tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64140613478872228472024-03-11T21:51:49.784-07:00Susanne in MadagascarEverything You Never Knew You Wanted to Know About Madagascar....Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-13622242528152765972014-06-02T23:37:00.002-07:002014-06-03T04:59:20.386-07:00Willy Saves Mara<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>The small wooden pirogue had been serving the seas for many
years. Until last week. It had such a hard time on the turbulent waters of Nosy Be, that it broke in half. Three local
fishermen are hurled out. Two of them have been never heard from again. The
third, Mara Beanjara (45) is helpless in the churning sea. Twenty years at sea,
but he can't really swim... </b></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Island</b></span></div>
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He struggles in the water, desperately. Suddenly he
spots a little hill top, or a small island, he does not know very well. He
climbs on it, frantically hanging on to the edge. Then it starts to move. The island rises from
the water and guess what: it's a huge whale! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzk1X4WbYqIJBD9RghI54Ce1xYhicERJllbuNmfWKtMh8OIpL2s7raoTh4nWoE3q1QQpOKJngW0k8nlk8JYeNo-OV0CECfvL8ZbfrG2jlBWsMJcWNlgxJTO6aRlewO4FHw46ivZZEZbw3/s1600/humpback+wale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzk1X4WbYqIJBD9RghI54Ce1xYhicERJllbuNmfWKtMh8OIpL2s7raoTh4nWoE3q1QQpOKJngW0k8nlk8JYeNo-OV0CECfvL8ZbfrG2jlBWsMJcWNlgxJTO6aRlewO4FHw46ivZZEZbw3/s1600/humpback+wale.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you Willy! </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Terrified</b></span></div>
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For hours Mara Beanjara holds on to the fin of a 10-meter long
humpback whale. The giant dives under water but pops up each time soon enough, as
if he knows he's carrying a terrified passenger. Yearly, hundreds of humpback whales pass the coasts of Madagascar,
looking for a partner. These very intelligent animals, like dolphins, are intuitive
and can sense panic and anxiety. An entire night the giant fish swims along with his
friends from the colony with the fisherman on his back. Until the next morning,
when a cargo boat can save the man. </div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Coma</b></span><br />
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Mara Beanjara is in a coma as he arrives in hospital of Nosy
Be. But not for long: he is, after all, able to tell about his 18-hour ordeal in
all Malagasy newspapers. And to thank his buddy the humpback whale.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-71325405953742983462014-04-24T08:07:00.000-07:002014-04-25T23:30:02.070-07:00They Came, They Saw and They.....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KKQa1CEgF0zp8bC_A-4bEOKOMccHUEVulnM1omN-YW2yBbsrP29n0pIoLUub8HaI9TjuqPdp_QVflTyEVydo5ws5y6aIx98fM9KlfvsB26FV7I9LhiTA6Gr16XkDLeuOVtECY6PdnDP5/s1600/bags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KKQa1CEgF0zp8bC_A-4bEOKOMccHUEVulnM1omN-YW2yBbsrP29n0pIoLUub8HaI9TjuqPdp_QVflTyEVydo5ws5y6aIx98fM9KlfvsB26FV7I9LhiTA6Gr16XkDLeuOVtECY6PdnDP5/s1600/bags.jpg" height="139" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guess what's in these bags?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My friend Remi lives in Antsirabe. Last week she witnessed something extraordinary.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Dark sky</b></span><br />
Picture this: you are quietly sitting in front of your home on a sunny afternoon. Suddenly the sky turns dark and you're in the shade, sending cold shivers down your spine. There is something in the air, but you can't figure out what. Why is it dark? Thunder? Rain? Overcast? No! It something else, but what? It's buzzing, like a fly but times 1000. Then poof!, there it is: a locust swarm of biblical proportion.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Magic wand</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXcqcK_sYfXCSCA17jnjKANDnT8NTdR9zEKX8cGzXYk8x4VDpObReIEZ4P8BWL4xealpFC5EeEbbExgfSlLrugGYwn6OyA72LCw-8Qmka2kcwi-A6sxbPfHf3ytajRmgV7SmhcwW7rJCJ/s1600/PIC_0742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXcqcK_sYfXCSCA17jnjKANDnT8NTdR9zEKX8cGzXYk8x4VDpObReIEZ4P8BWL4xealpFC5EeEbbExgfSlLrugGYwn6OyA72LCw-8Qmka2kcwi-A6sxbPfHf3ytajRmgV7SmhcwW7rJCJ/s1600/PIC_0742.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiO1s8eoilbN16PjoQPd81r_YcZabaz9QeKrsfuE1h_lM6CEVfNnR7cs73bGOMSkkojTR0q4ZzIy2XIczFub5J6DeuK9NgCXz5UQ7xZDbQjKgAYDld8i2NiE11-EMoTM25omg9ehD9C0m/s1600/PIC_0742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>As one block the creatures land, as if all led by a single swing of magic wand. They're in the trees, covering the grass, on the roof, chairs, tables, in the plants, everywhere! What are they going to do? Visions of completely bare stripped fields and ravaged plants emerge...we know these creatures can devour hectares of crops in a few seconds....<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Disgust</span></b><br />
What's next? You wait, observe with curiosity, but mostly with disgust... Well, that would be me. The local people are excited! Children scream, laugh, and pick as many of the grasshoppers as they can. But there is no way they can get them all, there are simply too many, thousands, millions! Its a race, men against insect.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>They came, they saw and...</b></span><br />
And suddenly...they leave as fast as they came. They have mowed the lawn, eaten a few leaves but that is all. They came, they saw, but they did NOT conquer. In stead, they were eaten!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9mjjZ5rr3ygLQqFX401qwkuOn2dVn0TiANa0N7whw7p3i7rpez6CQ2e7ISHKhP8ZgMOglZ1PFR-UZQUsIdvencaPNMG7E9xdbBTQUMqJsZeoGUD2XKgAucPaodq_rWaUqDgmTqkVUrC2/s1600/sprinkhanen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9mjjZ5rr3ygLQqFX401qwkuOn2dVn0TiANa0N7whw7p3i7rpez6CQ2e7ISHKhP8ZgMOglZ1PFR-UZQUsIdvencaPNMG7E9xdbBTQUMqJsZeoGUD2XKgAucPaodq_rWaUqDgmTqkVUrC2/s1600/sprinkhanen.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkD5hAQUMig7NXG-iJTLzBwnYpcHkFkgPyTaIzLn5mumnK00hpAtVeL6HVaB1OA39hC-U5y9rEHBDN4Pp9ekGLrhiZnxE63BMmlIGwbOnPM1Wtc2paAH9DJDjJkgMtdkEOkP7IzMDhMYV/s1600/gebakken+sprinkhaan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkD5hAQUMig7NXG-iJTLzBwnYpcHkFkgPyTaIzLn5mumnK00hpAtVeL6HVaB1OA39hC-U5y9rEHBDN4Pp9ekGLrhiZnxE63BMmlIGwbOnPM1Wtc2paAH9DJDjJkgMtdkEOkP7IzMDhMYV/s1600/gebakken+sprinkhaan.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummie, fried locust anyone?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8qGhtD0ygMoVtNTSPKOnBBJi0QPmXr2IWPdoSHBWHkdHjPeKkXJpdiYmIFe96Cz03VGztlxA9KQzlN8EcDBFKv3-JygdOmNfYbV-r03ct-bGMdRGyciYq3YwzHuryfisst6DhESyvZSv/s1600/PIC_0721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8qGhtD0ygMoVtNTSPKOnBBJi0QPmXr2IWPdoSHBWHkdHjPeKkXJpdiYmIFe96Cz03VGztlxA9KQzlN8EcDBFKv3-JygdOmNfYbV-r03ct-bGMdRGyciYq3YwzHuryfisst6DhESyvZSv/s1600/PIC_0721.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-52877793471402669342014-04-07T11:17:00.000-07:002014-06-02T23:46:27.316-07:00Witches, Ghosts and Gris-Gris<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A 67 year old confused woman, accused of being a with, has been clubbed to death. A baby corpse is found in a dumpster, with holes in its little hand palms. An alleged child molester is being set on fire...</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Open any newspaper any day and you will read some horrid story of a poor soul being lynched by the crowd. The cases are hardly investigated by the police and will never reach the court room. Superstition and unfounded rumors are often the base. I think that everyone in Madagascar, educated or not, believes in witches, ghosts and gris-gris.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />The poor lady, mostly likely a psychiatric patient, had been tied to a pole and was beaten to death by a gang of angry youngsters in broad daylight. The crowd just stood around and watched.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtoqEEk6TVtpwoDP3zt3-4ZDhtQCekzIhxnmcvDnHrkuuTn_F5aa3JSZoocQ6zN07kTr1uBY3_QZbsOaV8RCsBZ2wdf9nSr9lD2MArmPZbsMQUP_Ea0XnnDNnqKfDchkT7f12W3QwIWk6s/s1600/sorciere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtoqEEk6TVtpwoDP3zt3-4ZDhtQCekzIhxnmcvDnHrkuuTn_F5aa3JSZoocQ6zN07kTr1uBY3_QZbsOaV8RCsBZ2wdf9nSr9lD2MArmPZbsMQUP_Ea0XnnDNnqKfDchkT7f12W3QwIWk6s/s1600/sorciere.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grieving daughter by her mother's body, accused of being a witch</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now this is haunting me. The sad newspaper article is spooking through my head and dreams at night. I think of my own dear mother who recently died, peacefully, after a long and good life. Not this poor lady. I don't know how her daughter will ever get over this. I sure hope she believes in angels too....</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-65075615392155114752014-03-17T22:40:00.000-07:002014-03-17T22:40:09.229-07:00Fruits de la Route or Mission Fruits<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sometimes I go on a field trip here. We call this 'a mission', which makes me a missionary. It is always fascinating to visit the country side here. What a world of difference with the capital city, let alone with Europe.<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><b>Unwritten rule</b></span><br />
When on a mission we receive a per diem to pay for hotel and meals. I've done quite a few missions, for different organizations, but there always seems to be the same unwritten rule among the missionaries: the perdiem is divided in three: one third to pay for the expenses, one third for the pocket, and one third for the Voandalana, or Fruits of the Road.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">Voandalana</span></b><br />
So we are supposed to bring home road fruits.. And we do! Oranges, pine apples, bananas, baskets full. More than anyone can eat, so I give it to the staff. But a mission fruit does not have to be a fruit. Anything that is sold on the road: a duck in a basket, a fluffy white rabbit held by its ears, a fat dangling shrimp, a poof filled with straw, a brightly colored statue of the virgin Mary, a tropical plant in an oil can, some stinky cheese in a stinky plastic bag, honey in an empty dish liquid bottle, ....you name it :-)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrlzd7DXkYeHx_0pq1J9V7A2rYrLP9bDjLqPByJnzgMzn-AezxliAqebK5E1CEgUJufvJ4Hip6S-93djsbpFx_AuLe9i_jaEROqqfWnqP5rZMzg2yJlMM6aTNwxoCPEVXFjA9tmrQ6ybv/s1600/20140314_112304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrlzd7DXkYeHx_0pq1J9V7A2rYrLP9bDjLqPByJnzgMzn-AezxliAqebK5E1CEgUJufvJ4Hip6S-93djsbpFx_AuLe9i_jaEROqqfWnqP5rZMzg2yJlMM6aTNwxoCPEVXFjA9tmrQ6ybv/s1600/20140314_112304.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-84915041490020263022014-03-03T01:12:00.000-08:002014-03-03T02:18:54.731-08:00Happy in an Unhappy Country?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>This week the latest results on the <i>Millenium Development Goals</i> of the United Nations came out. Only 3%
of all households in Madagascar describes itself as ' happy '. The other 97% find their living conditions (very) difficult. Now I
wonder: can one be happy in an unhappy country? </b><br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-FLlGTDnPXDYqZP2wz8Wxetfv71e5Qh9YCss6U7j7bkTUyNm0Ccd1V0cGJFe9oILlXQCPeqJQkGiee0JfyGSqr6SkEna4m8SqSniN7o_1l8107g0dHNhY4530QFjQNoVpxuXvg1iJXYB/s1600/2012-11-03+13.39.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-FLlGTDnPXDYqZP2wz8Wxetfv71e5Qh9YCss6U7j7bkTUyNm0Ccd1V0cGJFe9oILlXQCPeqJQkGiee0JfyGSqr6SkEna4m8SqSniN7o_1l8107g0dHNhY4530QFjQNoVpxuXvg1iJXYB/s1600/2012-11-03+13.39.04.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></b></div>
<b> <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Hollywood <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I'm happy here. I belong to the 0.2% who are very well off.
