the last of the memories

I have finally taken the time to put the Botswana pictures up on the website. They are currently loading, so if you look at them right now (7:25pm Tuesday June 23, 2009), they may not all be finished uploading.

...and for those of you who have told me that I need one final post, I promise it is coming. I wanted to give myself an ample amount of time to settle back in to life back home before running my mouth.

A Compilation of Travel Photos: Madagscar & Botswana 2009

enjoy!

erin elizabeth

A Plethora of Photos

For a viewing of most of the photos I have taken while studying in Africa, visit the following website.

Africa Photos 2009

I am currently updating the site. All photos from Madagascar have been added. Botswana still to come.

<3

erin elizabeth

retrospect

"Our critique began as all critiques begin, with doubt; doubt became our narrative. Ours was a quest for a new story, our own. And we grasped towards this new history driven by the suspicion that ordinary language couldn't tell it. Our past appeared frozen in the distance, and our every gesture and accent signified the negation of the old world and the reach for a new one. The way we lived created a new situation, one of exuberance and friendship, that of a subversive micro-society in the heart of a society which ignored it. Art was not the goal but the occasion and the method for locating our specific rhythm and varied possibilities of our time. The discovery of a true communication was what it was about. Or at least the quest for such a communication. The adventure of finding it and losing it. We, the unappeased, the unaccepting, continued looking, filling in the silences with our own wishes, fears, and fantasies. Driven forward by the fact that no matter how empty the world seemed, no matter how degraded and used up the world appeared to us, we knew that anything was still possible, and given the right circumstances a new world was just as likely as an old one."

A transition yet again...

One last update from Africa--lectures have been heard, research been carried out, papers been written, and presentations been given...and the time has finally come to update my blog one last time in Botswana.

I have spent a lot of time the past couple of days thinking about my return home to the states. As I have to constantly remind myself, life has continued back home. Friends and family members have been living their own lives as well, and I am expecting to be welcomed home by many changes. I have a new house at the lake. My best friend is in nursing school. My little brother is now able to articulate his thoughts in a quite impressive manner, and if he is anything like his father then you all understand what that means :). As my world completely changed four months ago when I left the states for African adventures unknown, life is again going to recommence in completely different manner. It has taken time for me to adjust to the African lifestyle--once when arriving in Madagascar and again throughout my transition from island to continent. Now, as I pack my bags for the final adventure, I will experience another transition of my own. No more young children yelling at me on the dirt paths along Madagascar's blue beaches. No more standing out on the mongoose chase in Botswana. I will once again blend in completely, and I am looking forward to that more than anything else. 

The past week has been devoted to my independent study project--long hours writing up reports and preparing for presentations. The process was begun two Sundays ago while I was still in Kasane. Back in January, on my final night in the States, I decided not to bring along my computer. And, of course, this week I was wishing that I had my lovely little laptop at my side. Because I did not have access to a computer (that I didn't have to pay for) I spent four straight days writing out my entire 35 page report by hand, in a little notebook that I purchased in Madagascar (little did I know at the time that the thing would one day hold an ISP report on a project performed in a whole other country). I don't think I have written out an entire paper on actual paper since middle or high school, let alone 35 pages of mongoose research; yet, oddly enough, the process was again a refreshing experience. Had I been writing a 35 page report in the states during finals at UNC, I feel as though the process would have resulted in the long and painful demise of my soul and sanity. The process was at times stressful during the analysis process and in the many hours spent typing up my report in an internet cafe, but, overall, I was quite pleased with the week.

There is so much more that I could say, but I will be home in a couple of days, and I will then be able to tell you all my stories in person (well, most of you). I have lots of loose ends to tie up in my last day--things to buy, emails to send, cheetahs to pet, and goodbyes to be said. I will return to the states on the 14th of May and be home on the 15th. And though my time in Africa is about over, my adventures have only yet begun. It has been fun telling you all my stories throughout this trip, and I hope you have found some enjoyment amongst my silly ramblings. 

cheers from Botswana (one final time),

erin elizabeth

big ole warthogs

Today is my last full day in the lovely little town of Kasane. And as usual, the time has literally flown by. Who would have known that following mongooses for three whole weeks would seem to dash away in a flash...

The last days spent out with the troop were quite interesting. The day before my last day, my troop decided to venture into the home range of another troop that dens (and pretty much spends every hour) at a large lodge called Mowana Safari Lodge. (Interesting fact: "mowana" means baobab in Setswana). Therefore, the last two days with the troop were pretty epic in the mongoose world. The Chobe Safari Lodge troop (my troop), for the first time since being observed by any researcher, left their own home range and overtook the lodge of the Mowana troop (and consequently displacing the Mowana troop to den elsewhere). Leave it to my little mongooses to make things interesting right before I leave...

Side note: Theoretically, I have been staying at Chobe Safari Lodge because that is where my troop mainly dens; yet, the week or two before I came to Kasane, the troop decided to leave their normal den sight and travel up and down the Chobe River (only denning in one place for a night or two). Mowana Safari Lodge, where I left the troop on my last day, is 5km from my lodge. ie. lots of walking for Erin. Go figure.

My last day in the field was most enjoyable. After a morning of chasing the mongooses around Mowana lodge, the little guys decided to stop and rest for the afternoon--conveniently at the home of a young couple that I have recently become acquainted with. Therefore, my afternoon was spent lounging in the cool grass, under the shade of lovely African trees, reading and lounging and taking mongoose observations every hour or so. At some point in the afternoon and elephant walked by. I am going to miss those lazy African afternoons...

Yesterday and today have been devoted to data entry and analysis. Bluh. So, basically, I spent all of my Saturday in front of a computer (from 8am to 6pm) entering in my observation data. Today was spent learning even more. Pete and I began the analysis of the data and decided the manner in which the data will be organized for presentation. Let's just say I'm glad I had a statistics refresher course last semester. The next few days will be filled with correlation coefficients, statistical significance, Mantel's test for spatial correlation, Kernel's home range estimations, response and predictive variable associations, and any other extremely 'mind blowing' statistical terms you would like to insert here. I have a lot of work ahead of me, that's for sure.

So tomorrow I begin my 10-12 hour journey, by tiny bus, to Gaborone. Hopefully I will find the right buses this go around. It is the 'last leg' of my journey, or as my dear father would put it, I am "gettin' in the short rows now." The days are about to become crazy and hectic and filled with long lengths of time spent in front of a computer, giving presentations, or celebrating the last few nights/days with my lovely African friends. I can already tell that this last week and a half is going to be the quickest of them all.

until Gaborone,

erin elizabeth

*****
An extra note for your general amusement--something I forgot to mention in a previous post:

One day I was performing troop observations at Garden Lodge. It happened to be just another usual morning, when out of nowhere, I hear a strangely familiar voice...

"Those are some big ole warthogs aren't they?!"

I gasp for air. I haven't heard that twangy dialect in over four months. I feel oddly at home.

"Y'all must see them things all the time around here, don't chya?"

Again, my heart is happy. It is funny the little things that you miss when you leave home. I never thought I would miss the awkward southern accent, but I must say that this man's voice struck a nostalgic chord in my heart. With a big grin on my face, I ask the man where he is from: Louisiana.

eyes open, arms out, mind at ease

I look down. Two large, navy blue towels are tightly wrapped around my ankles. My breathing is remarkably calm and relaxed. Just another day in Africa...

I stand up and try to walk, but end up waddling across the cold metal surface under my feet. In a matter of seconds, I have stopped walking. I can see for what seems like miles, and I can hear the constant snapping of metal. A cool breeze rushes by beneath my bare toes. Everything and nothing is on my mind. And above the deafening roar of the water below me, I hear a muffled voice...

"I count from five, and you just push out as far as possible...much more fun that way."

"Ok, so do I...?"

"Five, four, three, two..."

A nudge. An extremely soft push from behind, but with enough force to send me off of the bridge and out into a great nothingness. Wind rushes past my face. My arms are stretched out. I am falling quickly, yet time seems to be stopped, completely. For the first couple of seconds I am excited; the next few extremely freaked out (the whole time screaming :). Finally, I reach a state of awe, entranced by the exasperating beauty that surrounds me; yet, I am again shaken when the cord above me jerks and I am pulled up in a completely opposite direction. The beautiful blue African sky, dotted with small cumulus clouds, is at my feet, while the cold gray waters from the majestic falls rush above my head. I am surrounded by huge rock walls on either side. The pressure in my head builds with every ebb and flow of the bungee cord. I have just willingly jumped off of a bridge on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. I have just successfully completed my first bungee jump!

About an hour before, I jumped off of the bridge for the first time...but the jump was not face first towards the water. My first jump was called the "bridge swing" and was a much different sensation than the invigorating, exhilarating dive of the bungee jump. Now, don't get me wrong, any jump from a bridge that high towards a raging river is always going to be exhilarating, but it was a different feeling. For some odd reason, I felt much more in control when jumping face first. I'm not really sure why.

The past couple of days have been quite lovely. Although I started going a little crazy after a week alone in Kasane, my lovely Matt and Laura came to visit!! I was so happy to finally indulge in conversation with someone when I didn't have to ask their name, nationality, travel plans, etc. Their visit was like a breath of fresh air. After chasing mongooses for the day, I met the two at the lodge, where we shared a couple of hard ciders (quite delicious after a long day on my feet) and some much needed conversation

A couple of days ago I took the afternoon to go on a "boat cruise," or rather, a safari by boat, on the Chobe River. I got to see many hippos and crocodiles (and of course the normal elephants, impala, baboons, kudu, etc) and the beautiful sun set on the horizon of the Chobe River... a truly breathtaking, beautiful view.

