An update for 2011

Has it really been nearly a year since my last update? Where does the time go?

I just finished up my second year of graduate school, which really feels like a major accomplishment. One year closer to my career as a landscape architect! In the last school year, I worked on a conservation plan for a natural bog in southeast Michigan, designed a green-streetscape for an historic district of Ann Arbor, worked on a plan for a massive brownfield in Flint, designed several plazas on campus, designed an outdoor classroom for a local high school, and built a large art installation in a neighborhood in Detroit. In addition to that, as a member of the student government, I initiated a garden design for my building at school, which is in the process of being implemented with the help of the university. I also began my year-long master's project with the Pensacola Scenic Highway Foundation in Florida, where I'll be helping them design several areas along the 11-mile stretch of highway in order to highlight and protect their natural resources.

Pensacola Beach

Also, my job working as caretaker at the university arboretum is over. As much as I loved living in the woods, I'm tired of living away from civilization. Two years in the forest of Ann Arbor after two years in the remote village of Madagascar is far long enough for me to prove that I'm a bad-ass.

And so now for something completely different, I decided to move to Washington DC for the summer. I'll be interning with the US Fish and Wildlife Service working with the Division of Bird Habitat Conservation helping out with their continuing efforts to conserve wildlife habitat around the continent.
This means that I will be revamping my wardrobe. Carhartts and Chacos won't cut it in DC. So on to heels and slacks. Let's hope I can pull it off somewhat gracefully.

I'm also planning my next trip out to Black Rock City. Last year's burn was epic, so I'm going back to do it all over again with the Cirque du Cliche.

And let me not forget to mention the law student whom I dearly adore. And although we'll be spending the summer apart, he's never far from my heart. <3
That's the update for now. I'm not sure anyone reads this anymore, but there it is anyway.

High Sierra 2010

High Sierra will always be my favorite music festival. There's just no comparison. But one week in California was definitely not enough for me to catch up on all the beautiful sunshine and conversations with my dear friends I've been missing so much.

That week in California made me realize just how much I've changed since I started going to High Sierra in 2001.
I really love the friendships I've had over the years that have truly stood the test of time and distance. It always amazes me to see how some friendships evolve and grow while others simply fade and disappear. "Buckets of moonbeams in my hand..."

Musically, I'd have to say this was probably one of my least favorite High Sierras. I mean, sure, there were some great musicians scattered throughout the weekend, and I danced like no one was watching. But there were a few bands I thought were obviously missing.... Where was Five Eyed Hand? Leftover Salmon? Sound Tribe?
The music that was at High Sierra this year wasn't particularly my genre. I'm not sure what my genre is anymore, but somehow I felt a little off with where my musical interests are these days.

I really enjoyed checking out Zach Deputy. That guy was all over the place at the festival. I love the description on his website: "Island-infused Drum N Bass Gospel Ninja Soul". Seriously, that man has soul. Check him out. One man show, looping it up like no other.

Another new favorite (for me) was the New Mastersounds. Those guys seriously rocked it and kept me up dancing 'til almost sunrise on the last night of the festival... just when I was getting settled in, it was over!

I also really appreciated the March Fourth Marching Band and also Beats Antique for bringing the gypsy/circus freak vibe. Check out my short video of the March Fourth Marching Band.
There was a lot of funk and bluegrass and rock at this festival, but not much in the way of the Burning Man-esque, so kudos to them. If they both hadn't also been scheduled during Railroad Earth's late night, I probably would have spent my night entirely in the Funk'N Jamhouse. But Railroad Earth still wins my heart every time, even when I feel like I'm finally over them.

But probably my top favorite set of the festival was Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. Not only was the band full of completely adorable musicians, they also have beautiful lyrics, great instrumentation, and a whole lot of heart. I fell in love with them, for sure.
Oh, and speaking of falling in love... The Avett Brothers. *heart flutters* Sigh.

Other epic moments from the festival include a fabulous pesto pasta dinner with a few of my favorite people from Santa Cruz. If you're reading, big love to you for showing up to share food with me and thanks so much for making me feel appreciated. It's good to know I still have family in Santa Cruz.
Kickball at sunrise was also a scene I won't soon forget. I can't believe this is the first year I actually made it to sunrise kickball, after hearing tales of this silly event for the last 9 years. Organized chaos at it's finest.

