our way again.
Then today, my friend and I were going to take the bus, but they are so difficult to figure out in this country, so we ended up taking a taxi. He opened the door for us and was telling us to get in because there was a lot of traffic, but it's different here than in the US because you have to negotiate a price before getting in the taxi, or you'll end up getting in and you won't have any bargaining power and you'll end up having to pay twice as much or more. So I kept saying in Malagasy, "how much is it?" and I could tell he didn't want to respond, and he just kept gesturing us in. Eventually, he gave us a price, and even though it was a little bit high, I wasn't in the mood for negotiating, so I said okay and we got in. Then after a few minutes we got stuck in a traffic jam, and our driver left the car running, got out of the car, and walked down the street, and disappeared into some store with a THB sign outside (Three Horses Beer). So then I was afraid that he had just left us in the car so he could go have a drink, and then I was worried that some stranger would just get in the drivers seat and take off with us in the car, which probably wasn't a valid concern, but I can't figure out what's normal here, so who knows. Then traffic started moving, and we're just sitting there, without a driver for a few seconds, then all of the sudden, he comes running down the sidewalk to the car with a handful of his money and a handful of cigarettes. I was cracking up, and he was acting like that was normal. Oh boy. He then proceeded to ask if he could smoke in the car, but we said no, and he seemed irritated. But then my friend tried to explain in Malagasy that she was sorry but she had a sore throat. He seemed to think that was funny or something, or perhaps he was just laughing at our lack of Malagasy skills. Then we started having a conversation with him and he said a few things in English, which was cool. He said he speaks a very small amount of English, which I said was perfect because I only speak a very small amount of Malagasy. He talked to us about he wants to visit America one day, but that he doesn't think he'll be able to because he doesn't have enough money. He asked us how we liked Madagascar, and I told him that I like it, but I explained how I had my stuff stolen yesterday and he seemed to be very sympathetic and said that there are a bunch of pickpockets here and you really have to pay attention. He also was nice enough to teach me how to say watch in Malagasy. He asked us what time it was, and I responded that I didn't know because I didn't have a watch, but I said "Tsy haiko. Tsy manana une montre," which means "I don't know, I don't have a watch," but I didn't know the word for watch in Malagasy, so he told me what it was. I'm pretty sure it's one of the longest words in the history of human languages. It's "famantaranandro." Talk about a mouthful.....Then when he dropped us off, he gave us his phone number and said to call him if we ever need a cab. He definitely ended up being a nice guy even though at first I felt like he was a little bit rude. And the fact that he left us to go buy cigarettes cracks me up. Things like that just don't happen back home. And the fact that he left the car running is hilarious too, because often times here, cab drivers actually turn the car off when they're in a traffic jam, or when they're going downhill, and they just coast along for as long as possible. So I definitely haven't figured out when it's appropriate to turn the car on and off, if they leave it on when they're not driving, and turn it off when they are driving. Cabs are definitely something I'll have to learn to get used to here.
