(written Thurs. 6/19/08; posted by MOM)
To be honest, I don’t even know where the closest levee is, so I don’t think it is in danger of breaking. But I wanted to stress (again....) that it rains here a lot, at least once a day. But after living in rainy havens like South Bend and London, I am pretty used to it. (Even DC could feel like those two dreary-weather places at times). And when the sun does come out, it is usually a beautiful sight.
One effect of the constant rains (note: this is actually Madagascar’s “dry season”) is that the road become slick. That is a huge understatement. The roads here are dirt or clay, and they become like muddy ice sheets in the rain. I tend to slip n’ slide (remember that game?) my way wherever I am going. This makes walking places especially interesting because you always have to go up and down steep hills around town. So far I have mostly lived up to the challenge, with only a few near-wipeouts to my name. When I do fall hard in a huge mud puddle (and I will, no doubt), I hope plenty of people are there to see. I wouldn’t want to waste the site of the big goofy American covered in much! Also, semi-related, I tend to wear my hiking boots in this type of weather (barefoot, hiking boots, sandals...all have proven ineffective for traction, but the boots are the warmest!) Well coming home from the fields or a long walk, I can finally understand somewhat the scourge of WWI infantrymen—trench foot.. I can see how wading through dank mud all day could leave feet damp and cold; of course, I have not had it, and am sure to get warm as much as possible. It is just funny sometimes to think that you share more in common with early 20th Century dwellers (or earlier) in the Peace Corps than 21st Century. But I wouldn’t be telling you about pit latrines and bucket showers without the modern technology like the internet!
When I was a student at ND, I took a service trip to Appalachia. My fellow classmates on the trip (unfortunately, almost all of whom I have lost touch with) atone point dubbed me “Huck Finn”, because whenever I had the chance I would wander off some cool trail of roll up my jeans and wade through water. While the nickname did not stick (to be fair, there were lots of nicknames created on this trip; I at one point also held the less-masculine one of “Princess,” a nickname that would pop up again in London with my roommate Tarv), everywhere I’ve been I think I could be described as a wanderer. Far from the banks of the St. Joe’s River and the forests of suburban Arlington, VA, my wanderings now take me in to the rainforest.
I know, you’re jealous, I am wandering distance from the rainforest, albeit a long and tiring wander. My recent excursion did not yield any new favorite animals (you’re safe for now, Tenrec) and in fact I did not see much wildlife, but I was able to enjoy the solitude and majesty of undisturbed natural rainforest. Well, mostly undisturbed—the area is plagued by tree-cutters and mineral-miners, most of the illegal nature, and I could see evidence of their work. But then that is why a Peace Corps Environment volunteer is here (ahem—me): to both educate about the destructive practices’ consequences and to improve other resources (tree production, farming techniques, and soil restoration) to alleviate pressure on the forest. So I guess it is a catch-22 of sorts; in order to be here and enjoy the beautiful nature, there had to be problems needing to be faced.
Funny how quickly I can digress in to the semi-philosophical, isn’t it? I will close on a more practical note, a request of sorts. If you are sending a letter, or want to but don’t feel comfortable in this digital age committing thoughts to paper (it is surprisingly liberating, I think you’ll find out) and want to include a picture or something, I would love it. Old articles of interest are always entertaining for me to read, and thinks like newspaper crosswords or puzzles are fin distractions )I am currently struggling through an old USA today puzzle page). But I was negligent in bringing photos of family and friends, so if you slipped one in with a letter I’d love to add it to my collection. My sister might be upset, as she is currently featured in all 4 of the photos above my desk and contributed 3 of the 5 picture post cards likewise adorning my room (the others from the McCloske7y and Orfield clans) Send something cool and get mentioned in a blog! Despite Karl Marx’ feelings, competition is a good thing.
Well there will be more to come soon, especially with Independence Day (Madagascar’s), my ¼ century day and 4 month anniversary of arrival of yours truly here on the Red Island all coming up in the next week. Stay tuned!
PS: in reference to the title, I am pretty sure I think already mentioned the Led Zeppelin connection to Mad’Car, but if not: we constructed a kabone (outhouse) at our training site for the community, and painted a large Peace Corps symbol on the side (as well as Malagasy for “welcome” and “enjoy” on the door, “tonga soa” and mazotoa” respectively). On a whim, one volunteer painted Led Zeppelin on the other side, and we all painted a lovely beach scene. It would be a fitting (reunion?) album cover—if you check Brittany’s blog I bet she has pictures!
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