Unbelievable!!!!

My job allows me to travel alot, especially around my beloved country Madagascar. It’s not great to leave my family behind, but I have no choice. We were just a group of 6 people, heading towards a pretty far countryside , near Mananjary.

” Nina , aren’t you excited about this trip. I never been so far from home.” José told her.

” In a way , I am. I really miss my children though.” she sighed. The road was really dusty and the car was absolutely uncomfortable.

“Why did the car suddenly stop, we haven’t even reached our destination yet?.” José asked their driver.

” Sorry, guys but we got a flat tire, I guess we have to walk by foot.” the driver told them.

” Yeah, right. I’m not gonna kill myself walking for miles in high heel shoes.” Nina complained.

” You don’t have a choice, i’m sure there’s a village near by. Come on , before it gets late. We better go look for help.” the driver told them.

Everyone obediently left the car and started walking, until they found a little village. The village people didn’t look happy to see these bunch of strangers coming towards them. It was a good thing that José knew their dialect, so it kind of relaxed them. They had been traveling since 6 am in the morning , and felt worned out. There weren’t any hotels there, so they had to stay in the village people’s homes. The weather was unbearably hot. The little huts infested with little blood sucking insects like ticks. Nina wanted to leave right away, wishing that she was back home in her comfortable home. It was sad to see such poverty. The village had to walk far to fetch water to drink in a little lake. At the same time , their zebus go there to drink and piss. Women also wash their laundries in the same water.

“Nina, come here, I want to tell you something. I think we came during a bad moment. The woman huddling near the door , just lost her husband.”

“But, José, she seems very poor and depressed. Why is she sitting there and her neighbors not comforting her?” Nina asked.

“They already know. I think they’re getting ready for the funeral.”

“Really, but no one is busy preparing it. It seems that everyone is just staying where they are and not doing anything about it.”

“I know, as you see this woman is very poor. It a great humiliation to be very poor and have someone die in your family. No one cares about you. Even your family members don’t want to bury you themselves.” José explained.

” Why don’t we go to see how the woman is. At least, we can try to comfort her.” NIna insisted.

They went inside the woman’s house and saw her dead husband lying on a mat on the floor. Just a few people surrounded him. No one was crying, just staring at him. A man told them not to sit near the door. So Nina and José took a place in the corner. After several minutes , the dead body started to move. Nina thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her. Suddenly , the dead man was in a sitting position. José knew that Nina was about to freak out. He held her hands to comfort her and told her to keep quiet and just watch. Another man handed the dead man a shovel. Before , they knew it the corpse was running out the door with the shovel. The other people just ran after it and shouting.

“Let’s go, Nina, to see what will happen next.” José said pulling Nina to her feet.

It wasn’t easy trying to catch up with them. By the time they got to the grave yard, the dead man was digging his own grave. It didn’t take him that long. After it was done, he dropped the shovel and fell into the hole. That was when the other village people covered the hole with land.

” Before , you say anything Nina. Let me explain to you that what you witnessed is their custom. Especially when a very poor person dies. They have to bury themselves. None of their families wants to bury them.”

“But , José, as his wife told us that her husband has been dead more than three days. How can he come back alive again and dig his own grave!! That’s impossible”

“Nina, here in Madagascar , anything is possible. You just have to see it with your own eyes to believe it.”

One Night Stand

As I lay on my bed, glaring out the window in how suddenly the weather can change. This morning , when I opened it up to let some fresh air enter my bedroom. It seemed to be such a lovely weather. The sky was blue and the sun shining so brightly. Now , all I see, is the gray sky and a downpour. “Ouch! There it goes again. Always annoying me, practically driving me out of my mind. I can’t do anything about it, now that this “thing” is a part of me now. I have to accept it as a friend even though it’s my greatest enemy. “ Ok!Ok! , I get your point , just stay still. I’ll get you something to eat later.” For a single guy like me, I already have two mouths to feed, which isn’t an easy job. I can’t work hard and earn alot like I used to because I don’t have the energy and the will anymore. I was a very skilled business man. Actually, I did my own business about selling precious gemstones. Now, I lost alot of money and almost half bankrupt . Since this incident occured, my life never been the same again . There’s no choice left then to be this “Thing’s” slave. Always making sure to satisfy it’s needs. So if I don’t it will cost me my life. I’m too young to die, even if my wonderful future already blowed up in my face. How can I forget that day, when I rosed above higher than the seventh heaven and fell down ending up at the bottom pit of hell. Yes , Damien Mino was the man on top of the world. Well-known as Mr.Good-looking, intelligent, athletic, wealthy, and famous. All of that just vanished in a wink of an eye. Retelling my story to people really worns me out. The only reason I do it is just to warn other naive fools like me.

I’m a fanatic about music, especially going to those kind of places where they play music so loud. I always go to the night clubs on the Terrific Friday. Here ,we call our Fridays that because , most people need to find a way to relax after a long and hard work days. I like sitting at the bar stool and , watching those young women trying hard to move every part of their body. What a fascinating sight. They all dress so differently. Some barely wearing clothes that can cover their intimate body parts and others trying to look modest as possible. The barmaid already knows my order, she doesn’t even bother to ask me anymore. I was there sucking in the smoky and sweaty atmosphere. It’s not good for the health , but who cares? As long as I feel happy and at home. The place was crowded, not like usual. I was looking around the place to see if I knew anyone, then suddenly my attention was caught by prettiest girl i’d ever seen in my life. Women are so beautiful and like fire. When you come to close , you might get burned up to your ashes or be able to cool them off. I mean , she was goddess with her long wavy black hair , slim body and luscious lips. What a marvel! Yes, these daughter’s of Eve. They really know how to tempt us weak men. She was sitting there on the couch, smiling at me. I couldn’t control myself. She was like a magnet.

“Hi there, my name is Damien , is there anyone sitting here?” he asked the young pretty lady.

“No, please have a seat.”She answered.

There was something about that girl. She seemed kind of distant but very charming. As for my job, I travel around alot in my country Madagascar. Vohemar is my favourite place to visit. The landscape is breathlessly amazing. The people are very nice and communicative.

“What’s your name? You look pretty young to be here.”

“People call me Aline. I’m only 18 yrs old. Are you married?”the girl asked.

“ Not for now, do you want to drink something ? ”

“No thanks, can you take me home.”she asked.

“ Already? We’re just beginning to know each other. What about if we go somewhere else?”

Aline agreed and they left the nightclub. I didn’t take Aline back to her place , right away, so we decided to go to a little hotel near by.

We were tearing each others clothes off. I never seen such a sexy naked body. My body started to tingle all over . I was so hard , that I was afraid I might hurt this girl. We layed on the bed. At my surprise , she was on top of me before I knew it.

Wow the girl was riding on me, I felt like the happiest man horse in the world. I told her to slow down, but she kept moving faster. I was so thrilled, I didn’t know what to do. What a sensation. I couldn’t move for awhile, I thought I died of pleasure.

“Take me back with you.” Aline said lying by my side.

“ Honey, I can’t . I’m not ready to get engaged. Here is some money and go back home.”

I got dressed and left the girl lying there all disappointed.

“Damien, you can’t just leave like that. My boy friend is a very jealous type. So he put a

“ Fiandry” on me . Aline yelled after him.

“Shut up, you’re just trying to scare me with that bullshit.”

“ Believe it or not , you’ll see.”she told him angrily.

After a day, I did notice that something was changing in my body. One morning, as I layed on my bed , I saw something move under the covers. I was afraid to look but I had no choice. My “ male pride” turned into a snake. Yes, the “thing” started to bite my thighs. I totally freaked out. I heard of other guys victims of these kind of things. But I never thought it would be me.

I ordered food to feed it. It took awhile for the order to come. The penisnake was getting nasty, I guess it was starved. I got dressed quickly and went to back to the nightclub, where I met the girl. Asking the guardian wasn’t a big help. He just told me that , I might find her at the market. It wasn’t really a big place , so everyone practically knew each other.

I saw her at the market holding hands with a guy.

“ You, witch!” I yelled to her.

The guy who must be her boy friend, just laughed and sayed : “ That will teach you a lesson not to mess with my girl.”

“ How much do you want? Take this gruesome thing away from me.”

“ Too late , it’s your companion for life now.” The guy said.

The girl kept silent but looked very pleased at my sorrow. I had to do something , and the first thing was to go to any “Mpimasy” to heal me. Someone at the market told me about Ramahatoko, the famous mpimasy who knows how to heal those kind of witchcraft.

The man’s house was dark and spooky. He was sitting on the floor and playing with some kinds things that look like beans and chanting something.

He just stared at me and said : I can’t help you.”

I knew what he was waiting for and I took some money out of my pocket and gave it to him.

I sat on the floor next to him, waiting for what will happen next.

“ You only have to follow what I say and you’ll be healed.”

I nodded in agreement.