Otherwise, my days mainly consist of mongoose chasing (6:30am-5:30pm every day). Friday will be my last day of field work, leaving Saturday and Sunday for data entry and analysis. On Monday I will travel back to Gaborone where I will begin to write my 20-40 page report on my mongoose research. It will be may last time travelling in the country before I go home.

I cannot believe that in a couple of weeks I will no longer be in Africa. Though it will be exciting to return home to see family and friends, it will indeed be a difficult process. I have been told numerous times that the transition back home is, actually, the hardest part of the trip. And I do not doubt it one bit...it may be scary, but I'm sure I will pursue it the same way as the lovely bridge at Victoria Falls--calm, cool, relaxed, and most of all, extremely excited to feel, again, a completely new sensation.

erin elizabeth

a little bit of kindness

Just a short blog post today, but one that I think is important.

Over the past two days, I have been overwhelmed with acts of kindness from virtual strangers. I was a little apprehensive of being here in Kasane alone for the week, but just over the past 48 hours, I have been shown otherwise. I am not alone here in Kasane. I may not know anyone very well, but this small town is filled with many incredibly kind individuals...just hidden among all of the crazy ones :). These few people have done nothing incredibly outrageous for me, but their actions were greatly appreciated.

The first act of kindness involved a manager at the lodge just doing her job. She quickly helped me find the cheapest alternate lodging situation (whether is was at her lodge, or another). The smile on her face lowered my stress level significantly.

Second act of kindness: My troop has recently been frequenting a lodge on the north end of town, far from Safari Lodge where I am currently residing. The "Garden Lodge" is a quaint little bed and breakfast type of place, with a couple of dogs lounging around the terrace that overlooks the Chobe river. A middle-aged German woman, Gaby, runs the place with her husband. This morning, she saw me walking down the road and offered me a ride to the mongooses (who all happened to be denning at a house just next to her lodge). Directly following my observations, she insisted that I come in and have a cup of tea (free of charge) while I waited for my next scheduled observation time. We sat and chatted for a while, and I learned that she is from a town about 80km from my own family in Germany. She had only met me a little over a day before, and she was so kind, so hospitable, so welcoming.

Third act of kindness: After sitting for a while in the dirt near the river, a man walked up to me, introduced himself, and offered me a bottle of cold water. He noticed that I was looking for the mongooses, and he thought I might be a bit thirsty.

All of the people mentioned above knew nothing of me, or had just met me the day before. These experiences seems small and insignificant, I know, but I can't explain the impact they have had on me. Therefore, I challenge you all to think about the little things that you do throughout the day, whether they involve close friends or mere strangers. Because, little do you know, a small act of kindness can make the day of another person.

erin elizabeth

A One Armed Monkey and My Jar of Jam

For the past week, I have been following a troop of mongooses through the bush of Kasane, Botswana. I have, throughout this one week, decided that researchers are not given enough credit for the work that they do. I know it all sounds pretty simple...find the troop, sit and observe them, count them, take GPS coordinates, record the surrounding habitat characteristics, count disturbed food plots, watch mongooses run off into the bush, and start the process all over again. Well I, Erin Elizabeth Hester, am here to tell you that this is not easy work. Not easy work at all.

Every morning, I wake up around 5:45 or 6:00am to prepare for the day. I leave the lodge around 6:30am, so that I can have ample time to determine the den of the troop before the crazy little animals wake up (around 7ish) and scurry off into the bush. The troop that I am following usually camps out around Chobe Safari Lodge, the lodge I am currently calling home. But, for the past week or two, the troop has decided to den and forage on the opposite end of town. I walk about 2 or 3km to my destination and follow the guys around until 5pm.

Usually, it isn't too hard to find the troop; however, I have to constantly be aware of my surroundings. I am working right beside the Chobe River, and it is not uncommon to see a crocodile, poisonous snake, or warthog (There are warthogs running around everywhere. I would compare them to deer at home...I have seen them get hit by cars in the road.). For the past couple of days, my troop has been frequenting a golf course at the other end of town, and unfortunately, so have about 5 or 6 elephants. I have not come upon any yet, and I hope I do not come across any during my observations--elephants do not like humans very much, and can be rather dangerous.

And on the subject of the wildlife...

While lying in my tent at night, it is not uncommon to be serenaded to sleep by the trumpeting of an elephant or the deep gargling sounds of the hippos that live in the river quite close to my tent. In the morning, I am usually awakened by the screeching of baby monkeys. These guys are everywhere! I think there are about 20 that live around the lodge and steal food from the restaurant area. Just the other day, while enjoying a lovely Sunday brunch at my lodge, a couple of the grey monkeys kept stealing little jars of jam from my table. One of the thieves only had one arm. Actually a couple of the little guys only have one arm...and I'm not sure why.

And then there is the wildlife that is not so cute...yes the ant infestation has continued. I was completely sure that these tiny creatures were biting holes in my tent. But, unfortunately, this became the least of my problems. I finally got completely fed up with sleeping on and around a million ants, and a friend offered to let me use one of the beds in his room for the night. Upon return to my campsite in the morning, expecting to get ready to frolic with my little mongoose troop, I discovered two large holes in my tent. During the night, some sort of animal had chewed its way through my amazing tent. After gnawing another hole in a package of my crackers, the creature decided to leave me a couple of surprises (of course on my newly cleaned clothes...) and chew ANOTHER hole in my tent as its route of departure. Stupid thing couldn't even exit my tent through the first hole it managed to create.

Well, of course, today was the day that my advisor, Pete, began his trip to Gaborone. He left this morning around 5am and will be gone until Sunday. Therefore, I was on my own to figure things out. Fortunately, I was able to talk to the day manager, and she gave me a pretty decent rate on one of the tents at the lodge. I am paying much more than I was before, but I figure I can splurge a little bit. And my new tent is just wonderful! I don't know if I would even refer to it as a tent...it has wooden floors, electricity, a desk, and two twin beds. Outside, I have my own covered porch area with a table and chairs--I have definitely moved up in the camping world, and I am already loving it. For the first time in 3 months, I am actually living in my OWN room. For the first time in 3 months, I have been able to take everything out of my backpack. I still do not have my own bathroom. I still have to hand-wash my clothes. I still don't have a kitchen to cook in. I still have to deal with bugs. And I am completely in heaven.

Also, now since Pete is gone for the week, I am now really doing research on my own. There is no one else here to help me if I have a problem, and that fact, at times, can seem a little overwhelming. But, in actuality, it is a pretty sweet situation. My name is Erin Hester. I am living on my own in Kasane, Botswana. And I am on my own, tromping around in the African bush with the crocodiles, warthogs, and elephants, researching my own troop of mongooses. The experience is quite exciting and liberating.

Last week, something even more exciting happened to me. It was just another day. I had just completed a days work on the mongoose hunt, and I was sitting outside Pete's house, waiting for him to get home so we could discuss the day. To pass the time, I was flipping through an old National Geographic, issued March 2009. And on the next to last page, I see a little heading in red on the right hand side which read "Botswana." Of course, since I am currently living in the country, I was intrigued by the title...so I read on further. Come to find out, the little blurb stated that research is currently being conducted in Botswana on mongooses with TB, etc. I would have to say that that moment was one of the coolest moments I have experienced in my life. To be researching in Botswana is one thing. To discover that the research you are preforming in not only legitimate, but also referenced by National Geographic, is another.

And so, it is a new week, and I am off on more mongoose adventures.

until next time,

erin elizabeth

Ant Genocide in Northeastern Botswana

Hello from Kasane!

Crazy how life can change here in a matter of days. I can already tell that this last month is going to fly by...mainly because I am going to be SUPER busy.

Last Thursday marked the final day I would spend with the group until we meet in Gaborone in mid-May. The day was pretty hectic. Most of the day was spent studying for my final exam and finalizing essays to be turned in prior to my departure. On Thursday evening, the whole group boarded a little boat on the Okavango River around sunset. We rode along the river just around the time when there is still an orange glow on the horizon and the stars are beginning to emerge in the sky. After about thirty minutes we docked the boat upon a tiny dirt road in the middle of nowhere. Little did I know, this tiny dirt road would lead to the home of an extremely interesting man from the states. We spent the next couple of hours outside of his home, gazing upon stars and planets with his huge (and I'm sure extremely expensive) telescope. Of all the celestial bodies witnessed, Saturn was one of the most extraordinary. I was able to see the planet, its rings, and its moons as if I were looking at a picture drawn in a children's book. Also impressive was a nebula located in the constellation of Orion's Belt. While it resembles a star, this bright body (located in the scepter of the belt) is actually a cloud of light, a birthplace of stars.

Craziness began the following morning. I woke up early, packed up all of my gear (a common occurrence while studying abroad) and took a taxi to the bus rink in town. I took a bus for a couple of hours to Nata (being the only white person on the bus, and I am pretty sure the only foreigner-- an interesting experience, especially at the Foot and Mouth disease checkpoints. Tourists definitely never use this mode of transportation). The particular bus that I was riding was destined for Francistown, and I therefore had to switch buses mid-trip. I waited alone for quite a while on the side of the road in Nata, but the bus never came. Now, I cannot actually say that my next mode of transportation included hitchhiking across Botswana because 1) it is kind of against SIT rules and regulations, and 2) I think my mother would freak out. Therefore I will just say that the bus never came, and I had to become creative and devise my own mode of transportation. But if I had hitchhiked, it may have just gone a little like this:

After sitting for quite a while at a gas station where the bus was supposed to stop, an old (and quite possibly drunk) man kept hassling me to buy one of his carved sticks. He knew that I was waiting for a bus, and for some reason, he was persistent on finding me a way to Kasane. After about an hour, and large truck pulled into the station. Two South Africans, by the name of Michelle and Mark, jumped out and began pumping gas. And long story short, the old drunk man convinced these two lovely people to take me to Kasane (even though I think they just felt bad for me having to deal with the guy--he told me that I was supposed to give him all of my possessions since he found me a ride). I soon learned that Michelle and Mark were horse trainers headed for Zanzibar, and Mark was actually stopping by the hospital in Kasane (he believed he had recently come down with malaria). With Celine Dion blasting in the background, I made interesting conversation with the two; and after four hours of riding in the middle front seat of the huge truck, I found myself in Kasane.

