Complicated technical concepts that did not originally exist in the Malagasy language (such as ecology terminology) have been assigned consistent descriptive labels as opposed to single-word names. For example, there is no word in Malagasy for ‘botany’. Instead, the concept is referred to as fahalalana fombany zavamaniry, literally: ‘knowledge of the nature of things that grow.’ I can’t simply teach a botany lesson, I have to teach a lesona amin’ny fahalalana fombany zava-maniry. Oy vey!

One of my favorites: there is no single word in Malagasy for ‘conifer’. A ‘conifer’ is
karazana kakazo vazaha, literally, ‘species of tree white men have’. Then again, there is a word for ‘deciduous’ in Malagasy: mihitsandravina.

In many ways, Malagasy is a simple language. In others, it’s a royal pain. I have to keep reminding myself that I’ve only been studying it for six weeks and that the learning process takes time. Then again, I only have three weeks of technical and language training left before I’m off to fend for myself. Without good communication skills, this will be rough going, but I guess it’s the best way to learn.

The Malagasy love proverbs! I now do, too. Some of my favorite Malagasy proverbs so far:

This is only half a pot of honey, but my heart is full. Tantely tapa-bata ka ny foko no entiko mameno azy.

Oxen are trapped by their horns, and men by their words. Ny omby smaborina amin’ny tandrony ary ni olana kosa amin’ny vavany.

Cross a river in a crowd and the crocodiles won’t eat you. Akanga maro tsy vakin’amboa.

All who live under the sky are woven together like one big mat. Tsihy be lambanana ny ambanilantra.

If you are just a dung beetle, don’t try to move mountains. Aza manano herim-baantay.

Some days being a Peace Corps trainee feels like being a dung beetle trying to move mountains. Luckily these days are becoming less and less common, and as we wrap up training, all that we have learned is beginning to fall into place.

My garden is growing beautifully. The neglected patch of soil that used to serve as a trash-burning rubble area has shot up wonderful tsaramaso (literally ‘pretty eyes’, Malagasy for beans), korgeti (zucchini) voatabia (tomatoes) karoti (carrots) and navet (turnip) plants. My ananas (greens) have been attacked by bibikely (literally ‘little animals’, Malagasy for insects) so I applied a natural pesticide of mashed sakai (hot peppers), savony gasy (special Malagasy black soap), and water. Seems to be working now but I should have done it much earlier.

Yikes! Should also have gone to bed much earlier tonight. Will write more another day. With much love, Rachel