What you’ve been waiting for
It’s not quite over… just yet
Good Afternoon my family and friends. I do have to apologize for my absence the past week or so, I have been on quite a journey to arrive at my present place. Currently I am flying over the Atlantic aboard probably the best taxi brousse in the entire world. Oh yes, sitting exit row style with so much leg room I could easily fit 8 Malagasy children. This is life…
Last time I wrote to everyone I was beginning to pack up for my journey home and most thankfully my trip to Isalo National Park. It was sad to leave ReefDoctor and the people I have to grown close to like family. The dive guy Johnny was scheduled to leave as well so there was quite the party last Friday night in the village. Sadly, on my last dive reluctantly the dive shop nearby where we have all our scuba tanks filled had its compressor stolen the previous night (this is Madagascar..). Good timing on my part, however I am unsure as of now how ReefDoctor will replace such a service and continue the work needed. I was able to complete my rescue diver course on the other hand and am fully certified.
The reason for not making the journey to Isalo weeks before is because traveling in Madagascar is very frustrating and complicated if not using a private vehicle. Not to mention the language barrier or not to travel alone. I liked it there in Ifaty so I had no immediate reason to depart, though until some more people arrived and nearing my time to leave the notion was brought about to travel there. The national park there is quite frankly some of the most beautiful landscape I have come to see in my lifetime. Such a drastic change of geography only 4 hours away from Ifaty. Lush rain forests fill the valley’s in between with rocky mountainous terrain above the tree line. We had two days to camp and hike, and let me tell you, I consider myself a fit person, but I was truly tested there. We clocked around 40km in total reaching a height of 1,200 meters. Never before had I hiked 10km before lunch, not even walking around the University of Texas campus. I was able to take some incredible photos of the terrain and wildlife (which includes 3 species of lemur…ooh yeah). I am so glad I was able to see the terrestrial side of Madagascar before I left and really discover how different the mindset of Madagascar people are with terrestrial resources other than marine.
Even though I am heading home, back to Houston to continue my future studies and career in oceanic studies; I have come to realize what I truly want to do. While reading up on marine fishery ecology while at ReefDoctor I have come to realize the immediate importance for global sustainable fisheries. Let me just say, the figures concerning the international consumption of marine resources are astounding. So much so in fact that estimates, if current fishing practices hold steady, that our dependent marine fishery resource might possibly be exhausted in 40 years time. There are many factors like political, economic, and social factors that go hand in hand with fisheries but sustainable management needs to be implemented and I want to be at the spearhead of such action. Forty years….just think about it, the sushi you consume, the fish you buy at the grocery store, all might not be available for you in due time. I have a deep passion and love for the ocean and I want my children and grandchildren to be able to enjoy the incredible wonders and resources the Earth’s waters provide.
My time away from home is definitely an experience I will never forget. This will not be a trip I will just add on as a stamp in my passport, no not at all. I will take everything from this trip to help pursue the just cause I seek and help guide me through the rest of my life.
I hope everyone enjoyed the words and stories I wrote in my blog as I enjoyed talking to you. All I really want to say is this: There are many things in life that people neglect or pass by nonchalantly without realizing they have done so. I understand that work, family, and life in general can consume some people, but don’t let that happen to you. Open your minds and hearts to many different things and fight for what you truly love and don’t stand by and watch it fade away into the darkness.
Farewell my friends,
Until next time,
Zach
P.S. I was able to watch a film called “The Cove” while flying home. If you are an advocate of sustainable marine resources or love the ocean in general please watch this film.
Almost there
Hello family and friends. I hope your Thanksgiving was spectacular and you enjoyed the great comfort of spending the holiday with family. Being the only American here at this time, I was the only one who even mentioned the day itself. My Thanksgiving began with a 4:30 am wake up call for diving. As the sun was rising in the distance and we cast off in the boat from the shore, I mentioned to everyone on board that today was Thanksgiving, to which I received a few congrats but that was all. My Thanksgiving feast was a delightful bowl of rice, beans, and vegetables with fruit salad for dessert. The day came and went for me but I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday.
Well, what can I say? I’m almost there; I have only one week left here in Madagascar. Indeed, there were weeks when time flew by and other weeks that seemed to last forever. Eventually I knew my three months here were going to come to an end. I am anxious to return home and see everybody. It will be interesting returning home and confronting freeways, clean running water, lights, air conditioning, and glorious grocery stores but I think I’ll manage. I can’t wait to drive my own car (no more tight packed taxi brousse). I won’t have to get water from a well for a shower every evening nor will I need a mosquito net or candles for light. I have quite a long journey heading back home but I’m looking forward to it.
