Embrace what is around you

I have always wanted to be out in the field, to go out and see where and how a creature lives. Humans do not have one natural habitat, we are able to adapt and live anywhere we wish. We are one of the few species that are able to do this. This ability gives us an opportunity to be able to explore and learn about how everyone else lives. Because of our ability to live anywhere, we must learn to live with others who occupy the space. Most of these species can only live in this one space, and are not able to travel. With this special skill we have, it is only right to learn about all those who occupy the same space we live in. This can be in your house, around your house or anywhere you go. It is impossible to live with only other humans, nor should we try to live a life without the constant thrum of life surrounding us. We cannot live without those who share our space, for they are the ones that make the space alive. I have always enjoyed nature not just for its beauty, but also for its amazing capacity to hold life. To obtain happiness and an appreciation of life, I need to know who is living with me and how they live their lives.

Since I first arrived in Madagascar, I have been fascinated with all the flora and fauna that surrounds me. I take walks just to see what I could see and learn. I often encountered the same species day after day and decided to make a log of this. At Honko, we have books on all the different species we might encounter. I used these books to create an official log of all species found in the Honko area. This is a personal goal of mine, to record as many species as possible during my time here. Each year, Honko works with different schools around the world on a variety of projects. One study aboard program called SIT uses Honko as a place for their students to do their final independent research project. We are lucky to have two students with us right now, one studying the bird life at Honko and the other studying the diversity of reptiles and amphibians in the different ecosystems surrounding Honko. This has given me the opportunity to use all the data and information I have collected on the species observed at Honko. Here is a typical day for me: I wake up at 4:30am to go birding in the mangroves, then come back to have breakfast around 7:30am. I will then check the internet and write a few emails. Mid-morning will take me out to the dry forest to go herping (looking for reptiles and amphibians). We (the SIT student and I) will do this for about three hours in three distinct forest types. This is than repeated in the afternoon with both birding and herping.

It is such a pleasure to be able to go out and see how many things are living all around me! Life lives everywhere, no matter what we do, it will continue to live. The first step in learning to love nature is to see how similar it is to our own lives: each creature out there only wants to eat, live, and reproduce, which in its rawest form is what humans do each day. I can look at any species and relate to it somehow, and I know each of you can as well if you try. Even the fly (the bane of my existence here) I can understand and relate to; it only wants to live, eat and carry on its genes, the fact that we are in its way and bugs (pardon the pun) the hell out of us, should not make me hate it more, it’s just nature, doing what it does best. Everything has a role to play, a role within its territory, a role within its ecosystem and a role within the world. If we do not understand what each role is, for each species, we could and do change how an entire ecosystem functions. Go outside, and see what is there, don’t be afraid of it, embrace it! There is no way you can get rid of all the bugs, rodents, pests and nor should you want to, it would change the way the world works and no one should hold that kind of power. We need to learn to live with nature, because without it, we do not exist. My all-time favorite quote:

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. Chief Seattle 

What do I want to do with my life? Past, Present and the Future

What do I want to do with the rest of my life? and why do I need to figure it out right now? Since college/university, (what is the difference?) I have had…..5 jobs:

1.      Naturalist at a state park, 2. Planting trees, 3. Peace Corps Volunteer, 4. Bartender/waitress/hostess, 5. Project coordinator for an NGO.

After graduating from Purdue, I did the cool thing and moved back home to my parents’ house and got jobs around my hometown (number 1 and 2). From those 2 jobs, I now know that I don’t want to work in a state park as a naturalist, even though I enjoyed and I don’t mind doing hard manual labor when it goes towards helping the environment (the money was good too). The third job fell into my lap. During my last summer at Purdue, my class went to the UP of Michigan for practical, hands on lessons on wildlife techniques (trapping, GPS, orientation, etc.) and I talked with a girl who was heading off to the Peace Corps for environmental education. First off, Peace Corps is still a thing and second, that they had an environment sector! This sounded right up my alley, and my parents agreed; it was a match made in heaven. After talking to my friend, I thought about it for about 2 weeks and then applied for the Peace Corps. It took about a year to get everything in and finalized, during which I had jobs 1 and 2. Then I found out I would be leaving for Ghana (a country I had never heard of) in June of 2011.