“ You have to choose between these two things: give me all of your fortune. I mean everything you have. You can’t take nothing with you and you’ll become a homeless person. All the people , you know will recognize you. You will be humiliated in society. You’ll be digging through trash to find your food. Or you live with that thing for the rest of your life until it eats you alive.”Rahamahatoko said to the desperate man.

I just walked out the door in silence. I can’t imagine myself living in such poverty. Especially to be an outcast for my friends and society.

I never saw Aline and her boy friend anymore. I had no choice but to go back home and live my miserable life. I’ve been with “Penisnake” it’s the name I gave it; for months now. It became my pet and just another part of me. I can’t live a normal life anymore, so just Penisnake and I living together until death do us apart.

MISA ( part I)

In general the City life is the same. In the street, you see people always in a rush to reach their destination. Their faces mostly worried or frowning. It’s really obvious that life really stresses them out. All they could think of is finding money to survive in this world. The pollution and heavy traffic jams practically everyday, and the high – priced life. For 12 yrs old girl Misa and her brother Tony , they had other worries than that. They lived an entire different life.

“I wish that woman will hurry up and throw it away. She’s just standing there , gossiping with that other woman. My stomach is growling .” Tony complained.

“ We have to be patient. Do you know what today is?”his sister asked him.

“Nope!” Tony replied staring non stop at the woman near the trash bin.

“It’s father’s day. Since yesterday, I heard people talking about buying gifts for their dad.”Misa sighed.

“They can do whatever they want . Who cares! She’s finally gone.” Tony quickly went to pick through the woman’s garbage.

Misa just looked at her brother sadly who was tearing the plastic bag open.

“Come here! Aren’t you starved? There’s no leftover here, not even a crumb of bread. Just waste papers and alot of potato peels. I guess, there’s no choice then to munch on these. Darn it, i wasn’t lucky today like yesterday. I found a burnt piece of steak and rice mixed with alot of fish bones and a stale bread. For me , it was a feast. It’s not bad after all, kind of tastes funny. Do you want some potato peels?” he asked his sister.

Misa shook her head and said:” Life is so unfair. Here we are stuffing ourselves with people’s waste. While they are eating alot of delicious foods at home. When they look at us, all they see are dirty, stinky, uneducated , people. When we come near them, they just push us away and tell us not to touch them because our hands are to filthy. Once , i passed by a store and heard the song of Phil Collins titled “Another day in paradise.” That song was talking about how people treat the destitutes like us. It made me realize that , we’re considered like burdens and a nothing for the society. I really miss our parents. Even if we have to live like this , at least as a family. But there’s only you and me left in this cruel world.”

“Misa, you and mom never talked about Dad. Where is he? What happened to him and why did he leave us?” the little boy asked curiously.

“I knew that one day, you’ll ask me that question. He’s in a great place now, where there’s no more sorrow, tears , pains and worries. I know that he’s very happy where he is now. You need to worry about him. He’s in good hands. It wasn’t his intention to leave us alone. This is what really happened to him.

One day I was very ill, and he told me that we have no money to buy medecine. He told us that he’ll try to find food to make me better. It was a Wednesday, the market day. There were alot of people there going back and forth through huge market. Mom and I decided to follow him there, even though i was very weak. We saw Dad go inside the market. After , a few minutes , we heard people making alot of noise and shouting things like: “Teach this thief a good lesson , so he won’t steal anymore!”

Dad replied in a small voice: “My daughter is very ill and I just wanted to bring her back these oranges to give her energy. Please, I didn’t mean any harm.”

The orange seller shouted:” That’s a lie, don’t believe him. If there’s no police around let’s take justice ourselves.”

Another man yelled!: “The only thing that you filthy people know is to rob us and our homes. You just create insecurity for the society. You’re too lazy to work, so you just beg.”

“ I won’t do it again, I promise:” Dad pleaded, but they didn’t listen to him. They beated and kicked him inhumanly. They didn’t stop until he didn’t budge anymore. We wanted to shriek but didn’t dare not wanting to make the situation worse. There was Dad lying in a his own pool of blood motionless. Mom and I were heartbroken , but we didn’t know what to do. We just stood there watching two men picking up Dad and throwing his body in a car like it was a body of a dead dog. The car left , leaving us shocked. That was the last moment we saw Dad. His death had been really hard on our mother. You were still a little baby then. She died of a bad heartache. I was obliged to be your mother and sister at the same time. Please , don’t cry Tony. little brother , you’re the only one I have left in this world. Promise me, that you’ll always be by myside and never leave me alone in this unfair world.”

“I promise that one day we’ll leave this darkness and see the light in our lives.” They hugged each other tightly.

The life was always the same routine for the two siblings. Hoping to find a bite to eat in dumps, begging for money, being pushed around by people, and sleeping on cold sidewalks or under the tunnel for warmth.

“Tony, let’s get out of here. People are just stepping all over us. Wake up!” She said shaking her little brother. He kust layed there groaning not wanting to move.

“ My belly hurts , let’s stay here.” He whispered.

“Are you all right. I noticed that you were different lately, kind of losing your appetit. What wrong? What did you eat?” she asked worriedly.

“I found a chunk of meat , that someone threw near the trash bin. And I ate it. Since then I started to vomit blood and even in my poops.”he said in a low voice.

Misa was panicked: “Oh my gosh! I heard people talking about getting rid of the stray dogs who might endanger people if they have rabies . You ate a poisoned meat!”

Tony didn’t answer and just layed there.

“ You can’t die, Tony! I need you. You can’t leave me alone! You can’t break your promise! Listen to me.” Misa said , sobbing really hard. She saw blood come out her brother’s mouth. She knew that he was gone for good when he didn’t reply. Misa stood up and layed her old worn out sweater to cover his body and left him there. Her world shattered , not knowing what to do or where to hide. She was absolutely , terrified of everything that was around her. She found a huge tree and hide behind it until the morning.

“ Hey! Little girl, wake up.” A woman told her.

Misa was still traumatized and didn’t really understand what the woman was telling her. She just followed obediently until they reached a brick house. During the way, the woman was really grouchy. Nothing made her happy.

To be continued…………..

October 13th 2008 ( Monday)

The weather is very annoying. Personally, I don’t like drizzly weathers. It’s not really cold or either hot, it’s the type of climat that makes you easily sick. I just got off from work and went to the bus stop. I really, prefer walking , but where I live it seems pretty far. Here, in the capital ” Tana”, we have this traffic jam problem. I hate being stuck in traffic, sometimes i wish I could just jump out the window and walk home. We don’t have that much cars , compared to abroad. I guess, it’s our narrow roads that causes it.

I entered the bus, and actually found an empty seat at the back. There are many other reasons why people hate taking the bus. Once , I had to sit next to a man, who probably doesn’t know what the word “water” means. He was very stinky and filthy. He looked very relaxed, not disturbed at all. I’m almost suffocated. I wanted to move to another chair , but there were no more empty places. The driver’s aid made the smell worse, with his armpit smell. My window didn’t budge to open. It was still another 20 minutes to get my place. I thought that day, I was going to die. Imagine in the newspaper , that a young woman died in a bus , because of terrible odors.

Well, I had a very frightful experience. As i said the place next to me was still empty, when a woman walked in holding her baby and sat next to me. I love children, especially seeing their little happy faces. What really surprised me, was that the woman wrapped her child in alot of cloth. I couldn’t even see the child’s face and feet. It was certainly a child, because it’s little feet in baby shoes. I asked the woman isn’t the child hot. She just shooked her head and bowed. I forgot to mention that across us, there was another woman playing with her 4 yrs old daughter. The little girl was very happy playing with her mommy. But, when this woman with the baby entered. The little 4 yrs old, suddenly became strangely quiet and started to fidget. Her mother had problems keeping her still, if she was afraid of something.

As I continue , practically during the ride. The woman with the baby was completely silent. I was thinking that was one good baby, just sleeping not crying. She dropped her purse and bent to get it. That was when the child’s feet touched my arm. I suddenly , had this strange feeling, of coldness. The woman gave me a frightful look; Iike I discovered something or what.

She started to cry and tell me that she just gave birth 2 days ago at a famous public hospital. She was poor and didn’t have the money to buy medicine for the baby who suddenly became sick. At this hospital, if you can’t buy the medicines you need, it means you’re waiting for death. They don’t care about the person’s situation. So her baby died, and this woman didn’t have money to take him back home. She lived at Ambatofotsy , which is very far from town. Taking a taxi to those places , will cost a fortune. Now, she’s going to her sister’s house at Ambohipo; to take her child. I was heartbroken and terrified at the same time, thinking about this woman carrying her dead baby around.

The driver’s Aid, was very angry and started to yell at the woman, and forced her out the bus. He said, that she did something very taboo, about letting a dead be among the living. The poor woman just left the bus, not wanting to cause anymore trouble.

