Sahanivotry

 

Sahanivotry CSB II

Monday, 20 March 2023 (36)

Off to Antsirabe again. Just wanted to see more of what they have there for when I move here in six weeks. I thought I had worked it out that my host mom would take me there and show me where to get the taxi-brusse to return. Instead, she stood with me the whole three hours or more we were there. I gained an insight on the trip. She seemed to know everyone or at least many people. Either she really does or just that she and the people are so friendly that they communicate with one another as if they were already acquaintances.

Half way there we had to stop and all the passengers exited the taxi-brusse. I had no idea and saw a policeman and thought ok, maybe they are checking ID's. But then my host mom looked concerned but it was still a mystery until after I saw the front of the other Taxi-brusse in front of us. It had hit a bicyclist.  I didn't understand why our vehicle had to stop though. I got the impression they needed the vehicle to transport goods, or the driver was related to the other driver but it never was made clear to me.

It was interesting to see about 60 people standing around as three taxi-brusse's seem to have stopped and emptied. AN accident appears to be a big thing here as the auto speeds are so little with all the bad roads and pot holes. The police were taking a lot of interest and time. Measurements were taken about how wide the road was, even how close to the closet building to write in their report. Living here is not a speedy process and I didn't know why so many people were standing around when there was still a good taxi-brusse to use. More than a half an hour later we got back in our van and continued on to Antsirabe.

I must be careful what I say to my host mom. She takes everything I say literally or at least tries and see that it happens. I mentioned rather quickly that I might like to get my hair colored. Mostly it was a two half sentences, some pointing and charades that I would and the first place we go is a hairdresser and I'm getting my hair colored. I should have gone with a blonder color as the brown has a sharper red in it that I would have thought. Now I wish I had kept my distinguished gray. The whole process took 45 minutes and cost about five dollars. But from the skin getting edged in hair color, I probably could have done it on my won for the cost of the hair color.

Stopped at various stores but felt a little hampered by having this younger mom mothering me. She insisted we go here, or use the umbrella when I didn't mind the rain. I wanted her alone to use it but she was just trying to mother me. I thought she'd be a good translator but she was on the phone a lot and didn't understand me herself. 

We stopped to buy stationary supplies, a t-shirt, food items and window shop for solar batteries, furniture and clothes in general. The furniture place had prices similar or lower than one could find in the states. Yes the prices were very high for locals but reasonable for Americans - a nice table for $200, a nice sized table and four chairs for $400. a two burned stovetop for $30, upright fans for $30, five gallons of paint for $23 and this was likely to be more expensive stores and prices - if I understood my host mom correctly.

Certainly, in her eyes everything was expensive in the American type grocery store. I recognized that. But paying only American prices or even less in many instances didn't seem expensive to me at all. I don't mind a candy bar for $1, or a 1.5 liter soda for less than in the states. It was funny to see rice and meat sold there in prepackaged bags or behind a glass display case when 99.9% of rice and meat is sold at a market stall with hundreds of flies and crawling bugs competing for the foods along with you. And somethings I am learning don't seem to be sold at all - like resealable plastic bags. My language notes got all wet from the rain (but they needed to be rewritten anyway). And good luck in finding small notebooks with decent paper that doesn't bleed through to the other side - not to be found.  Perhaps in Tana I've been told. The town we can't go to because of crime rates.

We went to an electronics store and I eyed batteries for solar. Mostly they are just car batteries and a few AGM type batteries. Not too expensive. They also had solar controllers. I'm wondering f I could get my system on batteries as simply as I think. About 1,500,00ar to do so (about $350). We did find a nice light for their kitchen as it is as dark as a cave. Cost 23,000ar (about $6) which was a bargain for what it can do for their darkness in a room where the last thing I would want is not to see the sharp items or the bugs crawling towards or over my food. I also got them a cutting board.

I spent a ton of money today. Somewhere about $100. I lost 30,000ar somewhere in our exchanged this afternoon. I had given my host mom the 30,000ar for what I thought she could use to put a deposit or pay for a room reservation while I was getting my hair colored. I don't know what became of that. I paid for both our taxi-brusse fares coming and going, pizza for lunch, a large tip to the rick-shaw driver, and money on stationary things, ice-cream, light, treats, food at the grocery store, an expensive new t-shirt (40,000ar or about $9) rather than the "Frip" or secondhand clothing sold wrinkled and needing a wash in many markets. I have yet to see a color, design or size of clothing that I like in what little "Frip" I have perused. Most clothing here is for medium and slim body types. I'm on the larger scale here. Most Madagascar people are very fit, very thin and very small - many are inches below my 5'10.

