...and Madagasca
Hi there all, have managed to answer some emails personally and will continue as and when I can so please bear with me!
A little update.....I visited the marine camp last week and was pleased in a way, that I'm not based there: it is a lovely location etc but one could be anywhere and at least in town I feel I am in Madagascar! I am also taking every opportunity I can (only once so far but hopefully this w.end also!) to get away to a touristy site further north where I may dive.
I have managed to make some contacts with locals here to teach English in my spare time. I start next week. I will be teaching the Marine students here at the university whom we are 'in collaboration with' (also diving theory in French and English, hm, we'll see how that goes!). I have also arranged to teach in a school not too far from the the house and also at the offices of ANGAP (Malagasy-run in relation to the national parks). I am feeling happier now that I have arranged the aforementioned as I will have more interaction with the locals and I will feel that I am doing something personally to help. I have been astounded by the poverty here and yet the people are lovely and very happy which is nice. My sister has kindly sent me some toys for the children (hope arrive within the year!) as the children play in the dirt with stones or improvise and make little 'trucks' out of water bottles and a bit of string.
Dare I tell you that we have two 'guard' dogs at the house whom I spoil rotten as you can imagine and one of them has just had 6 puppies! I am of course, in seventh heaven! The local vet has assured me he can find 'good' homes and I have insisted that they are not taken until they are 8 weeks old. I often spend the start of the day chasing the dogs around the yard as chickens often fly over from a back wall..eventually I catch them and pass them back to one of the locals who watches me calmly over the wall! The next task is trying to get the dogs out the of the house (made the mistake of leaving one in there once...NOT a good idea!) so I have to tempt them with biscuits (which the cleaner keeps eating!..'human' biscuits that is!) so, then I haver to cycle like crazy to the office with the dogs chasing me on the bike at first! As you can imagine, I have witnessed awful brutality to animals here: the other day I had just read in my Lonely Planet that it is impolite to show one's temper or emotions in public and is not good to point at a Malagasy. Well, the following day, I was cycling back from the office and a Zibu cart was coming along next to me...one of the poor zibu fell to the ground and I thought it was dead. I jumped off my bike to see and offered to phone the vet on my mobile (the local looked at me very surprised! I don't think they ever treat zibus, they are work animals and are then sacrificed). Well, another chap came along and started beating it as it lay on the ground. So of course, I got cross and started trying to say 'stop, it is ill, exhausted' etc in my French and then they twisted his horns, he stands up and then just for fun the chap smashes it accross the face with a batton. Well, I didn't follow the lonely planets advise is all I can say..the locals were having a good laugh at me. I was SO cross. I will end up buyings loads of zibus I think and putting them in the yard. Also, at the port, they use the zibus to load people onto the boats (one does not really want to walk through the water as it is unfortunately used as a latrine), I insist on walking (at peril!) as the zibus have such heavy loads to carry and are horribly thin so, when I returned from the diving camp visit I had on my diving boots with skirt which I hoisted up and waided through carraying a rucksack, a 3 diving bags and a document case. I think I am perhaps adding the Brit's reputation abroad! The British Ambassador is visiting next week and I shall be taking him to the camp, I think perhaps I will let him take the cart but I will of course, HAVE to walk alongside! Goodness knows what he will think!
Hope all are well!
Jo
