Thanksgiving

I was able to celebrate thanksgiving with the volunteers in my region despite being 10,000 miles from home. We all went to one person's site and each were in charge of one or two dishes. We cooked goose, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin soup, green bean casserole, salad, and three types of pie. It was difficult to find many of the ingredients and we were a little skeptical as to how some of the dishes would taste. Everything turned out delicious and it was fun to not only celebrate an American holiday so far from home but also to tell my Malagasy friends about the holiday. They asked if we would dance after the meal but I explained we would be too stuffed to do anything. Actually a few of us did bike the 2 hours home. It was a good way to burn off a few of those extra calories while singing out loud.

This year has given me quite a few things to be thankful for. I'm thankful for my parents who call me as often as I need which was on a weekly basis in the beginning of service. I'm thankful for the rest of my family and friends who write me emails, send packages, skype me, and just keep me in their thoughts. I'm thankful for the Peace Corps because they gave me the opportunity to work abroad and open my eyes to a world much larger than I imagined. I'm thankful for the other PCVs and especially the ones in my region who listen to my victories, frustrations, and bodily issues and then dance it out with me. I'm thankful for my community and everyone in it who welcomed me despite a few differences and allow me to learn from them and work with them. I'm thankful for the opportunities to travel around this beautiful and unique country. I'm thankful for mofo bota, Atoaka Akory, my concrete house, the flop, clean drinking water, my iPhone and kindle, my luminaid, Tupperware, my bike, flat roads, cell phones, awkward cultural exchanges, the noises outside my house, the lamba covering my dresser, my region full of vegetables, Ambato, frip, coffee, the nearby epicerie, eggs, and so much more.

You know you're a PCV when
- You accidently sound out an English word with Malagasy pronunciation
- You have thought about the relationship between chickens and dinosaurs numerous times

Learning the Fomba

I'm constantly trying to fit in and learn the fomba (culture) of Madagascar and my community in particular. Its also a challenge getting used to life without certain amenities. Here's a few situations that may or may not be fomba related i've experienced recently.

-My neighbors couldnt sleep because I was singing too loud. They live two doors down.
-Not only do I get called fat, I'm told exactly where I'm fat.
-I've been asked to help produce music
-I've been asked if I make movies.
-I've been asked if I was in the tv show we were watching.
-When watching 'how to train your dragon,' during the part where the dragons were breathing fire and stealing sheep, I was asked how many dragons live in the States.
-Ive pulled worms out of my rice, fruit, and hair.
-My water is so cloudy that showering might actually be making me less clean
-Ive caught children watching me through my window or from over the fence
-Ive been laughed out for sleeping past 5am

-French fries in rice is a perfectly acceptable meal

The Emotional Life Cycle of a Volunteer

During training Peace Corps gave me a handout with the emotional life cycle of a volunteer throughout service. Many volunteers go through a bit of a tough time after six months at site. Of course everyone is different and I actually had just come out of my slump at the six month mark.

The emotions of a volunteer are constantly changing and it can be difficult to find a balance between work, integration, solitary time, time spent at or away from site, etc. I felt guilty every time I left site whether it was for banking, business, or relaxation. The life of a volunteer can be very stimulating with the new language, culture, social situations, harassment, work ethic, taboos, missing home, accomplishments, failures, new relationships, food-I really could go on and on.

I often hear, “don't compare yourself to other volunteers,” but it takes a conscious effort not to. During IST I listened to other PCVs about life at site and was doubting whether I was integrating enough. I was so overwhelmed with new information and project ideas, and I didn't know where to start. After a few difficult weeks in September, I finally realized that I really can't compare myself to others because every person and every site is different. I need to live in the way that makes me happiest. Ive leanrned how much alone time is too much and how much time working is enough for me to be the most productive. Ive learned how much time out and about in the community makes me feel integrated and learned that sometimes i'ts ok to just read all afternoon. Finally, I learned how to organize project ideas into concrete steps and a timeline, and what is feasible to do in two years.