Mom and dad told me back home the weather is in the mid 50’s and 60’s. Wow, I can’t wait to feel it! Right now, it can get near 100 during the day and has been known to reach 90 by 7 AM here. The only escape from such heat is under a shady tree or a dive in the water, but getting into bed all nice and sticky is something I will not be sad to leave behind. I will be sad to leave the people I have grown close to, the simple way of life, and this country so different from home. I will miss the distant rumble of the waves on the reef, walking around at night with only the moon to guide me, no television or radio to occupy my time, and of course the local people and culture. Spending time here has made me really think about what is important in life, how one should act, to not think so selfishly or take so many things for granted. More so, I have now come face to face with another people halfway around the world, who live on the complete opposite side of the spectrum than I do. I now have seen with my own eyes how people in a third world country live; never will I forget such an experience.
This past weekend, on Saturday, I was able to dive at a site I have been looking forward to diving for the entire time I have been here. The dive site is called “Cathedral”, a cavernous site with coral cut deeply by the water and tides causing mighty gaps that you can swim through. Swimming over and through the many rock structures, I was able to see many fish, not to mention the coral. I saw huge Moray Eels, Groupers, Snappers, Clown Triggerfish, and a huge Napoleon Wrasse, bigger than me (a fish that I am told could net me a cool $11,000 U.S. at the Tokyo fish market). However, while on the dive and coming up over a rock, I came face to face with massive Vezo (locals) fishing nets. It’s a great lesson to learn that, although this dive site is a beautiful and incredible place to see, the fact is that fishing occurs at such sites worldwide to supply the local villagers relying on marine resources such as these to maintain their lives. I’m so glad I was able to see that site before I left, truly an unbelievable place to dive.
Before I leave, I am trying to complete my rescue diver course and there is a chance I might be traveling to Isalo National Park, which is four hours away. I’m not sure if we are going but I’ve heard it’s quite a spectacular place with great hikes and inner water grottos to dive into.
I will try to write to you again before I leave next week so I will bid farewell until next time….
Countdown
Hello to all! What a fine day, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and pots of rice are cooking!!
Actually the weather has taken a strange turn here. The steamy, still heat has left briefly to be replaced by quite breezy conditions that feel like the upper 60’s (perfect Thanksgiving weather), so I guess the big man upstairs is sticking it to me a little bit, although, I was craving a Texas cold front, so my wish was granted.
Sorry, I have been a little absent with blog entries. It’s quite a task to get on the Internet with such a busy house nowadays (okay you got me, I’ve been a little lazy). Last week I was unable to dive most of the time because a few volunteers who are only here for a few weeks were getting their dive training that was promised to them. Unfortunately, this means I was unable to see dolphins, manta rays, and turtles (so jealous). Instead for some of us, the plan was to travel to a little nature park outside Toliara called the “Arboretum.” (Not to be confused with the fancy shopping center located along the MoPac Parkway in Austin). This is a botanical garden established by a Swiss man who collected 900 different species of plants, 90% of which are endemic to the Toliara region. The park is full of beautiful cactus, and exotic trees, all amazingly growing and flourishing from a ground of sand and rocks.
Most of us started the weekend by going to Mangily on Saturday because we weren’t traveling to the nature park until Monday. Quite a fun time. The previous night did not end until five in the morning because the place we were at was playing Michael Jackson’s “You are not alone” repeatedly, which was extremely strange, and of course we were having a good time. Sunday morning I woke up around nine and walked to a place along the beach, had a little breakfast, then had a massage under the palm trees. You can purchase a full body massage that lasts maybe 45 minutes for 5,000 Ariary, which is about $2.00, practically nothing. If I am alone, I always dread the walk back to Ifaty along the beach, but this day, the sun was setting along the way, which was quite a sight, although, nearing ReefDoctor’s camp, a band of locals were running with long spears straight at me. I thought to myself, this is it, time to kill a Vaza(not a local) and I am their sacrifice. However, thankfully they just said something funny to me and kept on running.
The trip to the Arboretum was very nice. After being able to spend some time in Toliara, we were able to get transportation in a very nice bus instead of the sardine-packed uncomfortable taxi brousse. We saw many birds, various plant life and one tiny mouse lemur. The accomodations were awesome although no hot shower and very little water pressure, but a proper hotel room. I have come to realize now that I do not miss the food from back home as much as I did when I first arrived here. I actually could go without it. Even eating a big meal just doesn’t appeal to me, more like a treat once every week or two you know (I crave a nice home-cooked meal more). Such a peaceful place really, the Arboretum was, but no hiking or other natural geography like the Isalo National Park, which is nearby.
