A Mix of Things

OMG: Brendan Ward is alive and well! Praise be! Because I will not be able to post often, I started to write stuff down in a journal and post it all at once. We'll see how this goes!


5/08/08
The Welcoming

"Hey! Its wonderful to see you again."

".....you as well!" I hesitated with a response because I couldnt match the face and voice.

"Welcome to St. Luce, we are all ecited to come and watch this afternoon."

"Watch what?" I said. I was having trouble gathering my thoughts after the 2 hour car ride.

"The big town meeting." she responded

______WELCOME TO ST.LUCE!____________


"Brendan!"
"Yes Stan!" I resplied
"Yea...Im going to talk and see if I stay here tonight."
"Okay, ill wait here." The ocean breeze felt good, but even the ocean view and beach full of small fishing boats did little to calm my nerves. I was trying hard to think of anything....anything to get my mind away from the overwhelming feeling of uncomfort I was feeling.

"What the hell am I doing here?" I said outload.

"Brendan!"
Shit its Raymond the driver, it must be time. I take the opportunity to degrade myself one last time. "You idiot! I should not be here...."

I jump in the car and Stan isnt inside.
"Eza i Stan?" I ask
Raymond doesnt respond he just continues to look forward.

We drive down the road and around a few houses into the crowd slowly gathering in the center of the thatched hut village.
"oh, great!" I think to myslef. Of course the new white guy needs to be driven everywhere.
I step out of the car and curious eyes follow my everymove. We wait longer as more people gather. I try and make small talk with the kids that have gathered around me. I regurgitate some vocab, trying to put words together to make a sentance. I know it makes little sense but the kids smile.
Two chairs are placed in the front of the crowd, facing a row of chairs filled by the political power of the commune. Stan and I take are seats in front of the gazing eyes of the crowd.

"Stan, should I have prepared somthing more formal to say." I didn't help that I was sick during the lesson given on Malagasy speeches.

"Yea, no problem you do your best man."
I found little comfort in those words.

The mayor of the commune spoke first, followed by the Shef Fokatany.
After we were introduced by both men, Stan turned to tell me that he would speak first.
Thank god!

In true Malagasy fashion each man took 10 mins to make his point. I tryed hard to observe each man. The movement, the little eye contact, the tone of the voice. Was this any different than any other thing I've done--A room of trustees, of students, of non-profit reps.

=My speech in Gasy=

Ladies and Gentlemen
First I want to greet you all today. Its nice to be done training in Tana and to be living here. My name is Brendan. I'm a Peace COrps Volunteer working in the Enviornment Sector. I'm not good with the ganguage and I'm not good with the culture, but we will work and learn together (note: I mix up work and learn all the time-but both worked well in this situation). Its nice to have a new home and a new family. Nice to meet you all. Thank you.

After I spoke the crowd rumbled with laughter followed by "Miahy malagash vasa."
Stan turned to me and said " Yea, great speech man" with a grin I'll never forget.

I feeling came over me that I think only Babe the Pig can relate to from the movie Babe. At the end of the movie the farmer turns to Bade and says "That will do Pig, that will do!"

5/15/08
Where a Dilemma Meets Reality

I planted 3 morninga tree seeds next to my house, they survided maybe 24 hours before a few chickens discovered them. The solution....build a fence, its what the locals do and every garden has one. So...I borrowed an ansty from Sasony and wne t to the forest to harvest some wood.

Deforestation is a hudge issue here. Going the 15k from Mahatalaky to Amboatrika (the town I live) is a open hot grassland with few trees. (once all forested). Thus the situation is- don't build a fence and encourage people to garden-malnutrition is a big problem. Or cut down the trees that I'm here to educate the people about protecting.


I need to buy rope for my fence. I walk to Manafiafy
*Conversation in Gasy*

"Hello Sir, how much does this rope cost? (its really vine)
"400 a meter"
"Im building a fence and need something to keep the wood together"
"A fence like this one overhere?"
"Yes"
"Okay, you want to wrap the rope (vine) around like this? This rope isn't good for that, we doent have the rope you need here, this rope is for lobster fishing, you will need to buy the rope you need in Matahlaky. "
"Thank you sir!"

The only thing missing was the orange apron and it could have felt like home.

5/25/08
The closest I will ever get to Racism/Discrimination.

This is worth mentioning because its the closest I will ever get to being discriminated and feeling segregated as a white, middle class, American Male.

First, I've been living here about a month and very few people call me by name-Those that I work with and see daily may call me by name to my face buy when speaking to others about me, my name is never used.

Who am I? I'm a vasa-a name used to classify French/Europeans, but not more broadly to include all non-locals (white people)

Everywhere I go I'm watched-What is he doing? What did he buy? Where is he going?

I experience discriminization everytime I buy somthing-my weak language skills are contantly being exploited. In the market I was denied service because I wouldn't pay double for a cup of peanuts--sounds crazy but true! The goal is to fit in, live and work and be Gasy.

5-30-08
How do you first loneliness?

Last night I woke up to my foot being really really itchy. Lets just say you never feel more alone than being completely alone in the middle of the dark night having to dig out a parasitic egg sack from your foot. (my third try in four weeks to get rid of the thing). This is a feeling that is going to be common during my time here I'm afraid.

6-04-08
The Progression of Things

I want to take the opportunity to comment on my pogress here. (and to end on a good note :))

First, I feel I've done a good job making myslef visible and pople are starting to feel comfortable around me and enjoy speaking to me.

I finished the garden fence. It took awhile to gather the wood and I had a few close calls with the ansty. I should be able to fit 3-4 beds with-in the fence and plant a few fruit trees-its a good size. I even planted some tomatoes and peppers that I hope to transplant when they are mature. The soil is questionable because its sand, which means lots of compost is going to be needed!

I planted 8 moringa trees- My NGO is pushing moringa hard and I was told that promoting its use would be a large portion of my work here ( I will post more about this later). Anywho, because chickens eat everything---I had to build samll enclosures around the young trees, this means I had to go back to the forest.

I built a hot box and it works just like a thermos-bring things to a boil (rice, beans) and Vita (done)--In threory. I'm still working on the rice because you need less water-less water evaporates. It has created a lot of curiousity. (I tell people I don't need an apela (a girl) to cook for me becasue I have a Sabika Mifana, which brings a lot of smiles and laughter. Wait till they see the solar cooker I'm going to build out of my Bike Box!

Composting, Moringa, Solar Cookers....What!

Yest I have/had little to no experience doing all of the above before coming here. Being in Peace Corps is about tinkering and experimenting. Two things I can afford to do while living in this community, a luxory no one else here can do.