And before I forget - I am completely mystified by the young man my host family seems to employ. I think he has to be a servant or hired help but how much that costs or why they employe him is a mystery. He doesn't eat with the family and has certain roles for animals and food preparation but seems to do no house cleaning - I'm not sure. But how do people in general poverty afford hired help when they don't prioritize better lighting for their kitchen. This whole one naked bulb hanging from the ceiling thing is so depressing. No lamps, no advanced sense of design or desire to improve one's living space. I think improving the general atmosphere would improve one's mental health - if just a few environment changes occurred - picking up the trash, making one's home and yard neat - I just don't get it. It's as if people make do for so long they don't know any better. Living in primitive conditions with little income does something where when little is had - little is expected or desired maybe. I don't know, or at least I am mystified at this early stage of understanding the people and their culture, norms and practices. 

On our return trip, I paid for my host mom's travel and she was sitting next to me then got off the Taxi-brusse but before - I think explained to me to get off at the house. She went somewhere else - another taxi-brusse, a friend, another town, another visit, more shopping - I don't know. Strange. She turned up an hour later after I arrived at the house.

Dinner was upsetting. Maybe my whole day was a little upsetting. Being mothered by a younger mom, seriously rained on, 32 people in a van designed for 20, ruined language notes, a really bad hair day and cold food and now a loss of internet connectivity. I think what has me most distraught is my lack of having control over what I want to eat, how I'd like it cooked and having a schedule that is pushed onto me by a situation I need to undergo for the time being. There is so much we can't do - like eat the stall foods, or go here or there, do this or that, and then we are tied to others time frames, habits, cultural norms and differences. And I think my age complicates the situation. I do like doing things my way. A month of doing it out of my control has gotten to me and I just need to endure the next month or so and things will change and improve. 

I was tired of food being served cold, of barely cooked fries, of food served to me at every meal because they think I like it. But I don't like food served in ways I don't like, in portions I would never eat, and just plain cold from having been cooked an hour before and sitting on the table while the other four items are prepared. If they are surprised why I eat so little, that might explain it. Please no more eggs at every meal, no more cold meat, no more undercooked potatoes. And no, I am not going to eat a bowl full of rice - never have, never will (never say never).

Tuesday, 21 March 2023 (37)

Breakfast - foods not eaten yesterday - cold. I like eggs occasionally, tomatoes maybe less frequently - just not tomatoes in my eggs.

Let's move on, expect less and appreciate everything.

Keep hoping to find time to edit but between power failures and very long days there doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day.

This morning was market day in Sahanivotry. People from all around come to set up shop as well as to shop. I get the impression that each town has its own market day and there are many that go to that day's market to sell their wares. What surprises me is that there is so little chocolate to be found in Sahanivotry. You would think they don't like chocolate here - that or maybe the population can't afford it. I probably went to every small shack shop (as I lovingly call them) to differentiate from the people just selling food and wares on the street under a cover or sometimes not - and I cannot find any chocolate for sale. I did find one vendor and he only sold the small variety. I may have to go down south to the next town over to find more in the future.

Anyway, the market was a large deal with a hundred or more vendors. Lots of "Frippy" clothes but nothing that caught my eye. I think the best stuff may already be picked over by the time it makes its way the smaller markets. Raymond, my host dad showed me his office just 100 meters from the CSB II. I spent half an hour there observing the assistants giving a few vaccines and doing the paperwork. I noticed they don't wear gloves, and have less primitive ways of tipping a pulled piece of cotton into alcohol and then disposing of the sharp in a regular old cardboard box. It works.

Back to the market where I talked with dozens and saw how pigs are tied and thrown onto a taxi-brusse. I also saw the other end of town where it looks like some gambling occurs. I have my GoPro attached to my backpack and surreptitiously record some of the more exciting sights. I could probably also just film but I'm still trying to earn the town's respect and don't want to  seem, too eager to film and less eager to learn of talk with people.

Back at the CSB II, got to sit down with the Doctor and his nurse/midwife/staff types and get a few questions answered that the Peace Corps wants us to ask. I also took a better look at the house I'll be living in. It hasn't gotten any better but I'm not worried. Well at least not much. It could use a new sink. We'll see.