Pete, my research advisor, picked me up from the hospital. From there, we went back to his house and had a lovely potluck dinner with a few of his friends. He lives in an adorable little cabin right off the main road. After dinner, we watched a movie, and I finally headed to the lodge that I will call home for the next month. It was around 9:30 when we actually got to Chobe Safari Lodge, and the receptionist did not understand my sleeping arrangements (Pete knows the manager and had earlier reserved a camping spot for me off the record). Again, long story short, I didn't camp the first night. I was able to use the room of the manager. It was so nice to have a bed to sleep in and a hot shower.

For the last couple of days, I have basically been following Pete around and learning the ins and outs of mongoose research, and I have learned SO much over the last couple of days. I am learning how to use radio telemetry, triangulation, and homing to locate my mongoose troop. One mongoose in the troop has been previously trapped, and a radio collar has been placed around its neck. For the next couple of weeks, I will be walking around with my own little yagi (the antenna that attached to my receiver) trying to locate the troop. I will be taking behavioral and clinical observations of my troop every couple of hours. I will also be using food plots to determine the "giving up density," or GUD, of the troop which will provide insight into the relative foraging capacity of the mongooses in my home range. Fecal samples will also be taken daily to provide information about stress hormone levels present in individuals of the troop. All of my observations should provide information for Pete's current study regarding the incidence of tuberculosis among the banded mongoose species, Mungos mungo. The next month is going to be insanely busy.

**Side note: The CORRECT way to say the plural form of the word mongoose is not mongeese. It is "mongooses." I apologize for my ignorance.

The lodge at which I am camping is located between the Chobe river and Chobe National Park. It is a four star lodge and is quite lovely, except for the ants. I truly believe that there are more ants on and around the area of my tent than there are people currently living in the country of Botswana. I have spent a lot of my time committing ant genocide, as the ants have spent the majority of their time devising new ways to enter my tent. I have already been through a can of Raid, and the surgical tape my mother insisted that I pack has finally come in handy...I think the ants are actually gnawing holes in my tent. It is insanity.

Tomorrow begins my first day of independent field work. And while I have learned a lot since my arrival, there are still so many things to be learned...I'm sure I will just begin actually catching on around early May. Wish me luck!!

erin elizabeth

Thank goodness for the Mongoose with TB

First, and foremost, I have to say CONGRATULATIONS to my wonderful, amazing, epic, UNC Men's Basketball National Champions. I was extremely sad to miss out on the fun, of course, but I was elated to hear the great news. I knew that they would win this year, due primarily to the fact that I have left the country...I like to think of it as taking one for the team :). My lovely UNC study-abroad mate, Christina, and I attempted to watch the game. At 3am. But, since we are camping at a lodge on the outskirts of Maun, it was pretty much impossible...though it was nice to have someone to celebrate/be sad with. I hope one of you lovely UNC girls and/or boys have saved me the DTH from yesterday...

**Side note: Although it made me a little bit homesick, I LOVED the picture my lovely UNC girls sent to me. It was wonderful. And it made me miss you all like crazy. My father taped the game for me. We must all watch it together in our UNC apparel at my lake house this summer. That is a must.

Now, back to Botswana...

This week has been pretty much amazing as usual, even though we have been lounging around camp and going into town to run errands all week. We are technically in "ISP prep" week, and I am currently working out the logistics of my new ISP...drum roll please...

I am going to be working near Chobe National Park in northern Botswana, in a little town/village known as Kasane. I will be following a troop of mongeese and collecting behavioral data for a month. The mongeese in this particular area have seemed to contract a human strain of Tuberculosis, and I, Erin Elizabeth Hester, will be contributing to the research :). They have found that more specifically, the mongeese that are contracting the particular strain of TB are mainly the mongeese who are foraging on trash around the neighboring lodges. This is not my lemur ISP that I had previously planned on. But it is pretty damn close (considering the fact that I will still be doing animal behavior field research) and even more interesting due to the fact that my research is now a little more unique. I still do not know how things seem to work out so well for me these days.

I have discovered that cooking for myself is quite enjoyable, though making a fire and keeping it burning is quite annoying. I have found ways around this though. Two nights ago I made a version of my mothers asian coleslaw without a recipe...and it turned out to be quite delicious. Other frequent meals include oatmeal with apples and cinnamon/sugar for breakfast. Apple and peanut butter sandwiches for lunch. Pasta, veggie burgers, or salad for dinner. I have also recently discovered that I like beets almost as much as the citizens of Botswana (they eat a ton of beets here)...beet salad is delicious. The most difficult mountain to overcome is the fact that I don't have any refrigeration, and that eliminates butter, cheese, etc, though I have discovered that cheese can last a pretty long time without spoiling (granted the ants don't invade first). I can buy a cooler box, but I want to wait until I get to Kasane to purchase any more cookwear.

The rest of the week has been spent beside the pool, listening to music, going for morning jogs, leisurely reading "What is the What," cooking out on the grill and drinking cider with the guys, doing my laundry, napping in Matt's hammock, and trying to sort out things back home (class schedules, internship information, etc). Evenings have included much of what you can imagine normal college kids doing at night. We went out to the local club last Saturday night, which was an interesting experience. We left the lodge around 12pm, all piled into a little safari truck, and voyaged out among the rest of Maun's night life. Halfway to "Trekkers" we got a flat tire...and the evening progressed from there...long story short, we made it to our destination, danced like crazy, and had a great time.

Today, I had to sit down and actually get some work done. This week I have a couple of papers due and tomorrow I have my "final exam." And this morning was the happiest I have ever been while writing a paper. Since I am not bogged down with tons and tons of unnecessary work here in Botswana, I can enjoy the times that I spend in my academic world, evaluating and expressing my own scholarly thoughts and ideas on paper. I cannot remember the last time I got excited about writing a six page report. It feels so refreshing.

I am leaving this Friday for Kasane. Currently, I am planning on being there alone, since most everyone else is planning on staying in Maun or going to another part of the country. I will be taking a 5 hour bus ride with ALL of my things. I am going to miss Matt and all of my new Botswana friends. But, throughout this experience, I have become so much better at meeting new people. I am excited to see a new part of the country and meet some new interesting individuals. The journey should be quite interesting...

<3 to you all,

erin elizabeth

Everything and Nothing In the Same Moment

It is 6:45 on a Sunday evening on the African Savannah. The sun is quickly setting on the horizon, and the whole landscape is glowing. The sky has a beautiful orange/redish glow, and you can see some stars beginning to emerge higher up in the sky. An elephant is bathing in a watering hole just a couple hundred meters away. Not far off in the distance, a lion and lioness lounge in the golden yellow grass, just having finished eating their afternoon zebra kill as other zebras watch from afar. In the fields behind the watering hole, hundreds and hundreds of springbok graze in the tall grasses of the african savannah. ---This is an example of the beautiful landscape I have been witnessing over the past week. This scene was actually what we saw on our first game drive, in Nxai Pan National Park.

I ended my village stay last Saturday morning. The previous evening, all of the families in the little village of Sexaxa gathered together for a small party...we ate and danced and had a lovely time together. My homestay family was so nice to me throughout the whole experience. My mother, Kerileng, was constantly telling me that she was sad that I had to go, that she was going to be bored when I left the family. I am extremely glad that I was able to experience a third homestay in Botswana...even if there were tons of awkward moments when I couldn't speak Setswana. I feel as though this last experience really completed it all--having lived in three completely different settings. My Fort Dauphin homestay was the most westernized, and I was able to see how a family with educated adults were able to live in Madagascar. During the Faux Cap village stay, I was able to witness extreme poverty. Seeing how these individuals were surviving day by day, it really gave me a better understanding of life under extreme conditions, and that poverty is caused by a lack of many different resources (access to education, health care, decent soil for farming, clean water, etc.) and as my dear father would say "Location, Location, Location." My stay in Sexaxa really completed the puzzle. I would not say that this family was living in extreme poverty, but they were definitely not well off (monetarily speaking). Although they still lacked electricity and running water, there was an available (and clean) water source in the center of the village. It was truly amazing to me how much of a difference that one factor plays in the livelihood of an area. Also, the people of Sexaxa live relatively close to a larger city, and they are exposed to a much greater level of diversity (among other individuals and lifestyles). I was sad to have to leave my family, but the end of our village stay meant the beginning of our week long excursion!

We left the village on Saturday afternoon and camped for the evening in Maun. It was nice to have a shower and my own place to sleep (since I had been taking baths outdoors with about a liter of water and sharing a bed in a mud hut with Kerileng). On Sunday morning, we departed Maun, and headed towards our first destination, Nxai Pan National Park. It was in Nxai Pan where we saw the majority of the landscapes and mega-fauna that I described in the opening paragraph. We arrived in Nxai Pan in early afternoon, set up camp, and went out on our first game drive. Riding around the park in two big safari trucks, we saw tons and tons of wildlife. We spent hours driving around, watching 1) tall elegant giraffes gracefully gallop along the landscape, 2) many types of antelope (springbok, impala,etc) pronk back and forth through the tall grasses, 3) elephants slowly make their way from tree to tree, and 4) zebra and wildebeest playfully fight for access to the watering hole (and of course, much much more). Pictures to come soon!

