Up until now, I seriously questioned whether my town would ever stop defecating in the woods and start using latrines. I had spoken with tons of adults about the dangers of unsafe drinking water caused by open defecation. People understood the message, but they never saw the point to change their behavior. They rarely get sick and after working in the field all day, building a latrine isn't the most appealing afternoon or weekend activity.   The problem is that even though THEY don't get sick from drinking the water here after years of built up immunity, THEIR CHILDREN do get sick. It is heartbreaking living here sometimes. Countless children under 5 years old have died in our area from preventable dehydration due to diarrhea most likely caused by drinking non-potable water.   These deaths will be much less frequent in the years to come, thanks, in part, to a very bright and inquisitive 4-year-old. My neighbor, Harina, likes to hang around and ask me "What's this?" or "What are you doing?". So, when I finished building my latrine, she was very interested.   "What is that?" "It's a latrine. That's where I go to the bathroom." "You don't go to the bathroom in the woods over there." "No. It's so far. I'm lazy. Plus, I don't want people walking in my poop. Also, pooping on the ground makes the water around it dirty." "Oh." "You should use a latrine too. You're a big kid now."   Over the next month, she became more interested, asking me questions about how to use a latrine. I even caught her peeping in on me while I was in the latrine once. The ensuing conversation about privacy and nudity fell on deaf ears. In this culture, kids run around naked and being asked the contents of your bag is a daily occurrence. Anyways, one day, I was eating a hard candy and Harina asked me for one. I told her that I'd only give her one if she started using the latrine. She then went over later in the day, used the latrine, and asked for the candy again. After I made her wash her hands, I paid up.   A few more successful days of the latrine-usage incentive program (read: shamelessly bribing a child with candy), using the latrine became habit for her. Then, she got to work making fun of her friends for being like animals pooping on the ground. Of course, peer pressure is an extremely powerful motivator and her friends started using the latrine too. Ashamed of being called cows by their own children, some parents have begun to trickle in too. It's a snowball effect, led by the smallest catalyst. In related news, my friend, Jao, and I are putting the final touches on his latrine this week. After it is complete, my hope is that his family will use it regularly and that their friends will want to build latrines as well. With Jao's family and Harina as examples to the town, I think, given time, Siranana will be "open defecation free."

Ever not bought something because it cost a dollar too much?  We have:   "How much for those sunglasses?" "$5." "What! $5? That's too expensive.  $1.50." "$2.50." "No, my friend bought the same pair for $1.50 in Tana." "Maybe, but this is Ambanja.  $2.50." "No way, how about $2?" "OK, fine."   It seems pretty stupid when you put it in American dollars, right?  But, since meat costs $1/pound and an orange is 5 cents, it is a big deal for the people who live here.  Not us really, the Peace Corps gives us enough money; we just don't like to be ripped off because we're white.   Updates: rains have started to come down really hard here in Madagascar, we are partnering with new health workers in Ambanja to advocate family planning, and I am looking into teaching my community about food crop diversity with assistance from local NGOs.

This story is long overdue. You may remember that I once rode in a

hollowed out tree-trunk in an effort go to the beach during my first

week at site. We never made it last October (2010). Out of lack of

interest and fear of another "canoe ride," I hadn't tried to return to

try my luck until…December (2011).I had recently visited the village of Ankovana in October with my

counterparts to administer vaccinations, distribute vitamins, and

dispense de-worming pills to children. While we were there, I spent

time with the new head of the village, the Chef Fokontany. Gaston was

a former big-shot in Mahajunga (a tourist town in the West) and was

clearly well off, manambola izy. He then came to our clinic in

Siranana at the end of November to visit and asked when I was going to

return to Ankovana again. I jokingly told him that I would come back

only if he took me to the beach I had never made it to. He said,

"Sure. When? We'll take 'Le Coq'." Now, I had been wary of accepting

invitations for excursions due to some poorly planned past

experiences, but "Le Coq" means the rooster and usually refers to a

speedboat here in Madagascar. Since this guy had money, I figured that

he actually had a speedboat. So, under the pretense of going to "the

beach" in a "speedboat," I scheduled a beach day for Friday.I arrived in Ankovana with my buddy, Ludovic, after biking two hours.

We then met Gaston and he brought us to his boathouse. When he untied

the wooden panels that covered the door, he did not reveal a

speedboat. The best way I can describe it was that it was a cross

between a bath tub and a kiddie pool. It was small and its

sea-worthiness was questionable. My next assumption was that even

though the boat was small, surely he still had a motor to attach to

it. Wrong again. We would be paddling this makeshift vessel. All I

could think was that this seemed a lot like what I imagined the

journey from Cuba to the United States would be. He dragged the tub

into the mangroves and told me to get in. Wisely, I left my camera on

shore.Shortly after pushing off, we started taking in water. Not wanting to

make Americans look like wimps, I laughed it off at first and starting

bailing it by the cupful. Yet, soon enough the water was coming in

faster than I could bail. So, I asked if maybe we should head back. Of

course, Gaston and Ludovic laughed, made fun of foreigners for being

scared of everything, and told me it was fine. Now, for your

information, there are sharp roots and all sorts of crazy creatures

that live in the water of the mangroves. One of the guys in town

recently got bit by something in the water and hasn't been able to

walk on his left foot for the past month. Suppressing my fear of the

boat sinking in the mangroves, we slowly made it to the ocean.

But…where was the beach they promised? No beach. I made the journey

only to find out there was no beach. No sand. Just ocean.We then got out of the boat for a break, but as stories go, my shorts

got caught on the side of the boat and the whole right side ripped

off. We were now shipwrecked on the coast of the Mozambique Channel

without phones, without drinking water, and without shade. Not the

best situation I've ever been in. If a boat didn't pass by, we'd have

to swim back two miles in shallow, creature-filled water.Luckily, after waiting for what seemed like hours, a canoe pulled into

the channel with the catch of the day and rescued us. I was sun-burnt,

smelled like fish, and decently dehydrated by the time we reached

shore again, but all I could feel was relief. Just another crazy day

in Madagascar. We then grilled a couple chickens, ate, had an

interesting discussion about sea turtles (that's another story), and

returned to my village.I will not get in another "boat" in this country. Bottom line.

A Very Ambanja Christmas Streets of Ambanja

Ankify Beach

Backyard under the mango tree

Baie des dunes

Fishing for dinner

Trophy?

House Repairs

Josh, Momene, and lunch

Neighbor kids

New Years Eve 2011 Diego

Site

Site

Thanksgiving

Ambanja Crew

Deaths (faty inMalagasy) are a very humbling cultural experience. My town is so small that a death is felt throughout theentire community. In fact, I’mpretty sure that most of the town is composed of only a few large, extendedfamilies, so deaths are felt even more so. Word of a death passes rather quickly, so quickly that bythe next morning, everyone knows not to go to their fields, but to participatein the visitation rituals. Deathsof the young are treated with solemn reflection, a life taken too early. Deaths of elders are treated withrevelry, however. In fact, when anelder is about to die, people start planning the party and picking out whichcow they’re going to kill well beforehand. It’s not a sign of disrespect, but rather a tribute to howmuch they value a long life. In atown of little money and no electricity, killing a cow and buying fuel to run agenerator all night for a party is a really big deal. The visitation day (days if the family is “rich”) goes asfollows:1. Allthe women in the town gather pots and plates from the stock at the women’sgroup and begin cooking rice for the entire town.2. Ifit is the death of an elder, the men kill a cow. If it is the death of a young person, the meal will besimple like beans or small shrimp.3. Mengather in small groups and put money together to offer the deceased’s family asa condolence gift. The amount eachperson gives ranges from the equivalent of 10 to 50 cents.4. Thegroup of men walk over to where the family of the deceased lives. There will be one house that one familymember always stays in receiving visitors. We arrive, all sit in a circle, and then the eldest of us(never me thankfully) makes a speech about how sorry we are, but grateful tohave made the acquaintance of the deceased. Then, the family responds by thanking us for visiting andtelling a short story about the deceased.5. Wethen leave the house, sit in the shade, and eat food the women of the town haveprepared. No one gets his ownplate; we have our own spoons but eat out of a communal bowl of rice and kabaka(side dish).6. Aftereveryone finishes eating, the bowls are removed and the other men tell storiesand sit around. The women arecooking, serving, and socializing throughout the entire day.7. Wereturn again in groups at points through the day and evening just to visit;that way the grieving family is never alone. The community is always there to support them.

For better or worse, in a couple years, Peace Corps will probably not be what you think. It’s already different than what it was just five years ago here in Madagascar. When I pictured a “Peace Corps volunteer” before I signed up, I imagined someone living in the middle of nowhere, in a far off country, without electricity or food or running water or TV, etc. That was my stereotypical Peace Corps image that popped up in my mind. And, that is one reason why I joined. I was enticed because the experience was so different, so foreign. While I struggled at first with the lack of electricity, the whole “living in a shack” thing, and not being able to use all those skills I honed in college, I now feel extremely lucky to be living in my town of 800 off the grid. Not many volunteers will be able to have that experience in the upcoming years. It has been extremely rewarding to experience this way of life.

Even now, there are volunteers living in large towns with internet, electricity, showers, and all the comforts of home. But the major change is going to be for the volunteers living in towns like mine in the future. With cell phone service getting better, volunteers have been starting to use smartphones at site. Soon, most will be able to access internet, facebook with friends, and coordinate projects all from their house. It’s crazy to think, but in a few years, the volunteer living in the house I am currently living in will do that too. Even without running water or a good road or a daily market, they will be able to charge their phone using a solar panel and access internet. Currently, there is a new initiative called Stomp Out Malaria in Africa. In this campaign, volunteers with access to internet are using Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Tumblr, Google Docs, and Skype to coordinate projects to eradicate malaria across all of Africa. It’s wild stuff. Even volunteers without smartphones in many countries can text in Twitter updates or get information about updates programs via text.

I’m very excited about the potential of technology in developing countries to assist with real, long-term development. But, at the same time, I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to live off the grid a bit. If my Peace Corps experience was simply living far away from home and family, but with all the comforts of home, I don’t think I’d be enjoying it as much. Good timing, huh?

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the States!

Amboboka Waterfall with Josh

Top of the Waterfall

Canoe Ride to the Waterfall

Spicy Meatballs Are Really Tasty (S-M-A-R-T choice Raff)

Lake Mantasoa

Campfire at Training Center

Post Project Design Management Training

James at the Marathon Finish

With my counterpart (second from left), Leif, and Robert

Peace Corps Uses Way Too Many Flipcharts

Chicken Raising with Richard

The Remainder of Our Stage (6 gone) at Mid-Service Conference

BBQ at Leif's House

Bartendering and Jamming Out at Training Center

Dear US National and State governments of years past and present:

Thank you. Sure, you screwed up some stuff over the years. But, hey, we all do. I am writing to thank you for investing in the future success of our country by establishing quality infrastructure. Living here in Madagascar makes me realize all the things the government does that I take for granted.

