It would have been smart to bring the camera, the cables, and all the necessary things to upload pictures, but things don't always work out that well, I apologize. Either way, things are in tip top shape here. I'm flying to Belitsaka tomorrow, my village, and will be there until Tuesday or Wednesday, or long (it all depends on if the flights actually happen).
So, look there... just to the right, above the ad... it's my address. You had it all along. Just kidding, I got some people that asked for it, so there it is. But I'll try to put pictures up here in a few weeks, maybe one or two of where I'll live.
Don't stop here, scroll down, no, it's not the easter bunny, but it's better.
Love
Marshall
Thursday, March 27, 2008
The Fateful Easter Sunday...
It was the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox and I was sitting on an uncomfortable wooden bench. It hadn't been less than 2 hours and the service had just begun. It wasn't the 2 mile walk to church that did me in, nor was it the hour of waiting for the service to start...
Once the service did start, I was glad to get things under way. I understood little of it, but new when to stand, what to sing, and when to sit. In the small cement church with one dangling incandescent bulb i was situated well between my host mom and my brother of 12. We were snug but not nearly as cramped as the 50 people on the 2 x 4 plank built balcony above.
I thought I new when the sermon started, but after an hour and a half of preaching I wasn't sure if perhaps we had moved on and I missed it. Hymns in Malagasy, as grammatically simple the language seems to be were very difficult to sing and even harder to understand, but I was thankful, they were the only aspect of the service that kept me awake and involved. I was able to get comfortable with my wonderful family and began feeling a part of the family at the service.
It wasn't until the auction at the end of the service that I was thrown for one. As a matter of fact, it's a great idea. The church was trying to raise money for a new building and auctioned things from cake to bananas to pineapples and live chickens for slightly more than market price to get people to support the church. I was tempted to bid on the 104th piece of cake auctioned, but I decided to hold off. After the auction, the service winded down and we started the fateful walk home. It was hot and we were in our Sunday's best. But I knew there would be a bowl of steaming rice whe I got home.
And 8 hours after we left the house for church, I sauntered into the kitchen and dug my spoon into a piping hot bowl of gasy rice. Despite the length, the lack of uunderstanding, and the long walk to and fro, it was a beautiful service and an experience I would pass up for nothing. And I'll do again so long as every time I get home I have the same longing and love for the steaming bowl of rice.
Once the service did start, I was glad to get things under way. I understood little of it, but new when to stand, what to sing, and when to sit. In the small cement church with one dangling incandescent bulb i was situated well between my host mom and my brother of 12. We were snug but not nearly as cramped as the 50 people on the 2 x 4 plank built balcony above.
I thought I new when the sermon started, but after an hour and a half of preaching I wasn't sure if perhaps we had moved on and I missed it. Hymns in Malagasy, as grammatically simple the language seems to be were very difficult to sing and even harder to understand, but I was thankful, they were the only aspect of the service that kept me awake and involved. I was able to get comfortable with my wonderful family and began feeling a part of the family at the service.
It wasn't until the auction at the end of the service that I was thrown for one. As a matter of fact, it's a great idea. The church was trying to raise money for a new building and auctioned things from cake to bananas to pineapples and live chickens for slightly more than market price to get people to support the church. I was tempted to bid on the 104th piece of cake auctioned, but I decided to hold off. After the auction, the service winded down and we started the fateful walk home. It was hot and we were in our Sunday's best. But I knew there would be a bowl of steaming rice whe I got home.
And 8 hours after we left the house for church, I sauntered into the kitchen and dug my spoon into a piping hot bowl of gasy rice. Despite the length, the lack of uunderstanding, and the long walk to and fro, it was a beautiful service and an experience I would pass up for nothing. And I'll do again so long as every time I get home I have the same longing and love for the steaming bowl of rice.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Madagascar!
Hello all!
I do not have a lot of time, just enough to say that everything is well. Madagascar is incredible! I live overlooking a valley of rice paddies and read each night by the light of candle. We have no electricity nor running water. I love the family I'm living with and can't imagine things any other way. Madagscar is a beautiful place! Funny thing, the staff at the Peace Corps consider going to Madagascar like winning the Peace Corps lottery, if there were one. And now I understand why. Despite learning Malagasy and Sakalava Menabe, which are more different than I would have thought, things are coming along great.
We've been going through a lot of training, bio-intensive rice farming, gardening, water systems, environmental education, some nutrition sessions and a whole lot of language!! It's tough learning two languages at once, adding on bits and pieces of french at the same time! It's so strange to be here at a computer writing. I think so often of the things that I want to write and the things that I want to tell everyone, but now I'm sitting here, I have the rare opportunity to communicate over the internet and I suddenly have nothing to write.
Things are beautiful, incredible.
Check it out on wikipedia: I'll be going to Belitsaka in Madagascar. It's about 2 hours east of Maintirano... west of the capitol. It's a small town of 1000 or so. The last, and first volunteer at that site left early, so I'll be the first, and I can't wait. I'll have that address in a few weeks. I sent out a few letters, I hope everyone gets them soon. Please send me letters, you can be sure that I'll write back. As for internet in Belistaka, it's non-existant. Maintirano doesn't have it either. So I can expect internet access once every few months. But I'll have a phone, without any service... Yeah, it's strangely normal.
I hope things are well where everyone is... The States, Europe, Mexico, Argentina, The Gambia...!
I can't wait to hear from you all. Until next.
Marshall
I do not have a lot of time, just enough to say that everything is well. Madagascar is incredible! I live overlooking a valley of rice paddies and read each night by the light of candle. We have no electricity nor running water. I love the family I'm living with and can't imagine things any other way. Madagscar is a beautiful place! Funny thing, the staff at the Peace Corps consider going to Madagascar like winning the Peace Corps lottery, if there were one. And now I understand why. Despite learning Malagasy and Sakalava Menabe, which are more different than I would have thought, things are coming along great.
We've been going through a lot of training, bio-intensive rice farming, gardening, water systems, environmental education, some nutrition sessions and a whole lot of language!! It's tough learning two languages at once, adding on bits and pieces of french at the same time! It's so strange to be here at a computer writing. I think so often of the things that I want to write and the things that I want to tell everyone, but now I'm sitting here, I have the rare opportunity to communicate over the internet and I suddenly have nothing to write.
Things are beautiful, incredible.
Check it out on wikipedia: I'll be going to Belitsaka in Madagascar. It's about 2 hours east of Maintirano... west of the capitol. It's a small town of 1000 or so. The last, and first volunteer at that site left early, so I'll be the first, and I can't wait. I'll have that address in a few weeks. I sent out a few letters, I hope everyone gets them soon. Please send me letters, you can be sure that I'll write back. As for internet in Belistaka, it's non-existant. Maintirano doesn't have it either. So I can expect internet access once every few months. But I'll have a phone, without any service... Yeah, it's strangely normal.
I hope things are well where everyone is... The States, Europe, Mexico, Argentina, The Gambia...!
I can't wait to hear from you all. Until next.
Marshall
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