I was in a bus, stuck in a traffic. And when I wanted to watch from the window, I saw this so sad picture. Two ladies were carelessly washing their clothes with dirty water from a conduit. And look around them, only trashes and dirt.
One day, before going home, some friends and I decided to stay for a while for a drink and snacks.We needed some cups and got these Corsairfly cups from the grocers nearby. Wondering where do they come from? Used then washed cups? Or …???
Ahaha… On my way to the market this morning, I saw this seller of Fozaorana. We have heard a lot of Fozaorana this year and I took this pic for those who don’t know the real ones.
Fozaorana is a kind of crayfishes which live in ponds and ricefields. They are eating any little insects and grow very fast. Despite the fact that it is not advised to eat them for they may have microbes, people still sell them cuz they fill the ponds and ricefields and some still buy them cuz they’re cheap.
The Fozaorana became famous these last two years. It became an expression that the Malagasy people use in their everyday life. The main meaning is combined with these words: numerous, popular, cheap.
- A girl called Fozaorana is an easy girl
- A phone is called Fozaorana when it’s cheap since the three phone operators here in Madagascar have scrambled to promote mobile phones so everyone can get one (or two 
).
- I would not comment on the political meaning but will just report what it is said. The TGV strikers were called Fozaorana because when you cook these “crayfishes” they become orange – the colour that these strikers were wearing during their rallies.
Kindly tagged by Lova Rakotomalala, I don’t want to break the chain. So the first three posts?!… Let’s check them … And… this is what we have:
- From Dago at the place of the common Hello World. Not inspired at all . Shame… Joan, coatching the “creating blog workshop” at Tecknet was kind of disappointed. She said we were too slow
- No old and uggly banknotes anymore … Yesterday, during a radio show entitled “Trano Gasy” on RDB – a local radio broadcast – in which the audience can share news, opinions… a lady called on air and then talked about the poor condition of our Malagasy banknotes which reflects poverty. She is the kind of person who gently ranges the bills in a wallet and then becomes mad when the groccers or the conductors folds them in their pocket. The radio host added that in the coast regions, people won’t accept a dirty or torn note. I smiled cuz this was the main message in this post.
- “Mampiada-maso” TV aerial … a Made in Madagascar TV aerial… Compared to any other antennas, I tell you, this one is cheap but and good
These first three posts was published on September 21, 2008. I have to admit that they were written a while before this date and were published in a local newspaper in a special English page named English Corner produced by ICE Club. I told you I’ve always loved writing
My turn to pass on the baton to other 3 Malagasy bloggers. Moonlightirl, Lay Andriamialy and Stéfane would you tell us about your first three posts please?
The title of this post is inspired from a book I used to read when I was a kid. Well, in this book we could see some pics taken in African countries showing the “misuse” of French language. “Docteur de chaussures malades” is an example of this. But finally, “shoemaker” won’t really help so I’ll keep on borrowing this – a lil funny – title
With shoemaker you may think of a man who makes shoes… Here, he doesn’t make them… He repairs them!
New shoes are expensive for many families nowadays so other options are offered to them: either they buy second hand shoes or they will try to keep their “old” shoes as long as possible by bringing them once, twice, or even more to our “Sick shoes doctor” like Ra-Noré on the pic above. For 7 years now, he has worked on a corner of the streets in my neighborhood. See, he was even repairing a boot when I stopped by.
Oh my goodness! I have been assaulted by a pickpocket this evening. It was 6.30 p.m. It started to be dark yet the streets were crowded. In Analakely, I stopped by a streetseller to buy some mangoes. While bargaining, someone touched my shoulder, for a second I thought it was someone I know… but suddenly, this person pulled my ears violently. When I turned back, I saw a guy running and disappearing behind a shop. Then I understood that he wanted to rob my golden earings. Thank God, he could not get the earings. That happened so quick and it was so amazing that noone had noticed this act. (Actually, I did not yell)
I had to meet my husband at the bus station, though the way was dark and quiet so I was afraid to go there alone in case the guy was still following me. I then called my husband from a taxi phone to pick me up. People there could hear me telling my misadventure. Then, they said that it was not safe to be around this place in evenings, they have witnessed some other cases of assaults these last days. And I said, how come??? My earings were not even big!!! But the lady said that gold are expensive now and since there are these buyers in Analakely, those pickpockets become more and more dangerous.
Tahina and I wanted to take a pic of those “buyers of gold” all along the sidewalks near Lycée JJ Rabearivelo but we believed that it was not safe so we gave up. If you go by this place you will see cars parking there with the right side doors opened. As you will pass by, you will not miss them asking wether you have gold to sell with you. I am wondering if the authority may someday react to such situation because this really increase the insecurity in Analakely and surroundings.
By the way, I am thinking of selling my earings to them now to avoid wearing them and being attacked again because next time I may not be luckier. [joke 
]
Rakotonanahary is the name of the guy on the pic above. His job is to repair pots, buckets, or any items made with steel or aluminium. And during rainy seasons, he also repairs umbrellas.
He is married and have two children who are both at school. He lives in Alarobia – 3 or 4 kilometers from where I met him. And every day for more than 10 years now, he is leaving home early in the morning, with his tools, moving from neighborhood to neighborhood – doing sometimes more than 10 kilometers a day – trying to find pots to repair.
On the video below, he is repairing a cup with a hole for 200 Ariary. “If I am lucky, I find 10 customers a day or even more”, Rakotonanahary said “but sometimes, only 4″.
He has learnt this job from his elder brother and they both fixed the tools he is using now by themselves. “Uh…. [smile]… I never thought of doing something else… I’ll keep this job”. This is how he answered when I wanted to know if he liked his job.
