Beat Nomad
Peace Corps
Dear Mailman, Stop Creeping
Dear Impatient Mailman, While I greatly appreciate that you were concerned enough about me getting my postcard to come to my house and deliver it, you chose one of the worst moments to do so. I had literally just stripped down to take a shower when you knocked on my front door, meaning I wasn’t … Continue reading
How Blogging in the Third World is Frustrating Business
Remember when, back in the day, you’d start up your dial-up internet, most likely with AOL, and your computer would make these obnoxious whrrring sounds, a long, high-pitched eeeeee-rrrrrr, and maybe at some point your family would yell at you to get off the internet because they needed to use the phone? Remember how tediously … Continue reading
Teaching and Translating with Operation Smile [photos]
My mantra of late seems to be “Oh my god, so many children… somanychildren somanychildren somanychildren.” As I mentioned in previous posts, they’re everywhere. Not only do I live on the middle school compound, but Madagascar just seems to have more of these little people than I’m used to. This past week has been different. … Continue reading
Why the #$%*@ Did I Join the Peace Corps?
People say we’re brave, adventurous, and tough-skinned. They also call us crazy and rambunctious when we get together and (noisily) try to one-up each other with stories about public transportation, weird bathroom situations, and other only-in-Peace-Corps type stories. With all these experiences, it’s hard to remember why we’re doing this some days, and other days … Continue reading
From Strangers to Friends: Making Peace with Madagascar’s Swarms of Small Children
From a city with more dogs than kids Before coming to the Peace Corps, I lived in Seattle. I will forever think it’s one of the best places on earth, but it is also one of the most childless. Of all the American cities, it has the highest percentage of single adults and one of … Continue reading
Love, Romance, and Dating in Madagascar
Good evening blogosphere and Happy Valentines Day! Also, before I launch into today’s topic, I’d like to say happy anniversary to my parents – I hope they are both enjoying today even if Dad’s in Haiti and Mom’s in D.C. Over here in Madagascar, the nicer foreign-catered restaurants and shops have hung cardboard hearts in … Continue reading
A Short Lesson in Malagasy with Two Bored PCVs
This past week, Cyclone Felleng passed over the Indian Ocean, bringing wind, rain, and a touch of gloom to the Madagascar highlands (I’m assuming that a wind, rain, and gloom in a larger amount was brought upon the East Coast). Along with the cyclone’s arrival in Madagascar, another Peace Corps volunteer who works in the … Continue reading
Dealing with Sexual Harassment in Madagascar
Even though we had agreed neither of us felt like drinking beer that day when we left the house in the morning, by the time my friend and I – both of us girls – sat down for lunch we didn’t even have to ask the other to know that we wanted the waitress to … Continue reading
Peace Corps: Year Two
I wrote this blog post back in October at the beginning of the school year, but somewhere along the way failed to post it. It may have lost some of its relevancy, but seeing as how tomorrow is the end of Christmas vacation and the beginning of our second trimester, I thought I would go … Continue reading
Where Christmas Snow is Only Ever Made of Paper
{Teaching Malagasy students about American Christmas traditions} I taught my 7th grade (5eme) students how to make paper snowflakes and sing Christmas carols this week. When we started the activity, one student held up the test I had just passed back, jokingly suggesting that he would use that to make his paper snowflake. I shrugged … Continue reading
I Am Expat, Hear Me Rant
Sometimes my inner monologue runs something like “AAARRRRRGGGGHHAAAA fdajfdijaldfda pffffftttttttt…..” Usually, this occurs when someone says something totally benign and innocent, but is unaware that they’re the tenth person to say the same phrase on that particular occasion that I have boldly left my house. It ranges from remarks about my language skills – how … Continue reading
Tranoko: My House
I love seeing other Peace Corps houses, usually with a combination of pure curiousity and the selfish need to know whether they have better or worse digs than myself. So, a few months ago, I decided to set out on making a video of my house, knowing that other PCVs (as well as other friends, … Continue reading
From Madagascar to Thailand: Getting Off the Red Island
“Okay, let’s get the fuck outta Dodge,” Liz said as we hopped on our mountain bikes and started the long journey from her village at the foothills of Andringitra National Park and up north. We had an hour of biking on rough, dusty roads, then a packed full bus to the nearest town, and another … Continue reading
My House is a Middle School
In the late night cover of darkness, I wander out to the naked goal post in the school’s field. The gates are locked up, the lights turned off, and blissfully, all the schoolchildren have gone home. The grounds have become nothing more than a cluster of sealed off, dark and empty buildings. I jump up … Continue reading
Volunteering in the Shadow of a Coup
Since the beginning of May, protests have been held the capitol. Several minor incidents of violence were reported on the embassy’s website. Some public school teachers began striking for better pay early in the year, and many have since joined. They continue to strike. (In response, at least one of my friends has been stealth-teaching … Continue reading
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