Rewind

I manage to get everyone talking in the noon class of Johnathan.The debate was about life in Tana. It was their first debate. I had everyone choose whether they though it good or bad. Then I asked people of the same opinon to sit on the same side. Two girls, Tsinta and Mbola, did not decide. I asked them to explain why they could not decide. Mbola does not like it here but she wants her children to have the education that the rest of the coutnry lacks. Each student said one point to persude Tsinta and Mbola to come to their side.



The Saturday before last, Rene and I argued about the Illuminati in English Club. Afterwards, a beautiful girl asked me to help her with some vocabulary. I had to run to meet Yvonne for dinner, so I told her I would help her in the morning on Tuesday, which was the next day of class. I was unable to get out of bed that morning; In fact, I did not make the six oklock class once that week.


Last Saturday, both Johnathan and I told riddles in English Club. I asked Emily about her vocabulary. I helped her a bit on the terrace. She likes to watch the news in English. She has a little notebook with vocabulary written in blue and words she does not understan in red.We did not come close to adressing all the undefined words. We separated. I felt horrible because I wanted to see her again but she does not have class this week.


Yesterday, I was reformatting old blog posts instead of hanging out with Yvonne, who was in my neighborhood for his last afternoon here. On my way back from the cyber cafe, I was calling someone whil I was walking to the big staircase dozn from Isoraka. I heard, "Hello, Joseph", from someone walking the opposite way. I turned to walk with Emily. I offered my help this week since there are not many classes; She took my number. Today is the Tuesday, the twenty eighth of May. It is two days after the Malagasy Mother's Day and it is two days before my dad's birthday.


The week passed without word from her. I must have been too eager.


It rained two days ago. There are lots of mosquitoes. The kitchen where I cook is home to at least seven cats. 


The currency here is an Ariary. With a new, big bill, one US dollar is worth about 2200  Ariary. But people here quote prices in FMG, the Franc of Madagascar. One US dollar buys 11000 FMG. So, every transaction involves dividing the quoted price by five.


Another peculiarity of this country is linguistic: I have yet to meet a native who does not speak Malagasy, a Malayo Polenesian language. Yet; despite gaining independence from France over fifty years ago, university classes are conducted in French.


There is a lot of pollution here in Antananarivo. There are no highway loops for this multi million person capital city. The best way to get around is to take a mini bus for less than a quarter per trip. I pray for the electric mini bus to save me from cancer. Also on the topic of transportation, I think intercity trains will boost the economy in this country by increasing the rate of trade.


There was a graduation ceremony at SEC. I shook hands. Boy was I underdressed! After, I went to dinner with both Jonathan and the family of Renee. We talked about how to approach interviews. Rene and I discussed how to sell the story of Madagascar. Rene is a good marketer with big dreams.


I am trying to get a long term visa. The current project is to get a police record from the FBI. It needs to be done through the mail!!! Also, I am visiting a lot of martial arts schools in order to choose a new art to practice. Tomorrow, on the third of June, an advanced English class starts at SEC. I feel comfortable engaging the students, but I do not feel comfortable doing so with the teaching style of another teacher.

Settling in Tana

I heard someone on the street whistling Pachbell Cannon. It is hot during the day here. Attempting to learn Malagasy, I started to teach English.

Taken from the Spoken English Course establishment.

This is the view from the top of the staircase next to my hotel. Can you make out the opposite staircase in the distance?

There are people singing next door when I go to sleep Moonlight Hotel at half past ten on the evening of the fourteenth of May. When I awake at half past three, they are still singing. 

The night before I switch hotels after 10 days in Moonlight, an overturned charcoal tub for streetside cooking sets a nearby secondhand book stand on fire at the bottom of the hill on which my new hotel, La Karthala rests.

Some of the rubble is still there when I got my camera out a few days after the fire.

 

On the walk from one hotel to the other.

There seems to be a big difference between the bush and the city in Madagascar. I can't really compare it to the United States because I have experienced neither a downtown area nor the countryside in America. Also, I haven't spent enough time in the city or the bush Madagascar to extrapolate. 

I was confronted with this situation: I gave someone a gift. The person to whom I gifted something offered a return that I did not want. Was I right to reject the offer? I think not for the following reason, it is best to exchange. If the person to whom I gave freely seeks another gift from someone else, then discomfort will follow when someone asks for something in return. If so, I should give to those from those who will return a gift and receive gifts only when I will offer on in return. 

I have trouble getting people I knew at different times to know each other.

The students tell me English is an international business language. When people of two countries do business, even if neither country is an English speaking country, and instead of learning the language of the other, each group will learn English in order to communicate. Some said this because of the size of the US economy. Is that right?

Would you like some English?

I get a whistle; a honk, or a "monsieur, taxi?" pretty often. I was frustrated, but now I can use the extra qttention to attract business for SEC.

 Where Anna will work, if she comes here!

Ugh. I cracked the screen on my Nexus 7. I was not using any external protective case when I was walking around with it, amongst other things, in my hands. I dropped it. In trying to catch the falling tablet, I pushed it against a window with force. I broke the fall with my foot. Half of the screen still works...

I am cooking dinner for myself in the new hotel. I got lessons from some boys. Beans need to be soaked for 24 hours BEFORE being cooked! It is great that I now have the option to avoid going to a restaurant.

These picture are taken from the terrace at La Karthala.

I worked a stand for the Spoken English Course at a fair for the last four days. People were not encouraged to learn English when they found out that I do not speak Malagasy. Lalaina, who practices Jeet Kune Do, taught some polite greetings. A Comorran man, Nanasy, helped me develop a sales pitch that I could repeat.  Rene, the SEC director has a good pitch. Le Gastronomie Pizzaria has the best pizza I have eaten in Madagascar.

Right now I am focused on a more economical living situation, a long term visa and how to teach the advanced course next month. Enjoy life;°)