This afternoon back at the Mayor's house and a very tired afternoon trying to finish up some of the project paperwork I have. I should interview a few mothers and caregivers and will try and make some time tomorrow.

Wednesday, 22 March 2023 (38)

Still getting only about five to six hours of sleep but I'm not really finding myself tired. The food is organic, I eat very little snack foods as they are more difficult to find here, and soda is also less of a habit. But I am not drinking enough water for sure. I eat less than most of the family here is eating. They still heap up lots or rice while I am barely touching it. It's rather flavorless for me. Fortunately, my host mom (Odette) serves potatoes (ovy) at most every meal. Cold or luke warm, it's still a favorite. They have given up with me and rice. Many meals I have none. It's seems to be a funny situation for them. Like someone who refuses to breath, sleep or drink water - rice is the staple food for everyone here and served at all meals. It's the majority of what's eaten.

I'm an odd duck regarding not just the food but so much more. I wonder what will happen when I'm left on my own. Not that I'm worried. I need a few more cooking lessons (I've had none) if I am to figure out how to use their foods and not the processed foods I've lived on for decades.

Most of the day was spent in study. It started at breakfast when I finally started thinking about the repairs and improvements I want to make on my new home at the CSB come May. AT first I tried to express how I wanted to haire a couple people to assist with the painting and possibly adding of floor tile. But even looking up a few words, putting them in a communicative sentence and trying to get others understand me was taking more than just a minute or two. I have probably the best language dictionary they have for Malagasy and yet there are so many choices just for a single verb and often there just isn't words in this language as in English. 

There's six less letters in Malagasy. And I think there is also about 5% less words - all of them I have wanted to use but they do not exist - at least in the book. ("Fun" being one of them.) Often I have asked for a word and a synonym is given. So occasionally, one must try and figure out what other word would work when the obvious isn't to be found. There's no plurals (which is helpful) and a few other interesting deletions, additives, exceptions and surprises. Words can sometimes mean two different things. Say rice wrong and you are suddenly "Lost". Pronounce one or more words badly as I usually do and the whole sentence is unintelligent. Try and go caveman style and just string words together and it's as if you're a Martian and they'll often come back with French or worse - silence. I think I can read faces for confusion. I should be an expert at it now. But I also know there is a hidden reaction and thought about me when I can't form a simple three or four word sentence. 

I only pick up a few words here or there when people are conversing with one another. Usually, one can figure out the context but then many speak so quietly, it's hard not to think they are talking about you - to your face and they know you don't have a clue. I do a lot of nodding and try very hard not to use the "si" in Spanish because of it being "no" instead of "yes" in Malagasy. That's a hard one. I'm constantly fighting with it. I also seem to be deferring to Dutch as the first thing that pops into my head and wanting to come out of my mouth - so it's been a very good Dutch refresher - just not very useful here.

So from breakfast till lunch I was working on many questions about improvements and fixing up my soon-to-be new digs. Here's what I came up with until I ran out of time.

CSB II Sahanivotry

Home Improvements & Expenses

Is there no house rent? – Tsy misy hofa trano?

Peace Corps pays Rent? – Manamboatra hofa trano Peace Corps? 
          Pay – mandoa
          Pay for – manonitra

Is there a monthly cost for electricity? - Misy jiro mandeha amin’ny herin-aratra ve vidiny?
          Cost – vidy / vidiny
          Electricity – elektrisite / aratra
          Month - volana

Any additional monthly costs? – Misy ve vidiny tarifa sy sara fanampiny?
          Additional – fanampiny
          Fee – sara
          Tax – tarifa / haba

Who is the landowner/homeowner? - Iza no tompotrano?   Commune
         Owner – tompo
         Landowner – tompontany 
         Homeowner - trompotrano

Who knows this? – Iza no mahalala ity?
          To know - mahalala

Are there city rules/laws for improvement? – Misy ve ny lalana mifehy ny tanana (Sahanivotry) mindritra ny fanatsarana?
          City – Tanana
          Rule (law) – Lalana
          For (conj) – Mandritra
          Improvement – Fanatsarana (n)
          To repair - Manamboatra

Will I need permission? – Mila mahazo alalana?