Over the years, you have built roads, railways, and dams, brought electricity to every household, maintained a clean, safe, running water supply, protected the public health, and disposed of our waste. And sure, we all complain about paying taxes, but thanks for that too.

Here, in Madagascar, the government just doesn't invest in its people or its country. There is no established tax system (most funds are generated through tariffs or foreign aid). As a result, the roads here are awful. To give you an idea, I live on a highway. There are only about 10 of these in the country, so the logic follows that these are the best roads. Yet, my 115 mile ride from Siranana to Diego takes 6 hours…on a highway! My 30 mile ride to Ambanja takes an hour and a half (not including waiting time). The road is essentially single-lane with parts paved, parts with potholes, and parts where I swear there was an earthquake. Non-highways are worse. Without good roads, food and other goods can't be transported quickly for commerce and tourists can't shell out money to visit all the cool stuff here because they can't access everything.

Unfortunately, most people also live without electricity (including me). This doesn't affect their daily life so much because most people do not have things that require electricity, but think about the opportunities that electricity provides. With electricity, I was able to stay up until midnight every night in college studying instead of going to bed after dark or attempting to work by candlelight (which is difficult). With electricity, you can use a refrigerator to keep food fresh everyday, which means less trips to the market and less food poisoning caused by improper preservation, which means more time for work and play. In short, we use electricity everyday in the United States and it does more than charge our iPods. It allows us, in so many ways, to be more productive and advance our country.

Most people also live without clean water. It is amazing to me that I can turn on a faucet in the US and just drink the water. I mean, that is wild stuff. We have a system in the US where we flush our waste down the toilet, rain drains into sewers, and the water I shower with is all gathered, treated, and put back into households as clean, potable water. Here, there are periods of drought and periods of plenty. But, regardless, I still have to filter my water and bleach it so I don't get sick. We are extremely lucky to have access to clean water in the US, which will hopefully continue (there have been some recent articles in Newsweek and National Geographic on water security that I recommend to anyone interested).

Finally, thank you FDA, NIH, etc. We had cholera epidemics and children with polio in the early 20th century, but now children in the US don't even have to get a polio vaccine. Not to mention, you're constantly preparing for next year's flu virus. All in all, it's pretty remarkable. Here, there is widespread malaria, which could potentially be eradicated with nationwide treatment for 2 years (because the virus is spread through mosquitoes but can only continue when there are human carriers, life cycle chart). There is also still polio and the Plague (50km north of where I live actually).

So, thank you for investing in the American citizens to keep us traveling quickly, awake past 7pm, and healthy. Keep it up and you are more than welcome to one-third of my paycheck.

15...16...17! 17 sea urchin stings! Ok, get the X-acto knife, let's cut 'em out. *Note the American flag hailing on the back of this South African boat. The boat was registered online in Delaware for $90. As a result, it is under the full security of the USA in international waters. Seriously?

Catamaran at sunset

Chameleons on my porch!

Vaccines with Dr. Hery

Harina, my little neighbor

View from Iharana Lodge

Waterfall Hike in Maromandia for Katie's Birthday

We made Josh a balanced breakfast for his first day at class

School assembly in Siranana, Malagasy anthem

Off of Nosy Komba

One of my favorite reading spots

Roadside waiting for a brousse with Ellen

Ted and I in Belinta to deliver vaccines

Ted and I enroute to restart an eco-tourism group

Maromandia Waterfall

I really respect the people in my town for their outlook on life. It's funny because people in the States find it shocking that my friends and I love living here in Madagascar so much, in what is essentially pretty poor conditions. But, for my townspeople (fokon'olo in Malagasy) this is their life (not for just two years like me) and they don't have too many qualms about it. I've certainly been learning a lot from them just about how to live. The thing that I enjoy most about them is that they can always let loose, regardless of age, day of the week, or hour of the day.

It's a quality in my neighbors and friends that I can't imagine living without at this point. For example, last Friday, there were festivities for a circumcision in Siranana. Beginning at sunrise, my town got pretty noisy. All the women started preparing for a big feast in the evening and while they were cooking they blasted music, drank sugar cane wine, and danced like I've only seen people here in Africa dance. Around noon, they were running up and down the road of town carrying colorful flags chanting. You'd never see your neighbors in the States getting this excited about circumcising an eight year old. One of the women, who is widely respected in town and has ten children, got down in the dirt in the middle of everyone and started doing what is equivalent to "the worm" dance move as a way to have fun and get the crowd riled up. Just right there, not really drunk, rolling in the dirt, midday, for the fun of it.

Likewise, this past Wednesday, one of my friends in town decided to throw in impromptu party at around 2pm. No reason, just wanted to dance. Age 43 mind you. I can only hope that my friends and I play hook-ey from work every now and then to do the same in twenty years.

Maybe it's because I am 23 years old, but I don't really picture my childhood neighbors or my former adult co-workers running through town or throwing afternoon midweek parties. Not to say that we need to do those things to have fun, but, as a contrast to the United States, it's refreshing to see my neighbors in Madagascar doing it. The people in the countryside here don't take life too seriously and always seem ready to relax and get together as a community. Yet, it is also because of this live-in-the-moment-spend-all-your-money-on-unnecessary-things-and-dance-at-2pm attitude that the country lives in poverty, doesn't invest in its citizens, and is largely illiterate. In the States, we work hard, study, and plan for the future. In reality, I need a mix of both in my life: working hard and being able to relax at the drop of a hat if necessary too. I'm happy to get the opportunity to live at this end of the spectrum every now and then in my village.

By the way, it's officially mango season here in Madagascar again!

Yes, we walked into the Madagascar National Soccer Team's Office and got treated like VIPs b/c we were American

Screening day for Operation Smile

Tana

Ready for cleft palate surgeryUS Dignitaries get second row seats! Women's Day Statue

Birthday Drinking with Friends Birthday Breakfast Cards and beers at Kelly's boyfriend's beach house

After 12 hours of work...a little dinner with the crew at Saka Manga

Operation Smile downtime

"Show me how you'd react if...there were scorpions on your feet!"Concert in my town - Zandry Ahmed

Operation SmileAl's and my "Sunday best"

In case you're thinking about moving to a small town in northwestern Madagascar and need to build a latrine, this post is for you.

Things to consider before beginning:

Are you ACTUALLY prepared to dig 10 feet into the ground?How much to you really prefer defecating into a hole as opposed just popping a squat next to a banana tree?Now that you've decided to improve the cleanliness of your surrounding water supply, here's where to begin.

Stuff you need to get to dig, including the Malagasy words and prices:Shovel (la pelle a.k.a. angady), 10,000 ariarySpade (ansora a.k.a. angady lahy, which means "the man shovel"), 10,000 ariaryMetal digging rod (barameen), 25,000 ariaryBucket for dirt (seau), 3,000 ariaryStrong rope for the bucket (tady), 2,000 ariaryGloves (gant), you will get blisters even with these unfortunatelyFriends to help (namana), 2,000 ariary per beer (yes, paying people in beer is a universally understood custom)Step 1: Mark your territory. Measure out a 1 meter square area and remove the loose topsoil

Step 2: Go for it. Dig the rest of the way, 3 meters deep. The best digging method is actually to dig in levels. If you start digging by making a ~6-inch deep depression in one corner of your pit using the digging rod the remainder of the 6-inch deep level will be much easier to dig. Essentially, since the ground is just compacted dirt on top of more compacted dirt, once you get past the topsoil, you're in for a workout. But, if you make the initial effort of digging a deep starting depression, you can then chip away at the edges of that depression, continuing to widen it until it reaches the walls of your meter square pit. In this way, you also break up the digging process into levels, which is great for people who work best with clear goals. There were many times when I told myself, "OK, I'll finish this level and then I'll be done for the day."

Step 3: Make sure you don't fall in, a.k.a. cover the pit with wood. A good way to do this is to use thick tree branches as the bottom beams, then cover these with ravinala (type of local plant) panels.

Step 4: Don't trust the wood to never get eaten through by termites: cover the wood with concrete. Cut 8mm rebar and assemble a gridded support over the wooden panels. Then, prepare the concrete by mixing 2 parts sand, 1 part gravel, and 1 part cement with water. You will need to purchase the rebar and cement from a nearby larger town. The sand can be taken from dry river beds. I biked this back to my site in multiple trips using large sacks, but I recommend using an ox cart if you can. Biking on a national highway with semi-trucks whizzing past you while you're try to steer a 100 pound load on your bike rack is not the most enjoyable experience. The gravel can be stolen for potholes in the road (seriously, the road is partially bad due to people making it worse by TAKING IT!). If you are building a pour flush latrine and/or one with a vent pipe, make sure to add the PVC before your concrete solidifies.

Step 5: Build the frame and foundation for the latrine. I ordered wood from a neighbor who frequently goes into the forest to cut down trees for timber (don't worry, the real threat of deforestation is slash and burn, not people building latrines). The Malagasy way of local construction uses a lock and key type approach. As opposed to nailing wood together, you can create notches that fit within each other and lock together. The foundation is simply dirt piled together in a box easily made using some old two-by-fours.

Step 6: Don't get rained on: add the roofing. Local houses use dried leaves as roofing shingles. The process for roofing a latrine is fairly simple to learn and can be done in a couple hours. The shingles are attached to the frame by tying twine (made from local plants) through the leaves around the frame.

Step 7: Make it easy on yourself so you don't miss: add cement on top of the foundation and construct the "toilet." Concrete can be added directly on top of the foundation after mixing. The "toilet" can be built by covering bricks in concrete and making a concrete slope for the flushing water and waste down the PVC piping.

Step 8: Give yourself some privacy: attach the walls. Walls can be made from the locally available panels. These panels should be cut to fit to the size of your latrine. They can be attached by nailing them into the frame of the latrine as well as tying them to key points along the frame.

Step 9: Add the door. A cheap way to build a door for the latrine is to frame the same panels as used for the wall into a door. This can then be nailed to the posts in the latrine's frame through hinges that can be purchased at your local market.

Step 10: Make sure your latrine won't smell, aka add the vent pipe. By adding a vent pipe, the stench of your latrine will not keep you from using your latrine. The vent pipe directs airflow away from the latrine and keeps flies out as well with a proper mesh screen placed at the outlet. I secured the vent pipe shown below by adding nails to the PVC at the base of the pipe and then covering those with cement.

Step 11: Transform your archaic latrine into a "poo palace." After a lot of hard work, it is only natural to go the extra mile to really make your latrine comfortable. So, I added a toilet paper spool rack, a shelf for reading material, and a hand-washing station inside the latrine for ultimate luxury.

That's it. It was a great experience constructing the latrine with friends and part of my Peace Corps experience that I won't soon forget.

