Training in Sambaina: My walk to technical training each morning takes me along the valley outside of town where rice paddies and mangahajo are cultivated.

Laundry time: My Malagasy host cousin recently taught me how to hand wash clothes in the stream near my house. We then either lay them on the grass to dry or take them home to hang in the courtyard.

The road past Sambaina: Some of the best road goes through Sambaina (actually paved!) because of our training site’s proximity to Antananarivo. The commuinity in Sambaina is far more affluent than those we’ll live among at our permanent sites.

Me with my host cousin, Yanitra. To get to the road I often cut through the rice paddies behind us. Have to be careful not to fall off the hummocks that separate each flooded field–it’s happened a few times and is pretty icky. My house (one of the nicest in town) is the yellow cement one with the balcony in the background). Most houses in our area are packed red clay with thatch roofs.

Sunset from my Malagasy family’s balcony. This picture doesn’t do it justice at all.

Morning market in Antananarivo. I’ve avoided taking my camera about town (have already had an attempted pickpocketing) so this is all I’ve got of the capital right now…

Check October post for a link to more photos.