January in Madagascar

It has been a while since I have been living and teaching in Ifanadiana. I traveled to Tana, the capital city in the middle of December for a week of Peace Corps trainings and meetings, followed by a few weeks of R & R with some of my Peace Corps friends. We celebrated Christmas on Isle St. Marie, a tropical island which literally was like paradise. When I talked briefly to my Mom on Christmas day via cell phone I was actually standing in the Indian Ocean!!
It was warm and sunny and really didn't even seem like Christmastime at all! It was wonderful to see my Peace Corps friends again, most of whom I hadn't seen since last August. We enjoyed exchanging stories about each of our various teaching assignments since we are scattered throughout the country and communication is not always easy to accomplish.

I don't think that actually missing Christmas with my family sank in until I returned to my village and received about 15 Christmas cards. Thanks to all of you who sent them to me! The mail comes to our town every Tuesday and it is such a treat to have letters to read from everyone back in the USA!! Now I am back in the routine of teaching my classes again and things are getting back to "normal".

It has been hot here...I mean REALLY hot!! but now it seems to be getting a bit cooler. It's the rainy season, so we are getting lots and lots of rain. Every day it is hot in the morning and then in the afternoon it rains which cools everything down a bit. In December, I would sweat when I tried to sleep but now it is comfortable enough to use a sheet at night.

One thing that I miss is staying up on world news. I have a short wave radio but it doesn't always work as well as I want it to. A few days ago, I decided to climb to the top of a mountain with my radio. The radio worked great at the top and I enjoyed sitting and listening to BBC radio for a while. I am hoping to maybe get a satellite radio that is supposed to work in Madagascar. One of my Peace Corps friends has one so I am going to wait and see how his works before purchasing one.

Thank you also for the packages. I can't put into words how much receiving them means to me. I am trying to support the local economy in my village, so there are certain items that I can purchase here or in Fianarantsoa, a large city that I travel to about once a month.

So, I am requesting that you please do NOT send the following items:
tape, glue, paper clips, scissors, rubber bands, pens, pencils, rice products, jelly, peanut butter

If you DO want to SEND some items, here are some suggestions:
markers, construction paper, stickers, books, kids toys (small balls, jump ropes, jacks, marbles)

Thank you for continuing to think of me. I feel so blessed to have such a great support system of friends and family!

Maribeth

**Note: This information was obtained from a conversation with Maribeth on January 13, 2007 and has been posted by her mother.

Photos of My House in Madagascar

Here are some photos of my house. It has banana trees and mango trees in the yard. Yum! The outhouse and building for my bucket showers is in the back. My house does not have running water, so I have pay someone to carry water to my house several times a week. The water is stored in a big barrel. I have to chlorinate some of the water, boil some of it, and then mix the two together before using any water at all. It is a routine that I have gotten used to now.

The photos of the inside of my house were taken when I visited my site in August. I was still in training then so that's why the house looks a bit empty. I sleep underneath the mosquito net that hangs from the ceiling above my bed. The malaria-carrying mosquitoes bite only at night.

So...now you know what my "Home Sweet Home" looks like. Want to come for a visit?

School in Madagascar

Here are some photos of my school. Students are required to pay to go to school. They have to buy notebooks, too. They must wear uniforms which their mothers make for them. There are no teaching supplies or textbooks to use in the classroom. Some students travel a long distance to attend the high school, so they have to live with relatives in town during the week while they go to school.

The students in these photos have become pen pals with my Mom's students in West Virginia. They are very excited about corresponding with them in English. They recently received our first letters so hopefully their letters will be reaching us by January. We are all hoping to learn from this international "World Wise Schools" project.

Photos of Ifanadiana

My house sits up on a hill behind the market in Ifanadiana. On the left (far side of the street) is what a typical general store looks like. The metal roof on the right covers the home to the butchers, vegetable sellers, etc.

Ifanadiana is a Great Place to Live

Greetings from Madagascar!

My mother has been updating my blog for me, but I thought I'd take this opportunity to write for myself for a change. I'm rather sick with Lord knows what, probably some sort of microbe; thus, I'm staying in the Regional Capital, Fianarantsoa, for a few days until I recover.

So…. Life in Madagascar- where even to begin?!? I officially became a volunteer on August 28^th and moved to Ifanadiana, my site and permanent home for the next two years, on September 1^st, 2007. Ifanadiana is a great little city, the perfect size for me. It has between 8,000 and 10,000 people. However, only a couple thousand live in the actual town, which gives it that quaint, small-town feel. Many people live in the countryside and walk several kilometers to get to Ifanadiana for market days, etc. Ifanadiana is nestled in some small hills. The climate is best described as a temperate rainforest. Thus, there are tons of interesting trees, a little river/stream that runs through town, and beautiful flowers. There's also one paved road, the Route Nationale 25, which runs through the center of town. Subsequently, all of the stores, buildings, and the market line this road. You can walk the whole main street in a matter of minutes, which is nice, because I've really had the opportunity to meet people.