The joke through school was: “those who can’t do,teach.” Doing something is better than talking about doing something, to put it simply. The axiom holds true for exchanging culture here inMadagascar. Besides “Goal 1” ofPeace Corps, which is to provide developing countries with skilled technicians(hey, that’s me!), “Goal 2” and “Goal 3” are simply to exchange culture. Often times, all I can do is try, in mybroken but somehow officially fluent Malagasy, to explain things like theeducation system, fast food, the idea behind monogamy, the boogeyman, theAmerican Civil War, and that the moon is most certainly made of cheese (specialthanks to Wallace and Gromit for confirming that one). It’s really a grab bag of stuff on adaily basis. Sometimes, I getlucky and I have photo of what I am trying to explain, like a river float tripor winter skiing (“snow? Your rain is so cold that it isn’t a liquid?”). In those cases, those pictures areworth 1000 words. Even less frequently,I can actually SHOW my friends what I’m talking about; it has been great teaching my friendshow to throw a football and how to make burritos. With James and Raffaele (fellow volunteers) coming up tovisit me this past August, I took another stab at “doing” and not“teaching.” I got dimensions for aCornhole (Bag Toss) board from online while in the capital, bought wood from mymarket town, hauled nails and dried corn in from Ambanja, sacrificed my pillowcase for the cause, and set out to work. With alittle help from my neighbor, we were able to construct a complete set. The result?

James, Raffaele, and I easily taught my friends how to play in no time at all, which led to hours of simple American-Malagasy hangout time. Having a few beers and playing yard games really made a difference. Peace Corps is all about little victories and being creative to find success. I'll attribute this one to my fraternity and all of those pre-WILD tailgates.

Thanks, SPE.

It's been over a year now since I arrived in Madagascar back in July

2010. Just like college, time seems to be going by very fast now.

The first two months, our Pre-Service Training, seemed to go by so

slowly. We encountered new challenges and counted the days every week

until we'd be done and sworn in as volunteers. The first two months

at site were a lot like that too, counting down until we'd all see our

friends again at In-Service Training. But, the last 9 months have

gone by in a blink of an eye. Those of us still here are really well

adjusted and are now just enjoying our time living abroad, working

with our communities, and doing fun things. Honestly, those days when

I just cook to music, read in my hammock on my porch, and chat around

town are the days I will miss most when I leave Madagascar.This past year of Peace Corps, I really feel like I've pushed myself

to do things I didn't know I could. My Peace Corps experience has

showed me that while I couldn't learn French from 6 years of

instruction in middle school and high school, I can learn Malagasy in

two months (all it takes is the NEED to become fluent in order to buy

food and find a bank). I've also come to realize that the human body

is capable of so many things. Forget the Atkins diet, your body can

adjust to eating the most basic foods if you just listen to it. There

have been days where I've gone all day biking and hiking on only a few

handfuls of peanuts or a couple fried bananas. It's pretty crazy what

we're capable of. This past year has also tested my motivation and

independence. No one really cares if we build hundreds of latrines or

if we just sit in our homes and read for two years. Yet, despite the

lack of expectation to work, I've been active working in my town and

the surrounding region, trying to give Americans a good name embracing

the local culture and assisting with improving the public health of

the country. If retirement is sitting and reading all day, I'm never

going to stop working fully. Having projects to work on that I care

about is a much better reason to wake up in the morning (though I'll

probably take frequent vacations to explore new places and cultures as

much as I can). I have also been lucky to be here in Madagascar this

past year. While some days are tough dealing with living on a tight

budget and lacking access to electricity, food, clean water, and

people who speak English, I have also seen some of the most beautiful

scenery in my life. We've gone to pristine beaches, biked through

rainforests, hiked over tsingy (karst) formations, seen endangered

species, climbed through caves, and swam under waterfalls. Honestly,

I couldn't imagine a place I'd rather be at this point in my lie.

Doing Peace Corps gives you a lot of self-confidence in your ability

to adapt, to survive by yourself, to travel off-the-grid, to interact

with people of different backgrounds, and to just relax, let things

go, trust others, and make good decisions in new and frightening

situations. And, most of all, it makes you realize how good we have

it in the United States.I look forward to my last year as a volunteer and will be sure to get

the most out of my time here. See everyone soon!

50th Anniversary AIDS Festival Biking with James and Raff View of Ankify Beach With James and Raff And here's how you make sugarcane wine Cornhole with my doc and Raff Raff, Molly, and I at the waterfall in Nosy Be Down in the thick of it Midday grub at site The green river A quick dip with James Italian dinner in Nosy Be On the way to Anketrakabe for the AIDS Fetival Just jump! On our journey from Kelly to Vanessa's site Tuning up our bikes for the ride Physical labor leads to visual pay-off, my latrine pit cemented over Tennis in Nosy Be View from the bottom of the latrine pit, with James, Raff, Ludovic, JermaineThe guys with me at my finished latrine!

Tossa de Mar, SpainBarcelona at NightBig BaobabsWashU PCVs, new arrivalsRed RocksCooking in TanaBag Toss at SiteAuguste and FamilyAbsinthe hits Madagascar

Dragonfly on my clotheslineJosh throwing out a condom true/false balloonJosh, Katie, and I with our new "frip"A little beer anyone...Playing football with the kids at Nosy BeVAC Mtg - AvaratraJuly 2011 Health/ED StageAndilana at SunsetDunia Music Festival - Nosy BeSinger Family in Malaga, Spain!BBQ Sauce WithdrawalStreets in MalagaFresh Seafood in BarcelonaLibby and I on Montjuic in BarcelonaPark Guell with Libby, Natalie, and Larissa

From the start of my Peace Corps service, I recognized that sanitation was a major problem in my town.  It wasn't too hard considering that I had people urinating next to my house on a daily basis (I try not to walk around without shoes that often).  Anyways, I gathered my town for a meeting way back in February 2011 and told them that I wanted to help them build latrines.  I said, "I'll help you dig.  I'll help you purchase some of the materials.  You just have to do it with me."  At that time, people showed a lot of interest, vying to get in queue for my help.  After a month in which I told people that they could start digging while I attempted to raise funds through Peace Corps Partnership, only one person starting digging his latrine pit.  I then helped him dig a few times, but it was hard to organize times to dig because he was always in the field farming.  So, I decided, I'll build myself one, show people that it is not difficult, learn the process myself, and not wait around.  After a few months of off and on digging, I understand why no one has latrines.  The ground is rock-hard.  And when you've got to farm for a living, the last thing you want to do after returning from a grueling day in the fields is to dig a pit into this "dirt."  It's taken me forever to get to where I am and I don't even have to do physical labor in between digs if I don't want to.  What's worse is that 30 minutes with a backhoe and it'd be done.  Really puts things in perspective.  Think about how much more we accomplish in the United States due to machines, electricity, and education.  We farm hundreds of acres with only a couple people, wash clothes with the push of a button, and open a can of precooked beans instantly.  Here, it takes a whole family to farm a small plot of land, a few hours to hand-wash clothes, and a day to cook beans thoroughly.  Madagascar might eventually make it to the 21st century, but due to its disadvantages, we'll already be in the 23rd by that time.  Really makes me feel pretty lucky I don't have to do physical labor to earn a living and have access to all the advantages the United States offers.

River Beer Fridge in Anjiabory

Anjiabory at Sunset

Lemur hand

Welcomed to Jonathan's site by a lemur

Before the river ford

Canoes can hold bikes, yes

AIDS Omby Game in Nosy Be

Andilana at Sunset

Getting coconuts

Back in May, I decided it was about time to try bringing crab with me

from my town on the taxi-brousse. Whenever someone finds out where I

live, Siranana, they say, "Oh there's lots of crab there. Bring me

some next time." Not knowing much about crabs, since I didn't eat

them before arriving in country, and not wanting to deal with the

hassle or the danger (the first volunteer at my site apparently got

medically evacuated due to a crab biting her Achilles tendon), I

hadn't carried crabs out of my site before. But with a trip to Diego

coming up and my good friend, Adrien, up there, I decided that it was

about time to try it out. Here's the process for getting the freshest

crabs:1. Place your order in advance

The day before, I went to some neighbors that often sell crab and

said, "You won't have any crabs for sale tomorrow will you?" "Maybe,

you need some." "Yeah, I'm thinking about bringing a lot up with me

to Diego." "How much?" "Oh, a lot, really big ones too." "Ok, come

by tomorrow evening and grab them."

2. Get yourself a goony sack

You know the things you carry sacks of potatoes in? Yeah, one of those.

3. Pick up your crabs

Bring your goony sack to your neighbors, take a gander at the muddy

wicker basket filled with live crabs, and tell them you want 5000

Ariary worth (the equivalent of $2.50). That'll get you 10 of the

largest crabs you've ever seen (put your hands side by side and that's

the width). Then, ask for a gift because you bought so much. They'll

throw in 2 more. Then, tell them that you're going to be taking the

crabs on a little roadtrip 200km tomorrow. They'll throw a bunch of

fresh mud in with the crabs to give them some "godra" to move around

it, which will allow them to stay alive.

4. Go to sleep

I had to pick up the crabs in the evening and the brousse to Diego

wasn't until morning, so I went to sleep with the sound of 12 live

crabs scuttling 5 feet from my bed. Sweet dreams, huh?

5. Throw your crabs in the back of the brousse

I tied up the goony sack extra tight and stuffed it in the back of the

brousse under my seat. I then rode 6 hours to Diego with the bag

poking my legs oddly every now and then.

6. Strap the crabs to your bike rack and head to town

The brousse drops you off in Diego a couple miles outside of town from

the Peace Corps transit house in Diego, so Josh and I rode our bikes

into town with the crabs tied to my bike rack.

7. Give some crabs away

Crabs in Diego are super expensive, 5 times the price as in Siranana.

So, my buddy was pretty happy when I called him and told him to drop

by and pick up some fresh dinner.

8. Recruit cooks to help

Even after giving some crab away, we definitely still had at least 5

pounds left and since Josh and I had never cooked crab before, we

asked the guard to help up with the preparation.

9. Fight

Live crabs are feisty and don't enjoy being mutilated. I don't how

things are done in the States, but here, you prepare the crabs live.

First, you clean off the mud with a scrub brush, then take a knife to

their pincer arms and rip them off, then rip off their outer shell

while its legs are clawing at your wrist, clean out whatever part of

the body you just opened up, and finally, chop it in half. Somewhere

along the line, the crab dies. Probably at the outer shell part, I

don't know.

10. Prepare your sauce

We sautéed a kilogram of tomatoes, half kilogram of onions, tons of

garlic, and 5 huge bell peppers into a sauce to cook the crabs in.

11. Steam the crabs

Boil water, put in a grating so the crab are not submerged in the

water but above it, and let them steam for 15 minutes or until their

shells turn orange/red.

12. Add the sauce

Add the sauce to the steamed crabs and let everything mix over low

heat for a while.

13. Cook some pasta and rice

As part of a balanced diet, to accompany our meat and veggie dish, we

made some pasta.

14. Enjoy!

Josh, Thinh, and I brought the finished product down from the transit

house and ate with the guard at his post. We had a blast hanging out

with him and were glad to start our Friday night with a family style

dinner in the cool Diego breeze.

