I ate bat, respectfully.

I have been here for eight months. There aren’t many things that surprise or shock me anymore. I’ve also become more tolerable of unplanned inconveniences. I’ve become used to having the power unexpectedly shot off and certainly used to expecting there to be no toilet, at any given place. Seeing  public displays of breast feeding is normal. Often, especially in the countryside, kids walk around with machetes because they are helping to chop wood or fruit from the forest. I’ve grown to feel comfortable in crowded public transportation. And having rice at every meal has become a norm. I have began my teaching workshops in the SAVA Region! I spent a month in the town of Andapa. The goal is to help hotel workers interact with tourists. I was originally only supposed to stay for two weeks, but they requested that I stay for an additional two more weeks. I’ve been moved by people’s motivation to continue learning. I worked way more hours there  than I do at site, and probably also more than I did in the United States, but I think it’s worth it. I was actually really comfortable. I taught at the Madagascar National Parks office and used a huge white board as my teaching surface. Every volunteer’s experience is very different. Even volunteers who live within the same regions have very different lifestyles. Although I am not technically teaching “in a classroom off the coast of Africa,” most of my students come from the countrysides. Most of them did not finish high school but they are exposed to the world outside of Madagascar through tourists. I hope that with my help, they are able to actually communicate and build relationships with the people who visit so that their learning and worldview can continue to expand.  My job arranged that I stay at all the different hotels in the town, so I can be familiar with them all. My laundry was washed for me and my meals were prepared at a restaurant. All I did was sit and food would arrive. I didn’t even have to worry myself with having to choose what to eat each day. I liked being surprised everyday. Usually, the girls practiced  with me while I ate or asked questions of the day’s lesson. At the end of the day, I was beat! I had agreed to teach so many hours because I understand how difficult it is for people to make time in their schedules to come to class because of how much they work. Being in Andapa gave me a glimpse of people’s daily life. They prepared a schedule among themselves to organize what time everyone would attend class.  We are right in the middle of the heavy rain season. Sometimes it rains for hours. I was splashing my bike through puddles in the rain on my way to class one day, and I wondered if my students would even show. I contemplated returning to the comforts of my hotel room and watching a movie. Thankfully, I didn’t because my students did show! It’s serious. I am no expert in teaching a language, but I like to believe that they are learning something, everyday and that’s cool. February flew by in Andapa.

Visited friends at different villages on our 100k ride to Sambava.

Washing an “omby” (cow) in Matsobe

Planting cacao trees at a nursery in Matsobe.

There were many moments of curiosity that lead to adventures and new things.  I got to spend time visiting other volunteers in the area on my weekends. One afternoon, I helped wash cows in the river.  I had never seen one get washed. When I asked the man if I could help, he giggled in confusion and part disbelief. I learned that during the rice planting season, cows are used to plow the grounds and they are washed afterwards. I got bit by one of those horse fly things on my butt and everyone laughed. We also planted cacao trees at one of Kim’s nurseries. Being at the nursery helping that day was by far a highlight. The people were so full of life, excited , and really happy to have us there. One afternoon, I even ate bat, respectfully at a Chinese dinner party that was hosted by important people in the community. Another volunteer and I  biked the 100k to Sambava on a Saturday. The locals thought we were nuts. We stopped at different villages along the way to visit friends and to take breaks. It was so so fun! The hills were killer but some parts felt like I was in a tropical roller coaster. I was going so fast that my face was full of dead bugs at one point. We closed our month of hard work with a ceremony where we presented certificates. The certificates were signed by the president of the Office of Regional Tourism of SAVA, the president of Madagascar National Parks, and me! I gave a speech in Malagassy (which was my first official one) and also in English. Two of my students spoke in English and I was gifted traditional gifts. It was the perfect way to close a month of hard work and dedication. I spent the following week in Sambava, where I was voted VAC (volunteer advisory committee) representative. As VAC rep, I will attend quarterly  meetings in the capital and represent the volunteers in my region.

Closing teaching ceremony in Andapa.