Peace Corps says that you'll experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Ive found that to ring true on many occasions. The highs definitly outweigh the lows otherwise I wouldn't still be here. I'm still finding my groove in this way of life but its getting easier all the time.

You know you're a PCV when:

• Finding phone credit is better than finding money
• If there's a word in Malagasy you don't know, you say it in English with a French accent and 80 percent of the time they understand

Sambatra

Sambatra is a ceremony that is held only once even seven years in the southeast of Madagascar in a town called Mananjary. It is a month-long celebration in which boys born in the preceding years undergo circumcision as a rite of passage in becoming a man. Sambatra means 'very happy' in Malagasy and it is said that no one can frown during the events. The final week of October is when many of the events take place. I traveled to the sud-est to watch these events unknowing that I was a few days too early to see most of them. Oops.

I did get to see a parade of traditional Malagasy music and dancing, and a concert. I also had my hair braided in a certain way, wore a lambahoany (patterned cloth worn around the waist), covered my shoulders, and avoided wearing balck in order to dress like the Malagasy women and show respect. I also hung out with other PCVs that I haven't seen in a while though and spent time at the ocean. I was a very relaxing and fun weekend and though I didn't see the events that I wanted to, I was able to attend a very old and traditional ceremony that only takes place once every seven years.

You know you're a PCV when:
-95 F doesn't seem so hot anymore
-You love the taste of powdered milk
-Anyone that has hired help to hand wash their laundry is considered 'bougie'

Youth Club

I started a youth club at the beginning of October. We have weekly meetings for girls ages 12-20 years held at the CSB. Two ACs each week help me plan and carry out the meetings. So far we have talked about communication skills, decision-making skills, and self-esteem. As the weeks go on and trust is built among the group, we will talk more about women's health and birth control since many of the girls have questions about these topics. The meetings have gone very well and everyone seems to have fun! However, many of my games are difficult to explain in Malagasy and the girls struggle to understand me. My AC will then re-explain it and adjust it so that it's easier to play. There was one week in which three 9 year old girls came to the club. I was glad that they wanted to participate but I had to adjust some of the content. We were supposed to talk about teen pregnancy that day but I cut that out and we talk about future goals instead. The youth club meetings never go quite how I expect but that is what Peace Corps is about: adjusting yourself to meet the needs of your community.

You know you're a PCV when

-You hate the soda 'bon bon anglais' and avoid sitting by it at events
-You are used to roughly 30 flies buzzing around any building at any given time

VAC

Every four months volunteers in each region hold a Volunteer Action Committee (VAC) meeting. We get together to get updates from Peace Corps, discuss upcoming regional projects, or work through any problems we are having at site. My region has a few upcoming projects which I'm excited for. The first is an HIV/AIDS bike ride. My region has one main road that goes in a giant circle. We want to start at the volunteer's site that is that farthest away and then ride our bikes to each site holding an educational festival with our counterparts and co-workers. The schedule is still in the works but we plan to ride a total of 140 kilometers across eight-ish days. This won't take place until March/April though. The second project is a GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) camp. We would each hold a mini camp at our own sites then choose 5 girls to attend a regional camp then a final camp in the capital. This also won't take place for another 6 months but we are beginning to plan for it now.

We held our VAC meeting in a town on the far eastern part of the region. A Malagasy friend invited us to his hometown to meet his family and go hiking. We hiked for about six hours through the forest. Halfway through the hike we stopped and our Malagasy friend and his two family members performed 'Joro' which is asking ancestors for blessing and thanking for protection. They pulled out a liter of rum and we each took a sip inside a dried sugar cane then poured some on a specific tree. It was a neat cultural ceremony to see.

You know you're a PCV when:
-Even your taxi-bicycle has broken down
-You have found a way to binge watch an entire season of a show in one day despite no electricity