Also, getting shots for the Slip backstage at the Big Meadow before their set was pretty sweet. Tequila, lime? Sure thing Brad.... anytime. Anytime.

Alright High Sierra. Happy 20th Anniversary. I'm in for 20 more. :-)

First year of grad school. Check!

Summer break is here!! I'm finished with graduate school until Fall, and I'm ready to rock. This school year was a long blur of late nights and early mornings, too much coffee, not enough sunshine.... Someone please remind me why I signed myself up for this.

No, but seriously. I definitely made the right decision coming to Ann Arbor. I'm surrounded by top quality inspiring classmates and able to take truly rewarding and engaging courses taught by some of the best professors in the field. It's hard work, but I really love it, and I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing with my life right now. Not only is landscape architecture interesting and useful, it's also fun and artistic and creative. I am completely in my element.

But now it's time for a much deserved break.
I started things off right with a trip to New Orleans, just in time for the Jazz & Heritage Festival. I grew up in New Orleans, and hadn't been back since sometime in the 90s. It was great to come back as an adult and get to experience what New Orleans is all about... seafood, booze, and late night music. I pretty much danced all day and all night from Railroad Earth to Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk to Bassnectar to Rebirth Brass Band, the music was all over the charts, blues, jazz, gospel, funk, ROCK & ROLL, baby! It was just what I needed to seriously Shake it Off.



New Orleans is a fabulous town. The road to recovery will be long and hard after this oil spill. They were still picking up the pieces from Katrina. It's a sad, sad situation over there right now. While the rest of the country homogenizes, New Orleans has remained unique and full of it's own culture and music and art and food. What a tragedy to lose something so special. The future looks bleak. And the oil continues to spill as our diminishing water supply disappears before our eyes.

The rest of my photos from New Orleans are here.

Now I'm back in Ann Arbor. I just bought a moped, so I can get myself out of Ann Arbor every once in awhile. This means Trouble. I've got all sorts of Trouble lined up for myself in Michigan. You better believe it. I've got wheels now, look out.

I'll be starting my summer job next week at my school, doing some work digitizing GIS data. Yes, it is as exciting as it sounds. I'll be working on a project with some people who are tracking land use over time in the Great Plains. It will actually be a good experience for me, so I'm looking forward to the opportunity, as mundane as it might end up being. Luckily I still have the job living and working at the Arboretum & Botanical Gardens to help me keep my sanity.

I'll also be making the trip to California for the High Sierra Music Festival again this year. I miss California like I can't describe. Michigan's great and all, and the changes of seasons are spectacular.... but nothing beats a sunny California day.
But it's not just California I miss, it's all the people I love. You know who you are out there. I miss you people. For real.

Burning Man is also in the plan for this summer. The man burns in 120 days. It will be four years since I've stepped foot on the playa. I can't wait any longer.

Overall, life is pretty damn good. I'm living it up the best way I know how. Spring is in the air. The flowers are blooming in the lovely Arboretum, the birds are singing. I'm stoked to be where I am in my life. Thanks for reading and being a part of it all.

Here are my photos from Spring in Ann Arbor.

One semester down.

Alright, it's a new year. Somehow I made it through the most challenging four months of my life. Even moving halfway across the globe on my own couldn't have prepared me for this whole graduate school experience. I had too short of a winter break in Colorado, where I just barely recovered from Fall semester. Winter semester is already in full swing.

My classes this semester are more technical with a GIS (geographic information systems) class and a site engineering class. On the artistic side, I'm taking a landscape design history class, which has been really interesting so far. We'll be doing an art installation toward the end of the semester at the Heidelberg Project in Detroit. I also have a graphic communications class where I'm hoping to brush up on my artistic/digital rendering skills.

My design studio course this semester is about landscape ecology. Last semester my design studio was more design focused. Now it's all about the ecological implications of site design. We're actually doing two real world projects this semester. One will be a design for a children's garden in the Arboretum (where I live as the caretaker) in connection with the nearby Mott's Children's Hospital. We also have plans for a project in Detroit with the Detroit Wildlife Refuge.

