Beat Nomad
Madagascar
A Photojourney Inside an African Market
I hate to say it, but I’ve gotten used to the Antsirabe market’s smell. It’s a weird combination of muck and old produce, rice being cooked, and charcoal. The meat section has a totally different stench. Even after two years, I scrunch my face and try not to breathe it in as a walk quickly … Continue reading
A Skipped Beat: Tuesday Travel Snapshot [Fianaratsoa]
Bringing you a travel snapshot from Beat Nomad’s archives each and every Tuesday. This week’s photo was taken on the RN7 just south of Fianaratsoa, somewhere near Anja National Park, in the wine-making region of Madagascar (although, trust me, it’s terrible — I once got drunk after drinking an entire bottle because I was convinced … 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
Haphazard Life and Travel in Madagascar’s Cyclone Season
As I briefly mentioned in my last post, a cyclone recently crossed paths with Madagascar but hardly had an affect on the island. However, this time last year – on Valentines Day to be exact – I was hunkered down with several other Peace Corps volunteers and a generator at the transit house in Antananarivo. … Continue reading
Taxi-Brousse Fares in Madagascar
To all my followers, I’m sorry if this post is rather dull but I created it with the intention of publishing online the price of public transportation in Madagascar — something that has generally just been a matter of hearsay. The inspiration came after finding a Spanish magazine article that quoted the 3,000 Ariary ($1.50USD) … 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
Old Friends and Epic Rock Climbing in Andringitra, Madagascar
Like my last post, this too comes to you a bit late. Back in July/August I spent a month just outside of Andringitra National Park, helping another PCV , Liz, teach English to the park guides during the off-season for farming, but when the chance came to revisit the park after Thanksgiving in Fianaratsoa, I … 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
A Malagasy Family Holiday in Foul-Pointe
Returning to a place in travel carries a comforting sense of familarity, gives us the wonderful opportunity to observe a place without worrying about getting lost, and to grow excited about some hidden gem we get to experience for an unexpected second time. However, it also inevitably urges us to draw comparisons. London in the … 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
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