Recently I've been thinking about Madagascar, especially considering that very soon it will have been a year since I was at that beach and that I met Soafaly, the man who was so kind to me on the beach that day.
It stresses me out quite a lot to know that a year ago I was experiencing such surreal things, seeing new animals, new lands, new people, and that now I feel quite immobile. It scares me to think that my peak was last year and that "it'll never be as good as..." but I've had that thought many times and always have had it crushed by the reality of my luck.
I suppose that part of it is that in Madagascar it was so easy to be in a position to help. In America, I have to think first of how to help myself in order to attain a position to help others. That makes me feel like I'm not doing anything good for those around me, and I dislike this feeling.
I know that there are many places that could use my help in terms of time or donations, but most places that I've investigated make it particularly difficult to find a way to physically help rather than just throw a few dollars into their funds. And at the same time, I can't afford to donate as much time as they request when I find opportunities.
I guess, though, that if someone wants to do something they'll find a way to do it and I'd better stop moping.
I miss Madagascar. I just want to make the person who I became there proud.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
On The Road Again
Wow what a trip!!!!!!! So much fun was had and I feel like I learned so much more about the people I'm with. The best time had to be at the beach that we spent 3 days and 4 nights at. We stayed in bungaloes(sp) on a beachfront hotel called the Bamboo Club. It was amazing to wake up to the water which was always warm. The beach always had locals on it trying to sell us necklaces and lambas and wooden crafts, it was pretty funny to watch our friends get swarmed by salespeople every time they went near the beach, but once we got into the water the people left us alone.
The first day we went snorkling on the reef (the 2nd largest in the world) and that was really interesting. I saw a beautiful colorful fish which may have been a parrot fish and I saw a fish that looked like a puppy which freaked me out a little. It was scary when I got in the water because I can't swim and I started panicing but my friends Michela and Mike helped me out and calmed me down and once I was calm I was safe. The activity was early in the day so we had all afternoon to do whatever we wanted and that day I went out on a fishing boat with Mike and Patrick (the one who fell off the cliff) and it was SO COOL. The sailing was so relaxing. On the way out we were talking about Age of Empires and how we felt like we were on one of those fishing boats and most people will know that I love comparing real life to video games so I was excited that Pat made that connection. The water is so shallow for miles, we must have been 4+ miles out when the boat stopped and the fishermen started fishing. One went out with a spear gun and a snorkle mask, he caught 7 fish that day. The other guy stayed in the boat with us while 2 of us held a fishing line with bait. While the 2 of us were in the boat one of us went out into the water with a spear and attempted to catch a fish. Mike and Pat were having a lot of fun with this and so then I tried but, like I said, I can't swim and this time there was no life jacket holding me up lol. It must have been pretty hilarious to watch me in the water for 30 seconds trying to doggy paddle with a spear in my hand. It was a great day, though. Absolutely beautiful. Then when we got back to shore I went horseback riding on the beach during the sunset and that was awesomeeeeee. My horse was good and the guy riding with us was really nice. We had a conversation for a while which I was proud to be able to do considering I know very choppy French and even less Malagasy and this guy wasn't so good with English hahaha but we made it work and it was great fun.
The nights at this place were just as good as the days and this night I spent 10 minutes floating on my back in the pool watching the stars and I counted 15 total. The stars here are incredible and floating in a pool looking up at that was surreal. That night I fell pretty hard on my hands and knees while trying to get a blanket to my friend sleeping in a hammock but luckily my friends helped me out and got me to bed safely. They're great.
The best part of the days on the beach was meeting this guy Soafaly. He was a wood sculptor on the beach who was selling his things and I asked him if he would give whiddling (sp) lessons to my friend Natalie and me. He agreed to and came around later that night but not for whiddling because it was too late but that night he taught us a song on the mandolins Nat and I had bought that day. The next day we had a fishing boat ride up the coast to a spot where we were going to have lunch and Soafaly met us there for the lesson. Nat, Will, our trip driver, and I all helped carve a pipe in the shape of a zebu (local cow). Nat carved most of it and in the meantime Soafaly taught me the beginning of Madagascar's national anthem. It was just awesome to spend time with this guy, even though we didn't speak the same language and had to have Franck (the TA) translate our convo it was still really great and I felt like we connected, especially with the music because he would play some and then I would play some and it was just nice. The beach was beautiful, the weather was comfortable, the company was fantastic...it was a glorious day. That same day I saw him again on the beach and he gifted me a piece he had sculpted, it was very intricate and beautiful and when we said bye I was honestly torn up. On that day I was most happy to be alive and to have met such a positive soul. Nothing else on the 10-day trip lived up to that day and that sunset :) And now I will forever think of this great guy when I see the sun. I hope I can come back some time and that he'll still be carving and playing music.
So now we're back in Ranomafana and people are starting their projects. Mine will start on Monday. I met the principle of the school I'll be working at today and she was very nice, I'm quite excited to start this.
