The Police

The plan was that I was going to visit Maria and Sigrunn in Fandriana today.. But something I have learned the past months is that; everything doesn't always go the way you intended. I have become sick, so I can't go anywhere else than back and forth to the bathroom. So I use my time drawing and just relaxing (plus watching the first four seasons of Big Bang Theory again). It is actually quite weird to be alone after almost 4 months living very close with another person. But I kind of enjoy it as well.

Well, since I have a lot of time on my hands, I can tell you a bit about the police here in Madagascar, because it is really different from Norway. Corruption is a really big issue here, and I have noticed it several times..

First meeting with a police-officer here was when we were in the south, and our friend got stopped on the road, he was told to show his papers and get out of the car. He did as he was told, and the police-officer told him to go inside the car again, and drive to the side of the road. He again did what he was told, but then the police-officer said that he didn't blink to the side, and didn't put his seatbelt on before he drove to the side, so he had to pay the officer 5000Ar (15kr) in a fine. It seems like they always want to get you on something, so that they can earn money from it. There has also been a police-officer that pretended there was something wrong with our visa, so that he could earn money from it, but we luckily had a driver that could talk to him for us.

And who do you call if a police-officer do something that is illegal or you don't like? I have a problem understanding that. Because when I was alone this friday-evening i rode in a Kinga (Open taxi), the police stopped us, and asked to see my passport. I gave him my passport, he watched it and was pleased with how it looked. He gave it back to me, then he started feeling up my thigh and speak to me in French, that was really uncomfortable. The Kinga-driver said something to the officer in an angry tone and drove away. But that got me asking myself; What if the police does something that is illegal, who do you call?

At least I have found out that I will never walk alone here when it's dark, and always have my phone with me, because that experience scared me a lot. I know it didn't go that far, but you never know what would have happened if the driver wasn't there.

Anyway; This weekend my mother is coming to visit me, and I really hope to get well before she comes. :-)

I have posted this picture before, but here you can see what a Kinga looks like:

And this is one of the best tv-series ever made! 

- Mary Ann