Ryan's Mom again . . . I talked with Ryan today - his 25th Birthday. The trainees had their final language test (LPI) this morning!! What a relief for everyone. There was a party to celebrate - which included the host families. The trainees leave Monday for the Embassy in Antananarivo (known as Tana to the locals) to be sworn in on Tuesday, January 26th. There will be another party after the swear-in ceremony and then off to their assigned posts on Wednesday, January 27th. Ryan still can't believe how lucky is to have been assigned to the coast! He has been texting a "seasoned" volunteer living in the same village - she told him that it gets down to 80 degrees at night, its hotter during the day, and that the ocean water is warm! He can't wait. CONGRATULATIONS RYAN!!!
Ryan will have a new address soon.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Happy New Year from Madagascar!
(Ryan's mom again) Talked with Ryan the afternoon of New Years Eve. They had their language tests and he was waiting for the results. He feels better about his progress with Malagasy than he did about Hausa (the language he was learning in Niger). He is now learning the specific dialect of the village he will move to after being sworn in on January 26th. He moves in with his host family home on January 4th - this is where he will spend the next 3 weeks before moving to his post on the east, central coast. His host family has 3 children ages 19, 14 and 3. The house does not have electricity - and he will have his own room. This will be quite different from the "resort" atmosphere of the training compound - where they had a cook preparing fabulous meals, someone to do their laundry, electricity, soft beds, bath tubs and showers. After spending the past 2 1/2 months with the other trainees, I'm sure living without them will also be an adjustment for everyone.
Ryan's brother Rog spoke with him on New Years Eve - 2:00 am Ryan's time which was 3 in the afternoon for us. Sounds like they rang in the New Year pretty much the same way as we do in the states. Quite a party!
Ryan's brother Rog spoke with him on New Years Eve - 2:00 am Ryan's time which was 3 in the afternoon for us. Sounds like they rang in the New Year pretty much the same way as we do in the states. Quite a party!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
On the Coast
Ryan is without internet access - so this is being posted by his Mom again.
Ryan received his assignment. He will be spending the next 2 years living on the eastern coast of Madagascar. He has been assigned to Small Enterprise Development and will be working with the Mayor as his contact person. He's very excited - as he was hoping to live on the coast. The beaches look beautiful. He will have a house with electricity - a kitchen, bath and bedroom. The trainees move in with a host family for the final three weeks of training (January 4th - 26th). Then they are sworn in on January 26th - and move to their posts on the 27th.
The group is spending the day after Christmas hiking and camping in the rain forest.
Ryan will have a new address once he re-locates to his post.
Ryan received his assignment. He will be spending the next 2 years living on the eastern coast of Madagascar. He has been assigned to Small Enterprise Development and will be working with the Mayor as his contact person. He's very excited - as he was hoping to live on the coast. The beaches look beautiful. He will have a house with electricity - a kitchen, bath and bedroom. The trainees move in with a host family for the final three weeks of training (January 4th - 26th). Then they are sworn in on January 26th - and move to their posts on the 27th.
The group is spending the day after Christmas hiking and camping in the rain forest.
Ryan will have a new address once he re-locates to his post.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
MADAGASCAR!
Ryan doesn't have access to the internet at the Madagascar training center so his mom is posting this for him.
Madagascar is awesome. It is the 4th largest island in the world. The trainees are living at the Peace Corps Training Center - 70 km southeast of the capital Antananarivo - for the next 3 weeks. After that they will live with a host family for 3 weeks before moving to their site assignments. Ryan is hoping to be assigned to the coastal region. Everything is different from life in Niger. First of all - No sand!! No dirty feet!! It generally rains at night and then is warm and sunny during the day. Everything is green. This is Madagascar's summer - both the hot and the wet season. The training center is surrounded by a lake - which they canoe on, but can't swim in. They sell beer and alcohol. The food is incredible - they are eating amazing fresh fruit(the best mangos and plums),rice, fresh vegetables and lots of fish.
The trainees are sleeping inside - but still use a mosquito net. The beds are comfortable with warm blankets. They were each given 2 rolls of toilet paper - hope it lasts 3 weeks! They are learning the language - Malagasy. There are only 21 letters (no c, q, u, w, or x). There is no gender difference in the language.
