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I read Jogany’s article about “Pourquoi bloguer sur l’Afrique?” (Why blogging on Africa?). And I said to myself that I have to answer to that question too
So why blogging on Africa?
I didn’t know anything about blogging before I met FOKO. Since I’ve joined the team, I fell in love with the idea of talking about me 
, my country, its people, its culture… But the most important thing to me is to say how things are REALLY going on here. The main reason of this is because when you say “Madagascar”, none knows but poverty or The Movie lol . I guess, my friend Tahina is sharing my point of view when he has entitled his blog “Madagascar, not The Movie” ( Great work man, PROPS!). I like the movie and I am impatiently waiting for the 2nd one (since I love animation movies and cartoons lol ) but it is a fake image of my lovely country (Dago Tiako yeah).
I would not deny that we are “financially” poor but what is money when you have no time for a smile, when you have to go far from town when you want to see a tree, when you need to know the person you meet, if not you would not greet him or her, when you have to pay for a help? (need some Fihavanana eh). A cyber friend, ikalamako, talks about this so called Fihavanana in her great blog. huh… where I am?… What is money when you have to eat foods in can because you don’t have access to natural and fresh fruits and vegetables? geeeee… , …
So, why blogging on Africa?
Because people don’t know the “real” Africa. Well, my part is to blog on Madagascar as I live there.
Wanna discorver the real Madagascar?
The Cyber Observer will inform you about legal issues in Madagascar
Moma will drive you around all Dago
Log on Patrick ’s blog, he has a lot to say 
Don’t miss Simp ’s blog, a very original one
and sipakv ’s, it’s so great
As you may have read my article entitled “All along the street“, I talked about people making a circle
people making a circle
watching something. I thought it was an accident, in fact it was a fortune teller. Today, Andry and I were hanging out in Analakely and we saw again a group of people gathering. We came closer to watch and here is what we 
saw: a very young guy with a little snake (alive) in his hands. I don’t really know about the snake show because we missed the first part. Oh yes, it was a show or a kind of circus if you want it. After hiding the little snake in his coat on the ground, he started a new performance. See pics.
While taking a little break, he took off his hat and collected money from the public. Too cute.
5 p.m., just after work, I went down to Analakely trying to take a bus. No need to tell about the crowd waiting also for the bus. This is so usual.
5 minutes later, we were all surprised by the rain (hummm… not that surprised). I tell you, it rained cats and dogs.
Those people were waiting for a bus. grrrr…
Well, no cab wanted to work because of the traffic so people living far from town had to take a bus to go home. I prefered walking on foot ;) I’m feeling cold guys. grrrr…
ariniaina
You have to do a phone call but you do not have your cell phone or maybe, you do not have airtime or you just want a cheaper call cost, you need a “Taxi Phone”.
Reader: “OK… OK… but what the hell is that “Taxi phone”?
ariniaina: “Hold on buddy, I’m about to say it”
You can meet them everywhere in Tana. And when I say everywhere, it is true ’cuz you can find some on a alley or on each street corner. You will not miss them, they use a big umbrella and fluoressant banners.
A “Taxi Phone” is a place where you can phone cheaper. One minute call costs 200 Ariary ( around 0,10 EUR) when it is 438 to 720 Ariary if you use your cell phone. They also sell airtime cards. By the way, we have three telecommunication providers here in Madagascar: TELMA (TELecom MAlagasy), ZAIN and ORANGE.
When my cousin (living in France) came here on August, she was estonished no , amazed seeing them. And I thought, it could be a good idea to talk about them in my blog.
ariniaina
I guess, many of us were already excited to know what was the surprise that the Commune Urbaine d’Antananarivo (CUA) had prepared for us, behind the fence of Masay Marshall. This is the place where we used to do our jogging before and a place where cars for sale were exhibited. And now, it becomes a very nice park for families, friends, children to hang out.
Saturday afternoon, they took off the fence and we could already see a very nice garden. And yesterday (Sunday, November 9th, 2008), it was the official opening ceremony. A lot of people from the surrounding areas did not miss the opportunity to be the first visitors of the new park.
This project is the result of a cooperation between the CUA and the L’Ile de France.
