Goodbye Vanilla, Chocolate, Coffee, and Madagascar

So it is time for me to hit the road and maybe squeeze in a bit of summer before school starts back up and I resume my life as a hermit holed up in my shady Boston apartment. Looking back on my time here in Madagascar, I think that no matter where you travel or for how long, it is always worth it. You always gain new perspectives, new knowledge on culture and yourself, and you will inevitably learn what foods agree with you and which ones do not. More than anything, during this trip, I have gained knowledge on food. Working with a malnutrition project sheds light on so many obstacles to healthy eating, and, as with America, culture more than anything is the obstacle. The Malagasy do not share my own curiosity for food and mainly stick to rice, all day, every meal, every field is full of rice. The idea that a meal or day is not complete without eating at least a pound of rice (if it can be afforded), is hampering the growth of many Malagasy, and like in so many other places, culture is the culprit. When one intern asked about changing the type of rice they use fortified rice, one Malagasy said, with a look that could kill “do not mess with the rice.” However, Americans again are not to judge, coming from the Midwest culture where it is not a dinner unless there is a pile of pasta or potatoes accompanied with some bread. But I really don’t need to harp on that, it is pretty much beating a dead horse at this point in the game and most Americans know what their food choices are doing to them, as do Malagasy. Which further solidifies my conclusion…culture is the culprit. While Madagascar has been pretty tame, no crazy stories of people almost spitting on me or dogs trying to attack me or really anything along those lines. I’m sure I’ll be going back on that statement in a few days as the whole trip slowly comes back to me and I’m not stressing about my flight home. However, I would trade all of those experiences for how kind and welcoming the Malagasy have been. Of the few places I have been, here in Madagascar the people (and the lemurs) have all been worth it, and have made my internship very rich with culture and insight. So hats off to you, Madagascar. And with that I’ll say goodbye to Madagascar and the vanilla and the coffee and chocolate and the kindness. Oh and the dogs. Take care all and àbientôt!