Malaza

Today was such a joyous day! This morning Mama and dada and Beda and Nante had breakfast with us. It was so wonderful. They have bannanas that taste like strawberries and they are all different sizes. Mmmm! After breakfast mama, dada and I sat downstairs and talked while everyone got ready to go. Dada was so kind to me as I struggled through french, but we made great conversation.:) Afterwards, we went to Malaza to see the house that Mama and Dada previously lived in for about ten years. It was so amazing to see all the plants and fruit bearing trees! They had a bannana tree, and a apple tree and a kaki tree( I think we may connect it to something like a papaya). Then we went to lunch and I had pork with ground up casava leaves. It was very wonderful, and cultural too. Karen and I did a little shopping too. We went to Lytah's parents house after that. They were amazing and the kids..Oh the kids are so beautiful!! Tonight was a night of laughters with us and the guys as we planned our "program" over the next month. Tomorrow morning we are heading to Antsirabe to see part of the family in the south. Rova ( Beda's sister) just had a baby so we are traveling with many gifts. Then on Monday we will be going to an orphanage( which sadly I have found are few and far between, because the importance of them are not always so despite the need). I am very excited to see the kids and continue to be immersed in more of the Malagasy culture!

My Stay in Tana....

I am so sorry that I skipped yesterday but it was a long day indeed. We did not arrive into antananarivo until past midnight and it took us over an hour after that to reach out room. This city..This whole country is unbelievable. The beauty is too great to even describe. The weather is amazing and it has yet to rain, with lows being i think around 70 degrees. Today I met Mama and Dada for the first time which was so great. They don't speak english but they speak french so I was able to practice! They are the head honchos of the compound. I love seeing all the little markets and watching the kids play in the rice fields and on the red dirt roads with soccer balls they made out of rolled up plastic bags. Everyone is so happy here; so content. Beda(Mama and Dada's son) and Lytah, his cousin, are traveling around with us. They are so wonderful. I feel right at home around them. Tomorrow morning we are heading to the village where Mama and Dada first made their home; a very special place. From there we will come back to the capital and work on getting supplies for Mama and Dada's stone house they are building. Right now they live in a very small wood house. Also we have to get them ready to fly back to the compound in the south. Today I also had my first traditional malagasy meal; zebu (cow) with riz ( rice) and i think cabbage?...i will probably never know, but that was the jist of it. The boys were just watching me, and they were so proud. They kept saying "Welcome to Madagascar! You learn Fast!" haha..and they traditionally eat everything with a spoon! Tonight we watched Lytah and his gospel chior too. They are incredible, and they meet in this tiny room and there voices project off the walls and it makes a sound like nothing I have ever heard. They sing with so much heart, and so much soul. It was a beautiful taste of an incredible culture. I am not sure how often I will be able to write after this, but i will do my very best as we travel. Till then, goodnight to all.

A wonderful night in a Parisian House

Last Night we had dinner with a couple named Jaun-Phillipe and Caroline. It was fantastique. On the way there I spoke to the cab driving in french! I asked him when Pompidou was president. And he understood me! Caroline And J-Phillipe made us an amazing dinner. The First dish was a Blanket de Viel and potatoes with great french wine. Then we had a great salad with an incredible assortment of french cheese. For dessert Jaun-Phillipe made a cholcolate mousse with creme and porto and dark chocolate and then we had fresh orange with mint to go with them. Afterwards we just relaxed and drank tea and Jaun-phillipe and I talked about their paino( I found one!) in french. Le soir a ete tres magnifique! Avoir pour maintenant! Goodbye my friends.

PARIS!!!

Bonjour!! Hello everyone! I am in paris and it is fantastic. We arrived yesterday at about ten in the morning and it was about 29 degrees. Brrrrrrr! We went to a restaurant and I met a friend for lunch. His name was phillipe...et il a eu tres beau! I didn't think jet lag was an affect i suffered from, but i slep for 18 hours which KILLS me because it seems like such a waste of time. Today, I met a mutual friend of ours and the Malagasy family. His name is Jaun-phillipe. He is a musician and very nice. Ce soir, Je vais manger a leur maison. It will be a fun night. Paris is amazing and very relaxing! Two more days..and then it will be time to go to work.:) Bientot! Goodbye for now!