I thought it fitting to update this thing so that it more accurately reflects my current life situation. Even though I originally intended that this serve as a forum for me to stay in contact with the folks from home while I was in Madagascar, I guess it’s sort of transforming into a more casual medium now that I’m stateside. That’s fine by me. And if that is in fact the case, and if that becomes the nature of this blog, anticipate much less colorful and interesting entries in the future… not that I can honestly say past entries have been all that exciting.

Any way…

It’s been a long, trying road for me to achieve self sufficiency and a sense of fulfillment since returning from the Peace Corps at the end of April. But, I am currently back on my feet, and feeling very… well, 'blessed' I guess would be the best way to describe it. Even though the American economy continues to be in the crapper, I was able to land a part-time job with an amazing nonprofit organization this summer. I’ve been working with youth and families that are transitioning out of homelessness. It’s been a really inspiring few months, and I’m sad to be leaving the position so soon. But, as I’ll elaborate momentarily, permanence/stability are really important to me right now, and I want a job I can count on that’s full-time, with benefits, yada yada…

So I’ve been working and earning a paycheck again, which, more than making me feel like a whole human being and a contributing member of society, has also enabled me to move out of my parent’s house. That’s right: I’m an independent woman; a young girl in the big city. I think those metaphors take it too far… But, I am in fact the proud renter/resident of a ‘cozy’ studio apartment in midtown Sacramento. And I absolutely love the lifestyle that all of these factors have created: I bike or walk almost everywhere, I don’t own a car (f.y.i. my Volkswagen Cabrio totally got stolen from my parent’s house while I was away), I don’t own a TV; I live next to a park, a coffee shop, a grocery store, and public transportation. I’m feeling especially great, for the first time in a long time, about my all around life situation.

What’s more (and this is where the title of this entry and the bit I was saying earlier about permanence/stability will begin to make sense), I will soon be transitioning into my year-long-service as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. Yes, from one ‘corps’ to the next (…after this I’m thinking the Marine Corps ). I’m choosing to work in a domestic service capacity rather than returning to an overseas gig, and I’m very excited to begin. I’ll be training in Atlanta, August 18 through 21, as a part of my pre-service orientation to the AmeriCorps. Following that, I’ll begin my 9 to 6, working at Hands On Sacramento, which “inspires and empowers people to change lives and our community through meaningful volunteer action,” and acts as “the region's volunteer action center and resource that connects over 14,000 volunteers and more than 25 businesses a year with volunteer opportunities to match their schedules and interests.” My job will be “to develop and manage group volunteer opportunities in greater Sacramento,” as well as “to recruit and engage project leaders, manage projects, produce regional events, and outreach to a variety of nonprofits.” Also, I’ll be working within blocks of the beautiful state capitol and walking distance from my studio. I think this is pretty much the culmination of my dream and my ideal of how life, work, and housing should be.

So basically: I’m pumped. While this AmeriCorps position is not in the health education field, which I’ve been working in for the past couple years, I think it fulfills an equally important community and human interest roll; a cause that I am more than ready and happy to further. Plus, there are a whole slew of skills that I think I stand to gain from this position, which hopefully, will make me more marketable when I’m back in the treacherous job market a year from now.

Now that that’s said and done…

I’ll be interested to see if I have any more new news to post on this blog. I think that in the eyes of others I probably lead a pretty mundane life. But I find it pretty damn exciting, so who knows, maybe I’ll have experiences that I feel like sharing or thoughts I feel like expressing in the future through this thing.

Peace.

Me, next to Black River Canyon, South Africa.

Me, over Zambezi River, on Zimbabwian side, near Vic Falls.

Me (circa 23rd birthday), at the dunes in Namibia.

Me, next to Fish River Canyon, South Africa.

Me, next to Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.

Host family and I at Thank-You-Community Ceremony.

The ladies of the Tamatave region and I (Lindsay left, Kanto center).

Health '08 after swearing-in.

