http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/moon/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from moon en-us Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:25:29 +0000 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:25:29 +0000 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-131024.html A number of varying events led me to spend this Christmas in village. Many volunteers seem to avoid holidays in village probably for good reason sometimes. It's nice to talk to family on the holiday sometimes spending holidays in a different culture just makes it too hard it's also nice to be with people of your own culture to celebrate it your own style. I have to admit even I was reluctant ab http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-114870.html Just a brief story to pass on...life in village has been quiet. We are slowly warming into the hot season and the days are getting a little longer. One afternoon a little friend Faniry came to visit me as I was working in my yard carrying her 2 year old brother Elie on her back. We got to work pulling up weeds together when Faniry suddenly asksDid you eat todayI replied that no actually I http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-102851.html Having been chased from the cold weather of the hautes plateaus I recently found myself in a 19 hour taxibrousse ride from Antsirabe to Morondava. I knew I was getting into warm territory when the brousse stopped in Miandrivazo for a late night snack 10pm and I found myself taking off my sweatshirt Bring it onAs we slowly made our way over what seemed to me a dried up river bed full of gig http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-80293.html alright well...i admit i've sorely neglected this blog. so let me attempt to make up for that and write a whopper of an entry.the truth is there isn't always that much to say. it's not quite the same as travel where there are daily adventures that seem constantly new changing and exciting. i suppose there are just as many daily adventures as you'd find traveling as i live in another country... http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-70711.html i just wanted to send out a quick note. thanks to everyone who reads the blog and sends their support and encouragement. i can't respond to your comments but it's good to get them.i'm not having flea problems any more. thanks all for the advice but my fleas actually jump away from the light hence the reason i don't have them in the day time...it's good to know that so many people are intereste http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-52628.html hi friends to those of you who read and respond thanks for your support and comments. i haven't been very mazoto to write in the blog as i'm doing mass emails as well and it gets a little overwhelming. but the momentous occasion of 6 months living in madagascar has occured that's it i've made it a half a year here it's hard to believemy language is improving as i notice with every visit t http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-49926.html well i'm not feeling inspired to write much at the moment but i want to share some photos with you all so you can see a little bit of my life. alefa. enjoy http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-43206.html So I've been at site just about 1 and a half made it through Krismasy and New Years Eve and now working into my first full year at Tsarazaza in Madagascar It's very exciting to think that I have the whole year ahead of me to experience amazing things. And while there is lots to be said about it all I think for now I will just focus on some thoughts I've had momba ny culture Malagasy. While it' http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-36635.html Dear friendsI have been living in Tsarazaza for 2 weeks now hardly enough to tell you anything. But I'd love to invite you all to a typical day in my life...MazatoaSun rises around 420am. The town slowly awakens while I lie in bed hoping to sleep for just a few more hoursAround 630 I begin to rouse myself and open the shutters to the shiny world of Tsarazaza. If people are out and about the http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-32691.html Not much else to say besides...I am an official Peace Corps Volunteer I swore in this morning at 930 had a lovely afternoon at the Ambassador's house chill afternoon got caught in a torrential downpour ate some amazing Indian food for dinner and went out dancing Who could ask for a better day Not this girl... http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-30314.html 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 speakersjack's playing on itunes.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 http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-29611.html 1. dirt is stickier in 3rd world countries2. i can go to bed at 8pmmdashand irsquom even tired at that time3. mud huts are not as romantic as i imaginedhellipnor are mud kabones4. i am not an abstract learner5. cockroaches make a lot of noise crawling over your belongings in the middle of the night6. i have more stuff than i thoughtmdasheven though ldquoi didnrsquot bring enoughrdquo http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-27718.html 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 taxibrousse ride with my counterpart Dokotera Rija. We arrived in Fandriana where I was heartily greeted by Vol http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-26414.html Manakory oWhere 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 classeslearning about malaria immunizations safe motherhood etc. I am currently with my training group stillsans two members who have ETed already. Alarobia is near Ambat http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-24708.html I've just begun my staging and I have to admitso far things are amazing I have met some really cool people There are three groups here Cameroon Malawi and Madagascar. There are some pretty amazing and fun volunteers. We have a total of four from MontanaSienna and I Tony from Anaconda and Danny from Coram. Tony is very gregoriousgreat guy He's going to Malawi. Danny is coming to M'car http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Pennsylvania/Philadelphia/University-City/blog-21360.html It's September 26th...11pm. This is my last blog from Montana. Tomorrow morning I wake up at 5 am and bustle to the Bozeman airport. Sienna and I fly to Philadelphia at 815am. Everyone has been asking me how I feel excited nervous scared... Somehow I don't feel any of those things yet. The best word we came up with was apprehensive but even that is not quite right. Yeah there's that small http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Montana/Bozeman/blog-21157.html all of my worldly possesions were packed up this weekend and sent trucking with my father. i had way more stuff than i intendedand i even thought i didn't have that much stuff sad. but that's our culture. ke garnei have these small moments of clarity. it's like a cloudy day but the sunshine breaks through occassionally for just a little bit. something i say will strike me and i'll realize my http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Montana/Bozeman/blog-20300.html So we're two weeks out from departure date. I think it actually sank in this weekend. I'm really doing this Hard to believe I still have a load of stuff to pack up which really sucks because who wants to spend time packing when you should be out with friends enjoying life But for the most part I'm feeling really ready to go. I wish the weather was nicer in Bozeman but maybe that's just an enc http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Montana/Bozeman/blog-19660.html Alright...so this is the real beginning of my Travel Blog. I'm not sure how well I'll be able to keep it up but I'll do my best depending on access.Lots of big things happening in my life these days. I am turning two dozen as a friend says tomorrow afternoon Birthdays are fun. And in about 7 weeks I will be packing up my bags and moving to Madagascar...at least for two years I am joining th http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Montana/Bozeman/blog-15682.html