As you walk the main street, you'll find a small post office that receives only letters every Tuesday, several small stores that sell a variety of things from buckets and brooms to eggs and candy, some small restaurants (called 'hotely' in Malagasy) that typically serve one-two dishes a day, the central market place full of stands selling fresh vegetables and beans, and some butchers. There are three bigger 'general store'-esque places in town, where I can purchase cheese (Laughing Cow…), yogurt, pasta, etc. They are sort of your all-purpose type places. The families that run these stores are extremely nice and have been quite helpful to me thus far. There's also two little computer places, where I can type documents, a store that sells radios and other electronic gadgets, and a few churches (the three main ones being a Catholic, Protestant, and Seventh-Day Adventist Church). There are two private schools affiliated with the Catholic and Protestant Churches, a public elementary school (called E.P.P), a middle school (C.E.G) and a high school (lycee) in town as well.

Everyday there are people lining the streets selling food at little stands or on the ground. Right now there isn't a lot to eat, because it's spring and things simply are not ripe yet. Thus, you can purchase tomatoes, spinach, a strange crushed leaf called Rav-toto, beans, onions, garlic, peppers, green beans, etc. There are some bananas, but other than that fruit is pretty sparse at the moment. In December and January, my town is apparently flooded with fruit, which will be really exciting. The fruit I have had thus far is absolutely amazing. We, as Americans, have never tasted such amazing fruit! In December, the market will come alive with jackfruits, mangoes, leeches, papayas, oranges, and the list continues! I have a feeling that I will be eating a TON of fruit salad! Every Thursday is market day in my town. It is an exciting day, because people come from other towns to attend; the streets are bursting with people; and there are usually tons of interesting things for sale. People set up stands that sell used clothing (called Frip); a woman sells shoes, you can buy cloth, pots, dishes, etc. Plus, there's usually an ample supply of foods for sale as well. Most of the clothes are extremely outdated, but it's a lot of fun to search through them for interesting finds or good laughs!

My house: I have my own cute little house that sits up on a hill above the market place. It's made of cement and attached to a town meeting room and a center for Sports et Jeuneuse, where three young guys around my age live. My house is basically one big room with two windows. A previous volunteer built a divider wall made of 4X4s and a tarp to separate the bedroom from the kitchen. Now, when I say kitchen, I really mean a gas camping stove and a huge bucket filled with water! I have a lovely kitchen table with four chairs, a set of shelves for food and dishes, a double bed, dresser, and desk! I DO have electricity, which is really exciting, but I do not have running water. Thus, I have a large garbage can in my kitchen that I pay someone to fill with water three times a week. There are public water pumps in my town, but they only work from 7-10am. Thus, as you can imagine, there are usually several women and children waiting with their buckets. Outside of my house, I have a little cement front porch area, a shower stall for my bucket baths, and an outhouse (kabonet in Malagasy). I have a little fenced yard that's home to some nice trees that keep my house shaded and cool. My house is located near the Bureau de District (sort of like the Town Hall…), a few other houses, and an empty stadium-like spot that's used for town events. It's never quiet, because the neighbor kids love to come over and play. I've slowly been collecting toys for them to use. They're really great about playing with the toys and then cleaning up and returning them when they're finished. I've taught them to wash their hands when they're finished as well. I taught them how to play "War" with cards, and they play for hours. I also have some sidewalk chalk, a pack of crayons, and a Frisbee, that they absolutely love. If you wish to send anything, games or children's toys would be great! My "best friend" is a little girl that comes over daily. (I should probably mention that she is six-years-old!) She comes over just to talk, helps me cook, listens to music, etc. Although she's young, I can tell that she's really smart, because she recognizes that I do not always understand Malagasy. Thus, she's great about rewording things for me.

Teaching: I teach 15 hours a week at both the C.E.G. (middle school) and lycee (high school). My two schools are located in opposite directions, about a 15 minute walk to each. It's nice to walk there, because I usually see several of my students along the way. I teach 5eme (sort of like 7^th grade) and 2nde (like 10^th or 11^th grade). My middle school classes are pretty big, with approximately 50-55 students per class, whereas my lycee classes are very small, between 20-30 students. Teaching can be frustrating at times, but I do really enjoy it! There is definitely a different work ethnic here. Thus, sometimes it's like pulling teeth to get the kids to do things, but slowly we're making progress. I have some really bright students, and all of them seem to enjoy class with the crazy, foreign teacher. I've been using a lot of gestures in class, dancing, singing, etc. From what I can tell thus far, and I definitely do not want to generalize, the Malagasy teachers have more of a lecture-style approach to teaching. Thus, when the student's crazy American teacher is standing on a table to make a point, the kids are extremely excited. I am also starting an adult class that will meet every Wednesday evening. The goal of this class is to help shop owners and other interested people learn English that they could possibly use—mainly business and tourism English. I'm also starting an English club in two weeks, with a few goals: 1) I want those students who are extremely passionate about learning English to have an extra opportunity to practice, 2) I want to gear the club towards different messages about diversity, cultural differences, etc. 3) I want to expose kids to pop culture and motivate them to learn about the outside world as a way to better appreciate their own culture! Hopefully it will be successful! The kids seem really excited about it.