I actually can't think of anything I'd rather be doing in my life right now. It's amazing to be intellectually challenged on a daily basis and to finish each day knowing something I didn't know the day before. So even if the dark circles under my eyes and the moments of panic and stress seem like too much, on top of the complete lack of a social life, I know I'm doing something I feel passionate about, and I'm giving this my best shot.

Meanwhile, life continues on in the world around me. The Peace Corps Volunteer in me wants to drop everything and go directly to Haiti to hand out medical supplies or rebuild houses. I am going to stick with this grad school thing though, so hopefully someday I will be leading my own restoration/revitalization projects in the world.

This is me signing off 'til sum-sum-summertime. Winter semester ends on April 27th, then I'll have four months of sweet freedom. My long anticipated return to Black Rock City is in the works. No doubt a trip to the California coast will work itself in too. I do miss the coast.

I'll leave you with a photo of my back yard at the Arboretum. Winter may be cold in Michigan, but it is beautiful.

Starting over again...

Classes started this week at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I thought I'd write an update before life gets too hectic.

My graduate school orientation was last week, which included a three day trip to the northern tip of lower Michigan with the 120+ incoming students at the School of Natural Resources and Environment. It was fun getting to know people and learn about all the different fields being studied at my school. There are only 13 students in the Landscape Architecture program this year, all with very diverse backgrounds and interests, which should make for an exciting learning environment for the next three years.

Here's a photo of my incoming class with a few of our professors and predecessors.


In other news about my new life in Ann Arbor, I moved in and started my job as the caretaker at Nichols Arboretum, or as the locals say, "The Arb". My job includes free housing on the property of the Arb, where I live with two other graduate students. We are responsible for keeping the park clean, and informing people about the rules. We also spend our weekends doing ecological restoration work removing invasive species and planting natives around the property. There will also be opportunities to take part in prescribed burns within the area.

Here's a path in the "Arb":


My classes this semester are really interesting. It's a cool program which includes lots of science/ecology related courses, as well as art/drawing/design classes. I'm getting lots of practice using both sides of my brain, and a good bit of outdoor experience in my field classes. It's all really exciting, and I'll be working hard to stay on top of everything.

This may be the last time I update for several months. The course-load this semester is heavy. Only three days in and I already feel over-booked and overwhelmed. Be sure to send notes of encouragement along the way! :-)
And even better, send me money! Ha! Grad school is expensive. Wish me luck.

High Sierra Music Festival 2009

I'm back from another great music festival in Northern California. High Sierra will always be my favorite festival. Even when I'm not so sure about the line-up, I always end up discovering new favorite bands and dancing more than ever before. The quality time I'm able to spend with my friends and family is especially valuable to me after so much time away.

I had a fun time working on the Hospitality Crew again this year backstage at the Big Meadow. The diverse music selection at the festival this year led to a lot of musical highlights for me throughout the weekend. Greensky Bluegrass, an up and coming band from Michigan (!!!!), had a fun set in the sunshine. Leftover Salmon, a longtime High Sierra favorite, played a fun late night set on Friday night with some of the guys from the Del McCoury Band. Paper Bird, a folk band from Colorado, played a couple of sweet sets and a nice singing workshop. Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue closed out the Big Meadow stage on Sunday night with a soulful rockin' good time. Galactic's late night show was epic with a silly edge due to hundreds of circus balloons.

I finally got a chance to stilt with my favorite group of stilters, VigilAntiUp, thanks to a new pair of stilts and some fun costumes.



And now I'm off to start my big road trip out to the midwest. University of Michigan, here I come! First stop, Colorado! Later California! You know I'll be back! :-)

Permaculture at the Esalen Institute

I recently finished up my Permaculture Design Course at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California with Benjamin Fahrer, an inspiring long-time permaculture activist.

Taking the permaculture course of a period of two months gave me the time to integrate the ethics and principles into my life in a meaningful way. We had a collection of passionate and enthusiastic guest speakers throughout the course.

Two guests from the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center gave us some great information about Starting and Sustaining a Residential Intentional Community. Another great topic from the folks at OAEC was about the process of decision making in groups, a useful discussion for anyone who wants to be more effective in making truly democratic decisions.
We also had a great discussion on the uses of herbs and salve making with naturopathic Dr. Natalie Metz.
Trathen Heckman of Daily Acts gave us an enthusiastic lecture on the role of community placemaking. His suggestion and take-home message encouraged us all to "find your highest light, schedule it, and live it.... then find your community's highest light, and share it!"
Erik Ohlsen of Permaculture Earth Artisans talked to us about the benefits of growing perennial polyculture systems of food forests. Erik's campaign is Food Forests Across America!

