The Bear Necessities
August 19th 2011
Manakory!!
( Hello)
Tonight I watched “ The Jungle Book”
I loved it!
August 22nd2011
Miss Amel is in the house
Today was the first day of practice teaching!
It was scary
I taught colors to about 50 7-12 year olds who don’t speak any English. I didn’t plan enough for the 1 hr 30 min class so I had them play a dumbed down version of Simon Says. It was basically me saying “ Simon Says touch the color ______” They seemed to like it and they REALLY know their colors now so I guess that is good. Tomorrow I teach a 2nde class which is 15-17 year old who have had 4 years of English so hopefully they understand me better and I can teach more. We will see!
Peace, Love and Rainbow Bright <3
PS
Thank you to everyone who has written me letters!! Keep them coming and I will try to write you back :)
If you haven’t written and want to I would love to hear from everyone!
September 19, 2011
Cheeseburger in Paradise
So it has been a month since I have written a real blog entry… I don’t count the one from the 17th of sept cuz well I just don’t.
A lot has happened since last I wrote, I have become an official peace corps volunteer, I am living at my permanent site, an island of the eastern coast of Mcar called Sainte Marie (more on this later), I start work at the lycee (the high school) on Sept 27th and I will be teaching 2nde which is like 10th grade kinda.
Crazy what a month can do!!
More about my home for the next two years,
First things first here is my new address so that you can send me wonderful letters and packages J
Amel Berg
Volontaire: Corps de la Paix
EPP Ambodifotatra
IIe Sainte Marie
Madagascar
Fun story: I went to the post office to set up a PO box and was told that they are all full, but one of the guys that works there said that I can have stuff addressed to my home and he will deliver it to me. He is doing this b/c he is a part of the “PTO” at the lycee where I will be working!! Yay for small island favors and my own postman!
Ok here are the details:
I live on the EPP compound, which means, basically I live at the elementary school in what I think is supposed to be an office. I live in one room about the size of a typical American bedroom; this serves at my bedroom, living room, and kitchen. I have a random shack to the right that I will “ shower “ in, I use the quotes because well basically I will be taking sponge baths for the next few months till I go back to the PC training center and have a real shower J Smelly Melly for sure!! But I’m not complaining b/c if I open my window and look out of my room, I can see the ocean, it is right across the street!!! My walls are also pink so that is kinda cool and uplifting and better then say brown or something!
I have to admit it is kinda scary being here, I don’t really have a handle on the language so I can’t really communicate and I miss my friends from the PCTC but I have a good feeling that this is where I belong.
Peace, Love and an Ocean View
P.S. You may or may not have noticed that the title of my blog has changed,
(Sorry Bridget) it is now called “ Poor in Paradise” and here is the story why:
I have two friends here in the Peace Corps, I mean I have more then two friends but these particular two are two boys named Harry and James. James and Harry decided that I needed a nickname, the nickname they gave me was Iceberg, you know like the thing that sunk the Titanic? Yeah, not my favorite, it’s ok for a boy, i.e. my brother Alex, to be called Iceberg but I didn’t really like it. So, Harry and James, but mostly Harry decided that I could choose between two nicknames one being Iceberg and the other Cheeseburger in Paradise (why you wonder, Cheeseburger in Paradise, b/c I like cheese my last name is berg and I will be living in paradise for two years, clever right? Lol) I chose, due to the lack of choices to be called Cheeseburger in Paradise which ultimately lead to the jimmy buffet song being sung when I entered the room and finally was shortened to Cheeseburger. I missed the paradise part so James, being the smart Mpamasovy, (wizard) he is, (It a long story as to why he’s a wizard, the short of it is that people think there are wizards in our training town and parents said not to open the doors at night even if it is James, and somehow it became James was the wizard, IDK anyway) He decided I should start a blog and call it Poor (b/c I’m a PCV and everything is expensive here) in Paradise. I liked it and I changed it, so here it is, Poor In Paradise, James Approved!
September 20, 2011
The walls are talking
Well sad news I won’t have internet on my computer b/c the USB modem doesn’t work with my old version of MAC L so as I write this in my room I don’t know when I will post it. I had a sad morning of no electricity last night so my phone had one bar of power left and I need it to connect to the outside world of friends, and then I found out the USB won’t work and all I wanted to do was cry, I walked home after getting groceries and right as I walked in the door my electricity came on!! and so I did what any normal 24 year old does when they see lights, I cried b/c I was so happy and sad all at the same time.
On to better things:
Today I had a fairly productive day. I walked to town, about 10 mins from my house and bought some groceries. I bought pasta, cheese (like laughing cow but a knock off) oil, flour, chocolate and dish soap. It was all very expensive and I don’t care. I FINALLY cooked for myself!!! I had pasta and fried bread for lunch and more fried bread for dinner… YUMMY YUM!!! I know that eating all those carbs is bad but, I have been losing weight from all the walking and I ate peanut butter and salt for the last two nights for dinner so I deserved something yummy J
Later I took a nap.