Although the trainees were extremely sad to leave Niger - Madagascar is wonderful and are really enjoying it. And of course spending an entire day in Paris was a bonus! And they will be hiking in the rain forest the day after Christmas!
Madagascar is awesome. It is the 4th largest island in the world. The trainees are living at the Peace Corps Training Center - 70 km southeast of the capital Antananarivo - for the next 3 weeks. After that they will live with a host family for 3 weeks before moving to their site assignments. Ryan is hoping to be assigned to the coastal region. Everything is different from life in Niger. First of all - No sand!! No dirty feet!! It generally rains at night and then is warm and sunny during the day. Everything is green. This is Madagascar's summer - both the hot and the wet season. The training center is surrounded by a lake - which they canoe on, but can't swim in. They sell beer and alcohol. The food is incredible - they are eating amazing fresh fruit(the best mangos and plums),rice, fresh vegetables and lots of fish.
The trainees are sleeping inside - but still use a mosquito net. The beds are comfortable with warm blankets. They were each given 2 rolls of toilet paper - hope it lasts 3 weeks! They are learning the language - Malagasy. There are only 21 letters (no c, q, u, w, or x). There is no gender difference in the language.
Although the trainees were extremely sad to leave Niger - Madagascar is wonderful and are really enjoying it. And of course spending an entire day in Paris was a bonus! And they will be hiking in the rain forest the day after Christmas!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
On to Madagascar
We left Niger at midnight Sunday - and spent 28 hours in Paris! Sightseeing, eating and drinking good wine. Left Paris Tuesday morning at 11:00 am and arrived in Madagascar about midnight! Our new journey begins.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
From NIGER to MADAGASCAR
Since Ryan doesn't have internet access this is being posted by his Mom . . .
Began my journey with orientation in Philadelphia on October 19th. Scared, anxious and unsure of what was ahead for me. Departed from JFK with a layover in Paris and arrived in NIGER on October 22nd along with 36 other Peace Corps trainees. The first thing we all noticed was the heat! It can get up to 130 degrees during the hot months. The people of Niger are the friendliest and happiest people in the world - they made us feel very welcome in their country. Trainees were paired up and moved in with a host family - this is where we would live during our 9 weeks of training. Arron and I lived with a "well-off" Christian family - even though 90% of the population in Niger is Muslim. My dad is a farmer, with only one wife and 6 children (ages 2 months to 16 years). Although they are without running water (the toilet is a hole in the ground) they have a TV, DVD, and a cell phone! Sadly, life with our host families was cut short. In mid-November there was an attempted kidnapping at the US Embassy in Tahoua. This was followed by another attempted kidnapping at the Niger-Mali border. Volunteers were called back from their posts, and we (the trainees) were moved into the training compound - in phase 2 consolidation. Phase 3 being evacuation. We felt very safe as we continued our training and language lessons - I was in the process of learning Hausa. We truly expected that we would return to our host families.
However, with the current security issues,the Peace Corps determined that we (the trainees) with our limited language and cross-cultural skills are simply too much of a risk. We learned we would be split up and re-located to one of three countries - neighboring Mali or Burkina Faso, or the island of Madagascar. It was devastating and disappointing news to hear. We have come to love Niger. In lockdown, the dorm-life atmosphere made us a close group of trainees. We played volleyball, games and cards, watched movies, had dances (music provided by i-pods and laptops) and the girls organized an awesome Thanksgiving dinner. We don't want to leave Niger - the country and our new friends.
The day after Thanksgiving we learned that accommodations had been made to send the entire training class as a group to Madagascar - something that rarely happens. All except for one of our friends who is unable to join us due to medical clearance. Although we are excited to have the chance to continue our journey instead of being sent back home it is also bittersweet. We love Niger but have been told that going to Madagascar is like winning the Peace Corps Lottery! The country is an island off the southeast coast of Africa. It is biologically diverse - specific plants and animals in Madagascar exist nowhere else in the world. Lemurs for example - are endemic to Madagascar. The climate is completely different from what we have become accustomed to in Niger -it rains in Madagascar. We all have the wrong clothes! Madagascar is somewhat more liberal than Niger - even with the heat, shorts are intolerable in Niger.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my short time in Niger. I was able to partake in the Muslim holiday Tabaski. I have tasted amazing food - all eaten with your right hand off of a large plate shared with family members. My mother made a very hot soup-like meal also eaten with your hand . . very hot! I have shopped in the local market and taken a bush taxi - what an experience. I had the local barber shave my head - bald is maintenance-free! I have tailor-made native clothing which I purchased from the local tailor in the market.
