Hello everyone! I am having the best time of my life!! Wow, I have only been here for 5 days now and I have so much to say...I will try to start from the beginning...
The plane ride was extremely long. We ended up having a 12 hour layover in Paris, so a guy named Nick and I ventured out into the city for the day. I had my first french nutella crepes and café au lait in a little café in the streets of Paris. There was a strike going on with the metro, but we ended up finding our way from the airport and back safely to catch our flight. The back to back overnight plane rides were tough, but I ended up getting some sleep.
Literally the first thing we did when we got to Madagascar was walk around in a little village market in the countryside on the outskirts of Fort Dauphin. Our Malagasy profs handed us a sheet of terms and we walked around lerning the names of fruits and veggies and meats. For the first few days we stayed out in the country, in a place called Manatantely (which means the land where there is honey). It was so beautiful and quaint and we spent a lot of time getting to know our Malagasy profs (Sosoni, Mamy, and Naina) and each other. There was a hole in the ground for the bathrooms and two big barrels of water to shower in...but it was so hot and humid the first couple of days that my bucket baths were so amazing.
We spent the days learning how to introduce ourselves and count in Malagasy. To ask someone his name, we say Iza moa ng'naranoa azafady. The language is actually pretty easy to pick up, and I am more worried about my french language skills. One of the first days we visited and orchard and saw tons of trees...starfruit, grapefruit, macadamia nuts, LIMES, oranges, etc. Mango trees were everywhere and the kids sit around and wait for mangoes to fall to the ground and fight over who gets to eat them. We also hiked a mountain about two kilometers from our "camping area" and the forest was gorgeous. We learned that the locals use the area to cut down trees to grow manioc, casava, etc and the forest is hurting.
The food here is DELICIOUS. Some of the best I have ever had. Mostly rice and vegetables with lots of tasty fruit for dessert!! I don't know what it is, but the food is just so tasty...even the zebu (the madagascar version of cow). I have already had pineapple, mango, papaya, lime, jack fruit, apples, and bananas. YES even the bananas here are delicious. SO GOOD!!
Our days are packed full...one night we learning traditional Malagasy song and dance...which was basically booty dancing for entertaining the local village people. All I am going to say is that we did a fertility dance...hahahahha.
Our first day in Fort Dauphin was yesterday, and the first thing we did was a "Market drop off." Basically our profs gave us ariary (malagasy currency) and in pairs, had to venture into the downtown Malagasy market alone to bargain for food that we will later use for dinner. OH MY GOD!! It was such a crazy experience to use my super limited Malagasy to barter for "vary" (rice in malagasy). Last night we stayed in a hotel that actually had running water and power... my shower was SO freaking amazing. The bay here is so beautiful. I cannot tell you how amazing everything is here. I will try to post pictures soon.
So today, we are in pairs, basically orienting ourselves to the town, exchanging money etc. We have to buy a gift for someone in our group, have lunch on our own, and find Libanona (the site for our classroom) all on our own, and with the help of the local malagasy of course (all of whom are extremely nice and helpful. The ecology center is supposedly located on a peninsula which is surrounded on three sides by the blue Indian Ocean. We have to walk on the beach to get to our classroom!! I can't wait to see it and to show you guys pictures.
To sum up my experience so far, in a nutshell, is quite impossible...but for those who can understand, it is kind of like governors school in a foreign country...times a million. Every single person in my group is amazing...we all have so much in common, yet so much to learn from each other. I have been here for less than a week and I have already learned so much.
There is still so much more to say, but I must be on my way to find some Malagasy cuisine.
I love you guys.
Veloma e!!!! (bye!!!!)
erin elizabeth
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5 comments:
Wow! It sounds so amazing, Erin, and I miss you like crazy, but I'm very happy to hear that you are having an amazing time. When you first started describing the shower situation and how hot and muggy it was, I thought, "Governor's School," even though I'm sure it's nothing like North Carolina! I'm glad to hear you compare it to Governor's School, though, because that means you are having a freaking awesome time! Love and miss you!!!
xoxo
I was so excited to hear from you! It really made my day of sitting at the hospital with Weston A LOT better! I'm so glad you're enjoying yourself!! Love and miss you! Praying for you!
Love, Laura
it was wonderful to hear from you this morning--had to show your blog to everyone at work! Sounds like a little bit of heaven on earth. Expecting 2-4 inches of snow here tonight--still winter where we are! Keep those emails coming when you can and cherish each day's gifts and challenges. We love you and miss you so much!!
OMG!!! I want to learn the booty dancing stuff you got to show me them moves girl.. AHH sounds soo freakn amazing i knew you were going to have a blast. Just reading it makes me want some fruit that i know will not even taste near as good as what your pickn off of trees :( we will all have to take trip like this together like on the "sisterhood of the traveling pants" The snow is coming down here beautifully but im sure it doesnt compare nothing to the beach you will have to walk on just to get to class. Cant wait to see pictures!
I'm so glad to hear things are going better than well. You'll also be happy to know that I have stopped my tears! I can even bring you up in conversation without tearing up now. I still miss you dearly!
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