Our camp team was awesome! We had a couple of guys travelling with us who cooked all of our meals. It was neat to see how they were able to prepared food for us for a week without adequate refridgeration and on a camp fire...and not normal campground food either. We ate well--potato salad and hard boiled eggs, rice and chicken with summer squash, pasta with a delicious meat sauce, etc, etc. They were quite creative with the meals, and we were all grateful to have one last week of good food (this week I begin cooking for myself!). We camped in special hyena proof tents (which were huge and very very sturdy) and slept on nice thick mattress pads provided by the safari team. Main point: we slept and ate well, and therefore were always happy...even if there were hyenas howling and lions prowling close to our campsite in the night.

**Side Note: I was unaware before I came to Botswana, but the second most formidable creature in Southern Africa is the hyena. The spotted hyena has a minimum weight of 135 pounds and are known to decapitate campers in the night.

We spent two days at Nxai Pan doing two game drives a day. On the third day, the group left the park and headed towards a lovely little campsite named Planet Baobab. This campsite had a bar and a pool, so needless to say, free time was well spent lounging around.

Planet Baobab, just south of Nxai Pan, is situated quite close to Magkudigkudi National Park, and more importantly the Magkudigkudi Salt Pans and huge baobab trees. On Wednesday, we travelled to see Green's Baobab, Seven Sisters, and the salt pans. Green's baobab was used as a travelling landmark in the late 1800s. There are still carvings in the trunk from Green's expedition in 1858. The people on this expedition would leave letters in the holes of this baobab for other travellers passing through the area. The second baobab, Seven Sisters, is the second largest tree in all of Africa. We spent the lovely afternoon climbing the majestic baobab and eating our picnic lunch under the huge branches.

**Side Note #2: There are eight different species of baobabs that occur on planet earth. Six of these species are endemic to Madagascar, while there are seven species that actually occur on the island. Mainland Africa shares that seventh species. Australia is the home to the eighth species of baobab, which is also endemic to the continent.

Our afternoon was spent gazing upon the vast salt pans of northern Botswana. There is no way that I can adequately describe these salt pans. The best way to describe my experience is to say that while staring out over a large landscape of salt covered sandy soil, I was seeing everything and nothing in the same moment. The salt pans were created many many years ago when the lake beds dried up, and all of the sediment remained on the ground. When walking across the salt pan, you could break through the crusty layer of salt. I loved the crunching sound of my feet while walking across the pan. It was one of the most beautiful, and different, landscapes I have ever seen, and I plan to one day travel to Argentina to witness them again.

We returned to Maun late yesterday afternoon. Today begins a week of ISP preparation, and next Friday, I will commence my Independent Study Project. I don't know exactly who I will be working with or what I will be studying, but I am not too worried about it. All will work out in the end.

Last night was the first time I actually realized that I will soon be living all on my own in the country of Botswana. I will be camping by myself, preparing my own meals, and have my own agenda...AND I AM SO EXCITED! Throughout my entire time studying abroad I have been on the SIT agenda, going to class, being fed by homestay families, etc. This will be the first time in my entire life that I will be living on my own in a foreign country. Today I am going to go and buy provisions...a cooking pot, cooking utensils, plate, cup, bowl, firewood, and food supplies. Oh excitement!

I wish you all a very merry weekend, and I hope to hear from you soon!

erin elizabeth

Mud Huts and Soft Porridge

I can't believe that I have already been in this country for a week! I have been staying in my new village stay in Sexaxa, and I am having the most lovely time. I live in a compound with my mother (who is 25), her mother, and her two children (ages 4 and 1). My mother, Keroling, can speak a little bit of English, and we can usually communicate between ourselves. And she is also helping me to learn a little bit of Setswana along the way. Our compound consists of one house (which my mother made out of sticks and mud all by herself), an outdoor kitchen area surrounded by a wooden fence, and a little "bathroom" where I bathe twice a day.

**Side note: One huge difference about this country is bathing. During my homestay in Faux Cap, I wasn't able to bathe once (and neither did my homestay family). Here, we must bathe twice a day--In the morning and at night before I go to bed. This just goes to show how a slight change in access to water can affect the families which reside around the same longitudinal coordinates.

My family here also seems much more excited about and interested in my presence. I am constantly helping my mother cook, clean, fetch water, etc., and I feel much more integrated into the family's daily life. I'm am sure this has a lot to do with the fact that communication comes much easier here than it did in Faux Cap, but nonetheless, I am enjoying myself much more.

I share a double bed with my mother in the mud hut, which has actually not been a nuisance thus far. I am happy to be sleeping in a bed in general. Meals so far have consisted primarily of soft porridge (a mixture of cornmeal and milk) and hot tea. Sometimes, my homestay mother will prepare pumpkin or beans for me that she harvested in the fields. The meals are not extravagant, but I am happy with what is available...it is a good change from eating rice 24/7!

During the day, all of the students travel into the city for classes. We have our lectures in a small hotel, and we are on our own for lunch. I have started buying peanut butter and bread, apples, and yogurt from the grocery store for my lunches. I am really enjoying the availability of food items in this country, especially the Cadbury chocolate bars! It is nice to have a break from the village during the day as well. I find that division of time between the city and the village has made the experience a little more pleasurable due to the fact that I am not getting burned out with either setting. The days are a nice melange.

Last Sunday, I went on my first game drive! We spent a couple of hours in the morning driving through the wilderness of Africa, looking at all of the mega-fauna!! While riding in our crazy safari trucks, we saw so many elephants, giraffes, zebras, and a plethora of antelope. I am hoping to post pictures some time this week!!

And I have discovered my new mailing address. Hopefully, this address will be a bit more reliable, since Botswana is not experiencing any political stress at the moment. I am told that the mail takes about 10 days, but I will let you all know when I receive my first letters!

C/O Stewart Chirova
P. BAG TO 10 Suite 91
POSTNET TLOKWENG
BOTSWANA

"What I found appealing in life abroad was the inevitable sense of helplessness it would inspire. Equally exciting would be the work involved in overcoming that helplessness. There would be a goal involved, and I liked having goals." --DavidSedaris

When reading Me Talk Pretty One Day on the plane ride from Madagascar to Botswana, I came across this quote. Throughout this past week, and the following weeks ahead, I am trying to keep these thoughts in the back of my mind. I am still adjusting to this new place, and I am not expecting everything to be easy for me. But, if I understand that fact, I can confront my new obstacles with a sense of power rather than helplessness--a personality trait that I admire and hope to acquire.

<3 and miss you all!!

erin elizabeth

Metamorphosis

So I just got to actually watch the news story that I previously posted. The highlight of the entire story was hearing my little brother talking. He has grown an insane amount over the time that I have been abroad. Just hearing him talk on the phone, I can tell already tell a difference in his articulation. It is amazing to discover the subtle nuances of daily life that I took for granted before I left the country.

All is going well in Botswana. Matt and I have been spending the last two or three nights in a hotel, acclimating ourselves to the area, while the others have been staying in their village stay in Sexaxa. It has been nice to have some time to readjust myself, to "switch gears" from living on the quaint, island town of Fort Dauphin, to the landlocked, bustling tourist town of Maun.

I miss a lot of things about Madagascar. I will list them for you:

1) The people. I had spent a month and a half building relationships with an amazing group of individuals (students, professors, homestay family members, etc), and they were all taken away from me in a matter of days. I miss these guys a ton, and it will be interesting to start building a group of friends all over again. The people here are extremely nice and friendly, but the group in Madagascar will always hold a special place in my heart. I love and miss you guys.

2) The countryside of Fort Dauphin. I was basically living in a little Caribbean paradise for a month and a half, and I miss the ocean and the cool ocean breeze.

3) Classes at Libanona. The classes here are held in a conference room at a hotel. While that is all fine and good, it is not my quaint little peninsula that overlooked the Indian Ocean. Lunch will no longer be spent outdoors in the grass. I am now in an actual touristy town, and I miss the outdoors.

4) The accessibility and quality of fruit. They have fruit here, but I do not get to go into the market and buy freshly picked mangos and bananas from a little street vendor for 10 cents. Everything here is sold in packages, much like the US, and I despise it.

5) Speaking french. I didn't expect this at all. I was often times frustrated with the french language. But now that I am unable to use a language that I have been depending on for the past month and a half, I miss it. Matt and I speak the beautiful french language sometimes, but overall, it is just not the same.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are many things about Maun that I really like. The internet is fast. I can drink the water without getting dysentery. Items are much more accessible. The food is still tasty. But it is definitely a change for me.

Yesterday afternoon, Matt and I found our way to Sexaxa, the village where the rest of the SIT kids are staying (and also the village that I will be living in next week). We had an interesting time finding the correct bus, etc., but we finally made our way to the lovely little village. It was nice to meet some of the villagers and to become acquainted with the area. From just seeing Sexaxa for a couple of hours, I can already tell that this village stay will be a lot different from the one in Faux Cap. There are some people who speak English (thank goodness), and the families here are just not as poor as the families in Faux Cap. All of the villagers have access to Maun by bus, and a good portion of the villagers have lived in a larger city at some time or another. It is not uncommon for the villagers to have a house in the city, as well as the country. Also, all of the compounds are relatively close together, and the students are able to interact a lot more than we ever could at Faux Cap.

Ever since I have come to Botswana, I have felt a little bit lost (academically speaking). The past week has felt like a vacation in the sense that I have been travelling and living in a hotel in this new country. I think it will take some time to find a new niche for myself here in Botswana, but I suspect that it will all come in due time. Throughout this entire experience, I am definitely learning how to adequately adjust to and cope with change--something that has been quite difficult for me to handle in the past. I am proud of the way I have personally handled this entire situation, and I can already see myself morphing into a new and improved "erin elizabeth."

africa in the news!

Check out this link. It is crazy! The computer I am on won't actually allow me to listen to the report, but just seeing the pictures has me stoked! Thanks to everyone back home who is taking interest in my African experiences!