With mixed feelings, we leave for Paris late Sunday night, arriving at 6:00 am Monday. After spending all day Monday in Paris - we depart for Madagascar Tuesday morning to continue this incredible journey.
Will keep you posted on my life in Madagascar. I've been able to talk to my family at home with SKYPE. If you would like to mail me a letter (we all look forward to getting letters) my new address during training is:
RYAN ADAMS/PCT PEACE CORPS
Corps de la Paix
BP 12091
Poste Zoom Ankorondrano
101 Antananrivo
Madagascar
Began my journey with orientation in Philadelphia on October 19th. Scared, anxious and unsure of what was ahead for me. Departed from JFK with a layover in Paris and arrived in NIGER on October 22nd along with 36 other Peace Corps trainees. The first thing we all noticed was the heat! It can get up to 130 degrees during the hot months. The people of Niger are the friendliest and happiest people in the world - they made us feel very welcome in their country. Trainees were paired up and moved in with a host family - this is where we would live during our 9 weeks of training. Arron and I lived with a "well-off" Christian family - even though 90% of the population in Niger is Muslim. My dad is a farmer, with only one wife and 6 children (ages 2 months to 16 years). Although they are without running water (the toilet is a hole in the ground) they have a TV, DVD, and a cell phone! Sadly, life with our host families was cut short. In mid-November there was an attempted kidnapping at the US Embassy in Tahoua. This was followed by another attempted kidnapping at the Niger-Mali border. Volunteers were called back from their posts, and we (the trainees) were moved into the training compound - in phase 2 consolidation. Phase 3 being evacuation. We felt very safe as we continued our training and language lessons - I was in the process of learning Hausa. We truly expected that we would return to our host families.
However, with the current security issues,the Peace Corps determined that we (the trainees) with our limited language and cross-cultural skills are simply too much of a risk. We learned we would be split up and re-located to one of three countries - neighboring Mali or Burkina Faso, or the island of Madagascar. It was devastating and disappointing news to hear. We have come to love Niger. In lockdown, the dorm-life atmosphere made us a close group of trainees. We played volleyball, games and cards, watched movies, had dances (music provided by i-pods and laptops) and the girls organized an awesome Thanksgiving dinner. We don't want to leave Niger - the country and our new friends.
The day after Thanksgiving we learned that accommodations had been made to send the entire training class as a group to Madagascar - something that rarely happens. All except for one of our friends who is unable to join us due to medical clearance. Although we are excited to have the chance to continue our journey instead of being sent back home it is also bittersweet. We love Niger but have been told that going to Madagascar is like winning the Peace Corps Lottery! The country is an island off the southeast coast of Africa. It is biologically diverse - specific plants and animals in Madagascar exist nowhere else in the world. Lemurs for example - are endemic to Madagascar. The climate is completely different from what we have become accustomed to in Niger -it rains in Madagascar. We all have the wrong clothes! Madagascar is somewhat more liberal than Niger - even with the heat, shorts are intolerable in Niger.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my short time in Niger. I was able to partake in the Muslim holiday Tabaski. I have tasted amazing food - all eaten with your right hand off of a large plate shared with family members. My mother made a very hot soup-like meal also eaten with your hand . . very hot! I have shopped in the local market and taken a bush taxi - what an experience. I had the local barber shave my head - bald is maintenance-free! I have tailor-made native clothing which I purchased from the local tailor in the market.
With mixed feelings, we leave for Paris late Sunday night, arriving at 6:00 am Monday. After spending all day Monday in Paris - we depart for Madagascar Tuesday morning to continue this incredible journey.
Will keep you posted on my life in Madagascar. I've been able to talk to my family at home with SKYPE. If you would like to mail me a letter (we all look forward to getting letters) my new address during training is:
RYAN ADAMS/PCT PEACE CORPS
Corps de la Paix
BP 12091
Poste Zoom Ankorondrano
101 Antananrivo
Madagascar
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