First, I say "Part 1 in a never-ending series" because I have already

planned out parts 2 and 3, and also because since 90% of what PCVs do

is talk about food, I figure that more topics will find their way to

the drawing board in the future.Second, and this is a warning to mostly my mom, please don't worry

about me, I'm taking care of myself, feel healthy, and have figured

out how to not die of starvation. Tough at first, but I think I

pulled through, haha.In general, what I eat on a daily basis really just depends on what

food is available in my town. Madagascar has the climate to grow

anything. So, everything you could dream of is available near the

capital or in the large cities. However, in small towns such as

Siranana, we don't have much. On a good day, I can purchase rice,

beans, tomatoes, onions, and eggplants from roadside stands and get

fresh fish as vendors bike by later in the day. Other days, I can't

get anything. That said, some meals at site consist of fish and

vegetable stew, while others are rice and undercooked beans. It's

tough to not have the food readily available. Because of this, I plan

ahead and purchase tons of food in Ambanja. Ambanja has a daily

market with meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, everything really that is

in season. When I return to site from Ambanja, I come back with

pasta, soy sauce, vegetables, beans, peanuts, and fresh fruit that

usually lasts me a few days.Because it is so rare for me to have good access to food, whenever I

am in Diego with other volunteers, we go all out, making burgers,

burritos, and fresh bread. It makes you appreciate those larger

towns. Long story short, it's cool being able to buy fresh produce

and figure out how to combine it best with seasonal foods, but having

a fridge and a supermarket on a daily basis in the States is going to

be a luxury that I don't think I'll ever forget again. Or a Chipotle

burrito, wouldn't mind that here too...

The next health stage for Madagascar has 15 trainees. Two of them are

fellow Wilderness Project alumni from WashU. The odds, right? The

other volunteers and I are excited to welcome them and the rest of the

newbies in July. Here's a little packing list and guide to help them

before they arrive.First, a little bit about the program: Peace Corps Madagascar was

started in 1993 and was shut down in 2002 and 2009 due to political

instability. There are currently four sectors: health, education,

environment, and small enterprise development (SED). A new stage of

environment and SED volunteers swore in early May. The next stage

will be health and education, arriving mid-July and swearing in

mid-September.Training is held in Mantasoa, which is a town of 10,000 people (or so

we're told) about 2 hours outside of the capital. Training consists

of language lessons and technical lessons to help prepare the trainees

for 2 years of service. In the months of July and August, Mantasoa is

extremely cold and rainy (and that's coming from a Minnesotan, so

beware). So, when packing for training, remember to bring clothes

that are water-wicking, quick-drying, and warm. I highly discourage

cotton clothes, besides a couple items that you need for going out in

the capital or dressing up for swearing in. Cotton stretches and

retains bad odors if not dried properly (you will be hand washing all

your clothes). I would also encourage darker colored clothing,

because a white shirt won't stay white for long.Here's my list if I were to pack all over again. This isn't

necessarily all you should bring or that you'll need everything I

suggest, just a list if I were to do it all over again. Remember, I'm

a guy, I've lived here 10 months already, and I now live on the coast

in 60-100 degree weather year-round, so tweak the list as necessary.

Madagascar is a tough country to pack for because you don't know the

weather of your site, whether or not you'll have electricity, or what

resources will be readily available; it varies throughout the country.Outerwear

• Ski Jacket (warm and good in the rain)

• Fleece sweater

• Rain jacket

• Winter hat (it's that cold)

• Baseball cap

• Gloves

• Sleeping bag (as packable as possible)

Shoes

• Chacos

• Sturdy flip-flops (they will still break most likely)

• Waterproof light hiking shoes (you certainly don't need heavy-duty

hiking boots, but you will need something to keep your feet warm, dry,

and mud free during training)

Daily Wear

• Pants (2 pairs non-cotton, 1 pair of jeans so can feel like a real

person every now and then)

• Shorts (3 pairs, with good pockets, zippered pockets are great if

you can find them)

• Short-sleeve shirts (4-5)

• Long-sleeve shirt (light, breathable, for nights when the mosquitoes are out)

• Underwear (20 pairs, they get torn up pretty fast)

• Fleece socks (cotton socks take forever to dry and smell awful wet)

• Dress Pants for Swearing-In (khakis are good because they are durable)

• Dress Shirt for Swearing-In/Going out to bars in bigger towns

• Bathing Suit (2 pairs)

Other

• Watch (a cheap one should be fine, just make sure it has an alarm

and a backlight)

• Work gloves (if you don't plan on farming or doing manual labor, you

won't need these, but if I didn't have mine, I wouldn't be able to dig

at all)

• Safety pins (they come in handy)

• Utility knife

• Large towel for showering (the quicker drying the better)

• Football, Soccer ball (I brought both of these deflated and a pump

and would definitely bring them again. They are a great way to

interact even when you can't speak to people)

• Traveler's Hammock (good for guests)

• GorillaPod tripod (has been one of my best purchases)

• Small umbrella (you can buy it here, but you'll probably want it for training)

• Duct tape

• Bandana

• Book light

• Headlamp (with extra batteries)

• Journal

• Pocket planner

• A book you always wanted to read

• A grad school test prep book (you'll have the time eventually)

• World map (to show people where you're from)

Electronics

• Flash Drive (for use at internet cafes)

• Computer (you may not have electricity, but Peace Corps still

expects you to somehow submit reports. If you choose to bring a

computer, make sure you are prepared for it to break and aren't too

attached to it. Back up your files too)

• Camera

• Plug adapter

• iPod

• Speakers (these are a must)

Toiletries

• Razors

• Shaving cream

• Shampoo

• Tweezers

• Glasses (2 pairs, as Peace Corps recommends)

• Nail clippers

• Deodorant (lots)

Kitchen

• Garlic mincer

• Can opener

• Spices (once you start to cook for yourself, you'll thank yourself)

• Water bottles (2 Nalgenes)

• Small towel (washing hands, picking up hot pots)

• Hard candies (they don't go bad and are a good pick me up)

Luggage

• Large backpack (it is not necessary to have a camping backpack though)

• Medium sized duffel (great for throwing on top of the taxi brousse,

while you have you backpack with you inside)

• Large, rolling suitcase (this is where the rest of your gear goes)

• Small backpack (for day excursions to the market or into the woods)

• Combination Locks (these are great for luggage and for lockers at

the transit houses)You can get most things here like towels, bed sheets, shampoo, soap,

and cotton shirts, but what you can't get are high-quality clothes or

underwear. My general advice is to pack stuff that you think will

last. If you have any specific questions, start a Facebook thread.

There will be enough volunteers with Internet at various times to help

you out.Note for education volunteers: you'll have a dress code, unlike the

health volunteers, and will have to wear nice shoes and collared

shirts (for guys). So, my buddy, Josh, recommends a bunch of those

thin button-downs.Note for girls: I'm not too much help in this department, but I've

been told to recommend loose fitting clothes. The people in the

highlands dress more conservatively than the coast, fyi.Note for guys: Definitely pig out a bit before coming here.

Collectively, the 10 guys in my stage lost well over 100 pounds during

training and none of us really had much weight to lose to begin with.

So, get ready for that.Also, don't forget to take advantage of the Peace Corps discounts from

retailers such as Chaco, North Face, and Marmot. You get 50% off!

Just Google "Peace Corps discounts" and you should be able to find the

links.Finally, word of advice for training: just try to go with it and have

fun. You'll have good days and bad days, but in the end, Peace Corps

is a great experience. You just have to stick with it.

Waterfall in Siranana

Women's Statue Commemoration

Sunset in Siranana

Mural in Maromandia

Siranana (reminded me of Fall)

Gutting the Catch of the Day

Goofing off in Ankify with Josh

We Eat Bugs

The Environment and Health volunteers of the region after our work in Maromandia

Cookstove Construction in Siranana

Making Local Bread with Friends in Town

I Made Burritos as a Cultural Experience...they loved it

Panoramic View of Ambanja

The past month and a half has been crazy, filled with fun and

meaningful work all over the region. And while I'm exhausted and have

wished many times that I was just sitting at site, reading, relaxing,

hanging out with people in my village, and digging pits for latrines,

I've also never felt more like a Peace Corps Volunteer. I joined the

Peace Corps envisioning that I would travel across an African country

working on cool projects, seeing cool things, and enjoying the

process. The first couple months of service, including training,

aren't really like that: it's a lot of language learning, getting

comfortable at your site, and slowly building your skill set. But

now, my experience is a lot more like I envisioned. Here's what I've

been up to:1. Radio Broadcasts in Ambanja

Katie and I are hitting the microphone every other Monday in Ambanja

to bring health messages to Ambanja and the surrounding areas

(including our sites, Siranana and Djangoa). Our last two broadcasts

were on malaria and safe motherhood. The dialogue is all in Malagasy,

intermixed with some American music. Luckily for us, my counterpart

in Siranana and Mama Peace Corps in Ambanja proofread our work before

we go on the air. Specific songs available upon request, haha.2. Cook-stove Construction and Map Making in Maromandia

In mid-April, many of the volunteers of the region descended upon

Maromandia (Katie Browne's site) for a couple days. We built

fuel-saving cook-stoves out of dirt, ash, and water with about 200

students from her local primary school and painted a map of the new

National Park near her site. It was great to see Katie B's site,

interact with the students, and learn how to construct a good

cook-stove and map myself.3. Cook-stove Construction and Latrine Digging in Siranana

Excited from learning how to build a cook-stove in Maromandia, I came

back to my site and got people interested in building them in

Siranana. After spending a few days making a sifter and gathering ash

and dirt, I set a date with my neighbor and then invited Josh up from

Ambanja to help out since he was on Easter Break. Bringing Josh to

site was great. Not only was it a lot easier to build a cook-stove

and dig for my latrine because of his help, but my town really

appreciated it too. It's like when you introduce your friends from

college to your family. Your family sees just how much they mean to

you because of how excited you are to show them off. And that's what

I did: Josh and I walked up and down my town, meeting my friends,

seeing the various spots, and hanging out. We even filmed for my

Peace Corps Cribs (tour of site) Video. I hope to post that when I

get to Diego.4. HIV/AIDS and Family Planning Teaching in Nosy Be

This past week, Katie and I were in Nosy Be at Molly's high school

teaching about HIV/AIDS and Family Planning. It was actually my first

time teaching in a classroom about AIDS, but Katie, Molly, and I put

together a thorough lesson plan beforehand and it went really well.

We made the classes interactive: playing true or false with blown up

condoms instead of balloons, teaching about the biology of HIV through

a cow thief game, and demonstrating correct condom usage with a little

help from a now well lubricated candle. A couple amazing things came

out of our classes. First, before we started class, we asked the

students whether or not AIDS was in Madagascar. Nearly, 50% believed

that AIDS was only on mainland Africa. And, it's true that the AIDS

rate in Madagascar is low, but due to foreign tourists and the rapid

rise of the commercial sex worker industry, there are people with AIDS

living in Madagascar. The scary thing too is that AIDS weakens the

immune system, but doesn't have extremely visible symptoms. So, the

only way to really know if you have AIDS is to get tested or you'll

realize it only after you're really sick. And because the Malagasy

people don't like to use condoms and don't get tested, it's really

just a matter of time before the virus spreads. By the end of class,

I think the students were pretty convinced that they needed to use

condoms, get tested, and tell their friends and families, but it's

tough to know that we were only able to reach a small fraction of the

population. Second amazing thing that really made our trip

worthwhile, after class, a few students came up to us and told us that

they were going to get tested to STIs and talk to their doctor about

birth control options. It felt really good to know that our work was

going to push a few students to brave the fear of going to the local

clinic for the test. Finally, Katie and I took a little time to enjoy

the tourism of Nosy Be, taking in the beaches and the food. Can't

have all work and no play, right?And now…I need a nap. Maybe when I get back from Anjiabory on

Saturday (Jonathan's site); we're making cook-stoves and doing

nutrition talks. Hope things are warming up in the US and you're all

doing well!

