ranomassingy

ranomassingy = the ocean ("salty water") February 18, 2019 I walked with my packed hiking backpack, mirrored sunglasses, and half a baguette in one hand through the dusty streets of Ankoalabe (my neighborhood). As usual, the trucks left a good hour after they were supposed to, for reasons unclear to any of us. Two new …

sakaitany

sakaitany = ginger (translates directly to "spicy earth") February 11, 2019 I woke up around 3:00 am with a stomachache and spent the rest of the night rolling around falling in and out of sleep trying to find any position that was comfortable. At breakfast I ate very little. We met at the Chamber of …

mandihy

mandihy = to dance February 7, 2019 I ran again in the morning, not too long because I am still quite stuffy and have a bit of a cough. There were bananas at breakfast to go with my little loaf of good white bread and four cups of tea. I also discovered that I love …

fitovianjo

fitovianjo = feminism (kind of, maybe, definitely indicates some equal rights legislation) February 4, 2019 We met at the Chamber of Commerce at 6:00 am. Of course, it took another hour before the cars we ready to go. We had one truck, the kind with a big bed covered like a covered wagon and wooden …

mafana

mafana= hot   January 31, 2019 By 0525 I was out the door, bare feet padding happily over the uneven roads. When I reached the beach, I saw Meghan and her 10-year-old host brother walking along the barrier at the sand’s edge. Something in me felt self-conscious about jogging up to the only other white …