For the next 27 months, I had the best, worst and most enlightening time of my life. It made me realize what I love, hate and need to do more of, but still not a clear goal or idea of what I wanted to do with my life. 

After the Peace Corps, I again did the cool thing and moved back home. I applied for over 70 jobs, both national and international, trying my hardest to get a job that I would learn from and something that I love to do. During those 6 months of limbo, I worked job number 4 and really enjoyed it! I love talking to people, getting to know the locals and learning more about beer and fine foods. But I also found that I need more in my life, I need a goal to work towards in a job, I need something that fulfills me and the world around me. The only jobs I heard back from during these 6 months where international or more specifically, jobs in Africa; once you start in Africa, you never get out! I was looking at jobs for NGO’s, primate research, and anything else that has to do with the environment. The one that grabbed my attention was in Madagascar and had to do with mangroves, something I knew Nothing about! But I talked to the manager who was there on the ground and felt that this was the next best thing for me to do. It also got me out of my parents’ house and out of a job that felt less then what I should have been doing. 

I accepted the job in February and left in March. I really had no idea what to expect from this job, but I knew it would take me in a direction that I wanted. No matter what job I hold, I find out something else that I like or don’t like about that job, and it takes me one step closer to what I want to do with my life. I have now been here for over 6 months, love what I am doing, where I am doing it, and how my life is turning out. But I know I want to do something different after this, I know this is not where I want to stay. I know I love the simple life, no running water, no electricity, mosquito net over my head and red dirt under my feet. I love not being able to speak a language but still being able to communicate, I love seeing the look on someone’s face when you teach them a skill that everyone you know has and takes for granted but to them, it’s another way to improve their life. 

Education is the way to save the world, hands down, no argument. Education is the way to stop hunger, poverty, deforestation, wars, and unnecessary death of any living soul. I am talking about the education of not only Africans but more importantly the education of the first world. Ignorance is only an excuse if you give it power. The way things are is because we have a flawed education system and without being properly educated and empowered, what is the point of your life? I feel so strongly and passionately about this that I get angry when talk about it sometimes and I apologize to any of those who have been on the receiving end of one of my lectures!! Read international news, read a book that has more to it then love and aliens. Learn more about the world and the place you have in it. The computer or phone you are reading this on has parts in from all around the world; Africa, Asia, Europe, America. You are not just buying a laptop, you are giving people jobs in a good way and sometimes not in a good way. I am reading a book called, Bonobo handshake: a memoir of my times in the congo, and it makes me want to keep doing what I am doing and more!!!

What is my next step? Where do I see myself in 5 years? Right now, all I am doing is looking to see what strikes my interest, what makes me pause and want to know more, and really, that’s ok with me. I don’t need a long term plan right now, I know that I want to go back to school, but at not ready yet, I know that I want to spend some time with family and friends back in states, but I don’t know when that will happen. I know that I won’t take a job that I don’t feel right about. I won’t take a job just because it’s in the right area of the world or makes a lot of money. I will do what feels right for me, is that selfish? Maybe a little, but at 28, with nothing holding me down, I can be a little selfish. :) 
 

Life and Death...

It was 8 o’clock on a Saturday night and we had just gotten back from Tulear, the regional capital, dropping off a volunteer who was about to leave. We made dinner, watched an episode of House and said goodnight. While I was preparing for bed, I heard my phone ring (Bang Bang by will.i.am) and put my toothbrush down to answer it; it was one of our workers that lives in the closest village, Sala, his wife was sick and needed to get to the hospital ASAP. This was all said in broken English and with sobs being heard in the background. I said yes and went to get Lala’s, our volunteer coordinator, as we are the only two here at camp at the moment. We got dressed and ready to go to pick her up in the village. We got to her house and half of the village was there waiting. I was very thankful that the car was behaving herself and not having problems. We loaded her into the car and off we went with 12 people in the car.