We also managed to complete several projects, including a cob bench made for the Gazebo Preschool.
The course ended with presentations on projects that we completed in design teams. My group came up with an idea about the farm and garden at Esalen and how we could make it more sustainable and productive. Our theme was Restoring the Roots of Esalen. We thought it was important to incorporate more wild natives in order to restore the site while educating people about the cultural and natural history of the land.

There is something to be said for surrounding myself with inspiring, passionate, creative individuals. If anything it gives me the motivation to continue on an ecologically minded path with the people who share the same ethics and vision for our future on this beautiful planet.



Now I'm in Portland Oregon for the Village Building Convergence, where I'm busy getting involved in some permaculture projects in the urban environment. I've been posting photos of all my adventures on my flickr account, as usual. I'm just trying to keep the permaculture vibe alive and growing. For me, permaculture is about finding the simple, natural solutions to issues we face everyday in the world. As Starhawk talked to us about last night, the time for action is NOW.

To everything, turn, turn, turn....

Living in a rural farming community in Madagascar for the last two years, I really learned to appreciate the comings and goings of the seasons. Not necessarily winter, spring, summer, and fall, but the seasons of fruits, vegetables, and grains.

In the states, unless you're living on a farm, it's easy to forget that vegetables and fruits even have a particular season or only grow in certain places. You can walk into any major grocery store at any time of the year anywhere in the country and you're likely to find lettuce, tomatoes, oranges, bananas, pineapples, and maybe even a kiwi.

In my village, we didn't have those options. When the litchis were out of season, that was it until next year. When the weather was too hot for lettuce, we do without until it cools off again and we can plant more. We have jackfruit in October, litchis in November, pineapple in December, mangos in January, and oranges in February. Each month has it's own flavor that we enjoy as much as possible while we can.

Where I lived in Madagascar, there were no refrigerated coolers to keep our food "fresh." Instead, we would eat our fresh produce while it's still actually fresh and doesn't require refrigeration.
There aren't even roads reliable enough to transport food in and out. Sometimes, depending on the weather, boats would carry vegetables from the central plateau. Usually by the time they arrive, the tomatoes are smashed, the carrots are soft, and the eggplants have dried out. The best veggies always come from local gardeners around town, and are usually more reasonably priced too.

Eating locally wasn't just a personal choice for me in Madagascar, it was a basic necessity. But what I discovered, is that when given the choice, locally grown food eaten while in season actually tastes better. Maybe this is obvious to some of you. But I think for the most part, Americans are still eating frozen and canned vegetables bought off of shelves in grocery stores.
Isn't it more appealing to visit your local farmer's market and meet the people who grow your vegetables in person? Find your local farmer's market at localharvest.org. Support your local farmers!

I think my first insight into this superior local in-season taste phenomenon happened when I moved to California back in 2001. After a lifetime of despising avocados, I had my first avocado grown by farmers in Santa Cruz bought at the local market in Santa Cruz. Maybe I'm going too far by saying that avocado changed my life, but where would I be today without guacamole? I don't even want to think about it.

Similarly, there's no better place to eat tropical fruit than in the tropics. If you've ever picked a pineapple out of the ground, you know what I'm talking about. Even rice tastes better during the harvest. No joke! Freshly harvested rice has an unmistakable quality you won't find in rice bought off a shelf in the grocery store in a plastic bag.

It's a rewarding experience being in tune with the seasons. Sure, I can't eat an apple a day, but when the time comes for apples, I have months of anticipation to flavor the experience of that first bite. As they say, good things come to those who wait... The instant gratification ingrained into our American culture really does not appeal to me. I'll visit Florida if I need to eat a Florida orange, but don't waste precious fossil fuels bringing those oranges to me. I don't actually need to have anything 'right here, right now'. And I also don't need to have it 'my way'.

