numbers.

Number of days I have lived in Madagascar, approximately: 180

Number of days I have eaten rice, approximately: 180

Number of times I have eaten salad in Madagascar: 4

Number of hot “showers” (bucket baths) I have taken: 3

Number of days I have worn flipflops: 180

Number of times I have told the neighbor children not to call me “vazaha” (a derogatory expression for “white person”): 50

Number of people in my village that have asked me to teach them English: 30

Number of people that have followed through with a lesson: 2

Number of dead baby chickens I have found in my yard, causes unknown: 5

Number of times I have danced at a community event: 2

Number of days I hear about my dancing: everyday

Number of nights I slept in a neighbor’s house because my house was infested with small fleas that live on chickens: 3

Kilos of fish we can bring in on a single fishing trip during the high season (November-February): 300-500

Kilos we’re bringing in now (August): 2-10

Number of drunks in my village (population 700): 6

Number of people who can read: about half

Number of overweight people: 3, all in the same family

Types of beer they sell in Madagascar: 4

Types of good beer they sell in Madagascar: 0

Number of chairs, forks and mugs in my house, each: 2

Number of times I have made my own peanut butter: 5

Number of days the jar lasted, on average: 2.5

Number of weeks I have lived without electricity in Madagascar: 12

Cups of rice my Malagasy friend goes through per month: 84

Cups I go through per month: 10

Bags of trash I have produced in the four months at site: 1

Number of days I have thought how lucky, how beautiful, how blessed I am: all of ‘em