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