Random Journal Entries, June 19

As I pen these words I sit on the stoop of my humble home in the North of Madagascar.  Peace Corps life affords ample opportunity for reflection and today i have chosen country; the U.S.A.

Madagascar, the place where I have been training, learning, and working since February is celebrating its fifty-first anniversary of freedom from French rule on June twenty-sixth.  I say this only to draw comparison.  For if Madagascar, a country still marred by political chaos, can find reason to celebrate itself, what does that say of us. 

Namely, that excluding the Fourth of July - a day where all men are patriots - we find so much to fuss about.  True enough, the U.S. still has problems.  Politicians are politicians, money is misspent, and a great deal of time is equally wasted amidst the noise of bureaucracy.  But put these things in perspective, as living overseas has allowed me to do.

We as Americans, everyday, enjoy the privileges of an affluent and above all free society.  Not only are most of us (I will not say all) free to choose our educations and careers, but the road is paved to get there (and I say this literally and figuratively.  Trust me, you don't appreciate your highway department until you realize what life would be without one.)  Each day, we as Americans could choose something new and unique to celebrate.  And, by the end of the year, still have many things left unpraised and unacknowledged.

So on the Fourth, the fifth, the sixth, and everyday for the rest of the year, celebrate the place you call home.  Until you are very, very far away it is far to easy to take it for granted.

Random Journal Entries, June 18

So I simply am too lazy to write anything new.  Please enjoy these journal entries instead.

Today, more than any other day, has tested my resolve to be a Peace Corps volunteer.  As a short summary, the day began well enough.  I enjoyed my morning routine and departed for my garden patch.  This is where i began to crumble.  The seeds that I planted Wednesday morning have yet to adequately sprout.  This concerns me only because it may have repercussions on my image.  If the intelligent white man can't get seeds to sprout, than how intelligent is he really?  Following this disappointment, I hurried to break my angady (shovel), snapping the handle cleanly into two pieces.  That in itself should have been omen enough.  But the day got worse.  I discovered I had missed a meeting this morning.  Oops.  And shortly following that error I waited, in vain, for a meeting to begin.

By the time lunch came I was on the verge of tears.  Shamed by my own omissions and errors, for failing to live up to my expectations.  The meal, however, turned my day around.  It was crab, delicious crab, and when you have that sitting on your plate the day becomes a little brighter.  Following that appetizing meal the meeting that I thought would never materialize took place, albeit two hours late.  Round out the day was a leisurely visit to a neighboring village, some gifts for the return, and a refreshing shower.  Justifiably or not, I sit here writing and feeling remarkably buoyant about my day and the prospects in the week ahead.

Pictures! (finally)

My house is more than I could have hoped for.  With two rooms, a cement floor, and plenty of windows I consider myself to be very fortunate.

Home for me is roughly a fifteen minute bike ride from tsingy (amazing limestone formations) and an equally stunning tourist lodge, where this photo was taken.



Myself and 38 other environment and business volunteers the day of our swearing-in ceremony

New Mailing Address

First things first, here is my new mailing address...

      Theodore Koenig
      Rue Commandant Marchand
      Place Kabary
      Antsiranana 201
      Madagascar

Volunteer at Last

On Tuesday, May 3rd, at the U.S. Ambassador's residence in Antananarivo, I and 38 other trainees officially became Peace Corps volunteers.  That swearing in ceremony was the culmination of a sometimes exhilarating, usually exhausting, and always tightly scheduled two months of training.

Since I last wrote, so much has happened.  Let me provide you with the highlights, in no particular order...

• I became sick, terribly sick, for the first time here in Madagascarar during the sixth week of training.  What made things worse is that the entire week I spent feeling miserable was also the week of our first tour of Madagascar.  Spending hours and hours in two very, very full vans we were able to view some amazing sites (including my first lemurs) and meet some amazing individuals. 
• I, for possibly the first and last time in my life, have become a millionaire.  That is to say, my in country bank account is currently stuffed with $1,092,705.25 Ariary, or the equivalent of roughly $500 U.S. dollars.  With this modest amount I will not only furnish my house, but provide for a month of necessities.  
• Much to my relief, I have completed the language component of PC training.  All volunteers in Madagascar much reach a level of proficiency called "Intermediate Mid".  With limited, each of us is expected to survive and interact at site.  There is much yet to learn, but training has given us a foundation and the confidence we will need to thrive at site. 

I am writing this blog post at the Peace Corps house in Diego-Suarez, many, many miles of separation from the Madagascar I experienced in training.  The intense heat and the ocean being only two obvious examples.  On Monday, assuming my house has a floor by that time (fingers crossed), I will be officially installed at site.  I have nerves, of course, but I also am immensely excited for the opportunity to live and work in my new community.

On a final note, I want to say a special congratulations to my sister Marg.  Let me, as well, extend that congratulations to other graduates.  Enjoy your day, take pride in your accomplishment, and know that I am wishing you the best.

Until next time,
Ted  

Alive and Well

Though there isn't much time for me to write, I wanted to make sure my first trip to the capital of Tana included a brief blog post. 

Things are moving very quickly here in Madagascar.  It's hard to believe that it has been a month!  Last week our permanent sites were announced and I will be spending the next two years of my life in the far north of Madagascar, near Ankarana Special Reserve.  I am very happy about my site and have a lot to prepare for before we are installed as volunteers in early May.  Secondly, the language aspect of our training is at times overwhelming.  Our first language test as trainees was this past Tuesday.  Consisting of a 15 minute interview in Malagasy, the goal was to gauge our performance and identify our weaknesses.  Though I left the test feeling a little defeated I was happy to learn that I am doing well and passed.

Our host stay has ended and after four weeks of being coddled by our host families we will spend the next several weeks between the Peace Corps Training Center and different locations in Madagascar.  Internet connections are a rarity, as you may have guessed, and there is no guarantee when I will next be able to send a message. 

If you have some extra time and care to write a letter I will be happy to read anything you send.  Also, if you are feeling particularly generous, I would love some reading material.  From what I understand, flat envelopes with magazines/etc. are fairly inexpensive to send and arrive within two weeks. 

For my part, I will try to send a couple letters/post cards here in the next few days.
Ted

Departure

This is pure imagination, but I like to believe Montana is doing its best to wish me farewell.  Considering that I have extreme lows of fifty degrees to look forward to in Madagascar, the recent blizzards and negative temperatures seem oddly appropriate.  Somehow, perhaps, I will look back fondly on not being able to feel my toes, or my nose.

Sunday morning United Airlines will take me from Kalispell, through Denver, and on to Philadelphia for staging.  The next few days will be a whirlwind.  After spending less than forty-eight hours in Philadelphia, we as trainees are bussed to New York's JFK airport for a fifteen plus hour direct flight to Johannesburg, South Africa.  From Johannesburg we fly to Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.

Communication during the nine weeks of training will be sporadic.  And, though I may not be in touch as much as I would like, it's best to remember that "no news is good news."

Here goes nothing...