And, a little bragging, even though I've been pretty scared today whenever I've had to go outside, I got back up on the horse and walked home from my friends house today after the cab dropped us off. All by myself. :) Even though I was scared, I'm glad I forced myself to do it. I don't want to live in fear just because I had my purse stolen. I just need to be more careful and just not carry anything with me. If I don't have anything for them to take, then I'm safe! :)
Then today, my friend and I were going to take the bus, but they are so difficult to figure out in this country, so we ended up taking a taxi. He opened the door for us and was telling us to get in because there was a lot of traffic, but it's different here than in the US because you have to negotiate a price before getting in the taxi, or you'll end up getting in and you won't have any bargaining power and you'll end up having to pay twice as much or more. So I kept saying in Malagasy, "how much is it?" and I could tell he didn't want to respond, and he just kept gesturing us in. Eventually, he gave us a price, and even though it was a little bit high, I wasn't in the mood for negotiating, so I said okay and we got in. Then after a few minutes we got stuck in a traffic jam, and our driver left the car running, got out of the car, and walked down the street, and disappeared into some store with a THB sign outside (Three Horses Beer). So then I was afraid that he had just left us in the car so he could go have a drink, and then I was worried that some stranger would just get in the drivers seat and take off with us in the car, which probably wasn't a valid concern, but I can't figure out what's normal here, so who knows. Then traffic started moving, and we're just sitting there, without a driver for a few seconds, then all of the sudden, he comes running down the sidewalk to the car with a handful of his money and a handful of cigarettes. I was cracking up, and he was acting like that was normal. Oh boy. He then proceeded to ask if he could smoke in the car, but we said no, and he seemed irritated. But then my friend tried to explain in Malagasy that she was sorry but she had a sore throat. He seemed to think that was funny or something, or perhaps he was just laughing at our lack of Malagasy skills. Then we started having a conversation with him and he said a few things in English, which was cool. He said he speaks a very small amount of English, which I said was perfect because I only speak a very small amount of Malagasy. He talked to us about he wants to visit America one day, but that he doesn't think he'll be able to because he doesn't have enough money. He asked us how we liked Madagascar, and I told him that I like it, but I explained how I had my stuff stolen yesterday and he seemed to be very sympathetic and said that there are a bunch of pickpockets here and you really have to pay attention. He also was nice enough to teach me how to say watch in Malagasy. He asked us what time it was, and I responded that I didn't know because I didn't have a watch, but I said "Tsy haiko. Tsy manana une montre," which means "I don't know, I don't have a watch," but I didn't know the word for watch in Malagasy, so he told me what it was. I'm pretty sure it's one of the longest words in the history of human languages. It's "famantaranandro." Talk about a mouthful.....Then when he dropped us off, he gave us his phone number and said to call him if we ever need a cab. He definitely ended up being a nice guy even though at first I felt like he was a little bit rude. And the fact that he left us to go buy cigarettes cracks me up. Things like that just don't happen back home. And the fact that he left the car running is hilarious too, because often times here, cab drivers actually turn the car off when they're in a traffic jam, or when they're going downhill, and they just coast along for as long as possible. So I definitely haven't figured out when it's appropriate to turn the car on and off, if they leave it on when they're not driving, and turn it off when they are driving. Cabs are definitely something I'll have to learn to get used to here.
And, a little bragging, even though I've been pretty scared today whenever I've had to go outside, I got back up on the horse and walked home from my friends house today after the cab dropped us off. All by myself. :) Even though I was scared, I'm glad I forced myself to do it. I don't want to live in fear just because I had my purse stolen. I just need to be more careful and just not carry anything with me. If I don't have anything for them to take, then I'm safe! :)
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
February 8
Well, I just had a bit of a traumatizing experience here in Tana. It seems like whenever I think that I might be starting to get comfortable here, I get a little bit of a wake up call. I was on my way to a museum with a bunch of people in my program, and we were in pick-pocket central, which I was aware of, so I was trying to pay attention my purse, but apparently I wasn't quite successful. I had it across my body, attached to my wrist, and my hand was holding it too, so I figured that there were three reasons why someone couldn't get it. Unfortunately, as we were walking along and about to cross the street, I turned just as a guy walked directly into the side of me that my purse was on. I said "azafady," which means excuse me, and then the guy who was right behind him grabbed my purse, yanked it really hard so that it broke, and it ran off with it, with the body strap and the wrist strap still attached to me. I yelled "NO!" then proceeded to swear, and then broke into tears. Of course this would happen to me for the second time in a five days. At least the first time when someone tried to take my camera, they weren't successful. I was so upset, because they stole all of my money (which was only the equivalent to 4 US dollars, but still very upsetting), my cell phone (which I've only had for a week), and my drivers license to name the most important things. I was so upset, and thankfully it's now been about two hours since then and I'm starting to gain some perspective and relax, but I was livid at the time. I just wanted to go home, and never come back to Madagascar. I was luckily not alone, so I had friends who could spot me a cab and a couple of friends who went with me back to our classroom. I don't know what I would have done without that support system there for me. But when I was looking out my cab window and there were a couple of children who came up to me asking for money, I was irritated. I know now that I was just emotional and upset, but I was so mad that after someone just stole all of my money, that someone would come up to me asking for more money. I was irritated that when I looked out my window, everyone seemed to be staring at me, the crazy crying Vazaha. However, I can find comfort in the fact that even though theft and crime is much more prevalent here than I would like, the Malagasy people do not at all find it acceptable or okay. In the moment, as I was crying and yelling after my purse was stolen, and saw everyone staring at me, I felt like I saw sympathy in their faces, which even though I felt angry at everyone in the country, it was comforting.