Today Franck said in one month I'll be on an airplane and I got sad. I've been thinking about going home since I got here and now suddenly I realized that I don't want to really go home so soon. Julia was right when she said the time would fly...even though it feels like we've been here for years haha. I miss home, and I miss NYC and all the people and my family but this place fills a space in me that will be incredibly empty when I leave. I'll be sure to make the best of this final month here. I'm so happy I did this! What a great experience.
See you all soon.
G
The first day we went snorkling on the reef (the 2nd largest in the world) and that was really interesting. I saw a beautiful colorful fish which may have been a parrot fish and I saw a fish that looked like a puppy which freaked me out a little. It was scary when I got in the water because I can't swim and I started panicing but my friends Michela and Mike helped me out and calmed me down and once I was calm I was safe. The activity was early in the day so we had all afternoon to do whatever we wanted and that day I went out on a fishing boat with Mike and Patrick (the one who fell off the cliff) and it was SO COOL. The sailing was so relaxing. On the way out we were talking about Age of Empires and how we felt like we were on one of those fishing boats and most people will know that I love comparing real life to video games so I was excited that Pat made that connection. The water is so shallow for miles, we must have been 4+ miles out when the boat stopped and the fishermen started fishing. One went out with a spear gun and a snorkle mask, he caught 7 fish that day. The other guy stayed in the boat with us while 2 of us held a fishing line with bait. While the 2 of us were in the boat one of us went out into the water with a spear and attempted to catch a fish. Mike and Pat were having a lot of fun with this and so then I tried but, like I said, I can't swim and this time there was no life jacket holding me up lol. It must have been pretty hilarious to watch me in the water for 30 seconds trying to doggy paddle with a spear in my hand. It was a great day, though. Absolutely beautiful. Then when we got back to shore I went horseback riding on the beach during the sunset and that was awesomeeeeee. My horse was good and the guy riding with us was really nice. We had a conversation for a while which I was proud to be able to do considering I know very choppy French and even less Malagasy and this guy wasn't so good with English hahaha but we made it work and it was great fun.
The nights at this place were just as good as the days and this night I spent 10 minutes floating on my back in the pool watching the stars and I counted 15 total. The stars here are incredible and floating in a pool looking up at that was surreal. That night I fell pretty hard on my hands and knees while trying to get a blanket to my friend sleeping in a hammock but luckily my friends helped me out and got me to bed safely. They're great.
The best part of the days on the beach was meeting this guy Soafaly. He was a wood sculptor on the beach who was selling his things and I asked him if he would give whiddling (sp) lessons to my friend Natalie and me. He agreed to and came around later that night but not for whiddling because it was too late but that night he taught us a song on the mandolins Nat and I had bought that day. The next day we had a fishing boat ride up the coast to a spot where we were going to have lunch and Soafaly met us there for the lesson. Nat, Will, our trip driver, and I all helped carve a pipe in the shape of a zebu (local cow). Nat carved most of it and in the meantime Soafaly taught me the beginning of Madagascar's national anthem. It was just awesome to spend time with this guy, even though we didn't speak the same language and had to have Franck (the TA) translate our convo it was still really great and I felt like we connected, especially with the music because he would play some and then I would play some and it was just nice. The beach was beautiful, the weather was comfortable, the company was fantastic...it was a glorious day. That same day I saw him again on the beach and he gifted me a piece he had sculpted, it was very intricate and beautiful and when we said bye I was honestly torn up. On that day I was most happy to be alive and to have met such a positive soul. Nothing else on the 10-day trip lived up to that day and that sunset :) And now I will forever think of this great guy when I see the sun. I hope I can come back some time and that he'll still be carving and playing music.
So now we're back in Ranomafana and people are starting their projects. Mine will start on Monday. I met the principle of the school I'll be working at today and she was very nice, I'm quite excited to start this.
Today Franck said in one month I'll be on an airplane and I got sad. I've been thinking about going home since I got here and now suddenly I realized that I don't want to really go home so soon. Julia was right when she said the time would fly...even though it feels like we've been here for years haha. I miss home, and I miss NYC and all the people and my family but this place fills a space in me that will be incredibly empty when I leave. I'll be sure to make the best of this final month here. I'm so happy I did this! What a great experience.
See you all soon.
G
Saturday, October 9, 2010
off1like1dirty1shirts
So this week we all composed our independent project proposals. Mine is this: Teach a class in a local village about proper trash disposal and about not littering. Then have an activity where we decorate/paint these trashcans (my SH friends will remember this activity haha) and then install these trashcans in their town. A few days later the class and I will go through the town and pick up the litter so that they can see the difference of a polluted town vs. a cleaned-up one. And they can also see what a great impact they can have if they work together towards a goal. I'll have surveys before and after my lessons with them so I can measure whether what I'm saying is sticking hahaha. I'll also be doing a survey of the town to document the amount and type of trash that is on the ground before and after. We'll see how it goes. This will all start after the 10 day trip. Until then I have to figure out a lesson plan of sorts for the kids. Almost everyone else is doing projects in the forest with lemurs or other animals but they all have said my project sounds like the funnest one ^_^ I agree. I can't wait to spend time with the kids here and hear what they've got to say.
