the ancient and old beauty of paris for a brief week and a half after the stunningly beautiful and progressively hotter Malagasy continent was a interesting transition. the whole idea of actually having a map to a city and a wonderfully comprehensive public transportation system was wonderfully refreshing as well as just being one more person in a city of people. it was nice to have Mady to share it with too (even if all she wanted to do was go to disneyland) and I will miss the French for now i have returned to texas [View Full Entry]

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after presenting our final projects we finished with a wonderful tour of the north [View Full Entry]

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Current residence: Antananarivo Just returned from three weeks spent in Moramanga conducting field research on free-tailed bats living in public buildings in Moramanga. here is a morseau des les choix que je faire durant ces temps: [View Full Entry]

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Assessing conflict between synanthropic bats and people in Moramanga Bat Communities in Civil Service Buildings: Population size, frequency, and Human Relations I will be studying the free-tailed bats (Molossidae)that roost in public buildings, particularly schools and hospitals, in the eastern town of Moramanga. The objective of the study is to determine what buildings are inhabited by bat colonies, and the perception of the local people to the bats. The study will help to determine the extent of the problem (if one exists) the bat populations pose to the community. I will be working with [View Full Entry]

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Tomorrow I leave Tana, the big city for a the begining of my ISP period (of which I previously posted). here lies a recap of the last few weeks, since Oct. 23: We have been staying in the hotel Raphia, a lovely hotel with an Idian theme that serves delicious food, occasionally smells of raw sewage, and we hear the beautiful song of the call to prayer each day. Many people thus far have been terribly sick. so far, three people have had malaria and my other friend, Danielle, has had both ameobic and bacterial dysentary. Thankfully I have been relatively [View Full Entry]

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Tulear, Madagascar meat of choice: sea turtle current weather: hole in the ozone hot mode of transport: man-pulled 'puspus' ocupation: student today is our last day in Tulear, we leave for our 8 day tour of Protected Areas tomorrow which is quite exciting for that means camping all week! and treaking through the jungle. this past week has been our marine studies unit which has consisted of marine mammals, coral reefs, mangroves, and the very real experiental learning and actually going to visit all of these things. Swimming in the mangroves was surreal with the water on the top being [View Full Entry]

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We leave for Tulear tomorrow to start our marine unit, leaving behind Fort Dauphin until the beginning of December, and I cannot honestly say that I will miss it. Sorry for the long period of time lost between posts but I will try for a recap: 1) Village stay in Faux Cap in the hamlet of Mahabibo we werre there for 5 days, Zoe and I, in a small village of people who only spoke Malagasy our day tipically looked like this: wake up with the sun (around 6) climb out of the tent and be ushered inside the house for [View Full Entry]

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Thanks and love to all. it is so good to hear from each and everyone of yall, I really look foreward to messages. Today is the first day back in Fort Daupin from a week long camping trip where we did our first lemur field study project. The southern redion of Madagascar is mostmy dey desert and this place was no exception. >The national park where we were at was Isofaka, home of the spiny forest (rightly named) here every tree has thorns, our water had to be broght in on ox cart, and the sun was out and blazing by [View Full Entry]

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pictures i hope... [View Full Entry]

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Bonjour! today is the secong day i have been in fort dauphin. previously i was in manatantely for a few relaxing days of orientation to madagascar learning the local language, malagasy and trying out my very poor french with a few unlucky malagasy. The keyboard that I am using is a french keyboard so you will have to excusse whatever typos occur please a few words to describe madagascar: green, topographic map material, indian ocean out my window I will be meeting my host family tonight, we have been staying at an old american boarding school (lutheran missionaries) turned hotel which [View Full Entry]

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