So now I have been trying to relax in my classroom and vent and talk through some things with my Academic Director via phone, and my friends who are here, and I've been able to calm down and gain some perspective, although I still definitely do not feel like going out for a while. I will be taking a cab home instead of walking, because I think I'd freak out if I had any more stimuli today. But now I'm just having trouble reconciling how I feel about the situation. Because even though I am pissed off, it is sad to know that there are so many people here in Tana who are so desperate that they feel like they need to steal things from other people. Part of me feels bad that they feel that sense of desperation, but at the same time, I'm livid and want to feel a sense of justice. I feel like I have been unjustly violated and it's definitely going to take some time to come to terms with.
Luckily I feel like I have a great program staff and friend group as a support system, so I am very thankful for that. I just hope that I learn from this experience and move forward in a positive way, and I don't just dwell on my anger, and my fear of walking along the streets here. Just knowing how it was such a violent attack, even when I was with four or so other people, makes me pretty uneasy. But from here on out, now that I don't have a purse, I will definitely wear a money belt and have at least a little bit of money in my shoe as well.
So now I have been trying to relax in my classroom and vent and talk through some things with my Academic Director via phone, and my friends who are here, and I've been able to calm down and gain some perspective, although I still definitely do not feel like going out for a while. I will be taking a cab home instead of walking, because I think I'd freak out if I had any more stimuli today. But now I'm just having trouble reconciling how I feel about the situation. Because even though I am pissed off, it is sad to know that there are so many people here in Tana who are so desperate that they feel like they need to steal things from other people. Part of me feels bad that they feel that sense of desperation, but at the same time, I'm livid and want to feel a sense of justice. I feel like I have been unjustly violated and it's definitely going to take some time to come to terms with.
Luckily I feel like I have a great program staff and friend group as a support system, so I am very thankful for that. I just hope that I learn from this experience and move forward in a positive way, and I don't just dwell on my anger, and my fear of walking along the streets here. Just knowing how it was such a violent attack, even when I was with four or so other people, makes me pretty uneasy. But from here on out, now that I don't have a purse, I will definitely wear a money belt and have at least a little bit of money in my shoe as well.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
February 5
February 5, 2012
Church was definitely interesting. I actually got to sing Jesus Loves Me in Malagasy, which was pretty cool. I was trying to sing along to some of the songs, but it was definitely a challenge to keep up. I also was able to recognize a few words in the sermon which was awesome.
