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Published: October 26th 2005
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 little time to hang out, however, because we train all day, and must be "home" before dark, circa 6:30pm. But our families are lovely and helpful. I have a brother, Tendry (10), and sister, Tahiry (13), and of course mother and father. I also have some friendly cockroaches that live with me. My mom told me it is okay---they live in the walls. (Like that's normal!) But we are working out an agreement and they have been "respecting" my space more! 😊 My family has chickens, ducks and geese. Last week, our chicken had babies. SOOO adorable! "Akoho kely". I was really excited about them, so I kept asking my brother "Aiza ny akondro kely?" and he was really confused...finally I realized that I had been asking him "Where are the little bananas?" 😊 The language is honestly pretty difficult for me. But I'm getting better at it, slowly. It is very Polynesian-influenced with a lot of vowels! Oatra: Manahoana! Ino vaovao? Ah, tsa misy vaovao! Jamie ro anarako, mipetraka amy Alarobia any Antetezana. Mbola mianatra miteny teny Malagasy. Tiako mistangatsangana ny weekend. Mafana be atoandro! That was a general greeting/introduction. (Hard to believe in a month I'm supposed to be "capable" of communicating on my own in a foreign village!)
Speaking of which, my village will be Tsarazaza...literally "Good/Beautiful Baby". It is located between Antsirabe and Ambositra. Not on the map in my lonely planet. That's about all I know right now as site visit is occuring next week!
I eat a lot of rice. The food is pretty bland and boring. But they do make some amazing foods like mofo-akondro and there are sambosi at the market (like samosa). There are days, however, when I miss Nepal terribly. A PCV told me that you always fall in love with your first country. Everything will always be compared to Nepal...and I gotta tell ya, the tea here leaves MUCH to be desired! (At least there is decent coffee!) I miss the Nepalese culture too...Madagascar is very Christian, and that I think has destroyed some of the indigenous culture. But I am sure that it will eventually grow on me. Madagascar is just different. But, I would like to point out, it is very much NOT Africa. VERY different.
I can't say I've felt homesick yet---maybe just missing some comforts taht we are not allotted here. But do I love it? Yes. As much as that can mean for only being here one month. (Holy buckets...I feel like I've been here for a year...)
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Jessica
non-member comment
Incredible!!!
Wow!!! You are really grasping the language well and you have such compassion and patience. You make me want to go to Madagascar. I love that you were calling the chicks bananas. Hey, they're yellow right? Anyway, it sounds really amazing from what you are saying. Do you just drink plain coffee or do you get lattes and things like that. Is it like a Farmer's Market there on Wednesday. Obviously they don't airlift an Albertson's Super Market in there. Do you need anything?