Another volunteer arrived as well, Kaitlyn from Sydney, Australia. It’s crazy to think about but the countdown has begun. I only have 2 ½ weeks left till I make the long journey back home. I might be able to travel down south of Toliara to the beach paradise of Anakao and Nosy Be one last weekend but I’m not sure if that is going to be possible. I’m anxious to get back in the water though. It’s funny how comfortable and easy the dive is to me now compared to when I first started.
Alright guys and gals, I truly wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the meal and the company of family and friends. Hook Em’ Horns and I will talk again soon…..till next time.
Trick or Treat
Well, hello everyone. The month is now November. Wow, time sure does fly, but I still have about 6 weeks left here. I hope everybody’s Halloween weekend was full of sugary treats and plenty of fun. The answer to your question is no, Halloween is not celebrated in Madagascar. So regretfully, I did not dress up or enjoy wonderful candy, although the thought of walking into the local village wearing bed sheets to make us look like ghosts did cross my mind. I have read that some villages here in Madagascar believe that a white face walking around at night is some sort of ghost coming to steal the soul of someone, so we would definitely scare them or just make them laugh out loud of how ridiculous the “Vaza” (Anglo) look.
We instead made our way to Tulear, where it ended up being quite a crazy guy’s weekend. Good news, I was able to upload to my blog, some of the photos (it took me over 30 minutes just to load those). Check out the photos below. The picture of the street is Tulear and most of the beach photos are Mangily. Besides being able to get in some good Internet time, I was able to have some good food as well. I was able to eat eggs with bread and jam for the first time in a while plus a cheeseburger (oh man, I nearly had an orgasm, no joke). There is also this Italian gelato/ice cream café which must have some of the best ice cream I have ever had in my life and it wasn’t because the day was hot or that I had not had ice cream in months. I promise.
On a different note, it is a must for foreigners to keep with them at all times a copy of their passport whether in Mangily or Tulear, just in case the police stop you. So guess where I’m going with this…. I did not have mine with me while in Tulear last weekend. The police stopped our group and threatened to throw some of us in the local jail. Had it not been for Dave (who has been in this situation before) bribing them with 30k Ariary (approx. $15.00), some of us might have experienced a night in the local jail (they just wanted money anyway). So after breathing a deep sigh of relief, we all made our way to some nightlife action at Bo Beach, Tam Tam, and much later the infamous “Za Za Club.” Needless to say, we will all remember to keep a copy of our passport with us when traveling about.
Please note that Za Za Club is exactly what you would think of a club here – sweaty, smelly Malagasy club with dirty, dirty older Frenchmen scrounging about with much younger girls, plus dancing and drinking with other locals. For the gentlemen reading this portion, I must say that the traditional way of courting a female companion is very different here than back home in the states. Because I have morals and manners, I cannot disclose any further information about this subject.
Refraining from any vulgar material, I will dispel on a much lighter subject. I have been diving everyday this week. Tuesday morning we went to the exterior to dive at the site named “Dippy.” This is a deep dive site and we descended into a feeding frenzy. There were schools of Redtoothed Triggerfish, Snappers, Anthiases, plus big Groupers and Parrotfish. I was practically doing corkscrews through schools of fish. It was very exciting and beautiful at the same time. I am continuing to conduct coral bleaching surveys, but I might be conducting an aquarium survey at a site called “Beantsitsy.” There is an aquarium trade company here retrieving abnormal amounts of species from this site and ReefDoctor would like to conduct surveys of the site in order to obtain evidence on the biodiversity of the site for before and after comparisons of these actions.
Will, the replacement for the current volunteer coordinator, Greg, has arrived along with another woman, and a mother and daughter. Mage and Janie have also returned from their vacation. So yes, it is getting a little crowded, which is different than the first two months here, but this next month should be interesting. Taking life day by day…
Sincerely,
Zach (I now have sun-bleached blonde hair) Rosen
Halftime
Good Day!
I do have to apologize for being a little tardy since my last entry, I was having some trouble obtaining some more Internet credit this past week. The Internet is such a luxury to me now. It takes a while for the dial up to connect and once I get online, I really can only spend 5 or 10 minutes reading or sending email because my allotted time has already expired. It’s kind of like getting all dressed up to have a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant on a special occasion and walking through the door, but then having to step back out again just after you got a whiff of the tantalizing smells from the kitchen….mmmm!