After we got home, we went over to my grandparents house, where my friend lives. We ended up going for an almost two hour walk where we practiced some of our Malagasy skills. I was really excited when someone asked me "what's new?" and I knew what they said and I responded "not much," which is what you're pretty much always supposed to say as a response. Our language teachers explained that you always say not much, but when you sit down and start talking, you find out what is actually going on and what's new. I love that I am starting to feel more comfortable here, bit by bit. There are rough times for sure, but then there are the moments when you feel like you almost are starting to fit in....that is, until someone stares at you and says "bonjour vazaha" and you remember that you stand out like a sore thumb. On our walk, my friend and I bought a delicious toblerone bar. It was soooo good. I feel like I've been deprived of chocolate since I've gotten here, so it was a wonderful treat. Tomorrow I definitely want to buy some ice cream. We just have to be careful where to get it here because of something about if it's made with water it can make us sick. I'm excited to go to school tomorrow and see what everyone else did over the weekend. I'm sure everyone will have exciting stories. :)
Church was definitely interesting. I actually got to sing Jesus Loves Me in Malagasy, which was pretty cool. I was trying to sing along to some of the songs, but it was definitely a challenge to keep up. I also was able to recognize a few words in the sermon which was awesome.
After we got home, we went over to my grandparents house, where my friend lives. We ended up going for an almost two hour walk where we practiced some of our Malagasy skills. I was really excited when someone asked me "what's new?" and I knew what they said and I responded "not much," which is what you're pretty much always supposed to say as a response. Our language teachers explained that you always say not much, but when you sit down and start talking, you find out what is actually going on and what's new. I love that I am starting to feel more comfortable here, bit by bit. There are rough times for sure, but then there are the moments when you feel like you almost are starting to fit in....that is, until someone stares at you and says "bonjour vazaha" and you remember that you stand out like a sore thumb. On our walk, my friend and I bought a delicious toblerone bar. It was soooo good. I feel like I've been deprived of chocolate since I've gotten here, so it was a wonderful treat. Tomorrow I definitely want to buy some ice cream. We just have to be careful where to get it here because of something about if it's made with water it can make us sick. I'm excited to go to school tomorrow and see what everyone else did over the weekend. I'm sure everyone will have exciting stories. :)
February 4
12:00 AM
Today has been more challenging than past days. This morning my host dad left for Kenya, and everyone went with him to the airport. I had to stay home because The previous president's wife was flying in from Johannesburg (where the previous president is in exlie). My mom said that since I'm a vazaha it was better if I stayed home because there would be a lot of people there and the current president would send the military. So I stayed home and then my friend (who is staying with my host grandparents) called me and invited me to hang out with her and my host aunt and do some shopping. So we ate lunch together and went to the market, which was much less scary than it was last time. I felt comfortable asking the prices of things and I even bought a really aweomse dress. When I was there I also saw an Ann Taylor Loft shirt, where I used to work, which was pretty cool. The dress that I bought is actually from H&M. Then we got picked up by my uncle and stopped on the way home to buy some meat. My friend, one of my aunts, my cousin and I stayed in the car, and I was next to the one of the windows and had it rolled down. I had my camera in my hand and was taking pictures of my 4 year old cousin. Then I held my camera in my lap and totally let my guard down, when a man reached in the window, grabbed my camera, and started running. Luckily, I had the wrist strap on, so even though he tried to take it, it was attached to my wrist and didn't go anywhere. I was terrified after that. It was such an adrenaline rush. I am thankful that I was able to learn such a valuable lesson without actually having anything taken. But I definitely realize a little bit more now that since I stand out here, I'm always being watched, and people know exactly what I have with me. I also learned never to rest something in my lap out in the open, and even not to take my camera places with me. It's definitely not a