We kind of live like Hollywood stars, with our spacious home and staff, including
a private driver. But as soon as we step outside
our yard, we are in the middle of the misery; smelly rubbish dumps, open sewerage, slums, and rows of beggars banging on your car
window. What to do? We do what
we can. Both my husband and I are
working to stimulate the development of Madagascar. In my spare time I help
street children, disabled elderly, teens in prison and orphans. </div>
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<b>Can't complain<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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But the rows of blind, legless, armless or otherwise deformed beggars appear to be longer each day. Every day here is a reality
check; an opportunity to compare your
own expectations and situation to others. And so: I can't complain. I mean that
literally. Sometimes I would <b>like </b>to
complain (the holes in the road, internet that keep breaking down, I discovered
another wrinkle, PMS, ...) but I don't allow myself. </div>
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I feel almost obligated to be happy here. Because
we have so much, and they so little ...</div>
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<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrY1F_I7Nxyh09E1rCqAT-T5OOjjW_Lyf2HevgaLI_KvqMoPJhf_YrXVfXQPMty1-hxUBSiigVr8YguURbNpHqX2_Q7OBUtmUCnWqgSXhTMgrlmtEVgUzE3hHAZ1jhC9xxz2vNC1F1o-OY/s1600/poverty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrY1F_I7Nxyh09E1rCqAT-T5OOjjW_Lyf2HevgaLI_KvqMoPJhf_YrXVfXQPMty1-hxUBSiigVr8YguURbNpHqX2_Q7OBUtmUCnWqgSXhTMgrlmtEVgUzE3hHAZ1jhC9xxz2vNC1F1o-OY/s1600/poverty.jpg" height="248" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poverty is ubiquitous here (everywhere)</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-49971496992490353062014-02-20T09:48:00.001-08:002014-02-20T10:09:15.302-08:00Record breaking viewer ratings for The Voice in Madagascar!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, not exactly for The Voice, but for The One...<br />
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It's no secret that John de Mol's TV format The Voice is a worldwide success. The show has spread like a virus across the globe. But Madagascar is usually immune to franchise trends. There is no McDonald's, Starbucks, Hilton or Heineken to be seen in this country (unfortunately).<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Talent</b></span><br />
I do not know how many millions of dollars it costs to buy the official Voice format, but it is certain that a TV company in a poor country can not afford it. Therefore, we have here The One. With its swivel chairs, famous coaches, a trendy presenter and loads of talent, it is a real must-watch.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Sad</b></span><br />
The ratings are amazing, more than 80% watched the finale. Unfortunately, this is only 8% of the total number of people on a TV available. Just a tad sad, isn't it?<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><b>The One And Only</b></span><br />
Personally I believe the success of the program is due it's presenter, the One and Only Alain, aka FFC! He is a good friend of ours and currently the GM of our Hash - the Madagascar Hash House Harriers! Go FF.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrHWtagkgBKqUkANvbBtV8hnGqrHHjmgwm8ziIYuqrZe3p8qVLmHznny5piiZzmft9bo3d0q74lLYSfedNS6XnOvTUF7bPiWrRPujayz1LQ9QSjkm8SC4Eay8Tu3mNxE2LR-1wqq7rpAN/s1600/_NPR6533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrHWtagkgBKqUkANvbBtV8hnGqrHHjmgwm8ziIYuqrZe3p8qVLmHznny5piiZzmft9bo3d0q74lLYSfedNS6XnOvTUF7bPiWrRPujayz1LQ9QSjkm8SC4Eay8Tu3mNxE2LR-1wqq7rpAN/s1600/_NPR6533.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swiveling chairs and all!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUyQ03gZ_XZ5r3vHZxl8nBJvjvMIHDeMI32KUdEYmGAqteN8WqDF2BZ2fPFQehTg6axIa0SKVB7ngvI8XRgxxFp1XvqkPhcESoENHxGmN8xCBcsB5kuAPk54YJRouHBRbAVJ1oYNR_dlV/s1600/_NPR6794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUyQ03gZ_XZ5r3vHZxl8nBJvjvMIHDeMI32KUdEYmGAqteN8WqDF2BZ2fPFQehTg6axIa0SKVB7ngvI8XRgxxFp1XvqkPhcESoENHxGmN8xCBcsB5kuAPk54YJRouHBRbAVJ1oYNR_dlV/s1600/_NPR6794.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Live audience and voting per SMS</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3QqXD1df2xoWsPm1gB-5Podr4pga9SVZOryfPHhYvPWCZp7DkyzZSFzEvrQawWIPI0y_xGWJD3cSeKkG3VGNiJFZTjfQv7PXjVrjP_maEVcaaoHV1O8eACPIQbUOXUlwtUK62YZm5056/s1600/_NPR6781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3QqXD1df2xoWsPm1gB-5Podr4pga9SVZOryfPHhYvPWCZp7DkyzZSFzEvrQawWIPI0y_xGWJD3cSeKkG3VGNiJFZTjfQv7PXjVrjP_maEVcaaoHV1O8eACPIQbUOXUlwtUK62YZm5056/s1600/_NPR6781.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ONE and only presenter FFC!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuo5jUXcXNfPL0nhW6zInQn37QPJ7z2NN1NOrcZ1oWseScYCCEPNbTM3pH2hEpBpi87EbTgnRH72X7i0c0wu_gN4I5Qg4DWNPrSO79yfDkuf84XSAHt_8SxtlvgEH1P0s0-ZX7wi6k7dQs/s1600/ZOU_3159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuo5jUXcXNfPL0nhW6zInQn37QPJ7z2NN1NOrcZ1oWseScYCCEPNbTM3pH2hEpBpi87EbTgnRH72X7i0c0wu_gN4I5Qg4DWNPrSO79yfDkuf84XSAHt_8SxtlvgEH1P0s0-ZX7wi6k7dQs/s1600/ZOU_3159.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the winner is....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqzTV8sWuFFG3NR5z9v2Wt_GLDzBJJ7r50YBWgCEI2LlIBf_0GLRgs1NR0QRBCNvvYbAqJ4PHAMj9UrAKJ7rZKzOaUyCw6RS4Va3jJKFMonAaFl7FmlYOm_LyxvkvH-xA7BnulZdzTdkm/s1600/_NPR6986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqzTV8sWuFFG3NR5z9v2Wt_GLDzBJJ7r50YBWgCEI2LlIBf_0GLRgs1NR0QRBCNvvYbAqJ4PHAMj9UrAKJ7rZKzOaUyCw6RS4Va3jJKFMonAaFl7FmlYOm_LyxvkvH-xA7BnulZdzTdkm/s1600/_NPR6986.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of talent at The One</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-91178531604042744962014-01-30T08:35:00.001-08:002014-01-30T09:16:34.033-08:00Winged Words?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, we have a new president, an officially inaugurated, recognized head of state.<br />
<br />
This is V-E-R-Y good news, I find, even though it may not be the president many people had hoped for. My first impressions of him are good. Many of my diplomat friends were able to attend the ceremonies. They agreed on the following:<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">1- </span></b>the ceremony was poorly organized (not enough seating, unclear instructions, messy parking situation, a convoy at snail's pace)<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>2-</b></span> his inauguration speech was strong, positive and hopeful. Words with lots of meaning, and character. Like: <span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Je demande donc à mes amis de me laisser libre, libre d'aller vers les autres, vers celui qui n'a jamais </i><i>été</i><i> mon ami.</i> </span>I ask my friends to let me be free, free to go towards others, even to the one that has never been my friend. </div>
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Positive</b></span><br />
We all thought we understood where these words came from. The president is under a lot of pressure to choose certain candidates in his cabinet. But he does not want to be forced to work with anyone, he wants to allow for space and cooperation, even with the opposition and the ousted president. Again, very positive!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPQCnGoQi9LmV_aetfHemc6Chs6GhPA4w3jt76q65gSwROkKr8uiuRKHacQ5JEmwlOFlomRsiYTDLOvW1r9Iu_DNBJDVScxPzxbTahw9CtpX6uuz29VOQeSvj7zSdNiPICzZ0QfeDbwfL/s1600/hery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPQCnGoQi9LmV_aetfHemc6Chs6GhPA4w3jt76q65gSwROkKr8uiuRKHacQ5JEmwlOFlomRsiYTDLOvW1r9Iu_DNBJDVScxPzxbTahw9CtpX6uuz29VOQeSvj7zSdNiPICzZ0QfeDbwfL/s1600/hery.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hery Sarkozy?</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Flying words</b></span><br />
Until three days after, then the <i>whole world </i>knew where these 'winged words' came from. From the inauguration speech of Nicholas Sarkozy, in February 2007. Hery's speech was an exact copy of the former French president's! He just replaced 'France' by 'Madagascar'. Hard to believe? Check the video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=j_nQNEpb9yo" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>Winged words...where does this expression come from? From Homerus, as Wiki explain: <b>words that fly from one person to another.</b> Exactly!<br />
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<br />
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p.s. winged or not, Hery's speech writer was sacked immediately...<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-47533660238096950382014-01-22T16:52:00.000-08:002014-01-22T16:52:19.852-08:00RAH-DJAW-NAH-RI-MAM-PEE-AH-NEE-N<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's 'official' now. Madagascar is in the Guinness Book of Records as the country with the <b><span style="color: #990000;">head of state</span> </b>with the<b> </b><span style="color: #990000;"><b>longest name </b></span>ever. After 5 years of paralyzing crises, the Special Electoral Court has pronounced that Hery Rajaonarimampianina has 'won' the elections by 52% of the votes. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I doubt that he actually received more votes than his opponent </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Robinson</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> , but the 'Special Court' chose to ignore each of the 300 (!) electoral complaints filed by his opponent.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My driver is convinced: Hery is president NOW but he has not WON the elections. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The president's full name is: <b>Hery Martial Rajaonarimampianina Rakotoarimanana. </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hery what?? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh...cmon, d</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">id you at least <b><span style="color: #990000;">TRY</span> </b>to pronounce it? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No worries, I'm still learning too: This sound bit will help: <a href="https://audioboo.fm/boos/1860055-how-to-pronounce-the-name-of-madagascar-s-new-president-hery-rajaonarimampianin">https://audioboo.fm/boos/1860055-how-to-pronounce-the-name-of-madagascar-s-new-president-hery-rajaonarimampianin</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, if you happen to meet him, you may want to simply say: Monsieur le president....right</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-80572111484621236892014-01-20T03:08:00.000-08:002014-01-20T04:09:57.632-08:00Thank You Generous People in Tana!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last weekend's first episode of Les Courses du Coeur (Groceries from the Heart) was a huge success!<br />
<br />
Most clients who did their shopping at Jumbo or Leader Price have given something to help street and other vulnerable children in Tana. The four beneficiaries are:<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.tanastreetchildren.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Akani Fitahiana's children</span></a> </span>(www.tanastreetchildren.blogspot.com) in Akorondrano</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.grainesdebitume.org%29/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Les Graines de Bitume</span></a> (http://www.grainesdebitume.org/) </span></li>
<li><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.grandirdignement.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Grandir Dignement</span></a> (www.grandirdignement)- helping children in prisons</span></li>
<li>Centre Sainte Marie - orphanage in Mamasina</li>
</ol>
We received hundreds of kilos of rice, boxes full of cooking oil, immense piles of biscuits, milk, sardines, dried beans, pasta, noodles, soap bars, dish liquid etc etc...<br />
<br />
Old and young, Malagasy or foreign, rich or poor, everyone gave something!<br />
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Thank you also to the sponsors: Telma Foundation, Croustipain, Infinithe<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaJBhw-13JBxJnI-loer_X2XChCkN1HlhO1t_O0wDaLeTsgrvR6OdCBrMsTO9sVEZbwfrnS60IzqjijtSLfABfRIiB5FHmiLzeZjbmck1bdkDkigqpy_r_TYZDIcO3IEuK_Oe5z22DdQK/s1600/Philippe+et+Susanne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaJBhw-13JBxJnI-loer_X2XChCkN1HlhO1t_O0wDaLeTsgrvR6OdCBrMsTO9sVEZbwfrnS60IzqjijtSLfABfRIiB5FHmiLzeZjbmck1bdkDkigqpy_r_TYZDIcO3IEuK_Oe5z22DdQK/s1600/Philippe+et+Susanne.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Philippe and me in front of Jumbo Supermarket</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir245_-pnSoEEdM0bWTNFuRJs2Xjv3f0xRKQgySkvKcE-PfGPnuQhrAgFWLxnPqkOQjsN051egIfQTVL2FIxFspHWyzvtoga9HBF_R33-nmX1_repLZvnfE9tDQrhZ52nXzl8MY5ComhDP/s1600/2014-01-18+10.31.45-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir245_-pnSoEEdM0bWTNFuRJs2Xjv3f0xRKQgySkvKcE-PfGPnuQhrAgFWLxnPqkOQjsN051egIfQTVL2FIxFspHWyzvtoga9HBF_R33-nmX1_repLZvnfE9tDQrhZ52nXzl8MY5ComhDP/s1600/2014-01-18+10.31.45-1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeremie is contributing too</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrFwGfcmFm0gu1q7qrDN7A-LOi5knOVDT70KqhJondgx1fi0OfKa82luDHE-bPkHDj3OkmPusKoDsL_P-9vsJJzqqE_L_aU3TZIyvK-30eWkFkHvhHVP4sNtQue42t6yhyphenhyphenk6398x01IO7/s1600/2014-01-19+10.59.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrFwGfcmFm0gu1q7qrDN7A-LOi5knOVDT70KqhJondgx1fi0OfKa82luDHE-bPkHDj3OkmPusKoDsL_P-9vsJJzqqE_L_aU3TZIyvK-30eWkFkHvhHVP4sNtQue42t6yhyphenhyphenk6398x01IO7/s1600/2014-01-19+10.59.04.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young and old are giving</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_Euuul2saJ7Operoydq64taTdOKsYE25_Ez3Ntl2xoR168-mu9-FbS7rBrUIqBdtzu-nCWOMul-EI41s6tXERjfO0HNihzPVzh9FAMkAhMfUHqI8sJrhRmdIocwrmhvpNsaIGacrtceR/s1600/2014-01-19+09.59.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_Euuul2saJ7Operoydq64taTdOKsYE25_Ez3Ntl2xoR168-mu9-FbS7rBrUIqBdtzu-nCWOMul-EI41s6tXERjfO0HNihzPVzh9FAMkAhMfUHqI8sJrhRmdIocwrmhvpNsaIGacrtceR/s1600/2014-01-19+09.59.36.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two boys making a generous rice donation</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpwSB9DYLzJR1XDI_Vdx0yyuy41wXq_ESpDBv8OckfB6xW3UR2KQQfS3gzTIrXxZqsoyp1W2jVcQ99rmTObl3HSMppCHGMeQM-jupxZmccbOLcZ5uyVrGHRZ3V5qDgOeFXmlFNUiSMvMA/s1600/2014-01-19+11.03.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpwSB9DYLzJR1XDI_Vdx0yyuy41wXq_ESpDBv8OckfB6xW3UR2KQQfS3gzTIrXxZqsoyp1W2jVcQ99rmTObl3HSMppCHGMeQM-jupxZmccbOLcZ5uyVrGHRZ3V5qDgOeFXmlFNUiSMvMA/s1600/2014-01-19+11.03.17.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sara Georget of the Green Party is happy with the initiative<br />
that avoids plastic bags too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVTYvQmXa4tWy9pppcQcpSForHvYMz60HXcgZk3gsiuECyde1GRKln2Aw5jkEZ1GJanKZW6pt4LEfUyWYdYJzP_h8Mekqhzs9HTIbxGPBC_evSZZAYmyuZolo5mxFAfg02IZFrcgX3Jtt/s1600/2014-01-19+11.49.45-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVTYvQmXa4tWy9pppcQcpSForHvYMz60HXcgZk3gsiuECyde1GRKln2Aw5jkEZ1GJanKZW6pt4LEfUyWYdYJzP_h8Mekqhzs9HTIbxGPBC_evSZZAYmyuZolo5mxFAfg02IZFrcgX3Jtt/s1600/2014-01-19+11.49.45-1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is just a small part of the collections, in 6 supermarkets at the same time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC8WCRcxXeczmrF6nn00BV_d0Bx0ogfJhkk256FuZIGvVtd6oR9xzb9KqaHgTP30enaZzi4PprMqtQnsEcSHYEje_wjIihtGb3xmSe_Q1LsnME73tdFIPXS5sUBRAn6p2xjuGXkW0cm-hd/s1600/2014-01-19+12.35.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC8WCRcxXeczmrF6nn00BV_d0Bx0ogfJhkk256FuZIGvVtd6oR9xzb9KqaHgTP30enaZzi4PprMqtQnsEcSHYEje_wjIihtGb3xmSe_Q1LsnME73tdFIPXS5sUBRAn6p2xjuGXkW0cm-hd/s1600/2014-01-19+12.35.01.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boxes full of food</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIyrtJM0FS1D_VQnAITWLW9LY2fnYZ2oUEW7hk_6NMVdkOf51FJbcCMj5xvk7X6ycWabtiSvpwxmy_W402nNOeGhN8Mku8kQgZjevXNGCfS4MnmvnrTDILVZ-uEMhWx8xLNDF9LzSloh8H/s1600/2014-01-18+10.27.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIyrtJM0FS1D_VQnAITWLW9LY2fnYZ2oUEW7hk_6NMVdkOf51FJbcCMj5xvk7X6ycWabtiSvpwxmy_W402nNOeGhN8Mku8kQgZjevXNGCfS4MnmvnrTDILVZ-uEMhWx8xLNDF9LzSloh8H/s1600/2014-01-18+10.27.36.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vivianne of Telma Foundation lending a helping hand</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-41540266766491883372014-01-13T03:08:00.000-08:002014-01-14T08:39:04.709-08:00Cheers, Proost, Sante and SKOL!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Having a blog is fun. <br />
<br />
I enjoy it when unknown people contact me with questions or requests. Over the years I've been asked to participate in TV programs, host travelers or send items. Mostly common ones like post cards but also more unusual ones such as tea bag labels and once, really, <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>a bat skeleton</b>.</span> When I can, I happily grant the request, despite logistical challenges.<br />
<br />
Post cards are not difficult to buy, but stamps!? I don't even know where the post office is here in Tana, after three years! Neither did I know there are so many we sites by post card collectors. I imagine it to be fun to complete a collection with an exotic card from far-away Madagascar - like this one I sent<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqwfbYJn4IMliw8onE0uPqV2oo3JFMSkSLrwzggD-_71r4cONB8ZWwhiSjIhfT7BDKr1LRrMrWx-F-YbgMEUh47KHNO1lU7LDiBgrsdu9n25-qgeojWkA1peYcBO7H5fv6Lz4AtzpRgCg/s1600/Nosy+Be+post+card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqwfbYJn4IMliw8onE0uPqV2oo3JFMSkSLrwzggD-_71r4cONB8ZWwhiSjIhfT7BDKr1LRrMrWx-F-YbgMEUh47KHNO1lU7LDiBgrsdu9n25-qgeojWkA1peYcBO7H5fv6Lz4AtzpRgCg/s1600/Nosy+Be+post+card.jpg" width="95" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://postcardstravelaroundtheglobe.blogspot.com/search/label/Madagascar" target="_blank">Post cards around the globe</a><br />
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A while ago an email of a certain Wilbur reached my inbox. Explaining how he had built up an <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>impressive collection of beer cans </b></span>(empty) over the years. And that he would love to add a specimen from Madagascar. Three Horse Beer (THB) is the most classical beer here, and recently we have Madagascar-brewed<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;"> </span>SKOL beer (our favorite).<br />
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I packed the two empty cans with bubble wrap and send them off with a traveling friend. The cans went from Tana to Paris, from Paris to Washington and from Washington to ... Brazil. <br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnpQkjzhOC9hFJ1mF45DuylTKQjpcCIKxjS-BRJKD2nr5tzHqdTIJiqpM4jwa_lSqpwtBxVCr1M0Grr6lQe5N9lyIAo0jngXkpJ6OjBFEE3Bp0GQ1ae0qvU0SHQOerMRgkkOIn5JcReA/s1600/BeerWall3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnpQkjzhOC9hFJ1mF45DuylTKQjpcCIKxjS-BRJKD2nr5tzHqdTIJiqpM4jwa_lSqpwtBxVCr1M0Grr6lQe5N9lyIAo0jngXkpJ6OjBFEE3Bp0GQ1ae0qvU0SHQOerMRgkkOIn5JcReA/s1600/BeerWall3%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Wilbur had over 8,000 beer cans from 91 countries. Now 92!</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6VcHaKtk6WU8H0rq3S67SRQjDDzR6Um5TyimDqruiqtMErTZDg8T6j6vI7JiDqVNs1ZjeoDo1pZ1eV-gg3F0HtH6R4geo0J415XGBVVN_35GH4AmN3mE-9pZyMQcfCZrtxeI8GgjlzzL/s1600/Wilbur+bridge+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6VcHaKtk6WU8H0rq3S67SRQjDDzR6Um5TyimDqruiqtMErTZDg8T6j6vI7JiDqVNs1ZjeoDo1pZ1eV-gg3F0HtH6R4geo0J415XGBVVN_35GH4AmN3mE-9pZyMQcfCZrtxeI8GgjlzzL/s1600/Wilbur+bridge+(1).jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: bold;">Proudly showing his Mada beer cans in front of Oliveira Bridge in Sao Paulo</span></td></tr>