Anyway, enough about food (this is a recurring theme for me). I had a very nice past few days as well as a nice weekend. There were not many food supplies left at the house after last week, so I had to obtain meals elsewhere. The village nearby sells only eggs, onions, garlic, and mangos, nothing like real produce from a grocery store. (Wait, that is produce. Hah! You know what I mean like real vegetables. ) So I spent the weekend at the Nautilus resort nearby just lounging at the pool and eating some great food (one learns to spoil themselves). The currency in Madagascar is called the “Ariary.” I am not exactly sure what the exchange rate is currently, but before I left it was like one U.S. dollar = 2000 Ariary. For reference, a nice meal at the Nautilus costs me around 11,000 Ariary, which is like $5 or $6. There are many things in the village that one would call normal purchases, such as two pieces of fruit or a package of crackers that cost me just 20 cents each. So there are many items that are cheap but I haven’t necessarily been saving a lot of money.
I have been helping to conduct coral bleaching surveys this week. More or less, the task is to dive at a certain site with a stick and a 2 meter rope attached. One diver swims the 2 meters in a circle and writes down all the coral species in the scope of view and then we move on. Generally, we do 30 random points throughout the dive. Learning coral families is not easy, some just look so similar yet are a totally different species but I am learning day by day (I have determined a favorite fish of mine which is called a Powder Blue Surgeon - quite beautiful to look at). Another volunteer has arrived as well. She is an American girl from California, a little younger than me, but it’s now a little strange to have another American here and certainly strange to now have not one, but two other people living in my hut. Correction, our hut. I got so used to having the whole place to myself. They are reconstructing the roof of our hut but they are doing a different section each day, which left the section I sleep under vacant for a couple nights. This left me a nice moon roof to just look up into the stars while I sleep, which was pretty cool!
Now that the weather is getting warmer, I have been snorkeling some to cool down during the day. We are normally out on the water all morning, plus after lunch there is siesta time, so these things combined, help me manage the heat (I am actually looking out over the waves crashing along the beach right now so I might have to go for a dip in a bit). Even though I do miss many things from back home, I do love the beach, so I am truly happy. Good news though, the plan is to head into Tulear this weekend. Hopefully this time, the Internet will be working and I will be able to send some photos. Big test for the Longhorns this weekend, so Hook Em’ baby! Take Care and Much Love. Oh I almost forgot - Happy Halloween!!!
The turn
The moon: the ever-constant image in the sky you look up to at night while gazing at the stars or noticing once you realize that the day has come to a close. When I first arrived here in Madagascar and Ifaty, the moon seemed to not appear at night. There was no “big dipper” constellation to greet me in the night sky, the people spoke a language I had not heard before, and I was all alone. I honestly felt I had arrived on a different planet; a place where the stars looked completely different and the Earth’s moon was no longer present. I started to realize the distance separating me from my home.
However, the moon has shown its bright face once again and as I reach the halfway point of my time here in Madagascar, I have now grown accustomed to the simple way of life. The luxuries of home are now a far distant memory: soft leather couches, stocked refrigerators and pantries, nightly entertainment, and cold drinks. Pulling water from a well to fill my bucket in order to take a shower or lighting a few candles to add light near my bedside has become the norm.
I have started to understand this country, its various people and social struggles of an undeveloped former French territory. Madagascar is truly unlike any place in the world. The island nation has ancient ties to Africa but holds close ties with Southeast Asia as well. It is true that many of the people in my region have many characteristics pertaining to people of Africa. However, much of the country contains faces from the Philippines, India and the Middle East. Even the captain of my flight to Madagascar had to say announcements in three different languages. The numerous varieties of flora, fauna, coral, and various species of wildlife, are unlike any other in the world.
Madagascar is quite poor compared to the rest of the world. The official rank is the 33rd poorest nation in the world, but you only have to walk a few hundred yards to my nearby village in order to see the reality of such life. But even in the state of life these people currently live, they are very open and welcoming. Well, most of them. There is the occasional village or city home to fancy hotels that serve gourmet food and create a buffer, separating visitors from the reality of Madagascar. Even so, this country is very beautiful and unique, so I am glad I have traveled many miles to spend three months here. Just watching and listening to the waves crash against the barrier reef in the distance is so peaceful. My life’s passion is with the ocean and the environment, so to come here to learn and experience the interaction between indigenous cultures and their land, is something I really needed to witness. I have experienced a great six weeks so far, and I am looking forward to what this place might bring me in the next six. I am eager to learn more and will keep everyone back home informed of what the next day might bring.
