Post 8? things continue to happen...a routine is built!

Though i don't have a whole lot to report about, i thought i would update the blog so you all know that i'm still alive, still doing well, still making connections/teaching/making friends/hanging out/reading...i'm nearing the end of my "assessment period" (and to tell you the truth, i'm still painfully unaware about many things in my community, but oh well). i'm really excited that i have survived this long, without any sickness (knock on wood), without any major psychological breakdowns, and without giving up completely. it does help that a lot of the women here have also assumed a mothering role for me (the number of mothers for me has quadrupled! i can't seem to have too many mothers...even on the other side of the world).

so, a small recap, i've been teaching at the clinic, doing a radio show, teaching some english (not my favorite thing to do, but people really want to learn, though they never study...it's always the same thing every week...ugh), and doing a lot of my own stuff. i recently took a trip to the National Park near me called Ankarafantsika, which was amazing and beautiful and so much fun! we saw Baobab trees and a canyon...it was nice to get out of my truck stop town and back to nature! Then we went to Majunga, the beach town. I've decided that it's really not where i want to be...there are too many french ex-pats, and everyone speaks to me in french (even when i speak clear malagasy, and no real french yet), and it's just an annoying place, though beautiful in some places. we ate a lot of ice cream and pizza and seafood, and we took a little trip to a friend's post at Katsepy, a 1 hour ferry ride away. we sunbathed and had fresh coconuts and mangahazo (manioc) with coconut milk on the beach. it was great! we unfortunately had to take a long LONG boatride back with a bunch of chickens...the first time i've ever been seasick i think!

and now i'm back in maevatanana, hanging out, helping the doctors and health managers prepare for their party for the week of promoting women and children's health. my constant joke that no one else gets is..."how many doctors/managers does it take to hang up a sign?" many!!!! we have more managers of health workers than healthworkers! it's ridiculous, and it makes me feel super SUPER impatient. ugh.

welp, i guess that's it for now. more exciting things to come when i go for my first in-service training in mid-may. then we'll see what happens from there! miss you all and love you!!