the malagasy people are known for their brutal honesty. in fact, during a recent cross-cultural training with the peace corps, one of the malagasy instructors told us that malagasy never "stomp around the bush."
so, it should have come as no surprise that my ass is often the topic of conversation in my village. just the other day, while helping dig a hole with a group of people who are building a new house, a couple guys turned to each other and said, "vanessa's ass is bigger than julia's. but maybe not as big as eleanor's." (both julia & eleanor served as volunteers in my village before me.) the conversation ensued with bantering back and forth amongst everyone present for some time, not that i actually know what they were saying. i just kept swinging my shovel in wonderment, speechless as usual.
another example. a friend was over at my house just before we were going out fishing. "you have a big ass," she said matter-of-factly, while i stood at the stove, uncertain how to respond. "julia was small, but you are big." what can i say to that? i usually just smile and nod to these types of comments, and sometimes respond in english if i'm feeling particularly weary, such as "yeah well, you have a big nose," or "it's a wonder you all don't have big asses, with all the fried bread you people eat!" they mean nothing by it, it's just the way it goes here. you call 'em like you see 'em.
and while i'm on the topic, the malagasy people seem to practically worship asses. not a day goes by in my village that i don't happen to wander past someone's house and see african music videos playing on a tiny TV, with upwards of fifteen to twenty people gathered around, glued to the screen. these videos usually consist of an occasional shot of one guy singing, rhythmically swaying side to side, while featuring african women girating maniacally in strange and sometimes disturbing outfits, their asses shaking and shimmying impressively to the music. i have never seen anything like it, and i've seen some african dancing in my day.
so, it should have come as no surprise that my ass is often the topic of conversation in my village. just the other day, while helping dig a hole with a group of people who are building a new house, a couple guys turned to each other and said, "vanessa's ass is bigger than julia's. but maybe not as big as eleanor's." (both julia & eleanor served as volunteers in my village before me.) the conversation ensued with bantering back and forth amongst everyone present for some time, not that i actually know what they were saying. i just kept swinging my shovel in wonderment, speechless as usual.
another example. a friend was over at my house just before we were going out fishing. "you have a big ass," she said matter-of-factly, while i stood at the stove, uncertain how to respond. "julia was small, but you are big." what can i say to that? i usually just smile and nod to these types of comments, and sometimes respond in english if i'm feeling particularly weary, such as "yeah well, you have a big nose," or "it's a wonder you all don't have big asses, with all the fried bread you people eat!" they mean nothing by it, it's just the way it goes here. you call 'em like you see 'em.
and while i'm on the topic, the malagasy people seem to practically worship asses. not a day goes by in my village that i don't happen to wander past someone's house and see african music videos playing on a tiny TV, with upwards of fifteen to twenty people gathered around, glued to the screen. these videos usually consist of an occasional shot of one guy singing, rhythmically swaying side to side, while featuring african women girating maniacally in strange and sometimes disturbing outfits, their asses shaking and shimmying impressively to the music. i have never seen anything like it, and i've seen some african dancing in my day.
That just made me laugh! What a good sport you are. And for people that worship asses, I don't blame them one bit for taking a liking to yours :)
ReplyDeleteLove you! Sandra
This brutal honesty you are describing is most often noticed on the coasts of madagascar, where people are more open and not afraid to tell you what they have in mind.
ReplyDeleteYou will notice that in other regions, people tend to turn around the bush and are more careful about what they say.
Malagasy people seem to worship asses? This is funny... But when I see the loads of tropical music videos on my TV, I tell myself you've got a point there... But then, when I see videos of lady gaga, madonna and britney spears (and god knows that many of you guys are glued to the screen when they perform on TV)... I don't really see why you would call malagasy people Ass worshipers... ;-)
But I'm glad that you could add this funny anecdote to the other cultural-shock anecdotes you could experience here in my country.
Lala.