GREETINGS FROM TANA… PLEASE DO ACCEPT MY SINCERE APOLOGIES FOR TWO THINGS: THOSE *SHOUTING* LETTERS AND MY LAGGING BLOG HERE. (CAPS LOCK ENABLED IS MAKING ME TYPING MUCH FASTER HERE)
WE ARE AT A PUNY CYBERCAFE IN ANTANANARIVO AS KNOWN AS TANA, WHICH IS THE CAPITAL OF MADAGASCAR. WHILE THE INTERNET HERE IS SLOTH-LIKE SLOW, I DON’T EXPECT TO WRITE AS MANY BLOGS AS I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO… BUT HERE IS THE NEWS SO FAR FROM HERE….
SUSIE AND I HAVE BEEN BUSY OBSERVING THE CLASSES THIS PAST WEEK AT AKA.MA WHICH IS AN ABBREVIATION FOR AKAKNIN’NY MARENINA. AFTER OBSERVING THE CLASSES, WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT TO TEACH AT AKA.MA BASED ON OUR SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE OF MALAY SIGN LANGUAGE. WE WON’T KNOW WHAT TO TEACH BUT I AM HOPING THAT AKAMA’S SCHOOL DIRECTOR WILL LET ME AND THE STUDENTS PAINT MURALS AROUND THE SCHOOL CAMPUS AS I THINK IT WILL BE AN EXCITING PROJECT FOR THE STUDENTS. ALSO THE STUDENTS HERE RANGE FROM 6 YEARS OLD TO 25 YEARS OLD! NO DEAF PERSON IN MADAGASCAR HAS EVER GONE TO AN UNIVERSITY! THAT REALLY GIVES MY SMILE UPSIDE DOWN AFTER HEARING THIS. BUT ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, DIMBY, WHO IS THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF MADAGASCAR DEAF ASSOCIATION, HAS BEEN WORKING HIS BUTT OFF TO PERSUADE MADAGASCAR’S GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE ALL KINDS OF DEAF SERVICES TO THE DEAF PUBLIC; RECENTLY, AN INTERPRETER WAS USED FOR THE TV NEWS, SO THAT IS JUST ONE OF A FEW STEPS THAT THE ASSOCIATION HAS DONE SO FAR.
ON THE OTHER NEWS, SINCE WE ARRIVED IN TANA, THERE ARE MANY POOR SLUMS ALONG THE OUTSKIRTS OF TANA WHERE WE ARE STAYING. THE HOUSES WERE MADE OF BEATEN WOOD BOARDS AND METALLIC SHEETS AS ROOFS. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE SURPRISED TO STAY IN A MODEST 2-STORY HOUSE WHERE DIMBY LIVES WITH HIS FAMILY. HE AND HIS FAMILY ACTUALLY GAVE UP THEIR ROOM WITH AN ACCESS TO A SMALL KITCHEN FOR US. WHILE WE WOULD BE SATISFIED WITH A ROOF COVERING OUR HEADS, THEY THOUGHT THAT THE RENT WE PAY MONTHLY WOULD BE WORTH ENOUGH TO FIX UP SOME OF THE HOUSE’S PLUMBING. OUR VIEW FROM BEDROOM BALCONY WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE… A STUNNING VIEW OF RICE FIELDS WITH MANY COLORFUL SHACKS IN THE BACKGROUND AS WELL AS LOW WHITE PUFFY CLOUDS HOVERING. WE ARE ON THE HIGHLANDS OF MADAGASCAR THUS THE LIGHTING HERE IS EXCELLENT FOR PHOTOGRAPHY DURING MORNINGS AND LATE AFTERNOON. UNFORTUNATELY, I DID NOT BRING MY USB CARD READER WITH ME TO THIS PUNY CAFE, PICTURES WILL HAVE TO WAIT TILL NEXT TIME. SUSIE AND I COMMUTE TO SCHOOL IN BANGED-UP MINI BUSES WHICH WE ARE OFTEN BEING CRUSHED BY THE LOCALS. IMAGINE HAVING AT LEAST 20 PEOPLE IN A BIG VAN! WHILE SUSIE IS USED TO THE CROWDS OF NYCS SUBWAYS, SHE SEEMS LIKE SHE COULD NOT TOLERATE THIS CRUSHING CROWD AT ALL. WHILE EVERYTHING HERE IS PRETTY CHEAP, WE HAVE BEEN BLOWING ALMOST 300 BUCKS FOR THE PAST WEEK DUE TO COVERING A FEW MEALS AND TRANSPORTATION FOR THE GUIDES AS WELL AS MANY HOUSEHOLD STUFF FOR OUR NEW PAD.
ALMOST 2 HOURS HAVE PASSED AS IT TOOK ME AN HOUR TO FINISH THIS BLOG, SO I HAVE TO STOP RIGHT NOW AND CATCH MY :TOY: MINI BUS BACK HOME; INTERNET CAFES ARE SPARSELY FOUND AROUND IN TANA SO I WONT HAVE MUCH INTERNET ACCESS FOR NOW; DIMBY USED TO HAVE INTERNET ACCESS AT HOME BUT IT HAS BEEN DOWN FOR THE PAST 2 MONTHS AND HE IS WAITING FOR A TECHNICIAN TO STOP BY HIS HOME AND FIX THE LINE.
MANDRAM PIHAONA.