Friday, April 25, 2008
Will You Take My Picture? Cause I Won't Remember
As I have mentioned before, it takes forever to upload pictures here. I just failed a bunch oftimes, hopfully some other time... So please take a look at other people's sites for some good pictures. I am in Tana now, we finished our training. We hit up a sweet karaoke bar, where I and my friend Brendan (H) rocked out to Blues Brothers SOUL MAN. Good times, we have a bit more un here bore swearing in, so I should get going. Hope all is well!
Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning’s End
(Written Sat. 4/19/08)
Training is wrapping up, and in a little over a week we will all be leaving for our permanent sites as official Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs)! The time here in our training village had flown by, but at the same time I can’t believe it has only been two months. I feel like so much has changed for me since I left the US. Perhaps I should give a recap of my training activities so you can all see what I have been up to here.
Since we all need to be proficient language speakers, we have had to do a lot of activities in Malagasy. I have given a presentation on the Bonara tree (Albizia Lebbek), a cool nitrogen-fixing tree used for erosion control. I gave a second presentation on a cool form of charcoal made from dead grass to preserve wood while still providing energy. And I have a final presentation in a few days on Vetiver, an awesome erosion-controlling type of grass. Also, with Tara & Austin, I taught a class at the primary school on Erosion. As you may have guessed, erosion is a huge problem here, in Madagascar (Aerial images show Madagasar apparently ‘bleeding’ because the red soil is all eroding into the rivers and being taken out to sea).
We have worked on lots of projects in our technical training, including: gardening, composting, building improved cookstoves, planting trees and vetiver as erosion control / prevention, teaching environmental education, solar cookers, tree nurseries, etc. Hopefully I can put a lot of these skills to use and eventually post pictures of what I do at site.
Also, just this past week, we finally got to the rainforest. We saw some amazing chameleons and lemurs. I want to upload some pictures here, but as usual other people are more “Mahay” * at phots than I am, so check out some of the other blogs for better shots. I am going to add some more blogs, including some of the SED (Small Enterprise Development) volunteers, so you can read about all the cool people here and the great stuff they will be doing.
My fellow volunteers and I have been training with really are amazing. I was not expecting to form such a strong bond with so many of them, but we all get along well and I think we have already enhanced each other’s experiences. It will be tough to leave such a great group, but I think we can all find solace in the fact that we are finally going off to do what we signed up for: exciting, challenging development work immersed in a foreign culture and community. Plus we can all visit and support one another throughout our service.
I went a little off-topic there, as is my style. I have also had lots of time to read. Mostly it is technical books, like finding trees good for firewood that are also leguminous [nitrogen-fixing] – say, Albizia Lebbek, for instance. Or which trees are En Vogue in the development world and how useful they really are - like Moringa or Jatropha. I have also been reading real books, like A Farewell to Arms and The Brothers Karamazov. If you come across anything you think I should read, whether it is a book or magazine/newspaper article or internet story, please send it my way! In return, I have a recommendation if you have any interest in agricultural development or want a better idea of the concepts behind my type of work here. It is a book I read through quickly and loved called Two Ears of Corn by Roland Bunch. It gives an awesome view of the philosophy of “sustainable” rural development. Worth checking out if you have any interest in the subject.
Well that wraps up another installment here. Any letters to my old address will be forwarded to me, so don’t fret about that (or use it as an excuse for not writing!) Also happy birFday to the Mac Attack, your quarter-century is tomorrow, even though this won’t be posted til well afterwards. Live it up Kid!
*Mahay – pronounced “Ma-Hi” – Malagasy verb used in many different ways. Basically it means “to know” but it can also mean “smart” or “to be smart,” like someone who is awesome at farming rice would be “Mahay Mamboly Vary” (Mamboly=to farm and Vary=rice). Mahay is a great word, especially when used in Englasy/Malagasish combos like the “Mahay Five”, our local version of the high five. Haptic Closure Baby.
Training is wrapping up, and in a little over a week we will all be leaving for our permanent sites as official Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs)! The time here in our training village had flown by, but at the same time I can’t believe it has only been two months. I feel like so much has changed for me since I left the US. Perhaps I should give a recap of my training activities so you can all see what I have been up to here.
Since we all need to be proficient language speakers, we have had to do a lot of activities in Malagasy. I have given a presentation on the Bonara tree (Albizia Lebbek), a cool nitrogen-fixing tree used for erosion control. I gave a second presentation on a cool form of charcoal made from dead grass to preserve wood while still providing energy. And I have a final presentation in a few days on Vetiver, an awesome erosion-controlling type of grass. Also, with Tara & Austin, I taught a class at the primary school on Erosion. As you may have guessed, erosion is a huge problem here, in Madagascar (Aerial images show Madagasar apparently ‘bleeding’ because the red soil is all eroding into the rivers and being taken out to sea).
