A week in.

It’s actually hard to believe that I’ve been here for a week, it feels like so much has happened but like it’s only been a few days. One week means that I only have two weeks left here and while I’m excited for the other parts of my journey, this is a place like nowhere I’ve been with unparalleled beauty, not only in the vistas but the people. I’ll be very sad to leave.

I’ve gotten better at scrambling across the rocks on the way to Ampangorina each day, especially since high tide often changes the available paths and means more rock and less beach. I’m still a sweaty mess when I get to the other end but luckily there aren't many mirrors around so I just keep on my headband and go with it. The internet situation was a bit nerve-wracking at first; long story short, there is no internet at camp unless you have an international data plan for your mobile, purchase data on an entirely different island or already have a Malagasy mobile. There are two restaurants with internet in Ampangorina, the thirty minute hike, away but it can be tediously slow. I’ve tried to upload photos numerous times only to time out or give up before they finish. At first this all felt terribly inconvenient but I’ve been adjusting to, possibly even enjoying this new disconnected life.

I ended up switching my assignment from forest conservation to teaching - I started considering this switch on the boat over and I’m not positive what prompted the initial thought but after a few days I realized it made sense to get some teaching experience before I arrive in Tanzania. So far I’ve only taught a few classes with the staff at camp and with the adult class in Ampangorina, but I really love it. I suppose it’s likely the cultural anthropologist in me that loves getting to know these shy, sweet people. There are a few Malagasy staff members who live at camp but most speak little to no English. They do speak Malagasy and French, which is how the English speaking staff is able to communicate. I imagine that once they can speak English more comfortably it will make a significant difference in their relationships with the volunteers. Because many Malagasy are quite shy, before I really met the staff members as a teacher they would respond to a hello in kind but it seemed like they avoided conversation, likely because they didn’t know what to say. I felt uncomfortable having such a distant relationship with these people who lived at camp with us and did so much to help and keep everything running smoothly - it’s made me so happy to be able to greet them by name and see them smile, feeling more comfortable with me.

The adult class in Ampangorina is a challenge because there are so many difference levels of English speakers, but since the main source of income for the village is tourism, it’s helpful for as many people to learn English as possible. Our Friday session was on the topic of dating since many students had been asking about it and it was a fun one to teach as we acted out a dialogue for the class. Going into this I was well aware of how irregular English is but now that I’m actually teaching I’m more aware of it than ever. I love walking through the village, the locals are all friendly and return my greeting with a smile and a greeting of their own when I say hello is Malagasy. Their crafts are beautiful - I had seen pictures of the fabrics on the IVHQ site but it wasn’t until I saw the intricately sewn tablecloths in person that I knew I had to have one. I’ve also become slightly obsessed with finding a “secret box” for a souvenir, one of the wooden boxes with a small hidden panel that unlocks the entire box. And although I don’t know that it really fits with the style of our apartment I may have my heart set on a painting as well. It’s special to be somewhere that I not only see the people making these items, but see them every day and know that buying their items goes directly back to supporting them.

I expected my fellow volunteers to be young as most are likely on a gap year, but I had assumed many would be in their twenties. I was surprised that there were a few who had just completed high school but as it turns out one of my closest friends here is 18. I didn’t know what to expect coming in as the oldest person in camp - would I tire of spending time with the group? In many ways we have more in common that I had realized we would - we are all here, far from home, seeking a life-changing experience, figuring out how to adjust to the challenges that life here presents. A lot of people have scrimped and saved to pay for this trip, they are not necessarily the entitled youth so often assumed of this generation. Granted, not having wifi at camp likely changes things significantly - if wifi were available I might be living in a world of constant Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. Of course I have plenty of moments that I treasure the peace in going to bed early or skipping out on a Friday night game of “I Never”. But overall, I’ve been very pleasantly surprised at how interesting this group is; that despite our differences we have so much in common and it’s truly been fascinating to meet each of them.

This first weekend has been complete bliss. We visited the national park on Tanikely island and it was the most incredible snorkeling I’ve ever experienced. Octopus, sea turtles, nearly every kind of tropical fish I’ve seen on previous dives and snorkels but all in one place. Giant parrotfish, anenome, sea urchin colonies... it was breathtaking. Complete with a pristine beach and an amazing lunch of grilled fish, zebu skewers, salad, coconut rice and potato salad - by far the best meal of the week. After lunch I napped in the shade, occasionally looking up to take in the view because there are so many moments that I can’t actually believe I’m here. We took the boat into Hellville and a friend and I stayed in town to run some errands and have a relaxing night in a local hotel with hot showers and good wifi so we could have Skype dates with loved ones. Hot showers and sleeping in on Sunday morning felt luxurious. We stocked up on a few items from the grocery store to bring back to camp because bread and jam for breakfast does get a little boring. Nutella to the rescue!! We just finished up a tasty lunch at the local ex-pat bar, Nandipo’s, and are enjoying a strawberry juice and free internet until we take the boat back to Nosy Komba at three.

So for now, Veloma.