The U.S. Election...from Madagascar

On November 4th, 2008, I was lucky enough to be in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, for the U.S. presidential election. The U.S. Ambassador to Madagascar invited the Peace Corps Volunteers that were in town, along with many other Americans and Malagasy, to his house to watch the election results via satellite t.v. His palatial estate was decked out with any and all election memorabilia you could think of, including life size cut-outs of both presidential candidates.

There was also a nice breakfast, which us poor PCVs appreciated. The event started at 5 a.m., since Madagascar is 8 hours ahead of Eastern Time in the States. We learned that Barrack Obama won enough votes to become the president elect of the United States of America around 7 a.m. I found McCain's concession speech to be well-spoken and handled with grace and Obama's to be downright moving. Many of the Peace Corps Volunteers were in tears!



Although I sometimes find myself wishing that I could be in the States right now to witness these exciting times, I have found experiencing the presidential election from Madagascar to be memorable as well. Many of the Malagasy people were surprisingly in the know about the election. I say surprisingly because the only news I can get is BBC, sporadically, on my shortwave radio. After the results came in, there were as many Malagasy cheering as there were Americans. Not only is Obama bringing hope to Americans, he is bringing hope to the most remote corners of the world.

English Speaker Extraordinaire

When you grow up having something your whole life, you often don't realize what you've got. Things like refrigerators, cars, even indoor heating. In my countryside town in Madagascar, those things are extravagant luxuries. (Although indoor heating only exists in the form of adding more blankets in this country.) If you have a refrigerator and the generator needed to run it for a few hours a day, or a car and the money to buy gas, then you have something that everyone else strives for. (That being said, I have learned that many things that say "refrigerate after opening" can actually be eaten without being refrigerated and won't make you sick.) While some Malagasy people yearn for a car and others for a generator, there is one thing that everyone wants: the ability to speak English.

Even after gaining independence from France in 1960, the Malagasy have continued to learn the French language. Not until recently (around 2006) was English made a national language. The face that there aren't many English speaking tourists or other arenas to practice their English speaking skills has had no effect on their desire to learn the English language. So in my town, rather than being known as the Peace Corps Volunteer or the foreigner that can teach us about business, I am known as the English speaker extraordinaire. I've had at least 3 times as many requests for English lessons as I have had for anything business related. Part of my role as English speaker extraordinaire is being a translator and foreign money connoisseur. People bring me manuals, beauty products, anything printed in English really, and ask me to tell them what it means in Malagasy. These are often not American items, but rather, things made in China with directions in both Chinese and English. So I try my best to explain that you must leave the conditioner in for 3 minutes, rinse and repeat if necessary. Then there is the phenomenon of foreign money. I call it a phenomenon because I'm really not sure where it comes from, but I've seen European cents, French francs, even Korean won. Just yesterday a woman brought me what she believed to be "vingt dollars"-a twenty dollar bill. It was a twenty dollar bill alright, with the words "play money" printed across the front. I realize that many people show me the foreign currency in hopes that I will buy it from them, giving them the Malagasy equivalent, something that they can actually use. Sadly, such is often not the case. While I have no need for francs or play money, I did purchase the won just because it makes for an interesting story. I envision someone asking me "Hey, where'd you get that Korean money?" to which I'd reply "Oh, you know, in Madagascar."

Blankie

When I was born, my parents had a special blanket for me. While I wasn't one of the kids that carried it everywhere with me, I did sleep with it every night. That blanket made me feel safe and when my room was dark and I was alone for the night, it helped me fall asleep. I have found a new blankie here in Madagascar-my mesquito net. Peace Corps issues each Volunteer a mesquito net to help prevent malaria. I never would have imagined that it would bring me so much comfort. When I'm lying in my bed at night, in a room where a candle provides the only light, ten thousand miles away from home, I feel safe under the mesquito net. Sure, there may be huge cockroaches, rats, and malaria mesquitos roaming around but for some reason I feel confident that this thin layer of mesh will keep me out of harms way. I also often smile when I think about it because I remember when my younger sister, Kady, used to have one hanging above her bed for decoration. Back then I never would have imagined that one day I would be using one for its intended purpose. But then again I never really thought I'd be living in Africa either. It's funny the paths we choose to take and where we end up but I'm glad that my path has led me to Madagascar.

A Little Malagasy Culture

What’s in a name?
The names of towns and villages in Madagascar all have meanings associated with them. Some of them are obvious, like “lots of milk” (Beronono) in a region where there are many cows and “good sun” (Tsaramasoandro) in a place where it is hot and sunny all year round. My town is literally “to make replacement,” although I’m not sure what they were (or are?) aiming at replacing. One thing is for sure, I’m glad that I don’t live in Bevoalavo (“many rats”) or Arivomamo (“a thousand drunks”)!

How much?
The Malagasy people have a backwards number system/way of counting. Literally. Sure the French made counting harder than need be (90 = four 20s + 10) but at least the numbers are spoken from left to right. The Malagasy, on the other hand, say their numbers backwards. Fifty three is spoken as three fifty. Sounds difficult huh? Just imagine the larger numbers! 14,780? You must say: eighty and seven hundred and four thousand and one ten thousand. Although I have gotten better at mastering the numbers, I must admit that my first few trips to the market ended with me giving the vendor more than enough money and just waiting for the change, simply to avoid the confusion that is known as the Malagasy number system.