So I'm back from the Peace Corps... only 20 months early. About six-months in to my 27-month-long assignment as a Community Health Education Volunteer (first in Toliara, and then Mahavelona), the Peace Corps suspended their entire Madagascar program and evacuated all of its volunteers due to political instability. I officially closed my service with the Peace Corps on March 20, 2009. Mampalahelo. Now I'm home, in Sacramento, staying at my parent's house and looking for a job in the worst economic climate since the Great Depression... fantastic. It's not all bad though. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's mostly good; I'm safe and healthy once more, and I had the opportunity to take an amazing road trip through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe before returning to California via London. Life's crazy... in a very good way I suppose: Sometimes you think you know exactly what you'll be doing for the next two years, and sometimes a coup d'état changes all that. But seriously though, in spite of everything, I am so grateful for the experiences and friendships that I gained from my short time in Madagascar. I will never forget all of the people that put up with my terrible Malagasy Official, Vezo, and even Betsimisaraka language dialects, as I relocated from one side of the island to the next. Honestly, without my 'gasy neighbors, friends and co-workers, I don't know what I would have done. And the same can be said of all of my Peace Corps friends and fellow volunteers, my stage-mates, and the incredible Peace Corps staff. I will miss everyone so much. (Fa, angamba tsy vita miaraka amin'ny Corps de la Paix zaho; angamba afaka miverina a Madagasikara any amin'ny iray toana (?). Tsy haiko, fa manantena zaho!). Hence, if the Peace Corps re-open their Madagascar program within the next year, I'm on the contact list for possible re-instatement. We'll see where I'm at if/when that time comes. Until then, I'm looking for something that can prove to be half as fulfilling as volunteering was – either through a “real job” here on the home front, or re-enrollment in another Peace Corps program. Fingers crossed; I really need to be doing something and soon! Thank you as well to all of my American (and English) family and friends for all of the love and support you’ve provided me with during this pretty trying time. Cheers, eh?

Due to some unfortunate events at my site, and as a result of the political turmoil that's rocked Madagascar this past month (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7876932.stm), I will no longer be living/working in Toliara. As sad as I am to have to leave my new home, I’m just happy that I’m safe, that the Peace Corps can continue to work here, and that the violence appears to be have ended. I’m in the capitol now, waiting for reassignment elsewhere in the country. I’ll post a new address as soon as I have one; hold-off on sending anything until then.

One of the ravaged Ravalamanana-owned stores in Toliara.

A mpamosavy?

A mpivoatra at the Fish Market.

The Sakama Market.

The Bazary Be ("Big Market").

A pousse pousse driver near town center

I’m doing well (safe, healthy, happy, etc.) but it is an uncertain time right now. I don’t have the experience or authority necessary to comment on the political happenings of Madagascar, but if you’ve been following any international news then you’re probably already aware of the civil unrest that’s taking place here. I think that it’s important for me to make note of this issue on my blog not only because it affects my life here, but more so because it affects the lives of the people in my community, and potentially, their future quality of life. To try and briefly summarize what’s happened: About a week ago, the mayor of Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina, declared himself to be president. A few days before that, people burnt and looted many of Marc Ravalamanana’s (the current president’s) businesses and factories throughout the country. And over the weekend, 28 people were killed when trying to enter the presidential palace at the conclusion of a rally in support of Andry. However, make no mistake that I’m relaying all of this information secondhand, so please read up on it for yourself (http://www.rfi.fr/actuen/articles/110/article_2820.asp). The news reports here often contradict each other and rumors abound, so don’t just take my word as fact. Here in Toliara, things are quiet now. But similar to many of the other big cities, there were shootings, lootings, and burnings here too. As I said before though: I am safe, and in very good hands with Peace Corps. I’ve heard that a UN mediator is in-country now, so we’re all hoping that things will be resolved quickly and peacefully.

In unrelated news: My friend and fellow volunteer Richard Frye took some great photos of Toliara that wanted to share. So pictured above: A taste of my magnificent new hometown!

Lemurs at the Tana Zoo.

Me giving a health talk on clean water.

It is 98.5˚ F in the shade right now. As I write I am sitting in my one-bedroom house with the fan unplugged. Until I buy a power strip, I have to choose between occasionally powering up my laptop (as I have chosen now), or my fan, since I have only one power outlet. Who am I kidding? I can’t believe I just said only one. Ha, that’s a laugh. I am one of a handful of Peace Corps Volunteers in-country who actually has coveted access to electricity; and it really is an absolute blessing in this heat. I also have a singe light bulb that allows me to read late at night, a front porch light, (and next door) I have access to running water, a flush toilet, shower, kitchen, etc. I am in the Peace Corps though, I swear!

