a post for 2008!

Just checking in online again for the first time this year! Happy New Year! 2008, a year I will spend entirely in Madagascar. Happy Valentine's Day too. And hey, while I'm at it, Happy Easter and Thanksgiving too, 'cause who knows when I'll be online again.

So let's see... the news. I'm on a business trip in the capital with a lot of the other environment volunteers. The new group of trainees will be arriving any day now, and the group before me is on their way out. We have been busy planning the training for the new group. I will be training them to build clay stoves with chimneys, which should be fun!

I'm heading on a trip next week with some of the other volunteers to go on a train ride to the southeast coast. But first I think I need to wait out tropical cyclone Ivan, which is currently heading towards Madagascar and apparently not far from my village. Luckily (I guess) I'm in the capital... But I'm worried about my friends at site and my house and my kitten. Not to mention the "road" back home...

If you're interested in tracking the storm, check out this link: Tropical Storm Risk

Other news... DON'T SEND PACKAGES TO MANANARA!!!
I no longer trust the postal employees at my local post office after several incidents of packages either not arriving or arriving with items missing. So sadly, I can only receive packages in the capital at the following address. No worries though, I've learned to cope with what I can find here in the country, and there's nothing that can't wait. But if there is, I'll let you know. Letters are still okay to send to Mananara (and very much appreciated).

Today I'm heading to the Cookie Shop.... a lovely establishment in the capital which is the closest thing to a coffee shop in maybe the entire country. They have delicious bagel sandwiches and espresso milkshakes and you have no idea how happy that makes me. It's the little things... don't take it for granted!