I always remembered that after a funeral or visiting a person who had a death in the family. Before , being buried the family leaves the corpse in their home. So all the family and friends can see him or her for the last time. When it’s time to go home , especially after a funeral. We have to take a bath or wash up really good. Before, entering our homes, we must light some papers at the front door and step over it. We believe by doing that all the bad , is left behind us.

I really had a weird day today. Anyway, I think it’s necessary in life to have a little excitement from the everyday life….

October 14th 2008 ( Tuesday)

Tuesday, is one of those days that people don’t like. Some say, it’s not good to plan or do something on this day. For me, i think that when a bad day comes , it’ll come. I live at Ankatso, where the University is located. As I watch those university students leave the gate. I wonder to myself ; what are they thinking and especially hoping to become one day. Frankly, speaking I think sometimes it’s a waste of time and money studying in the university here in Madagascar. You spent so many years , learning a certain subject. But , what becomes of you after. That’s the question. I’ll give you the answer. In general ; Nothing! You wake up very early in the morning to start school at 6 a.m and don’t leave there until 6 p.m; working very hard during more than 4 years. What’s the result. A tired body , mind and jobless. Why. Because most of the companies ; especially here in “Tana” , don’t like hiring amateurs to work for them. They need people , who has more than 2 or 3 years of work experience; and even 10 years. Dream on! If I had a 10 yrs experience in a job, I’ll never leave it until i retire. Abroad , it’s possible to study and work at the same time. Here, that’s still a delicate subject. Most employers want someone who can work full time for them; not just part time. Let me tell you a true story that happened to a family member of mine.

Aina had just graduated from one of the most famous Tourism school in town. She had a chance to do some job training in certain hotels. She always wanted to work in those travel agency. Once she saw a job offer in the newspaper and decided to apply for the job. After a week ; she got a job interview. It was the manager of the travel agency that ; she had a chance to talk with. He had the nerve to tell her that there’s already a long waiting list of candidates wanting to apply for this position. But if she really wanted the job, she has to give him about more than 5.000.000 mfg. Well; Aina was really eager to work. She forced her parents to sell all their lands in the countryside and their other wealth. The parents wanted their child to succeed in life, so they accepted to do it. When she got all the money gathered, she went directly back to the man. He wasn’t there that day, so she left it with the receptionist. Days passed but the man didn’t call her yet. Finally, Aina decided to call him. He told her that she took long to give the money and the position was given to another person. She told him to give her back the money. The manager told her that there was no written proof that she gave him money. Even if Aina wanted to sue him ; she couldn’t because there was no written proof and witness. That day , her entire world shattered. Her family became very poor and she stayed jobless.

Until now, corruption is still a very serious problem here in Madagascar. Although there’s a special Organization to prevent and fight against it. Corruption will never disappear. As those who has the habit of doing and receiving it. They said it’s the quickest and easiest way to get money. I think it’s the most filthiest and innoble way to squeeze money out of people.

It’s also a way that prevent one country from developing, and a deviation to reach poverty. Don’t we realize that the reasons people want to work, is to get money. We need to work first before earning money. That’s really pathetic and stupid to ask the candidate for a job money !

Here ; we really need to change the mentality in order to progress in life. But if this continues, we’ll get nowhere……..

October 15th 2008 (Wednesday)

As an English teacher , I really like my job. Especially seeing the students, trying their best to speak a language that’s not their native tongue. Today, was a special day for us because it was the “Speech presentation”. We had a great discussion after each speech. One of my student had a very interesting topic about ” How to become a Vegetarian”. It really opened up my eyes , and made me rethink about my eating habits. I’d like to share some of it with you that I found very interesting.

Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes all meat, including poultry, fish,and shellfish. There are alot of advantages of being a vegetarian like: a reduced risk of obesity, coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and kidney disease. I don’t know about you? but I certainly don’t want to get those diseases. It’s really scary thinking about it. Eating meat can give us all of that. Here are some famous people who are vegetarians as: Albert Einstein, Avril Lavigne, Brad Pitt, Immanuel Kant,…. etc. I also want to share with you reasons why people became vegetarians. Some say: “I became a vegetarian for morality, because I refuse and can’t support the exploitation and suffering of all animals, so I prefer not to eat it.”; “I became vegetarian for religion because it’s a taboo , and forbidden in our religion to eat meat. For us animal is like human.”; “I became a vegetarian because we don’t need meat.”; I became a vegetarian because I was told about what happens to meat in the gut. It stays there for ages and rots, getting infected with bacteria.”

I’m not a vegetarian . After hearing this student speech, I realized the bad sides of eating meat. There are other foods , we can replace it with. What really got to me, is thinking about those poor animals we kill just to eat. I know, I know, that those animals were meant to be killed to eat. Put yourself in their place. Would you like to be defenseless , not being able to speak and defend yourself? Being slaughtered, maybe wanting to live a long life too! It makes me feel bad and guilty thinking about that. Another student told us, that in his countryside there was a butcher, who had the habit slaughtering cows. When you kill a cow, by cutting their neck. It makes this loud noise of suffrance, before it dies. Well, this butcher the day on his death bed. He made the same noise cows did when they die. I got goose bumps , when I heard that. Another student told a testimony, telling us about , how she almost died eating meat. She had a problem digesting it, so she couldn’t go to the toilet for a week. She had this terrible and painful abdominal pain. She didn’t even eat alot of meat, just a little. Her doctor told her to quite eating it, and to eat alot of fruits and vegetable.

If you already have the bad habit of eating meat. I’m not saying , you should suddenly become a vegetarian to live longer and stay younger. It’s not good to eat it , every day. Why not just twice a week and vary the food you eat. The worst type of meat is the red meat( beef, pork). There is also the white meat

( fish, chicken,..). We have certain places that sell cooked meat, that would make you want to drool of hunger. But , don’t you know that you’re putting your health in risk eating this meat. I think that us, humans can live a healthier and better life without eating meat. Drinking alot of water per day is also very important. We can live 2 weeks without eating , but we can’t live a few days without water.

Think about it. Maybe being a vegetarian isn’t a bad idea anyway. Give it a try and you can do it. Not eating meat , won’t kill you. The total opposite, you’ll live longer , look and feel better.

October 16th 2008 ( Thursday)

It’s difficult to judge a person by their physical appearance. The best way is to get to know them better. They can be the total opposite of the person, that we thought they’ll might be. There is something that i’d like to share with you that really shocked and upsetted me. I know this couple who has a formation center in town. When you look at them, they seemed to be very nice, God- fearing, simple people. Unfortunately, they’re are the wolf disguised as a sheep. When they hire a maid, it’s always a underaged little girls. Once they had this maid who was only 15 yrs old, who had to do everything and take care of their 8 month baby too. This maid always followed them to work, to take care of the baby. During the lunch hour, they take the baby and leave the maid at the office. We asked her aren’t you going to eat too. She just shooked her head and said when they want to give me food that’s when I eat.  There are times , I even go to sleep with an empty stomach. They treated her like that all the time. At the end the child couldn’t support it anymore. She told them that she wanted to go back home to her parents. They didn’t care. They kicked her out hardly giving her any money. So this wicked couple had to find another victim to be there slave. The women went all the way to Antsirabe , and came back with a 13 yrs old little girl. So the same treatement repeated again. One day, the women became very angry and threw water at the maid and beated her. I guess, that’s wasn’t enough to show her anger. They kicked the maid out the house, at night. The little girl was a stranger in this big town . The only place she knew was Analakely. She slept on the stairway of Ambondrona during the whole night. In the morning, someone who worked in the same building as her boss, recognized her. The person took the child directly to the police station and put a complaint. The police immediately, went to the office of her boss to search for the couple. There weren’t there at that time. They didn’t want to be humiliated for the thoughtless thing they did , so they bribed the child with alot of money. That’s when everything was easily finished.

I was furious when I heard about what they did to those little children. It was them who told us, how much they suffer working for those people. I’m very sensitive about mistreatment of people and animals. Good gracious! they were only kids. Even though they did something wrong at least punish them humanly. Not to torture or make them suffer like that. How could this couple just eat and let the maid starve to death? How could they sleep peacefully in their bed at night, while the little girl is roaming around in the danger of the night? That’s a proof that they are cruel and heartless people. They have two very young children of their own . What if one day, someone treated their children like that? How would they feel?

Don’t forget that if we do good in life. Good things come back to us. If we do bad things to other people. It will come back thousand times worser, then what you did. We also have to put an end to this kind of Child labor and modern slavery!!!

