Building a Schoolhouse, Ft. Dauphin

This past week was mostly spent hammering, sawing, and carrying planks of wood between work sites. We are constructing a school that is 18 meters by 6 meters in area, and it requires a lot of work. The school will provide education and a sensibly comfortable learning environment for thousands of children in the coming years. We spend 5 hours per day under the sun, and the amount of sweat I produce even walking 100 yards is obsene. Fortunately there is a consistent supply of treated water so we stay well hydrated. I am excited to see the final product, and even after the first week of construction I feel very accomplished. There is a real purpose to every step in the process. Simple tasks such as hammering nails and sawing wood take on a substantial importance here; we are doing something that will greatly benefit this community, and that makes me very happy. As an aside, today I ate goat tongue and it was delicious. It was cooked in its original form, long and curved, and part of the throat was still attached. It tasted like a lamb chop and was surprisingly tender. I have been really pleased with the quality of the meat here--it is a real treat. We swam at the surfing beach today, I think I might have to try surfing some time soon. I'm getting better at conversing with the Malagasy children, and that is a a lot of fun. They are incredibly friendly. Samsara! (Cheers)