You are currently browsing the monthly archive for May 2009.
Wednesday, May,27 2009, 4.00 a.m., the alarm clock rings. Amazingly, I could wake up right away. Because the alarm clock was not for my work, it was for a trip to Antsirabe 
.
4.30 a.m., the cab is already waiting for Andry and I. Yeah, a start of adventure.
4.47 a.m., the cab driver told us that instead of going to the “Taxi-Brousse” station at Fasan’ny Karana, it is better to take it in Anosy. It sounded great so we stopped at the roundabout of Anosy. A guy came to us and asked if we wanted to go to Antsirabe. We said yes, and then followed the guy. After a bargain, we got the seats next to the driver.
5.00 a.m., the van was not full yet but the driver was ready to leave when the conductor noticed cops. The driver tried to hide the van behind 2 big trucks. Then, Andry and I understood. This van had broken the rule of its “cooperative” (association/ union of transporters) [It is mandatory to be part of a cooperative]. The driver went out to check if the way is clear. Meanwhile, the conductor explained to us, passengers, that they are doing so to avoid to pay too much money to the “cooperative”. He explained that they almost gain nothing because the main part goes directly to the responsibles of the “cooperative”. He even said, that it is sad that he and the driver cannot afford to buy a new van with the money they can get though, the people at the “cooperative” can buy 1 or 2 vans. Franckly speaking, I sympathize with the driver and the conductor.
The passengers all agreed with this sytem. Regular passengers said that taking the bus in Anosy is safer and faster than at the station in Fasan’ny Karana. When the first van in Anosy leaves at 5.00a.m., in Fasan’ny Karana it will be at 6.00 a.m. and only if all the seats are taken.
While waiting for the driver to come back, another man arrived with 3 more passengers and 2 others a few minutes later. Wow, the team work impressed me a lot.
5.15 a.m., the real trip starts
Marais Masay
Fishermen at Marais Masay
The Marais Masay is a former swamp which has been transformed to collect the discharge of dirty water from the surrounding areas and companies. It is so obvious that fishing at this marsh is forbidden. Poverty makes people breaking the law. As you can see on the pic, people are still fishing there. I heard that they take those fishes and put them in a clean pool for a week and then sell them in some markets far from Marais Masay.
Now, there is a project, sponsored by Ile de France, to clean the water of Marais Masay. Since it is hard to follow and to punish the fishermen, cleaning the marsh can be a good solution. And frankly speaking, I love this project. I am not good at technical details, and since there was noone there to answer my questions, I only took pics so enjoy them
The name of this project is Vetiver Float – “Flotteur de Vétiver”. Vetiver is the name of the grass. This float is used to hold garbage and to purify the water so eating fishes from Marais Masay will be safer in a near future.
I am so sorry, contacted by the genius guy who is the source of this project, I have been asked to take off some photos. Thanks for your understanding.
On saturday, I was a little bit late downtown. I was estonished seeing the market late in the evening.
What attracted me the most was this.
huh… I did not mean the sausages looool, look at the candle!!
Yes, the candle is covered with newspaper. Fold a sheet of newspaper, wrap up the candle with it. Doing so will help you have candle light for more than two hours. Clever!
Curious people
4.55 p.m., I was down the stairs of Antaninarenina when I saw 2 trucks of firefighters. Suddenly, I heard people screaming then turned my head to the Esplanade Analakely, I could see smoke from… I was not sure until I came nearer… I could see smoke from a Gargote.
Normally, I used to think that running and gathering to see what’s happening was silly, though today, automatically, I run while trying to take out my camera (watching around if doing so was safe ). Arrived at the burning wreckage, the crowd had already surrounded the place, disturbing the firefighters. They angrily instructed these people to move back. As I talked to a responsible, I could come nearer the zone and take some pics.