Carbs? Yes please!
Rice is the staple food in Madagascar. It is consumed three times a day, with various side dishes such as bean or vegetables. Rice served with spaghetti was not an uncommon meal served by my host family during training. And to truly express their love of carbs, cassava or manioc is regularly eaten as a snack between meals. While I realize that these foods are consumed to simply fill the stomach and help one feel full, I would like to try and teach about the importance of a balanced meal as a secondary project. Meat is not an option for many families because of the price but there are other options available that will also provide more nutrients.

There is plenty of meat, but unfortunately not plenty of money.

Where there is no doctor
Here is some common Malagasy medical advice, just in case any of you are sick in the near future:
-don’t eat cucumbers when you’re sick (because they’re cold)
-don’t eat peanuts if you have a cough
-eat carrots after you throw up
-drink tea with lots of sugar when you have a sore throat
-rub crushed chalk on the outside of your ear when you have an ear infection
Some of these should be taken with a grain of salt given the source (an 11-year-old child in some cases) but might provide some relief!

Sasa, the China Face

In Madagascar, I am known as Sasa, which also happens to be a form of the Malagasy verb “to wash” and, when shouted, sounds very much like vazaha (which means foreigner). This is because most Malagasy people, much like some young American children, cannot pronounce the “sh” sound. I actually somewhat prefer Sasa to the other name that I am often called: China Face (tarehy chinois). As many of you know, I am half Korean (my mom came to the U.S. from Seoul for college) and half American (my dad’s heritage is English and Irish). Despite having lived in the U.S. for the entirety of my life, and even referring to myself as a “twinkie” (yellow on the outside, white on the inside), the Malagasy people cannot seem to see past my Asian features. A typical conversation, especially in rural Madagascar, goes a little something like this:

random Malagasy: “Are you Chinese?”
me: “No, I’m American.”
random Malagasy: “So you speak Chinese?”

It is somewhat frustrating to be denied your identity from the start. Also frustrating is the fact that I’m afraid to do kickboxing to stay in shape (one of my favorite workouts back home), fearing that it will be mistaken for kung fu and then no one will ever believe that I’m American. All kidding aside, not looking like a “typical” American has provided me with great opportunities to explain what America is like to people here in Madagascar. Many people are very surprised to learn that there are many different types of people in America and eager to learn more. And I am more than willing to share.

Namanako = My Friends

Friends are somewhat hard to come by in a new country, especially if you are not yet fluent in the language. I have very few girlfriends that are my age because most of the young women are married and busy taking care of their house and children. While I do have adult friends in my town, I have taken quite a liking to the children. At first I found it a little annoying to have children peeking through my fence all day, everyday. I felt like I was on some sort of reality tv show, where people found it interesting to watch me doing trivial things, such as cooking or washing my clothes. One day I decided to invite the kids into my home, figuring that they would quickly become disinterested once they saw firsthand that I was doing something like cooking Malagasy food just like their families do. And while they have not yet lost interest in my seemingly mundane daily activities, I have grown to enjoy their company. This might be due in part to the face that I possess the same vocabulary as they do (I'm still working on my Malagasy language skills). The kids keep me up-to-date on what's happening in town, teach me the new dance moves, and are just generally entertaining. The fact that I give them candy and let them look at my magazines is an enticing factor for them as well I'm sure. Here is a picture my neighbor boy, Noti, and myself enjoying a Rolling Stones magazine:



But they really have become good friends of mine. One girl, Tahina, even brought me homemade peanut brittle for my birthday! It is interesting and fun to share things about America, and it just so happens to be one of the goals of Peace Corps. I had some of my little friends make this movie, just for you all:



In case you couldn't understand their English (they're working on it), they are saying "Hello everybody in the United States." And if anyone is inspired by the video and would like to send a package with candy and/or coloring books/utensils, I'm sure the kids would say "misaotra betsaka!" the equivalent of "thank you so much" in English. If you do plan on sending candy, something like M&Ms or Skittles would probably be best. I shared some Nerds that a friend sent and you can just imagine how many ended up on the floor of my house instead of in their mouths. Needless to say, the Nerds were kept to myself after that!

Tropical Island What?

I live on this "tropical" island yet prior to last week I hadn't even caught a glimpse the ocean. All that changed when I took my first vacation to the lovely island off the east coast of Madagascar known as St.Marie. I'm not even a good photographer and this picture came out postcard perfect.

After the training that marked our 3 month mark at site earlier this month, a group of the Environment-SED '08-'10 group decided to take a little vacay. Since Peace Corps gives us a $24 USD "vacation allowance" monthly, flying, though must faster, wasn't an option. Instead we taxi-broussed (think minibus) about 12 hours from Antananarivo to Soanierana-Ivongo, where we took a boat across to Ile St. Marie. The taxi-brousse wasn't so bad, since there were enough of us to rent the whole thing out and Madagascar doesn't have an option container law, but the boat was a different story. Imagine a wooden boat with about 50 people stuffed in it, being powered by a motor that probably belongs on a moped. It was a sad sight. But we made it safely and now look back at the wonderful boat ride and laugh. (I think.)



Ile St. Marie is a tropical paradise. Even though it is whale season right now (humpback whales swim through the channel between Madagascar and St. Marie from June to September, an amazing sight) the beaches were deserted and made us feel like we had the whole island to ourselves. We biked north to see waterfalls, hiked south to the most perfect beaches, and spent the time in between drinking punch coco (a delicious rum and coconut concoction) and enjoying fresh seafood. We even got to see the only pirate cemetary in the world! It was an amazing time with amazing people.



So now it is back to the plateau, re-energized and ready to go!