We have worked on lots of projects in our technical training, including: gardening, composting, building improved cookstoves, planting trees and vetiver as erosion control / prevention, teaching environmental education, solar cookers, tree nurseries, etc. Hopefully I can put a lot of these skills to use and eventually post pictures of what I do at site.
Also, just this past week, we finally got to the rainforest. We saw some amazing chameleons and lemurs. I want to upload some pictures here, but as usual other people are more “Mahay” * at phots than I am, so check out some of the other blogs for better shots. I am going to add some more blogs, including some of the SED (Small Enterprise Development) volunteers, so you can read about all the cool people here and the great stuff they will be doing.
My fellow volunteers and I have been training with really are amazing. I was not expecting to form such a strong bond with so many of them, but we all get along well and I think we have already enhanced each other’s experiences. It will be tough to leave such a great group, but I think we can all find solace in the fact that we are finally going off to do what we signed up for: exciting, challenging development work immersed in a foreign culture and community. Plus we can all visit and support one another throughout our service.
I went a little off-topic there, as is my style. I have also had lots of time to read. Mostly it is technical books, like finding trees good for firewood that are also leguminous [nitrogen-fixing] – say, Albizia Lebbek, for instance. Or which trees are En Vogue in the development world and how useful they really are - like Moringa or Jatropha. I have also been reading real books, like A Farewell to Arms and The Brothers Karamazov. If you come across anything you think I should read, whether it is a book or magazine/newspaper article or internet story, please send it my way! In return, I have a recommendation if you have any interest in agricultural development or want a better idea of the concepts behind my type of work here. It is a book I read through quickly and loved called Two Ears of Corn by Roland Bunch. It gives an awesome view of the philosophy of “sustainable” rural development. Worth checking out if you have any interest in the subject.
Well that wraps up another installment here. Any letters to my old address will be forwarded to me, so don’t fret about that (or use it as an excuse for not writing!) Also happy birFday to the Mac Attack, your quarter-century is tomorrow, even though this won’t be posted til well afterwards. Live it up Kid!
*Mahay – pronounced “Ma-Hi” – Malagasy verb used in many different ways. Basically it means “to know” but it can also mean “smart” or “to be smart,” like someone who is awesome at farming rice would be “Mahay Mamboly Vary” (Mamboly=to farm and Vary=rice). Mahay is a great word, especially when used in Englasy/Malagasish combos like the “Mahay Five”, our local version of the high five. Haptic Closure Baby.
Cause Once in a While You get Shown in the Light in the Strangest of Places if you Look at it Right
(Written Sat 4/5/08)
Lots to cover, as usual, but first a quick shout-out to DWheels: Many thanks for the tunes. I am quite grateful. On a related note, bonus points to those who recognize the title lyrics…
Many people mention the numerous rewards of Peace Corps, such as meeting new people, exchanging cultural ideas and practices, learning a new language, acquiring life skills, etc. In reality, the best rewards are often found in unexpected places or during seemingly mundane activities that produce moments of profound clarity. During these moments, I cannot help but goofily smile and marvel at being here. Some of these rewarding moments: tossing the football (American) with my host brother; giving high-fives to all the little kids here (although many, especially the older kids, prefer the fist-pound); finding myself giving a speech and an interview on Malagasy radio (more on this shortly); writing a letter* describing the day’s activities by candlelight; washing my clothes in the river by myself as the sun sets; successfully making small talk and cracking jokes with Malagasy cab drivers; giving an impromptu history lesson on colonization and the struggle for independence in the world to my host family over dinner…
One such moment stands out in my mind and prompted this entry. I was returning from my site visit (each trainee spent a few days at their respective permanent sites, aka where we will be for the next 2 years), travelling in a crowded taxi-brousse (taxi-brousse is the term for cars or vans that transport lots of people from city to city, like a bus. In this case, think of a large van [similar to the DangeVan for Madison people] packed with people) along a small, windy dirt road in the countryside. Suddenly, none other than “We are the World” comes on the radio. Being a Peace Corps Volunteer, travelling with a bunch of Malagasy in the countryside of Madagascar, listening to celebrities sing about the need to help our fellow man and create a better world – it was pretty surreal. It could have been a Peace Corps commercial. It was cheesy, and awesome, and a little inspiring. Needless to say, I was smiling and singing along, albeit under my breath. And yes, I got chills when Bruce Springsteen’s part came on. A very cool and unexpected moment.
A little more about site visit. I will be in a small town working with a farmer’s Co-Op and the community. The Co-Op recently launched a local radio station that broadcasts throughout the nearby rainforest corridor. When I arrived, they took me to the small station house and suddenly asked me to give an introductory speech on the radio (in Malagasy of course). Unprepared, I stammered a brief personal introduction, mentioning my name, the Peace Corps and the work I will be doing. After a few more sentences, I returned the mic, thinking I was done. But they had questions for me! It was a bit nerve-racking, but pretty brief and a lot of fun. Afterwards, I hung around the station, They play Malagasy music interrupted with environmental information and agricultural techniques. It reminded me of many Saturday mornings in DC, because we were all gathered around watching the accompanying music videos. Yet another example of our universal similarities, no? I may end up with some regular radio appearances, so perhaps I can play some American music for cultural exchange purposes!
