December 31, 2011
Last day of a big year!
Well 2011 is almost over (and by the time I post this it will already be 2012) and boy what a year it was! Some of the highlights of my 2011 include:
- Directing Oklahoma! at SLHS
- Besties Em & Nicki graduating from college!!
- Learning that I would be spending my Peace Corps service in Madagascar.
- Going to Madagascar, 15-hour flight from the states… not the most fun part of the year.
- Learning a new language, well at least trying to J
- Saying goodbye to my best friends in the states and making new ones here
- Becoming an English teacher
- Spending Thanksgiving alone but having a great dinner complete with candlelight
- Spending Christmas away from my family but with 5 of my good friends here in Mcar.
What a year!!
Here is to 2012 and that it is filled with as much adventure, love and fun as 2011 has been.
Peace, Love and 2012, it’s going to be an even BIGGER year!
December 31, 2011…Part 2
So I’m sure all you blog readers (all 4 of you lol) are wondering what I have been up to since I haven’t written in a LONG time. Well let me fill you all in!
Since last time I have finished my first trimester as an English teacher! I have flown to the big island, seen all my friends, sat through some more training at the PCTC, had a water balloon fight (thanks James), bought a dress and a sweet shirt that says “let’s dance” and has a high top shoe on it from a street vendor (it sounds really lame but it is actually kinda cool) took a taxi ride to Moramanga and saw some lemurs with Carolyn & Steph, spent Christmas with my friends, made spaghetti for xmas eve and soup for xmas day, played the card game Hearts a few times, watched movies and TV shows ( my fav being the episode of The Office where one of them, maybe Andy?, is in Sweeny Todd ) and finally flying back to Sainte Marie. Whew! And all of that happened in the course of about 20 days!
Being away from my family on Christmas was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. But, I think the reason for that is because it didn’t really feel like Christmas. It was hot, I was in a strange house, I didn’t open any presents and there was no Xmas feast, or not one that included all the trimmings like at home. However, with that all being said I do think it was one of my favorite Christmases! I got to spend it with some of my good friends that I made during training, Steph, John, Kim, Carolyn and James. On Xmas eve day we went shopping in the downtown, which was very scary to say the least. Tons of people in very little space. After downtown shopping we went to one the few grocery stores and bought stuff to make spaghetti. After getting back to the PC house all us girls decided to go get changed into our pretty Xmas outfits and get all spiffed up for dinner. After pretty up time we made dinner and then sat down to a wonderful feast of spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, egg drop soup and homemade egg nogg! Really good! Waking up Christmas morning was like any other day. All Christmas day the 5 of us (John had to leave early in the morning on the 25th) sat around and talked, laughed and just had a really chill day. Later in the afternoon we ventured out to buy stuff (mostly veggies for soup and booze, it wouldn’t be Xmas with out some cheap Malgasy Rum lol) We made a stew soup thing for dinner and right as we were sitting down to eat (at 8 o’clock because it took longer to cook then we thought. oops) one of my all time favorite quotes was said by James, an excellent observation of “ none of us are wearing sleeves” which in fact none of us were, we were all in tank tops, a Christmas first for me being used to Christmas in MI with snow and sweaters! The rest of the night was filled with more laughter and good times. If I had to have a Christmas away from my family I am glad that I was able to spend it was the people that I did. J
Peace, Love and a Christmas I will never forget <3
January 10, 2012
Observations from a girl with a lot of time on her hands!
- Yesterday I saw a little girl with a backpack that said BATMAN! And it had a picture of spiderman.
- You know those t shirts people make for events like “ Sarah’s Super Sweet Sixteen” or “ Homecoming 2000… the best ever” well I have seen where those end up when people don’t want them anymore… here in Madagascar where they have NO IDEA what they say. Haha ps Bridget think of some of our shirts we wanted to make… or better yet the shorts LOL
- Because of they way my hair is growing out after my self hair cut, if I were to stick it straight up in the air I would look like a treasure troll. You know with the pointy hair? Haha
- I don’t know if I have mentioned this on here before but there are roosters here that are the size of small dogs, no joke. But they do run away when you walk toward them so that is kind of comforting.
- My windows here are the same height as me, if I stand on the ledge I can exactly fit in the window.
- I really like even numbers and in my classes when I give exercises they always have to have an even number of questions.
- Today I did a dialogue with my 4eme class complete with props. A hat and sunglasses have never caused this much laughter and never have my students wanted to volunteer this much! Score another point for my theatre major!
- My house is starting to look like a home. I have put all my cards on my wall over my desk and I put up some pictures that Em sent me. SO… if you send me a letter or pictures, or both, I will put them on my pink walls and look at them all the time <3
- I can tell what kind of day I am going to have based on how I write the date in my classes. If it is curly and super squiggely then it will be a good day!
- Some of the funniest things I have seen here in Mcar are baby suits, that is tiny suit coats, vests and pants for babies. If you have seen one you know what I mean if you haven’t, you should they are awesome. It makes me want a baby butler. Lol
- I figured out that I can wear my hair anyway I want and people will just think that that is what is in fashion in the states. Side ponytails… welcome back!
- There is a tiny little lizard that lives in my room and he was sitting on my leg the other day. I felt some thing and sat up and there he was just chillin on my leg. He is about a inch long and pink… super cute!
Well that is all for now, I hope this list was informative and made you smile a bit J
Peace Love and Random thoughts from Mada.