October 21st 2008 (Tuesday)

As I walk in the street , it’s really a sad view to see the destituted people. Every where turn you can see them everywhere; sleeping on the sidewalk; under the tunnel; lying on the grass. Having those kind of people is the sign of poverty in a country. In a way, it ruins the image of the place. Especially, when tourists would like to visit our country. I know everywhere , you can see homeless people. It’s not a surprising thing to see; anymore. It also causes insecurity ; especially at night. Each of those people have reasons how they became like that . Some said that they were very rich before and didn’t care about the future. They spent alot of money and became bankrupt. Some said that they were cursed by their ancestors to beg for money. Others maybe were orphans or just don’t want to work. As I see; that most of the parents use their children to beg for money. They think that the people will feel sorry for these children and give them money right away. The more children they have means the more money they can get. We can call those street children; which has a very different mentality and manners. You can see a little 5 yrs old girl say all the cuss words in the book. Mostly everyone don’t give money except to those people who have a physical handicap. Everyone should try to make their lives better. It doesn’t mean that if you’re very poor; you’ll stay like that forever. You need to struggle in life to have a better life and become a better person. Nothing is free in life. To succeed , you need to sweat.

A special thanks to a certain catholic priest Father Pedro; who had lived here for along time to help the homeless of Madagascar. He had built a school; church; and given home and land for them to farm. What he did for our country is very courageous and wonderful. He knows that the government already have other matters to manage; and they can’t really focus specifically on the destituted people. He tried his best to do whatever , he can to help our people. Thank you Father Pedro for your kind heart; good will and above all giving the malagasy destituted people to have a second chance in life.

Personally ; I pity and admire the destituted people. I feel sorry for them because they suffer alot in all ways. I admire them because, no matter what happens to them they never give up living. For us, when we have a problem either we commit suicide or become crazy. Don’t think that those people have nothing to worry about. They do , as we do too. All of us; are human beings ; we feel pain; hunger, joy; sorrow. They know more about the value of life then we do. They’ll never end their life. They’ll keep on living ; hoping one day the sun will shine on them. By seeing the way, they live. It teaches us alot of things in life. How we’re ungrateful, selfish , and knowing less the advantages we have in life; compared to them. We can’t put those very poor people down. They have their values too.

FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!

As I was walking in Analakely , I noticed a very black smoke. I went to join the other people to see what was happening. Today October 22nd 2008, there was a house on fire at Soarano. Everyone was just standing around it, waiting for the firefighters to come. This isn’t the first time , we had houses on fire like this. The problem is that by the time the fire truck; comes mostly the house is already into ashes. The cause of the fire , was that a child played with a lighter. But usually it is the other causes are of short circuit or just carelessness. The firefighters had difficulty putting it off but the crowd didn’t allow them to do their work. So they had to deal more with the crowd than the fire. There is a saying that ” Curiosity killed the cat.” In certain situation it isn’t always good to watch. Especially coming to close. There was also difficulty because the water they used was just gushing out. People were happy to see the flow of water in the street. Some actually stood there to wash there feet or took buckets to get water. I bet; some had this great too to take a bath there too. It was a pathetic sight. By that we can see that our firefighters aren’t really professionals yet. In crowds like that , the people who pickpocket are very happy. They take advantage of situations like that to earn money or something they didn’t sweat for. For the people it’s just another exciting event to watch , but for the owner of the house, it’s nothing but a great loss .

Beautiful Malagasy Handicrafts

We think that items “made from Madagascar” are bad which is wrong.

Malagasy people are very talented and creative in handcrafting. Those pictures you see, are just samples. It’s amazing how they can use different kind of materials and create it into something very beautiful. Some tourists just come here to buy the Malagasy handicraft to sell abroad which is very expensive.

We have alot of shops. It’s very aweing to enter those places , and especially to enjoy the wonderful sight of all those hand made art.

It’s a pride to know that people from all over the world are taking pleasure in our handicrafts. There’s someone that I know who just came all the way here to bring back alot of “souvenirs” from Madagascar. She wanted to design her house in a malagasy style.

Watercolor Painting ( part I)

Watercolor is a painting method and its traditional and most common support for watercolor painting is paper. There are other supports too , we can use. The paintings we see above are painted by a young Malagasy man, not well known by people. His nickname as seen  in the paintings,  is JIIN. There are some people who paints as a living. But for JIIN , it’s his passion and talent. The greatest pleasure for him is just seeing people admiring his art , and not really for the money. He prefers showing the Malagasy life in his work of art. We’re going to comment each paintings:

* In the first painting, we can see people happily watching the ” Mpihira gasy” ( group of people who sing and dance the Malagasy traditional music). Usually, we can find the Mpihira gasy during the ” Famadihana” ( which is the turning of the bones of the dead. ) It’s a very special moment for a family gathering and giving respect to the ancestors.

* This is the ” Moraingy” , when two strong and young men wrestle each other. They want to prove to the spectators which of them is the best and strongest.

* A woman in the countryside, who had just fetched a pail of water in the river. She carries it on her head while she piggybacks her child.

* The weather is burning hot , the man is struggling to pull his rickshaw loaded with sacks of rice and other goods, up the hill.

* The woman is at the river , trying to catch some  fishes to eat with their rice for the family meal.

* The Malagasy people’s famous artist Philibert RABEZONA well known as” RAKOTOFRAH” who was born between 1920 and 1925 at Ankadinandriana – Antananarivo. He was very talented in playing the “sodina” , which is a flute made from bamboo.

* An empty Wagon near a traditonal Malagasy home. These are zebus – drawn vehicles.

* Rice is the principal food for us Malagasy people. When the rice  is still covered by the brown hull is known as paddy. The rice is threshed to loosen the hulls—mainly by flailing, treading, or working in a mortar—and winnowed free of chaff by tossing it in the air above a sheet or mat. That’s what the man is doing up above.

* The man is taking a rest near his rickshaw after a hard long day of work, after bringing goods or people.

* The zebus are being very stubborn , so the owner has to hit them with a stick to make them go.

Watercolor Painting (Part II)

Here are some more of JIIN’s watercolor paintings. The paintings already talk for themselves. If you walk around in the streets , you can see other interesting paintings as his. It’s not easy to create a work of art like this. It takes time and passion, and above all inspiration.

* Here we have a nice painting of the Ring tailed Lemur.

* Here is “Andrianampoinimerina” or “The-King-in-the-Heart-of-Imerina”, born as Rambo.salama or Ramboasalamarazaka, nicknamed Nampoina, Imboasalama, or Ny Ombalahibemaso “The-Big-Eyed-Bull”

* The Mpihira Gasy giving a dance demonstration

* A man making the famous “Mofo gasy” which is a Malagasy bread;made from a batter of sweetened rice flour that is poured into greased circular molds and cooked over charcoals.

* A man going home with his

* The little happy school boy holding his new satchel

*A man going back home with his zebu – drawn wagon

* A typical Malagasy woman piggy backing her child and holding the other one

*A strong young fisherman in his dugout canoe in the evening

*A young man trying to see who’s stronger and smarter him or the zebu

* A cock fight , whether you gain alot of money or lose all you have. Betting , which is the strongest cock

* A mother breast feeding her child.

* A dugout canoe left by it’s owner

Forgive Me!!!

In life , when we do something it’s very important to have self- control. That day i committed the biggest mistake of my life. Like most men I’m nuts crazy about 3 things in life: women, alcoholic beverages and meat. It was a Sunday afternoon, me and my beloved bottle of ” Toaka gasy” which is a strong made malagasy alcoholic drink. I didn’t really care about my family and never was there for them. I’d never entered my home sober. I enjoyed beating my wife and kids. I’d like the feeling being dominant in my life. I love also the seaside; just laying on the hot sand and gulping down the love of my life. The heat made me drunker. Everything I looked at became blurry. I noticed something approaching me from the sea. It seemed to be a very beautiful half naked lady.

” Sir, I’m very thirsty , may I please have some of your drink?” she asked me.

I gave her a good look and my bottle of joy.” I’ll give anything else except this!” the man said pointing at his bottle. But the women kept begging him to give her some. The man started losing his patience, and tried to get up. It was a bit difficult to maintain his balance and think clear.

“Shut up women , get out of that water and try to get my bottle if you can.” he yelled.

” I can’t Sir, I’m not allowed to leave the water. I don’t have a feet like you. Only to move in the sea, not on land. Please give me some.”

The man lost his temper , took his bottle and hit the woman’s head while saying:” Here it is , if you want it!!”

Her head cracked open ; blood was gushing out. The man panicked and carried her to land. The man was shocked to see that this woman was a mermaid not human. He listened to her heart, which was faint.The woman told him in a weak voice:” What’ve you done to me is unforgivable. You better listen well and follow what I say. Take me back home , but you can’t go by any means of transport except walking. Where you should bury me , it will take you 3 weeks to get there by foot. Becareful not to follow ; what I say. And when you go back home. Don’t be surprised if you’re entire family and relatives perish one by one!!”

My drunkness cleared up quick as I thought it would. I slowly picked her up and carried her on my shoulders. I left right away ; not evening telling my family where I was going. The journey wasn’t easy, and I had to go through alot of obstacles. The smell of the corpse was unbearable. The amazing part was that no one had noticed what I was bringing. After a few weeks , I finally arrived at the place, and buried the dead mermaid. There’s nothing left to do , just go back home.