My house at site is very nice, situated on a hillside that over looks the rice paddies and beyond that the start of the rainforest corridor. I have some gardening space, 2 spacious rooms, and even a doghouse (a previous volunteer left behind a very cool dog named Cookis). There is no electricity or cell phone reception, but both are available in my banking town, as well as internet access. My banking town, which is large and more “metropolitan,” is about 50 Km away (though due to a bad road it takes 3-4 hours by car), and I should be able to visit there every month or so for banking, picking up/sending off mail*, internet, etc. On the whole, my site is cool and I am excited to move there permanently when training ends, less than a month from now.
Hopefully these updates are proving informative to you all, although I regret my inability to properly convey all that I am experiencing here. Perhaps you will just have to visit?
* Since I am moving to my permanent site soon, I have a new mailing address:
Chris Planicka
BP 31
Ambatondrazaka 503
Madagascar
Lots to cover, as usual, but first a quick shout-out to DWheels: Many thanks for the tunes. I am quite grateful. On a related note, bonus points to those who recognize the title lyrics…
Many people mention the numerous rewards of Peace Corps, such as meeting new people, exchanging cultural ideas and practices, learning a new language, acquiring life skills, etc. In reality, the best rewards are often found in unexpected places or during seemingly mundane activities that produce moments of profound clarity. During these moments, I cannot help but goofily smile and marvel at being here. Some of these rewarding moments: tossing the football (American) with my host brother; giving high-fives to all the little kids here (although many, especially the older kids, prefer the fist-pound); finding myself giving a speech and an interview on Malagasy radio (more on this shortly); writing a letter* describing the day’s activities by candlelight; washing my clothes in the river by myself as the sun sets; successfully making small talk and cracking jokes with Malagasy cab drivers; giving an impromptu history lesson on colonization and the struggle for independence in the world to my host family over dinner…
One such moment stands out in my mind and prompted this entry. I was returning from my site visit (each trainee spent a few days at their respective permanent sites, aka where we will be for the next 2 years), travelling in a crowded taxi-brousse (taxi-brousse is the term for cars or vans that transport lots of people from city to city, like a bus. In this case, think of a large van [similar to the DangeVan for Madison people] packed with people) along a small, windy dirt road in the countryside. Suddenly, none other than “We are the World” comes on the radio. Being a Peace Corps Volunteer, travelling with a bunch of Malagasy in the countryside of Madagascar, listening to celebrities sing about the need to help our fellow man and create a better world – it was pretty surreal. It could have been a Peace Corps commercial. It was cheesy, and awesome, and a little inspiring. Needless to say, I was smiling and singing along, albeit under my breath. And yes, I got chills when Bruce Springsteen’s part came on. A very cool and unexpected moment.
A little more about site visit. I will be in a small town working with a farmer’s Co-Op and the community. The Co-Op recently launched a local radio station that broadcasts throughout the nearby rainforest corridor. When I arrived, they took me to the small station house and suddenly asked me to give an introductory speech on the radio (in Malagasy of course). Unprepared, I stammered a brief personal introduction, mentioning my name, the Peace Corps and the work I will be doing. After a few more sentences, I returned the mic, thinking I was done. But they had questions for me! It was a bit nerve-racking, but pretty brief and a lot of fun. Afterwards, I hung around the station, They play Malagasy music interrupted with environmental information and agricultural techniques. It reminded me of many Saturday mornings in DC, because we were all gathered around watching the accompanying music videos. Yet another example of our universal similarities, no? I may end up with some regular radio appearances, so perhaps I can play some American music for cultural exchange purposes!
My house at site is very nice, situated on a hillside that over looks the rice paddies and beyond that the start of the rainforest corridor. I have some gardening space, 2 spacious rooms, and even a doghouse (a previous volunteer left behind a very cool dog named Cookis). There is no electricity or cell phone reception, but both are available in my banking town, as well as internet access. My banking town, which is large and more “metropolitan,” is about 50 Km away (though due to a bad road it takes 3-4 hours by car), and I should be able to visit there every month or so for banking, picking up/sending off mail*, internet, etc. On the whole, my site is cool and I am excited to move there permanently when training ends, less than a month from now.
Hopefully these updates are proving informative to you all, although I regret my inability to properly convey all that I am experiencing here. Perhaps you will just have to visit?
* Since I am moving to my permanent site soon, I have a new mailing address:
Chris Planicka
BP 31
Ambatondrazaka 503
Madagascar
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)