Back on the subject of the heat: It’s not that it’s quantitatively any hotter here (temperature wise) than it is in California. It’s not. But it just sure fucking feels a hell of a lot hotter here. This is because, unlike California (with its glorious air-conditioning) there’s no escaping the heat… ever. It’s absolutely oppressive. I wake up with my sheets soaked in my own sweat. I take a cold shower, dry off, and then continue to sweat through the rest of the day and into the night. It’s so hot here that people take siesta from noon to 3:00 pm everyday. Toliara is a ghost town during those hours. Forget running errands on your lunch break. It’s too damn hot to do anything other than go home and sleep. The heat’s seriously no big deal though. I’m just whining about it now because it’s my of-the-moment grievance.

So yeah, I’m Toliara now (or “Tulear” if you’re a vazaha). It’s essentially a desert that runs into the Mozambique Channel located on the South-West coast of Madagasikara. It’s beautiful and it’s my home for the next two years! It’s a big city – the regional capitol, with a population of more than 300,000 people. I can get just about anything in this city that I could ever want/need in-country: Toilet paper, peanut butter, Nutella, fresh fruit (mangoes, papayas, bananas, coconuts, etc.), the Malagasy equivalent of Top Ramen, as well as honey, tea, coffee, spices, furniture, etc. And because Toliara is a popular tourist destination, especially with the French, that means there’s also a shit ton of good restaurants that cater to vazaha taste: a pizzeria, gelato shop, sandwich shop, etc. The trouble is: I’m a health volunteer… not a goddamn tourist! This is something that I have to clarify with people every single day. The Peace Corps allots volunteers a living allowance similar to the incomes of the people within their communities. It’s enough to get by. I just can’t afford to eat out at fancy vazaha restaurants. I also can’t afford to pay the special white girl’s price for market food. The ability to speak and to haggle out the prices in Malagasy is an amazing tool though, and for the most part it changes everything. No white people in Toliara speak Malagasy. Not one I swear. So Malagasy people are often mahagaga (surprised) to hear me talk. Especially when I explain that: Eka, vazaha zaho. Fa, tsy teny vazaha zaho. Or: “Yes, I’m a foreigner. But I don’t speak foreigner.” (F.Y.I. the word for “foreigner” and “French” are pretty much synonymous in Malagasy). I tell people proudly that I’m an American. People still love Americans here. Then they ask what part of France America is in.

Other interesting anecdotes/stories:

I work with an American non-governmental organization called Medical Care Development International (MCDI). They’re USAID funded. They pass out mosquito nets, birth control, condoms, malaria treatment meds, de-worming pills, Sûr’Eau (this bleach that makes water safe to drink; it’s produced and marketed by Population Services International, another USAID funded NGO), etc. They also conduct health sensitizations on how and why to use the aforementioned products. They don’t work in Toliara proper, where their bureau is located and where I live, but they go out into the surrounding fokontany and ambanyvoatra (rural towns/villages) spreading the good word. I have yet to witness any of this as it is the holidays and everyone’s on vacation, but I certainly can’t wait to be a part of it.

I gave my first kabary (health talk) earlier in the week. It was at a CSB tarabao (a community health clinic, which specializes in pre-natal/infant care). I talked about the family planning methods that should be available at the CSBs (but often are not). It went really well. I make really cool, colorful posters and visual aids (if I can say so myself), which illustrate how to use condoms, the pill, depo, and IUDs; they attract a lot of attention and make people laugh. People asked great questions afterwards too. There were 63 people in the waiting room that listened to me talk that morning. I was very proud. It was a 20-minute presentation in Malagasy.

I will try to update this blog thingy more often now that I have access to internet. It is expensive though, so I will probably check email once a week at the very most. But the take-home message right now is: I am happy, healthy, loving life and working and learning so much right now.

It's finally happening! I'm leaving for Philadelphia in a few days, and from there: Madagascar! How is this even real? Within the next few months I will be training to serve as a Community Health Educator for the Peace Corps, and after that... after that I'm not really sure where exactly I'll be or what things will be like. All I know is that I'm more excited about embarking on this life chapter than I've ever been about anything else. To have this opportunity is an absolute dream come true for me; it's something I've always wanted to do/be a part of. And in spite of the emotional roller coaster that I'm likely to subject my family and friends to whilst saying goodbye; I'm happy and anxious to begin.

So far, [I think] I know that...

- September 28: I'll have orientation in Philly

- October 2: I'll fly into the Ivato Airport in Madagascar

- October 3: I'll begin Pre-Service Training in Alarobia/Ambatomanga, an hour's drive from the capitol - Antananarivo ("Tana")

- December 10: If all goes well, I will officially get sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer!