Madagascar

Then it was time for some new here from Madagascar. I will write in English (though there probably will be some really bad expressions etc) so that it will be possible for my international friends to read as well.

After many hours on the plane we finally arrived here in Tana. It was dark, in the middle of the night, so we didn't see much other than lights. Then finally, after getting our suitcases (of course the lats ones), we got to meet Daniel and Helisoa! It was so nice to have some one waiting for us when we, kind of lost, entered the arrivial hall. We then got into the taxi and drove, really fast, to the youth center, our home for the next six months!

«Haianemann, jeg er i Afrika!», some of the first things going through my mind as I woke up Thursday morning. One of the first things that hit me when I looked out the window was that yes, Madagascar has the red/brown color of the earth but it is also so green and fresh! So many trees and plants that makes the land so extremely beautiful. Also, the people here are so beautiful. Everyone is pretty and the children are so cute! And people are so nice. Smiling and excited to see us and pointing: «vazaha», foreigner (white skinned).

We got more gas for the stove, after 4 hours of making dinner and still the water did not boil, so now the food is really nice. And we still haven't been sick. The three big cockroaches in the bathroom are dead and the small ones in our not-working fridge are not a big problem. We have also had our first 4 ½ hours long church ceremony, in a language we don't understand, singing songs were we are only able to pronouns some words and sitting squeezed together like never before. Except on the buss to town.

Today, 6^th of October, we have had our first day in Antananarivo (Tana). We went to the NMS office and met Berit Romarheim, one of the two Romarheims who will be kind of our contact persons as well. They will talk to us individually and, as Daniel and Helisoa, take good care at us. We came to their house near by NMS's office in the afternoon and were served Norwegian waffles! Perfect. They are so nice and we really had a good day. Getting up at 6 in the morning, taking the bus at 6.30 and then home again 12 hours later! What a day. We are all really tired! :) Tana is really exciting but I'm glad we live outside the center. It is not so crowded here and also not so many baggers. It is really hard to not give them money when small children, thin and smelling really bad, come up to you and ask. Today dinner for 8 persons cost maybe 150kr? And we can't give a little amount to those who ask. Of course we know why but it is still really hard. Being «vazaha» and then not share does not make it any better.

It is really facinating to be here. It is strange to see the way people live, their daily life, everything is completely normal. And it is so different from what we are used to in Norway. Really heavy bags of corn and I don't know what on their heads, long lines for getting on the buses, buses passing eachother when there is really no room for it. Old people, young people. People everywhere. No wonder internationals says Norway is empty. :)

«Herren er mitt lys og min frelse. Hvem skal jeg frykte? Herren er mitt livs styrke. Hvem skal jeg da være redd for? (...) For Han gjemmer meg under sitt dekke på den onde dag. (...) Vent på Herren, vær frimodig, og Han skal styrke ditt hjerte. Ja, bare vent på Herren.» Sal 27: 1,5,14