Get permission from landowner / homeowner? - Mahazo alalana avy any tompotrano, aho?   
         Need – Mila
         Get permission – Mahazo alalana / Fahazoan-dalana (n)

When I return to Sahanivotry (about May 8th or 9th) – Rahoviniana no mody aty Sahanivotry aho?
          To Return – Mody
          About - eo ho eo / Sahabo (measurement)
          8th – FahaValo
          9th – FahaSivy

I would like to hire 1 or 2 workers. – Mijery manakarama iray na roa mpiasa, aho.

I will hire a painter for walls. – Manakarama mpandoko rindina sy plafont, aho.
          Want – Minery
          Hire – Manakarama
          Paint – Mandoko
          Painter – Mpandoko
          For (conj) – mandritra
          Wall – Rindrina
          Ceiling – Plafont?

I will hire a helper for new floor. – Manakarama mpanampy mandio gorodana hazo na karao, aho?
          Floor – Gorodana
          Wood – Hazo
          Tile - Karao
          Cement – Simenitra
          Helper – Mpanampy
          Someone – Olona

Do they have their own tools? – Mpanamboatra fitaovana izy ireo?
         Tools – Fitaovana
         They - Izy ireo

I will hire them for about 3 days. – Manakarama azy eo ho eo amin’ny telo andro, aho.

Pay them 25,000ar per day – Mandoa karama dimyarivo sy roa alina isan’andro ariary, aho.
          Pay daily – Mandoa isan’andro 

I would like to do work also. – Tiako ny miteny hoe ko
          Also - Koa

I have built my own houses - Manana trano amboarina, aho.
          Built – Amboarina
          Build – Manamboatra
          Builder - Mpanamboatra

I will buy paint and paint brushes in Antsirabe. – Te hividy loko sy fitaovana handokona (borosy) eny Antsirabe, aho.

I will buy flooring in Antsirabe. - Te hividy loko sy fitaovana anamboarana gorodana sy simenitra eny Antsirabe, aho.
          Cement - Simenitra

Need suggestion on flooring. – Mila atoro ny fividianana  gorodana, aho.
          Suggestion - Toro-hevitra

Will we need to rent a car to transport supplies? – Mila fiara iskia itaterana ny fitaovana?

Do you have a measuring tool? – Manana fitaovana andrefesana ve, ianao?

I will go to CSB and measure house / floor. – Mandeha eny amin’ny CSB II mandrefy ny gorodana, aho.
          Measurements – Refy
          Get – Mahazo
          Floor – Gorodana
          Tools – Fitaovana
          Measuring tool - Fitaovana refy

There's plenty more. 

Then came the more difficult part. I was asking my host mom to help me. It got confusing fast because she was trying to help me fix, change or improve the sentences. She's speaking in Malagasy and I'm trying to type corrections. "O" sound like "U", "I" like "E" and many more extra words that were needed. It was a frustrating challenge just to make sense and not show that frustration. Occasionally, I could tell she wasn't giving me what my question was asking. Then she mixes in the answers to the questions and confuses me further.

Here's the weird but good part. I can make sense out of most of it. I just can't pronounce any word with more than four syllables very well yet. I haven't heard the word enough, or said it enough, nor been corrected enough. Humbling and exciting and frustrating and…sorry, I don't have the words in Malagasy nor in English to express the emotion.

Thursday, 23 March 2023 (39)

Ran out of meds. Didn't bring enough for all the days.

Waited more than an hour for the Taxi-Brusse and had no emotional goodbye from or for my host family. It has been odd - my bad Malagasy and their being younger than me. Overall, I think it went well. But glad to headed back.

Not a bad taxi-brusse to Antsirabe. I had the whole backseat with my gear. Had reserved my own single room that cost me a whopping 52,000ar ($10). Lots of walking to see what items are available for installation in May. But I forgot that most Peace Corps volunteers are here with no income to supplement their monthly stipend with and they likely don't want to hear what hope to do to improve my situation here..

Found a chocolate cake that was near impossible to resist and only cost 5000ar ($1). Then spent 45 minutes in a bank trying to convert $225 US currency to Ariary. I have no idea how complicated or time consuming the process was. The teller scanned the money, checked anything and everything she possible could. She even consulted with three other people and eventually I think they checked the vault to see if they had any US currency in the building. In the end she declined exchanging the bills because the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Treasury signatures weren't the same. I tried to tell her that the bills have different years and no way would the same people be in those offices after 20 years. Didn't work out. Ended up getting about 1,000,000ar out on my card but it came with a $16 fee. I think the ATM fee is cheaper.