So… other than that, life here in Madagascar is progressing. I cannot believe that I've already been here for four months! It's amazing how quickly time flies. Most of you know how difficult it was for me to decide what to do with my life post-college, and I really feel confident that I made the right decision for myself. I've learned so much about life and myself in the last four months. Plus, it's really refreshing to be reminded of what is really important in life. I think that we, as Americans, often get consumed in the material world. I am definitely guilty of wanting one too many pairs of designer jeans or the newest clothes. However, here, people are happy with the smallest things. The neighbor kids use my trash to build toys and one small piece of candy lights up a kid's face. Plus, people are able to find beauty in nature and the 'simple things' in life.

In closing, here are some funny anecdotes that do not fit into any part of my letter:

1) Three weeks ago, I met Madagascar's biggest pop-star! His name is Lola (feel free to Google him and download a song!) He came to my town for a propaganda concert! Since I was the only foreigner in the audience, I got to meet and chat with him after the show! It was a lot of fun!

2) I attended the above-mentioned concert with one of my closest friends at site. We were dancing like fools throughout the whole thing and just having a general good time. Little did I know that they were video taping the concert. That evening, they set up a HUGE drive-in movie-esque screen in town and replayed the footage of the concert. As I was watching with my friends, all of a sudden the screen was filled with an image of just ME dancing for a good four minutes! I could have died!!!

3) I was offered fried grasshoppers at a party I attended last week with the Ministre d'Environment for all of Madagascar. I guess it's a good source of protein.

4) I saw SIX lemurs last month in the rainforest!! It was extremely exciting!!

5) VAZAHA is the word for foreigner in Malagasy, and I hear this word daily… over and over and over again. It is usually coupled with some word talking about my size. It used to bother me to be called fat all the time, but I guess that I've sort of embraced who I am!

6) Every time you see someone in my town, you greet them as follows:

~Akoriaby (How's your health?)

~Tsara be fa misaotra (It's good, thanks.)

OR…. Salama (Hello)

7) I speak Malagasy every day, which is both exciting and exhausting. There are some days when I simply feel as though I cannot say another word. Then there are others when I could talk for others! My vocabulary is still extremely limited, but it is improving daily. I carry around a little notebook and write down every word I hear!

8) My closest friends are a girl who just graduated from high school last year. She's really smart and actually very good at English. We hang out a lot, and she's been really helpful with helping me figure out vocabulary. I also have a really close guy friend who comes over a few nights a week. We play cards or just chat.

9) I'm taking a Malagasy class at the local elementary school every Tuesday morning. It's with kids that are 8-9 years old! Hahaha…. It's interesting and about at my level of Malagasy.

Well… I hope that this paints at least a vague picture of what my life is like in Ifanadiana. Thank you so very much to everyone who has sent letters or packages. Letters are seriously one of the biggest treats ever! It really brightens my day to receive mail! If anyone is interested in sending packages (although letters are more than enough), here are a few things that I would like:

· Construction paper and craft supplies for my classes (I'd like to do some stuff at Christmas)

· Packs of tuna fish or chicken in those little bags

· Toys for the kids to play with at my house

· Note cards (the big ones to make flashcards)

· Christmas decorations

· M&Ms (peanut… a personal favorite! )

· Pictures of America to use in class

· Children's books.. (perhaps a Christmas book or two for my classes?!? They need to be a very EASY level!!)

· Pasta sauce packs

· Dried strawberries

· Magazines (The Economist, People, etc. I receive Newsweek from Peace Corps every month)

I hope life in the United States is going well! I've been trying to follow some of the news, but it's definitely a challenge! Please continue to write, and if anyone stumbles upon a large sum of money or wins the lottery, fly over and see me!

Lots of love,

Maribeth

A new experience for me!

Greetings!

So life here in Madagascar progresses slowly. Life has had its ups and downs, but I am happy to say that I am indeed surviving. It has definitely been a roller coaster of emotions. Some moments are over-the-moon fantastic, while others are pretty low. Yet, school starts Monday; so I'm sure things will start to pick up then. Plus, I'll need to work on lesson plans all weekend and prepare. Today is Thursday, and I decided to take a trip to nearby Ranomafana National Park. It's market day in my town and I decided that there were just too many people for me to handle. Thus, I paid one dollar, hopped on a taxi brousse, and here I am in Ranomafana. Ranomafana (or hot water, as it would translate in English) is a really touristy town. Thus, it has internet- gmail and google only, but hey, that's better than nothing. It also has some vazaha, or foreigner-like, restaurants, where I will have some lunch today. Plus, I'm going swimming in the hot baths.

