Oh my goodness, y’all, there’s so much to share! I received a letter yesterday, a 2:38 A.M. phone call today and another letter today…I’m ALL smiles!!! I will try not to repeat much from the last blog because Erin mentions a lot in the letters that she shared in last week’s phone call. I’ll quote her as much as I can so this will seem like it’s from Erin. Here goes…
Remember, Erin is in a village by herself near where all the others are living and where training is, so she described the walk she takes a couple of times a day. [She walks home for lunch and returns to training.] " …so I hike down a steep hill in the morning with the cows and chickens and school kids and then balance across the bamboo bridges through the rice patties to then go up a large muddy hill and finally meet the other PCTs and staff at class. [PCT – Peace Corps Trainees] We have class M-F 8-5 and Sat. 8-12. We wake up with the roosters at 4:30 A.M. and take a bucket bath…outside and then fix breakfast and coco brusse clean our floors with a coconut. [I think “coco brusse” is the Malagasy term for the way she’s cleaning the floor.] After class, we help fix dinner, I hang out with my siblings [and I can’t figure out what she’s writing next]. It is only light from 5-5 because it’s freezing cold and still winter. The wind is very harsh but it’s okay because it is unbelievably beautiful and simple here – you would love it!” [Well, I think I’d love it a lot better with toilets!] [She mentions something about some of the things the Peace Corps has provided – a first aid kit, etc. and something about her family hanging up a piñata for her and she wrote "that cracks me up”.] “The language is hard but because I am forced to learn it, I think I will be fine! Oh, one of my baby brothers’s peed on me today which has been the running joke all day. And get this, anytime after dark (5 P.M.) that I have to use the bathroom, I have to use my po (bedside pee pan) which I clean out every morning. It really all starts to come naturally believe it or not. [Now y’all, she did mention either in the next letter or in our phone conversation that she has worked hard to teach her “host” family some health protocol. One thing being that they find a place not too close by to take care of their business…and not on her! This should help the little brother situation!] [She goes on to talk about how much she loves the training staff – most Malagasy – and how thrilled they are when the PCV’s catch on.] “Oh, the other funny thing which has happened is when we finished dinner last night (we eat on the floor in a big circle), they kept yelling ‘brusse’ and motioning to my teeth. One of my sisters walked me to my bag and made me take out my toothbrush. They motioned for me to brush my teeth in front of them (they had never seen it before) and then all began spitting out the window so I would know where to spit. It was pretty funny! They are so cute!”
The next letter shares a lot of what I shared with y’all in the previous blog about her family. She does add more –
“They have a saying here in Malagasy which means ‘we share one cricket’ – we share even the smallest thing – it’s true…”
Then Erin tells about her typical day which is similar to what I’ve just written with one important change…Jeb, if you are reading this, you will appreciate this change!
“My family wakes up at dawn by our rooster and the sun – around 4:30 A.M. They let me rest in the room until 5:30…” [And then she goes on about the bucket bath, the cold mornings, the warm afternoons, etc.] “My house is at the very top of the cliff – it is such beautiful land! Rice patties everywhere – cows everywhere. There are brown, black and the really pretty spotted cows too. The kids are the best part! They are so curious about us and they teach us Malagasy while we teach them English. They sing beautiful songs all the time! There are very pretty wild roses and marigolds that color the green and red land with pink and yellow everywhere! The kids do not have toys – they go to school and work the fields and animals and play with us and each other. It is very simple and lovely. There are ducks, roosters, chameleons, bees, mosquitoes, chickens, cats and wild dogs everywhere.” [Erin continues about the training which was mentioned in the first letter.] [She talks about sleeping on the floor, eating on the floor, etc. and goes on to say-] “I will definitely not be or feel clean until I get back home. No matter how much [I can’t read the word] water or sweeping I do, I am still filthy! We wash our clothes in the rice patty stream on dirty rocks and since my family is one of the largest and most poor, we dry our clothes out in the dirty grass. I love my family so much but it will also be nice to live on my own and try to do things in a more clean way. Thank you for always being so clean, Mommy :-) The Peace Corp who help train us are really happy with how I have handled the situation with my huge family who do not clean. I have begun to teach them to not let the cats eat food off our plates or crawl on us while we eat. I also finally (after 5 days of trying) have convinced by family that we must wash our hands with soap and clean water before eating. I hope that helps keep both them and me healthy. They pee everywhere and I am trying to get them to start using the kabone. [That’s using an area away from where they live to take care of that kind of business.] As simple and common sense as these actions seem, they are huge issues and huge accomplishments for me already. My purpose for being here is always smack in my face which helps me to deal with the frustrations of a language barrier and no comforts. The food is actually delicious! We have rice three times a day but it’s always different. They mix it with carrots, beans, peas, spinach, tomatoes, peanuts or eggs.” [Then she goes on a little more about food and about how long it’s taken her to write this letter. She mentions a few other things and concludes with how great everyone is…and me, too – how sweet!]
When she called, Erin was on the field trip I had mentioned. She sounded great! She went on and on about how VERY much the letters she has received means to her. She wants to know what y’all are doing; she wants to know what’s going on in your lives and in the news. Please, please y’all – keep those letters coming. She did ask for y’all to send CD’s. Music is a huge help when she’s feeling homesick. She’s going to need our support even MORE when she goes to her location in about 6-7 more weeks. She’s going to be so isolated there…the ONLY non-villager of the 4000 people. Please let me know if there’s anything I can to do for y’all to make it easier to keep those letters coming. A HUGE THANK YOU to each of y’all for encouraging Erin!!!
That’s it until the next letter and/or phone call. I’d love for y’all to share whatever y’all are hearing from Erin…if y’all want, I’ll add it to this blog - just e-amil me. Until next time, y’all take care of yourselves!!!