Friday, 24 March 2023 (40)

Travel to Tana day. The five of us south of Antsirabe took the VIP bus in to Tana. It was a 4-5 hour trip and so much more comfortable for just about a dollar more than the standard Taxi-Brusse. Before getting on the Taxi there was some discussion about the cost of drinks and it was quite obvious that they have to penny pinch to make ends meet. While I have probably spend an addition $100-200 (over what the Peace Corps has given us as allowance) in the first 6 weeks here. I have to be careful I don't let on too much the extra money I have or spend. I feel badly for them but I am also twice there age and have an income and don't plan on scaping by here in my 60's.

It's weird that the taxi to our hotel cost about the same price just to take us the last 20 minutes to our Hotel La Residence as the 4-5 trip did. I really wanted to see some part of Tana so I had the Taxi wait for me to get my room and take me back out. We first stopped at the bank where I took out the most cash so far - 700,000ar from an ATM machine. Then I had my heart set on a desk lamp which I found at a big shopping center. 

Checked out all the furniture and found an ok lamp. We should have went to the hardware store first where they had a larger assortment. Next the grocery store which looks like a store in America and even more stocked than the ShopRite in Antsirabe.

I drug my taxi driver around with me to the three stores and hopefully made it worth his while, paying him 60,000ar total and even bought him an ice cream. He gave me his number to call when I was in town again.

Back at the hotel I decided to head there again as I felt rushed with my escort/bodyguard/taxi/driver. So while the other volunteers were still coming in from their sites, I took another Taxi back and got to find things I've long been looking for like resealable baggies, a French/English dictionary, and of course a brighter lamp, and found another MCB ATM. Picked up a couple items for others who weren't in town yet.

Dinner at La Residence was plain if not awful. Two small pieces of chicken and of course rice. (Who doesn't like rice? Oh yeah, me.)

Everyone was exchanging stories of their sites. I felt better about mine having heard so much of others. Many have no power. Others are close to the ocean which would have been nice. Others are way out in the middle of nowhere and have hours to travel to their banking town. I think I have the best of all things. I'm glad that everyone seems to be enjoying the place they have been assigned. Only a few hiccups for a couple.

Pulled out a ton of money from the ATMs trying to stockpile money for the eventual installation so I will have the cash on hand come May.

Saturday, 25 March 2023 (41)

Not everyone is pleased with their site. Having talked with several volunteers - most seem to like their site about 6-8 out of 10. A couple dislike their site a lot and feel it is not safe or too hot. Many are a day or more of travel to get there. Many had great experience with their host families, many much more different that mine.

I do feel better about my site and home now that I have seen what others are up against. No one has the perfect site. 

Spent a little time looking for this scripture.

Doctrine and Covenants Section 51: 

16 And I consecrate unto them this land for a little season, until I, the Lord, shall provide for them otherwise, and command them to go hence;

17 And the hour and the day is not given unto them, wherefore let them act upon this land as for years, and this shall turn unto them for their good.

A few years back my Stake President gave us this scripture to relay to us how we should live our lives in relation to a quickly changing environment. In our case, a stake membership that changed constantly. Literally, our stake would change people about every two years. It was perhaps one of the most transient stakes in the church other than the wards and stakes at BYU or Idaho and Hawaii. 

The scripture itself has something to do with the saints at this time who had been persecuted and ran out of various communities. How should one act, behave, or think when one settles anew in another place and wonders if it's just a matter of time before they again could be displaced. Part of the answer is here - that one should "act upon the land as for years". Think long term, think how things could or should play out in the long term. Worry less about short term problems or issues.

Here is the Peace Corps connection. I may officially be here for two years. I can never be sure if my health, a family member's health, or a dozen other issues could come up and I might have to leave this place permanently or just for a short term. But I believe I should act on the long term, I should behave as if I would fulfill my two year voluntary service and worry less about the reality of the unexpected.

Not sure why I was thinking of this scripture but know it helps me work through any concerns I may have of the possibility of my service being cut short.

I connected with the stake President here in Madagascar area. He and I could not communicate but within the hour I did receive a call from one of his counselors and we discussed the possibility of coming to a branch meeting close to Mantasoa.