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Anyone willing to send an exotic beer can to Wilbur, contact me.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-45998329664464135312014-01-04T03:55:00.000-08:002014-01-10T00:27:51.227-08:00Happy 2014 Madagascar!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgmlYqthcLpJGJUryn9VSD1S86IA8OYGFKoUNl7bm2HRzF7beEthAuEi9OL7108bKylcJvDUTCKzOgAeG02gRy0OlMCtw1LIRUSSiSP5ql0oQZ68zbc_6aCzaasrzDUdUjqH764ejN_KD/s1600/one+shoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgmlYqthcLpJGJUryn9VSD1S86IA8OYGFKoUNl7bm2HRzF7beEthAuEi9OL7108bKylcJvDUTCKzOgAeG02gRy0OlMCtw1LIRUSSiSP5ql0oQZ68zbc_6aCzaasrzDUdUjqH764ejN_KD/s200/one+shoe.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><b>Dear Madagascar,</b><br />
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a <b><span style="color: #990000;">happy new year</span></b>. May 2014 be healthy and prosperous. May it bring economic growth and a more wealth for the <span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">92% of your population </span></b>that currently live with 2 USD (!) a day or less. So that they can afford to buy shoes...</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 18px;">I also wish for you to attract new investors and foreign aid. With that, may you invest in your </span><b style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #990000;">deteriorating infrastructure; </span></b><span style="line-height: 18px;">roads, power and water projects which have suffered tremendously due to unrepaired damages from cyclones and severe budget cuts while there's been zero maintenance in the past four years. (I am not counting the rugby stadium and the </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Coliseum</span><span style="line-height: 18px;"> music dome, I am referring to <i>useful </i>projects). </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVl6rEMg_szlZQnsNHTROniqogxsZv1_9NHinMCWaK-UlhAjkImhJv-ikJRr1OJDh1gMy3mEdmWhTTheL-Yf_4a7xEEdaN5DWISTHfoRtoNaLXjmFUnzXwLLKMwvk3nze_nY5poW580lE/s1600/plastic+bags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVl6rEMg_szlZQnsNHTROniqogxsZv1_9NHinMCWaK-UlhAjkImhJv-ikJRr1OJDh1gMy3mEdmWhTTheL-Yf_4a7xEEdaN5DWISTHfoRtoNaLXjmFUnzXwLLKMwvk3nze_nY5poW580lE/s200/plastic+bags.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 18px;">May you then also invest in your <b><span style="color: #990000;">ailing agricultural sector</span> </b>which has so much potential (rice, vanilla, dairy, horticulture, fruits) but suffers from </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">drought, floods, and locusts infestations and a total incapability to buffer these threats. May you protect your <span style="color: #990000;"><b>incredible nature and biodiversity</b></span>, stop deforestation, provide alternatives to charcoal, and invest in renewable energy sources. Oh and while your at it, ban the use of plastic bags. You were doing so well with your raffia baskets, but recently the country is as polluted as a garbage belt.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 18px;">Madagascar, I wish you peace and wisdom. May your new leaders - whoever they will be in 2014 - be wise and honest. I wish your leaders<span style="color: #990000;"> <b>integrity to combat the rampant corruptio</b>n</span> in key sectors like justice, police and forestry. I wish them commitment to a transparent use of public funds and to restore the private sector's faith so that it can create the much needed jobs. </span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIxxz2DrQGs8V_9CCYrpHDynpDHrdtmmt8rkAsmCy7G7tc7hoPj7V_wRerDnBTJFPbKKlkiS934RgTdfbY7r-O4WLCr__dsljpquBGpxijRBjXzyDA0oXFLV6wK07q_mXVqSiRHU9UrIv/s1600/poverty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIxxz2DrQGs8V_9CCYrpHDynpDHrdtmmt8rkAsmCy7G7tc7hoPj7V_wRerDnBTJFPbKKlkiS934RgTdfbY7r-O4WLCr__dsljpquBGpxijRBjXzyDA0oXFLV6wK07q_mXVqSiRHU9UrIv/s200/poverty.jpg" height="155" width="200" /></a>Madagascar, I wish you compassion and generosity to look after the mentally and physically handicapped, the<span style="color: #990000;"> <b>homeless </b></span>and the <span style="color: #990000;"><b>street children</b></span>, and that nobody has to eat out of the garbage containers.<br />
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And lastly Mada, I wish you lots and lots of<span style="color: #990000;"><b> toilets and latrines</b></span>, so that I (am I being selfish here?) don't have to watch your people relieving (and revealing!!) themselves in public.<br />
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Madagascar, the past four years have brought you nothing. You deserve progress!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>Cheers!</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6Ct-m_rkdX7AH3n6sAIA9j0sJs7LqENvGcNmo0_KUwH9NSVngtE8QaFk2hiDf8UAaV6Pjh5VklsPSOgAh1JpRjR0d3c59M1xEyPN7iDbYaXiZcazwGATOLhj20b9zIV38Q-5KcOuMo_4/s1600/champagne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6Ct-m_rkdX7AH3n6sAIA9j0sJs7LqENvGcNmo0_KUwH9NSVngtE8QaFk2hiDf8UAaV6Pjh5VklsPSOgAh1JpRjR0d3c59M1xEyPN7iDbYaXiZcazwGATOLhj20b9zIV38Q-5KcOuMo_4/s1600/champagne.jpg" /></a></div>
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For more info: <span lang="EN-GB"><span style="color: black; font-size: 8.0pt;"><a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2013/06/05/madagascar-measuring-the-impact-of-the-political-crisis">http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2013/06/05/madagascar-measuring-the-impact-of-the-political-crisis</a></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-16193686830272204062013-12-19T04:18:00.001-08:002014-01-06T22:26:17.545-08:00Smoked Sausage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Anyone who has ever driven through Tana will have been surprised by this typical Madagascar phenomenon: small butcher shops that display their meat products literally on the street. While driving, you can almost touch the strings of sausages that are hanging like pearl chains, while cows stomach and pig feet are dangling in front of your wind screen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhuVWEpWAO-rbh9MM-57bbMuvERRtS-uNaL_rW9FinqujmMPJ_tAxfJ69fDB783XKJOOqoIzJtq2H485I16wsenYWPYeXMMN3aOsOJXiOKZD2ZtBCB4ReR9zSo6nG98ejpTGf2Ev-aOG8/s1600/sausages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhuVWEpWAO-rbh9MM-57bbMuvERRtS-uNaL_rW9FinqujmMPJ_tAxfJ69fDB783XKJOOqoIzJtq2H485I16wsenYWPYeXMMN3aOsOJXiOKZD2ZtBCB4ReR9zSo6nG98ejpTGf2Ev-aOG8/s320/sausages.jpg" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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I happen to like sausages. But not anymore. Here's why.<br />
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Let me tell you what is happening this month of December in Tana. I thought the October election campaigns were 'hectic' with 33 candidates, each with his own posters, t-shirts, hats, and campaigning vans... wait till you've seen this! Just for info: from the October-round, two main candidates remained on - as everyone expected. They are Hery Rajaonarimampianina (yes, I know, that's why they call him Hery Vao Voa) - presenting the current regime, and Dr. Robinson, presenting the previous one.<br />
Both are now again campaigning in an effort to win over 50% of votes. But...that is not all...<br />
<br />
In addition to the <i>presidential</i> elections, there are<i> parliamentary </i>elections, on the same date! These too had been postponed three times already. There are 151 seats in parliament...and guess how many candidates there are?<br />
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Over 2,000. Yes it is true. And here I was thinking that 33 campaigning candidates caravaning in an already crowded city was a little much, now it is even worse. Add to that the rains, the potholes, the piles of rubbish that have not been collected for a week, the poor quality of diesel, the number of stinky van and mini buses, and the usual December end-of-the-year craziness, and you can image (not sure if you really can) how awful this city has become to get around.<br />
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And what does this have to do with sausage? They have all become smoked sausages. Yuk!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOPrOjqzqEyhI5cccN0x-Ctht3R6gV64BIt_weHa5Ay44TPseHARsuHbwTWDQ04BlaGR_f_vT3NCWBM-Z09_mFr2X-9sBk-IidEEcwdfCrH0UZPXCf63U9nyzuMmDqQesC-9ZpTzCz3mw/s1600/20131210_154518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOPrOjqzqEyhI5cccN0x-Ctht3R6gV64BIt_weHa5Ay44TPseHARsuHbwTWDQ04BlaGR_f_vT3NCWBM-Z09_mFr2X-9sBk-IidEEcwdfCrH0UZPXCf63U9nyzuMmDqQesC-9ZpTzCz3mw/s320/20131210_154518.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exhaust-smoked sausage, anyone? </td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-72035196106891358282013-11-27T15:28:00.005-08:002013-11-27T15:28:58.662-08:00Fao Dranomaso<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
OK, to put it straight:: the reason for my absence as a blogger is a sad one. My lovely, inspirational, beautiful and adventerous mother passed away last week. She was 85 years old, an age she always aspired to become. In that sense it was not unexpected. But then again: is a daughter ever 'expecting' or 'ready' for her mother to pass away??<br />
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I was very close to her and she was a remarkable women. Full of compassion for others, strong-willed, independent, very active, a positive thinker (ahead of her time, modern) and modest. She was also a painter, a writer, a photographer...I'd like to think I inherited some of her traits.<br />
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The funeral in my home town Dongen was beautiful. My brothers and sisters are all gifted writers and public speakers. They almost better than the priest himself.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihiZLlWd_rf7-V3h4kvY_iOcU6KTLCwZAcBcagP_0Sj0HVo6AQOpx9wAwkax6K4y3cl0Gj6sVeP0bgvx-xTcDyt85yqCVCNChleA-Oq6BwC8zmbQ0fY53nNAJE6IeA15vqp-F8GM1cf3BY/s1600/DSCN7602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihiZLlWd_rf7-V3h4kvY_iOcU6KTLCwZAcBcagP_0Sj0HVo6AQOpx9wAwkax6K4y3cl0Gj6sVeP0bgvx-xTcDyt85yqCVCNChleA-Oq6BwC8zmbQ0fY53nNAJE6IeA15vqp-F8GM1cf3BY/s320/DSCN7602.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little altar for my mom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I came back yesterday from Holland, our Malagasy friends came to present their condolences. They gave their <i>Fao-Dranamoso</i>. Literally this means something like: Take away tears (perhaps my dear Malagasy reader has a more accurate translation :-)... I was touched: they presented an envelope with some money and the traditional saying <i>Aza misosoka alahelo intson</i>y: Forget Your Sorrow.<br />
