Just put one foot in front of the other. . .

Madagascar!  My new African home has been an exciting place to be over the last 3 months, and I apologize for not posting on my blog sooner!  Internet is hard to come by, but I will have more regular access now. 

Pre-Service Training went by in a blur of language lessons, technical trainings, and a few memorable parties with new friends.  I was in a state of shock during our swearing in ceremony; I couldn’t believe that we’d already reached the end of training!  Sometimes when each day is a challenge of its own, the weeks just disappear.  During training I learned enough Malagasy to get by at my site, but I’ve got a long way to go before I feel confident in my conversations and am able to have more complicated discussions!  I look forward to that more than anything and I spend a lot of my time learning new words and trying to understand my new neighbors and friends.  It’s a good thing they are patient!

During training all of the trainees lived with a homestay family for one month, and I was placed with a very large, loving family in the town of Anjozoro.  My month with them was full of laughter, singing, and some extremely awkward moments of confusion ;)  They found ways to brighten even the worst of my days across all of the language and culture barriers, and they opened up their home to me when I had nothing but a smile to give in return.  I am very grateful for their generosity, and I only hope that I’ll someday be capable of writing them a letter in Malagasy to tell them  how much it meant to me.

After our month at homestay we were all brought back to the training center where we lived in dorms for the remainder of training.  This too, was a challenge (for those of us that are used to having more privacy and alone time).  I personally enjoyed the company, but not the strictly scheduled days and the extremely long language classes (which are completely necessary, just painful to experience).  As the end of training drew near our parties became more frequent (and more ridiculous) and I was sad when we had to part ways.  But, its only a temporary goodbye!  We will all be back together again in a few months when we return to Mantasoa for In-Service Training. 

I have been assigned to live and work in what is quite possibly the most beautiful site ever!  Nosy Varika is my new home (and yes, my address has changed!) on the South East coast of Madagascar.  It’s a vibrant beach community that has the feel of an island due to its position between the Indian Ocean and the canal.  And the beach is amazing!  Forget about concrete and pavement, these toes will be walking in soft, hot sand for the next 2 years.  To reach Nosy Varika I get to take a 12 hour boat ride up the canal from Mananjary; doesn’t get much more remote than that!  The boat ride is absolutely gorgeous and a great time for me to catch up on all those books I’ve been meaning to read.  Any book recommendations?

I have only lived at my site for 2 weeks so there is still a lot to learn and many new places to explore.  So far I have gone on my first exciting bike ride in the sand to some surrounding farm land (I’m getting much better at this), swimming in the Indian Ocean that is only a 5 minute walk from my house, running on the beach at sunrise, taken a small boat across the canal to see a farm run by a women’s group, and many walks through the bustling daily market.  Each day brings something new and unexpected, and I’m excited to become more familiar with my new home. 

Over the next couple of months I will be focusing on becoming a part of my community and getting to know the people I will be working with (or finding them!).  My main goals are to learn more Malagasy and to have fun J  Wish me luck!