I've probably mentioned that one of our mottos in the North is

"trust-trust the system-system." The repeated words are a joke on the

Malagasy language. When you repeat a word like blue (to blue-blue),

it means bluish. So, to trust-trust the system-system means that you

should sort of trust that thing loosely referred to as a system. In

this blog, I'd like to give you a Top-3 List of times when I've had to

trust the transportation system in particular.The Top 3 Times I've Had to Trust the Transportation System1. Canoe Ride First Week at Site

I arrived at site in late September 2010 and had everyone dragging me

off here and there to see this and that. Wanting to be adventurous

and not wanting to hurt everyone's feelings, I let them drag me around

to most things. On installation day, the day when Peace Corps drops

you off by yourself and you wonder if you've ever been more scared in

your life, the head of the village told me that the town was only 5

kilometers off the ocean. One of the other guys then said that he'd

take me to the ocean that weekend. I was really excited. My site was

beautiful and only 5km off the ocean? Sounded pretty good. Anyways,

Saturday rolls around and Auguste comes to my house and asked if I

want to go to ocean. I say, "Of course!" and grab my bike. Or, I

guess what I actually said was, "Yes, good, very good!" because my

language was still pretty raw. We headed off down the main road; it's

an easy ride for about 1km and I'm thinking, "This is easy, I'll go

every week." Auguste then, of course, turns off the main road and

onto a bumpy, hilly, rock-laden dirt path. I had a pretty fun time

navigating the twists and turns, but quickly realized that if he left

me, I'd be lost. Trust the system #1: Your friends will look out for

you. We then bike down this steep hill and reach the water. But,

it's not the ocean. It's the mangroves: muddy, shallow water in

between trees with no ocean in sight. He then proceeds to tell me

that we're going to hop in one of the canoes and paddle out from

there. The only problem is that these aren't your "summer camp" metal

canoes. They are hollowed out trees. I think for a second and then

agree, not wanting to lose face in my first week. I then lock my bike

to a tree and head for the canoe. He stops me and tells me that our

bikes are going with us in the canoe. I look at him perplexed and ask

him if there's really enough space. He reassures me that everything

will be fine and we hop in the canoe, which was about 1ft wide by 8ft

long, with me holding the two bikes across my lap. After two young

kids jump in with us, we then push off in the shallow water.

Immediately, one of the kids grabs a bowl and starts to bail water out

of the canoe that is slowly coming in through the bottom. Now, this

wasn't deep water, maybe 4ft at the deepest, water wasn't entering the

canoe quickly, and I had a life jacket, but when you're in the middle

of nowhere without cell phone service and without a great grasp of the

local language, it can be pretty frightening. Not to mention, I

didn't want to lose my camera, cell phone, or have to carry my bike

out of deep water. Trust the system #2: They know better than to

continue rowing if the boat is going to sink. We continue for a while

until we reach a small fishing town, where we get out only to find

that my legs are asleep from the cramp ride and I can't walk. Trust

the system #3: you are not actually paralyzed from the waist down,

it's only temporary. After feeling comes back to my legs, we walk up

a hill. My expectation was to see the ocean on the other side. Not

the case. We would need to take a larger boat if we wanted to go.

After asking around, we found out that the boats already left for the

day. I'm a little disappointed, but honestly, mostly relieved and

tell Auguste that I can't go back in the canoe again. So, leads me

back to Siranana via a longer trail. Why we couldn't take it

initially, I have no idea. It's now over 9 months since I got to site

and I still haven't been to that beach, but at this point I don't have

much of an interest. There are other beaches that are easier to get

to and don't involve me losing the ability of two of my limbs for a

few minutes.2. Riding in a Smoking Car

A couple months ago, I was riding back from Ambanja to my site in the

taxi brousse. The ride was going just fine until about 30 kilometers

from my site, smoke started billowing out from under the steering

wheel. The car stops, we all jump out. I move farther away from the

car than anyone else. Smoke=fire and fire+gasoline=bad news, right?

Anyways, after about 5 minutes, the smoke dissipates, the driver

fiddles with something under the hood, and people start piling back

in. Knowing that it was going to get dark soon, I got back in too.

Trust the system #1: They fixed the problem. Trust the system #2: no

one is stupid enough to drive a car if it has ANY chance of catching

on fire again. The rest of the ride was smooth. No smoke. I got to

site OK and still have no idea why the car started smoking.3. Tomato Boat Ride to Nosy Be

After arriving in Ankify Port, I ask for the next boat going to Nosy

Be. They tell me that the next speedboat won't leave for a while. I

tell them that I don't need a speedboat; I just need to leave on the

next boat. They then usher me over in front of the water where there

is a large ferry anchored next to a small boat full of tomatoes and

other vegetables headed for the island. I pay the boat captain my

fare and sit to wait for them to tell me to get on the ferry. As you

have probably guessed, my boat was not the ferry. It was the small

"tomato boat". I hop on, check to make sure there are life jackets,

and take a seat on top of a crate of tomatoes. Trust the system #1:

This has got to be fine; they are three other passengers. We headed

out into the water very slowly; I expected the pace to pick up (since

I was told the ride was under an hour), but it never did. Then, once

we got offshore a little ways, two of the boatmen lifted up a door in

the floor of the boat and started bailing water. Trust the system #2:

If they are not panicking and not turning around, it's probably OK.

Right? Anyways, they bailed water by the bucket for two and a half

hours straight. The entire time, I just put my head down, read my

book, tried to relax, and attempted not to smell the tomatoes rotting.

Turns out that the whole bailing water thing is not a big deal, but

it certainly wasn't reassuring at the time. On the way back to the

mainland, our boat was bailing water too, except they had a hand-pump

to do it. I guess you need some water below deck to maintain a low

center of gravity. And now, you know.

Topic 1: Malagasy has 18 dialects; I speak Sakalava.

First things first, the Malagasy language has 18 different dialects.

I speak Sakalava, which has completely different verbs and pronouns

compared to the official dialect of the capital. I can get by

speaking the official dialect after living near the capital for the

two months of training, but other volunteers have more trouble coming

to the North if they normally speak the official dialect.Topic 2: Say hello!

Sakalava has a call-and-response greeting culture. Here it is:Mbalatsara (ba-lot-tsar-a)

Mbalatsara mbalatsara, akory o (a-kory-o)

Tsar-é (tsar-ayyyyyyyy)

é (ayyyyyyyyy)Ino vaovao? (Een-vo-vo)

Tsis-é, ino mareska? (tsee-sayyyyyy, een-nu-ma-ray-sa-ka)

Tsis-mareska, mangino fo é (tsees-ma-ray-sa-ka, man-geen-foo ayyyyyy)I live in a town of 800 people. Most days, I'm just chilling in front

of my town talking with people as they came into the clinic or pass by

or on the road. There aren't a lot of distractions, so people say hi

to everybody, and have a blast doing it.You'll notice a lot of "y's" in the pronunciation parentheticals, so

hold those syllables. This brings us to our next topic.Topic 3: Sakalava is singsongy, or "saucy" as they call it. So, have

fun with it.

In the United States, if you started yelling "ayyyyy" at someone 100

meters away, that'd be weird (unless culture norms have changed since

July 2010). It'd probably also be weird to yell, "Tired!" or

"Hungry!" or "It's Raining!" Here, if someone is tired or hungry or

if it starts to rain, that information is not assumed to be knowledge

that can be kept to one's self. You must say, "ka-ju-ayyyyyyy!" or

"moo-sar-ayyyyy!" or "av-ma-lay-nayyyy!", respectively. So, shout it

out, have fun with it, and let everyone know that those little drops

of water making them wet is rain and not some lizard peeing on you

(yeah, beware).Topic 4: Using verbs is easy!

All Malagasy verbs start with the letter "M." Example: Miteny (to

speak). Better yet, you don't have to conjugate them. Example: I

speak English, but he speaks French is simply "Zaho miteny English,

fa izy miteny français" (za mi-ten-y on-glease, fa i-zee mi-ten-y

fron-say). But better still, putting verbs in the past and future

tenses is super simple, just change the "M" to an "N" or an "H."

Example: To speak is "miteny" in the present tense, "Niteny" in the

past, and "Hiteny" in the future. Not too bad.Topic: If you know the verb, you know the noun too

You know how in English a builder builds and a writer writes? Well,

it is the same concept in Malagasy. A "mpanamboatra manamboatra"

(builder builds). All you do if you know the verb is add a "p" as the

second letter in the word and make the first "m" silent. For example,

the verb for to wash is "manasa" (ma-na-sa). Therefore, the noun for

someone who washes is "mpanasa" (pa-na-sa). Another cool note, some

other nouns follow a different association with the verb as well. For

example, "misoma" (mi-so-ma) means to play. So, "mpisoma" (pi-so-ma)

is someone who plays. But also, "soma" (so-ma) is the word for a

game. Pretty cool, huh?Topic 6: If you don't know a vocabulary word, use the French one with

some sort of Malagasification.Example: Don't know what tomatoes are, but know they are tomates in

French, call them "tomate-y." Don't know chair, but know chaise, use

"chaise-y." You will be correct 90% of the time. Guaranteed.Topic 7: Double words when you're not entirely certain the exact word to use

When you're new to a language, your vocabulary is relatively sparse.

So, it helps to describe things like things you know. For example, if

I am trying to describe a banjo, I don't know the word. But, I know

it's sort of like a guitar and I know the word for guitar (because

it's guitar in Malagasy; nice, huh?). So, I would say, "guitar-tar,"

which means it's sort of like a guitar. You double the word or last

syllable. Another example, there's no word for medium-sized items (as

far as I know), but you can say "kely-kely" or "maventy-venty," which

mean "sort of small" and "sort of large." Understand-stand?Ok, vita (finished). With this information, if you come to visit the

North, you'll gain some street cred and also understand why I won't be

able to stop saying, "I'm tired ayyyyyyyyyyy" when I come back to the

States. Sorry in advance.

Women's Day Celebration in Beramanja (Vehivavy of Siranana)

Josh, Jonathan, and Me on our Boat to Emerald Isle

The Sorcerer (of rice), I thought this was funny

Lemur

Siranana Backyard

Hike with Friends in Town

I’m currently in Diego for our regional volunteer action committee meeting, getting together with everyone from the area to discuss projects and have a little fun. It’s really cool all being together, especially now because March 2011 is the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps.