Tonight my lovely girl friends will take me out for a comforting dinne. Tomorrow Michel is taking me and Soleine to Anakao, a lovely little beach lodge.<br />
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I feel blessed and grateful to have so many friends and support. Just like my mom!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-76039907955827984872013-10-22T05:29:00.000-07:002013-10-22T05:29:14.393-07:00How to capture the hearts (and votes) of 7 800 000 voters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The 2013 Madagascar elections have nothing in common with anything I have seen so far. Of course, 33 candidates is an outraguous fact in itself, but it does not stop there.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Carnaval</b></span><br />
The closest thing to this that I have wittnessed in my life, was in Trinidad and Tobago. There, once a year, there is excitement in the air. Masses of people, dancing on the street behind big trucks, with dito speakers Popular artists fill up stadiums, people drink rum, dance, jump and wave their flags. I too participated, in my red feathery bikini dancing two days non-stop in the parade behind a blasting truck.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><b>T-shirts and songs</b></span><br />
In Madagascar voting is not so obvious. The are no political parties. No election manifestos. No ideology, no left- or right-, or center, no Republicans or Democrates. It's hard to make an informed choice if you can not compare programs. So how can a candidate capture a voter's attention? With T-shirts. Many t-shirts. And songs. One candidate is called Sylvain. His slogan is "Sylvain sur vingt" (quite funny). His song is brilliant: Bye Bye unemployment, bye bye famin, bye bye disease. To me, half of the songs sounds like straight from church, the others like Caribbean carnival hits. Some candidates even dress like calypso artists.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGSs2zfh666jqWdNVU4w9ysYvly15KjoNVFWHqdT5HZFeighrmrxXIjljlQrPr9SiKFjpdWd9ED9dsHYjVKf2qSrDVUhs0PnW6GDqzo-WWmojOtfl7EHWqkArcOMl7ButrjKl1IJFtkr8/s1600/DSCN2710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGSs2zfh666jqWdNVU4w9ysYvly15KjoNVFWHqdT5HZFeighrmrxXIjljlQrPr9SiKFjpdWd9ED9dsHYjVKf2qSrDVUhs0PnW6GDqzo-WWmojOtfl7EHWqkArcOMl7ButrjKl1IJFtkr8/s320/DSCN2710.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dadafara fans place posters</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Win a house!</span></b><br />
It does not stop there. There are tombolas (first price: a house, second price: one month salary).Oh and goodies and give-aways in all sizes and shapes. From hats to helicopters. It is one big carnival parade.<br />
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So who is going to win this thing? The one with his face on most places in town? The most catchy song? Or the one that has most money and goodies to distribute? What do you think?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTa1InHuhXFaWxdXyxLXGUqlK57u7pIAjM4k4vkKNXdr41qSpV232Zzyr_Zms3Q3dxkaxfttmd99Ijeu2GtfxFiwGkeaGoQb_QfYoOLOv1d1gGjqUGeRvOeBVjnktIiAPTf1n2SWC_s2H/s1600/DSCN2712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTa1InHuhXFaWxdXyxLXGUqlK57u7pIAjM4k4vkKNXdr41qSpV232Zzyr_Zms3Q3dxkaxfttmd99Ijeu2GtfxFiwGkeaGoQb_QfYoOLOv1d1gGjqUGeRvOeBVjnktIiAPTf1n2SWC_s2H/s320/DSCN2712.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blasting Campaign bus from Sarah Georget</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-1702523767695174952013-10-15T06:24:00.003-07:002013-10-16T12:30:01.112-07:00A Simple Addition...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;"><b>What do you get when:</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
You add 300 back packs + 209 pencil cases + 300 blue pens + 300 red pens + 300 black pens + 300 green pens + 300 pencils + 840 notebooks + 300 rulers + 300 pencil sharpeners + 300 erasers?<br />
<br />
It = (equals):<br />
<br />
<b>300 happy children's faces, </b><span style="color: #990000;"><b>12 happy teachers,</b></span><b> and a </b><span style="color: #351c75;"><b>whole new school year 2013/14</b></span><b> </b>starting off very well. This morning, with financial support of GFA Consulting Group, we were able to donate to Akanifitahiani, center for nutritional and educational support for street children.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQuuGdBO-9t8S_Wdr29NPEF8PKPatNIt2WPJnGesgzljc3QhjOafltB5jD7xVomD2JIt_q8ZonsmlivBuaet-nBngmupI3EiN2KotmRmVc9feSvXLMvrqwuE65soZ8chO3EsZS2_g4ZYCC/s1600/300+children+waiting+in+anticipation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQuuGdBO-9t8S_Wdr29NPEF8PKPatNIt2WPJnGesgzljc3QhjOafltB5jD7xVomD2JIt_q8ZonsmlivBuaet-nBngmupI3EiN2KotmRmVc9feSvXLMvrqwuE65soZ8chO3EsZS2_g4ZYCC/s320/300+children+waiting+in+anticipation.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">300 children in anticipation</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TJs81D18hr0KCure1mDmjZqxoOq6JLZMqzLfaLZe9u1mflwrVy1BeWdVM1n58KRQXPOoMljhQq2SSEIs-O29xnB6u0o1OsGWesGYa3DPasUQ-lNT7eOfRJfcaVyjILHCoRkD9i13VM84/s1600/carryig+the+bags+to+the+center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TJs81D18hr0KCure1mDmjZqxoOq6JLZMqzLfaLZe9u1mflwrVy1BeWdVM1n58KRQXPOoMljhQq2SSEIs-O29xnB6u0o1OsGWesGYa3DPasUQ-lNT7eOfRJfcaVyjILHCoRkD9i13VM84/s320/carryig+the+bags+to+the+center.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bigger kids help carry big boxes</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlUlsEmKIVF2lmIkDDmP_lkDWgyErRnPJ1q7Fr3WEN-kPyZ8fTmGl7JJo-a6KnlDP5aHDhahxvn_7cMBXH6iXExdFVu2puZWFud5zNqGIoJnDNSJ7m-bZwI-uvMNvg-ssom9UBwrFgsFK/s1600/boxs+arrived.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlUlsEmKIVF2lmIkDDmP_lkDWgyErRnPJ1q7Fr3WEN-kPyZ8fTmGl7JJo-a6KnlDP5aHDhahxvn_7cMBXH6iXExdFVu2puZWFud5zNqGIoJnDNSJ7m-bZwI-uvMNvg-ssom9UBwrFgsFK/s320/boxs+arrived.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All boxes arrived at the center</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9O9I02rFNEkDuqTCeV2Z1l6u1rXHzJl0RBhot9RCUdeidzhJkCOC9hWmYtFbsRU1ETEFIbBIlAYPkb3afaqp_eWGJrnttZer_tgBVwdJyiJ9hc_32xv1mkBgy9ol4LIuwRV8x6SyfF_Qs/s1600/waiting+in+sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9O9I02rFNEkDuqTCeV2Z1l6u1rXHzJl0RBhot9RCUdeidzhJkCOC9hWmYtFbsRU1ETEFIbBIlAYPkb3afaqp_eWGJrnttZer_tgBVwdJyiJ9hc_32xv1mkBgy9ol4LIuwRV8x6SyfF_Qs/s320/waiting+in+sun.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little ones waiting in the hot sun</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjF1X4UCD7TMceSul0xNUM3IUSA5lDd5NDIirU4WvLYDWgQBZ8nhMw-cC8EOiwFWikpfobs5Qhx5hqlYrKb3vMYHkbFw4P9G05rZnpcfMB7OFc3SJ6VKTDfFI4OlPmvi5h0VW8Jrd6xnIH/s1600/little+ones+first.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjF1X4UCD7TMceSul0xNUM3IUSA5lDd5NDIirU4WvLYDWgQBZ8nhMw-cC8EOiwFWikpfobs5Qhx5hqlYrKb3vMYHkbFw4P9G05rZnpcfMB7OFc3SJ6VKTDfFI4OlPmvi5h0VW8Jrd6xnIH/s320/little+ones+first.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 20 kids from 'la maternelle' first...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjfy5sfDQqiij-VRJDRO_F9HdGT0Kpd0pK9jlLvzTEv5DyP7ulr7Dz3QRqE_iIbRPhyCEL3W4ghuA52A300DUc2puRj9yo6wzdoJkXk0fCcHf53bI3qms3LHxDA4nm_UZ9K9nwiD6o9m4/s1600/with+Hasina+manager+of+the+center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjfy5sfDQqiij-VRJDRO_F9HdGT0Kpd0pK9jlLvzTEv5DyP7ulr7Dz3QRqE_iIbRPhyCEL3W4ghuA52A300DUc2puRj9yo6wzdoJkXk0fCcHf53bI3qms3LHxDA4nm_UZ9K9nwiD6o9m4/s320/with+Hasina+manager+of+the+center.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Hasina, the centre's manager</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMGVsXlgjGUj6HUa7SxLI5u1Parsiwd86QWvpl0gokRES8J9Rsg6PLul32yq8W58aOmBkYgOQpfOcQVdv6sWhEHC5yTWfjZ7zuKCmEE8H3INc95qLJPxitORnfDvp2tUFYve9e638_Hvo/s1600/In+anticipation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMGVsXlgjGUj6HUa7SxLI5u1Parsiwd86QWvpl0gokRES8J9Rsg6PLul32yq8W58aOmBkYgOQpfOcQVdv6sWhEHC5yTWfjZ7zuKCmEE8H3INc95qLJPxitORnfDvp2tUFYve9e638_Hvo/s320/In+anticipation.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How long do we have to wait?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_8Dq1eUNPQcHnR9sVIjDCb6f-z8ZdWlh8HOQNhJQHBuNtOoaU3-cdTpObyrMhH1k5SA4oKZvolqpd5ageHAhh_rBBqF9NXwj7hb-sCvDcoKX71uKbOJ0c67W_DsJ8cXkWVdJebzybJBz/s1600/a+see+of+blue+bags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_8Dq1eUNPQcHnR9sVIjDCb6f-z8ZdWlh8HOQNhJQHBuNtOoaU3-cdTpObyrMhH1k5SA4oKZvolqpd5ageHAhh_rBBqF9NXwj7hb-sCvDcoKX71uKbOJ0c67W_DsJ8cXkWVdJebzybJBz/s320/a+see+of+blue+bags.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sea of blue bags</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCB19EGz9X-c2_hfjoR1dsVa5i0MBLWszKBLLxRmik1osKLoA_j-_QC-CMNO90ktkwcTM_ExsFnW2kuinkaMnxEshk3C4tN63OsAviObW8Sv9G5W5EunwLGbqmtBle7mR0CBd73QlnKHZr/s1600/D70_1806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCB19EGz9X-c2_hfjoR1dsVa5i0MBLWszKBLLxRmik1osKLoA_j-_QC-CMNO90ktkwcTM_ExsFnW2kuinkaMnxEshk3C4tN63OsAviObW8Sv9G5W5EunwLGbqmtBle7mR0CBd73QlnKHZr/s320/D70_1806.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy little fellow...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6py1r9o9kpqDWmxgl2EDisilR0Yvq8Bt__Jxjvn02DAdeBDkxjUiDXDuCl5h-vzyMAWOYQu1TSI6x4cYbiMr3E-oIutTByQPbyXpRy5IAWAC4ySdas0N2ZmiuNHhih61xHzNlVPhoC7_S/s1600/D70_1823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6py1r9o9kpqDWmxgl2EDisilR0Yvq8Bt__Jxjvn02DAdeBDkxjUiDXDuCl5h-vzyMAWOYQu1TSI6x4cYbiMr3E-oIutTByQPbyXpRy5IAWAC4ySdas0N2ZmiuNHhih61xHzNlVPhoC7_S/s320/D70_1823.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's get to work</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocsJg01QWKfbZ-oYJ05IqE2uj579_mgJ6OR2-51ItGON137EQlhWZzJFClNboUSN05HUamPJKEZqC1elodZFU6V-h4bqDT5loglYOSlnZXl3s9IrDLDR7JwX5lekOdKZ1cikS6vnTEq4E/s1600/D70_1855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocsJg01QWKfbZ-oYJ05IqE2uj579_mgJ6OR2-51ItGON137EQlhWZzJFClNboUSN05HUamPJKEZqC1elodZFU6V-h4bqDT5loglYOSlnZXl3s9IrDLDR7JwX5lekOdKZ1cikS6vnTEq4E/s320/D70_1855.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Thank you GFA Consulting Group (Michel's company) and their Bridges Fund for Social Projects!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcGfG7sbwMHeSDzGS9DKxtSqhH66PSK82jQyITjBT-PfkLU3r9JkiCEbYdx7gln381LRneKSekS-IhI2UmcggyOwzGNCb7cKdFAvGb96lwGB7Yuse4fV4olV0LT1JnXDetikSq9u1siDY/s1600/Logo_GFA-BRIDGES_RGB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcGfG7sbwMHeSDzGS9DKxtSqhH66PSK82jQyITjBT-PfkLU3r9JkiCEbYdx7gln381LRneKSekS-IhI2UmcggyOwzGNCb7cKdFAvGb96lwGB7Yuse4fV4olV0LT1JnXDetikSq9u1siDY/s320/Logo_GFA-BRIDGES_RGB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