I got to visit one of the local hospitals with my South American friends who are completing their medical studies from Argentina. It was my first time seeing a hospital facility in country. First, I got a tour of the offices, the clinic area, and dentist room. We peeked inside the surgery room and they explained the more common procedures in surgery. I learned that most visits to the hospital are due to Malaria cases, pregnancies, abdominal pains, and other gastrointestinal issues. Patient rooms were separated by gender. We first walked into the delivery rooms. About eight moms with their babies and families greeted us. Then we walked into what Katy and Julita termed the “VIP” room, which  was reserved for the recovery of important people. This room was empty and had only three beds, as opposed to ten or fifteen. They explained more about how the hospital works, and how much it costs. I was curious about so many things. I was shocked at the amount of procedures that are possible even with limited resources. I learned that blood transfusions happen live, on the spot because there is no possible way to store blood. “Who brings them food?” Was a question I asked  when  I learned a whole new twist. When a person is so ill that they must visit a hospital, the whole family prepares to camp at the hospital. They sleep, cook, wash, shower and live there until their loved one is better. WOAH! Hospitals will not even admit a patient if they don’t have family with them. I was so shocked. I can’t imagine what that must be like. Coming from a culture where we live separate from our families for the most part in America, this is mind blowing. Some people make the trip from deep within the countrysides, and bring everyone and everything with them. This includes rice, wood for cooking, stoves, everything. My mind buzzed with so many questions. We walked into the other patient rooms. First the women’s then the men’s. And yes, it was very clear that families were all there helping. But what do you do if you don’t have any family? Or what if your family doesn’t like you? All questions I wondered about throughout the day. The visit to the hospital made a clearer understanding to me of what family means for the Malagasy people. Families serve as nurses because there are very few and that’s just how it works. If you are hungry, in pain, need help using the bathroom, or need to shower, your family helps with that. They even are responsible for washing all sheets and blankets from the hospital. So much is invested when a person is ill. At times, this means taking people away from important work such as planting rice and vegetables during the planting season. This is why people usually wait until their illness has developed to an unbearable state before they decide to come.  The family unit here is very very important. I am now preparing to spend two weeks holding workshops in Antalaha.

Traditional gifts.

Meeting my host family

“Just BE”. I have now spent eight days in Madagascar. Five of those, I have spent at my host family’s home in a small village called Mantasou which is about a three hour bumpy ride from Tana. We had only four hours of Malagasy Language classes when we were dropped off to meet our host families for the first time. It was a pretty bizarre experience getting off the cars, most of the village there greeting us and everyone’s faces filled with anxiety. Most of us forgot to wear our name tags. I did. It was somewhere packed in my pack. We only had a few minutes to pack before leaving the training center. I was worried and hoped that all the miscellaneous things I would want for the next five days were somewhere in my pack. I was also nervous for what I was about to get myself into. Oh god. It just got real. I said my name when I noticed someone looking for a name tag on me. Then I felt an arm and there I was, greeting my host mom, Celina and Host sister Yancing. I looked around. I saw Cody as he asked if we were able to leave now. I replied, “yes, I think so,” and said “Ndao” (let’s go) and waved  “veluma.” (Goodbye) The walk down the road to the house felt overwhelming with different emotions. Here I was in Madagscar for only 2 days so far, with only four hours of language class and I was walking with my most family where I will be spending a total of four weeks with. It all had suddenly got REAL. . I wanted to cry, scream, laugh, anything. I felt like I needed a moment. I looked around. There were a lot of people  in the village who watched and observed us. Some greeted us, some smiled. There was a little boy who looked at me and literally started laughing right at me. I have no idea what he was laughing at. Perhaps he was  able to see my emotions, and was laughing at the fact that I had no fucking clue. Whatever it was, his laugh was freeing. I laughed right back. I laughed so free and loud. It helped me to get that out. We arrived and I met host dad dada (Zaka), host little sister Rufa and host brother Mamay. Yancing is 8, Rufa is 6, and Mamay is 13. We were all nervous. Especially me. They showed me my room which was furnished with a neatly done bed, a mosquito net, a center glass table with orange plastic flowers, and small tiny sofa chairs. All of the Malagasy that I was taught disappeared! Fuck I couldn’t say anything. Then loud African tunes played and we danced in their room. Def was not expecting that. But it was fun! We had tea and  bread together, I shared some prickly pear jelly and we looked at pictures from home to show them my family and friends. I helped prepare dinner with Neny in the kitchen. We sat in front of the small fireplace on the wall which is the stove while she cooked rice and beans and the cat slept in the ashes.wow. It was like something out of a cartoon. I so wanted to get a picture of that but refrained from getting my camera and instead be present with  all the newness. Dinner was good. it was an enormous amount of food!  The little girls led a prayer. I helped wash dishes with Neny with bar soap in buckets outside.