To be continued…..
House party
Good Morning Everybody! Have a nice weekend? Yes?
My weekend was exceptional for many reasons:
- I was able to hear news of a Texas victory over Oklahoma
- Spent time lying around in the sand and enjoyed a swim in the ocean
- I enjoyed good food
- Attended a Malagasy house party
Our cook does not prepare food for us over the weekend, therefore we must prepare our own breakfast, lunch and dinner, or just travel to a nearby hotel for either. There are no restaurants in the village, but I can get some fruit (mango is in season now), baguette bread (500 Ariary), eggs (500 Ariary), and some vegetables to cook. Also, there is this round ball pastry that is fried called “Boko Boko” that to me closely resembles American doughnut holes (Just add some honey to dip in and enjoy). For other meals, noodles are usualy involved which is a great escape from the daily ration of rice, and possibly meat one day. I just walked to the Nautilus Hotel in Ifaty on Saturday afternoon to swim a bit and then enjoy dinner (restaurant quality food – good stuff). Most restaurants like the Nautilus offer complimentary flavored rum to enjoy at the end of the meal. No complaints. I enjoyed some beer and a small bottle of rum before returning to the ReefDoctor compound.
In my previous posting, I mentioned how some University students from Tulear were arriving here and throwing a big party. I was anxious to see what this party would be like so I did not go to Mangily with the female volunteers. As I was walking back along the beach returning to the compound from Ifaty, I could already hear the music. Barnaby and Dave were with me but they walked off to go somewhere so I was left to walk in alone. If anyone has seen the movie “Road Trip” and remembers the scene where the guys make a stop at the African American fraternity house, this experience was quite the same. I was the loner walking into a Malagasy college party with faces turning to see the “Vaza”(Anglo) visitor. With bottle of rum and Coca Cola in hand, I walked inside where, to my right, was a long table with some guys sitting on one side like the “Last Supper.” The music was blaring and many people dancing, but everyone was pretty welcoming to me. I poured myself a drink and ended up just getting right in the mix on the dance floor. There was a resemblance of American music that they played, but mostly they played Malagasy tunes. All the students participated in the dancing, battling in a sense, and then sometimes they had me in the middle of the crowd, I guess to watch the “Vaza” get his groove on, but it was everyone dancing together. It was a great time. I am very glad I stayed in Ifaty to enjoy the festivities.
Fun Fact: For it to be considered a proper Malagasy party, the music does not stop until later that next morning.
Oh, before I forget, on Friday I was able to go on my first drift dive. If you are unfamiliar with what a drift dive is, I will explain. Basically a “drift dive” is when a particular dive is between a barrier pass or where the current is exceptionally strong so you don’t have to make an effort to kick. The diver can just float along the current zooming by all that is near. So we went to the South pass, dived down to around 30 meters and caught the current that whisked us off. The visibility wasn’t that great but it’s quite interesting to be pushed along by the current and have schools of fish swimming right next to you, like they are hitching a ride as well. Can’t wait to do that again!
This month the villages around here have been having “pirogue races.” These are local races where villagers race each other in their fishing boats. However, Sunday was the finals of the previous races and it was taking place in Mangily. I walked up the beach to witness all the festivities. The beach was completely packed with Malagasy all cheering and yelling as the race got under way. It’s not quite the “America’s Cup” but it is a crazy atmosphere, especially, when the boats return to the beach and all the people jump and slap the boats in celebration. Everyone is running around in the water and cheering endlessly. It really was quite an experience.
Quick Note: It is very rude and unappealing for a Malagasy to have their picture taken especially by a foreigner. So it was a task trying to get a good picture of the place without disturbing anyone.
The first few days of this week everyone here will be participating in a seagrass survey. ReefDoctor is the only in-country research organization to help conduct this survey, which is also taking place in various other locations around the world. It takes most of the day to complete, but it is not that exciting of an activity. However, the basis of the survey is important and can help shed some light on the condition of the seagrass beds in this region of Madagascar. Two of the female associates are heading off on their 10-day holiday this week and I will then be working with Greg and Barnaby conducting a coral bleaching assessment within the Bay of Ranobe. I will most likely be working with them for the next two weeks and also trying to do some other work as well, learning about how an NGO (non-governmental organization) like ReefDoctor, is operated, among other things.