Thank you <b>Vivianne Charles </b>from Fondation Telma for your advice, <b>Laurie Hau</b> for your help, <b>Anthony Asael</b> for the pictures.<br />
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Thank you Soleine, Kate, Yasmin, Sarah and Abibatou for your hard work sorting, packing and stacking!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdn69iVzVFkPuLNDHoTBKp8GaSSju81qa3Hk_Z__FeCefFYvLLucK3VvmSYkUJxWDj2jLrLKI1DtfjHM711jlxCxEKPI78UOV1bxrmy_etCnoGHAQWNjD0zraK-oafkQuBFxme4PgK8MEa/s1600/Work+group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdn69iVzVFkPuLNDHoTBKp8GaSSju81qa3Hk_Z__FeCefFYvLLucK3VvmSYkUJxWDj2jLrLKI1DtfjHM711jlxCxEKPI78UOV1bxrmy_etCnoGHAQWNjD0zraK-oafkQuBFxme4PgK8MEa/s320/Work+group.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Packing 1,200 pens, 840 notebooks, 300 rules etc etc</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigm7qqWiDZT9xEIsp2KBVsni93q_sZld6Yu22oVmgqQhzRhqoiVo8R2mUjM7Cb4McMbyGoz3VCESilNGPJTvyfcNSV8S6HmIJ5zp0LO7dw7oZrw9J3xfrZA9T1FVrZTMRGNLCOSVOoU9jE/s1600/Soleine+and+Kate+GFA+Bridges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigm7qqWiDZT9xEIsp2KBVsni93q_sZld6Yu22oVmgqQhzRhqoiVo8R2mUjM7Cb4McMbyGoz3VCESilNGPJTvyfcNSV8S6HmIJ5zp0LO7dw7oZrw9J3xfrZA9T1FVrZTMRGNLCOSVOoU9jE/s320/Soleine+and+Kate+GFA+Bridges.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No play group this week, work group!</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-55689200856079749032013-10-03T07:10:00.000-07:002013-10-03T07:10:49.201-07:00What kittens and elections have in common<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Beatrice Atallah is the head of the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENIT), the organization responsible for ensuring electoral laws are followed so that elections are credible. Beatrice is now the 'mother' of 33 presidential candidates. Less than a week after the start of the campaign, she is calling for order...<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><b>Food fights</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIvSmhUZmeMr3pC8zx5_nwlBdDunakRXzW_M5FhcIhFhJjd9ppkNy0N2adcGSQarwW96BSgpSpCbitESdc7GIg5UB1bGpshd5vS54nl4ekaavtw49MuLjI3MIFjRqV6k5yjpoKtFo3-96/s1600/messy+kittens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIvSmhUZmeMr3pC8zx5_nwlBdDunakRXzW_M5FhcIhFhJjd9ppkNy0N2adcGSQarwW96BSgpSpCbitESdc7GIg5UB1bGpshd5vS54nl4ekaavtw49MuLjI3MIFjRqV6k5yjpoKtFo3-96/s200/messy+kittens.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Messy kittens</td></tr>
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It reminds me a lot of our cat Tricky and her frivolous kittens. They're now nearly 6 weeks old. Mother Tricky is trying hard to teach them some discipline. But do you think the mini-cats are listening?<br />
They are hanging in the curtains, stepping in their water bowl and scattering litter all over the house. They're meewing and peewing and walking under our feet, fighting for their food, and sitting on our heads. It's havoc in our house!<br />
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<b style="color: #660000;">Official campaign rules</b><br />
The CENIT is reminding the candidates about the official campaign rules. Propaganda posters are not supposed to be on bus shelters, lamp posts and market walls, but on specially placed bill boards with 33 spaces. Candidates are supposed to manage their own security during their internal events and not cause any nuisance or disturbance. Space on National Radio and TV is to be divided equally, and not only to those with the biggest bags of money...<br />
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Is it working? Are the candidates listening? As much as our kittens! Good luck Mrs Atallah.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwy9nzsVfRU6VW0IIS4Padz3VncM1paZSf7OPvagCo8LmyDC662MOf_NYFAP7zezmrxSyySCVzOOqTlG1tMjd_oM5FNnzIvLW0V5Zu6OB5heZwy4RvLNLZjR_Ougo1Ej2zeSxPmwQNtj8P/s1600/DSCN2557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwy9nzsVfRU6VW0IIS4Padz3VncM1paZSf7OPvagCo8LmyDC662MOf_NYFAP7zezmrxSyySCVzOOqTlG1tMjd_oM5FNnzIvLW0V5Zu6OB5heZwy4RvLNLZjR_Ougo1Ej2zeSxPmwQNtj8P/s320/DSCN2557.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many empty spots on the official elections bill boards</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxh4zH14wWserfOQAVawYgBmV8pF2WDgmA496goXPf7fNUm1WKAj1B6LIbE8zNui8iuWCXe3sZI_FvsEoc5nPrLIZsDvMZCoFJArDdf8mWbRyT39O3yj56Lutn2_r31N3pnkk8ymE5NJG/s1600/posters+everywhere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxh4zH14wWserfOQAVawYgBmV8pF2WDgmA496goXPf7fNUm1WKAj1B6LIbE8zNui8iuWCXe3sZI_FvsEoc5nPrLIZsDvMZCoFJArDdf8mWbRyT39O3yj56Lutn2_r31N3pnkk8ymE5NJG/s320/posters+everywhere.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But posters on every other possible location...</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-84358258468874730272013-09-26T11:57:00.002-07:002013-09-30T06:51:54.575-07:00Exciting times in Madagascar...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You can feel it in the air... you can hear it in the streets...you can see it on the posters!<br />
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It looks, feels and tastes like it is <span style="color: #990000;"><b>REALLY</b></span> going to happen this time. Elections <span style="color: #990000;"><b>WILL</b></span> be held on October 25 of the year 2013.<br />
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The official electoral campaign opened this week. No less than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malagasy_general_election,_2013">33 candidates</a> are running for president. After 4,5 years of paralysis, countless false promises, and a dozen of electoral postponements, Madagascar's population will have a chance to vote in one of the 20,000 polling stations that are being set up with EU and UN assistance.<br />
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Only the most cynical among the cynics are still saying: 'nah...it won't happen'. I am not one of them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheI4upqD_kuzzJh_JF0tS4-gQcsgAIH2GAxlgppYJWDXMWOCAdobqtuf6Xu_3sRcGSBwUJoebPmjY59xL6VaM2ossIq3l24qRnfS-rQQPcq7hu8ZozAZ8kiXcTKnoV3bhIodiH9kU9mh3Q/s1600/pres+candidates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheI4upqD_kuzzJh_JF0tS4-gQcsgAIH2GAxlgppYJWDXMWOCAdobqtuf6Xu_3sRcGSBwUJoebPmjY59xL6VaM2ossIq3l24qRnfS-rQQPcq7hu8ZozAZ8kiXcTKnoV3bhIodiH9kU9mh3Q/s320/pres+candidates.jpg" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 33 candidates of the 2013 elections in Madagascar....</td></tr>
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After a first round of elections in October, only two candidates will remain. The second round will then be in December.<br />
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I wish all candidates the best. Or, as the Express Newspaper put it: <i> 'Que le moins mauvais gagne'</i> (not my words), literally translated as: <span style="color: #990000;"><b>may the least bad win. :-) </b></span><br />
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p.s. more episodes of "Exciting Times in Madagascar" Season 1, will follow soon.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-658993088979344292013-09-16T11:03:00.002-07:002013-09-16T11:13:58.653-07:00Licky, Sticky, Dicky and Ricky<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Cats ('saka' in Malgache) are not very common in Madagascar. Some say people eat them. Not sure. Our first cat Titi did actually disappear after a few months. I sure hope he did not end in somebody's soup pan.<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><b>Frightened</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2sCLMKbSMF9cyk1iqV3Pg1wQs9pcz1g_70zAOiP7Fgg9KPgSKdGjNQH1dsJI8rQdLHX-emi4chC7O34KUjm0s4zRnizX6wWXl3hBcVbvfkiip3zl5esvR_6wNOEVuWNEBMoAz_KlglKu/s1600/DSCN2392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2sCLMKbSMF9cyk1iqV3Pg1wQs9pcz1g_70zAOiP7Fgg9KPgSKdGjNQH1dsJI8rQdLHX-emi4chC7O34KUjm0s4zRnizX6wWXl3hBcVbvfkiip3zl5esvR_6wNOEVuWNEBMoAz_KlglKu/s200/DSCN2392.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tricky teenage mother</td></tr>
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Our second cat Tricky got pregnant during our stay in Europe. Not knowing when exactly she had been with her boyfriend, I was wondering how she would announce her due date. Well, it was clear, on D-day, she meawed weirdly, walked around in strange paths, and left drops on the hallway floor. She looked at my with big eyes, frightened, saying: HELP ME!<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><b>Teenage mother</b></span><br />
I, feeling the same, looked in turn at the Internet: HELP ME! And it did, I found a lot of information. I learned that a birthing cat is called a Queen, and that I should get a nesting place ready. I prepared three places, then left the house for a BBQ lunch. Two hours later, we heard meeeep-meeeep-peep and found four gorgeous little bundles of grey fur in a basket. All neat, and clean. Well done Tricky! I'm still wondering how this teenage mother (9 months) knew exactly what to do.... without internet :-)<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><b>Out of the box</b></span><br />
