Fety ny Miasa! (work party!)

These are a few pics from our work fety (party) last weekend, to celebrate the hard work all of us health workers put in for "herinandro fahasalaman' ny reny sy zaza" (mother and child health week). It was a well- deserved community meal after making sure all our villagers got their bi-yearly doses of Vitamin A , de-worming pills, vaccines, and/or pre-natal check-ups. The second picture was the meat that was thrown in with the beans...something about being from the stomach of the cow. My co-workers laughed when they saw my shocked look of somewhat disgust, somewhat curiosity on my face. Of course I had to eat a wee bit, but was sooo chewy, I had to apologize for only enjoying the beans and community rice afterwards. (Before Peace Corps I hated beans, but have really started loving them!!!;P) It's such a great, practical, communal, intimate feeling to all be eating from the same banana leaf, which is custom for these type of group meals. And of course, eating from the banana leaf is another practical lesson learned. Thank God for bananas!! I eat the nutrient-rich, magical fruit daily and the tree itself is obviously useful in sooo many other ways! The top picture is actually from our New Year's fety and the chickens we offered as the custom gift to our doctor& nurse. But it's a good pic of all us mpanentana's (volunteer health workers) and co-workers in my office...yess! I actually have my OWN spacious office at the CSB (village health clinic)!:) ..this is not common for PCV's, I am quite lucky!. Nata is on the far left,she's one of my best friend's and our pharmacist, the guy to the left of me is our head "Chef" doctor, and the guy to the right is our nurse. But these are all suuper fantasticly- souled people that I'm blessed to work with..and in such a nice CSB (it was just recently painted/ tiled last year!). Mondrosoa!! (you're welcome anytime!!)