One More...

Today, hanging out in the capital; a chill day after Salsa dancing last night. (L-R): Dorothy, Megan, and Kinsey (Always promoting Kampvilla. Oh, and mom, I have another t-shirt order list for you:)

Eating Turkey in Madagascar

Dec. 3-9 we had 11 other volunteers, mostly Environment but two of my Education friends came, at our site for a week of work, play, and eat. It was complete with planting trees, educating the Malagasy people about planting Moringa trees (look it up, pretty sweet) and AIDS Awareness, playing volleyball, going on a LONG walk to a rainforest and NOT seeing any lemurs, cooking turkey in the ground, and baking pumpking pies in tiny metal plates in a large pot on a gas stove. I even managed to pretty much lose my voice right when the fun was getting started on Saturday, but that's how life goes sometimes. Not sure what cause it. Too much talking since I was excited to see my friends?

The Thanksgiving Dinner was awesome! Stuffing, mashed potatoes, no rice. Lovely. I'll try to write more and post more pictures. I have lots, but have I mentioned it takes a long time?
Exams are done even if they aren't all the way graded. It can wait til after vacation. I'm in the capital for an In-Service Training that starts on Monday and after that, my friends and I will head to the beach for Christmas. Sounds like a tough life, huh? More later. Miss you all.


Pumpkin pie anyone? Took HOURS to cook since we had to do it one at a time, but tasted good! Thanks to the mother/father/family member of the PCV who sent the can of pumpkin filling.

Me, Ernestina, and Mino. My Malagasy friends...love them, but not as much as the ones from home;)

Thanksgiving Dinner in the Community Center of my town. Doesn't exactly look like a hut in some tiny village of Madagascar.

For my grandma, who always seems to find a way to get a picture of me eating during the holidays.

Me, Dorothy, and Megan during Thanksgiving Dinner at my site.

Ho Ho Ho Where's the Snow?

I loaded these pictures once already and the page had an error on the last one. LAME. So, we'll go event by event. My site partner and I cut down and decorated a tree Friday afternoon (Note: WAY earlier than my dad ever let us get a tree!). I still can't believe we found decorations and flashing lights in our town. Expensive, but they were there. We also watched the movie ELF. Fun times, but I'm having a hard time getting in the Christmas Spirit when it's 86 degrees out during the day and I am not under 3 quilts and dressed in sweats while I'm sleeping. I'm working on it though.

Me and the tree. I don't know what I was thinking when I posed like that. Guess I haven't lost any of my weirdness.

The Christmas Tree, Chase, and Barack.

You can always use a little help when you're decorating the tree. Two of the kids who live next to Chase.

In the pine forest right outside of town. Doesn't exactly look like we're fetching a tree in Michigan, huh?