The First Three Posts

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?

Sick shoes Doctor :)

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.

Misadventure in Analakely

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 ]