I helped get water with Neny and Yancing. It is about  a 7minute walk to the water hole. On our second trip back, I attempted to carry the bucket on my head because carrying one bucket was unbalancing and  tiring. It is easier said than done. I watched as Neny gracefully balanced  the bucket of water on her head and answered her cellphone while walking on uneven terrain uphill. Fetching water, not an easy task and something that happens at least every day.

Dada owns a market where he sells fried bread, coffee, salt, tobacco, sometimes vegetables, and candy right outside our home. A few days ago we helped Dada and Mamay dig a hole and burn ashes to put unripe bananas in. That day i did pull out my camera. Thankfully, Rufa loved being a photographer. I showed her how to use the camera and she took pictures all day. We usually have bananas or oranges after dinner everyday. Fruit tastes so good here! The bananas are small but full of flavor. So are the oranges. Today during language class, we practiced our Malagasy skills at the market.I bought four persimmons for 100ariary, which is about five cents. They were AMAZING! The food has been wonderful. We usually have rice for every meal accompanied by either beans, vegetables, and sometimes meat. So far,we’ve had beef, pork,and  chicken. One afternoon, during lunch We met the chicken that became our dinner that night. It was a beautiful blue and black feathered chicken. Dada asked if I wanted to kill it. I quickly responded no in the best way I could gesture and piece my  Malagasy  together. This all intrigued me though and I communicated that I’d like to watch. I had never seen a chicken killed. They enthusiastically motioned for me to grab my camera by running in for their photo album and pointing to the pictures. I hesitated to do so because something in me was not ok with taking pictures of this event,but I also respected their excitement in sharing a part of their culture with me. So I did. I helped Neny de-feather and dada took care of preparing the rest. I went off for my class and when I was back, a tasty dinner that we all partook in was served. During meals, Mamay is in charge of serving his sisters. I sometimes help him.

I always bring laughter to the table. Communicating sometimes turns into a mixture of a game of charades or pictionary. Sometimes I repeat everything like a parrot and other times I look like I’m having a stroke because I try really hard to remember how to say certain words and it takes me a while to finish my thoughts. Lol. They stare and laugh at me. Other times I piece words together from the dictionary which usually takes about ten or fifteen minutes. The kids usually laugh at me. And then we all start laughing really hard. other volunteers have said that they could hear my laugh from their homes sometimes and that they love it. They say we are fally  ( happy) fianakavi (family). Yesterday we got our cell phones. I usually try and tell my Neny what we learned at language class or what we did at the training center as best I could. I basically said that Peace Corps served us a phone again. That silly sentence alone was enough to make everyone laugh really really loud and hard for about ten or so minutes. It’s amazing that I have been able to understand most of what is going on. I speak in two word sentences for now but for the most part,  I get my point across.

Sometimes I wake up to the neighbor’s baby crying or to the neighbor’s pig squealing. I am in bed before stars are out and wake up at 5am. It has been fun interacting with my host family and being a part of their daily lives. The other night, I helped the girls grind coffee beans downstairs on the ground floor. I had never been down there. I actually thought that someone else might have lived there. But they keep their wood, extra rice,bicycle, and coffee grinder down there. I took turns with Yancing and Rufa grinding the coffee beans. It was fun but def not an easy task. The girls sometimes play kitchen together. They have miniature cooking steel pots just like Neny that they use to play with.