On the Road

Many children spend their days filling potholes on the main highway.  Drivers or passengers occasionally throw them 100Ar (about 5 cents) for their work.  This child is chasing after his 100Ar. 

 I took this picture to give you an idea of what bus rides are like.  This one was actually fairly spacious, yet we still manage to fall all over each other. 

The CEG Marivorahona

Because the Malagasy government did not have the resources to furnish a school structure, parents were required to construct classrooms using traditional and inexpensive materials.

The holes in the roof, as this picture shows, are what prevent students from learning during the rainy season.

Pictures

Flew into Antananarivo yesterday for my Mid Service Conference.  Excited to see friends and, at last, to have access to a decent internet connection.  Here are a few pictures... 

The kids love to play marbles.  And sometimes they are willing to share.

A lot of my time has been spent in meetings like this one.  Tourists have just begun arriving to my area and the group pictured is preparing for its first guests of the season.

Not a very exciting photo, I know, but I only wanted to point out that the rain clouds have finally given way to blue skies. The road to my village is beginning to dry and the seasonal winds, called "varatraza", provide a little relief from the mid-day heat

One of the local "barbershops" is behind a tree near my house.  For the price of a razor blade most anyone seems willing to cut your hair.  I splurge, however, and get my hair cut in the city for $1.50.

Finally...an update

Since the holidays ended in December and January I have been completely irresponsible with my postings.  The rainy season really dampened everything, including my motivation to write, but let me begin today by trying to fill in where I left off.

January and February marked the start of the rainy season and the rice planting season.  Like everyone else I also planted a crop.  More than anything it was a chance for me to get my hands dirty; to participate in the one thing that everyone talks about. Both in planting and harvesting I attracted quite a bit of attention.  My field was right out my front door and near the road.  It is not everyday that people see a "vazaha", soaked in sweat, pulling weeds.  

The rains of January and February also made most roads impassable.  By February, tractors and adventurous bicyclists are the only things able to move.  Without a tractor I became the latter.  Thank goodness for the nice bikes Peace Corps provides us.  

By March I was on my way to the capitol to train the newest volunteers.  Away from site for a full month I helped provide technical and cross-cultural lessons as well as answered an endless variety of of questions.  It was a ton of work - being part of the staff put a whole new perspective on trainings - and it was interesting to reflect on how far I have come in my own service.  To think that Peace Corps and the trainees would and did trust my advice is incredible (..y laughable?).  All in all I feel good about my time there and may do the same in the year ahead.

Since my arrival at site in April life has been moving quickly.  Another world map project, the construction of a village sales house for local weavers, and the arrival of an intern at my ecotourism site have kept me very busy.  This work will hopefully continue for the next several months,  The majority of tourists arrive from May to August and I have high hopes for my projects this year.  In just a few days I leave for the capitol again and my mid-service conference.  A chance to learn, relax, and catch up with friends are what I look forward to most.  

Sorry, no pictures yet.  Sitting at a friends computer in Ambanja, two hours south of my site.  In town for a birthday party and the chance to borrow an internet connection.

Love,

Ted  

Christmas at Site

Church on Christmas Day

So the only touches that remain are a few islands (i.e., I need to find a smaller brush), the Gulf of Thailand (oops, just forgot about it), and the labeling of the continents and oceans.  The map is a bit to small for labeling each country.  In any case, it looks a little bit cleaner presented in this way.



Brief Update

I am briefly in Diego Suarez for some farewell festivities and just wanted to check in and let you all know I am doing well.  October, November, and December have been, are, and will be busy months for me with regards to travel. For example, in a little over a week I will be back in Diego celebrating Thanksgiving.  Between the Peace Corps volunteers located here and the small number of expats we hope to make the holiday fun and delicious (yes, you can find turkeys here, though I think we will be butchering ours).  And December is the beginning of rice planting season. 

Promise to post more soon.
Love,
Ted

Thought this was adorable....