Weeks passed and the mermaid’s curse did occur. All of my family and relatives died one by one without a cause. At the end I was the only one left. I tried to have girlfriends but it didn’t work. I learned my lesson in life: you need to think before reacting!!” The only thing I can do now is crouch near my family’s graves weeping. Watch my tears fall on the ground and ask them to forgive me , for my stupidness and not being a role model as a husband and father.

My Favourite Festivity ” FAMADIHANA”

The “Famadihana” is one of the Malagasy customs which I love the most of all festivities. Each person has their own definition of the famadihana . Some say that it’s the turning of the bones of the dead (ancestors) and others say that it means to remove the remains of the dead body to another place. For me, Famadihana means the best moment when the entire family from far or near to gather together. Having the chance to know the other huge family members. This prevents the close family from marrying each other; in case they meet in another place or country. Sharing the latest news between the families. It’s also the remembrance of our dead loved ones that is buried inside of the cold family tombs.

I can say that I was very lucky to be able to have the chance to attend the Famadihana many times in my life. I’d like to share my personal experience. I went to my countryside in Ambatolampy; more precisley near Tsiafajavona Ankaratra. I was really excited about it. I didn’t notice the uncomfortable car ride and dusty road. This exhumation ceremony ” Famadihana” requires alot of preparation; and alot of money saving too.

First of all; the family needs to gather and decide on a special date to do the Famadihana. They need to see a “Mpanandro” or astrologer to choose the right date and prepare the ancestors about the exhumation. This is very important because if we don’t do this. Alot of things might go wrong. Usually, the Famadihana lasts about three days. There were so many activities that occurred those days. I remembered that they killed a huge” zebu”. It was a sad thing to see the animal die that way. After eating the ” vary be menaka” or fat rice. You totally forgotten what happened to it. We call it fat rice , because after pouring the fatty beef on top of the rice. It gives the rice an oily and fatty look. It’s delicious!!!! Nothing special mixed with it. I ate half a bucket; it was a great. How can I forget the wonderful performance of the “Mpihira gasy” which is a group of people who sing Malagasy traditional songs. It’s so different from the kind of music you hear in the city. They’re not only singing but in their songs are alot of ” Anatra” as us Malagasy people call it. By listening to them ; we can learn alot of wise teachings. I like also watching the “Mpihaingo” which are some young single girls; dressed in the countryside outfits; with the red blushes on their cheeks. Yes; a nice countryside fashion show. What really impresses me is little and young talented boy who dance in a very different way. When the spectators are satisfied they throw money or coins on the ground. By the end of the show the Mpihira gasy’s hats are filled with money.

As we know it’s the eldest or the head of the family and other members have to go and announce the family’s visit to the family tomb. Even if our ancestors are dead; we still believe that they can hear us. That’s why we can’t just go there and open up the tomb. There are some rituals that must be done. They go there very early in the morning; the Astrologer  will call the ancestors’ attention , preparing them to make sure the corpse will be easily recognized for the shroud renewal. At the end of the speech , the visitors took some “Toaka gasy” which is a Malagasy made alcoholic beverage. They share it with the dead by pouring some on the tomb. The special moment came when all the close relatives of the dead or of all family members, sang and danced on their way to the tomb; not forgetting the national flag. When we finally arrived , they started to dig. As it was the exhumation of my grand father. I dared to enter the tomb. We had to crawl in a underground hole to get the corpse. I wasn’t terrified to be surrounded by corpses. Each dead was placed in a corner of his own shelf. Some of their shrouds were already torn. What I saw was decayed bodies and bones. It made me more curious to get a closer look. So this is how us human beings look like after death.  What I couldn’t support was the atmosphere inside; which was very hot and suffocating. I couldn’t stay long. The men took out the corpses with the mat calling each one by their names. The close relatives carry the corpses around the tomb seven times at the rythm of a Malagasy folk song. So the women in the families; wrapped the corpses with the new shrouds. We can’t get rid of the old ones; because if we do the remains of the corpse will be everywhere. And that’s not easy to gather.

So before the sunset ; the astrologer makes a thanking note moves on a special ritual of locking the tomb.

Nowadays; as life seems more difficult. Only a few Malagasy people still do this exhumation ceremony. Some doesn’t do it because its against their religion. Whether we celebrate it or not, never forget that it’s our custom. Which makes us different from our countries. As Malagasy; I’m very proud to be able to have the chance and honor to celebrate this great festivity ” Famadihana”.

Unending Fight Against Aids

It’s had been a longtime that we tried to sensitize people to fight against Aids. The message is getting through for some people but others aren’t really convinced how fatal this disease can be. December 1^st was the The Worlds Day of Aids. I was invited to attend a movie projection that was organized by The American Embassy at the Ampitheâtre de l’Ecole Normale Superieure, Ampefiloha. The title of the film is ” House on Fire” by Mustapha Khan.

The film talked about how the African- Americans respond to Aids. There were testimonies of victms with Hiv/Aids or their family members that had it. It was so heartbreaking. Here are some of the testimonies:

• A single mother went out with the wrong person and had unsafe sex. She said that she really regretted what she did. It was very difficult to tell her only child that Mama is going to die. What really frightned her is to think about her teen daughter to be left as an orphan in this cruel world.
• Another mother never left her child’s side until the day her daughter died in her arms. The woman said that she was devastated and heartbroken. She felt that a part of her died too.
• A little boy told the sad story that happened to his Mama. He said that he didn’t know what his mother had. It seemed like a very bad flu not like the one he gets. His mother never dared to tell them what was really wrong. The little boy didn’t know the truth til the day his mom died.
• One man hid the truth about his illness to his family and friends during 11 yrs. He was afraid to let anyone to know; because he didn’t want to get rejected and discriminated by society. Finally he decided to join an association with people that has the same case as him. He said that a heavy load came off his shoulders during all these years when he finally accepted and admitted that he had Aids. He was ready to help others like him and sensitize those not victims yet.
• Another man thought that getting Aids will never happen to him. He thought that only homosexual people get it . As a straight person, and father the day he heard that the result was positive. He wanted to commit suicide. He didn’t know how to break the news to his wife and son. The day he told them. He thought they will reject and leave him. Fortunately , they him supported and they became closer as a family than ever.

Watching the people break down in tears while they testified; really was depressing. One Doctor said that :” Aids isn’t a death sentence. You can live with Aids.” She meant that if the person gets tested right away and takes the medecine they should. They have a chance to live a little bit longer and have a normal life.

After the movie , there was a debate about Aids. Most of the people who took part in it; were from different NGO’s associations and doctors. One woman doctor testified that in 1991 , that very ill man came to her for help. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. He did a blood test and was diagonased with Hiv. The man blurted out that he had too many sexual partners in his life. He has dated around 11 people ( males and females) during a year.

Even if we still have a low Aids rate here in Madagascar. Most of the people who does the blood test are those who are already sure that they’re probably aren’t contaminated. But those who don’t do it ; have doubts about their health. And afraid to learn the truth.

We should continue to sensitize people in town and the countryside, so the rate won’t raise…..

Christmas in the Air!!!

Christmas is in the air!!! All around Tana , you can see the streets crowded with sellers and people who are doing their Christmas shopping. The children are really happy to see the different kinds of toys. Some begs their parents to buy them what they like. If the parents can afford it, there’s no problem. But those who are still broke, their kids just have tantrums. It’s really difficult to keep them quiet. For some adults, looking at those toys reminds us of our childhood or just wish that we can become kids again and play with it.

During this time , people like decorating their homes with Christmas trees ( big or small). It’s nice to decorate with beautiful different kinds of ornaments. If you decide to decorate your tree with candies. Don’t be surprised if it disapears little by little.

In this festivity , some likes disguising themselves. As in Santa Claus and roam around the streets to share candies to the children. The children are very happy and excited to see Santa Claus. Some are also terrified of the mask some Santa Clauses wear. The most important is that we can bring joy and put a smile on faces.

This girl is modeling for this artist who draws people’s portraits. This isn’t bad idea to give someone your portrait for a Christmas Gift. It would be different from the presents we usually give. Your family, friends, and love one will be thrilled to have a nice self portrait of you. Wishing everyone a wonderful, joyful and safe and above all FUN “MERRY CHRISTMAS”!!!!!