This week, Tricky moved her babies from the basket to another place, just like many cat-websites mentioned she would. How did she know, I wondered again. The by now four-week old kittens have started to come out of the (removal) box. Curious little creatures they are. With their wobbly legs, pointy tails and proportionally large heads they are simply a-do-ra-ble (say it in French, it sounds even better). I now understand the expression "Curiosity Killed the Cat". I just pray this does not mean: ending up a someone's stomach!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVm18Hksj4sBeU3xPLnK2f_vROvvaBT8-NhDK4F5TNfbPQKRu_1HnZrCiktO1ocI6kqItV1gJG-6y0IYkZagp518UN0QllZuWhzsP-VE9-9qSYLRriPMNmg8hwBnV_mM_5URGRu_08LlC/s1600/DSCN2460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVm18Hksj4sBeU3xPLnK2f_vROvvaBT8-NhDK4F5TNfbPQKRu_1HnZrCiktO1ocI6kqItV1gJG-6y0IYkZagp518UN0QllZuWhzsP-VE9-9qSYLRriPMNmg8hwBnV_mM_5URGRu_08LlC/s320/DSCN2460.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Licky, Sticky, Dicky and Ricky thinking out of the box</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-88558351667355812132013-09-04T08:12:00.000-07:002013-09-04T08:16:17.945-07:00Tough Egg<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLOQWmJXatZj2rhUyKcBGI-VYi6-KuIrXwL6WoCULiWT9v0ZkZXyF_xdrd8K5586WNg8egGLurjCSjgIBrQixxtH6dUfHoPHlp6rLYlTGNzE1UkQFpMZBkqVLGbvMl00QV0DVfiJTWJS4/s1600/DSCN2438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLOQWmJXatZj2rhUyKcBGI-VYi6-KuIrXwL6WoCULiWT9v0ZkZXyF_xdrd8K5586WNg8egGLurjCSjgIBrQixxtH6dUfHoPHlp6rLYlTGNzE1UkQFpMZBkqVLGbvMl00QV0DVfiJTWJS4/s200/DSCN2438.JPG" width="200" /></a>Yooo all! I am back on the blog! <br />
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After three lovely long holiday months, we came back in time for Soleine's fresh start of Grade 4 of the American School of Antananarivo (ASA).<br />
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In a way my<b> <span style="color: #990000;">blog's silence</span> </b>nicely represents the <b><span style="color: #990000;">country's silence</span></b>. Nothing has happened during our absence. When I left, the Malagasy soap series called <i>Presidential Elections</i> had entered its fourth season. The first three seasons had gone by with elections being postponed three times. They were then planned for July 26, but...postponed again to August. In August they were pushed back to October and December, and... well, let me stop here. </div>
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These elections seem to be a very tough egg to crack.<br />
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Just like the one I found this morning by our chickens Tola and Chicky. Take a look at this !<span style="text-align: center;">It goes to show: you can expect anything to happen in Madagascar!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosGwzTJ4J_HJ8F3AGIqyKy4pUaaqEWTVsDOI5rI3kJfZVoH1_nAXfSVdxPO414rb-6v-1oJ-K9D639KNdpmLCzrOi28Ldca3dBwGpVK-HQFlRdEIO8a-KsZ6mluLalW2jea3yfRqVaje0/s1600/DSCN2435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosGwzTJ4J_HJ8F3AGIqyKy4pUaaqEWTVsDOI5rI3kJfZVoH1_nAXfSVdxPO414rb-6v-1oJ-K9D639KNdpmLCzrOi28Ldca3dBwGpVK-HQFlRdEIO8a-KsZ6mluLalW2jea3yfRqVaje0/s320/DSCN2435.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Has anyone ever seen a sculpted egg like this? It's real!</td></tr>
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p.s. Hugo, are you still reading my blog. SOS: have you ever seen this? </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-20123876789952714612013-06-24T06:12:00.002-07:002013-06-24T06:17:19.402-07:00Bye Bye Winter, Hello Summer!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yes! I am out of here! Honestly, I can not wait to leave Tana. I know, that does not sounds nice but it's true. It is just simply too cold here! Everyone is sick. Tout Tana is coughing, dripping, sneezing, sniffing, rattling, ruckling and what not. It is winter.<br />
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June has so far been one of the coldest months ever in Tana. There has been ground-frost. In the evenings we sit cozy by the fire, but during the day my fingers are freezing as I'm typing.<br />
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Just imagine the many poor people and street children that are passing their nights outside. This morning I went to the center for street children to drop off some warm hats. Look how cute - And thank you Martine!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CP2 class (Grade 3) getting warm hats to survive winter</td></tr>
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So, summer in Europe, here we come!<br />
Bye bye Tana, see you back in August when spring starts!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-40509032561286329102013-05-14T07:07:00.000-07:002013-05-15T06:00:33.145-07:00Getting Used to Madagascar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">Hello my dear readers. It has been a while. Not that I had nothing to share. On the contrary. This country is full of stuff to blog about, and things never cease to amaze me. Take the upcoming elections for example. A political circus that one could blog about every day.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Madagascar 3</b></span><br />
After 3 years of temporary 'government', elections will finally be held in July this year - insh'allah. No less than 49 candidates have presented themselves at the electoral commission; a Guinness book of records world-record. This in itself is a fun fact, but it gets better. Current and previous presidents were officially excluded from presenting themselves. They promised not to run. But one minute before closure, current 'president' aka former DJ comes running in the election office, throws his dossier on the table, and gets accepted. Previous president aka The Dairy King, has in fact kept his 'promise' but put his wife (!) up as presidential candidate. And then there is Mr previous-previous president, (already been on the throne for 23 years), who, at 76 years old, still think he should run the country. To show that he can still perform he did than 20 push-ups <i>en plein public</i> on the hot tarmac of Ivato international airport! Ha ha! It almost makes the circus scene in the movie Madagascar 3 look like non-fiction...doesn't it?<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Getting accustomed</span></b><br />
But you know what? Somehow this doesn't surprise me anymore. I guess that after three years I am growing accustomed to Madagascar. I admit that it has taken me quite a while to acclimatize here. Apart from getting used to good things such as having domestic help :-)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYADmkZXALGptjHtyMJEJLPHwA8MjjdhrhilJgYsT7hdEIU4WtgvFYj9cgE7f8HgD68iFQxJIDWTwg25mEKIyeqMj7cC_y7g9SPGvZiBvtv0DyhNU-rTaglg3b6wq1X4QYYa7TrrvFnwpM/s1600/DSCN0663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYADmkZXALGptjHtyMJEJLPHwA8MjjdhrhilJgYsT7hdEIU4WtgvFYj9cgE7f8HgD68iFQxJIDWTwg25mEKIyeqMj7cC_y7g9SPGvZiBvtv0DyhNU-rTaglg3b6wq1X4QYYa7TrrvFnwpM/s320/DSCN0663.JPG" width="320" /></a>Recently I experienced something that I think I could get used to really easily. Traveling by private plane! Yes, for my consulting work for Ambatovy Nickel Mining company I have had the pleasure to travel by the company's Twin Otter. Flying to Tamatave in one hour in stead of ten hours by road.<br />
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No boarding card, no lines, no passport control, no taking off belts, sun glasses, shoes, bracelets, earrings, opening laptops - straight from the coffee room into the plane seat. Enjoying the incredibly beautiful landscape, to land next to a troop of zebus. Now <i>that,</i> I think I can get used to real fast!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landing in between the zebus in Moramanga</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good views from the Twin Otter</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-74294458840901031132013-04-16T10:47:00.001-07:002013-04-16T22:43:20.067-07:00The Grand Canyon of Madagascar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><b>Big brother</b></span><br />
I<span id="goog_1199806172"></span><span id="goog_1199806173"></span>t maybe six times smaller than its big brother in Arizona, but Isalo park in Madagascar is at least as spectacular as the US Grand Canyon. Being lucky enough to have visited both, I can conclude that Isalo is as overwhelmingly beautiful. Especially because of surprise treasures that can be found deep inside the gorge. And funnily, the red eroded rock formations from the Jurassic period are the same in both parks.<br />
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I can recommend to do the circuit de Manazava first, walking on the rim with its 180 degree views over the rice paddies in the morning. The climb is not that steep but it is hot!<br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><b>Tropical surprises</b></span><br />
Then, when it gets really really really hot, you take a break at the campsite where you can see the lemurs. After that the treasure hunt begins! Deep down in the gorge, you will find a lush green feast of tropical plants, clear water, pristine little white beaches and turquoise rock pools. Jump into the blue or black piscine, bathe under the 20 meter water falls, and walk back just in time to see the sun set on the orange rocks.<br />
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<td style="border-left: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 106.8pt;" valign="top" width="142"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Isalo - Madagascar</div>
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<td style="border-left: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 76.5pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Grand Canyon</div>
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Size</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 106.8pt;" valign="top" width="142"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
800 m<sup><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">2</span></sup></div>
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4900 m<sup>2</sup></div>
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Elevation</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 106.8pt;" valign="top" width="142"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
800 to 1200 meters</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 76.5pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
