"Be the change you want to see in the world." - Gandhi

Monday, January 25, 2010

I'm Back!!!!


I’ve arrived! Tonga soa, or welcome! I’m back on the island and back to living the country lifestyle. Getting my rice on and working again. It’s good to be back, that’s for sure. It feels as if I didn’t leave, things haven’t changed much since we’ve been gone it seems. There’s still rice growing and lots of smiling and curious faces. Day to day life seems to be consistent to what it was before, I’m eager to get back into the rhythm of it all. Waking up early every morning to the roosters crowing and babies crying, yes, it’s all here. None of that has changed or will, no matter what the political situation is, no, here in the countryside they follow the planting seasons and listen to the beat of that drum. Right now it’s beating pretty hard as its planting season and people are trying to plant everything before the rains come, and hopefully they do come. We could use some rain. It’s rice and corn planting season here in the north now. I’ve already acquired a rice and corn field, as well as having my own garden. They are eager to learn new farming techniques, as well as English. That one is always a given, though. The only thing that has changed would be my location; I’m up in the north now, Diego region. That being said, I’m about 50 kilometers away, or a mere 2 hour drive. It’s nice being so close to a big city; I can go there to get my fixes: internet, electricity, running water, food besides rice, and basically all the essentials that you would take for granted at home. They have it all in Diego, there’s the beach, more white people than any other city I’ve been to here, touristy hotels, and large markets full of anything you can think of.

I’m back to working the land and long days in the office. It’s hard to discriminate work between play here. Work is your life. It consumes you; it’s as consistent as the sun rising every morning. People live by the sun here, when it rises so do you, when it sets it’s time to go back home and cook the rice for dinner. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a family welcome me in for dinner every night; it’s been a true blessing.

3 comments:

Eric said...

My daughter is going to Madagascar in a few months (Sept 2010) May I email you a few questions about your experience and what we and she can expect?

Thank you.

Eric said...

My email address is ericwherry@gmail.com

Unknown said...

i think its time you write a new blog and let all of us faithful admirers know what you've been doing for the last 1.5 years. Or I could just ask you since you are sitting on the couch next to me...

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Brittany is solely responsible for the content of this blog; the views herein expressed are hers alone and are not necessarily those of the Peace Corps or of the United States Government.