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=6717427

PS: the bit where my brother is pointing to the globe...I taught him that ;)

From lemurs to zebras in 24 hours!

I have arrived in Botswana safe and sound! (after quite a long journey)

Matt and I left yesterday from Fort Dauphin, and flew into Johannesburg. Because we were traveling on a chartered flight, we had an small issue with baggage...I was only allowed 20 kilos of weight, total. Because I was actually carrying 30, I was told that I was going to have to leave some of my things behind. But after about 10 minutes of freaking out, we eventually worked it out, and all luggage made it on to the plane. Woof.

When we had finally made it to the huge airport of Johannesburg, our connecting flight to Gaborone had already departed. Yet, amidst all of the craziness, Matt and I were able to secure another flight with Air Botswana (after an hour and a half of running back and forth across the airport like two chickens with our heads cut off). At least everyone there spoke English...

We arrived in Gaborone late last night, and the gentleman who was supposed to take us to our hotel had already left. Eventually, we found someone who had been waiting with the gentleman who understood our situation, and long story short, we made it to our hotel. We ate dinner at a crazy huge restaurant down the street from our own place of lodging. And there is only one way to explain my feelings at that point in time. Culture shock. I drank a ginger ale with lime juice along side a glistening pool, while eating an Asian chicken noodle salad. The bathrooms had granite counter tops and foamy soap. I didn't know where the hell I was. Just the day before, I was using the bathroom in an old broken down outhouse. It was, indeed, an intense situation that I did not expect to experience.

This morning we arrived in Maun, where we were greeted by our new academic director (who goes by the name Simba!!). We drove to a little hotel and talked about our new home. He described the structure of the delta, the megafauna, and the economics of the region. Botswana is actually a remarkable country, in terms of economics. All of its wealth has been obtained since 1966.

As Matt and I were eating lunch, we were bombarded with a ton of new faces, just out of class. It was a little overwhelming, but the dynamics of the group seem great...full of sarcastic individuals :). There is another girl here from UNC, and a couple of them took us out to show us around a little bit before class. And that is where I am now. In an internet cafe in Botswana!

It will be interesting to see how everything plays out here, and I can't wait to see what crazy things happen! I learned today that in a week or two, I will get to follow zebra migrations across the delta. Yes, be jealous ;)

erin elizabeth

when life hands you Botswana...

So many things have happened over the past week, and there is no possible way that I can condense every thing into one little blog post. I last left you the day that I discovered that I was being forced to leave the country--a sad day indeed. It was then that I realized that I wouldn't be able to study the ringtails and sifakas, that I would have to leave all of my new friends, and that I would have to basically start all over again in a new country with a new language and a new culture. And here I am today, sitting for the last time at the internet cafe beside my house, waiting for Matt to pick me up in a taxi so that the two of us can begin our new adventure in Botswana! And again, I am scared, nervous, a little overwhelmed, and completely and utterly excited!

**Note: Be cautious about what you read in the news. I am not saying that what you read about Madagascar is not true, but I truly feel that it is being hyped-up. Yes, there are problems in the capital, but the United States likes to enhance the articles that they publish.

My last week here in Madagascar has been pretty much amazing. The day (actually at the exact moment) that I discovered I have to leave, our group enjoyed an extremely amazing lunch free from rice of any kind--pizza with tomatoes, lobster, and swordfish, couscous with some delicious octopus, vegetable lasagna, ravioli, and desert (apple pie, pineapple cobbler, sorbet, shortbread cookies with fresh coconut, yogurt and chocolate sauce). It was unreal...I actually think my academic advisor planned it so that I could gorge myself with delicous food after hearing the sad news! I actually surprised myself with how well I coped with the news. While I was completely heartbroken, I soon realized what a great experience it would be to study the mega-fauna of Botswana. And by soon, I mean that I had decided to continue my studies in Botswana within the hour. I will be studying in Maun, which is located in one of the most beautiful deltas in the world. Once Matt and I arrive in the country, we will be living in another village stay, with people who do not speak french or malagasy.

**Side note #2: I am leaving the rice diet. I am told in Botswana, their staple food is some sort of cornmeal something-or-other. It will be interesting to compare the two.

We spent most of the week in Tulear hanging out in the country beside the Mozambique Channel near a house that my academic director had built. The mangroves were absolutely gorgeous! We camped in our tents under the starry night sky. During our stay, we visited a sea cucumber farm, hiked a mountain, swam in a BEAUTIFUL cave, and went snorkling among the coral reefs of the Mozambique! I truly felt like I was the one on spring break! One night, we roasted two sheep over a fire and had a lovely party with the local villagers (of course with a lot of music, dancing, and Three Horses Beer).

Two days ago, Matt, Jenny (another student who decided to go back to the states), and I began our voyage back to Fort Dauphin. We were not able to catch a flight in time, so we traveled for two long days by truck across southern Madagascar. It was really great to see the countryside, but the ride was extremely long and bumpy! It was absolutely impossible to even nap on the road. On our second day of travel, around 06h30, we got the truck stuck in a huge puddle of mud. The muddy, murky, parasite ridden water was up to our thighs as we all pushed the truck out of the mud hole! Oh what an evacuation experience. Otherwise, the trip was relatively painless. We arrived in Fort Dauphin last night, where I spent my last evening with my homestay family. My father was still gone, but I was able to talk with him on the phone and say my goodbyes.

Sorry this post is relatively short, but I will soon be boarding a plane for Jo-burg, South Africa. Matt and I will then fly into Gabrione (sp?), the capitol of Botswana, where we will be spending the night. Thursday we will finally be flying into Maun, our destination. It is there that we will meet our new academic director, there that we will meet our new group of friends, and there where we will commence our new adventure in Sub-saharan Africa. I have no idea what is in store for me there, but I know that I will, indeed, have another great adventure. And what is even more exciting is that I now have a friend with whom I can share my journey.

I know you will all be excited to hear about Botswana, but I am not sure what type of communication I will have, if any, with the outside world once I am there. I will be sure to update you all as soon as possible.

**Side note #3: Just a little reminder, my address will be different. I will post my new one ASAP for those interested.

So here I am, half-way through my program, beginning a new journey (I really just wanted to make my blog interesting for all of you lovely individuals :). When life hands you Botswana, one must seize the giraffe!

until then,

erin elizabeth

ps: thanks to all of my friends and family who have been sending me messages and letters of encouragement! i will need every bit of it!

life most definitely does through you curve balls

The last couple of days have had its ups and its downs. I currently have a lot on my mind, and I am in a situation that I never ever thought I would ever be in.

First of all, I have been told that I have amoebic dysentery. If you would like further details on the ins and outs of this lovely gastro-intestinal disorder, feel free to google it.

Second of all, the country has risen its security level, and the lovely University of North Carolina has decided that it is not safe for me to be in this beautiful, amazing country any longer. I have just discovered this a little over an hour ago. And I am completely and utterly upset. The rest of my lovely little group gets to stay, except for my friend Matt, who also attends a large, public university.

Plans are up in the air. I am supposed to be gone within a week. I haven't yet discussed this with the family, and I am actually about to call them. But I have been told that Matt and I can possibly continue our study abroad experience with another ecology group in another country. With a whole new group of people. In a whole new culture. This is insanity. And I am strongly considering gathering my wits and all of the courage left in my body, and voyaging off to this whole new world, hopefully with my lovely friend Matt.

And this country is Botswana.

lost in translation, or lack thereof

I am feeling much better today! Thank goodness for crazy antibiotic medication!

So, I now have more things to check off of my life to-do (or as my dear friend Lindsay likes to refer to it) bucket list:

1) live for a week in a rural african village in southern Madagascar
2) do traditional Androy dances with villagers under the beautiful African moon and stars
3) eat a ton of raketa (the malagasy term for prickly pear)--this is their famine food
4) get hair traditionally braided by the women of a rural African village
5) take part in a dance competition among all of the other tribes in the Faux Cap commune
6) know how to truly appreciate verbal communication

I feel that this post is going to be the most difficult for me to write. I am sitting here trying to sum up all of my experiences and emotions from the past week in my rural village stay. And as hard as I try, I'm not quite sure that I will be able to articulate exactly what I experienced in the middle of drought stricken southern Madagascar, where the people have no clean water (if any water at all), very limited medical assistance, and barely enough food to keep the families fed. If you want to remove yourself from everything familiar, everything comfortable, and place yourself in a truly humbling situation, I advise you to live for a week in a rural African village. There were indeed children with swollen bellies--with crusty eyes covered in flies. Anyways, let me start from the beginning...

It all began two Mondays ago. We had travelled to Faux Cap the night before and camped on a beautiful beach. Monday morning, all of the students voyaged to the little market in Faux Cap to buy some lambas (the wraps people wear here) and waste some time. The Malagasy students bought a goat to eat later on that evening. Little did we know, we were all soon about to partake on an interesting and extremely difficult adventure.

All of the SIT students were divided into pairs among the villages, and I was paired with a lovely girl from Georgia, named Catherine. (We have been labeled the southern girls, yet I, supposedly, have the most southern accent of us all!) Later that afternoon, our homestay father and his son came to Faux Cap to pick us up. The adrenaline in my blood was pumping. As we rode in the back of our instructors truck to the village, all I could do was laugh outloud (literally) because I knew I was getting myself into something extremely crazy. I was wide eyed.

I experienced so many emotions that first evening, just Catherine and I among probably 50 rural Malagasy villagers who we could not understand at all. People came from other villages close by, and the night proceeded with them all shouting and staring at us. I think that they thought that if they spoke loud enough, Catherine and I might understand what they were saying. Just imagine me sitting on a mat, outside a tiny hut, with a ton of Malagasy villagers shouting in my face. My emotions were all over the place. In the beginning, I was excited. And as the night ended, I was completely overwhelmed and frustrated.

