ON DAILY LIFE AND EXERCISE....

On daily life and exercise........While walking on our way back home Monday morning, we were greeted by a sweet, petite, nicely dressed Malagasy lady. A little conversation ensued between her and Marie-France. The gist of it was, where do we live? And why are we walking? She is walking because she has no car. Marie-France explained that even though we may have cars, walking is good for one. This got me thinking, which in this case is a good thing, other times I'm not so sure! I find that I have begun to store certain pictures, observations, and information in my memory bank. (If I had the money to match what I sometimes store in my memory bank, I would certainly be very well-off by now!)

The average Malagasy family lives on approximately $2 per day. I now realise why they are such a slim people. I've yet to see an over-weight or obese person.

Many of the men are woodcutters (for want of a better word). They transport the wood to the market themselves. This wood is extremely heavy, cut into about two to three metre lengths, or longer. They carry or transport, on their bicycles, about three to four of these at a time. Their bodies are lean and muscular and glint in the sunshine! Families also carry wood to sell in town.....yes little ones too. Many times the men are in a slow jog! What is heartbreaking is that as they come closer to "town" there are tax posts set up. Yes, they have to pay tax on the wood they use for livelihood. Many men find alternative routes, to evade paying tax, often through very rough terrain.

Water can be found for household and personal use, at these places there are people who receive the money they must pay for the water. There are certain taps situated in places where no charge, as far as I know, is required. That is why one so often sees people enjoying their ablutions in the little lakes that are found all over the show here in Ft Dauphin. I've been told, littly people from about 2/3 years of age begin to practice carrying things, like water, on their shoulders. The stick across the shoulders with a bucket or basket on either end. I watched two boys, guessing at their age, about 7 or 8 years old, doing exactly this. I was watching them walk up the road in front of our village. I'm not sure how much water in the buckets actually reached home! It was a difficult task. I certainly would struggle.

Coming back from our trip to the Lemur Park a few Saturdays ago, I saw the littly ones, not older than 3 years, carrying little baskets in the same way on their shoulders! Everyone has chores to carry out, that's life.

My train of thought was this: They have such smart bodies because of the demands of daily life. We exercise to get smart bodies as a form of recreation. Littly ones do get to play, but there are certain chores for them that are not optional or negotiable! Playing soccer with a ball made from sisal brings joy and smiles, a simple race causes a little boy to strive to beat me, pushing out his chest in the way only little boys can!

Why is there so much negotiation going on between parents and children nowadays? Is the pendulum not swinging way over on the other side, causing a bit of un-equilibrium (a new word I just invented) in this thing called life? This is purely rhetorical you understand! I'm just expressing my own thoughts with you.

As an outsider, in another country, remembering my own country, I have much to ponder.

At the tap below our village, I have a unique opportunity to observe a little bit of daily life. The young girls do the washing at this tap, no doubt catching up on the local news. This is where they carry out their personal ablutions. I seldom see males doing the washing!! Water is fetched from this tap. Sometimes mothers fetch water.

I watch fascinated as the rice paddies are prepared, rice is planted, tended, grown and harvested. One of the painful things watching a rice paddy being prepared is having to watch how the cattle are herded around in the wet, muddy paddy by a whole host of men of varying ages, including little boy people! The main man, has a sort of collar around his neck made of dried twigs, palm branches etc. They chase the cattle round and round in the paddy mixing up the mud and water. They start way early in the morning. I think I hear them just after Hilton leaves for work, 5:45am! The sun is up and hot by 7am. I'm very thankful when that chore is done and there are no more awol cattle trying to break away!

I'm sure you all know that planting rice is a back breaking job. I see plenty of elderly folk involved in the planting. Both male and female. You can imagine that some ladies were very upset with me for taking their photo while planting in a paddy, on our way to the Lemur Park, and one lady turned around bent over and waggled her bottom at me!! Fortunately they were not too close. That set me thinking again. Sometimes "Fazis" (foreigners), like me, can be insensitive when taking photos, which in a way can rob someone of their dignity. I've determined in my heart, to address this issue.

Maybe I was too faraway to hear the expulsion of air from the rear end, but I might not be so lucky next time!!

Just a bit of humour to end this update!