I had never driven at night on these roads and was worried about getting to the hospital in Tulear (a 40 min car ride) quickly and safely as the road are in terrible condition. My job was to drive and the other women in the cars job was to care for her, but it was difficult to keep my focus when all I can hear was her suffering and the women talking to her Malagasy. We arrived at the hospital and went to the emergency bay. We were greeted by one man who just stood there while all her family got things ready for her. Sala, her husband, went into the hospital and got the stretcher out, he set it up and then got her onto it. Other members of her family were preparing her room and moving her into it. It was very surreal for me to watch how a hospital worked here in Madagascar, very much so opposite to what happens in America. After about 10 minutes of waiting, Sala comes out and says we have to go to a pharmacy because the hospital does not have the medications needed? I can’t imagine what my face looked like by that point, but of course I said yes and drove him to the only all night pharmacy about 15 minutes away from the hospital. We arrive back at the hospital with the medications in hand and wait. Twenty minutes later, Sala comes out and says that we can leave, that his wife has to stay at the hospital for some time. He thanks me over and over again, and I don’t even know what to say to him. I’m sorry about your wife? I hope she gets better soon? All of the above! Sala and most of her family will stay with her. This includes 2 new mothers who brought their babies with them, ready stay as long as they were needed.

Lala’s, I and a few others climb into the car and headed back to Honko. 

Thinking of all of this now, it feels almost like a dream, that it never happened, but I know it did and I am thankful that I was here to help. It’s crazy to think about that most of the country here would not have been able to get to the hospital, they would have had to wait till the morning and hopefully catch public transportation or a zebu (cow) cart. There are no ambulances here, no police cars that would come to help, and no one can afford a car! How fortunate many of us are to have a system set up to help us, any time, any place, any circumstance. That people are out there with the sole purpose to make sure you are ok and to keep you that way. What amazing people they are! It humbles me to think that, I forget the kind of sacrifices that people make every day for other people. So don’t forget to thank ambulance drivers, nurses, medics, doctors, service workers, because they are working for you, even if you don’t know or care, they are. 

The Urgent Need We All Have

I have been reading many books that are based all over Africa and am always enthralled by what they are experiencing. Their everyday life seems so exotic and adventurous, which is funny because I too am living in Africa and doing things that others would deem exotic and adventurous. But, while I am here, it all seems so every day and just life, so it is my goal to now give you a better picture of what my life is like here without my daily discoloration of what I feel is now the mundane. This gives me a new outlook on life and you a better look at what my life is like.

I wake up early each morning, less because of the sun streaming through the window above my head and more to the fact that my bladder is bursting from drinking so much the night before (a habit I am trying to quit, but nothing quiches your thirst quite like water right before bed). As I negotiate my way out of my bed through the many layers of blankets and my almost white mosquito net, I stretch and listen to the gregarious conversations of the Mynah birds that happen to find my roof a great place for a morning chat. I wrap my emerald green Lamba (piece of cloth) around my body and try to open my door that has swelled over night because of the dampness in the air. I stop and look over the reeds that are in front of my house and just breathe for a second….till my bladder pushes and the need to go is almost too much to stand. I carefully walk down my rickety, uneven stairs, hoping this morning will not be the morning that I finally fall down them. Slowly, I make my way through the scrub brush that surrounds my house, one must always look down and to the side to make sure the “trip” grass does not get you and the thorns on the bushes don’t snag your Lamba on the way to the toilet.

As I walk past the center, rustling sounds come at me from all directions as the 6 dogs we now have come at me from their make shift grass dens they slept in the night before. Each are over joyed to see you and want to be pat and paid attention to. All the while, your body is screaming for you to stop this long, unnecessary trip to the toilet when really all I needed to do was squat anywhere and relive my body from its almost popped balloon feeling. Still, I continue my journey, more out of habit, then necessity, till I arrive at the toilets, which happen to be on top of a sand dune, made up of a hole that is lightly lined in cement, wood planks across said hole and a wooden throne perched on top of the planks. A hole is of course cut in the middle of the throne and planks so….well you know why there might be a hole…Covering the throne are walls made of dried reeds called Boboki and a ceiling made of another dried reed called Vondro. I open a door that is slowly failing apart, being as it is made of the same material as the ceiling and being held together with what used to be ropes. I sit on the throne and pray that the door does not crumble as I sit there and that the wind doesn’t sweep it open for the world to see. As there are no magazines here for me to peruse through, I instead watch the menagerie of insects that come and go in the sand that is in front of the throne; how they struggle up the small sand piles (large dunes of for them) only to be thwarted time and time again. Each leaves a unique trail behind them, letting others know they were there and unsuccessful.

