a little something from madagascar

Kinsey was trying to update her blog. Had it typed up on her flashdrive, but unfortunately the computer wouldn't open them. They are so slow over there.

I posted a new address for her. The other address is at the captial, she will still get them, just will take longer. It is about 6 1/2 hrs away, and she doesn't get there very often.

She said teaching is slow, but going well. Her classes are pretty similar to those in the US. You've got your good students and your class clowns. Just a different language. She is also teaching the school board/superintent office people twice a week for about 2 hours. They know lots of vocabulary, but need practice speaking. They write up lots of dialogues and practice them over and over.

She was able to watch the new President Elect give his acceptance speech live! It was around 8 a.m. in Madagascar. She didn't get to vote. Her absentee ballot arrived on Fri. Oct 31th.

Besides the scorpion bite she has had sand fleas in the bottom of her feet. They burrow down into the skin and lay eggs-then the skin turns hard and you have to dig them out! She said her feet hurt, but it is too hot to wear shoes or boots.

Has been warm at her site in the mid-80's rains every day, some times a little, some times all day.

She has gotten to see the Indian Ocean twice now.

She sounds good when we talk to her. It is so good to hear her voice and hear her laugh. She has limited cell phone access at her site, very limited so far we have called her twice adn she will say Hi, how she is doing and I don't know how long this will last....CLICK...... So hopefully that will get better soon so we can talk to her more than once a month.

She will be going to TANA(captial) Dec. 13th for more training. She will update her blog then.
She loves to get letters and really looks forward to it, so if you got a little time she would love to hear from you and it means so much to her.

Becky(Kinsey's Mom)

Scorpions and Jelly Shoes

Every two months, the schools take a week vacation. So I met up with some friends and went to a Malagasy music festival (similar to a county fair), celebrated Halloween by carving a fruit (I forget the name), got stung by a scorpion (I'm still alive! and fine. The Benadryl just knocked me out all morning and it didn't hurt THAT bad), bought some jelly shoes (you know you're jealous. just like when we were kids!), and worked on my tan at the beach.

I'm heading back to my site now, just made a stop in my banking town. Have to go see if my brousse is ready to leave. Sorry this is so short. Maybe my sister or mom can type up a quick summary of the phone calls we've had recently. I hope all is well. I love and miss you all!

~Kinsey
Not quite a pumpkin, but we made due. Good job Catherine and Brian.

Me and my friend Megan, hanging out at Brian's site after the music festival. I'm wearing a lamba (just a large piece of material. Popular with the women here).

Efa Malagasy zaho (I'm already Malagasy). My feet after a day of traveling on the taxi brousse and walking around in the dirt. Part of it is a tan line though:)

Enjoying the first afternoon of the Malagasy music festival (it was kind of like a county fair). In the back: Jessica, Megan, Brian In front: Michelle, Kinsey, Dorothy.

In Tamatave...Sure is hot for October.

The waterfall that I can walk to from my site. I can wade through the river at the top and sit on some rocks in the middle where the water doesn't flow over, right at the edge of where the waterfall begins to drop. We can go if you come visit. Promise.

I took this from my large window in my house. I can sit on my bed and see this vine growing in the tree up the hill from my house. GORGEOUS, I know. When are you coming to visit?

The inside of my house: my table/desk on the left, the shelves that were there when I arrived (apparently the PCV I replaced had a tv and LOTS of people want to know when I'm going to get one so they can be even better friends with me). My bed, which looks nice, but the mattress is terrible, on the right (I twist up my mosquito net during the day). In the back part of the house on the left is my cooking bench and on the right is my indoor ladosy). There are pictures on my walls of sunsets at Lake Michigan, my family, and maps of Michigan and the States. I have a book of pictures from home too (which I add to when you send me letters from home) that I show to my Malagasy friends. They love to see my family and friends.

The outside of my house (I was standing by the kabone when I took the picture). The yard is fenced in by a bamboo fence. The larger window on the right is where my bed is and my table. The small window is where my cooking stove sits on my bench and behind that is my indoor ladosy (place to take a bucket shower).

*******

Hello all,

I'm in Tamatave (Toamasina), a larger town on the east coast, for an AIDS awareness bike race. A good chance to see another part of the island (this is a very nice city and I fell asleep to the sound of the ocean last night) and to see my friends.

I'm doing well. It's nice to see the people I trained with after not seeing them for a month. I ate ice cream last night and real cheese. It must be in the 80s or 90s here. Very hot, and I got a little sun burnt even though I put on sunscreen. Nothing major, though.

I've been teaching for two weeks now. My kids are great so far, a few giggles and talking here and there, but I think it's because of my Malagasy pronunciation (although my language skills are getting MUCH better).

I teach Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings, a total of 12 hours a week. I'm always done by noon at the lastest and start at 7 am at the earliest. Never teach on Monday or Friday. Not a bad schedule, huh? I'm hoping to help out at the preschool that is starting up in mid-October and teach adults one night a week. Other projects will come up as time goes on.

I played a lot of basketball the last two weeks, and the boys think I'm pretty impressive. It helps that I'm a foreigner because I'm a little more intimidating and bigger than some of the boys here.

I'm trying to upload pictures...it's slow. Sorry.

My days are still a rollar coaster of emotions. The isolation, not being able to call home but once a month, that's the hardest part. The people are nice (for the most part, I still get called after and asked for money because I'm a vazaha), my site is gorgeous, I'm making friends, learning the language, having some fun. It's just a LONG way from my family and friends sometimes.

What else? I always see things that I want to tell people at home about, something I know you would enjoy or find completely terrifying. But then I sit down at the computer, and the internet is SLOW and I just get frustrated. I'm happy that I don't have to use this every day. I was addicted to it at home.

Sorry this isn't very detailed. Maybe I can use the Internet tomorrow before or between one of my taxi brousse rides back to my site. I hope you enjoy the pictures. Thank you again for everything: letters, cards, emails, packages, thougths, prayers. I love and miss you all. Enjoying Madagascar, but thinking of you often.

~Kinsey