Another volunteer arrived here yesterday and he is from France, so I am still the token American. This means I will finally be sharing my big hut with someone else. There are some more volunteers arriving in early November so it sure will be interesting once everybody is here and the house is bustling with people. Since there will be more volunteers, I have been told that we will be going on two trips. One will be just south of here to Anakao (a place I have read that has even better diving and beaches) and the other is to a wildlife preserve just outside of Tulear. So I am pretty excited about both of these.
I hope everyone back home is doing great. Everything is going just fine here, no complaints.
I will write again soon!! Veloma!!
Heat
Good Afternoon my friends! Hope all is well with you and your week was a good one.
Last weekend, I was able to enjoy the beach/sun, eat some great cuisine, and enjoy the company of others around a fire. Although a little rum was involved (don’t hold this against me), I do have to say sitting on a sandy beach next to a fire or lying on your back looking up at the stars makes any night fantastic. I am not sure if I have previously disclosed this, but the night sky here is quite extraordinary. Given that the stars are totally different here in the Southern Hemisphere than in the North, with little light given off from buildings or cities, the stars stretch from horizon to horizon. I love watching for shooting stars so this place is an excellent site for such an activity.
Well, there is no doubt about it, summer is here. Although this is only mid October and summer runs through December into January, the heat has definitely arrived. Anybody from Houston reading this knows about humidity and even though there is not quite as much humidity here, we have no fans or air conditioning. The sun is pretty intense as well. In addition, nights are getting a little warmer which makes it so much fun to lay in your bed sweating (without covers under mosquito netting) and trying to calmly slip into your dreams. Anytime you are in an office, home, or other place and standing in front of a vent or fan, think of me dying to be in your place. It should be starting to get cool back home, right? I keep forgetting, we’re talking about Houston. So if you don’t need your fan anymore send it my way. Just kidding, such a package would take months to get here and costs a lot. Don’t worry about me though, I will manage.
I have pretty much completed my advance diving skills and have helped to conduct reef check this week. Our reef check was at the dive site “Coral Garden,” which I believe I discussed in another entry. Wow, it is just so beautiful there. Swimming along the bottom and looking up at what seems like coral skyscrapers, with schools of fish swarming around amid the rays of the sun, truly makes me utterly speechless. I was paired up with Mage to conduct the fish survey. I am basically swimming along a 50-meter transect line and counting particular species of fish designated for us to survey by ReefCheck, an organization based out of California. The species of fish include Butterfly, Parrot, Snappers, Groupers, Sweetlips, Barramundi Cod, Napolean Wrasse, Bumphead Parrot, and Moray Eel. I would have to say the reef check went fairly well, no major mistakes or difficulties. Swimming over the top of this coral patch, I could see hundreds of other colorful fish maneuvering through crevices and holes. We conducted another two survey transects today (Wed.), where I conducted another uneventful fish survey, then was responsible for invertebrates on the second. The designated invertebrate person goes last, takes his/her time looking in every crevice to sight a certain list of species (Crown of Thorn Starfish, Long-spine Sea Urchin, Giant Clam, as well as a few others). It was quite difficult though, because you must have good buoyancy to be able to fit into certain tight spots without bumping into the coral. To make things even harder for me, I had to deal with a pretty strong current, which really made me work hard kicking to stay in place. However, all went well and the survey was successful.
Totally off subject, although news outside Madagascar is slow to reach here, I have been able to keep up with Texas sports and I see the Longhorns are headed up to Dallas this weekend to face Oklahoma. I just have to mention how much fun it was to spend OU weekend in Dallas and attend the state fair and spend time with friends (obviously obeying the law and no illicit behavior of any sort). I would really enjoy being in front of the T.V. to observe this great rivalry game. I have almost forgotten what normal television is like (heck, just even listening to a radio).
Since we share part of this land with the Science University of Tulear, on some weekends, groups of their students come here to spend vacation time, I presume. In any case, a large group is supposed to come this weekend, so I might head up to Mangily Saturday afternoon after finishing up some training that I have to complete. I won’t write again until probably next week, so I shall say weekend greetings right now. If any of my friends are reading this, have a safe and fun trip up to Dallas. For everyone else, I do hope your weekend is spectacular as well.
Today’s Craving: Haagen Dazs Milk Chocolate Ice Cream and also Texas State Fair unhealthy food in all its glory!
Industrial appliance wish: Large ceiling fan
Good night and wish you well!!!
