Random Journal Entry, July 15

I am very pleased to report two items.  The first is that Score (Malagasy equivalent of Wal-Mart) is finally opening in my banking town.  That means that once a month, as long as I don't loiter, I will be able to enjoy air-conditioning and other Vazaha (white people, generally) delicacies.  So excited!  The second bit of news is that today marks my largest continued stay at site.  A paltry two weeks.  Granted, I hope to make it to three or more in the weeks ahead, but this is my high water mark thus far.  On a related note, these have been fairly eventful weeks.  Ok , last weak at least.  And I look forward to staying nominally busy in the week ahead.  Did I mention there will be a grocery store in town? Yes, sorry, I did.  But I really am that excited.

Birthday Wishes (or things I would really like sent my way)

So my birthday is coming up in August.  And, since the poste is so slow, I thought I would take the time to make a few requests now.

• Kool-aid/Crystal Light mixes
• Flea collars, medium dog collar(s?), and any material on obedience training.  No, this is not for me (despite the fleas and lack of discipline), but in a few months I hope to get a dog
• Anything snack worthy.  Including, but not limited to, Oreos, Cheezits, gum (Trident)... You get the idea  

I read a lot, so really anything in print is great, but here are a few things that would really make my day...

• The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
• A History of Christianity by Diarmaid MacCulloch
• Daniel Patrick Moynihan: A Portrait in Letters of an American Visionary edited by Steven R. Weisman
• I Found this Funny: My Favorite Pieces of Humor and Some that May Not be That Funny at All by Judd Apatow
• Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
• Any poetry or short story anthologies (Best American Short Stories ...)
• But really anything...

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