South Africa, Namibia and one wet Madagascar

Well, it has been a while! There are many very good excuses that I can give for why Kenny Bloggins hasn't takin it to the internet in nearly three months, however since we all know what excuses are like, I will spare you. I do hope that this finds you all doing well, enjoying spring, and baseball season. My computer suffered stroke like symptoms which left the side of the keyboard paralyzed, but I think I should have it up and working again. This will hopefully have the effect of making it possible to keep ol' kenny updated on my current doings here in Madagascar.

When I left Port Berge on March 6, my cat had just given birth. This was quite the experience for both us. It was something that neither of us had gone thru before, and it really caught us both by surprise. Imagine the shock one might have when your yet to be confirmed pregnant cat's water breaks while you are on the phone with your mother. After a long birthing process, Gigi delivered two stillborn and one living kitten. I don't know the status of mother or kitten since I've been out of site for nearly a month, but I will find out when I arrive home hopefully on Easter.

To date, Madagascar has received 380% more rain than what is expected per annum. This dramatic increase in rainfall can be attributed to the seven cyclones (name for Indian Ocean's hurricanes) that have hit the island so far this year. Things were looking drastic after the fifth cyclone, and now that two have hit in the past three weeks, things are dire. So far, 114 people have died, around 38,000 have been displaced (homes destroyed), and it's looking like the suffering (esp. on the East Coast) is in its beginning phases. Many crops have been ruined, structures destroyed, and already muddy roads made entirely impassable. Getting aid to the people in need has proven to be quite difficult due to the poor infrastructure. As is typical, the international aid-giving community has been slow to respond, and that response is not nearly adequate. It is sad to see this country that is desperately trying to modernize and develop, thrown back. The cyclones that hit the east coast blew all the way thru to Port Berge, and while my house had been reported as being in good shape, it has been reported that some stuff has been broken. I am anxious to get back and see how everyone and everything is doing. Please keep the Malagasy in your prayers and if you feel so compelled, check into contributing to the rebuilding process (or just providing money for food, as many areas are entirely without nutritional food sources) through orgs/ngos, CARE, USAID, and/or UNICEF.

On a much, much lighter note (and one that pangs my heart due to the disparity in my good fortune compared to people here in Madagascar), I am on the tail end of a fabulous vacation/mid-service conference. Seeing my parents, sister and Adam Jones in South Africa was much needed and a very enjoyable reunion. Highlights would include a night drive, morning walk, and several day drives thru Kruger National Park (where we saw many of the famed African big game), climbing Table Mountain, wine touring in the Stellenbosch area near Cape Town, seeing the Cape of Good Hope, and the sobering tour of Robbin Island (where Nelson Mandela was held for 27 years). Many African knick knacks were purchased and no one could say they did not eat or drink well while in South Africa. It was a most enjoyable time spent together, and one that makes me feel very fortunate to have such devoted and adventurous family and friends.

After the Fam and Jones' departure, Abby and I took a bus to Windhoek, Namibia. Expecting to see a similar scene in northern SA and Namibia as that we see in Madagascar, we were shocked by the developed state of both countries. Namibia and SA are what Madagascar is striving to become in the future. After a night's stay in Windhoek, Abby and I made our way north to Tsumeb where we met up a bearded, long hair named Adam Shukwit. It was quite the reunion for former fraternity father and son, which culminated with us partying with the locals in a township. We danced, drank red wine mixed with coke, and half way thru the party we separated into male and female groups and ate cornmeal porridge with goat meat. It was quite the fun, cultural experience. We then left Tsumeb and made our way to the German (former colonizers) beach town of Swakopmund. You might know this as the place where Brangelina had a baby. We had great German food and drink, met some other PCV's and exchanged experiences, and then ended our time there with the coolest thing I've ever done. Abby and I went sandboarding in the Namib Desert, the world's oldest desert. From the top of the dunes we could see the Atlantic Ocean and a shipwreck. We flew down the dunes using slick pieces of plywood sometimes reaching speeds of 74km per hour. I had never played in the desert before, and I must say it was one of the most beautiful, amazing, and heart pounding experiences of my life. A great stay in Namibia!

My group of health volunteers just finished our mid service conference which was a productive time of learning about closing up our service, still being productive, and exchanging experiences. I now head back to site with about 7 months of service left, and a very fresh outlook on the rest of my service. Thanks to all those who donated to the well project. We will start digging as soon as the ground is sufficiently dry. I am hoping to find out who all donated, so I can send a personal thanks, however if this can't be done please know that everyone of us in Port Berge is very grateful. Hope this finds you all well. Drop me a line and let me know how you're doing.