Just NB

This was the entertainment at lunch yesterday. I'll post pictures of my canal tour as soon as I can.

What do you get when you cross one kind hearted expat, too much Beer and Zhama, and chickens available for sale on every street? Four chickens in the backyard. Thankfully - not my backyard. This American cowboy lives across the road from me. I did pop by for a visit and gave them my carrots. Which they seemed to really enjoy..... He says - he was "rescuing" them. ???

I'm not sure if this is news to you guys...some people told me they read about it on line already. But since I'm a bit out of touch...I just heard about it (although it did storm like crazy here that day and now I know why). Here is the article: --------------------------------- Tropical Storm Hubert kills 36 in Madagascar Associated Press March 16, 2010 ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar — Madagascar's disaster officials say at least 36 people have died and more than 38,000 were made homeless by Tropical Storm Hubert. The storm hit the southeast coast of the Indian Ocean island nation on Wednesday. Officials also said Monday that many rice plantations, roads and homes have been affected or destroyed by flooding. Disaster officials also say that some evacuation teams cannot reach disaster victims because of flooded roads. Madagascar lies off the southeastern coast of Africa and is in the main storm path of the Indian Ocean basin. It normally has three or four major cyclones each year...

Surprisingly, I've had a lot of people ask me just where Madagascar is. (Actually...not that surprisingly...I didn't know where it is until a few years ago...). Through the magic of google maps and satellites - not only can I tell you - but I can SHOW you. Here is a pretty simple world map. With MG circled in yellow for anyone not wearing their bi-focals... Zoom in a little closer - and here is the island - in all of it's glory. Zoom in a little closer and you can see some of the names of the cities (click on the image to make it bigger) And there it is - Toamasina - also known as Tamatave. (I need to do some research as to why they have two different names. MG was once colonized by the French, so I'm suspecting that has something to do with it. You'd think I'd know this by now....) And here - is where I live - like exactly where I live. That's my house! Inside the compound. You can also see the L-shaped Tiki Bar, pool, and the bigger white building is the ...

Type "St. Patrick's Day and the color green" into a Google search, and you get oh...830,000 or so results... A few sites suggested that Green is worn on St. Patrick's Day for luck. " Green is the colour of Ireland, of mysterious deeds, of an awakening earth, of the mist that lies in the hollows foretelling the coming of spring, of the shoots whose green colour deepens as they stretch toward the sun. Green is a verdant countryside and the colour of the finest season of the year - it is no wonder that wearing a bit of it wards off bad luck! " I'm not a supersticious person, and I think I'm already exceptionally lucky...but let's face it, I'll use any excuse to dress up goofaley* and get together with good friends.... *(yes, on this blog, goofaley IS a word - derived from "goofy" and can be used as an adjective or a verb) At last night's St. Patrick's Day celebration there was: Green drink Green food Green shirts (for t...

I don't have time for a real post....so I thought I'd share an email I received from a Malagasy employee who has touched the hearts of a few expats here.... I am so, so, so excited about this. SO EXCITED!! (His translation into English isn't great - but you get the idea... ) J’ai l’immense joie de vous faire part de mon mariage qui sera célébré le 27 Mars 2010. La bénédiction nuptiale sera donnée à l’église Zoara Fanantenana Ambohipo à 10h30 Antananarivo . A l’issue de la cérémonie, pour ceux qui sont disponibles, nous aurons le plaisir vous accueillir au vin d’honneur qui aura lieu à partir de 13h00 à l’espace CNEAGR Nanisana Antananarivo . -----------*****--------------- It is an honor for me to inform you about my wedding which will be celebrated on March 27th, 2010. Holy Trinity will be given to the Church Zoara Fanantenana Ambohipo at 10h30 AM Antananarivo . If you are available, we look forward to welcoming you to attend the wedding ceremony at 01:00PM at CNEAGR Nanis...

I was here... ....sitting in the St. Denis, Réunion airport, pennyless (my credit card wouldn't work and I didn't have any Euros)....with a five or seven hour delay...the business lounge was closed...the only three stores were closed....and my laptop battery was dead... I had been violently ill on the plane (thanks to taking my anti-malaria meds without enough food), I had been travelling for...30-odd hours...and was about to live and work in a third world country. I wish I could remember what I was thinking..... When I look at this picture, it looks like I'm trying to be positive about the whole experience...and not freak out....but that I'm just a little scared.... :D If I knew then just how this experience would effect and change my life (and it's not even CLOSE to over yet)...what would my expression look like? I can't even imagine... Thankfully, that day....I swallowed my fear, kept my brave front (which was in appearance only) and got on the plane...and ...