Life as a ‘Vazaha’

Life as a ‘Vazaha’

Vazaha is the Malagasy word for foreigner or stranger. Little kids point at you when you walk by and say ‘Salut Vasaaaaah’. Sometimes, they even call their little friends to come to see the vazahas. Really funny to see! The older kids are even making pictures of us sometimes, very weird feeling we must say. In the beginning, it was a sometimes a little strange, never to be able to walk around without being looked at or hearing the Salut vazaha. But now, we’re kinda used to it and we just respond with ‘Bonatsara’, what means something like hello. In Anivorano, the people are really used to vazahas walking around in the neighbourthood of the Maventy project, so they exept of the little kids, they don’t even bother anymore. 

Streetfood

Since 2 weeks, we started trying the food on the streets. (after being scared before to get sick) Everything is being sold in little portions and it seriously costs nothing at all! (about 4 cents per thing). The best stuff is according to Renée the friend bananas which are kinda similar to those from the Chinese. Alex favorite is the “durum”roll without meat but some vegetables inside. Further there are friend sweet potatoes which really fill you up and lot’s of “oliebollen”.  We also have our favourite place, were we sit down at a little table outside, and just eat with the locals. And until so far, no one of us got sick of this tasty food!

Giving birth in Anivorano

Friday, when we came in the delivery room to paint the walls, a woman was lying there, ready to give birth. Marina the midwife, told us we could stay to watch. So of course we stayed. All birth knowledge we had came from tv shows such as ‘sixteen and pregnant’, and we expected horrible scenes with lots of screaming and blood. It was nothing like that at all. Once the woman started pushing, the baby was out in 1 or 2 minutes! So, less spectacular then we had expected. The baby was super cute. We also saw the afterbirth, which went also smoothly. In contrast to Europe, the baby was immediately taken away to get dressed, measured and weighted. The mom was even out of the room before the baby. 

 

The delivery room before painting

Chillin’ in Diego Suarez/Antsiranana

This weekend, we stayed in Diego Suarez. Yesterday, we went to the swimming pool of the most fancy hotel of Diego, the Grand Hotel (a real vazaha hotel). We did nothing but lying in the sun and swimming. (Yes, you can be jealous now). Although it’s ‘winter’ here, it’s still about 30 degrees and sunny. For less than €15, we had a whole day entrance to the pool and a nice lunch included. 

Plans for the next 2 weeks

In an hour, we go back to Anivorano. The rest of the week we are probably gonna do some screenings, finish the painting of the maternity and the delivery room and make shelves for the storage room. Next Saturday, we leave for Nosy Be to have a little vacation (google it and get jealous again ;) ), we stay there until Thursday and then we go back to Tana to fly home on Sunday.

If we have internet again somehow we will try to blog! If not then we’ll see you all in about 2 weeks!