Daily training life

Hello everyone! It is 9:00p.m. and 1:00 p.m. in WI. I am sitting in my foam mattress bed with mosquito net surrounding me, and it feels like a sweet fort I built when I was little. I just finished washing the dishes! I asked and they finally said I could! The past two nights they just said, “Night" and I went upstairs to my room. But tonight they let me help. They gave me an apron and I washed the dishes with a sponge which is actually a cut piece of foam, and rubbed it on a piece of soap for dish soap. Then, in a bucket of cold water I washed the dishes and my sister Ando, pronounced (Ahn-doo) rinsed the dishes and set them out to dry. I had an awesome dinner w/ the family because I can finally speak in sentences. It’s amazing how fast I have learned Malagasy, and it feels SO comforting. The family and I talked about what the Dad does for work, which is basically a construction worker who drives the big machines that dig up dirt. I can’t remember the name in English! The Mom owns a little shop here at the house. Each morning, I wake up at 6:00 a.m. and go downstairs with my bucket and scoop and get hot water from my host Mom, which is half boiled and half cold water and walk outside to the Ladosy (Lah-doo-see) or outdoor shower that is just a wood structure w/ a door and cement like floor. I use the scoop to take a shower from the bucket. Then I dry off, go upstairs, get dressed and go downstairs for breakfast. My Mother makes me coffee w/ sugar and sweetened condensed milk. I usually have bread w/ butter and some sort of honey mixed with sugar or jam that is delicious. Then I brush my teeth out on the porch, spitting off the balcony, because that’s how they do it here! Then I walk to class w/ other volunteers. I come back home for lunch w/ the family, then back to class until 5:00 , then back to the host family for dinner and playing hacky-sack w/ the male boys, Ravo (Rah-voo) and taratra (Tahrahtrah). Then it’s up to my room where I write in my journal, study, brush my teeth and spit it in my Po.. The Malagasy do not go to the outhouse at night because witches come out at night, no joke. I pee in a bucket in my room every night, and dump it in the outhouse in the morning. Then I fall asleep around 9:30 or 10:00 and start the whole thing over the next day! Next weekend we get to go to Tana, the capital, for the 1st time, so I mght have internet access! Exciting! I hope you all know that I am loving it here. A lot of volunteers are having trouble w/ the language and being homesick, but I haven’t felt sad for even one second here! My host family is so nice and caring and make me feel like family. It is amazing to speak to them after two days of awkward small talk, because of the language barrier. Next week is Independence Day here, and I will celebrate w/ the family by dancing and seeing fireworks! I learned all of that out of our dinner conversation tonight!