Some people already found a “business” to run in the new park. I could meet photographers, koba sellers, candies and biscuits sellers…
I was glad to see some trash bins and was happier that the visitors used them.
The Transparency International – Initiative Madagascar (IT – IM) is organizing an article contest for Malagasy journalists. This contest is sponsored by USAID Madagascar and AIM (Anti-corruption Initiative Madagascar).
Journalists are invited to write an article about Fight against corruption. This article has to be published in a Malagasy newspaper between January 1st to December 1st, 2008 and then sent to TI – IM. The name of the 3 winners will be known on December 9th, 2008 ( the World Day of the Fight against Corruption). The prizes will be a laptop, a desktop, and a cell phone.
The sad part of this contest, for me, is that the articles have to be written in Malagasy or French languages only.
ariniaina
A group of journalists went together to Ambatomanga on March 23-24, 2007. This is the report of that nice trip.
Ambatomanga is 36km to the east from Antananarivo. It is a village of 6,010 people; the population regrouped in 5 Fokontany.
CHEESE MAKING:
Long time ago Ambatomanga belonged to the Milk Triangle constituted by three regions (Antsirabe, Ambositra and Manjakandriana). Until now Ambatomanga is well reputed for their milk quality and delicious cheese… (I believe we have never eaten so much cheese in our lives). And if you ask me to rename Ambatomanga I will call it “Cheese land”.
There are 7 Home-Cheese-Makers in Ambatomanga. And guess what: the oldest one started in 1984. Some of the cheese-makers supply the supermarkets of Antananarivo; but since the road was built, people from town come to visit the place (especially on weekends) and most of the products can be sold there.
Consumers do not have to worry about the hygiene of the cheese produced in Ambatomanga. Once a year the Home-Cheese-Makers have to send samples to the Ministry of Health. There; they test the cheese samples and deliver a certificate to the producers if everything is normal. Then, some men from the same Ministry, travel to Ambatomanga. They do not tell in advance that they will come. That is to control the workshop. So again they make sure that the cheese-making process is within standards.
FARMING:
If you are not a cheese-maker in Ambatomanga then you must be a farmer.
The price of milk is getting higher and higher. In 2004, it was Ar380 per liter, now it is more than Ar500.
People of Ambatomanga do not drink milk. They prefer to sell it so they can make money. (The reason why they drink milk on holidays is because cheese-makers do not work on those days).
Farmer families get only a little amount of money by selling milk so they have to do other work to fulfill their needs.
During our trip we met 2 ladies who transport 150l of water to the cheese factories.
They can get Ar1500 for doing so. Just after that, they cut grass and cultivate their parts of field.
We met another brave widow. She sells yoghurt and can get Ar2,000 per day to support her 4 children.
We have also met a handicraftsman by the name of Rado. Rado received us at his little place and showed us how to make a very nice necklace with horn. He was very kind with us. A lucky journalist from our team received the necklace.
PEACE CORPS HOSTS:
We interviewed Jao. His family has lived in Ambatomanga for generations starting from his grandfather. He is married and has 2 children. He is a farmer.
Jao is one of the 30 lucky families in Ambatomanga to have received a U.S. volunteer from Peace Corps in 2005 to live at his place for 3 months. His family and the volunteer had a good working relationship. The female volunteer from the States was really simple and accepted to follow the family’s rhythm of life.
Receiving a volunteer from Peace Corps was a real benefit for Jao’s family. She taught them cleanliness (body, home, food, clothes); they built a bathroom to enforce what they learnt.
The volunteer explained that we, Malagasy people, are lucky to live in a tropical land and have various kinds of vegetables. She advised Jao and his family to balance their diet by having 3 different colors of food at each meal [for instance rice (white), grass (green), carrot salad (orange) or pineapple (yellow)]. They do not necessarily have to eat meat. Thanks to the volunteer, Jao and his family discovered that it is possible to eat raw vegetables by preparing salads with them; it is advised to eat fruits and sometimes cook soups.
Jao also wanted to add that medical treatment in Ambatomanga is good and the clinic has all the necessary medicines. But he admits that because of the balanced food he and his family are eating, they rarely have any health problems.
The people in Ambatomanga were really nice and helpful to us. On behalf of the journalist team who went there I want to thank all of the nice villagers of the “Cheese Land”.
ariniaina
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