Once finished, I open the tumble ready door and leave. Side note, if you have never used a bush latrine, it is best never to look down once finished, because that is a picture that won’t ever go away. Located near the toilet is a place to wash your hands, aka a bucket filled with water, a large metal mug and a piece of wood that is stuck into the ground with rope tied to it that holds the soap…..soap on a rope. I then make my way back to my house, still looking down for the infamous trip grass to get me or to the side for the thorns to snag my clothes, and the dogs trailing behind still wanting love and attention still. I make it up my stairs, stop for another second, breathe and make a plan for the day. I usually will bring out my Crazy Creek chair and sit on my balcony. I will set up my music system, an ipod and speakers and sit for some time. I might be joined by a few dogs, our male cat Sally, a Crested Drongo (who is quieter then the Mynah birds, and likes to eat an insect with me as company) or any assortment of insects, my favorite being the large and slightly intimidating Madagascar hissing cockroach. A large butterfly which at first I was not sure if it was actually a butterfly or just a slow moving bird, meanders in front of me, looking for its next meal. At some point during this time, I will get up again and check to see if the coffee has arrived, which is what really starts my day off.

 I love that each day is a little different, and I have no idea what surprises might be waiting around the next scrub brush. Morning are the only way to start the day! Till next time, Merci!

Lessons Learned!

I have learned some hard lessons recently. It seems that if at one point I don’t think something will matter, later in my life it become abundantly clear that I should have listened closer and saved everything! Here are a few examples: During my time in Ghana, I was handed a ton of amazing food security resources, many of these were in French, and I felt at the time that I would never need them as I thought that I never would live in a French speaking country…Wrong! Here I am in Madagascar wishing that I still had those. Example 2: During my time at Purdue, I had a class all about fish…and I could not wait for it to end….now what am I doing? Designing a protocol for small fresh water farming here…If only I took note and listened more closely to what I was taught!

So here I sit, trying to find a document in French that I have in English and figuring what are the best species of fish to use in the ponds. I guess knowledge like this only comes with age, and it makes me cringe that I am now old enough to think and type a sentence like that!

The weather here in Ambondrolava (the village I live near) has been Amazing! I am in the southern hemisphere here, so it’s our winter (dry months) and I could not be enjoying it more. Another lesson learned, one country is not the same as another. After living in Ghana for 2 years and NEVER feeling cold, I was stunned dumb that it gets cold here, and I mean cold like I sleep in pants, long sleeved shirt, and 2 blankets. It’s mostly from the wind, as i live in a plank house and there are many way for it to get in!

 I have cause for concern when it comes to wind, as it slides right on through with little resistance. But I would not trade where I live for anything. I feel amazed that I am here, that I get to sit on my porch and look at a field of green reeds blowing in the wind and wait for a pair of barn owls to come out at night. How did I get here? I forget sometimes where I am, and then something will come and slap me in the face….you’re in MADAGASCAR….breath and enjoy! Here is the video I made about the place I work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCPSlOtBGzk

Another lesson learned, I am a people person. Many of you might think….DUH….but this is the first time where I do not have a network of people around me. There are just 3 main staff members here (me included) and volunteers that come and go! I need more, I am learning, but I am reaching out to the other NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) around Tulear and WILL make friends. J Unlike in the past, I will remember this for my next job and know that I might need more than just 2 people live a happy life.

Still no lemurs, but I am planning a trip soon the Finar region where I will meet up with some PCV’s (Peace Corps volunteers) and have good time! One of the volunteer’s works at a park, and within this park are… LEMURS! So I will get to see some soon!! YAY!

Until next time, Merci! 

Same Problems, Differnt Place

I have lived in many different places, both in and out of the US and one thing I know For Sure is that people are people no matter where you are. When many people think about Africa (said in a voice of awe and grandeur), they imagine a place where they would have Nothing in common with the people in these villages, and thus pity those people. I am here to tell you that you have more in common with these “village” people (ignore the band please) then you ever thought.

I will make an example: I work with a small village of only about 300 people (or around the amount of people that live in a small neighborhood) and within this small village, they have spilt between the north and the south. Now, the north and the south do not like to work together, thinking both sides have it better (back in the neighborhood, you might have a similar problem, one side is closer to the school or gets more money from the government, so there is now animosity in this small place).  A small community, no matter where it is in the world, will have similar problems in the end. One problem with development is that we forget that we have similar problems at home, and we need to remember how we overcame those problems, to help them overcome them as well.