This idea isn't new. You've seen the bumper stickers. Think Global. Act Local. I'm not trying to be original here, I'm just starting to come to my own conclusions about the issue. In the last several months, I've read some recent books that really made me think and got me inspired. Barbara Kingsolver wrote a book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, about her experiences eating only food she and her family grew themselves or could find locally. A similar book is Plenty: One Man, One Woman and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally, a young Canadian couple document their year experiment of eating only food found within 100 miles of their British Columbia home. Both are very inspiring stories and also full of great information about all the benefits of eating locally. Michael Pollan also does a good job of breaking it down in many of his books, including The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food. Check those out if you're at all interested in the issue.

Now that I'm back in the states, I am really making a conscious effort to make good decisions about the food I eat and the environmental impact I'm having on the earth. It's been great to be back and see how much has changed in the level of consciousness around "green" and environmental issues.

Lucky for me I'm at the Esalen Institute (until June 7th) where a majority of the food is either grown on the property or bought from local organic farms. I'm also busy working on a permaculture design project regarding the land stewardship and food production on the property, so hopefully some of the ideas we come up with surrounding the issue are implemented in the near future as Esalen works on it's effort to become more sustainable.

Life is beautiful and healthy and abundant!

Here's a nice view of the ocean from the gorgeous Esalen garden:

Back in the U.S. of A.!

I guess it's about time for an update, now that I'm back in the states and starting to figure some things out.

The update on Madagascar is that the leader of the opposition was actually successful in overthrowing the government. The country is now under new rule, and democracy seems to have failed Madagascar again. The news has pretty well dropped off the international radar, so it's hard for me to figure out what's going on over there at all anymore, and especially now that the Peace Corps program has been closed (hopefully only temporarily). All of the volunteers were evacuated shortly after I left, and it makes me sad to read stories like this one.

The biggest news back here on the homefront is my decision to go to graduate school. After much deliberation, I decided on the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for a masters degree in Landscape Architecture. School starts in September, but I will be moving there for the summer to get settled in before classes start. I'm really excited about being a part of the School of Natural Resources and Environment. I am really looking forward to being involved in a lot of interesting projects over the next three years.

Here are a few photos from my quick trip to Ann Arbor in March.

Since I've been back in the states, I've been having a great time visiting friends and family around the country. First I spent some time in Texas with my dad, my step-mom, and my little brother. Now I'm in California, catching up with friends in the Bay Area and just general shenanigans, as usual.

I finally got a chance to update my photos albums on flickr, so check those out if you're interested.

I am on my way to Big Sur now to spend another month at the Esalen Institute. This time I will be taking a course on permaculture and becoming certified so I can go on and spread the good word. Learn more about permaculture here.

When I leave Big Sur in May, I'll be taking off on my cross country road trip to Michigan (by way of Colorado, New York City, and New Orleans...). I'm hoping to see many friends along the way, so get in touch and let's make plans, for real. Hope to see you soon!

Veloma Madagascar!

This is it! I'm leaving Madagascar. I made the decision to Early COS (Peace Corps term: Close of Service) after several weeks of political turmoil in the country.

Here's an article explaining current events:
MADAGASCAR: What went wrong?
Here's another article from the BBC.

It has been a bit hectic here. After a violent protest in the capital last month, Peace Corps had all of the volunteers pack our bags in case of an emergency evacuation. When the looting and violence didn't stop, all of the volunteers were consolidated together to be nearer to communication, airports, and each other. It has been peaceful over the last few days and the initial momentum of the anti-government rallies seems to have waned for now. However, Peace Corps is continuing to keep volunteers consolidated and has yet to make a decision on how to proceed.

For me, I decided it was best to go because I felt that it would be difficult to return to my village under the circumstances. When I left I packed all my belongings as if I wasn't returning. I said my tentative good byes, and left in a hurry not knowing if or when I would be back. With only a couple of months left in my service, I was given the option to Early COS due to the current political instability and civil unrest. This feels like the best option for me, rather than wait out the crisis and/or eventually return to site to say my good byes all over again.

The fact of my leaving hasn't quite hit me yet. I'm still in the capital waiting to finish up my paperwork, and I haven't even been told what day my flight is, or even where my flight is going. It doesn't quite seem real. Maybe when I'm on the plane and crossing the ocean, I'll realise what I'm leaving behind. It is a bittersweet ending. I am happy to be going home, but this is not the way I would have liked things to turn out. I am concerned about the future of Madagascar. Food security is already a problem without the added expense of looting and rioting. And as long as the situation remains unstable investors and tourists are likely to look elsewhere.