Firefighter in action
Quickly, the firefighters opened the Gargote, pulled their big pipes and watered the room on fire. The led-firefighter calmed down the curious people around, there was noone inside, only materials. Everything in the little gargote was burnt and destroyed: table, chairs, plates, …
Damaged materials
What interested everyone as well was to know the source of the fire. A young lady who is working at the Gargote, on her way home, was called by the neighbors and came back to see the damage. Another lady, the owner, also arrived. I tried to talk to them and asked what may have caused the fire. They pretended not to know, though the proof was there, the firefighters discovered a charcoal fire.
The source of the fire
Fortunately, the firefighters were on time, if not the whole block would have been set on fire.
Such case of frogotten fire charcoal or candles has already destroyed many homes and killed several people in Madagascar. I sincerely hope that, at least the crowd who were present today, would be more cautious in future.
Sunday morning, I was dazzled seeing kids full of joy playing kites. I decided to take out my camera and come nearer to take some pics. They were all excited and I wish Andry could take a pic of me surrounded by the kids. I have to admit that I really appreciated such moment (one of the reason why I’ve dreamt of becoming a reporter ). Look at the kids on the pic below; they all run to be in the photo .
I could meet Ikalavazaha, a little girl who made her own kite and proudly played among the guys.
Ikalavazaha
I also noticed that some kites were stranded in the wire poles.
No more comments, enjoy the pics 
For your information, the Malagasy word for kite is “Papango” which means Hawk. They are made with plastic bags, threads and two thin pieces of bamboo.
The kites are really simple (not like Chinese ones) but the kids are able to make their own papango and are really proud of their great job. They would be really sad if their kite will be stuck in the wire poles, anyway, they will always manage to make a new one.
Few days ago, we were all excited to hear about the trip of ESSVA (from Antsirabe) to join BUEC in Tamatave. I really wished I could join those teams just because they all looked so happy on the Morning song.
Though, on April 30th, Joan let us know about the loss of a friend. F
rédéric Tsiatosika Rakotondrajao, a young guy of 21, a student of ESSVAcomm, unexpectedly died in a tragic accident during his stay in Tamatave.
I did not personnaly know Frédéric though I really feel that within FOKO we are all friends and families. And this is the reason why I am sincerely so sad because of this loss.
It is hard not to talk about the missing means of emergency rescue at the beaches of Tamatave. The authority, the responsibles should now seriously think about establishing a plan for emergency help with life-savers (who will always stay around not at kilometers away from the place of tragedy), lifebuoys and a motorboat (which works) in order to avoid such catastrophic event in future.
Nevertheless, I believe that Frédéric would like to leave this message for us:
If I should go tomorrow
It would never be goodbye,
For I have left my heart with you,
So don’t you ever cry.
The love that’s deep within me,
Shall reach you from the stars,
You’ll feel it from the heavens,
And it will heal the scars.
The Crazy Team
My friends and I (I’m used to call us “Crazy Team”) went to a Karaoke party on saturday. And as usual, we really had FUN (‘cuz this is the reason why we go to such place; right?). We joked (between us), we made gestures while singing, we didn’t care if we were “occasionnaly” out of tune, we chose music that rocks (of Evanescence, Pink, Avril Lavigne, Queen, System of the Down, our favourite one’s Mika…) … And a girl just in front of us (we’ll have to admit that had a good voice) was really upset ‘cuz she couldn’t understand the happy faces we had, the laughs we could make, the pokes, the hugs… She was trying her best to copy on Bodo, Whitney Houston, Poopy and all those famous stars with angel’s voice and she was so great… though SHE WAS NOT HAPPY… everyone could see it on her face that SHE DIDN’T HAVE FUN like we did 
. And then, I told my friend that I have to write something about this (and here we are )
This girl wasn’t the only one who didn’t understand our excitement and most of them thought we could be drunk with 1 bottle of THB, 2 Fresh and 1 Eau Vive. (Were we? LOOOL) This is absolutely wrong. We’re the kind of people who believe that alcohol is not the special ingredient for having FUN. I’m not really good at maths but, for us,
FUN = happiness, jokes, pokes, hugs, smiles, laughs, “seriousless”
(I created this word )
Recent Comments