The next morning, the Malagasy students came to the village. Each village of two SIT students were also paired with two CEL students to facilitate discussion, etc. And boy were we relieved to be able to communicate with someone! That morning, we went to our father's fields, where he grew corn, watermelon, and several different types of manioc. We helped weed a bit, and afterwards ate a lot of watermelon (which is white here, not pink). Along the walk back to the village, we identified various medicinal plants and learned their usage among the villagers. It was so wonderful to have the CEL students there to be able to translate actual sentences for us.

The afternoon consisted of (as most of the time in our village did) sitting around. We did a lot of nothing while we were there, and that fact bothered me immensly. I like to believe that the villagers don't always sit around like that, that they were altering their everyday habits because they had foreigners in their village. But I just could not understand how so many people could just sit around all day. Why weren't they off tending their crops. Why weren't they washing clothes, or looking for water, or doing something productive?

Late afternoons were usually filled by a lot of dancing. And when I say a lot of dancing, I mean hours of dancing. We would gather around in a circle, stomp our feet, raise our arms, shake our hands, etc. A woman would most often be chanting somewhere in the background. The dancing was one of my favorite activities. Not only do I enjoy dancing, but I was one of the few activities that we could share together across cultures. It brought smiles and laughter. It lessened the stressful situations a bit, and for a while, we could experience a little bit of Androy culture without the constant bother of verbal communication.

The meals were interesting. Because we were living is such a destitute area, and because the family didn't even have enough food to feed themselves, we brought our own food stocks and provisions for our mother to prepare for us. About 95% of our diet consited of rice. For each meal, we would go to a little hut at the end of the village, and sit with our father (and sometimes brothers), who would share our meal. Breakfast: rice with honey. Lunch: rice with a little bit of white beans. Dinner: Rice with more beans. Rice rice rice rice rice. The women never ate with us, and I don't believe the men even shared any of our leftovers. Only our father and the elder brothers were allowed to dine with us. This was another problem I had with the culture (even though I had expected to experience this during my stay).

My last issue with my time in the village stay was concerning the issue of gifts. Catherine and I had brought adequate presents for our family. We gave them honey, candy, pens, paper, and the family was free to keep all of the leftover food, water, and other provisions we had left over at the end of our stay. We brought stickers, balloons, and glow sticks for the children. Yet at the end of our stay, our father demanded more gifts from us. He demanded them from us at least 5 or 6 times, in many different ways. Now, I am completely understanding and sympathetic to the fact that these people have very little, and are living in poor conditions. But frankly, I felt like a tool. The only reason my father agreed to have us stay was because he thought we would come bearing tons and tons of things for him. That we were going to give away all of our possessions to him. He didn't care about us, about our culture, about where we came from, about our thoughts and our views and our families. We were not individuals, we were an icon. We were rich foreigners and we were supposed to give him things. This was, in fact, the most difficult thing for me to deal with. And it wasn't even the fact that our father wanted these things, but he was hoarding them. He would not share them with the others.

example: After we finished our long dance treck to Faux Cap and danced all afternoon, our group was given 5 or 6 bottles of juice and soda to share. I grabbed a bottle to share with Catherine, and assumed the others would partake in the celebration. But our father took them all for himself and would not give them to any of the others. By this time I was quite frustrated with them, and I walked away. When my thirst had been quenched I passed the bottle on to one of the women in the group who had danced with us (and who had actually braided my hair earlier that day). And at that moment, my father ran over, snatched the bottle from her had, and took it to the other males of the group. Needless to say, this did not improve my impression of the culture.

**Side note: I am fully aware that my culture is completely different than the culture of this village. I have access to a lot of things. I have never gone hungry. I have been expose to other cultures. I have travelled. I have had more opportunities. I knew going into the stay in the village, there would be many many many cultural and personal differences. But knowing this fact and actually experiencing it are two completely different things. It is much harder to deal with these situations first hand than to just know that they exist. (I apoligize if my angry rambling has become incoherent).

Good points about my village stay:

1) Getting my hair traditionally braided: I love having my hair played with, and to have it done by the lovely women of the village was a completely amazing experience. It was funny to see how they reacted to my soft blonde hair, and it was, in a way, a sort of bonding experience.

2) I learned to appreciate my homestay family in Fort Dauphin: While I was already completely happy with my family, just staying in the rural village made me appreciate the fact that I could communicate with my family here in Fort Dauphin, even if it is at times difficult to speak in French all of the time. Also, when I returned home, Jean, my homestay father, had prepared photos and Malagasy songs for me, which we listened to, sang, and translated together. We also had some lovely conversation about my life back home, my frustration with the village stay, and my hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the future. (although I will have you know this was super difficult to do in french!!!)

3) The weather was not normal while we were there. It was actually quite cool most days, and in fact it rained or drizzled each day! But I did get pretty sunburnt the last day...

4) I got to eat a coconut freshly plucked from our families coconut tree! yum yum yum

Bad things about the village stay:

1) Prickly pear spines hurt! The village was surrounded with these cacti and we had to use the bathroom quite close to them. My village stay counterpart (Catherine) had an unfortunate incident with this!

2) We got fleas. Quite uncomfortable when trying to sleep.

3) The people don't stop staring and yelling at you. 5 days of people staring and yelling at you is indeed quite draining.



Today I am leaving Fort Dauphin. We are boarding a plane for Tulear where we will begin our Marine Studies unit and then head out on our cross country road trip to visit various national parks and protected areas!! Hooray for snorkling and swimming in natural pools! Due to the political situation, we will probably not be going to Tana :( but will instead be staying in a town just outside. Bummer.

But, on a rather exciting note, I have secured an academic advisor for my independent studies project on the lemurs in Berenty! I will be working with a lady by the name of Josia, who is getting her Ph.D. in the UK and is studing lemurs. And she speaks English! Woot!

I am not quite sure how much internet time I will be getting in the next couple of weeks, but I will try to post as much as possible. I hope you are all doing well back home in the states!

loves of happy lovin' and sunshine from Madagascar!

erin elizabeth

ps: i tried to upload some crazy crazy village stay pictures, but the internet just wont let me today!

under the weather

I had alotted my time this morning to sit and write a long post from the past week. Unfortunately that is not going to happen at this moment. I've been pretty sick over the past day...fever of 101.4, chills, and gastrointestinal distress of which shouldn't be mentioned here. I am feeling a little bit better this morning, but not much. I will try to find some time to sit and write a long post in the next day.

One Month Gone

It is official. I have been in Madagascar for an entire month. And yet it seems like just yesterday that I was sitting at home, watching Wallace and Gromit with my brother for the 123,210th time. Even though I have been so far away from the people I love for a month, I feel as though you all have been right here beside me the entire time. And I love knowing that I have such an amazing group of people back home thinking about me just as much.

So, anyways, enough with the sappy stuff...

The thurday after our lovely stay with the lemurs, we began studying ethnobotany. This topic mainly covers every way in which the Malagasy people use plants in their daily lives (from medicinal plants to weaving mats and baskets from reeds). After a short lecture, our group travelled to a little village called Mandromondromoto, which stood at the base of the mountains beside Fort Dauphin.

**It is this aspect of studying abroad that I think I enjoy the most. Not only do we learn in a classroom setting, but we also go out into the "field"--if you can call it that--and actually see first hand the things we discuss during lecture.

In Mandromondromoto, we talked with an association of women about their "mat weaving enterprise." Basically, the local mining company, QMM, has helped these women to set up an organization to weave mats, baskets, etc. that they can sell in the market in Fort Dauphin. The association is composed entirely of women from this village, and their craftwork allows them to make a couple of extra dollars throughout the year. We learned the intricate process of gathering the reeds, drying them (and sometimes dying them), and the assembly of the final product.

Afterwards, we walked a little farther into the village to speak with the village's traditional healer. This was one of the most interesting interviews we have had so far. We learned, through a short interview, that the healer learned all of his healing practices through spirits that come to him in his dreams. These spirits tell him what medicinal plants to use, when to perform specific healing rituals, etc. Here are some things that I learned from him:

1) He uses a certain type of seed to identify a person's illness. During the interview, he laid them out in a strategic manner, and proceeded to tell us what each row of seeds signified.

2) He believes that there is a "natural sickness" which can be cured at the hospital. Otherwise, maladies that are "placed" on an individual (perhaps by a curse, demon, or spirit) must be treated traditionally through his practices. (But he did state that he could cure the natural sicknesses as well).

3) The three most prominent illnesses that he treats include 1. mental sickness, 2. seizures and epilepsy, and 3. paralysis (and before treatment, the patient must pay 40,000 ariary--roughly equivalent to $20--and after he is healed, he must give the healer a zebu)

4) Illnesses that are the hardest for him to treat: 1. mental sickness, 2. paralysis, 3. Amboamainty (an STD of sorts--probably herpes).

5) Pregnent women must rub the blood of a black chicken on her stomach to protect her unborn child.

I was so intrigued by the fact that these practices were in no way a joke to the people living in the village. This healer was well respected, and some people had travelled across the country to seek his healing powers. It is interesting to think of how his practices would be received in the states. I plan on independently researching traditional medicine and healers more in the coming weeks.

Friday was mainly a laid back day at Libanona. We had 4 lectures in the morning before lunch, but the main topic of discussion was our upcoming stay in a rural village of southwestern Madagascar. It has been stated by numerous individuals that this village homestay is one of the most challenging parts of the entire semester. Here is a little overview of what is to be expected:

We leave Fort Dauphin Sunday morning for our 9 hour bus ride to Faux Cap, a commune of villages in the southwest. We will spend the night in Faux Cap, and on Monday, we will be "picked up" by our village families. I am staying in the small village of Anjahamboanio, which is about 3km north of Faux Cap. We are split up into groups of two, and I will be sharing my village stay with a girl named Katherine. Two other Malagasy students will join us during the day to facilitate the Malagasy language barrier (although I know our time will mainly consist of a lot of awkward hand motions). Katherine and I will be spending four days and four nights in this village, where we will be assisting in the daily life of the villagers--cultivating the crops, fetching water, killing chickens, etc.