DRASTIC CHANGE

It was one of those long tiring days. I guess that I should be use to it. I leave my home every morning at 6 am to go to work. It’s tough to work for a textile company; especially when you didn’t finish school. So you have to accept any job they gave you. My parents and I lived in an isolated countryside. To go to the nearest market; we had to walk for hours on a dirt road. When my parents saw that I could read and write a little; they told me to stop and help them out with the farming. I didn’t have a choice. Later on I met my husband. During that time; he helped his boss who had a small truck to load in goods. It was love at first sight. He promised me that he’ll take me far away from this deserted place if I followed him. I did accept. So I left my parents at an early age. When we moved into town, we didn’t have a luxurious home. It was just a two roomed place and the kitchen and toilet was outside. I had to help my husband earn our daily bread. That’d why I decided to apply for a job in a textile company. I guess I was lucky that I got hired right away. I didn’t want to be someone’s housekeeper. They make you work real hard and hardly give you food to eat. At my job now; I’m in the “Pressing section”. You stand there during the entire day just ironing. I always have to bring a bottle of water from home to drink when it gets too hot. Some of my co workers just pass out. They’re probably too exhausted or it’s the heat they can’t support. I wish I could bring my own lunch from home but I don’t want to be different from the others. Everyone eats lunch there. The food is terrible. Some say that the cooks mix baking soda in the rice when they cook it to make it more. Often I get heart burns.

My husband runs in the house breathlessly: “Put your shoes on and let’s go!”

I obeyed not having a clue where we were heading to.

“Where is our son?” I asked him; while trying to catch up with his pace.

“He’s still with my mother. Hurry up!”

We got to a place where there was a crowd of people already there. It was pitch dark and cold. Some guys were prying a department store doors open. I was shocked. People were over excited and pushing each other to enter it. My legs became weak.

“Noro! Get in before everyone gets the good things!” my husband yelled.

When we got inside it was horrifying seeing people run everywhere and steal all they can. Some took off their own clothes and put on new ones. Others brought a plastic bag with them.

“Woman, why are you just standing there? If you’re not going to take anything. Get out of my way then.” a man said; pushing her aside. I didn’t know where my husband had disappeared. It was a total chaos. I was running up every floor to search for him; but no luck. I heard someone downstairs shouting: “Get out! Get out! The store is burning down”. That’s when I really panicked. I didn’t know what to do or where to go. The smoke was blinding me. I hardly could breathe. The place was falling apart. I heard screams from all directions. I thought that day I was going to be burned alive. My son came to my mind. I don’t want him to be an orphan. I tried to drag myself out. Some parts of my clothes were on fire. When I reached the entrance door; I could see the people trying to open it. It was blocked. I know I had to find another way out. I got up as fast as I can and went back upstairs. Some of the stairs were already crumbling but I didn’t care. I finally reached the second floor where I saw a gap big enough for me to squeeze through. All I wanted is to get out of this building. I fell and hit the hard ground. There were more screaming.

I’m not sure for how many days I was unconscious. I was relieved that I was still alive but the hospital bill worried me more. My mother in law was next to my bed with my son.

“Where is Terry?” I asked her. She just bursted out crying.

“He couldn’t come out the building. He was stuck there with the others who were burned alive.”

At that time I was devastated; thinking about what would become of us?

Weeks passed and I decided to go back to work. I still wasn’t strong enough. My boss noticed that too.

“Look! I know what you’ve been through. I’m sorry that you lost your husband. We have a lot of work now. You can hardly iron more than 10 clothes. I want you to leave right now. As you know that time is money. I have no time to waste.” The boss hollered.

I didn’t want to cry in front of him. I took my bottle of water and followed him to his office. He gave me my salary just for two weeks. I didn’t know what to do. It has been awhile that I couldn’t even pay our house rent.

My mother in law didn’t want anything to do with us since her son died. I wanted to go back home to my parents. I knew if we did; we’ll just be a burden to them.

As I walked in the street; I couldn’t hold my head high anymore. I didn’t even see the little dried tomatoes that I bought rolled out my bag. There’s a nice lady behind me who picked it up for me.

“Nowadays; people don’t smile anymore. This political crisis really destroyed each home.  Some parents can’t send their children to school. Everything you buy in the market is expensive. Some just eats rice by itself. They can’t even afford to buy leafy greens to eat with it.” The woman said sighing.

“Madam, can you please help me. My son and I don’t have a place to stay. My husband died in the terrible fire at the department store.” Noro pleaded; tears falling down her face.

“That’s kind of difficult because I don’t even know you.” The woman replied.

“I’ll work for you as maid.”

“That won’t be possible. I already have one.”

“Or I can wash your laundry. Just anything to have a home for us. I don’t want my son to live on the street.” Noro told the woman.

“Look what I can do for you. I have this little place. Actually; it’s where my pigs used to stay. I had to sell them all because of this crisis. You have two choices. You can stay in my pigpen or out in the street. Don’t worry you don’t have to pay any rent. I give it to you for free until now. The only condition is that you don’t bother me and my family. You find your own food.”

After several days; I went back to see the ruins of the burned building that caused the death of so many people. I brought a flower that I found in the public garden. There were other families of the victims throwing flowers into what was left of the burned department store. That’s how they paid respect to their loved ones. I kissed mine and layed it on the ground.

I can never forget the day when we moved in the pigpen. It was filthy and stank. We didn’t have any bed to sleep on. We had to use our thin old mats.

That night I layed down and thought: “Even though I didn’t have much before I had a home. Now I have nothing. The change was too sudden and cruel. I believe that I’m not the only one who is suffering because of this crisis. We never know what would occur the next day of our lives. Too many innocent lives were taken for the greed of the others. Here is the country now; sinking in the blood of its people that were killed.”

MY WORLD

Early in the morning; it was already drizzling. The kind of weather that doesn’t make you want to go outside. Late at night; is the only time there is peace in the tunnel. Even before the sunrise; people and cars are rushing through it. I couldn’t sleep well last night. I guess because the ground seemed too cold as usual. The boxes that we found in trash bins didn’t help much. We had to flatten the boxes, so everyone could have a place to sit. I leaned against Soa who was lightly snoring. I tried not to wake her and her little son 3 yrs old son Patrick up. As I got myself in a more comfortable position. It has been a longtime; since I have been with Soa. We’re not related. Us being inseparable made us close as a family. Sometimes I have this urge inside of me to call her Mama like little Patrick. But I don’t dare. She’s not my mother. Just someone who found me in a trash bin by chance when I was a baby. She told me that I was wrapped in a plastic bag; crying weakly. She didn’t know how long I was there. What surprised her that I didn’t suffocate with all that trashes on top of me. She said that I was around 6 months. During that time; she was still childless. So she took me and tried to raise me as she could. When I grew up; once I called her Mama but she got very upset and yelled at me that she wasn’t my mother. Since then I called her by her name. Sometimes I ask myself what did I do wrong to make my real mother hate me so much. That she was capable to try to kill me. I was just an innocent baby for goodness sake. There are times that I would make up stories in my mind that she’ll come back to look for me. But she never did and I know she never will. I have to quite fooling myself. It isn’t easy to face up to reality. There’s no other choice. Patrick’s eyes open slowly and he begins to fidget. I remember the time Soa was pregnant. I never figured out who was the father. She always left me alone in the tunnel while she went to do her business. I knew that I’ll be lonely more than ever; especially when the baby comes. She’ll think more about her child than me. Soa didn’t go to a hospital to give birth. She couldn’t afford that. The night; she gave birth it was only me and her. She was screaming with pain. I didn’t know how to comfort her. I saw the baby head appear. She told me to make sure that the baby doesn’t fall on the ground. She handed me a sharp broken glass. She told me to use it to cut the umbilical cord. I did as she told me. The baby was fine. Soa was weak from a lot of blood loss. She told me not to worry just take care of the baby. After a few days; she got better. We solemnly get sick from the way we live or the food we eat. We’re use to it.

Each time that I look at Patrick; there’s this jealous feeling inside of me. I have to admit it that it hurts me a lot how Soa is so affectionate to him. I know that it’s her kid. Now; she treats me like I was just a puppy that tags along. I want to be loved too. It’s tough being 12 yrs old girl and lonely. As usual Patrick wanted to be paid and attention too. He howled.

Soa is startled: “What did you do to him?”

“Nothing! He just woke up and started to cry.”

“How much did you get till now?” Soa asked.

“People just pass by and no one drops any money in the can.”

“Peta, you don’t just wait for the people to read your mind. You have to beg.” Soa told her annoyed.

“Sir! Madam! Please give us money we haven’t eaten for days.” Peta begged. No one cared. People tried not to step on them. It was probably because they didn’t want their clean clothes to get dirty.

“Stay here! We’re going for a walk.” Soa said.

“I don’t want too. I’m going too.”

“Not with us; go somewhere else. You better bring back the money you get and not eat it all yourself.” Soa warned her.

Peta had no choice but to obey her. At night; it’s a jungle out here. There’s no safety for anyone; especially little girls like her. People think that bad guys don’t mess with homeless people like us. Even though we have nothing to offer them. We’re not safe. Once after midnight; the silence in the tunnel was disturbed by a group of guys. They were very rowdy and drunk. They kicked us repeatedly while we were sleeping. One guy pulled me and forced me to follow him. I was terrified and screamed. Soa hollered at them to leave me alone. She got punched in the face. The guy who was gripping my arm so hard; looked at me and said: “Do you think I want you? You stinky, dirty rag!” He threw me against the wall. I didn’t pass out. Just in terrible pain. I heard them laugh hysterically while they left. That wasn’t the first time incidents like that happened to me. It was always Soa to protect me. I’m grateful for what she has done for me. As she said that I owe her.