good feeling to have someone try to take something from you. I was angry and scared because I had had a false sense of security about things. Today there was also a little street child who was probably six or so, and she had a baby on her back, and she was grabbing onto me and asking for money. I tried to get around her, but she kept blocking me off from going anywhere, so I said "azafady" which means excuse me, and then she left me alone. I hope that wasn't rude to say, but I didn't know what to do and I was afraid that she was going to just start grabbing at and opening my purse. It's really hard to see things like that, where you want to help, but you know that you can't do anything to fix the problem, and giving money could potentially make things worse. Then I just woke up around midnight because something was crawling on my arm, and I hit it off and then realized it was something pretty big, so I jumped out of bed, turned on my flashlight, and there were massive bugs all over the room. I don't know if they were cockroaches or something else, but I just stood in the middle of the room with my flashlight scanning around my feet to make sure nothing touched me. It was awful. Then I turned on my bedroom light and I haven't seen any of the bugs in maybe half an hour, so I am back in my bed, but I'm having a really hard time getting back to sleep. I'm afraid I'm going to have nightmares. I also have to pee really bad, but it's dark to get there and I don't want there to be any bugs in the bathroom. I wanted to come to Madagascar partly because I want to grow up and realize that these sorts of things are quite trivial in the grand scheme of things. Who cares about a few little bugs taking over your room at night? But in reality, I don't know if I can get over the fear of creepy crawly things. Exposure therapy is probably not going to work for that one. I just hope that I can fall asleep soon and that I don't wake up with more bugs on me. I'm going to sleep with my light on, and hopefully that keeps them away. So the "culture shock" has definitely set in. They talk about how at first when you go somewhere new, for a while it's all so new and exciting, and then after a little bit, things start to go down hill a little bit. This has definitely started to happen. I feel like a child in an adult body. I don't understand a lot of things, from the way that things work in general to the language barrier, things are just pretty challenging right now. It's hard when I come home at the end of the day and I'm tired, and I realize that I can't just relax and speak English, but that I have to stumble along with my French skills in order to communicate with my family. Luckily, they're great and very patient with me, but it's hard to speak to them when my brain is tired. Nothing seems to come out right. I'm definitely having a bit of a language crisis. Between French, Malagasy, and English, my brain is quite confused. I think my English is actually suffering and getting worse. I notice that when I try to read in English, I'm doing it with a French accent in my head, and when I try to write in English, things just come out in the wrong order. But hopefully things will sort themselves out sooner rather than later so that my brain can relax. Anyway, I guess I'm going to attempt to get some rest since I've been up for an hour and a half due to these disgusting creatures that have taken over my room.
And in case I haven't mentioned in already, it's so hot here! I feel like I need to take three showers a day to keep up with how sweaty and nasty I feel. yuckkkk.
2:40 AM
Well, I've been awake now for three hours. Our maid just came in and then so did my mom. I guess these awful creatures are the infamous Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. Supposedly they don't bite and they're not a problem, they just fly and crawl around when it's dark. So I'm sleeping with my light on, which my mom said was fine, and she said that when the light's on, they disappear. She chuckled when she saw me laying here with the light on and a scared look on my face. I didn't think the cockroaches would be that big of a deal, but they're awful. I'm such a baby when it comes to bugs. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the semester with these awful things.
7:30 AM
I made it through the night! After mom told me that everything was okay and I should try to get some sleep, I calmed down enough to sleep for another three hours or so. I'm definitely thankful because if I was up all night long because of cockroaches, I would have been exhausted and grumpy today. So thanks to my host mom for helping me relax! I don't know what I'd do without her. :) Now I'm about to go to church with my family, which is all in Malagasy, so I'm sure it will be interesting.