**Most of these villagers have never before seen a white foreigner. Therefore, we will be stared at. A LOT.

I can't lie. I am apprehensive about this rural homestay. It will be difficult to spend four days with people who don't speak my language, with no running water, and where the temperature gets into the hundreds every day. But, it will be an experience that I will NEVER forget, I'm sure. I am looking forward to making the crazy memories! At the end of the stay, we will be dancing (yes dancing) all the way back to Faux Cap for the final feast. Our program, SIT, is going to sacrifice a zebu to show our appreciation for the village homestay. Fun Fun Fun!

**The rural malagasy people regard a lot of things as fady (taboo). Ex: The eastern side of the village is sacred (ie. there is no using the bathroom on the eastern side...too bad I don't have a compass!). I am most nervous about doing something taboo. Because then I will have to pay the villagers with a zebu. I am not joking one bit.

Random Side Note # 1: As I sit here in the internet café, a stike is going on outside. A large procession of Malagasy people are walking down the street in protest of the political problems in the country. The president and the mayor of Tana are still unable to work anything out, and I hope that this situation does not interfere with our upcoming travel plans to Tulear (where we do our marine sciences unit!) and Tana.

Random Side Note #2: Last night was my first experience of being sick in a foreign country. I would have to say that it was my worst experience here so far. I must have eaten something that did not agree with my stomach. I will not go into detail, but just know that I am feeling much better this morning. Oh the benefits of having a doctor for a homestay mother!

So, with all of that being said, I will not be able to check the internet for the next week or so. But, I'm sure I will return with some pretty amazing tails of village life in Madagascar.

until then,

erin elizabeth

walking in a lemur wonderland

I am not on regular time here in Madagascar. The time passes before I have the ability to process what is happening around me; and before I know it, I am sitting back in the little cyber café near my house trying to remember every little detail of my past week. It is quite a difficult task, I must say.

This past week has been mind-blowing. I know you are all getting tired of my constant explinations of extreme excitement, but each week just seems to get better and better. So, you will just have to deal with it ;).

Saturday morning marked the beginning of our Lemur Ecology study--one of the coolest "courses" we have had here in Madagascar--not that I can really compare what I am doing here to any classes I have had in the states. In the states I would sit in class and hear about the people doing the studies. Here I actually get to do them.

We left Fort Dauphin around 7:30 am, and we spent most of the day traversing the extremely bumpy roads of Madagascar. About halfway through the trip, we stopped off in a little village called Ranomainty ("black water" in english) to see some rare aloe plants and to discuss the effects of a Japanese NGO project in the area. We arrived in Ifotaka (our destination) in the late afternoon--hot, tired, and dirty (which didn't change the entire span of our stay). Ifotaka is a town located in the Antandroy region of southern Madagascar...this is close to where I will be living for my village stay next week!

**Side note: The Antandroy region is well known for it's extremely hot weather, dusty terrain, and spiny forests. Temperatures got up to about 41°C during the middle of the day. I have never been so hot in my life. The terrian is mainly sandy, dusty dirt and rocks. I stayed covered in a layer of dust the entire trip. Yet even though I was extremely dusty, dirty, and hot for the majority of the stay, it was completely worth it to be able to study the lemurs in their natural habitat!

The next morning, we drove down to a smaller village (Zanavo) just outside of Ifotaka, where we actually performed our studies. Our tents were pitched under a canopy of Euphorbia trees, which provided a lovely source of shade for us during our stay. We spent two days in Zanavo, performing three studies of Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi, more commonly known as a Sifaka lemur. These guys life in the Didieraceae trees of the spiny forest.

**Side note #2: The weren't kidding when they decided to call the forests in Southwest Madagascar "spiny." Almost each and every species of plant growing in these forests are covered in spines. It was super hard to walk through the forest without getting pricked, poked, and stabbed by hundreds of sharp-pointed endemic flora. I was actually able to make it out with only one large cut on my leg!

Through three different experiments, we studied the population density, habitat, and behavior of these crazy little creatures. My favorite of the three was the lemur behavior study--for approximately two hours in the early morning, we sat around in the forest and observed the lemurs in their habitat, taking note of their actions every five minutes. While it seems like a simple task, studing lemurs in the wild is actually quite difficult. We spent most of our time actually walking through the spiny forest trying to locate the sneaky little guys. Overall, I think we walked around in the forest for about 7 hours total. It was amazing :).

Our last night in Zanavo, a couple of us went on a night walk to spot tiny little mouse lemurs. They are the smallest type of lemurs alive, and they are nocturnal. And adorable.

On our last day, we voyaged to Berenty to see even more lemurs!! For those of you who didn't already know, Berenty is a private reserve owned by a french family, the DeHaulmes, for the past two generations. Most behavioral research that has been done on lemurs has taken place in Berenty because the lemurs are habituated to humans and it is much easier to conduct a behavioral study on lemurs that do not run away from you! And the most exciting part: I am most likely going to do a behavioral study on the Ring-Tailed lemurs and Sifakas at Berenty for my ISP!! Oh man, my insides got all tingly walking through Berenty with the lemurs. In no way can I exibit my excitement through this blog.

By the time we returned home, I was in desperate need of a shower. Seriously. I had bathed a couple of times in the Mandrare river, but I still had layers of dust caked to my body. The shower I took when I got back to my house was the most amazing shower I have taken here in Madagascar. It was cold. And I loved it.

It was also great returning home to my homestay family. They were all really excited to see me when I got back home! The whole family rushed out to see me, and it was really nice to feel like I was back home (a little bit). It was really amazing that I felt like I was returning home, even though I have only been calling that house, this town, this coutry my home for a couple of weeks.

So, I do not have enough time to finish, but I will finish my post either tomorrow or Saturday. But, I will leave you with one last comment:

I have received a ton of mail in the past two days: two letters, a card, two picture postcards, and a package. I cannot express how happy it has made me to read the letters from friends and family back home. You guys rock. I just want you to know that. Keep it up ;)

erin elizabeth

The Weeks Fly By

It took me until today to realize that it has almost been a week since I have submitted a post. The schedule is getting so busy here, and it has been hard trying to find any free time at all. So, just for the record, I will be posting as often as I can, even if it isn't a lot.

So here begins the account of my past week...so much has happened!!

After I left you last Saturday, I headed out to Libanona and actually had the most lovely, relaxing day alone. It is almost impossible to get any free time here in Fort Dauphin, and I cherish every moment I can find. I spent most of the afternoon, sitting in a Sky chair on the peninsula of Libanona which overlooks the Indian Ocean. I have started a book entitled "A Walk in the Woods" about a man who hiked the Appalacian trail (a pretty good, easy read...nice for a lazy Saturday). After a couple of hours of snoozing and reading under the pine trees (which I will have you know are not endemic to the island, but provide completely amazing shade), I joined Shoshi and Nick on the beach, where we talked with an Australian (not from Victoria, thank goodness) who is a volunteer for the NGO Azafady (of which I have previously referred). There was a lovely sunset, and we spent most of the evening having random discussions about cultural immersion, the issues with the Malagasy government, and issues of our own.

Monday was a relatively normal (if I can use the word normal here) day. Class was quite long, lasting from 8am until around 5ish.

Tuesday morning, we left Fort Dauphin for our first excursion--a trip to Andohahela National Park. The park is divided into three existing parcels: Parcel 1 (Rainforest), Parcel 2 (Transitional Forest), and Parcel 3 (Dry, Spiny Forest). We travelled to Parcel 2, where we studied the surrounding flora. The Malagasy CEL (centre d'écologie à Libanona) students joined us on our trip! We split up half and half among the vehicles, and I ended up riding with a Malagasy student named Alden. He was a little shy, but we ended up talking for a bit. After a couple of hours of bouncing around in an SUV of sorts, we arrived at our camp. Later in the afternoon, we were split up into groups (again half Malagasy, half SIT) and voyaged into the transitional forest to survey the surrounding vegetation. We were to mark off a 10x10 meter area and basically do an inventory of the flora in our space--identify species type, how many, what size, etc. Long story short, I ran back and forth in a 100 square meter parcel identifing awesome endemic trees, shrubs, and vines. It was really great (and at first difficult) identifying trees and shrubs that have adapted to live in a transitional climate in Madagascar. One species that we identified was known as the Vazaha tree (foreigner tree) because the trunk was white and it's bark peeled off like sunburnt skin (and of course, I was standing there with my peeling sunburn as I was finding out this tid-bit of information).

The evening at Andohahela was lovely, and I got to used my amazing new tent for the very first time. The weather was nice (hot but not rainy), and so I went to sleep watching the stars. The stars here are incredibly awesome. I actually was able to see the milky way and Orien's belt (or Arthur's arrow ;), except it was all upside down!

The next morning, we went on an "eco-tour" of the Parcel and discussed more of the flora and fauna--don't worry, I won't bore you non-nerdy people with more tree talk. At the end of the hike, we went swimming in an awesome natural pool with a large waterfall. It was so hot, and a nice dip in the water was quite refreshing. Although, I was a little worried about the possiblity of parasites.

The next day, back at Libanona, we had to give a presentation of our findings at Andohahela. In french. I must say, it was a little rough, but lunch made it all better! We had spaghetti with red sauce containing squash and zucchini. I have never in my life been so excited about pasta. It was so amazing to eat something other than rice for once!!