My immediate plans for my return include visiting family in Texas before heading to San Francisco to visit friends. Then I'm hoping to head down to Big Sur for a month long permaculture course in April, and in May I'll be going on a cross country road trip starting in Colorado! Coming soon to a city near you! Get in touch so we can meet up soon!

I *heart* Madagascar

As I get ready to leave this country where I've spent the last two years, I've been thinking about all the things I'm going to miss about my life here. I've made some good friends in my village and also in the Peace Corps. It'll be sad to get on the plane this week.

These are the things I love most about life in Madagascar:

...waking up to the rooster's crow... the smell of vanilla and cloves drying in the sun... eating ananambo leaves (also known as Moringa: The Miracle Tree)... fresh baked bread in the mornings on my doorstep... my morning "mofo!" call.... the vanilla plantation at Antsiramanga... soahaba (a delicious sugary coconut milk porridge)... the bike ride from Soavina to Mananara along the Mananara River... Ambiditsika Beach... Mama Boda's homemade yogurt and pastries in Mananara... THB (the one and only Malagasy beer)... rice harvest season... doing my laundry at the river in Bagordan... watching men climb coconut trees.... geckos on my walls... our library of books at the Meva... candlelight dinners, every night... Robert's chocolate... Ziggy, my little Zigger Doodle (R.I.P.)... Zita's fresh juice and coconut candy... boat rides on the Mananara River... the awesome Peace Corps staff... all the yummy tropical fruit, coconut, jackfruit, litchis, breadfruit, pineapple... having all the time in the world...

Of course, it hasn't always been easy living in Madagascar. Trust me, it's not all dancing lemurs and pristine beaches over here. After all, this is a developing country and one of the poorest in the world. Sometimes life here is downright frustrating. I've been brought to tears dealing with harrassment over my white skin. The challenges I've dealt with living here hopefully have made me a stronger person, physically, mentally, and emotionally. It's been a good test of patience and endurance these last two years.

As long as I'm listing the positive, I'll also mention the things that make it easy for me to say good bye:

...sleeping on a piece of foam.... the constant sound of the rice hulling machine across the street from my house... flies landing on me while i wash the dishes outside... massive snails in my garden... mosquitos... parties centered around dying/dead cows... men drunk on "betsa" (a local brew made from fermented sugar cane)... "VAZAHA!!!!"... trabona (scary centipedes with red legs that bite hard!)... the dirty market... the post office stealing my packages... the insane heat in December, January, February... bugs swimming in my drinking water... rice, 7 days/week... tucking in my mosquito net every night... constantly being told how "maventy" I am (I don't care if it's supposed to be a compliment, I don't like being told I'm fat!)... reading books by candlelight... the "road" from Soanirana-Ivongo to Mananara... random strangers asking me for money... everyone asking me for money.... no one ever showing up for appointments... my "kabone" (the latrine)...

Maybe this will give you some insight into my life over here. It's difficult to put into words all the little things that make up my daily life. In some ways it's not that different from life in the states, or maybe it is, and I've forgotten what life in the states is like?????

Anyway, I guess I'll be finding out soon enough!
So long Madagascar! Thanks for all the fish!

...under african skies...

I decided to take a quick safari into the Kruger National Park during my trip here in South Africa. Kruger National Park borders South Africa and Mozambique and with over 2 million hectares of land, tens of thousands of wild animals roam freely in the wilderness.

This is the bushveld:


During my four day trip in the park, I saw some incredible sights, including all of the "Big Five" (lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceros, and buffalo). I also saw a pack of wild dogs (a rare sight) and a couple of hyenas. Zebras, giraffes, and antelope were so common by the end of the trip we would just drive past them in hopes of spotting a cheetah or another rhinoceros.



I arranged my safari through Footprints in Africa and they put me up in a unique lodge near the central edge of the park called the Bushman Adventure Lodge. I had a cute little hut and chilled out in their cozy space by the camp fire when I wasn't off safari-ing around searching for wild game animals.
Here's my sweet little hut:


The most exciting moment on the trip involved a certain elephant who wasn't too happy about us stopping to check him out. He chased us down the road while we snapped photos and hoped he wasn't fast enough to catch up.