Being the 50th anniversary, it’s been fun to hear stories from past volunteers about their Peace Corps experiences, how they’ve helped out, the different cultures they were thrown into, and the fun they had living abroad (tons are being posted on the web and even some on the national news). It also has made me think that if the Peace Corps has survived for 50 years, it must be doing something right.

The best thing that the Peace Corps does, hands down, is give a good name for Americans. Sure, I might convince a few hundred people to eat a more balanced diet or practice family planning, but the larger effect comes from me just being here, speaking Malagasy, living like a local and not a tourist, and the act of trying to help a country other than my own. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve gone to the market or hailed a taxi-brousse and had the conversation start with them speaking to me in French with a sort of displeasure, but when I respond in Malagasy, they shortly follow up with asking “Are you Peace Corps/American?” I then answer, “Yes, how did you know?” They then say something along the lines of, “Only Americans take the time to learn our language; we like Americans. We don’t like the French though; they don’t speak Malagasy and left our country in a mess.” Good work and happy 50th, Peace Corps. I’ll do my best to keep up the tradition, have some fun, and hopefully convince my town to stop using their yards as a public toilet.

March Highlights:

• Teaching the kids in my town how to play football

• First radio broadcast

• Looking official with our PSI uniforms in Ambanja

• Emerald Sea boat trip

• Starting digging for first latrine

• Women’s Day, March 8th

More to come!

And Now You Know Why Katie and I Get Along (burger topped with homemade mango salsa, guacamole, caramelized onions, tomatoes) And this is where Nicki leaves in Diego...Nicki with Our Homemade BurritosHigh Jump Competition at Field Day in SirananaThis field was dry 3 months ago now they are fishing in itAdrien with some sugar cane (from my front porch)Sunrise from Josh's House in Ambanja

Northern Madagascar has about 2 seasons: Rainy and Non-Rainy. Currently, we're in the rainy season, or as I prefer to call it, the "flash flood, damp clothes, when is the rain going to stop long enough so I can leave my house" season. Starting in November, it has been raining pretty hard, little bursts of heavy rainfall all throughout the day. But, I figured it didn't deserve a blog post until something absurd happened. Unfortunately, this crazy thing happened earlier this month and was named, Bingiza, cyclone category 3 that did a number to the East of Madagascar and delayed my first visitor. I was all poised and excited to give you an account of Abel's visit to Madagascar, spending time on the beach, and hiking through some cool national parks, but Bingiza had some other plans an Abel couldn't make it with the weather. Just too unsafe to travel. Next time though.

Besides my recent dislike for the rainy season, I must admit that it has been pretty cool. Getting the smell of fresh rain on a daily basis still hasn't gotten old and not being able to leave my house for extended periods of time has given me a new appreciation of the afternoon nap. Really, those Europeans and their siestas, very smart people. On top of that, my first two months at site, September and October, were pretty dry. I mean, drought-like. All the wells in my town were dry, except for one, and the water there wasn't too clean. So, getting some rain to fill up the wells has been amazing. I might have even done a little rain dance myself when I returned to site in January to find them full.

Anyways, it is now nearly March and the next stage of environment and small business development volunteers should be arriving within the week. I'm really looking forward to meeting all of them (and not being a newbie anymore). Should be fun.

Keep sending me updates about your lives in the States!

Jason

I pay taxes, you pay taxes. Who knows where it ALL goes, but I can tell you where some of it's gone: here. Globally, the United States gives away $18 billion through USAID. Of that, only $11.1 million goes to Madagascar health programs. Much of that is allocated to Population Services International, an NGO based in over 40 countries worldwide. Let me tell you, THAT portion of our aid is used extremely well.

I was privileged enough this week to train with PSI in Diego. I observed commercial sex worker peer education and family planning outreach programs. I may have mentioned previously that the people in this country are relatively unmotivated, but these people are no such thing. I was thoroughly impressed. They take a grassroots approach and get results. Every session, every employee is a peer to their audience. Women teach women about family planning options. Young men walk around and teach young men about condom usage. Commercial sex workers gather commercial sex workers and teach about sexually transmitted diseases. And you know what? People listen.

Below are pictures from a family planning reception with PSI. The employee, Natalie, asked the people who own a house in the neighborhood if she could use their electricity and their yard and then gathered a bunch of women off the street just to talk to them about family planning. The women came out of interest, to look at a white person, snacks, and the desire to watch a DVD (in no particular order, but I'd guess snacks were the top reason).

It is hard to believe, but it's been 6 months since I left the United States.  After a half year of living abroad and being in Peace Corps, I'm happy to say that this finally feels like where I live and that I'm settled in ("tamana tsara" as they say in Malagasy).  One of the biggest hurdles to overcome is making the transition not from a tourist to an American living in a foreign country, but all the way to finally an American who works hand-in-hand with locals and has a vested interest.  It's difficult to describe, but imagine yourself traveling.  You see the sites, you eat the food, you enjoy the culture, and then you head home with some great pictures and fun stories.  Working here is a totally different experience on top of that.  I see the sites, eat the food, enjoy the culture, and have some great pictures and stories, but I also have a much better understanding of the challenges each person faces here: struggling with access to education, a poor food supply system, an unstable government, needing to build a new wall for the house because the old one is rotted through, etc.  Being able to work and to feel like I might be able to leave a mark on the country, as opposed to just passing through, gives it a completely different feeling (not necessarily better, just different; I'm still going to travel as a tourist anywhere and everywhere, don't you worry).

I attribute that a lot to the recent and exciting work that I have starting up:Assisting with peer-lead health education training for commercial sex workers with Population Services International in Diego Identifying and training community leaders as health educators in Siranana (writing a corresponding manual as well)Rallying support and resources in my town to build a rainwater harvesting system at the local school and clinic Starting a latrine use pilot program by beginning with community leadersFinding suppliers and skilled masons for improving the town's wells Teaching English in Siranana weeklyTeaching English bi-weekly to workers at PSI in Diego Giving health presentations and assisting with vaccines at my local clinicAssisting with prenatal consultations at the Ambanja clinicPotentially being a mentor for a Northwestern Bioengineering design class in the Fall Yep, if there was one person who could make themselves crazy busy with my site, I guess it's me.  Not to worry though, I'm sticking to my original goals too.  I'll still read and relax Malagasy style too.  In fact, I'm happy to report that I'm making strides with my original goals: I really enjoy the alone time I get at site, have seen a bunch of cool cultural stuff, can cook a mean peanut sauce for stir-fry, have visited 3 national parks, read 19 books (a lot for me), have made a dent in that textbook I brought, have some close friends (Malagasy and American), feel like I get to talk to friends and family back home often, and have already made the trek to Ambanja and back via bicycle (though not in the same day).  I guess all that's missing are those "stupid human tricks" I mentioned.  Though I can carry 30 liters of water without spilling and that is a feat, trust me.

6 months flew by, see you guys all sooner than we think.

On the Beach in Farafangana Waiting for the Sunrise

A Golden Bamboo Lemur in Ranomafana (courtesy of Shayla)

Night Out in Tana Before In-Service Training

On the Train to Fianar with James and Ryan

Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe that it is already New Years. Just doesn't feel like 5 months have passed since I left the States. I've been hoping to add some more culture into my posts; after 3 weeks away from my site moving around the country, I feel like now is a great time to give what we like to call the "Transportation Rundown."

If you've spoken with me on the phone or Skype, I'm sure I've mentioned how crazy traveling is here. I remember arriving in the country after more than a day of airline travel only to see a very small airport with little in terms of immigration or security. We then got in Peace Corps cars (not taxis, not buses, but Peace Corps cars with Peace Corps drivers) and all started worrying about our safety because the roads were narrow, without lanes or traffic signals, and with a mix of people, cars, and animals running across traffic. After 5 months in country and having travelled from the very North of Madagascar to the Capital in the center of the country to the Southeast and back, a private driver on a questionable road sounds pretty good.

Traveling here from place to place involves a mix of options:

(1) The chief method is the taxi-brousse. These are either 15 seat minivans or old-school pickup trucks where passengers sit in the back depending on where you are and how far you're going. For example, whenever I want to go to Ambanja (Josh's site 50km south) or Diego (where I bank and use internet 200km away), I take a taxi-brousse. I take my luggage to the side of the road and wait for one of these brousses to pass by in the direction I want to go. Then, I hail it down and hope there is "space." I say "space" because there are 15 seats: 3 in the front and 4 rows of 3 people. However, I've been on few regional rides with less than 20 people in the car, in fact, it is not rare to have 27-30 people total. The drivers just keep "manombotra place"/making seats. Children sit on laps, we sit 5 in a row that should have 3, and in the first row, people sit across from you so you interlock legs like a puzzle. Needless to say, those rides aren't too comfortable, but that's the only way to get around. The national brousses are a lot better though. On my ride from the Capital to Farafangana via Fianar, we sat 4 across on one ride and 3 across on another. It felt like we were sitting in first class.

(2) Airplanes. To get from Tana to Diego, I need to take a plane. Nothing too exciting here. The planes are normal regional jets you'd take in the States. Just don't expect the long lines. At least there's no need to arrive an hour and a half before the flight.

(3) Train. There used to be a bunch of commuter rails from what I hear, but the one most talked about is the stretch from Fianar to Manakara, which I took last week. It takes a little bit longer than a taxi-brousse, but the comfort makes up for the time. Not to mention, the train goes right through the rainforest and stops in a bunch of cool small towns.

All in all, travel here is slow and lacks the comfort and convenience of the US. Luckily, I have two years to move around at the pace this country demands: "Mora Mora."

I've posted some new photos from the rainforest at Ranomafana, the train to Fianar, and work in Farafangana.

Hope everyone's year is starting off on the right foot,

Jason

Shout out to Larry David, creator of "Seinfeld" and star of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Your TV show has provided Josh, Katie, and I countless laughs and inside jokes. This past month has been "pretty, pretty, pretty good" as Larry would say and pretty eventful.

I am currently in Diego on my way to Tana for In-Service-Training (IST) with the rest of the volunteers from my stage. They say the first couple months in the Peace Corps are the hardest and getting to IST is reaching a huge goal. It means: 1) we didn't die 2) we can function without being able to speak English 3) we are good at reading books 4) we are at a slightly greater risk of osteoporosis from the lack of dairy in our diet and 5) we are ready for some real work. We will be spending a week learning new technical skills, creating contacts for future projects, and developing work plans for the upcoming year. Not to mention, we'll get to see all of our friends. Not such a bad way to spend the holiday season.

But, back to the previous month, here's what I've been up to:

1) There was an attempted coup in Madagascar. Yep, in case you didn't hear (NY Times Article here), about 20 guys from the military held a press conference saying they were taking over the airport and were in control of the government. Unfortunately for them, they apparently didn't take a history class in high school or learn common sense from the hard streets of Tana. You guessed it, they didn't have support from...anybody. The rest of the military didn't back them, the government still had the capacity to function, and the end result was more or less just 20 guys getting thrown in jail for the rest of their lives.