After class, a bunch of the SIT students and CEL students met up at a bar for drinks and mingling. If you saw this bar anywhere in the states, it would in no way have met building code. The whole back of the building was non-existant, but look out over the beach and the Indian Ocean. It was so awesome to be sharing a beer with the Malagasy students, looking out over the bright blue sea. It was also really great to spend some time with the students out of class, talking to them about their daily lives. Most of the students have only a year or two left of school. Some of them are already married. It is highly common for people to get married at a young age here in Madagascar. One of the students that I talked to had been married for two years, and her husband works here, in Fort Dauphin, catching lobster. She had to be about 21 years old. It is kind of crazy.

Today has been chill and lovely. We were lectured on Lemur Ecology this morning, had Malagasy class, and were done around 11am. A bunch of us walked down to the beach and ate lunch at a cute little tropical restaurant right on the sand (where I again ate spaghetti and veggies....yum yum yum). It really is amazing how often we discuss food here on this trip. It is a little obsession of ours (if you cannot already tell). I have already decided that when I get home, we will have some sort of fire at the lake, where marshmellows will be roasted, placed on melting chocolate, and smushed between two lovely graham crakers. I think I have a real problem!

There were demonstrations and strikes going on here in Fort Dauphin today, concerning the political situation. Shops were closed and people were standing in the streets. We have been informed that everything is ok, and that it is very unlikely to get out of hand. The mayor of Tana is still in the process of trying to get rid of the President, and he is trying to rally people throughout the country. The president is not doing/saying much at the moment. It will be interesting to see how things turn out.

But on a good note, I am heading out on our second excursion for our Lemur ecology unit!! Woot Woot!! We are travelling to a couple of places, but in particular, we are going to be stopping in Berenty (a private reserve in southern Madagascar known for its lemur populations, and probably the site of my independent research project)! I am SO excited to begin working with the little guys!!

...So I hope I covered the high points. It is so hard to recount everything from the past week! But overall, I am staying busy, eating a lot, filling my little brain with lots of knowledge, and having a blast.

off to hand wash some more clothes,

erin elizabeth

A Gecko Lives Under My Bed.

Under my bed lives a tiny gray-green gecko. Every now and then he scurries up the wall and catches a moth for dinner. I have taken a liking to him; I have named him Ivan. It is the small things like Ivan that bring me happiness here in my small Madagascar wonderland.

The past few days have been absolute bliss (despite the constant rainy mornings). Two days ago, our group travelled a couple of kilometers to a small fishing village known as Lokaro. This destination was supposed to be one of the most beautiful beaches in Fort Dauphin--a small piece a paradise (among the all others surrounding me every day). Unfortunately, it was overcast and a little rainy. Although Lokaro was only about 25km from the city of Fort Dauphin, it took us about and hour and a half to get to our destination. I cannot begin to describe the condition of the roads here. (I thought my father's random drives down curvy dirt roads in the Blue Ridge Mountains were bad. Those car rides don't even compare).

Once we were in the fishing village, we had to wait around for the fishermen to return from their morning fishing trip. I spent my time exploring the rocks lining the beach where I found many beautiful seashells. They are all complete shells here--not like the broken ones found on the beaches of North Carolina. There were also tons of lizards climbing all over the rocks.

When the fishermen arrived, we helped them pull their pirogues (canoes fashioned out of some kind of wood...think Pocahontas) out of the water and up on shore. We then split up into smaller groups and interviewed the fishermen, bombarding them with questions about their daily fishing tasks and their daily lives in general. It was really interesting to hear their responses and to get insight into their cultural mentality. At first, I was a little shocked to hear how much their explinations revolved around God and his control of their destiny. When we asked them if there were any dangers while fishing out in the open ocean waters, they responded "yes, but it is all due to God's will." When we asked why they hadn't caught any fish that day, they responded "because God is punishing us for our wrongdoings." Thinking about it in hindsight, I shouldn't have been so surprised. These people have been living this way for centuries...fishing and living in a tiny, extremely remote part of the world. Why would they think any differently? After the interviews, we travelled to another beach where we relaxed and ate a lovely pic-nic of baguettes, zebu, sweet cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, and bananas. Yum yum yum.

**Side note: It was during this trip that I got my first terrible sunburn. Ironically, it rained most of the day, and yet the sun still found a way through the clouds and rain to burn me completely. My homestay famiy freaked out a little bit when I returned home as red as a lobster. It was actually kind of comical.

Yesterday was also lovely. Shoshi, a friend of mine from San Francisco, came by my house and we walked through the rain on our 45 minute trek to class. Needless to say, we took a cab after about 10 minutes. Fridays are lovely because we only have morning classes. We began with Malagasy class and sat through two lectures on 1) Andohahela National Park and 2) Marine Protected Areas throughout Madagascar. Most of our lectures are held in french, but the lecture on MPAs was in English, and I must say it was quite refreshing to hear a voice speaking English.

**I must clarify that although it sounds like we are constantly hanging out on beaches and eating delicious food (which is indeed true most of the time) we also do a lot of sitting and listening. In french or malagasy. And it is super hard. Also, I get up around 6 am every day (with the sun and the roosters) and go to sleep around 10. The days are long.

After classes, we all walked a little ways to a restaurant near Lebanona called "Le Stade." We spent most of the early afternoon there eating Malagasy pizzas and various side dishes. The rain cleared up and it turned out to be a beautiful afternoon. A couple of us decided to walk up to the supermarket after lunch which turned out to be the best idea we had had all day. We ended up buying a liter of Mint Chocolate Chip icecream (which was pricey but SO worth it), Madagascar Rum (which cost me all of $1.50), and a liter of Coke each. From there we walked to a beautiful chalet on the beach where we devoured the ice cream in all of two minutes. We spent the next four hours on the beach--drinking rum and coke, playing cards, singing, and watching the sun set over the mountains on a peninsula just beside the beach. I would have to say that it was the most fun and relaxing time I have spent here in Madagascar.

The rest of the evening was spent with my lovely Malagasy family--playing with my "sister and brother" and sharing conversation over rice and veggies. Lova and I played games to help learn numbers (in malagasy for me, in english for her). And I absolutely love my grandmother, Mamy. She is constantly smiling and laughing.

And over these past couple of days, I have come to the realization that I am in a genuinely happy and peaceful state of mind. I'm not sure when the transition took place, but it has. Throughout the crazy Malagasy classes, lectures in french, and awkward homestay moments, my soul is pretty peaceful and any worries that I have seem to dissipate quite quickly. I haven't once felt the agonizing, stomach turning anxiety that I have so often experienced over the past year or two. It is a good feeling, to say the least. I am spending this valentines day truly loving myself for once.

And on that note, Happy Valentines Day to you all. It is, indeed, cliché, but I love you just the same.

wishing you madagascar hugs and kisses,

erin elizabeth

PS: I am in the process of attempting to upload pictures on facebook. If I do indeed get them to post, check them out!! (facebook here in incredibly slow) I have not taken a good picture of my homestay family, so that will have to come later...but I think there is one of my little sister. I hope you enjoy them, even though they do this country no justice.

PSS: I have received word that my lovely UNC basketball boys have defeated Dook. GO HEELS!!!

i am turning into vary

So, I don't think I have adequately discussed the food that I have been eating here in Madagascar. Basically, I am soon going to turn into one massive grain of vary (the malagasy term for rice). As much as I am a lover of the fluffy white grain, I am pretty sure I have eaten more rice in the past two weeks than in my entire existance. For both lunch and dinner (and on some occasions breakfast), the meal commences with a huge plate of rice. There is always some portion of meat to accompany this mountain of fluff...zebu, chicken, sardines, shrimp, etc. Most of the time, the meat is served in conjunction with some sort of vegetable...beans, green papaya (which is kind of like spaghetti squash and oh so delicious), cucumbers and avacado, etc. Then, the meal is always topped off with fruit for dessert...pinapple, mango, papaya, guavas, bananas etc.

**disclaimer: Studying abroad does crazy things to people. I am now eating bananas. At my own free will. I am not joking. (For some of you, this may not seem like a big deal. But for those who know me well, I know what you are thinking at this moment. Yes even you Roman ;)...but fear not, I am still NOT eating peanut butter!

At the beginning of this trip, I thought that I might lose some weight (due to the fact that I would be eating healthier foods, etc.) I no longer feel like this is a true statement. While I am definitely eating less processed foods, I am eating A LOT of it! The food here is so tasty.

The past two days have been pretty calm here in Fort Dauphin and Libanona. The weather has calmed down from the cyclone, and the walks along the beach have been quite peaceful. My days have mainly been filled with lots of classes, eating, and hanging out around town with my american loves. We have actually been learning a lot about local NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and their projects throughout Fort Dauphin. We talked with a gentleman who started a local NGO called "Azafady" (which is actually the Malagasy word for "please" or "excuse me" or "not taboo"). His organization spends a lot of their time working with local villagers in a program that teaches health and sanitary practices. Not only does Azafady have to work to create these programs, but they must integrate their knowledge of the local culture, practices, and "taboo." It is easy to go into a village and build an outhouse. It is much harder to explain to a group of rural Malagasy villagers the importance of sanitation and the relevance of a clean living/eating space.

Classes have been getting harder. Malagasy is completely hard to learn. It is like no other language that I have ever encountered, and the structure of sentences, spelling, and pronunciation of words is quite difficult. For example, there are four different words for the term "cousin," depending on the gender of the individual and whether the cousin comes from the mother's side of the family or the father's side. Example #2: There is only one article in the entire language (gny)...I know this seems like it would be easier, but when it comes to translating this fact, is indeed, a bitch. Example #3: To say "see you later", you say: Mandrapihaona, ami-magnaraky koa.

Malagasy homelife has slowly become less and less difficult. The language barrier will always be a problem, but I am beginning to feel more at home.

...and on that note, it is time for me to go handwash some clothes. woot.

until my next adventure,

erin elizabeth