1 Month In

Salama? (Hi / Okay / what's up?) I just returned to Tana from my site visit. I am exactly half way through training. Things are going pretty well. I am living with a host family in a small remote, but middle class (malagasy middle class) town 2 hours East of Tana (the capital). My host family is great they care for me very much and are great about giving me space and time alone.

Adapting to a new culture is a lot like growing up all over again. You start out an infant- no vocabulary, a bit of crying, gastro-intestinal trauma. But slowly you acquire some words, bond with your family, and begin to venture out on your own. Right now, I'd say I just turned 16. I went on my first solo venture through the countryside (more about this later) and I'm beginning to feel comfortable interacting with Malagasy people, all the while I'm growing tired of Peace Corps "testing" they are constantly surprising us (usually with bad news and schedule changes) and as I explore I'm beginning to see that the trainers haven't quite told us the whole truth about this country and the people. Don't worry though, I don't think I'll be a rebelous teenager, I think I'll save that for my late 20's.

In other news, I saw my site. It is absolutely fantastic. Really, it's unbelievably gorgeous. Imagine a key-west beach mixed with an african decidous forest (think coastal texas if you can't picture that), combined with a cheesapeak bay like marsh (lots of egrets). It is so beautiful. (I'll post pictures in a few weeks)

Any of you who have thought even remotely about coming to visit. Stop thinking, start planning- this is a once in a lifetime travel opportunity for you. A bungalo style hotel is under construction and will be done in a few months. It is also gorgeous, but also quante (and rustic, although they are planning to install solar power and there are showers and toilets). You will be able to stay in the hotel and/or in my hut (yes I am going to live in a hut. But its a nice hut.) and get to see rural african life from the inside rather than as a tourist. So the best time to come is anytime after october of this year. Oh, and Dad- stop worrying about parasites they are relatively rare, never fatal, and usually nothing more than a minor annoyance. Yes, that's right, a minor annoyance, really!

So I'll try to write some more tomorrow night (tuesday march 22nd). I have to go as my computer time is all used up (we have 12 people here tonight and only 1 computer). I love many of you and miss all of you. Please write letters, I have only recieved them from Maya, Mom, and Dad. AND, I don't have your addresses, so you have to write first.

Veloma

Made it!

Hello from Antananarivo! I am finally here. All my luggage, however, is not here yet. Much of the group's luggage didn't make it from the Delta plane in Paris to the Air France plane for Tana. We had a chaotic layover in Paris with only 45 minutes to change terminals before the plane took off. I ran around the airport like a total noob, scared that I and two other volonteers were the only ones lost. Turns out we made it to the gate first. Anyway, due to the short layover, only some of our bhyags arrived with us. We have been assured that the rest will come tomorrow- I'm not holding my breathe.

After the baggage ordeal, we left customs and were greeted by the welcoming committee. Seriously, there was an honest-to-god welcoming comittee! About 10 current volonteers, who had been brought in to Tana for training and welcoming committy-ing greeted us with cheers and hugs. They helped us and our luggage into the PC vans and rode home with us. They seem happy, healthy, and enthusiastic.

The PC office in Tana is a beautiful little compound located... somewhere in the city. The buiding is a two-story french-colonial, complete with a blooming flower garden. I saw some small green geckos climbing around the walls, but was too tired to harass them.

We got settled in rather quickly last night and pretty much went right to bed. However, I soon discovered that my body didn't want to go to sleep at what it knew to be 6pm. Eventually, I took a sleeping pill and got a solid 1-2 hours of sleep. I was suddenly awoken by the oddest- and loudest- birdcall i've ever heard. I decided to forget about sleep and wander about and see what it feels like to be the first one up.

I chased some geckos in the courtyard, memorized a few words of Malagasy, and began writing this. The internet here is rather slow, not 1994 slow, but at perhaps 1998 slow.

I don't know when I'll have internet access again. Perhaps later this month, perhaps not. I hope y'all will write me a letter soon (be sure to include your address). Goodbye for now.

Hotel in Philly

Hello everyone! I am currently at the hotel in philly. I only have a few minutes until training reconviens, so here goes-

First impressions- the other trainees seem great. Everyone is friendly and welcoming. Here are some stats on our group. 19 trainees. 12 female, 7 male. 1 married couple. avg age- 25-27. 2 older trainees- women in their 50s. People are from all over the US, except new england.

Training has been intense, yet informal and fun. I am beginning to question many of my assumptions about the future. Madagscar seems safer, yet more remote than i had imagined.

I will not have regular access to the internet during training. More to come tonight.

Maybe later

First off, I'd like to thank everyone who came to my "Going Away Party" last Saturday. It was great to see you all. For those who couldn't make it, it was not great not to see you.

Although I've done a good job in giving everyone my contact information, I regret that I have done an awful job in getting everyone's info. So, if you would like letters, pictures and such you will either have to 1) email me your info 2) mail me first or 3) fade into oblivion.

Anyway, I am currently working to get ready for my departure on sunday. This mostly involves shopping for the last few items on my "to buy" list and organizing my possesions into piles of "want to bring," "need to bring," and "don't know if I should bring." I am limited to 80lbs of luggage so I am going to have to start making some hard decisions soon. I also have a "to do" list which I panickingly yank out of my pocket every few hours only to scan through thinking, "haven't done it, haven't done it, don't want to do it, haven't done it, maybe later, maybe later, maybe later..." I think that I will officially rename tomorrow "later." Of course, I've been saying that for days.

Departing February 13th

Welcome. My departure for the Peace Corps is rapidly approaching. Here is as much as I know-

 I officially leave Sunday, February 13th. After a 3 day stay in philidelphia for pre-service training, I will be flying to Paris and then on to Antananarivo, Madagascar.

Once there, I will begin a three month training program in sustainable forestry, rural healthcare, French and Malagasy. During this period I will most likely be staying with a host family in or around Antananarivo (Tana for short). Upon completion of training I will take an oath to the Constitution and be sworn in as an official peace corp volonteer. At this point my training group will be split up as we each head off to our assigned areas. As a sustainable forestry volonteer, chances are good that I will be assigned to a forested area, most likely near a national forest (4 out of 5 of which are tropical rain forests).

My site is likely to be very remote and almost certainly will be without electricity or safe drinking water. From here I will begin the work of sustainable forestry. The official job description looks something like this:

As a Peace Corps Forestry Volunteer, you work with local communities to plan, implement, and evaluate reforestation, forest management, or soil conservation projects. You work with host country foresters and community members to help them define their strengths and address their critical problems. You are placed with a host country agency such as the forest service, agricultural extension service, or a community development agency. You live in a rural village; your work territory may cover one village of 300 people or an area of 10 villages with thousands of people. Your job varies from regional nursery management to forestry extension work with schools, community groups, and individuals. Depending upon the needs of your community, you may also participate in other activities, such as environmental education or small-scale marketing of forest products.