So tomorrow we leave for our road trip and everyone's pretty excited and anxious about what to expect. We're all just super happy to be sleeping in beds for the next 10 days hahahaha.
More later.
Be safe.
p.s. The reason the titles of my posts are all 1 word is because when I write anything the internet changes it to Arabic...
So tomorrow we leave for our road trip and everyone's pretty excited and anxious about what to expect. We're all just super happy to be sleeping in beds for the next 10 days hahahaha.
More later.
Be safe.
p.s. The reason the titles of my posts are all 1 word is because when I write anything the internet changes it to Arabic...
Sunday, October 3, 2010
week3
This week we learned a whole lot about primates. We crammed a semester of information into 5 days. After the final yesterday the mood was incredible because we were all so happy to be done with class. It was a fantastic night with great food and friends. Then my friends called me outside to see the stars and it blew my mind. The sky here is beautiful beyond anything Ive ever seen in life. I have half a mind to travel around the world just to see what the sky looks like in different places of the world.
We will be working on project proposals for the next couple of days, so that means no waking up with the roosters. Cant wait to sleep in more. It`s funny that sleeping in means waking up at 9.
Im very happy with the group of people that are on this trip. Everyone fits into their own niches and we work so well together in every aspect. The other day our friend fell off the side of the road down about 6ft off a cliff. The quick response among all of us to get him up made me proud to call these people my friends. It was ridiculously scary to think that our friend could have been seriously injured or killed and the shock still gets me a little but we joke now and Im just glad we can laugh about it. But now we are all even more protective of each other on the road and if anything I feel safer now.
The other day we played cops and robbers at the research center and it was amazingly fun. There is some footage of the game, which lasted about 2 hours Id say, so hopefully that will be shared once we`re back in America. I almost busted my face on a rock but luckily my reflexes saved me and all that happened was a scratch on my knuckle. We`re planning on another group game soon, this time up in the woods in the campsite. Lets hope no falls occur there bc that probably wont be good.
Anyway, now that formal classes are over we are all just happy campers (literally hahahahaha). Life is good.
More next Sunday. Stay safe, everyone.
We will be working on project proposals for the next couple of days, so that means no waking up with the roosters. Cant wait to sleep in more. It`s funny that sleeping in means waking up at 9.
Im very happy with the group of people that are on this trip. Everyone fits into their own niches and we work so well together in every aspect. The other day our friend fell off the side of the road down about 6ft off a cliff. The quick response among all of us to get him up made me proud to call these people my friends. It was ridiculously scary to think that our friend could have been seriously injured or killed and the shock still gets me a little but we joke now and Im just glad we can laugh about it. But now we are all even more protective of each other on the road and if anything I feel safer now.
The other day we played cops and robbers at the research center and it was amazingly fun. There is some footage of the game, which lasted about 2 hours Id say, so hopefully that will be shared once we`re back in America. I almost busted my face on a rock but luckily my reflexes saved me and all that happened was a scratch on my knuckle. We`re planning on another group game soon, this time up in the woods in the campsite. Lets hope no falls occur there bc that probably wont be good.
Anyway, now that formal classes are over we are all just happy campers (literally hahahahaha). Life is good.
More next Sunday. Stay safe, everyone.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
week2
This week was much better!! Well, Sunday-Tuesday I was violently ill, but besides that things have, in general, gone very well. We started our primatology class this week and so now that we`re learning about this everyone`s interest is perked. Last night we did a night walk in the forest and I saw 4 Avahi, aka Wooly Lemurs. Also saw a sleeping bird, a dwarf lemur, a chameleon, and a nasty cricket. Then we all went to the bar for french fries and some people attempted eating crayfish which was a big gamble (esp since 6 ppl were sick not 1 week ago) but so far everyone is ok.
This Sat is out final for class 2 and then a 2 day hike into the pristine forest then project proposals and then our 10 day cross country trip. Things are def looking up and moral has been boosted :)
Ive started taking more pictures, at first I was just observing but now I`m documenting :)
See you all soon, be safe.
This Sat is out final for class 2 and then a 2 day hike into the pristine forest then project proposals and then our 10 day cross country trip. Things are def looking up and moral has been boosted :)
Ive started taking more pictures, at first I was just observing but now I`m documenting :)
See you all soon, be safe.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
cvb
Im in Mada and it is fun for the most part. There is a lot of rice. We`ve been doing some fun hikes and observing some pretty cool animals in our biodiversity class which is over in like a week. Yesterday we visited a nearby village and saw some performances and played with the children, they loved our cameras. It was so nice and the first time Ive seen everybody so super happy since we got here. Its been stressful bc of our coordinator so far here so yesterday was the best bc everyone was happy and today is our day off in the cityish town so we`re having fun.
Today in the cityish town we`re going to a nice restaurant and then swimming. I have a phone here and the number is 261344558368. Call me!
On Oct10 we start our cross country trip ^_^
Today in the cityish town we`re going to a nice restaurant and then swimming. I have a phone here and the number is 261344558368. Call me!
On Oct10 we start our cross country trip ^_^
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