2000 meters</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Mammal species</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 106.8pt;" valign="top" width="142"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
14</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 76.5pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
89</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Bird species</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 106.8pt;" valign="top" width="142"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
82</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 76.5pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
355</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Reptiles and frog species</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 106.8pt;" valign="top" width="142"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
48</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 76.5pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
56</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Flora species</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 106.8pt;" valign="top" width="142"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
340</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 76.5pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1700</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
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</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-66678509920350540772013-04-08T10:59:00.001-07:002013-04-08T11:32:07.091-07:00Diamonds in the Sky : Locust Plague or Pretty Sight?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Picture this. Sitting in a mini bus that drives calmly though rural Southern Madagascar, listening to Rihana's Diamonds in the sky. It is a hot afternoon, the drive from Tulear to Isalo is long, but the straight road is good and the landscape stunning. Suddenly, about half way, a big black cloud approaches. What the hell? What is it? A tornado? A sand storm? When I realize what it is I manage to quickly shout: "Close the windows", just in time. Our driver accelerates as I quickly grope my bag for my camera.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Millions of silver wings</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then our mini bus is surrounded by hundreds of thousands of silvery wings flickering in the afternoon sun. A pretty sight, almost like diamonds in the sky. But I assure you, they are not pretty diamonds. They are swarms of billions of 6-legged, hungry, plant devouring insects!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="color: #741b47;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4S8oyN-lxaZyeeDYo5Ucal6UT-CkQFM0z27sMEaWoDDjqUhUOe96sXmgT7ewYG9psKjxGqjn4sWWjxc5_5GAoBcYgRKLtBh446Szl0Q0vNKg0mSTIFK1s2Gh-5a3P3Pr5G7yRG-U0Q6t7/s1600/Crickets+edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4S8oyN-lxaZyeeDYo5Ucal6UT-CkQFM0z27sMEaWoDDjqUhUOe96sXmgT7ewYG9psKjxGqjn4sWWjxc5_5GAoBcYgRKLtBh446Szl0Q0vNKg0mSTIFK1s2Gh-5a3P3Pr5G7yRG-U0Q6t7/s320/Crickets+edited.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">What looks like silvery raindrops are actually swarms of locusts.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="color: #741b47;"><br /></b>
<b style="color: #741b47;">Half the country?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BBC and CNN reported on it last week. I even got calls from a TV channel in the Netherlands about this biblical plague. Most journalists quoted FAO stating that "about half the country is infested by hoppers and flying swarms - each swarm made up of billions of insects".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Insecticide</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About half the country? That seems exaggerated, but fact is that they are here and they multiply faster than horny rabbits. Fact is also that if nothing is done, they will pose a serious threat to the already precarious food security situation in southern Madagascar. So why is nothing done? I don't know really. What I do know is that tons of insecticide have been donated about six months ago, but no systematic spraying has been taking place yet. Also, mysteriously, around the same time many small hardware stores in town started to sell Nuvan, an insecticide normally unavailable on the private market. Drive around Tana and you'll see little Nuvan posters everywhere. Coincidence? Maybe. As coincidental as listening to Rihana's Diamonds in the Sky while watching millions of shiny crickets in the sky?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/4JBnZIgdyLc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
Watch my little video of these six-legged, plant devouring 'diamonds' in the sky.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-28768794638435616502013-03-12T22:37:00.000-07:002013-09-26T12:11:31.184-07:00Inona Vao Vao<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
One of the most frequently used expression in daily life in Malagasy is: <span style="color: #660000;"><b>Inona Vao Vao</b> </span>(pronounce: Enoona Vavao?) Literally this mean: How is the news, or what's new, or, as some Americans say: What's up?</div>
<br />
A common reply to this question is: <span style="color: #660000;"><b>Tsy misy</b></span> (tsee mees), which means: no news. But often there is news of course. How do the good people in Antananarivo get their news? Mostly through the news papers. A dozen of them are produced regularly, though they are not all following a quality and objective journalism, if you see what I mean.<br />
<br />
On many street corners Malagasy newspapers are exposed like clothes on a washing line. People stop by to read the headlines, and pass it on to others. I like way of hanging newspapers like t-shirts on a line, but I've always wondered: why don't people do the same with their laundry???<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhZo_MLR6NybYenn9jP7bLGkvYPvwDuofxjXL_rZh-l08fcC2QLC6FTd2oTtAH_j0OfwP_kr-1DtHp4qBQGwEUBBjddkPH6Ed_YyJQ1FA_SKz_VdjRf2VONXdfLsrLL8rOvYnPV8Y6gdQ/s1600/Inona+Vao+Voa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhZo_MLR6NybYenn9jP7bLGkvYPvwDuofxjXL_rZh-l08fcC2QLC6FTd2oTtAH_j0OfwP_kr-1DtHp4qBQGwEUBBjddkPH6Ed_YyJQ1FA_SKz_VdjRf2VONXdfLsrLL8rOvYnPV8Y6gdQ/s400/Inona+Vao+Voa.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Newspapers are hung like t-shirt on a clothes line</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2G-0292OQPGMo_98oitIMJv7W6CmoCpM8rT_juzg9aYVhgce2peyoMC5Veg-lWDKcuoRD6avivzxQtFtTgxOVWZ_tipj5eUX3V8s_kAqLUfpC8oG1aVFvsCWu-BNrPpi6nL7BWLx8_0L6/s1600/Washing+clothes+on+rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2G-0292OQPGMo_98oitIMJv7W6CmoCpM8rT_juzg9aYVhgce2peyoMC5Veg-lWDKcuoRD6avivzxQtFtTgxOVWZ_tipj5eUX3V8s_kAqLUfpC8oG1aVFvsCWu-BNrPpi6nL7BWLx8_0L6/s320/Washing+clothes+on+rocks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>But clothes are dried on rocks, streets, grass, river banks or fences</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414061347887222847.post-79899294600302498932013-02-26T05:37:00.002-08:002013-02-28T01:15:15.196-08:00Blowing in the Wind...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Just a few days ago, Cyclone Haruna swept by on the West coast of Madagascar. This is very unusual, most cyclones, hurricanes, and tropical storms take place on the East coast.<br />
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<b style="color: purple;">Man-made disaster?</b><br />
We happened to be on the West coast of Madagascar, in Morondava - more than 200 km above the eye of the storm. The cyclone, impressive as it was, did not do much damage there, but in Tulear it created massive flooding. It killed 13 people and affected over 17.000 poor souls. Not so much because of the winds themselves but because of a dyke which... had not been maintained for years. Sadly, that is how natural disasters become man-made ones...<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpZgt_25LZGT5m1z_UcqGkxlRCvdrsI6-mnPEmVdU1qLqEr8oAZ2rCGB5qVPXVFPLWDknJ1Khu3uTwRso1Pxp0gwEqGxkFhe9c9TkBj3W0GdQTAoFIijx-faBwKlZpPyv8sNP9EV98lNd/s1600/BeFunky_pool.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpZgt_25LZGT5m1z_UcqGkxlRCvdrsI6-mnPEmVdU1qLqEr8oAZ2rCGB5qVPXVFPLWDknJ1Khu3uTwRso1Pxp0gwEqGxkFhe9c9TkBj3W0GdQTAoFIijx-faBwKlZpPyv8sNP9EV98lNd/s200/BeFunky_pool.jpg.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lot of rain in paradise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Stranded</b></span><br />
Stranded during this unexpected beach vacation, we heard 150 km winds hauling over our 5-star beach bungalows. The horizontal rains gushed under our doors. The swimming pool turned into a wave pool. But our hotel had taken precautions and no major damage was done. Air Madagascar cancelled all flights and let us wait three more days in windy beach paradise. Every day we'd walk the Morondave strip, 80% of its restaurants and hotels closed.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKx_-2EEYyvn-hIMYslXp6JYUC3K5sGknz8D9Phs9zf-dZ_aOliy4hR3Lr3GFh42XDTaxc2MrRsZkYQnOmfszxoxQhTcYdc4qLFaT92RBvhOQ0wwwIKCWEsHelooKasZPSX8lQlFTVBDz/s1600/DSCN1268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKx_-2EEYyvn-hIMYslXp6JYUC3K5sGknz8D9Phs9zf-dZ_aOliy4hR3Lr3GFh42XDTaxc2MrRsZkYQnOmfszxoxQhTcYdc4qLFaT92RBvhOQ0wwwIKCWEsHelooKasZPSX8lQlFTVBDz/s200/DSCN1268.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<b style="color: purple;">Sardine tins</b><br />
The winds, still strong on Saturday, brought great pleasure to the children. Armed with: an empty sardine tin, four plastic bottle tops, and a plastic bag they held amazing car races that would make John Travolta long back to Grease! The T-birds against the Scorpions!<br />
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<br />
<br />
Watch the T-birds against the Scorpions on the Morondava strip:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-m7q9jHgdDw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
Enjoy this little movie! I'm sure it will make you smile...and isn't that what we need after this horrendous Haruna?<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1