2) Halloween: All the volunteers from the region, except Josh (who unfortunately had to stay in Ambanja to teach), went up to Diego to celebrate Halloween together. While there were no haunted houses, we did get a chance to go out to some bars and hang out. That weekend, Katie and I also had the opportunity to check out the rainforest near Diego and see some lemurs up close thanks to our guide who lured them out of hiding with the banana I was eating. Jonathan and I also hiked up the Mountain Francais for a view of the bay.

3) Exploring Tsingy with my counterpart: Seriously, Tsingy is like nothing I've ever seen before and is so cool, check out some of my pictures of it. It was especially cool to hike with my counterpart. The main goal of the Peace Corps is just to promote interaction among Americans and people from other countries and what better way than to have go trekking around.

4) Thanksgiving: It may not really be Thanksgiving without my family and a turkey, but a steak with friends followed by a day at Ankify Beach isn't a bad substitute in the meantime. We all gathered in Ambanja and treated ourselves to a nice dinner at one of the local hotels. We even went around the table saying what we were thankful for, just no pumpkin pie for dessert. The next day, we hired out a van to drive all 8 of us to the beach and spent the day relaxing and hanging out until sunset.

5) Mango Season: Directly in front of my house is a mango tree (which I think is pretty cool). It may only bear fruit for 3 weeks per year, but those 3 weeks were amazing. I probably ate an average of 3 mangos a day. Just throw a rock at a mango, eat a mango, pretty simple. Unfortunately, the mangos are already gone from my tree, but I can still buy them at the market.

6) Plans for work: My biggest frustration thus far (except for the whole eating beans and pasta for every meal when at my site thing) has been the lack of work at my site. I like reading, but I did come here to work too. Lucky for me, my boss paid me a visit recently and set me up to work with an NGO in Diego and the larger clinic in Ambanja. Not only does this mean that I will have more work, but since Diego has electricity and good internet, I can contact companies and hopefully start larger clean water projects in my town. So, even when I'm not in my town, I can help them out. It's a win, win. If you are interested more in the work at my site, I've prepared a Community Diagnostic Report and would be happy to email it you.

Just for kicks:

Song of the Month: "All Shook Up" by Elvis Presley: not only did this make my night once at site, but I also got to see some Malagasy teachers absolutely just tear up the dance floor swing dancing to Elvis a couple weeks later.

Book of the Month: Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone: It only took me about 10 years to cave in and read it, but it was definitely worth it.

Food of the Month: Brochettes (mini kabobs): Nothing beats freshly grilled beef kabobs...for 10 cents each.

What's snow again?

Jason

Ok, so I've had a really interesting month since swearing in as a

Peace Corps Volunteer, seen a lot of new things, and have had my fair

share of funny conversations that end in me laughing, smiling, and

say, "I'm sorry, I'm not yet fluent in Sakalava, but I'm still

learning. Everyday, haha." But, as opposed to sharing all these

stories (since they're too many), I thought I'd share how I got

through my first month. Plain and simple, it's pretty tough to make

the adjustment living at site. So, there's a few fun tips I'd like to

share...enjoy.Jason's "How to Survive in a Foreign Country, Alone, with Minimal

Language Skills, and Lots of Other Stuff Going On Around You" Top 5

Tip List1) Freak Out. Yep, you might not have predicted this on the list, but

you'll probably do this anyways, so why not attribute it to me. After

a year at site and you're happy settled, you can say, "I only freaked

out because that PCV for Madagascar Jason told me to do it."2) Stop Freaking Out. Seriously, it's like that scene from Wayne's

World: "if you puke, he'll spew, and if he spews, I'll hurl"

(paraphrased, I'm not really great with quotes). Freaking out leads

to freaking out which leads to you guessed it, freaking out. Having a

panic attack is pretty common to new PCVs, the important thing is to

acknowledge when you're flipping your sh*t and chill.3) Remind yourself everyday why you're there. People join the Peace

Corps for a lot of reasons. Mine included the desire for an

adventure, to see the world, understand a different culture, and

challenge myself in ways I didn't know I could. Yours might be out of

the pure desire to help others, to find yourself, or because you have

a boss who won't stop asking you for those TPS reports. Either way,

it is important to reinvigorate yourself with the same enthusiasm you

had when you applied.4) Take care of your essentials. That means: just try to live.

Moving to a new city in the United States is hard. Moving to a new

city, errr village in the middle of nowhere in another country is

undoubtedly hard-er. You need the 5 S's: safety, sleep, sakafo

(food), shower (it's dirty out there), and Skype (i.e. friends that

don't mind paying 10 bucks so you can talk to them for a half-hour

about scorpions, rats, and rice). I've found that as long as I feel

safe, get a good night's sleep, feel full, stay clean, and know that

there are people at home who care about me, then I'm ok. Maybe your 5

S's will be different (and not even start with S), but know your

essentials.5) Dance. Dance? Huh? So, everyone has their own go-to. You need a

go-to "reminds me of home" relaxation technique. Mine is to pump my

speakers, listen to some music, and dance. Because, let's face it,

you're alone and even if somebody sees you being silly, it'll never

get back to the States and the worst that'll happen is the native

people think that you're being attacked by a spirit or something. So,

dance away.I really do have a lot more I'd like to add, but I'm no expert, not

just yet. I'm only a month into my time as a PCV, but as a fun

side-note...I just passed DAY 100 in the Peace Corps (training, etc.).

Oh, and in case you are interested in some of the stories from the

past month, ask me about: "Shit Happens" installation, how many people

are left from my dialect group, my first night bike ride, a

boxing/concert, a canoe ride to a "beach," my first bike ride to

Ambanja, a conversation about where people poop, the soccer field in

Siranana, and more...Give me a call (261-32-844-9716) or send me an email (I get access

once/month).Miss you guys,

Jason

I'm now officially a Peace Corps Volunteer! We just had our swearing

in ceremony, so we are no longer trainees, but full-fledged volunteers

(aka Americans crazy enough to give up the comforts of home and think

it's an adventure).---New photos up soon, most of the ones with my host family are

actually on my friend's camera though, sorry---It is hard to believe that I have only been in the country for two

months. So many changes have happened in my life that it feels like

I've been here at least 6 months. Overall, training was great. After

returning from the site visit, we shifted our training focus to more

technical activities. Some volunteers came back to teach us how to

make cookstoves (to reduce smoke inhalation), start bio-intensive

gardens in our communities, and give us some insight into living in

Madagascar. We've also began giving health presentations in Malagasy.

And let me tell you, I will NEVER complain about giving a

presentation at school or work ever again, haha. Speaking in another

language, responding to questions, and making visuals to convey

messages (some people are illiterate) is tough. I mean, really tough.

I remember being in school, listening to an hour lecture and walking

out of Biology class thinking "What did my professor just try to teach

me?" And that was in my native language.Considering that I am about to begin living on my own as a volunteer

for two years, I figured this would be a good time to make some goals

for my service. And, hopefully, you can all hold me to them. This

may be the only two years of my life I can get away and work on

personal goals for awhile, so I hope to seize the opportunity. In no

particular order...1) Learn to enjoy being alone: As a social person, I have always been

around people and really enjoy surrounding myself with friends and

family. However, I think it is really important to be happy without

needing other people. I figure that if I can be content by myself,

then I can be a better friend, brother, boyfriend, son, etc.2) Immerse myself in the Malagasy culture: As Americans, we live and

think very differently. It has been really cool and interesting to

understand how other people in world live and think thus far. I hope

to try as much new stuff as possible and soak it all in.3) Improve my cooking skills: Let's face it, while I cooked in

college and in Los Angeles during my co-op, I had access to sauces,

seasonings, grocery stores, and refrigerators. I'm really hoping to

come out of Peace Corps with legitimate cooking skills, even if they

only apply while camping.4) Determine whether or not I want to go to medical school: I've been

considering med school since senior year of high school; I think it's

about time I figure this one out. The plan right now is to apply June

2012. I'll keep you updated.5) Take advantage of the natural beauty of Madagascar: I could have

been placed in a desert or a tiny island in the middle of nowhere.

Instead, I got a country which has beaches, rain forests, Baobabs,

Spiny forest, Tsingy deposits, and 90% of the species here are

endemic. I might take a couple excursions and be a tourist here...6) Read, a lot: I get made fun of by close friends often because I'm

not a reader, I haven't even read a single Harry Potter book. Now's

my chance to read all those books that everyone's recommended and the

must-read classics. I'm excited to see what I've been missing out on

and to learn how to really enjoy a good book.7) Learn my Biodesign textbook from cover to cover: No secret, I'm a

nerd. I brought a textbook with me to Madagascar. It is about the

business and process of medical device design, which has been my

passion throughout college. We'll see if I can eventually apply some

of what I learn to improving access to medical technology here in

Madagascar.8) Make some close friends: These 2 years are going to be pretty

different. It'll be tough to come back to the United States and not

have anyone speak the same language I've been speaking for 2 years, so

I'm planning to call up my fellow RPCVs to reminisce and hang out.9) Stay Close with Friends and Family: This is actually the most

important thing to me. I'm only able to have this experience with the

support of my friends and family, so staying in touch is my first

priority. Hopefully, I'll get back to the States and we won't miss a

beat.10) Be able to bike to my market town, Ambanja, and back in the same

day: This is a 100Km bike ride on mediocre road. The longest I've

ever done is 40 miles (in Idaho), which was about 20 miles too far.

Still, I hope to work up to this goal.11) Become ambidextrous: Just kidding, but if I did want to learn a

stupid human trick, this would be the time. Who knows what new skill

I might pick up.12) Finally, make a small, but sustainable impact: Most of the health

problems in Madagascar result primarily from behavioral issues related

to health (poor hygiene, not drinking clean water, not eating a

balanced diet, etc.). Yet, these things are completely within the

control of the Malagasy people and don't actually require more money.

The difficulty lies in changing their habitual behavior.This list will grow over time, but it's a start. If you have any

suggestions, let me know (especially if it's a stupid human trick,

#11).I hope everybody is doing well back in the States and look forward to

hearing updates from you guys.Mazotoa (enjoy)!

Hey everybody! I have had a pretty busy week with my site visit; I've

probably experienced more new things this week and grown more

comfortable here in Madagascar than I will in any future week.

Between taking taxi-brousses, speaking Malagasy to survive, and

exploring new places, it has been fairly eventful. Also, check out

new photos I've posted, though the internet isn't allowing me to post

all of them.Some Highlights:

1. As my close friends and family know, I'm usually a pretty busy

guy, always on the go. The skill of doing nothing, aka relaxing, is

one that I have only recently being practicing. The Malagasy culture

is just so much different than that of the United States. Where as we

are concerned about the future and careers, most Malagasy people don't

think that way. In fact, the word for "to live" is the same as "to

sit." On my site visit, I asked my counterpart (the nurse of the

local clinic) what he did on the weekend. His reply: Mipetreka, I

sit, I live. He literally meant that he just sits around and hangs

out with local friends and family, but the double meaning of the word

is emblematic of Malagasy culture. People here are concerned about

putting food on the table and they don't mind free time to simply sit.2. Diego is an awesome town and I feel very lucky to be in the North.

