Where should I begin? It’s been 5 weeks and this is my first post. Many apologies! I haven't had internet access until this point and probably won't again for several weeks. Thus far, I've primarily seen semi-rural and rural sites within Madagascar and in response to those, here are a few cultural adjustments that might interest friends and family…

• Using the kabone! Or as it was formally called – the toilet. What is a “kabone” you may ask? It’s an outside wooden stall with a hole and two bricks for your feet. Use your imagination to put the rest together. Let’s just say aiming skills are very important.
• Taking bucket baths! It’s amazing how little water you actually need to get cleaned up.
•  I have officially seen a chicken butchered! I'm hoping to get my chance to do the deed during the Trainees' Peace Corps Olympics that I've been told is happening at some point during our training. 
• I got the pleasure (ha!) of fetching water from a well on a daily basis during home-stay. The ladies here are ripped and can do this in no time. My guns felt the burn the first several days.
•  I've eaten rice at least twice a day during Pre-service Training. This is definitely the rice capital of the world! I was surprised at how good most of the food is here. I expected more difficulty transitioning my diet but it’s been fairly smooth. In the highlands fruits and vegetables are fairly common to come by and the pineapples, mangos and bananas are fantastic! However, I do not share the Malagasy’s affection for fried foods- oil overload for me.

Where will I be living and what will I be doing?

I received my site placement March 26 and will be living in Ambovombe, Madagascar for the next two years working for Franco-Malagasy Association doing IT work, as well as small business advising for associations of artisans in the area. 

Other Random Thoughts…

Within the first week or so, it no longer felt strange to be living here and my body had fully adjusted to the increase in carbohydrates and time change. It’s taken a little longer to get used to the lack of guilty pleasures, such as favorite foods, drinks, places, people and shows (my external hard drive committed suicide week two but perhaps it’s for the better – now I’m forced to break my media addiction - and my home for the next two years doesn't have electricity anyway). Pre-service training has been for the most part what I expected. The most difficult task has definitely been learning the language. Some days we have language class for almost four hours in the mornings. I started a new dialect this week for the region I'll be moving to, which meant a lot of what I had previously learned went out the window and I started from scratch. There have been highs and lows – days where I felt confident in my ability to do this and days where I had to put my headphones on and find my inner zen (Thank God for music!)....and on my last random note - I have some hot farmer tan lines…rawr!

Enjoy a few pictures from Mantasoa, Madagascar where training is taking place. 

Peace.