Today has been more challenging than past days. This morning my host dad left for Kenya, and everyone went with him to the airport. I had to stay home because The previous president's wife was flying in from Johannesburg (where the previous president is in exlie). My mom said that since I'm a vazaha it was better if I stayed home because there would be a lot of people there and the current president would send the military. So I stayed home and then my friend (who is staying with my host grandparents) called me and invited me to hang out with her and my host aunt and do some shopping. So we ate lunch together and went to the market, which was much less scary than it was last time. I felt comfortable asking the prices of things and I even bought a really aweomse dress. When I was there I also saw an Ann Taylor Loft shirt, where I used to work, which was pretty cool. The dress that I bought is actually from H&M. Then we got picked up by my uncle and stopped on the way home to buy some meat. My friend, one of my aunts, my cousin and I stayed in the car, and I was next to the one of the windows and had it rolled down. I had my camera in my hand and was taking pictures of my 4 year old cousin. Then I held my camera in my lap and totally let my guard down, when a man reached in the window, grabbed my camera, and started running. Luckily, I had the wrist strap on, so even though he tried to take it, it was attached to my wrist and didn't go anywhere. I was terrified after that. It was such an adrenaline rush. I am thankful that I was able to learn such a valuable lesson without actually having anything taken. But I definitely realize a little bit more now that since I stand out here, I'm always being watched, and people know exactly what I have with me. I also learned never to rest something in my lap out in the open, and even not to take my camera places with me. It's definitely not a good feeling to have someone try to take something from you. I was angry and scared because I had had a false sense of security about things. Today there was also a little street child who was probably six or so, and she had a baby on her back, and she was grabbing onto me and asking for money. I tried to get around her, but she kept blocking me off from going anywhere, so I said "azafady" which means excuse me, and then she left me alone. I hope that wasn't rude to say, but I didn't know what to do and I was afraid that she was going to just start grabbing at and opening my purse. It's really hard to see things like that, where you want to help, but you know that you can't do anything to fix the problem, and giving money could potentially make things worse. Then I just woke up around midnight because something was crawling on my arm, and I hit it off and then realized it was something pretty big, so I jumped out of bed, turned on my flashlight, and there were massive bugs all over the room. I don't know if they were cockroaches or something else, but I just stood in the middle of the room with my flashlight scanning around my feet to make sure nothing touched me. It was awful. Then I turned on my bedroom light and I haven't seen any of the bugs in maybe half an hour, so I am back in my bed, but I'm having a really hard time getting back to sleep. I'm afraid I'm going to have nightmares. I also have to pee really bad, but it's dark to get there and I don't want there to be any bugs in the bathroom. I wanted to come to Madagascar partly because I want to grow up and realize that these sorts of things are quite trivial in the grand scheme of things. Who cares about a few little bugs taking over your room at night? But in reality, I don't know if I can get over the fear of creepy crawly things. Exposure therapy is probably not going to work for that one. I just hope that I can fall asleep soon and that I don't wake up with more bugs on me. I'm going to sleep with my light on, and hopefully that keeps them away. So the "culture shock" has definitely set in. They talk about how at first when you go somewhere new, for a while it's all so new and exciting, and then after a little bit, things start to go down hill a little bit. This has definitely started to happen. I feel like a child in an adult body. I don't understand a lot of things, from the way that things work in general to the language barrier, things are just pretty challenging right now. It's hard when I come home at the end of the day and I'm tired, and I realize that I can't just relax and speak English, but that I have to stumble along with my French skills in order to communicate with my family. Luckily, they're great and very patient with me, but it's hard to speak to them when my brain is tired. Nothing seems to come out right. I'm definitely having a bit of a language crisis. Between French, Malagasy, and English, my brain is quite confused. I think my English is actually suffering and getting worse. I notice that when I try to read in English, I'm doing it with a French accent in my head, and when I try to write in English, things just come out in the wrong order. But hopefully things will sort themselves out sooner rather than later so that my brain can relax. Anyway, I guess I'm going to attempt to get some rest since I've been up for an hour and a half due to these disgusting creatures that have taken over my room.
And in case I haven't mentioned in already, it's so hot here! I feel like I need to take three showers a day to keep up with how sweaty and nasty I feel. yuckkkk.
2:40 AM
Well, I've been awake now for three hours. Our maid just came in and then so did my mom. I guess these awful creatures are the infamous Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. Supposedly they don't bite and they're not a problem, they just fly and crawl around when it's dark. So I'm sleeping with my light on, which my mom said was fine, and she said that when the light's on, they disappear. She chuckled when she saw me laying here with the light on and a scared look on my face. I didn't think the cockroaches would be that big of a deal, but they're awful. I'm such a baby when it comes to bugs. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the semester with these awful things.