It has a very small town feel, but has everything we could need:

pizza, ice cream, banks, a beach, a market, and internet. The plan is

go once a month to bank, use internet, and take a shower with running

water to rejuvenate.3. The people in the North are very different than the people in the

highlands. Whereas the highlanders are small (under 5 ft 5 inches for

men), the Sakalava people of the north are my size. This is due

primarily to nutrition. The coastal areas get fish (protein), while

the highlanders eat very little protein.4. My site is a 5 hours from Diego via taxi-brousse, an hour from

Ambanja and Ambilobe, and probably about 3 hours from a National Park.

The town that I will be living in is very small; I can walk from one

end to the other in 5 minutes. There are 4 volunteers around Ambanja,

which means that once a week we can all meet up to go to the market

together and hang out.5. I got solicited by a prostitute for the first time. Diego is

rampant with prostitutes, in fact, we've heard that upwards of 90% of

the women there (as in age 14-30) are prostitutes. While on the

beach, a woman came up to me, asked if I wanted a massage in Malagasy,

after I said "no, thanks. I don't need one," she asked "Do you want

to buy a prostitute?" Straight up, just flat out asked at 1pm in the

afternoon. As the closest health volunteer to Diego, one of my

projects will actually be working with prostitutes to practice safe

sex. Not to stop them from the activity, but to promote condom usage.Overall, I think my site fits me very well. With a town so small,

without a market, and with a clinic that only sees 10 patients a day,

I think most volunteers would be bored and frustrated. I certainly

think that my biggest challenge will be staying occupied, but that

lack of busyness will allow me to choose what projects I want to work

on and to explore. The current plan is hike around the mountains by

my house often, bike (hopefully enough so that making the 50Km ride

from my town to Ambanja is routine), read a lot (something I haven't

had the time to do for awhile), find a couple projects to really put

effort into, and plan short trips every month or so to the national

parks in the North. Sure, an ocean front property could have

sweetened the deal, but a 2 hour ride to the beach isn't much to

complain about. Most of all, the other volunteers I am around are

adventurous and we should have some fun exploring the area, learning

to live the Malagasy lifestyle, and doing our part to help the country

advance itself.I have much more I could say about the week, my site, and fun stories

(including a 29 person taxi-brousse ride), but I'll let your eyes rest

for a bit. Call me up or email if you want to hear more or have

questions.If you're white, you're French,

Jason

Currently on my way to visit my site up North in Siranana.  Spent the last couple days at the training center refueling with some food and rest.  I think all the volunteers have been looking forward to their visits for the past two weeks.  In fact, that's about all we talk about.  Well, our site visits and food, haha.  We're all just pumped to see where we'll be living for the 2 years of our service.  There's also a considerable amount of anxiety too, of course: Will my house have dirt floors?  Will my latrine be close to the house?  Do I have a kitchen that uses only fire for cooking?  How far away is my well?  Is the doctor I'm working with a friendly guy?  Does my town have stores?  These are just a few of the things we wonder about.  Not really what I worried about in the US, which is really the coolest thing.  It's pretty amazing how short of time it took to change my concerns from "will I have time to watch my favorite show?" to "what am I going to do after dark without electricity?"  Wild stuff.  

Anyways, I'll also get to check out the Peace Corps transit house/hostel in Diego while I'm on this weeklong site visit.  Really looking forward to answering a bunch of questions I have and reporting back with good news let's hope.  

I hope everyone is doing well back in the US.  Looking forward to hearing updates about your lives too.

Sambitsara!

Mbalatsara!I have no idea how to describe my first couple weeks in Madagascar. I

have 20 pages of journal entry...so how 'bout the important stuff:I'm doing well, really have a blast. The other volunteers are

extremely fun, adventurous, and outgoing people, which makes

everything that much better. My host family is very kind. We started

out speaking French to each other (thanks Ms. Puzzo) and are slowly

moving to Malagasy. Some of the other volunteers are living with

families that don't even speak French so I got lucky. My room is

actually about the size of my room in SigEp when I had a single as a

junior, so not too bad. I do have electricity, though I can't say I

have much need for it. Without internet, I hardly use my computer.

The only thing I use it for is to study after dark while the light. I

do not have running water and have to grab water from the well, filter

it, and then add chemicals to it for purification. All in all not too

shabby though. I use a bucket as a sink and everything works OK. I

do use an outhouse...which is not the greatest, but it's an

experience, haha. I'd say the toughest thing is just that during

training I am on other people's schedule and not my own. So, eating,

sleeping, etc. is not under my control. But, soon enough I'll be set

out on my own and then I'm sure I'll wish for a schedule.Let's see, the people are REALLY nice here. I'm not an untrustworthy

American, but rather a welcomed visitor.I have tons of great pictures! Unfortunately, the internet is too

slow right now to post them.Got my site placement: Sirananana, which is 175Km south of Diego

Suarez and close to Nosy Be! Nosy Be is the tourist spot with beach

and snorkeling galore, so...come visit! I'm very happy with my

placement because it means that I will probably be able to do some

work with WashU and the Missouri Botanical Garden while I'm here.

They have a site up in Diego. My town will be very small, population

2000, but I think that'll be good. I can really make an impact.Hmm, food: lots of rice and veggies. Very rare that I get to eat meat or dairy.Favorite events so far: playing soccer with local kids in town,

meeting the other volunteers, learning the language, getting my site

placement, doing "personal histories" (thanks WP), learning how to

make my own peanut butter (of course).Please feel free to email or comment with questions, etc. I don't

have access to internet, but when I do, I'll write back.Oh, and since the world is so small, I have a cell phone. Call me at

011-261-34-605-9191. It's free for me to receive calls so I'd love to

talk whenever. I think it's 29 cents/min if you call me using Skype.

By the way, this will be my number for only the next 2 months. I'll

have a new one in Sirananana.For know, Sambitsara!

Mbalatsara!

I have no idea how to describe my first couple weeks in Madagascar. I have 20 pages of journal entry...so how 'bout the important stuff:

I'm doing well, really have a blast. The other volunteers are extremely fun, adventurous, and outgoing people, which makes everything that much better. My host family is very kind. We started out speaking French to each other (thanks Ms. Puzzo) and are slowly moving to Malagasy. Some of the other volunteers are living with families that don't even speak French so I got lucky. My room is actually about the size of my room in SigEp when I had a single as a junior, so not too bad. I do have electricity, though I can't say I have much need for it. Without internet, I hardly use my computer. The only thing I use it for is to study after dark while the light. I do not have running water and have to grab water from the well, filter it, and then add chemicals to it for purification. All in all not too shabby though. I use a bucket as a sink and everything works OK. I do use an outhouse...which is not the greatest, but it's an experience, haha. I'd say the toughest thing is just that during training I am on other people's schedule and not my own. So, eating, sleeping, etc. is not under my control. But, soon enough I'll be set out on my own and then I'm sure I'll wish for a schedule.

Let's see, the people are REALLY nice here. I'm not an untrustworthy American, but rather a welcomed visitor.

I have tons of great pictures! Unfortunately, the internet is too slow right now to post them.

Got my site placement: Sirananana, which is 175Km south of Diego Suarez and close to Nosy Be! Nosy Be is the tourist spot with beach and snorkeling galore, so...come visit! I'm very happy with my placement because it means that I will probably be able to do some work with WashU and the Missouri Botanical Garden while I'm here. They have a site up in Diego. My town will be very small, population 2000, but I think that'll be good. I can really make an impact.

Hmm, food: lots of rice and veggies. Very rare that I get to eat meat or dairy.

Favorite events so far: playing soccer with local kids in town, meeting the other volunteers, learning the language, getting my site placement, doing "personal histories" (thanks WP), learning how to make my own peanut butter (of course).

Please feel free to email or comment with questions, etc. I don't have access to internet, but when I do, I'll write back.

Oh, and since the world is so small, I have a cell phone. Call me at 011-261-34-605-9191. It's free for me to receive calls so I'd love to talk whenever. I think it's 29 cents/min if you call me using Skype. By the way, this will be my number for only the next 2 months. I'll have a new one in Sirananana.

For know, Sambitsara!

Flight to Madagascar today! Yesterday, we had orientation together with all the Madagascar volunteers. There are 42 of us going today! About half are working in health and half in teaching English. Everyone seems pretty down to earth, fun, and excited for adventure. Hopefully, I can catch some sleep on the way to South Africa.

Next time I write, it'll be in Madagascar!

I'm headed to Washington DC tomorrow for a couple days of fun before I set off for Madagascar. I have packed my life into a rolling suitcase, a camping backpack, and my school bag...all weighing in around 80lbs. The other volunteers and I have been chatting back and forth figuring out exactly what to bring and what to leave. It's not so easy as you might guess. And since the Peace Corps doesn't assign us to a specific site until over a month after we arrive, it just leaves that much more up in the air. But, hey, that's really half the fun. The Peace Corps is all about being flexible, learning to adapt, and making lasting connections with those you meet. Considering that my journey spans 2 days and involves traveling with 15 or so strangers to a country where we don't speak the language, I get a feeling that I'll be flexing my new skills rather quickly.

Wish me luck! I'll be sure to share the exciting photos and cultural experiences as soon as I can.

As I gear up to live for my Peace Corps experience in Madagascar, I am overwhelmed by the excitement of returned volunteers from Madagascar, even returned travelers. To me, Madagascar was always a far away place. It could have just as easily been Kenya or Morocco before, an unknown. Now, after I listen to the stories from these returned volunteers, I am beginning to understand how special and unique the culture and environment is of this country. When a stranger spends an hour with you on the phone or sends you a three page email about how amazing their time was and how they are excited for you, you tend to get a little excited yourself. Thank you again to the returned Peace Corps volunteers (RPCVs, as the lingo goes) and college students who studied abroad in Madagascar who have shared their stories, passion, and knowledge about the country with me.

As an island, Madagascar has been somewhat separated from its mainland counterparts. This separation has created an amazing amount of biodiversity. Check out this National Geographic article to learn more about it. Yet, the biodiversity is being threatened by growing deforestation and other issues. Many of the other volunteers work on protecting the country's unique environment. Other projects include teaching and community development. My project will be health related and will focus on the mothers in the community, young children, and adolescents (most likely). To learn a little more, check out the official Peace Corps page for the country here. Another cool site to check out is the CIA World Factbook page.

I am not sure what my access to internet or electricity for that matter will be while I am in Madagascar, but I do hope to send emails and blog whenever possible. Even if that is every couple months, sharing my experience is one of my goals. Not to mention, hearing from home and people I care about is a necessity. I will, however, be able to live by good 'ol snail mail and look forward to conversing that way. In fact, I will be sending letters back and forth with my former 6th grade teacher and his classes. I hope to stay in touch and hear about your lives in the States. This experience means a great deal to me; I can't wait to go and I can't wait to come back home in late September 2012 as well.