avy ny orana

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welcome once again to the red island. these days, the red island seems to be bleeding a bit more profusely into the ocean however. late december and early january were hit quite hard with cyclones along the coast and even in the plateau. for 4 days i could not get to Tsarazaza because the roads were flooded, water waist high and a current to reckon with. once i made it home, it seemed unlikely i'd ever be able to leave again! the rains continued long after the cyclones left us, bring rain for days on end. it is only now, late february that we are beginning to see some clear skies and sun. but the damage has been done.
riding in a taxi-brousse up to Antananarivo, along the plateau, i was shocked by rice field after rice field completely drowned in water; dead corn stalks planted alongside rivers; sand washed across roads and filling rice paddies...all lowland rice paddies have been flooded beyond repair, meaning that many people are going to be suffering a lot more this year. most roads that aren't paved are washed out or inaccessible, full of mud or water. the paved roads are slowly dissovling, succumbing to the lack of quality work that penetrates all things in third world countries. the price of tomatoes has gone up ridiculously, because, as you know, tomato plants are sensitive.
reports say that rainfall has increased two and half times as much as last year. a malagasy friend told me that they haven't had rain like this since 1982! it's interesting to be here in the middle of it, to see the destruction it causes. it's also very indicative of the lifestyle of malagasy. i will live here for 2 years, i will see 2 seasons of rain. and the rain has little or no effect on my food consumption. but those people that are of this island, this is their life. it's an unpredictable, shaky existance. if the rains don't come, there is no food. if the rains do come, there is food. and if there is too much rain, then again, the food is destroyed. the malagasy live such a precarious life, so much depending on the weather, on the conditions of the earth. and perhaps this accounts for their patience, their unending patience and their quiet acceptance of the way life is. the taxi-brousse is late, no one complains. the taxi-brousse never comes, not a word. the rains ruin the rice paddies, what is there to be done. and perhaps this is why, also, they have no shame in begging, asking for help. because they never know who might say yes, who might give them 100AR or a piece of bread or rice...so they ask everyone....everyone who is white.
the malagasy also have no concept of the future, and i wonder if this comes from the lack of stability in their lives. why save rice for december when it is only june? they don't think about the fact that every year in december they are hungry for lack of rice. they don't think about the possibility that rains will destroy their crops or that a drought could occur, leaving them desitute. they live only for today.
and yet, this is a quality i most admire in them, an ability to let go. they do not dwell on yesterday, they do not worry about tomorrow. today is now, today lets have rice. today my husband is well, today my children are happy. regardless of what happened yesterday, it is gone. regardless of what will happen tomorrow, lets live in today.

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Comments

[Jean Sayer]

Aren't we lucky to live in America? I'm glad you are being able to help these people. They are lucky to have you. All my love, Grandma