Living with poverty: personal stories

Each Westerner from a rich country living in a poor country like Madagascar faces the challenge of coming to terms with being rich living amongst poverty.
There are those who despise the poor people around them, those who live in permanent sadness for them, those who try to shut it out, those who are motivated to [...]

Should we be nice to children?

In Britain, children are worshiped and considered the most important members of the family. The parents exist to provide for and guide the children, their own needs being second place to fulfilling their children’s needs (or wants).
In Madagascar, children justify much less respect and sentimentality.
Here are some examples of how children are not on [...]

Taking the Mickey

I take pride in the British sense of humour which permeates all aspects of our lives. We enjoy nothing more than taking the Mickey out of each other (mocking) whether on the school playground, the factory floor or the sports field.
I mastered my craft at my school where you either developed a quick tongue [...]

Small town / fish bowl life

Went to Diego airport today to see friends off.
Any visit to the airport means seeing familiar faces and them seeing you.
I realise I’m already getting used to the fact that this is a small town and your life is on show. In London people would know what I was doing because I told them, [...]

Talking to myself – lonely expat behaviour?

I have started talking to myself in public again. The last two weeks have seen a resurgence of this habit, a behaviour I developed in Madagascar in 2006, but had lost during my stay in England.
I didn’t really notice I did it until I returned to England. I found myself doing it in shops [...]

Culture ain’t just about rice

I found this poster in the library in the Department of Anglo-American Studies at the University of Antsiranana.
I love it because not only does it remind us that we are the strange ones but also it shows how cultural difference goes much deeper than whether you eat rice every day or not. When you [...]

You are so fat

A big topic of conversation has been how FAT I am… Some people have said it to my face and others have said it to Jean.
“Oh she’s been eating cake” “Oh she’s been eating too much sawaba (sweet dish with coconut milk)”.
It doesn’t really work to say “Well I’ve had a baby” as local women [...]

Settling in ups and downs

A relaxed English morning
I wake just before 6am to feed Fred. Jean is up and about to leave for his driving practical test.
The morning is spent in surreal suspended reality with BBC world on for two hours 8-10am and the place to myself. The charms of the apartment are definitely outstripping the negatives [...]

Madagascar – we’re back

Well, here I am. Back in Madagascar. Or should I say ‘Here we are’ because, for the first time, I come back to Madagascar as a package that includes Fred. How will I adapt to life here after 11 months away and now that I have the mindset of a new Mum
Flying [...]