first post from madagascar!

let me start off saying that it's quite difficult for me to get used to typing again. it's been a while since i've used a computer regularly. I MISS YOU ALL! where to start? i'm sitting at the MEVA, the PC transit house in tana, waiting to go for Site Visit tomorrow. crazy! i can't believe how quickly and slowly training is going. i few every extreme of emotions almost every day.

site visit is where i visit the site i will be living and teaching at for the next two years. i don't know what to think. thankfully, i'm going with my counterpart. a counterpart is a person from my site who kindly came to take me there. usually, the counterparts are english teachers in the towns we will live. i wanted one of two things in my counterpart: for 'it' to be a female or to speak english. i got neither. lame, but not surprising. so HE doesn't speak english and during the first meal together at the training center, i found out two things: 1) he teaches physics at the CEG (middle school) 2) his name is francios. that's it. and not because my malagasy is that terrible, but because he is overly shy. yes, i, a very shy person, and saying that he was shy. i made an attempt; he did not. you know that unspoken rule in the U.S. when two people have a conversation, one person brings up a topic or asks a question, and then it's the other person's turn? yeah well, it doesn't exist here. lame again. anyway, i've sinced found out that he is the director of the CEG and some other stuff that i can't really remember. oh, it will take 6 hours and two taxi brousses to get to my site from the capital. i'll let you know if this really is true. and it all really DEPENDS (a word i'm growing to hate here) on how the roads are.

we just spent two days in mantasoa at the PC training center (years ago, PC trainees used to train and live there for the 10-12 weeks instead of living with host families...it's not as effective to learn the language/culture). it's gorgeous there! reminds me of michigan. pine trees, lakes, i went canoeing! amazing. and i will most likely be posting pictures in a week when i come back from site visit. maybe saturday or sunday at the earliest. i'm going to try anyway. until then, go to derekmadagascar.blogspot.com. derek took the time to post some pictures. i can't because people are waiting, so you either get a post where i write or pictures. sacrifices people. get used to it. i am.

what else? so much to say, so much i've experienced, but when i sit down to a keyboard, i really have to concentrate on what buttons to put my fingers on because this is such a foreign feeling for my fingers now.

happy anniversary (in a few days) mom and dad! happy birthday grandma wethers. happy anniversary grandma and grandpa shaull! i love you all. and happy ______! to everyone if i didn't mention you and i should have. i love and miss you all. know that i think about you all (and indoor plumbing) every day. thank you for the letters and emails, thoughts and prayers. i appreciate everything. until next time...I LOVE YOU and enjoy the summer weather for me!

love,

~Kinsey