there is a chameleon on the ceiling...i'm assuming he's eating the mosquitos that could potentially provide me with malaria. i have had fivalanana 9 times today. (that's diarrhea for all you non-'Gasy speakers) jack's playing on i-tunes. i'm swearing in as an official pcv in 5 days. i ate indian food tonight, and i think it's the most flavor i have experienced in 2 months. in one week, i'll be living in a village...all alone...with 200 malagasy "best friends" :) i'm not sure what to think about it. training has been grueling. but it's vita now. i'm glad, even though i [View Full Entry]

---

---

1. dirt is stickier in 3rd world countries 2. i can go to bed at 8pm—and i’m even tired at that time! 3. mud huts are not as romantic as i imagined…nor are mud kabones 4. i am not an abstract learner 5. cockroaches make a lot of noise crawling over your belongings in the middle of the night 6. i have more stuff than i thought—even though “i didn’t bring enough” 7. getting mail is like the best birthday ever 8. you can gain weight even though your main diet consists of rice (ahem…Bolos) 9. it’s good to pee [View Full Entry]

---

---

There is much news! I have just returned from a site visit to Tsarazaza. I am halfway through training, and I have to say that putting site visit in the middle of all the intensity of training is very good. So, the previous Tuesday I took off for Tsarazaza on a very long uncomfortable taxi-brousse ride with my counterpart, Dokotera Rija. We arrived in Fandriana where I was heartily greeted by Vola and Voangy, a very friendly couple who own a hotel there. They are friends of PCVs and very warm and welcoming. They discovered I don't much like meat and [View Full Entry]

---

---

Manakory o! Where does one begin? I'm in Madagascar! I live in a little village called Alarobia (meaning Wednesday, because that's when we have market). I spend the majority of my days in language training or "technical classes"---learning about malaria, immunizations, safe motherhood, etc. I am currently with my training group still--sans two members who have "ETed" already. Alarobia is near Ambatomanga which provides a venue for nice hikes and wonderful cheese factories. The cheese is fabulous, and rumor is a man from Wisconsin came to teach the people how to make cheese! We really have l [View Full Entry]

---

---

As I'm typing this up, I'm just hearing news of the bomb blasts in London. As you may know, I'm a Brit. It looks as if a lot of people could have been killed. My sympathies are obviously with all those who have suffered. There's not a lot you can say in the face of horror. At the end of the last blog I rather played down how ill I was feeling. In fact, I was shitting liquid and felt like death warmed up. As I result, I lost a few days feeling unwell, which means that I haven't visited as [View Full Entry]

---

---

Maybe, I'm being unfair. Cyclone season is late August till November. But it's rained. A lot! Madagascar is like no place on earth. Separated by a few hundred km's from the African mainland, it's unique. Evolution has taken its own course on this giant island - a high percentage of the islands flora and fauna is only found here. Added to which, the people and culture are unique. The nearest language related to Malagasy is spoken on Borneo, which gives some clue to the origin of the first inhabitants of this island. But, Borneo is a hell of a long way [View Full Entry]

---

---

I’ve always wanted to see a baobab in real life. I think it’s a Petit Prince thing. I just like saying Baobab in a corny French accent. Or to the tune of the Maoman biscuit ad jingle. So this is me in Madagascar, living the dream. On the whole I loved that country, despite the fact that it was so hot I sincerely considered shaving my head every single morning. Which takes me to something I found quite interesting: in more rural areas a lot of people felt the need to come up and touch my head. Not in an aggressive [View Full Entry]

---

---