7:30 AM
I made it through the night! After mom told me that everything was okay and I should try to get some sleep, I calmed down enough to sleep for another three hours or so. I'm definitely thankful because if I was up all night long because of cockroaches, I would have been exhausted and grumpy today. So thanks to my host mom for helping me relax! I don't know what I'd do without her. :) Now I'm about to go to church with my family, which is all in Malagasy, so I'm sure it will be interesting.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
February 1
We have offically ended our program orientation and have started our homestays. It is amazing to get to stay with a family here. I have three younger brothers, who are all so cool! And I'm pretty sure I have the best parents ever! :) I can't wait to get settled into a routine here, with going to classes and finding my way to and from my house. It's definitely a bit of a challenge using my French skills because since getting here, even though we've had to listen to a lot of things in French, we haven't had to speak very much. But trying to explain what kind of farmer my dad is and how we deliver birds around New England is challenging to say in French, along with things like explaining political or religious views, or how I will receive credit back at GW for the work that I'm doing here with SIT. But in time, I'm sure that I'll get more comfortable with it. I find myself something slipping a word out here and there in English, in the middle of a french sentence, like "for" instead of "pour." My brain is definitely not used to thinking in French.
Earlier today, before meeting our host families, we got to do a "drop off" where one of the SIT staff helped us to get a taxi and negotiate the price. We were then dropped off in groups by the taxis in different neighborhoods of Tana, where our objective was to explore the area, and the surrounding areas, and find out what the names of the surrounding neighborhoods were. It was an awesome experience to get to just walk around rather aimlessly. My group was sent to the more financial/business type district of Tana, where we saw a lot of different banks and things of the sort. I saw a pair of the coolest sandals ever, but I didn't have enough money with me to buy them, so I'll have to go back at some point. Unfortunately, the sandals that I brought with me give me awful blisters. :/ Anyhow, when we did our drop off, we also saw an amazing chocolate store, some different clothing stores, book stores, street vendors, and men playing some sort of Malagasy game that is similar to checkers. Then after we walked around for a couple of hours and did some errands, we negotiated a taxi fair back to our starting point. It's interesting how that is done here, because a lot of the roads are not marked by name, and often times people don't know the names of the roads, even if they're on a map somewhere, so when telling a taxi driver where to go, you have to explain it by what landmarks are in the surrounding area. It was different, but we did it successfully and made our way back.
We also recently were given cell phones! Woohoo! I can now text and call locally and internationally for seemingly good prices. Plus, all incoming calls are free! :)
Well, I'm headed to bed, for my first night here at my new home! :)
Earlier today, before meeting our host families, we got to do a "drop off" where one of the SIT staff helped us to get a taxi and negotiate the price. We were then dropped off in groups by the taxis in different neighborhoods of Tana, where our objective was to explore the area, and the surrounding areas, and find out what the names of the surrounding neighborhoods were. It was an awesome experience to get to just walk around rather aimlessly. My group was sent to the more financial/business type district of Tana, where we saw a lot of different banks and things of the sort. I saw a pair of the coolest sandals ever, but I didn't have enough money with me to buy them, so I'll have to go back at some point. Unfortunately, the sandals that I brought with me give me awful blisters. :/ Anyhow, when we did our drop off, we also saw an amazing chocolate store, some different clothing stores, book stores, street vendors, and men playing some sort of Malagasy game that is similar to checkers. Then after we walked around for a couple of hours and did some errands, we negotiated a taxi fair back to our starting point. It's interesting how that is done here, because a lot of the roads are not marked by name, and often times people don't know the names of the roads, even if they're on a map somewhere, so when telling a taxi driver where to go, you have to explain it by what landmarks are in the surrounding area. It was different, but we did it successfully and made our way back.
We also recently were given cell phones! Woohoo! I can now text and call locally and internationally for seemingly good prices. Plus, all incoming calls are free! :)
Well, I'm headed to bed, for my first night here at my new home! :)
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