People don’t like to get near me because I smell bad and really filthy. I can’t help it. Here in town it’s difficult to find to water and soap to wash ourselves. The disgust look on their faces really breaks my heart. I want to shout at them and say: Don’t look and treat me like that. I’m a human being like you. I have blood circulating in me and organs like you. We came into this world the same way and we all will die one day too. The differences between us are that you have a roof over your head; good food to eat; education; money and clean. What do I have? Nothing compared to you. I live under a tunnel. I’m stepped on everyday. No one bothers to apologize. The air I inhale is pollution from the cars you have. I dig into the trash bin to survive from starving. A rotten fruit is one of the best foods we can find. You throw away your leftovers. When we find it; it’s like we found a treasure. When your clothes are torn or old ; you throw it away. We gather it and wear it again. It helps us from being cold and naked. The things you consider as garbage. We take it and cherish it for the rest of our lives.

I’d been walking for hours now with a growling stomach. I begged people to give me a piece of what they were eating. They ignored me. Or the usual answers: No! or I have nothing to give you!

I was totally exhausted and sat on the grass near a bench where there was two girls talking. They were complaining about their parents not giving them allowances to buy clothes. Not having enough money to watch the concert during the weekend.

I sighed and thought to myself that everyone has their own problems and worries. It was getting dark and everyone seemed to be in a hurry to get home. For me; I don’t have anything special waiting for me at home. No hot meal nor a cozy bed nor a television show that I don’t want to miss; at home. Tonight will be like one of those other nights that I would go to sleep with an empty stomach. Hours passed but Soa and her son didn’t come back yet. I didn’t worry about them. Soa knows how to take care of herself. All I have is my dreams to create a world that I know will never exist for me. I dream at night and face reality in the morning.

Days, weeks; and months passed. Soa and little Patrick never showed up again. Peta looked around everywhere but couldn’t find them. She became a loner in a cruel world where you have to fight for survival. She had no one to lean on too but herself. “That’s my world which differs from yours!”

Exhumation at Andramasina Antemotra

All around the world, every country has its customs and rituals. What I’m going to talk about; is not something new. For those who read my article about “ Famadihana”or Exhumation. Already have an idea, what happens during this family event. The difference between these articles than the last other one I wrote. I had the chance to attend an Exhumation at Andramasina Antemotra and this time there are pictures.

* Andramasina is a countryside that is located around 32 km from Tana. The last time we went there to visit. The road was a terrible dirt road. But now, it completely changed. You don’t have to worry about getting dusty anymore.

* On the way to go to Antemotra. Is the name of the place where the festivity took place. As you notice the hills, it took us around an hour and so to climb it to reach the place. We also passed by the Sacred lake. You might be wondering why is this lake so sacred. Here in Madagascar, there are a lot of sacred places, which has taboos that you have to respect. Some say that if you look in the lake, you can see a mysterious stairs that no one knows where it leads. Before there was a village there. A stranger, who was an old lady, went to this village. She begged for water but no one cared. She cursed the village. There was a huge flood. That’s when this village completely disappeared. That explains the existence of the stairs. Once there was a friend of the family that ate a pork sausage, and after he washed his hands there. It seemed that something pulled him in the water. Everyone searched for him but his corpse didn’t reappear from the water until after 3 days.

Once there was a man who took his pigs there. Then suddenly the pigs head turned backward. If you want to go to this countryside, you can’t eat or touch any pork. At least one week before, going there. When you don’t respect the taboos, something bad always happens.

* Before the huge family event, there was a dance party at night. This countryside is far from the capital. What was really amazing is that the country people like the famous Malagasy music that we listen to in town. It was nice to watch them dance, having the time of their lives. No matter their age, you can see the happiness on their face.

* During that night too, we roasted a sheep which was very delicious.

* We could also see those who tried to find money. Some sold different kinds of beverages. But the most famous there is the Toaka gasy: which is a strong alcoholic Malagasy beverage. Some men drink it until they are totally drunk.

* Here is a Sugar cane seller. It’s very sweet and it makes you want to eat non-stop until your mouth is tired chewing and spitting it out.

* This is the family Guest house. All the family stays there when they come to Antemotra.

* During the Exhumation, a zebu is killed to feed all the family and guests, and those who live around. What we have here is the skin of the dead zebu.

* Some Exhumations have the Malagasy traditional singers (mpihira gasy). But this time; we had this musical band to entertain people with the music they played.

* We can never forget the popular “Vary be menaka”. It’s the fatty beef that we eat with rice.

* This is the place where we feed the guests and those who live around.

* It’s time to go to the family tomb. You can see the people bringing the “tsihy”: which is a mat and the “lamba mena”: which is a shroud.

* Here is the family tomb which the ancestors are buried.

* Strong young men are digging and on top of the tomb are the “zana-drazana”: which are the generations of the ancestors. This is one way they show how proud they are to have ancestors which they came from.

* This is how the tomb looks like when it’s open. Only men entered it.

* This is the inside of the tomb; where you can see the corpse of the ancestors.

* Here are the group of men taking out the ancestors corpse out of the tomb

* They were laid on a mat. Some families wait every 7 years to renew the shroud.

* It takes time to renew the shroud. It’s a very tense moment for the family. It reminds them of their beloved ancestors that passed away a long time ago.

* To make sure that the shroud doesn’t become loose and open. This is the way, they do to prevent that.

* After that is done, we put it all back in the family tomb.

There are some Malagasy people who don’t do the Exhumation anymore. Everyone has their personal reasons and opinions. Despite the globalization, each country has their customs and traditions. Some doesn’t care about that anymore. They think its old fashion or even a waste of money. The Exhumation is the moment to gather all the family. A new beginning, to forget all the family feuds and become close again. It’s also the moment to know more about the ancestors that we came from. Especially, to know that when our time is through. We have a family tomb and won’t just be buried anywhere. As Malagasy, we have our beliefs. Respect it and that what makes us different from other countries.

World of Books

Do we really know the importance of reading? Some of us might love it or hate reading. Since I was a child my wildest dream was to be locked up in a library and read all day. Everyone has a choice is either to be hooked up on books or T.V or internet.

I bet you’re wondering , why do I love books so much. It’s because it gives you knowledge and above all let you enter a new world. Especially books without pictures, makes you use your imagination.

My life in writing stories were inspired by the books i’ve read. Some might say that it’s more boring than watching a good movie on T.V. It’s not if you know how to choose the right one to read.

For some culture , the children are used to be read to , before going to bed. Some are still very young. Even if they don’t understand it yet. When they get older, they’ll have the habit of picking out a book and read to themselves.

For us Malagasy people, I can tell you that we have great authors. I’ve read alot of malagasy books, not just tales but stories. I loved it. Why can’t we read to our children every night before they go to bed? All of you will say that : ” We’re tired from work and no time or no book to read.” . I’ll answer you by saying that there’s time for everything, and reading is very relaxing and we have alot of book shops here.It won’t hurt to give it a try.

Why not give a book as a birthday present. It would be something different. It’s up to you , to convince the person to read a book.

When I say read a book, I don’t mean only stories. Read newspaper,magazine, encyclopedias ….. etc

For me personally, I can’t live without reading a book.

Choice the right book to read and you won’t regret it!!!!!!

Countryside In Madagascar

All around the world,  everyone doesn’t all live in a town or a city. Some prefers living at the countryside which isn’t a bad idea at all. In the city , it’s very filthy , polluted and crowded. When you wake up in the morning, the first thing you hear is the noises from the cars and buses but in the countryside, just the sounds of the birds singing and the smell of pure air.

Here in Madagascar the types of houses, you see are different. It’s depends in which region you are . In the pics is the countryside here in Tana

It seems so quiet and peaceful  . Not worrying about always being in a hurry or where to buy food. You can just eat what you cultivated It’s also excellent for the health. In the city when you suck in air, you just start coughing. Here, in the countryside . It makes you feel like a new healthy person. The biggest disadvantage is the entertainment. If you don’t know how to amuse yourself by enjoying the nature . It can bore you to death.

Most of the elders , want to spend the rest of the days they have to live at the countryside . Living in the city can really tire us!!!

NIGHTMARE ROAD ” DARAINY’

We do have very terrible roads here in Madagascar. This road , you see above is called ” DARAINY”. It’s the road , that separates Ambilobe and Vohemar. I really like travelling, but how can I ever forget the most terrifying moment in my life.

