just a tidbit.

typing on french keyboards is tougher than i imagined and our pitstop in this town is brief so i must keep this short! thanks to my dad for updating my blog from my text messages... i love village life and will write great descriptions soon.
this week my training group is touring around the eastern coast of madagascar to check out some national parks- andasibe is one of them- and spend some time learning about plant and animals here as well as a couple days at the ocean. my site placement will be in the far northeast in a fishing village just south of diego suarez and i will be leaving right on the beach and working some w conservation international. more later but please know i am thinking of all my loved ones and would adore letters, emails and especially texts!!! 011 261 34 410 4520 love to all

my day.

I wake daily at 5:00 am to my host sister starting a fire in the outdoor "kitchen". We do chores by candlelight as the village awakens. We eat a simple breakfast then I'm off to culture and language classes all day. My host family is patient, but learning Malagasy is tough. I help with dinner and then go to bed (under a mosquito net) by 8:00 pm to study and sleep.

It is beautiful here. I'm happy and healthy...

arrived safely.

Posted by Vanessa's Dad - Vanessa has arrived safely in Madagascar. She picked up a new cell phone today and called me and asked me to post this update. She's studying with the Peace Corps during the day and is enjoying her host family - a 41 year-old Mom single mom who lives in very small and humble surroundings (no electricity or indoor plumbing). I'm sure Vanessa will describe the sights and sounds in a much more colorful way in the near future. She mentioned she will have limited access to computers but will post more news whe she can.

All in all, she sounds very happy and excited and seems like she's truly in her element... experiencing a new culture, reading by candle light, sleeping under mosquito netting, learning a foreign language and meeting new friends in a different part of the world.

in transit.

Just a quick note to say we've arrived safely in Johannesburg, South Africa after a long but peaceful flight from DC. We had about an hour & a half on the ground to refuel in Dakar, Senegal yesterday, and then another eight hours to Jo-burg, where we landed last night around 7 PM. As soon as we got to our hotel, I quickly made my way to the outdoor pool to swim and enjoy the warm night air, swaying trees and lush tropical plants. Though I had only slept about 3 hours on the plane, I only slept from 10- 2 AM, which seems about on par with everyone else in the group. We're all a little road weary, but excited to be at our final destination this afternoon in the capital city of Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Today we'll meet the Peace Corps country directors and spend the night at the headquarters. Tomorrow we'll finally get to our training facilities, and meet our host families. It will be so nice to get settled for a bit after so many months of waiting and wondering.
Hope all is well with everyone! Much love to all.