I am not good at Basket Ball and I’m not sure I know much about the game, the rules, the techniques and stuff. My friend Tahina who’s found of this game has already talked about this championship and some good Malagasy performers. Though I was there.
I was there watching the Malagasy performers… yelling to death when they scored… missing some mistakes but I was there like these other Malagasy people queuing at the gate for supporting our team.
Malagasy people are not really used to go out on workdays. And it was quite amazing to see the crowd lining up at the entrance gate of Palais des Sports Mahamasina to watch the game at 6.00 on a Tuesday evening.
What Diana and I could hear touched our heart. In fact, we were going to follow the match between Senegal and Madagascar. Everyone already knew the performance of this Vice-champion of Africa team. - and the winner for this Afrobasket Women 2009. Everyone already anticipated our failure. Though the stadium was amazingly full that evening and this dynamic public was there to encourage the Malagasy team, an attitude I feel proud of.
One day, Tahina and I proposed “Climate change” as a discussion topic for our club. We were so astonished (or shouldn’t we???) that all the members felt reluctant so we could guess that they were not interested in it. I believe that a lot of people around the world behave like these members when it is to talk about “Climate change”.
I have registered to this Blog Action Day (BAD) because first of all, I feel concerned about it, and also it is so great to see the numerous blogs which are taking part in posting articles about “Climate change” – BAD’s topic of this year. This makes me feel NOT ALONE
Since this morning, I have deeply thought about what I will post this evening. And on my way home, I saw this big truck which smokes. I took out my camera and came nearer the driver and asked if I could take a pic. The big guy hesitated as I explained that it was for my blog. He could guess that I will talk about environment so he said “Make sure you don’t put me and the number of the truck in.” So I took the pic and showed it to him. Then I asked a “silly” question: Why he didn’t want to appear in the pic. He laughed and said: “I know that this smoke is bad but this truck is my money resources so I have to do with it… Anyway, I’m not the only one [shy smile]“
I lived that guy cuz I started to cough with the smoke. I went home and I have noticed that my neighbour is using charcoal. And bingo! here is our topic. Most of Malagasy homes (I am tempted to say 90%) use charcoal. Why? Because this is cheaper and you can buy it at any time in small quantity. Though if you use gas you have to pay it once. Don’t even think of electricity!!! But where does the charcoal come from??? Peasants in countrysides cut trees of forests to make the charcoal. Though none of them thought about re-planting trees. They prefer to move on to the nearby forests and so on. We, who are aware of the environment, know what goes with this act: no rain, endemic fauna and flora disapear, heat, erosion…
I think that the main problem here in Madagascar is that people are so busy to search for what they are going to eat today. We then become selfish and just think of ourselves. We forget our neighbours and our future generation.
One day, I really wanted to watch a documentary movie about “Why have we waited until it is too late to save our planet?”; yet, many believe that they still have time to think about the problems of climate change tomorrow or even later. People are not aware at all. Though, here in Madagascar, we should now be in hot and rainy season. I remember, when I was a kid, in october like this it rained almost every day… but this october 2009, till today, we only had 5 or 6 rainy days. Some may feel happy cuz they won’t need to buy and bring umbrella; peasants are not cuz of their farming.
I hope that the Bloggers’Action of today will wake up millions… billions of people… governments… poor countries… rich countries… and then, we will altogether rescue the Earth. What I can and already do now is planting my own trees
September 21, 2008, DagoTiako was born. One week before, Joan from FOKO had contacted us, guys from ICE Club. She talked about FOKO project which is to promote citizen media in Madagascar by sensitizing people to create blogs. As you can read on my introduction in “About” page, I’ve always dreamt of becoming a journalist and a photograph. I immediately fell in love with this FOKO project.
September 21,2008, DagoMC, Moonlightgirl, Fara, Moma, Tahina, Andry and I were then invited to join the workshop led by David Sasaki and Joan who showed us the way to create a blog. And today, I am thankful to Joan, David Sasaki, Lova, Tahina, Andry, and all FOKO.
September 21, 2009. What have I realized???
The craziest moment was during the crisis on January – February – March 2009. Listening to the radio on my phone to check the news. Going to the rallies, taking pics and recording the speeches of leaders of each team (TGV in the Place du 13 Mai and TIM in Mahamasina and Ambohijatovo). It was so exciting to be among the professional journalits and see what they do and try to copy on them. It was so great to be able to take pics of wellknown politicians. It was so wonderful to talk about the events and to have the “world” following your posts. It was just mad to spend 3 hours a day… late… I mean VERY LATE in a cybercafé just because I felt the need of sharing. But the greatest feeling is that thanks to my blog, I do EXIST now in this world. I just googled my nickname “ariniaina” and… wow… I can’t find the word to express my feeling… kind of proud… but that’s not humble at all … Like few weeks ago I discovered an article which talks about me and blogging… I have to admit that I felt so happy…
I’ve been interviewed by a journalist from Wall Street journal about twitter and the crisis of Madagascar. I remember, the day of the massacre in Ambohitsirohitra. My husband (well… my fiancé at that time ) and I decided to co-work. He went on the “battlefield” and let his phone on so I could hear all the speeches and plans and then tweeted them. It was a great team work… Well, but now that I’m thinking of it, it was just so crazy and risky.
One more crazy thing, I’ve burnt my skin by sitting under the sunshine just to wait for Andry Rajoelina’s speech. I tell you, a whole week it hurted.
One thing that I call success and I’m so proud of is my friend Lay Andriamialy who has become addicted to this blogging because of me. In fact, everyday, I had nothing to do but talking about blog, blog, my blog, twitter… and on February we wanted to teach someone we love to blog so I’ve chosen this friend. The funny thing is that, now it’s his turn to talk about blog, blog, blog, his blog… lol
DagoTiako has now one year old… too young to die… so I’ll keep on 
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