I also did some sightseeing along the way to and from the park. There are beautiful mountains and canyons in the Mpumalanga Province. Unfortunately my timing couldn't have been worse with the rainy season in full effect and mostly I drove through a big cloud the whole way. I did manage to see a nice canyon, but the sun wouldn't come out for what is supposed to be one of the most spectacular views in South Africa. If you've seen The Gods Must Be Crazy... this is the spot where he throws the coke bottle off the edge of the earth.

This is the canyon at a place called the Potholes.


South Africa is a beautiful country. I only wish I had more time to spend here. However, it's about time I get back to work in the village. I'll be heading back to Madagascar as soon as there's a flight. With only three months left in my service, I need to start saying good byes and preparing for life's next adventure, wherever that may be!

an update to end the year

It's New Year's Eve and I'm really looking forward to the year ahead. Only four months to go in my service with the Peace Corps! It's hard to believe it's almost over.

I've had some fun in the last couple of months here, checking out two parks and helping out with Peace Corps related events in the capital.

In November, we celebrated 15 years of Peace Corps in Madagascar.


There were events at the zoo in the capital and at the American Cultural Center. Peace Corps got a lot of good publicity around town, and it was gratifying to see how well supported and appreciated Peace Corps Volunteers are in Madagascar.

Around Thanksgiving, I visited Nosy Mangabe, an island in the Bay of Antongil in the northeastern region of Madagascar with my friends Tom and Faith and their family. Nosy Mangabe means either "Island of the Big Mango" or "Big Blue Island", whichever you prefer.
I like Island of the Big Mango personally.



There was all sorts of cool wildlife on the island... I can't decide which I like best, the leaf tailed gecko, master of disguise, or the brookesia chameleon, smallest chameleons in the world.





Then just after Christmas, since my trip I had planned to the north didn't work out, I took a spontaneous trip to Ranomafana Park (again) with some of my friends from Peace Corps. Last time I tried to get in the park, a cyclone had taken out the bridge. This time the weather was perfect, the bridge was fixed, and Tony, Stacey, and I all spent a day hiking into the primary forest inside the park. It was a long day of hiking and we saw several species of lemurs and a nice waterfall. We also checked out the hot springs pool in town and spent some time in Fianar, ending with a miserable overnight brousse ride that took 5 hours longer than it should have. Oddly enough, 5 hours extra in a taxi brousse hardly phases me anymore.

Here's a bamboo lemur in Ranomafana Park.


Now I'm in the capital to celebrate the New Year, and heading to South Africa again this weekend for another medical check-up. I can't complain really... Pretoria is a step up from Antananarivo.

Things are still going great at my site too. Clove harvest just ended and rice harvest is happening now. I'm still involved with building lots of cook stoves and figuring out ways for people to save fuelwood. Soon the new environment trainees will be arriving to replace my group, so that's exciting for us and them too!

Check out the rest of the photos I just uploaded too!

Here's wishing everyone a safe and happy new year!!
I have a good feeling about 2009!!! I haven't figured out where I'm going yet actually. Who knows, I might be "moving to Montana soon.... just to raise me up a crop of dental floss.... gonna be a dental floss tycoon". Yeah, I've got a good feeling about it.

bike race and a(nother) tropical island

After my last taxi brousse trip, I decided I would never take a taxi-brousse again.... even if it means biking hundreds of miles on terrible roads. Of course, it isn't really possible to avoid taxi brousses altogether, but I did a pretty good job of it on my way to Tamatave for the bike race.


I rode my bike south along the east coast this past month. It was a fun diversion, stopping in little remote villages on the beach, drinking coconuts, sleeping in ocean-side bungalows and basically really enjoying the fact that I live on an exotic tropical island. It was an intense bike trip, something like 120 kilometers, on a really crazy dirt road full of rocks and sand.

Once I reached the "good" part of the road, I took a brousse the rest of the way to Tamatave where I got together with a bunch of volunteers in the country for our annual bike race to promote AIDS awareness.