Upon waking up I discovered that my one and only light bulb had burned out. So I walked to town again. I walked in to a store holding the old light bulb and said “ Misy “ and held up the light bulb. Misy means do you have and you know what me holding up the light bulb means and so did the young man at the check out, he said in French, “no we don’t have those but they do” and pointed across the street. At least I think that is what he said I don’t speak French. I walked over to the other store and was hugged by a small Asian baby as his dad sold me a light bulb. I then wondered around town for a few mins bought pain au choco, bread with chocolate in it, and a coke and walked home.
After changing the light bulb and eating dinner, I heated up some water and took a “shower” in my shack. I am all-clean and ready for bed and it is 6:42pm here. I am like a 3 year old, crying, taking naps and in bed by 7.
The walls are talking…. As I mentioned I live in one room on the elementary school compound, I share my “house” with a family of 6, a mom, dad and 4 kids. They live in the room right next to mine. I can hear them talk like they are right next to me. It is a little odd to be waking up in the morning hearing people talking and not know who they are or what they are saying. I’m hoping that I will subconsciously learn more Malagasy this way. We will see.
Peace, love and language learning thru osmosis <3
September 23, 2011
Sad Panda
HI Hello!
Today I had a rough go at life. I thought my computer died, it didn’t I just don’t think it likes the humidity. I cried about it on and off for about an hour. It’s weird to me how normal everyday things are affecting me here. I get sad about really dumb stuff, like electricity not being on and not being able to charge my Ipod and really happy about other things, like taking a bucket bath or texting my Mcar friends. I’m an emotional basket case.
Here's hoping that when school starts and I have some kind of schedule again I won’t be the weird white girl on the verge of tears over spilling some water out of her bucket (I didn’t do this but it gives you an idea of how freakin’ fragile I am)
*** By the way, I write these things, not so that you will feel bad for me but for two reasons, one so that all of you who read this can know what it is really like for me here, and so that I have a creative outlet. ***
My friends.
There is an old song that I learned in Girl Scouts,
Make new friends, but keep the old.
One is silver and the others gold.
Cute right?
I don’t think I ever really understood it until very recently, like yesterday.
Let me start by saying, I have AMAZING friends in the states, Emma, Bridget and Nicki are my 3 favorite people in the world. I would do anything for them and I know they feel the same about me. I have always been the kind of person who has a bunch of different friends; I have never really stayed friends with people for an extraordinarily long time. But with B, Em and Nic I have. So when I was getting ready to meet all the other PCTs in Philly on July 11th I was not expecting to make strong friendships. Now I know what you are thinking, of course you are going to make friends Amel, you are all in a new place and having new experience together. And I get this but the friends I have made here in Madagascar are just as strong as the friendships that I hold so dear in the states, and I have only known these people for a little over 2 months. It’s weird how the people we meet and the places we go all seem to serve a purpose, without these strong friendships, both here in Mcar and back in the states I know that I would probably not still be here.
So I guess this is my way of saying thank you to ALL my friends. I love you all in a variety of ways… that sounds odd but you know what I mean. You are all gold to me. ©
Peace, Love and Lasting friendships!
September 24, 2011
It’s a whole new me!
I gave myself a haircut!!!
I had been thinking about it for a while and this evening on a whim I took scissors to it. It looks pretty good. It’s about 2 inches shorter and less layered then normal!! Yay!! I think from this point on I will try to grow it out... but we will see J
Also the other day I took a 4-hour walk and got super sunburned. It doesn’t hurt that bad but my face and neck are super red and hot. Oops.
And wait for it… I shaved my legs!! I know super awesome.
I don’t do this as often as I did in the states for two reasons,
1. I’m already the weird white girl, so if I have hairy legs its just one more thing that is weird and different about me.
2. I’m lazy and shaving my legs every time I “shower” is time consuming and a huge chore.
But they are super smooth and pretty because I used sunflower oil to shave them. I didn’t have any soap or shave cream so I used my college education (thanks AC) used oil and it all worked out!
Sorry that I’m weird and just wrote about these things but I’m in a good mood and felt the world needed to know about my little self-improvements here in the great Madagascar.
Peace, Love & spontaneous haircuts
September 29, 2011
Teacher time
HI!
Yesterday I scheduled my classes for the year!!
I will be teaching 3 sections of 2nde and 2 sections of 4eme.
A total of 15 hours a week and I have Fridays off.
The scheduling meeting for the lycee was kinda intense because I didn’t totally understand everything that was being said. It’s a very odd feeling to be in room where everyone is speaking in a different language and you can only understand 4 words . Kinda scary, except not. I understand the basic things that are being said and I’m going to get a tutor so hopefully that will help.
That’s all for now I have to go lesson plan and get ready for school to start on Monday!!
Peace Love and I’m a teacher!!
Ps I can’t believe it is almost October… these last few weeks have gone by SO fast. <3
I dont know when i will be back on here.... love you all
