A tale of two grannies

Today’s tale is a travelogue of an unusual trip from Diego to Sainte Marie, with my baby son Fred, my Mum (white Granny), Jean’s Mum (black Granny)
So, 3 women set out on the same journey with a collection of objectives.

To visit your birthplace and family
To meet new family
To indulge in relaxation
To see another part of [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

How to listen to someone

How do you show that you’re really listening in England and Madagascar?
England

Make eye contact
Make listening noises (aha, yup, indeed)
Ask questions

Madagascar

Look at the ground
Remain silent

Thus an English person listening to a Malagasy could be perceived as:

Wanting to speak themselves
Trying to dominate
Being disrespectful
Intrusive by asking questions

And a Malagasy listening to an English person could be perceived as:

Bored
Trying [...]

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 [...]

White woman breastfeeding in bar

Breastfed in public today and I’m still trying to interpret all the social signals to see how appropriate it was. I went into a bar (usually frequented by girlfriends looking for boyfriends and vice versa, and the odd tourist group attracted by the terrace).
I sat in front of the TV, facing only the two [...]