Yesterday was a pretty good day for me. I've started to make friends. However, I should probably mention that they are all under the age of nine. Ahh well, you have to start somewhere, and the kids are kind, talk slowly, and always want to play. Sixteen small children and I sat on my porch for hours just playing cards. I taught them how to play war, and they loved it. In the afternoon I did some walking around town, tried to get my work schedule sorted out, bought some random items I needed, and had dinner at a local restaurant. The big news in town yesterday was that there was a crane (not the bird but the bulldozer thing) in town. Everyone was so excited to see it. For hours, people just stood around and watched the machine pick up rocks. I must admit that it was really nice to not be the center of attention for once! I'll let the crane take the floor anytime.

Hmmm.... not much else is new. Today the weather here is absolutely beautiful-- sunny skies, not a cloud in site-- perfect for swimming!!!! I'm really excited to be in Ranomafana, because they happen to have the best pineapples in the world!!! I'm defintely going to purchase a couple, maybe one for the neighbors, etc.

I hope everything is going well in the U.S. I'll be heading to Fianar, the big regional capitol, next Thursday or early Friday to bank, relax, and take a real shower. Also, I'm really excited, because I realized that I have a week of vacation at the end of October. Thus, I'm going to visit my friend Danielle, who lives north of Antananarivo on the largest lake in Madagascar. It should be a lot of fun!!!!

Well, have a great week everyone! I am so happy to have this experience here!!!!

Maribeth

phone conversation on August 13, 2007

This is a summary of our conversation with Maribeth on August 13, 2007.

--posted by Louise Black, Maribeth’s Mom

Hi! Things are going well, but every day is a bit overwhelming. Absolutely everything is new and different here!

Recently, I visited the village where I will be living for 2 years, beginning at the end of September. It took 2 days to get there. It is located in the temperate rainforest and yes!!! I DID see lemurs!! J The village is located about 10 miles from a national park, which should be great! It is located on a national route, so there are markets and shops along the road. It is a small, safe town. They have had other female PC volunteers so hopefully this fact will help with my adjustment to living there.

I will be living in a house with one long room. There is a make-shift divider constructed of wood and a tarp so that there are actually 2 rooms—a bedroom, and a living area. The bedroom has a huge dresser, a desk, and a big bed. I actually slept at my house one night which was nice. The kitchen will be furnished with a camping-type stove, lots of shelf space, a table with 4 chairs, and a big water filtration container. I will not have running water, so I will need to pay someone to carry water to my house a few times a week. The house has a front porch and is attached to a church and youth center. I’ll have my own shower room (for bucket showers) and my own outhouse. In the front yard are 2 banana trees and a mango tree. Yum!!

My teaching assignment will be teaching 3, 7^th grade classes (2^nd year English) and 2 or 3 10^th grade classes. I’m sure that it will be a challenge!

Once a month, I will travel to a bigger city to do my banking. There will be a Peace Corps building there where I can stay and see other Peace Corps volunteers. They will also have some “luxuries” for us to enjoy like hot showers.

The Malagasy language has very long words, but I seem to be doing fine in learning it. I have always loved languages, so I suppose that helps!

Last week, I attended an exhumation. They laid out all of the dead bodies. Some were 2 years old, while others had been dead for decades. Believe me…it was an intense experience.

On Tuesday, August 21, I will be leaving my homestay. I will spend about a week in TANA and will be sworn in as an official Peace Corps volunteer on August 28. On August 29-30, I will be moving to my own home. A Peace Corps representative will travel with me and inspect my home before I am left to live there on my own.

I know that living on my own is going to be a new challenge for me. I will be the only American living in the small town. I have made GREAT Peace Corps friends that will be scattered all over Madagascar. We are already planning to get together for holidays! Every 2 or 3 months we will meet back at the Peace Corps headquarters in TANA, so we will see each other then, too.

Thanks to all of you that have written to me! It means SO MUCH!! Please continue to write. I will still be able to receive your letters through the Peace Corps headquarters address that you have already been using. Mom can give you the updated address, too, if you want it. So far, I have written back to everyone whose letters I have received and I will continue to do so! I LOVE receiving mail!!

(Note from Maribeth’s MOM: If you want to send small padded envelopes, Maribeth would LOVE some hard candies & peanut M&M’s J )

Well, I guess that’s all the news for now. Take care and keep in touch! I can’t begin to tell you how much it means to me to hear from you!

Love, Maribeth