People here and everywhere worry about similar things: Money, family, food, life. I wake up every morning around 6am, go to the bathroom (which is quite a walk), come back to my house, and sit on my balcony. Within 30 mins, I hear the women coming to the Vondro (lesser cattails) reeds right across from my place. I know that they too have been up for some time, getting food ready, saying goodbye to their husbands as they go to work (mostly to their farms and fishing) and hopefully sending their kids to school. Does this scenario sound somewhat the same for many of you, the only difference is what you will spend your time doing.  They spend their mornings cutting and collecting the reeds to sell, and you might go shopping, go to work in an office, or stay in the house, cleaning or taking care of young children. Their house is a simple thatch wall and roof structure, that lets a wonderful breeze in and will never have to clean their floor…b/c its only sand. Your house is probably made out of plaster, wood and other materials, there is No wind that comes through your house unless a window is open and you are in constant action keeping the floors clean. Both of these lives have their problems and their joys; each group wishes to know more about how the other lives, but could not imagine how they live that way. Both only know how the other lives through movies, TV shows, magazines and what they might teach in school. None of these are a good way to learn how the other lives.

With this and my last blog, I write to show others how different and similar life is here to where you might live. Peace Corps is a great experience that showed me that people are people no matter where you are and that’s a wonderful thing! Many people still have this image of Africa in their heads of naked people in mud huts, with no food, and for the most part unhappy with their lives; could not be less true, just because you’re naked and live in a mud hut, does not make you unhappy. There are of course starving children, but they are everywhere in the world, not just in Africa. Here is my blog post all about Africa: https://peacecorpstesssmay.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=6dqiKUYBAAA.VsYeNXCoDH8nxYV1TjzM4w.846aLRohEsJeTWl29wkeaA&postId=813804449211661175&type=POST

I love my life in Madagascar, I know many of the people I work with in the villages also love their life in Madagascar. Don’t judge what you don’t understand, don’t give unfair voices to those whose you have never spoken to, be the best person you can be, without making others out to be the worst person. Ok, I think that’s enough for now, J Till next time, Merci!

My 28th and 2 month anniversary!

Two Months!!!!! Time fly’s as you age, I can’t tell you how many people have told me this, and I know, I know that its true….but damn if it does not creep up on you!! There are certain things that seem to hold true throughout most of Africa, and after spending a little over 2 years in Ghana, I had become accustomed to so many things, that I forgot how certain things were.

Here are some things that are old/new to me:

 1. The smell of animal intestines out in a hot market, something you can never forget!

2. Men treating you as a piece of meat, grabbing my butt and hissing at me, ARG,

3. How busy things can get during the night, when it is so quite during the day,

4. Being stared at as a Super Star, and an oddity all at the same time!

5. Eating food you are not sure what is, but why not,

6. Knowing someone is talking about you in a different language, but not knowing what they are saying,

7. Getting to PEE anywhere I want, and im a girl!! WOO,

 8. Bargaining, a skill that many have lost and should try,

9. Large beers for Super cheap,

10. Thinking you might know that white person on the other side of the street, but not wanting to wave because that might be awkward….

11. Africa time….a slow time,  

12. Enjoying the little things in my own time!

13. Getting to download things in safety,

14. Having there be no need to tip since service is TERRIBLE,

15. How great/terrible public transportation can be to learn more about the country you are in.

These are a few of the things that have come flooding back to me since I have been back in Africa. And I love each one of them in their own special way!

For my birthday, I went a concert at my regional capital-Tulear-and saw a man called Damily. He plays a style of music called tsapiky, its interesting, and made me want to dance. Ghana taught me how to dance, and to not care about how I dance. So I of course got down with my bad self and danced at the concert. This of course caused a HUGE thing, and everyone stopped what they were doing to stare!! O my! After sometime, others joined and it was Fun!! But of course there comes a price for my free-style dance moves, as we were leaving, we all got groped, ass pinched and arm caressed! So annoying that they feel this is ok to do, but all you can do is glare and slap that hand away.

It was a great day to celebrate my 28^th birthday and my 2 months in Madagascar. I am still loving life here and all that I am doing. We are starting on some new projects and getting more partners to help us out. If you know of any company that needs to give away some of its money, let me knowJ! Well, I think that’s all for the moment! But thank you again for all the birthday wishes! And till next time, Merci!