Work

Some of you may be wondering if I have worked yet since all I write
about are tortillas and my inner thoughts. Well, the short answer to
that is NO but the long answer is KIND OF.

NO

It is hard, for me at least, to do any substantial work when I cant
speak Malagasy well enough to communicate complex ideas. When I meet
people I usually tell them that I am not doing projects yet because I
need to work on language first. The good part about how long it
takes to learn a language is that it forces me to learn the culture as
well...before I try to do projects. This way when I try to do
something it will be culturally appropriate. So, if I dont work
then what do I do? I read a lot, I cook a lot, I talk to people a
lot, I walk a lot and I stare at my ceiling a lot. As a matter of
fact, I think this is the phase of Peace Corps well known among
volunteers where you basically do nothing and face your own ability to
make peace with that. I am at peace with it in waves and totally
confused about my uselessness in waves.

KIND OF

There are a few small things that I have done. I have translated some
documents for the nonprofit I am affiliated with. I have traveled the
region to see and learn about the places they are protecting. I am
in the process of starting an English class for the people in my town
who all ask me to teach them English. I am teaching a young man how
to use the Internet. Since the Peace Corps is also about
intercultural exchange, when I tell people about the US I am
technically working. Similarly, when I learn about Madagascar I am
technically working. In this sense, I am always working. Today, for
example, I explained that in the US the internet is really fast. And
almost everyday when I try a new fruit or vegetable, I explain that in
the United States we dont have this or that. Everyone likes it when
I try things for the first time, especially (for some reason) when I
dont like it. There are many projects people want me to start, just
this morning a man came to my house asking for help raising money to
buy a generator for his hotel (which currently does not have
electricity). I dont have the language or technical skills yet to
facilitate things like this, so hopefully as my language improves so
will my ability to be useful.