It was mid January, I was taking a vacation at Sambava. I did have a good time. I had to go home, and I knew that during the wrong moment. It was the cyclone season that time. So I left Sambava , on a Saturday afternoon. Usually , you have to ride those huge trucks with tons of passengers belongings on top of it. Frankly, it wasn’t comfortable at all. The seats were hard . When we passed by Vohemar, you could see the roads flooded with water. So the truck had to go slowly. The worst part was that we entered Darainy at night. In that place , there’s nothing but woods, and no houses at all. So if the truck gets stuck , it’s a day walk to get out of there. It started to rain , that’s when I got nervous . That means bad news, because the truck has to go very slow or either stop at a rain barrier. I wanted to get back home to Tana that bad. The road was flooded with water and very slippery. There’s were also alot of holes in the ground. We passed a little bridge. I mean the truck was just like skidding. It didn’t get better. The driver told everyone to hold on tight to their seat. For me I think he meant dear life. He told us that he had to pass this heavy truck by two thin woods, they call a bridge. If he goes slow the bridge will fall and so will the truck. He drove very fast , and we heard the bridge fall when we got on the safe side. We were relieved especially me. As we went on the truck started to tilt on one side. The driver told us that the two fell into a deep hole. Everyone started to whimper with fear. I was calling the Lord’s name. I thought the truck was about to fall over on one side. Miraculously, the driver kept the car going on full speed. That was the first time I’d ever rode in a car sideways. Everyone was really shooken up.

That’s how the passengers and the drivers of those trucks suffer during the wet seasons. It was an adventure for me that i’ll never forget. In a way , I don’t dare to go back on that road, but another part of me wants too.

No Place like Home

Mika and his sister Niry sat on the rotten log; thinking about how their Easter holidays would have been if their parents didn’t force them to go to the countryside.

“Now, my friends are having a blast at the concert. I can see them eating , drinking and dancing. While I’m here, playing Who blinks first with a cow.”

“Mika, you’re not the only one totally bored. Do you think I want to sit on this hard thing. I don’t want to sit on the grass. Who knows what is hiding underneath it.” Niry complained.

” I guess, if I don’t have anything to do. I’ll just chew some grass like this cow.” Mika whined.

“Seriously, I wonder how can the people here at countryside spend their day. I mean it’s driving me nuts.”

“Kids! Come inside , it’s time for lunch.” their mom called.

They entered the kitchen , barely seeeing anything. The room was nothing but smoke from the fire.

“I can’t breathe or even see anything!! Anyone in here?” Niry said.

” We’re all here. Sit down!! Try to enjoy your vacation!!” their dad told them.

Grand ma gave each of them a moutain of rice and a bowl with a chicken piece  floating in water.

“Doesn’t it look delicious!!” Dad said licking his lips.

“I bet we’ll be eating chicken every day by the time we leave this place. So don’t be surprised if we look like chickens when we get home!!” Mika whispered to his sister.

” Chicken for meals , and sweet potatoes as snacks!! yesterday, my belly ached so bad that I had to go out in the woods to do you know what!!”

“Did you wipe it with your hands? You know that toilet paper doesn’t exist here.” Mika asked looking at Niry’s hands.

“That’s gross!! Of course not. I just had to grab the nearest leaves.”

“Now , you have insects crawling up your ass. My leg itches bad. I’m being attacked by fleas and ticks.” Mika said.

” Don’t you remember what our cousins here said: When you can’t beat those insects; just eat them!” Niry giggled.

“You’re a big help! It takes forever for the day to end. What do you want to do? Go outside again and count the cow dungs we can find or stare at the landscape and yawn.”

“Wow , what a choice. How about if we just sit in our rooms and close our eyes. Hoping this is just all a nightmare!” Niry proposed.

The night , they waited for ages finally came.

‘ It’s bedtime kids. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” their mom cooed.

” I hope it doesn’t eat us alive.” Mika answered back.

” How can they sleep on this thin mat on this dirty floor. My backaches and I’m so uncomfortable. I want to go back home.” Niry cried.

” Cheer up , tonight is the last night for us to stay here. Try to enjoy it.” Mika told her.

It was dead quiet and pitch black in the room. None of them couldn’t sleep; except their parents.

” I can’t stand this anymore. I’m going to sit down.” Mika said to himself.

Across the room in the corner , there was a light. He saw someone sitting cross legged ; looking at him. He couldn’t really see the face. It seemed like a dark shadow. Mika was getting goose bumps. The thing was coming closer to him. he was so terrified that he force himself to sleep.

The next day, before the departure. Mika told his grand pa about what he saw. He told Mika that is was the ghost of an uncle; who always drops by when there are visitors.

The only words that came out of Mika’s mouth was :” There’s no place like home, where you don’t see strange things and you feel at ease.”

Wonders of Madagascar I

Madagascar is a beautiful island in the Indian Ocean. There are many different kinds of animals ,reptiles, and insects. Despite the political Crisis 2009 that occured in the country. How can we forget the beauty of its nature.

Some of those faunas are in extinction now. We have to find ways to protect the environment.

We’ll just let the images , we see above speak for it self.

THE BLOGGER

Since I was introduced to this blogging stuff, I became really addicted. I do it for fun , even if i’m not a professional journalist. I know I do a pretty good job as them in like writing something or taking photos. But this time I over done it. Here I am now in a prison cell. Let’s make it clear, it’s not that I didn’t respect the Law. I’m here for my protection. Lately in my town , alot of people had been disappearing. No one knew exactly who the real kidnapper is. I was suspicious about this old lady who lived near the creek. The kids in the neighborhood calls her a witch. So once I decided to pass by her place and sneak around. I didn’t find any evidence, so I went back home empty handed. In my bedroom I like sitting near my window, where I can watch out what’s happening outside. We just got a new neighbor named Mr. Cally. He seemed to be a peculiar man. I never seen another person enter or leave his home except him. He has been living in that house next to ours for months now. For me , I consider him new, because I don’t know him well like my other neighbors. Every morning this guy wakes up around 4 a.m in the morning, and goes to his garden behind his place. He likes sitting on the ground . I can’t really see what he’s doing. He always gives his back to me. It just seems that he’s planting something. So when I didn’t get lucky with the kidnappping story that’s really famous in my town now. I decided to write a story about this odd guy in my blog.

One morning the cops came knocking at my door. My parents totally freaked out. They wanted to talk to me and asked my questions about Mr. Cally. It was getting on my nerves. So I told them to come up to my room where I can show them my blog. During those few weeks, I always wrote something about this guy in my blog. The cops found some interesting informations that they were looking for. I got scared because I didn’t want to be consider a paparazzi. I mean Mr.Cally isn’t even famous. I just wanted to write a new story for my blog.

Days passed, I noticed that Mr.Cally daily routines became to change. I saw him carry a huge leather bag and leave his place. I knew this was the moment to make my story a nation’s hit. I went to his place and pried open the window. What I was doing can throw me to jail but I didn’t care. I finally got the chance to enter the place. It has a horrifying view. The place was a total chaos. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had discovered the person , the cops had been searching for months now. It wasn’t the old lady by the creek. It was my own neighbor, the mysterious kidnapper. It was a good thing that I bought my digital camera with me. I took alot of pictures. But the most gruesome part was to find out that our kidnapper was a cannibal. Now I figure out what he did every morning in his garden. He was burying the bones of those he ate. I ran out the door , but wasn’t quick enough. Mr. Cally was standing there and licking his lips. I screamed and tried to fight him off. I was lucky though , he only bit my arm. There was a cop around so they came to my rescue. They went back to arrest the guy, but couldn’t find him. They took me to the police station for my protection. They knew Mr. Cally will come back for me. They also asked me why did I do such a risky thing. I just told them, it was for my blog. I became famous because I knew everything before any journalists. I didn’t really base my blog only about stories . I became a Citizen Media by letting people from all over the world to know actual events in my town and why not my country…

Destruction of Antananarivo II ( Crisis 2009)

By looking at the pictures above , you can see how terrible the destruction was. During the last Crisis 2002, there wasn’t much damage compared to this time. Everyone was a victim. When Andry Rajoelina the Mayor and his followers decided to continue the strike at 13 mey avenue. They didn’t stop until they destroyed the capital Antananarivo. A group of men started to attack any shops and clothing departements, that they saw. They busted the entrances and so the people could go in. They didn’t just rob , they also burned down the place. The saddest is that alot of people got trapped in the fire , while they stole, and burned to death. They stole and broke everything that came in sight.

They actually dared to destroy and burn down the National TV and Radio which was never touched even in previous Crisis.

Now alot of people are jobless and the owners of the shops have a great deal of loss. Whoever commited those are God fearless people. Most of the stolen objects they sell it cheap in the street.

Now life became more difficult and expensive than before. Everyone suffers for the thoughtless acts that others did. The street are filthy.

What happened to the beautiful and clean Capital before??

It seems like a dream , if we look what became of it now.

Is this a way to declare ” Real Democracy” by robbing and burning down people’s places and stores??

Is Violence necessary to get what we want???