After the Bike Race, me and some of the girls that I came to country with (way back when), took a little vacay on a gorgeous tropical island off the eastern coast, called Isle St. Marie. We had fun chillin' on the beach, relaxin' in the sun, snorkelin' around, drinkin' red wine (such luxury!), and hangin' with our new friend, the lemur.



I went back to site just briefly, where it's the same old, same old... however, it pains me to say, my little Ziggy, aka Zigger Doodle, is no longer roaming the earth in search of geckos.... I'm not sure what happened, but while I was away, she suddenly got very sick and died before I returned. It's not the same at my house without her. She was good company. My neighbors buried her out back near my compost pile, so I guess she's helping to replenish the soil, and the geckos rejoice...

In other village news, regarding the cycle of life, my neighbor's pig gave birth on Monday, the day before I left town. It was pretty cool to see! She had eleven (!!) healthy piglets, cute as can be!! They came out all walking around and looking for food.



And now I'm in the capital to take the GRE and to help out for the Peace Corps Madagascar 15th Anniversary celebrations.

So wish me luck with all that. And while you're checking up on me here, look at my newest photos! Sorry they're all random and out of order. What more can you expect working on ancient computers with dial up speeds and outdated browsers? My patience only goes so far.

September already?

Where does the time go?

I'm in the capital once again. Faith and I had a horrendous trip from Mananara to the capital, including an argument with our taxi brousse driver which almost resulted in us being put out of the car in the middle of nowhere. But we made it here alive, and now we're going to Mantasoa for a conference with a bunch of volunteers. I haven't forgotten that taxi brousse ride yet though thanks to the numerous bruises I suffered sharing a Landcruiser for 20 hours with 17 people. I think it's designed for ten. Although my perception of how many people are supposed to fit in a vehicle anymore is definitely skewed.

But anyway... here's a quick update of how things have been going for me at site since I last checked in.

My very good friends in the village, the family who has taken me in as their own, hosted a huge traditional Malagasy ceremony in Soavinarivo in July. It's called a famadihana, and basically, the family in the presence of their community digs up their most recent dead relative, cleans off their bones, and puts them in a new casket. Then they have a big party with lots of dancing, singing and of course, RICE! A cow was slaughtered for this particular ceremony.
The new casket with the freshly cleaned bones inside attends the party, and people come to visit and pay respects.
After the party is over (two days later at our party), the casket is then brought to the family tomb to be with the other dead relatives.

Read more about the famadihana here.

This is a photo at my village's graveyard. They are working on digging up her casket in this photo. The community participates by singing and drinking "betsa", the local brew.



Here we are getting ready to eat rice at the party.
This photo is taken two doors from my house, which you can't see, but is off to the right. You can see my garden on the other side of the street, which is fenced in with leaves.



And here's a nice big plate of rice. Have I mentioned the rice? Don't forget the rice.



Also in July, I painted a world map mural at our local elementary school with some local friends. Tom and Faith also came down to help with the map, and now they're starting a map in their village in Imorana.



I had people come by to see what we were doing who didn't recognize what we were making a picture of. Then once we explained they still didn't really understand. Anyway, I hope the map will encourage the students to learn more about the rest of the world.

After painting the world map, I got a little ambitious with the leftover paint and my counterpart and I along with the help of some other local community members created a mural of Madagascar. This was really fun and I think it turned out beautifully.
And by the way, I live in the green area of the map, just to the south east of the peninsula (which I recently hiked across).



Other than that, it's vanilla harvest season, so I've been helping cook, dry, and sort vanilla beans with a local farmer. (Ziggy likes to help out too.)



And this is the (second) time of the year for planting rice. I was busy with the murals so wasn't able to help transplant this year, but my counterpart and his family have increased the area in which they are using SRI because of their results last season. Here is our freshly planted rice field which we will harvest in December with hopefully more rice than last year.



And last, but most certainly not least, Ziggy, otherwise known as Zigger Doodle, has become legendary in Soavinarivo. More people know Ziggy's name than my own. She continues to climb coconut trees and eat geckos. Recently she has been diligently studying for the GRE, which is scheduled for October 25th. Here she is hard at work learning new vocabulary and catching up on her geometry.



That's the update for today!
Thanks to those of you who continue to stay in touch and send nice text messages and letters in the mail. I miss and love you all!