Weekend Adventures

My family thinks that I am a nut. They like to says things like “Tu es tres amusant, mais aussi un peu bizzare” which you can probably gather, means “You are very funny but also a little weird.” I spent our dinner conversation last night explaining the dance moves that I was planning to use at the nightclub. These included descriptions and demonstrations of the “Shopping Cart,” “Lawnmower,” “Pretending you’re in a canoe” and “Mime stuck in a box” dances. They were on the floor laughing by the end of the conversation. It seems that dance moves cross the language barrier quite easily. Dinners have been fantastic and I adore my homestay family so far. I’m going to make an entry about them soon, just as soon I take their pictures, which is can be an awkward thing to ask…

Most recently I’ve had to ask my family for directions to get to a town that’s pretty far away, where I’m (hopefully, if I don’t get lost or perish) meeting up with some Americans who are working in Madagascar. This process requires taking two buses that I’ve never taken before, understanding the Malagasy names of stops so I know when to descend and walking for a while past landmarks like “a garden” and “a circle” …vague much?

I’m pretty nervous about this adventure, because knowing myself and how I’ve managed to get lost driving to my high school in senior year, I don’t rely on myself for good navigation. But, nevertheless, I’m debarking for my journey in a couple hours equipped with a hand-drawn map the size of my fist, two telephone numbers, and a list of four buses and two stops that I have the option of taking. Ah! J’ai peur! But, if I do get there, I’ll be able to see what my host-mom calls the “American part of Madagascar” so that’s exciting.

EDIT:

Now it’s Monday afternoon, and I can actually say what the experience was like. I’ll give this description by giving you my location and interior monologue… since for some reason that seems like the best idea.

Waiting at bus stop:

What bus did they say to take again? Let me take out my copybook.. ugh such a vasha today. Oh well, it’s not like I didn’t already stand out.

Oh! 139! That’s my first bus.

Sitting on 139

Where the hell is the “pharmacia” stop?? I’m going to pathetically ask the woman next to me…

…she doesn’t speak French, which is okay because neither do I, really.

Use hopeless Malagasy. She understands! She will tell me when to get off. Success.

Descend 139

Hmm did they say go straight or walk in the opposite direction…? I’ll walk straight

This is wrong… I’m going to turn around.

Nope, straight was right, I think I’ll turn again.

The men inside a restaurant have noticed me doing this. One asks me where I’m trying to go. I try to explain in French. He stops me midway and says “Say it in English.”

Oh this is pathetic…

The man tries to walk me. That seems strange. I use all three of my languages to tell him no thank you.

I think I’m lost again… maybe I’ll go inside a cyber café?

Just learned that giving directions is not a forte of the Malagasy. The man in the cyber café tried to giving my directions while looking at a satellite map of THE ENTIRE COUNTRY OF MADAGASCAR. It was not a success to say the least.

This is stupid. I give up. I’m being American and taking a damn cab.

Haggle for cab. Only get 1,000 Ariary taken off the original price. I know I’m being ripped off but it’s hot, I’m late and tired. I will later tell people I got 4,000 Ariary off. Oh well…

Cab’s are great. I’m content. I’ll have to tell my family I used the bus or they’ll be disappointed.

Americanville

Woaaah this is dif-fer-ent.

There’s guards blocking the entrance to their apartment complex… really? Hmm…

Where am I? Wisteria Lane?

Walking down empty brick lane after passing guards. There’s bushed with flowers and not a soul to be seen. Very strange for middle of the day Madagascar. Turn corner, discover giant apartment buildings that look like a mixture of 1970’s-1980’s America and Wisteria Lane. Walk inside the apartment. Initial thoughts:

Air-conditioning?! I forgot about this…

Chips?! They actually have chips!

Top Gun is playing… huh? Well alright.

Beer pong? Am I back in America?

The whole experience was comfortable, refreshing and also a little bizarre. I left feeling a little unsure about the whole experience, living in such separation from the city and people… and everything? But everyone I met was very nice and friendly. It was nice to meet some people who had been here much longer than I and were doing just fine.

Back in Town at Dinner

I’m dizzy.

I think I have a fever.

Ow.

I need to go home.

Help!

Make friends call Rivo, one of our Malagasy program coordinators. Rivo gets a cab. I go home to my confused and concerned family. I am very sick.

Sunday

Sleep. All. Day.

Every family member comes in and asks me the same questions on a cycle. “Did you vomit? Do you want tea?”

Struggle to respond in French. Don’t make any sense. Let me sleep please.

I get bored and start taking pictures of my feet

My mom brings me in a magazine because she thinks she has found my relative. If you haven’t seen Nip/Tuck… his last name is McNamara. No relation.

I spend the entire day sleeping and reading a terrible book. Being sick in Madagascar is no fun at all.

This will be my last entry for a week or so because we're going on an excursion! But this means I don't have internet and will me MIA. However, I will have cool pictures and get to search out lemurs soo wahoo! 

This is unless the cyclone thats currently Madagascar's East Coast doesn't cancel our trip. Did you know that cyclones are just backwards hurricanes? Yep. 

Bye for now!