Teachers, painters and Christmas

Now we have started working as English-teachers here at Tombontsoa, we have until now had two classes. The first one was really horrible! We were so nervous before we got there, and when we got there and started what we had prepared; the other teacher that was there told us that these students knew English from before. Then we stood there and had no idea what to start with... So we started with grammar. After a while we understood that these students didn’t know much English after all, so our first class as English-teachers did not go so well. The second one went a lot better, because we stuck to what we had prepared.

We only are English-teachers at Wednesdays, and the rest of the week we paint some houses that the students next year will use. I have painted houses in Norway, and compared to this, painting in Norway is easy! The brushes are so bad that after half an hour of painting it looks like they have dreadlocks.. And the paint is also really thin, so it’s hard to get the paint to stick to the wall. But in spite of this I really like this job because we can work in our own speed, and I have to say that is faster than the Malagasy way!

And yes, soon it’s Christmas, and I don’t have that feeling at all! We have decorated the house as well as we can, but still the christmas-feeling is left out. We will celebrate a white Christmas though, at a white-sanded beach in the coast! Looking forward to that! This Christmas will be different, but an experience i wouldn’t be left without.

The rainseason have at last started, so here we are on our way out to paint

Here you can see our livingroom table with some christmas-candy, cloves (nellik) and floating candles.

Our kitchen also have some Christmas-feeling

Julie and I are going to fill up eachothers stockings.

We have also been on a visit to our friends Silje and Marte in the capital; Antananarivo. Here we are at a picnic with pancakes, pineapple and homemade smoothie!

There was some children walking by, and Silje got to hold the baby, cute or what? The older girl joined us playing cards, she was also really cute.

Some ducklings were walking by..

There was fireworks in the city for an whole hour, really noisy; but nice.

I have finally finished my first book here in Madagascar, and it was really good! I strongly recommend it! And here you see my new favourite-fruit; Litchi!

- Mary Ann